Local couple, teen honored

A couple from Frankford and a teen from Newton were among the first-responders, veterans, volunteers and community leaders honored by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-5, during his Fifth District Hometown Heroes Ceremony on Dec. 15.

Kim and Darrin Chambers of Frankford founded their charity Maverick’s Legacy to educate the public about choking hazards after the death of their son Maverick Scott Chambers from a choking accident April 23, 2022. He was 4 months and 26 days old.

The nonprofit organization arranges donations of airway-clearance devices to first-responders and schools.

Their work already has saved the life of a young boy, Zachary Cook, whose parents purchased a LifeVac after being encouraged to do so by the organization.

Ariel Franzone, a senior at Newton High School, has worked to overcome dyslexia and ADHD. She has excelled in academics and is a member of the National Honors Society, a Girl Scout and a team captain in the local Robotics Club.

She also is a part of 4-H and volunteers for Wreaths Across America and Pass It Along. She helped collect more than 150 books and school supplies to donate to Merriam Avenue Elementary School in Newton.

Also among the more than 20 Fifth District Hometown Heroes were Edan Alexander, a 19-year-old Tenafly native who was taken hostage by Hamas in the Oct. 7 attack in Israel; Chief John McLoughlin and the Demarest Fire Department, who saved the life of a man trapped under a boulder during a rainstorm; and Andrew Woods of Demarest, a 20-year volunteer emergency medical technician who has responded to more than 250 calls every year since 2007.

“We are lucky to have so many unsung heroes in our communities here today whose quiet power of service goes on every day without the recognition they truly deserve. They just do it because they care. Today is their day. Without the people we are recognizing today, our communities would not be as strong as they are, and North Jersey would not be the great place that it is,” Gottheimer said.

“They all come from different walks of life but share an idea that is particularly special: they embody our Jersey values and make our community such a special place to live, work and raise a family. They help us build that more perfect union of our dreams. We all should work to live up to their example.”