Aerial Photo by James McFarland.

Panoramic view of the Walt Whitman Bridge, looking towards Philadelphia PA. At the bottom of the photo is Holt Cargo Systems in Gloucester City.

In May the 50^th Anniversary of the bridge will be observed.

Joseph F. DiGiacomo, of Gloucester City passed away on Saturday April 14 in Thomas Jefferson Hospital, Philadelphia. He was 87 years old.

Joseph was a lifelong resident of Gloucester City. He lived a simple life centered on the premise that family, faith and friends are everything. Joe\’s family was his passion!

Joe was a stellar athlete while attending and graduating from Gloucester City High School. He lettered in three sports showing excellent ability in football, basketball and baseball.

He was a lifelong parishioner of Saint Mary\’s R.C. Church in Gloucester City where he served for many years as an usher at Mass.

Loving and devoted husband of 50 years to the late Eppie (nee Boyle). Beloved son of the late Concezio DiGiacomo and Assunta (nee Fierro). Cherished father of Eppie Bottinger (Jack) of West Deptford, Jo-Ann Allison (Bill) of Gloucester City, Helen Duffy (Tom) of Gloucester City, Susan Farley (Tom) of Gloucester City and Joseph DiGiacomo (Christine) of Brooklawn.

Dear Grandfather of John, Michael and Matthew Bottinger, Charlene Horgan, Billy and Jason Allison, Patrice Chambers, Tom Duffy, Susan and Tom Farley, Danielle, Joseph and Gabrielle DiGiacomo.

Beloved great-grandfather of 7. Survived by his loving-in-laws: Mary Ellen Colgan, Patricia Justis, Charlene Savidge and James Boyle. Devoted uncle of Chalie, Ott and Anthony Pacifico.

Survived by many nieces, nephews and cousins. Predeceased by beloved sisters Madeline DiSantis, Julia Thomas, and brothers Alfred and Frank DiGiacomo and sister and brother-in-law and lifelong friends Cissie and Ott Pacifico.

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend his viewing on Wednesday evening from 6:30 pm to 9 pm and Thursday morning from 9 am to 10:15 am at the McCann-Healey Funeral Home, 851 Monmouth Street (at Brown Street) Gloucester City.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 11 am at Saint Mary\’s R.C. Church, 426 Monmouth Street, Gloucester City. Interment New Saint Mary\’s Cemetery, Bellmawr. Family requests in lieu of flowers memorial donations be made in Joseph\’s memory to Dominican Sisters of Hope: 820 Hudson Street, Gloucester City, NJ 08030 or Msgr. Lucitt\’s Needy Children\’s Christmas Fund: P.O. Box 87, 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 Joseph F. DiGiacomo. Funeral arrangements and inquires may be made through: (McCANN-HEALEY FUNERAL HOME)

So many mistakes; no wonder taxes have increased year after year after year

By Bill Cleary

Watching the Channel 19 broadcast of the March Gloucester City council meeting I am amazed how the \”Lame-Duck\” incumbents (Loebell, Kaye, and Kormann) tried to defend their practice of giving some city employees longevity pay increases and vacation bonuses.

For years certain employees have been receiving vacations bonuses of between four and nine percent. Do the math; a vacation bonus for some supervisors at the tune of $9,000 or more would be quite possible.  

Research by Councilman Jay Brophy revealed that practice was done away with years ago by the majority of communities in the state.

The outgoing office holders said those employees should continue to receive the perk. The hell with the residents, Kaye, Kormann and Loebell, voted \”No\” against the City\’s new spending plan. In doing so they endangered Council\’s chance of obtaining extraordinary aid from the State.

It is evident the \”Lame-Ducks\” still don\’t understand that their way of doing things is over. Instead of acknowledging they were wrong they remain bold and argumentative.

I just don\’t understand their logic?

As the hidden deals from the past are made public you would think they along with those who told them how to vote would want to fade away.

Nevertheless it has become apparent over the past 10 years or more Gloucester City has been run by incompetent people.

Need proof?

In January it was discover the $425,000 spent to purchase the old Dooley property with plans to turn the building into a seafood restaurant was a bogus election promise. The incumbents were asked to produce a written agreement between the City and the restaurant owner. They admitted there wasn\’t one!
see story

By the way, Reel Fish Seafood, the company supposedly going to run the restaurant is out of business.

The Dooley building was run-down. The owner should have been told before it was sold he would have to bring it up to code. After the deal was completed the City found the building was beyond repair. Demolition cost, $35,000.

It gets worst.

We were just informed that in 2005 the City received a $400,000 state grant to construct a senior citizens community building. Why wasn\’t the $400,000 used when it was received in 2005? Why didn\’t the City Administrator, the past Mayor or somebody on council make mention of it? Was the money misplaced?

When the \”New\” Democrats arrived in January they immediately began to work on finding a place for the senior citizens utilizing the $400,000 grant. Good thing. The grant expires this year.

Need another example?

At the March meeting Councilman Marchese said because of lack of management by the previous administration (s) $1 million in grants for our community were lost in 2006. The reason, the time to use the money expired.

The Finance Chairman also said the previous administration (s) mismanaged the City\’s Bond Debt which is presently $13 million. The City needs a new Water Treatment Plant, cost of $10 million. \”This will increase the bond debt to $23 million a figure that is entirely too high. \”

There is still more.

In 2006 the City purchased a semi-detached property in the unit block of Burlington Street. No one told the City Water Works Department. The pipes broke during the winter flooding the basement. Extensive water damage was caused to the City property and the adjoining property. The cost to taxpayers is unknown.

We all remember how the plans for the $3 million City Marina was revealed right before the mayor election a couple years back. What we didn\’t know until recently was the city was sued by one of the contractors. A settlement was reached last year at a cost to taxpayers in the amount of $260,000. The law firm of Parker McCay, who employed former City Solicitor Jim Maley got paid $300,000 plus.

Sitting by watching all this happen apparently without a \”peep\” were the \”Lame-Duck Threesome\”.

What other secrets have been hidden from the public? One can only guess? I am willing to bet more will be uncovered. How about you?

Cherry Blossom Viewing Is A Very special Season In Japan.  

Commentary By Hank F. Miller Jr.

April is the season to view cherry blossoms and the Japanese have a special affection for the cherry tree with its transient blossom. The subject of cherry blossom viewing has long occupied an important place in Japanese fine arts and literature.

Even today cherry blossom viewing is very popular among the Japanese. When cherry blossoms are at their best, groups of friends or business colleagues arrange picnics under the trees in popular viewing sites such as Ueno Park in Tokyo,Yoshino in Nara,Arashiyama in Kyoto and here at the Kokura castle Park here in Kitakyushu city.

Cherry blossoms under a clear, blue sky are beautiful, and when seen at night, they are enchanting. Some people enjoy their beauty in a quiet mood, while others spread straw mats under the trees and go on drinking, dancing and singing spree.

For many Japanese, cherry blossom viewing is merely a pretext for having a drink at an outdoor party.

Warm Regards from Kitakyushu City, Japan

More than 2,200 Online Viewers Selected the Golden Retriever, Siberian Husky, and Yorkshire Terrier as Three of the 15 Most Beautiful Breeds

DAYTON, Ohio, April 12 /PRNewswire/ — Gorgeous celebrities like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Taye Diggs, Julia Roberts, Halle Berry, and even George Clooney will have some unexpected competition for the title of \”most beautiful\” this Spring. While these stars are known for gracing the cover and pages of People magazine\’s annual most beautiful issue, a new breed of beauties are getting their chance at print stardom as Eukanuba, in partnership with Gatsby Publications, unveils the winners of the first annual Eukanuba 15 Most Beautiful Breeds survey today.

From November 2006 to January 2007, more than 2,200 online visitors of http://www.mostbeautifulbreeds.com/ helped to select the 15 winning breeds — five each in the small, medium, and large dog categories — from the more than 153 currently recognized AKC breeds. While the competition was heated, consumers nationwide can now view all 15 breeds in a 10-page feature pictorial in the April/May issue of The New York Dog magazine with cover star Martha Stewart and her dogs, available on newsstands today.

More than 2,200 Online Viewers Selected the Golden Retriever, Siberian Husky, and Yorkshire Terrier as Three of the 15 Most Beautiful Breeds

DAYTON, Ohio, April 12 /PRNewswire/ — Gorgeous celebrities like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Taye Diggs, Julia Roberts, Halle Berry, and even George Clooney will have some unexpected competition for the title of \”most beautiful\” this Spring. While these stars are known for gracing the cover and pages of People magazine\’s annual most beautiful issue, a new breed of beauties are getting their chance at print stardom as Eukanuba, in partnership with Gatsby Publications, unveils the winners of the first annual Eukanuba 15 Most Beautiful Breeds survey today.

From November 2006 to January 2007, more than 2,200 online visitors of http://www.mostbeautifulbreeds.com/ helped to select the 15 winning breeds — five each in the small, medium, and large dog categories — from the more than 153 currently recognized AKC breeds. While the competition was heated, consumers nationwide can now view all 15 breeds in a 10-page feature pictorial in the April/May issue of The New York Dog magazine with cover star Martha Stewart and her dogs, available on newsstands today.

Mr. Joseph DiGiacomo, of Gloucester City, passed away today, Saturday, at 3:20 AM in Jefferson Hospital, Philadelphia.

Funeral arrangements to be announced.