With Gloucester Catholic deserting blue-collar Gloucester City for the \”greener grass\” of Mullica Hill, everyone is now worried about the empty building left behind… and rightfully so.

Since the proposed middle school will never be built, why not use Gloucester Catholic\’s building for that purpose? I am sure there is plenty of room.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia closed, and merged, many Catholic schools in the mid-1990s. A lot of those buildings are now being used by the Board of Education.

Why can\’t the same thing be done here? It is better than having a huge empty building sitting there waiting to be vandalized!

Speaking of the wide open spaces where 68 homes and two businesses once stood (thanks a lot, State of New Jersey), why can\’t some stores be put there?

Not everyone drives and can go running to the malls whenever they need something. A mini-mall of some sort would create jobs.

Barring that, how about some picnic tables? Or maybe some playground equipment?

Sure would be better than what is there now.

 

Terry M. Callen, Gloucester City

Regarding the discussion on CNB www.clearysnotebook.com about the Gloucester City School District not hiring a local resident for the position of high school English teacher. Although not specifically mentioned by name the person who is at the center of the discussion is David Knecht, a graduate of Gloucester City High School, Class of 2004. Mr. Knecht received his teaching degree from The College of New Jersey.

Knecht said on Tuesday (July 15, 2008) that he submitted an application for the teaching position at Gloucester High in late May or early June. \”School was still in session\”, he said. \”I also applied for positions at several other schools. Such as Lenape and Seneca.

\”Sometime later I was told by individuals in the know that the City Board of Education had already hired someone for the job at the high school.

\”Shortly after I heard the position was filled in Gloucester City I received a call from the Seneca School District to come in for an interview about a teaching position. Following the interview I was hired.

\”On July 7, Jack Don, Gloucester City High School principal contacted me to come in for an interview. Since I already signed a contract with Seneca School Board I told him I was no longer interested.

\”My main concerns were that the administrators thoroughly advertised the district openings and interviewed enough candidates to feel confident that they hired the best teachers for the students of Gloucester City.\”

City School Superintendent Paul Spaventa was contacted for his response to the comments about the teaching positions posted on ClearysNotebook. \”I don’t respond to blog comments. And I cannot under the law (Privacy Act) respond to issues regarding personnel.\”

SAVE NEW JERSEY BLOG…..in my opinion one of the best blogs in the state.

Link: The Save Jersey Blog: To Tickets to Paradise:

Posted by Matt Rooney at 7/15/2008 6:55 AM

Governor Corzine is heading to Israel this weekend for trade talks with various Israeli leaders and businessmen.

NJ court dumps town laws limiting sex offenders
Newsday – Long Island,NY,USA
By JEFFREY GOLD | AP Writer NEWARK, NJ – An appeals has rejected laws in two New Jersey towns that placed tight restrictions on where sex offenders could …

Freeholders denounce dredging project
Gloucester County Times – NJ.com – Woodbury,NJ,USA
The proposal to deepen the channel from the base of the Ben Franklin Bridge to Cape May Point is a $379 million project with a timeline of about five years. …

By Albert Countryman Jr.

Maria Zuluaga of Colombia said goodbye to her friends, host family and members of the Gloucester City Rotary Club during a party June 14.

She had lived the past 10 months at the home of Jack and Linda Dilks as part of the Rotary International Youth Exchange Program.

\”I have enjoyed my stay. Things are a little different compared to my country. It has been a great experience. I appreciate the kindness of the Dilks\’ family,\” Maria said.

She has one more year of high school in Colombia, and hopes to attend a major university – where she wants to major in veterinary medicine.

During her stay Maria became friends of Moegi Hatte of Japan, who was staying with the Finn family in Collingswood; and Yunn Lin Wong of Brooklawn, who was born in Malaysia.

\”It\’s been an awesome year for me,\” said Moegi, who was going to return to Japan on July 9. The United States \”is very different than Japan. I enjoyed learning English.\”

Moegi attended Collingswood High School, and was introduced to many different cultures.

\”It is mostly Japanese that live in Japan,\” she said.

\”Maria was one of my best friends at Gloucester High,\” Yunn Lin said. \”Being here is absolutely different. I miss Malaysia.\”

She hopes to visit in the summer of 2009.

It is hard to say goodbye, but these three international students will still stay in touch with each other via email.

Meanwhile, they were all thankful to become friends.

Source Gloucester City News July 10th