Dear Joyce Moyer,

 

I received your letter that you wrote about me at the board meeting. I must say I was shocked. Joyce for you to write that is a disgrace. To mention how I\’m negative caught up in power, and a million other things is a flat out lie and you know it. Why don\’t you send your letter to Cleary\’s Notebook. Instead you hide behind a piece of paper and spread lies about me. What are you so afraid of.

 

I started this investigation into the feral cat problem not because I wanted to but because it was a problem that faced Gloucester City. You told me personally no one in city government wanted to work with you in the past. Now I see why. I was willing to here you out, and try to work with you to help solve a problem that affects the residents of this town. You also told me you did not want to be involved in politics. To that I have a question. Without local government leaders involved how would you expect this problem to be addressed? I put myself out there only to be attacked by you and your organization, and I don\’t regret it because I know I am doing the right thing. I only have the best interest of Gloucester City in mind, and hopefully as a resident you do as well.

 

In closing Ms. Moyer I would like to say that your letter was a direct attack on me, and what I am trying to do; and I will not step down to your level. I am proud to be apart of this administration, to serve the residents of Gloucester City, and bring about change. As a human being I will be polite and still hope we can work together to help solve this feral cat problem. However you need to change your attitude. This has been a problem for years, and to attack the person who bought this problem up makes no sense to me.

 

I will promise to the people of Gloucester City that I will continue to fight to solve this problem that faces us all. Along with the rest of the Mayor\’s Advisory Committee on Feral Cats, the mayor and any other person who wants to see this issue solved I will do my best in seeing that the necessary actions are taken.

 

Sincerely,

John P. Schmidt, Member

Gloucester City Board of Health

Mayor\’s Advisory Committee on Feral Cats

Patricia M. O\’CONNOR passed away on July 12, 2007. Age 85. (nee Gillerlain) Resident of Gloucester City for 81 years. Loving wife of 56 years to the late Frederick V. O\’Connor. Devoted mother of Dr. Fredrick V. O\’Connor Jr. and his wife Katherine of Farmington, CT., Maureen Schiffino of Marlton and Dr. Brian O\’Connor of Springfield, NJ. Beloved grandmother of Mark Schiffino of Marlton, Greg Schiffino of Marlton, Ryan Schiffino of Marlton, Elizabeth Purcell and her husband Brian of Philadelphia, Brendan O\’Connor of New York City, NY and Allison O\’Connor of Farmington, CT.

Patricia was born in Bridgeport, Ct. and then moved to Gloucester City. She was a lifelong faithful parishioner of St. Mary\’s Church in Gloucester City. Patricia was a loving mother and grandmother and her family was her life.

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend her viewing on Friday evening from 7 to 9 pm and Saturday morning from 8:30 to 9:30 am at the McCANN-HEALEY FUNERAL HOME: 851 Monmouth Street, (at Brown Street) Gloucester City. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10 am at Saint Mary\’s R.C. Church: 426 Monmouth Street, Gloucester City, NJ 08030. Interment New Saint Mary\’s Cemetery, Bellmawr.

Family requests that memorial donations be made in Patricia\’s memory to the St. Mary\’s R.C. Church: Aid to the Aging at the above address. Please write in the memo of the check, Patricia M. O\’Connor. Expressions of sympathy can be e-mailed to the family through our funeral home website www.mccannhealey.com under online obituaries of Patricia M. O\’Connor.

By Bill Bates 

NEWS Correspondent

 

On Thursday, July 12 at 12:23 AM, Task Force 45 (consisting of Mount Ephraim, Audubon, Bellmawr and Gloucester City fire apparatus and MEPRI Emergency Medical Services) were dispatched to 414 North Black Horse Pike between 5th & 6th Avenues for an apartment fire with reported people trapped. Mount Ephraim Fire Chief Mario Scullan and Deputy Chief Brian Gilmore arrived minutes after the first call came in and immediately requested Camden County Communications to re-tone the assignment for \”All Hands Operating\” as they arrived to find medium to heavy smoke pushing from the second floor windows.

PHOTO BY BILL BATES 

 FIRE AFTERMATH – Windows were boarded up on the second floor and some debris was piled up outside on the pavement the morning after a fire consumed an occupied apartment above a recently vacant business – Hair Pair Salon, located at the corner of the Black Horse Pike & Valley Road in Mount Ephraim. The fire was placed under control by the 30 minute mark.

Engine 451 arrived and advanced an inch and three-quarter hand line up the steps to the second floor apartment to extinguish the blaze. Rescue 455\’s crew arrived behind engine 451 and performed a primary search for civilians of the second floor with negative results. It was then confirmed with the incident command officer that all occupants of the building were accounted for at that time.

The fire damaged the occupied apartment upstairs and the business and apartment downstairs only received minor water damage. Deputy Chief Brian Gilmore credited the efforts of the fire companies from Mount Ephraim and surrounding communities for their quick response to help extinguish the blaze.

Crews from the Mount Ephraim Emergency Management as well as both of MEPRI EMS ambulances along with Haddon Heights E.M.S. and Virtua Paramedics responded to the scene. Thankfully, no civilian or firefighter injuries were reported. Crews were on scene till about 4 a.m. before returning to the station.

The Camden County Fire Marshal\’s Office is investigating to determine the cause of the blaze.

Kathleen M. Sisco (nee Woodworth) ….On July 12, 2007 went Home to Heaven one day after her 62 Birthday of Gloucester City. Formerly of Bellmawr. Loving daughter of the late Sarah \”Sadie\” Woodworth (nee Wall). Beloved mother of Jill R. Ruggieri and husband John of Bellmawr and Ted F. Sisco and his wife Loretta of Westville. Cherished mom-mom of Jack and Jason Ruggieri. Dear Sister of Stan Woodworth and his wife Beverly of Moorestown.

Kathleen was a longtime resident of Gloucester City and was a 1963 Graduate of Gloucester Catholic High School. She lived many years in Bellmawr and worked as a claims processor at CIGNA Insurance in Voorhees until 1993. Kathleen was very devoted to her family and had many wonderful friendships throughout her entire life.

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend her viewing on Monday Evening from 7 to 9 pm and Tuesday morning from 9 am to 10 am at the McCANN-HEALEY FUNERAL HOME: 851 Monmouth Street, (at Brown Street) Gloucester City.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10:30 am Saint Mary\’s R.C. Church: 426 Monmouth Street, Gloucester City. Interment with her mother, Sarah in Locustwood Memorial Park, Cherry Hill.

Family requests memorial donations in Kathleen\’s memory to Saint Mary\’s Catholic School: Tuition Fund: 426 Monmouth Street, Gloucester City, NJ 08030. Expressions of sympathy can be e-mailed to the family through our funeral home website www.mccannhealey.com under online obituaries of Kathleen M. Sisco.

Funeral Arrrangements and Inquires may be made through: McCANN-HEALEY FUNERAL HOME: 851 Monmouth Street, Gloucester City. NJ. Phone: 856-456-1142.

WHEN EAST MEETS WEST:

 

Commentary by Hank F. Miller Jr……Hank is a former resident of Gloucester City

 

 

I don\’t mind putting my foot in my mouth. That\’s one way to keep it clean. So here goes…

 

I say the trickiest adjustment to living in Japan is not learning to successfully miscommunication in Japanese…nor in developing disregard for the probing eyes and elbows of packed urban life…nor even in growing accustomed to eating food that sometimes looks like it might have already been eaten once by somebody else.

Nope. The hardest thing has been…those darn house slippers. Now, I do not have a foot fetish. I dwell on my feet no more than I do on my other body part-which is not so very often. If you know my body, you would surely understand. Yet I admit to being fond of my feet.

I have two, and both are svelte cuties compared with the hairy gunboats displayed by foreign friends. These feet have carried me without a complaint for well over half a century now, and I feel keenly attached to them both. In fact, the only times I have ever heard them scream in protest was when I inserted them into Japanese house slippers. The scream goes like this…\”CRAMP!\”

 

For no matter how svelte, my feet have ever had to put up with the heel of the slipper mashing into the arch or in the rare case of finding a slipper of acceptable size–of going with no arch support whatsoever.

Either way, they soon sing out in prolonged vibrato…\”CRAMP!\”

 

I am not against the idea of slippers per se. Taking off one\’s footwear when entering a home seems altogether reasonable and, through the years, I have learned to wear shoes that slip on and off easily–this unlike some people who always seem to need shoehorns, crowbars, instruction manuals and what not.

 

So as for slippers I shun them. So do my kids. In our family the only person who insists on being slippery is thus my Japanese wife Keiko.

Just watching her can make my feet hurt. The routine is always the same. She comes home from teaching at the local high school, removes and neatly arranges her shoes in our\”genkan,\”–\”entrance hall,\” then tugs her slippers. Next, she shuffles the 6 meters up the stairs to her mother\’s room–which is carpeted. Steps from her slippers and enters the room in her stockings to greet her mother.

 

Recently though my wife has joined the kids and I, and now has gone slipper less occasionally. Another surprise is the only people who wear the slippers we have waiting on a special slipper rack, just inside the front door are the adult students all the kids we teach go without slippers. Thus they say gives them a sense of being in a completely American home and surroundings.

Because they think that we Americans also remove our shoes.

I explained that in the States many people wear their shoes in their homes, but there are many also who do remove their shoes because it keeps the carpets cleaner.

 

My feet feel great. My brain, however, locks up tight. But this will occur only away from home. For in my own house, I touch slippers for one purpose–which seems to be the best reason for having them around. Nothing, you see, can smash a cockroach quite like a slipper especially if you crank your delivery.\”

\”I\’m home!\”My wife will call from the entranceway–to be followed by the sound\”slap, plop, squish, plop.\” \”Something\’s wrong with one of my slippers!\”

\”That\’s funny,\” I will call back, flexing my wrist.\”A minute ago it worked just fine.\”

 

Warm Regards from Kitakyushu City, Japan

Hank & Keiko, the Miller Family

 

Long weekends mean that you\’ll finally have time to get out on the water. However, your not the only one with this idea, and by the time you get out there people are lining the banks and every boat is fishing your favorite spot. It seems that more and more of your favorite holes are being over run.

photo: James Burkhardt caught this huge Largemouth bass in April at Martins lake Johnson Blvd and Baynes Avenue, Gloucester City.

In situations like this you have to get creative, and do a little research. It\’s true that you will never find a lake in South Jersey that has never been fished, but you can find a few of the more remote lakes that see fewer people. You have a couple of options that will help bring back the peace and quiet of a day on the lake.

Fishermen are creatures of habit, and as such we tend to fish the same spots frequently. However, this practice causes us to overlook other great fishing opportunities that may be right under our noses. That is why it\’s smart to turn to outside sources of information to expand your horizons. Utilizing the internet and flipping through the \”New Jersey Lake Survey Fishing Maps Guide,\” will help you on those days when your favorite lake is teaming with your fishing brethren.

There are many useful fishing websites on the Internet, but few offer great resources for those of us fish the lakes and streams of South Jersey. \”The Bass Fishing Homepage\”, has a section for lake reports. There are lakes reports from the most famous, as well as those smaller fishing holes all over the country. You can search these reports individually by state and date. Pick New Jersey from the drop-down menu, and put in the dates for last week and you\’ll likely find lakes close to your home where people are catching fish. Most include effective lures, water clarity, and the top producing colors for that day.

Need even more information? Head out to the local sporting goods store and pick up a copy of the \”New Jersey Lakes Survey Fishing Maps Guide.\” The maps in this guide provide information on well over 50 lakes in New Jersey. Many of the lake maps also list the types of lures and the most effective colors to fish the waters successfully. The maps clearly outline depths, underwater structure, channels, direction of incoming and outgoing streams, and where boat ramps can be found.

Don\’t get stuck in a routine. You can improve your tactics and strategy by fishing different lakes. Adapting to new locations can be difficult, but that is what fishing is all about. reprinted with permission of South Jersey Outdoors

 

FARRACE, ANTHONY J.
Cherokee High School scholar-athlete. Suddenly on July 6, 2007. Age 17.
Beloved son of John A. and Claudia A. (nee Bauman) Farrace. Dear brother of Diana. Devoted grandson of John and Nancy Farrace and Claude Bauman and the late Pauline B. Bauman (nee Serdinak). Also survived by his aunt and uncle Kathryn M. (nee Bauman) and Gerard Leone and his cousins Gerard and Paulina Leone of Mt. Laurel; his uncle and aunt Charles F. and Joan Bauman and cousin Ashley Bauman of West Chester, Ohio; his aunt and uncle Rose Marie (nee Farrace) and Alberto Tecce and his cousins Michael, Giovanni, Alberto and Angelina Tecce of Warrington, PA; and his uncle and aunt Robert and Melissa (nee Olson) Farrace, and his cousins Christian and Nicole Farrace of Falls Church, VA.
Relatives and friends are invited to the view-ing 5-9pm Wednesday at St. Isaac Jogues Church, Elmwood Rd. at Eves-boro-Medford Rd., Marl-ton, NJ. There will also be a viewing at the church 8:45-9:30am Thursday, followed by Mass of Christian Burial at 10am Thursday. Interment private. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Anthony J. Farrace Memorial Fund, c/o Commerce Bank, 225 Green-tree Rd., Marlton, NJ 08053.

MACOM, VORRIE B., M.D., FAAFP

Went home to be with the Lord today, July 8, 2007.
Doc was a graduate of Haddon Heights High School class of 1954, where he was a member of the 1952 Championship Basketball Team. He graduated from Gettysburg College, class of 1958, and Jefferson Hospital Medical College, class of 1962.
Doc loved the ocean, sitting on the beach, breakfast at Bob\’s Grill and riding his bike throughout his beloved Ocean City, NJ. An \’old school\’ physician, Doc was renowned throughout the medical community for his abilities as a hands-on diagnostician and practiced the art of healing for forty-one years. His practice began in Wenonah, NJ with his close friend Dr. Donnie Weems of Cape May, NJ. He moved his practice to Lansford, PA, where he practiced for twenty years. His lifelong dream of living at the shore was realized in 1982, when he moved his practice to Marmora where he remained until his retirement five years ago. So loved was he by his patients in the Poconos that some would ride the casino buses down to Atlantic City to seek out his care where he served as house physician at the Tropicana and Bally\’s. If you find yourself on either of his favorite beaches in Ocean City, at 50th Street or 14th Street, think of him, because that is where he was happiest.
Doc is survived by his son, V. Scott Macom, Esq., and his wife Kellie and their two sons, Bobby and Alec, son Robert Macom and his wife Gina and their children, Robert, Brandon and Alexa, and his wife of thirty-five years, Mildred Ann Macom.
A private memorial service is being held for closest friends and family. In lieu of flowers or other offerings, please make donations in care of Doc\’s Memory to the American Diabetes Association, Philadelphia, PA Office, 150 Monument Road, Suite 100, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004.
To email condolences, visit
www.godfreyfuneral
home.com

LEWIS, MICHAEL J.
In loving memory of Michael J. Lewis of Bellmawr, age 51, on July 7, 2007.
Loving husband of Kathy. Devoted father of Michael, Jonathan and Heather. Son of Leo J. Paul and the late Mary V. Paul. Beloved brother of Mary and Robert and his wife Lori. Also survived by many nieces and nephews.
Mike worked for Local 1955 out of Philadelphia. He was a very active member of Bellmawr Baseball and District 14 Little League.
Relatives and friends are invited to his viewing Thursday from 9 – 11 am at Annunciation BVM Church, 601 Browning Rd., Bellmawr. Funeral Mass at 11 am at church. Interment at New St. Mary\’s Cemetery, Bellmawr.
To view Michael\’s memorial video or to sign his guest book, please visit www. boucherfuneralhome. com

Gloucester City\’s Junior Little League (13 & 14 year old) won the District 14 Championship tonight defeating Audubon 13 – 7.

Dan Vivieros and Joe Collins each provided home runs and Gloucester\’s Paul Walters was the winning pitcher.

Gloucester meets the District 13 champion on Sunday in the Sectional Playoff\’s.