[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 16335]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO STEPHEN N. ADUBATO, SR.

 Mr. MENENDEZ. Madam President, I rise today to honor the 
extraordinary work of Stephen Adubato, Sr., and the lifetime of 
contributions he has made to better the lives of Newark, NJ residents. 
From the 3- and 4-year-olds who attend the preschool program he 
founded, to the older adults who are cared for at Casa Israel Adult 
Medical Day Care, thousands of people each and every day are positively 
touched by the institutions that Mr. Adubato has created.
  Mr. Adubato began his own career in education as a history and 
government teacher in the Newark public schools, where he taught for 15 
years. While teaching, he obtained a master's degree in education and 
completed the coursework for a doctorate in education.
  Beginning in 1970, Mr. Adubato built the North Ward Center from a 
small storefront office on Bloomfield Avenue into the thriving 
institution it is today. During an era of instability, uncertainty, and 
transformation in the city, the North Ward Center served as a pillar of 
stability, offering job training, education, and recreational 
opportunities to families struggling for survival. Given his strong 
commitment to education, it is no surprise that one of the first 
programs created by the North Ward Center was a preschool. Today, the 
North Ward Child Development Center educates 700 children a year and is 
one of the largest Abbott preschools in the State.
  In 1980, the North Ward Center founded the Newark Business Training 
Institute, NBTI, which has helped thousands of adults transition from 
welfare to work and has returned more than $1 billion into the State's 
economy. NBTI currently offers English as a second language to ensure 
recent immigrants have the language skills necessary to find good jobs.
  The crowning achievement of Mr. Adubato's lifelong dedication to 
education is the Robert Treat Academy Charter School, which enrolls 450 
students in grades K-8. Founded in 1997 as one of the State's first 
charter schools, Robert Treat has gained a national reputation for its 
academic success and was named a Blue Ribbon school in 2008.
  In August 2009, Robert Treat opened a second campus in the Central 
Ward of Newark. It started with a kindergarten and first grade class 
and will add a grade each year. Between the two campuses, Robert Treat 
will eventually enroll 675 students.
  Mr. Adubato received a doctor of humane letters from Kean University 
in May 2010. He received the Official Knight of the Order of Merit of 
the Republic of Italy and was honored by the New Jersey Ballet and the 
Archdiocese of Newark as the Humanitarian of the Year. Mr. Adubato was 
also honored by the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and National 
Organization of African-American Administrators. In September 2009, he 
was honored by Essex County, which named the recreation complex in 
Branch Brook Park the Stephen N. Adubato, Sr., Sports Complex.
  There is no doubt that the lifetime work of Stephen Adubato, Sr., has 
greatly benefited the people of Newark. His commitment to helping those 
around him is not only admirable, it is inspiring, and his legacy is 
sure to have a lasting impact on the city. I join together with all New 
Jerseyans in thanking him for a career of remarkable 
contribution.

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