Only three doors

An airline captain was breaking in a new blonde stewardess. The route t hey were flying had a layover in another city. Upon their arrival, the captain showed the stewardess the best place for airline personnel to eat, shop and stay overnight. The next morning, as the pilot was preparing the crew for the day\’s route, he noticed the new stewardess was missing. He knew which room she was in at the hotel and called her up wondering what happened. She answered the phone, crying, and said she couldn\’t get out of her room. \”You can\’t get out of your room?\” the captain asked, \”Why not?\” The stewardess replied: \”There are only three doors in here,\” she sobbed, \”one is the bathroom, one is the closet, and one has a sign on it that says \’Do Not Disturb\’!\”

The PhillyHistoryBlog
\”The alarm of fire being given
Onward we did go
Their house we broke, and their engine took
And beat their members also.\”

(From \”The Franklin Hose Song,\” c. 1850)

Tracing their roots back to a proud roster of founding fathers and fires fought, he volunteer fire companies that preceded the establishment of the Philadelphia Fire Department combined the best and worst traits of the city they served. Community-minded, innovative and tough, Philadelphia\’s amateur firemen also earned a reputation for brawling, boozing and bitter rivalry equal to anything ever reported to have happened in the parking lot after an Eagles game.

A rapidly growing city of \”about 700 dwelling houses,\” Philadelphia had no fire service to speak of in the early 18th century. Though bucket brigades had existed in New England since the 1690\’s, it would be decades before anyone took an organized approach to colonial emergency services. Meanwhile, Philadelphians doubtless looked nervously at the eminently combustible wooden warehouses along the Delaware waterfront, the boiling pitch-cauldrons and glowing forges of nearby shipyards and the pitiful resources the city could muster to protect its citizens.

During a fire, the victim depended on civically-minded neighbors with their own buckets, ladders, rope and hooks, the latter being used both to pull valuables from burning structures and to tear down buildings in the fire\’s path to keep it from spreading An English fire engine was purchased for the city around 1718 – partly funded through fines collected from a colonial smoking ban enacted against those \”presuming to smoke tobacco in the Streets of Philadelphia either by day or night\” – but wasn\’t much of a help; clumsy water-tanks on wheels, engines had to be hauled to the site of the fire, pumped by hand and continuously refilled by bucket chains.

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Leonard A. Wisniewski, of Gloucester City passed away on April 1 at the age of 86. Mr. Wisniewski was born and raised in the Polish section of Camden. A former resident of Cherry Hill, Leonard lived in Gloucester City since 1986.

He graduated from Camden Catholic High School in 1939. He proudly served our country in the Army during World War II and was a 19 year present member of the Brooklawn American Legion Post # 72. Leonard was an established musician and bartender at many local clubs including the Rickshaw Inn, Latin Casino and Churchill Downs. He was a member of the Hotel and Bartenders Local # 170, # 267 and # 54. Len was a classically trained violinist and also played the trumpet – music was his passion.

Loving father of Christine, Andrea and Leonard Wisniewski. Survived by his former wife Victoria. Dear Brother of Theodore and wife Betty and sister-in-law Marguerite Wisniewski and his late brother, Eugene and late sister Jeri Rogers.

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend his viewing on Monday from 9 a.m. to 11 am at McCann-HEALEY FUNERAL HOME, 851 Monmouth Street, Gloucester City. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 11:30 am at Saint Mary\’s R.C. Church, 426 Monmouth Street, Gloucester City.

Interment with Military Honors, Saint Joseph\’s Cemetery, Chews Landing. There will be no viewing on Easter Sunday Night. Family requests that memorial donations be made in Leonard\’s memory to Saint Mary\’s R.C. Church, Memorial Fund: 426 Monmouth Street, Gloucester City, NJ 08030.

Expressions of sympathy can be e-mailed to the family through the funeral home website www.mccannhealey.com under online obituaries of Leonard A. Wisniewski.

By ED CHRISTINZIO JR
1st Responder Network

In the afternoon hours of Tuesday April 3rd. Companies from Bellmawr & Gloucester City responded to a reported fuel leak from a vehicle on Routte 76 Northbound by Market St.

Engine 331 arrived to an suv leaking gasoline. Squad 51 and Batallion 504 arrived shortly thereafter. Engine 331 stretched a line and stood by while Squad 51\’s crew secured the leak from the tank. This made the afternoon traffic a mess. Crews picked up with no injuries.

Dr. John Kellmayer, Superintendent of the Alice Costello School, released the following press release today regarding the district\’s school budget. It reads as follows:

\”The Brooklawn Board of Education held a Public Hearing and then approved the district\’s 2007-2008 budget of $4,517,836 at the regular meeting of the Board on March 30.

Because of increasing costs to school districts in areas over which they have no control, such as negotiated raises in contracts, rapidly increasing health care premiums, liability insurance, and heating fuel, a great percentage of school districts throughout New Jersey have planned significant tax increases and/or reductions in faculty and staff. There will be no tax increase in the Brooklawn School District. Nor will there be any reduction in services.

The school district plans to continue to provide services not only for families who have children who attend the school district, but for the entire community as well. The Shop Rite of Brooklawn Center and the Flowers Library and Media Center will be open evenings and some weekends. Programs will be planned for residents of all ages.

How can the Brooklawn Board of Education avoid a tax increase during a difficult economic time? Because the Brooklawn Board has adopted an entrepreneurial philosophy, the district has been successful in generating revenue from nontraditional sources. The sale of naming rights to Shop Rite for $100,000 and a $100,000 gift from the Flowers family are examples of these efforts.

The district has also generated substantial revenue from the New Jersey Interdistrict School Choice Program, which allows a limited number of students from public school districts outside of Brooklawn to attend school in Brooklawn. The Board remains committed to continuing the pursuit of nontraditional sources of revenue in the coming year, including the pursuit of discretionary grant funding.\”

Board of Education President Bruce Darrow said, \”The entire Board should be commended for their hard work in putting together the 2007-2008 budget. As far as I know, Brooklawn will be the only district in Camden County, and one of the very few in the entire state, to hold the line on taxes. Our students remain high achieving, and the school district cost per pupil is among the lowest in the state. In the past several years, we have built a library, classrooms, and a gym, added staff and programs, installed a new heating system and windows, and made numerous other improvements to educational programs and the physical plant—all without a tax increase.

The Board remains committed to working with the entire community, including Mayor and Council, to find innovative ways to continue the success of the school district for the benefit of not only the students but all the residents of Brooklawn.\”

More stories on Alice Costello School

 

BROWN
Leonard J.
On April 2, 2007, of Brooklawn, NJ. Age 63 yrs. Loving father of Janet Goetz (Peter), Dawn Colofranson (Anthony) and Joseph Brown (Colleen). Beloved son of Leonard \’Jake\’ Brown and the late Julia (nee Finnerty). Dear grandfather of Matthew and Thomas Goetz, Caitlin, Tara, and Anthony Colofranson and Heidi, Joseph, Casey and Rebecca Brown. Also survived by his sister Janet Cullen and brother Frank Brown (Kathy) along with several nieces and nephews .
Mr. Brown was born and raised in South Phila, and was a WW II veteran serving in the US Navy SeaBees. He also retired in 1993 from the US Naval Shipyard after 30 years service. He was an active member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, National Park Division and was a former member of the Year.
Relatives and friends are invited to meet on Wednesday morning from 9:30 to 11:30 AM at the ETHERINGTON-CRERAN FUNERAL HOME, 700 Powell St., Gloucester City, NJ 08030. AMass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 12:00 Noon at St. Mary\’s Church, 426 Monmouth St., Gloucester City, NJ 08030. Interment to be held at the convenience of the Family. There will be no evening viewing.

BLAKE, JANE ORA
On March 31, 2007, lifelong resident of Bellmawr. Age 51.
Beloved daughter of the late Calvert W. and Agnes M. (nee Logue) Blake. Devoted sister of Marie E. Winsor, Ronald C. Blake, Nancy B. Traynor and Walter J. Blake. Also survived by many nieces and nephews.
Jane was and employee of Ginsey Industries, Inc. for 21 years.
Relatives and friends are invited to the viewing from 7 to 9pm Wednesday eve and 9 to 10am Thursday morning at GARDNER FUNERAL HOME, RUNNEMEDE. Funeral Service 10am Thursday at the funeral home. Interment at Woodbury Memorial Park, Woodbury.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to St. Jude\’s Children\’s Research, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or to Samaritan Hospice, 5 Eves Dr., Suite 300, Marlton, NJ 08053.
Expressions of sympathy may be e-mailed to [email protected].

Blonde paint job

A blonde, wanting to earn some money, decided to hire herself out as a handyman-type and started canvassing a wealthy neighborhood. She went to the front door of the first house and asked the owner if he had any jobs for her to do. \”Well, you can paint my porch. How much will you charge?\” The blonde said, \”How about 50 dollars?\” The man agreed and told her that the paint and ladders that she might need were in the garage. The man\’s wife, inside the house, heard the conversation and said to her husband, \”Does she realize that the porch goes all the way around the house?\” The man replied, \”She should. She was standing on the porch.\” A short time later, the blonde came to the door to collect her money. \”You\’re finished already?\” he asked. \”Yes,\” the blonde answered, \”and I had paint left over, so I gave it two coats. \”Impressed, the man reached in his pocket for the $50. \”And by the way,\” the blonde added, \”that\’s not a Porch, it\’s a Ferrari.\”

On March 16, the students, support staff and teachers from the Mount Ephraim School District held \”green day.\” Everyone was asked to wear his or her green in support of the troops in Iraq.

The administration, support staff and teachers paid to dress down that day and wear green. The students, support staff and administration raised $287.76 and the Mount Ephraim Education Association contributed $100.

The students at the Kershaw School also bet the teachers and the administration that they could raise one hundred dollars from the student contributions. If the students could do so the administration and teachers would spray their hair green. Well, the students won and the teachers and administration held up their end of the bargain.