Church of Christ mentioned — in a good way — in news story about New Jersey scandals

A Church of Christ in New Jersey was mentioned in news stories about the ongoing scandals surrounding Gov. Chris Christie and his staff. 

But it’s good news for the church. Really.

Reporters followed New Jersey’s Lieutenant Governor, Kim Guadagno, as she participated in a recent Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service event in Union Beach, N.J., a town that was devastated by Hurricane Sandy in late 2012. 

Guadagno is under fire from Hoboken, N.J., mayor Dawn Zimmer, who claims members of Christie’s administration threatened to withhold Hurricane Sandy aid from her city if she did not approve a real estate project. Guadagno delivered that message personally, Zimmer claims. Christie deny the allegations.

Guadagno also denied the claims — and said she was surprised by them — as she helped a group of volunteers from  Americorps and United Way install a new fence at the home of  Angela Ciangiotti, the New Jersey Star-Ledger reports:

Homeowner Angela Ciangiotti stood back and marveled at all the help she was getting restoring her Cape Cod house.

“I’m amazed this is happening,” she said, grateful for the team’s work installing new white vinyl picket fence. “How did I get all this? So many people were affected.”

Both Christie and his wife have visited the family before, John Ciangiotti said.

Gateway Church of Christ has also been instrumental with reconstruction that was not covered by insurance, she said. “We lost our cars, our first floor,” she said.

Read the full story.