Hester scholarship
fund started
Partner, former
co-worker dedicate project
to late investigator
BY JOSEPH PICARD,
Asbury Park Press from the Web. February 28, 2006
TOMS RIVER — The domestic
partner of the late Ocean County Prosecutor's Investigator Laurel Hester and a
former co-worker have established a scholarship fund in Hester's name.
Stacie Andree, 30, of Point Pleasant and former co-worker Dane Wells, 49, of
Jackson last week announced the creation of the Laurel Hester Scholarship Fund,
to be administered by The Personal Liberty Fund, or TPLF, of the New Jersey
Lesbian and Gay Coalition.
She came to national prominence in recent months when she appealed to the Ocean
County Board of Freeholders to extend her death benefit, so that Andree, her
longtime domestic partner, could receive Hester's pension.
Pension death benefits for the state Police and Fire Retirement System (PFRS)
and the state Public Employee Retirement System (PERS) are different. All
PERS retirees are allowed to designate their pension death benefit to anyone.
PFRS employees, unless offered the option by a governing body, can only leave a
pension death benefit to a legal spouse.
While allowing its own PFRS employees the option of assigning their pension to
whomever they choose, the state has left it up to individual counties and
municipalities whether to extend that option to their PFRS employees.
The freeholders' initial rejection of Hester's appeal drew protest from the gay
and lesbian communities, as well as members of law enforcement and the general
public, and brought national media attention to the county.
The freeholders reversed their decision on Jan. 25.
The scholarship will be for the benefit of young adults who have shown
leadership in the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Intersex community,
according to a prepared statement from the coalition.
Those wishing can address contributions to the Laurel Hester Scholarship Fund/TPLF
c/o The Personal Liberty Fund, P.O. Box 11335, New Brunswick, NJ 08906-1335.
There will also be a memorial service for Hester at noon Saturday at St. Mary's
By-the-Sea Episcopal Church, 804 Bay Ave., Point Pleasant Beach.
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