Title
Dept/ Agency: Offices of Municipal Council/City Clerk
Action: ( ) Ratifying (X) Authorizing ( ) Amending
Type of Service: Ceremonial Street Designation
Honoree: Keon Edward Lawrence
Date(s): Saturday, April 23, 2022
Event Time: 11:00 A.M.
Official Street Name(s): Intersection of Vassar Avenue and Aldine Street
Ceremonial Street Name: Keon Edward Lawrence Way
Sponsor: Council Member, John Sharpe James
Additional Information:
body
WHEREAS, Ordinance 6PSF-f, adopted on May 20, 2015, authorizes the designation of an intersection, etc., for honorary and ceremonial purposes; and
WHEREAS, Keon Edward Lawrence, was a longtime Newark resident, and became the first high school basketball player in Newark to score over two thousand (2,000) points. During his tenure at Weequahic High School, Keon Edward Lawrence averaged thirty (30) points per game; ranked 3rd in Essex County, held a 67th placement in the State of New Jersey and a distinguished placement of 101 in the Nation; and
WHEREAS, Keon Edward Lawrence, born on October 1, 1987, to Darlene Epps and Leon Lawrence (deceased) discovered at an early age his love for music and basketball. Upon graduating high school Keon attended The University of Missouri and Seton Hall University where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice in 2011. After graduation, he continued in the pursuit of basketball overseas, in Norway, but ultimately decided to return to the City of Newark where he would share his basketball skills; and
WHEREAS, Keon Edward Lawrence was honored numerous times as a basketball player in Newark and abroad, but he ultimately felt the call to return to the City of Newark where he unselfishly shared his love and skills of basketball with the City’s youth. Keon Edward Lawrence provided training to a multitude of neighborhood youth at several recreational sites in the City, as well as other locations such as New Jersey and Hoops Heaven in East Hanover. Keon Edward Lawrence diligently applied his knowledge, skills, goals and aspirations in such a way that all of the City’s youth and his community could be served.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, THAT:
1. The Municipal Council does hereby authorize the honorary and ceremonial renaming of the intersection of Vassar Avenue and Aldine Street as “Keon Edward Lawrence Way”.
2. The official name of said streets shall remain Vassar Avenue and Aldine Street, in its entirety.
STATEMENT
This Resolution authorizes the naming of the intersection of Vassar Avenue and Aldine Street as “Keon Edward Lawrence Way”, for honorary and ceremonial purposes.