New Jersey Father’s Day 2017: Good News Stories To Share With Dad

There’s plenty to appreciate about being a father in New Jersey. As the Garden State readies to celebrate Father’s Day 2017, Patch reached back into recent history to find some positive, “good news” stories that you can share with your dad this holiday.

Check out some smile-inducing New Jersey stories about fatherhood below (click headline to read the article).

New Jersey's ‘Catman’ Is A Single Dad Changing The World

Maybe it’s a slight misnomer to identify 39-year-old Newark resident Jerry Spilatro as the city’s “Catman.” After all, he’s also spearheaded adoption efforts for local dogs and can frequently be seen around the city walking his canine companions.

But for the past three years, the single father has contributed to his community in a unique, inspirational way: helping to trap, rehabilitate and adopt out dozens of homeless felines in New Jersey’s largest city.

Daughter’s Diagnosis Inspires Local Dad to Open Gluten-Free Bakery

When Jeff Robbins first learned his youngest daughter had Celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine caused by a reaction to gluten, the longtime consumer markets researcher aggressively began testing the available products for a gluten-free diet and reading up on her condition. He and his wife found most of the food lacking in taste and quality.

"There are taste differences, especially with baked goods. We became frustrated. I started poking around and thought how we might take on this challenge,” said Robbins.

Wyckoff Cancer Survivor, 9, Father Launch Bracelet Business To Help Others

A New Jersey girl and her father have started a business with the idea of helping others with cancer just as she has helped raise more than $23,000 to assist other kids in their battle against the disease.

N.J. Astronaut’s Daughter Dresses As Hero Father For Halloween

New Jersey astronaut Scott Kelly’s daughter, Charlotte, may have taken home the title of “Most Touching Costume” for Halloween 2016.

Last Halloween, Kelly’s daughter chose to go out dressed as her father, a lauded NASA astronaut and Essex County native who recently returned to Earth after spending more than a year in space, breaking the record for the single-longest spaceflight by an American.

Man and Car: Father’s Day Love Story

In honor of Father’s Day, I thought a column about cars, the second true love of many men, was appropriate. Of the men in my life, most of them, if not all, love their cars. “It’s a guy thing,” my sons have said to me when I question their need for another car, or truck.

But it was my father whose love of cars revved up his ambition. An entrepreneurial type, he could never settle down in one job and over the years started and drove into the ground a number of businesses, but the one constant was automobiles.

Andy and Grace McOrmond: A Dynamic Father-Daughter Duo

Grace is whole-heartedly into her game of Ms. PacMan at YESTERcades in Red Bank. Her dad Andy is watching, cheering her on. Nothing going on around them breaks their attention away from each other. The two are completely invested in the time they spend together.

Grace time is precious time for Andy.

Cedar Grove Grandfather and Grandson Bond With Birdhouses

Cedar Grove resident Sal Ferruggia – along with his grandson Sal Ferruggia – presented one of their trademark, custom-built birdhouses to NFL tight end Anthony Fasano in an effort to raise awareness about autism.

A Father's Day-Inspired Scholarship

My dad always looked sheepish whenever Father's Day rolled around on the calendar. He spent 364 days a year providing for his family, paying for our educations, and being a fount of wisdom when we asked for his opinion.

The fact there was a single day in the year designated to honor just such men as he was fine for the other dads, but it put him at the center of attention and that was not something he was entirely comfortable with. I know how he feels and can relate to what he must have felt every year when we offered our tokens of appreciation and uttered the memorable phrase, "Happy Father's Day!"

Spanx, Success and Parenting Inspiration from a Billionaire's Dad

How did you fail today? The newly minted, self-made billionaire Sara Blakely was routinely asked this by her father at the family dinner table.

Send feedback and news tips to eric.kiefer@patch.com

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