By John P. Schmidt

NEWS Correspondent

Gloucester City Mayor and Council presented two proclamations during last week\’s meeting honoring Library Director Elizabeth Egan and Mary Lou Adams, who recently founded the Cultural Arts and Heritage Society.

Egan received the NJ Library Association President\’s Award for 2008, which is given for outstanding public service to the library community.

She has been the library director in Gloucester City since 1989. Egan said she had planned to be here for five years and move on, but she decided to stay.

\”As time went on I realized the work never ends,\” Egan said. \”There is always something new that has to be done here.\”

Egan mentioned that since 1989 the library has gone under a revolution in service from being all paper based to being automated. But, it still has the role of educating the community.

During the meeting, resident Charlie Pie inquired about the schooner the City has purchased, and which will be docked at the former Coast Guard Pier.

Pie was concerned about the costs that this boat would incur would be placed on the taxpayers.

Bob Bevan, the former mayor and current Community Relations Specialist, who has been working on this project, addressed the public.

He said the City hopes to educate children on it about sailing. There are many other programs for the community, especially children, including the sciences.

Gloucester City plans to have the schooner be solar powered, and is trying to get the schooner registered as a 501C3 Non-Profit.

He explained that there are grants from many organizations out there interested about the schooner, and that it should be able to pay for itself and eventually generate revenue for the City.

Bevan also noted the schooner was purchased with Urban Development Action Grant money, which can only be used for economic and urban development.

This ship would bring a tremendous element of pride to our community, Bevan said. \”The one thing we\’re lacking anymore is the pride.\”

Gloucester City resident Charles Reed, who will serve as a captain on the schooner, also addressed the public.

\”We have a lot of people who want to volunteer. There are different organizations that want to come in and work on the teaching capacity, the schools are very interested in it and we have grants coming in for this,\” Reed said.

Mayor William P. James called the schooner a tangible asset.

He added that the city is going to involve the youth of the community, and create relationships with other maritime personal.

\”The pier is one of our gems,\” James said. \”We haven\’t used it, and were going to begin to use it. We\’re starting to take action, we\’re going to make things happen.\”

City Council passed an ordinance on first reading regulating salaries for certain employees, including an administrative assistant for City Administrator Paul Kain.

City Finance Chairman Nicholas Marchese expressed concern that he was not notified about the proposed salary for that position, and requested the minimum salary would be $15.25 per hour to $21.00 an hour.

The proposed minimum salary was $17.25 per hour. The new assistant, Lori Kraft, was hired after Executive Session Thursday night.

The ordinance passed, 6-0-1, with Councilman William R. Hagan Sr. abstaining. The administrative assistant will be a temporary position for 10 weeks.

\”There is a lot going on in the City, and us as mayor and council are creating a lot more,\” Marchese said. \”The administrator position should require an assistant.\”

City Council also approved to hire a Regional Contribution Agreement (RCA) director by a 6-0-1 vote, with Councilman Marchese abstaining.

He said the state is mandating the city have an RCA director, which will be paid by the RCA – a state agency.

Council also approved a resolution to approve funding for a new water works facility in the amount of $9,445,000.

Public Works Chairman Jay Brophy in an interview said that construction will begin this year, after the bid process is completed.

Resident Janet Cowgill, who lives on Ridgeway Street, expressed concern about the Rock n Roll Festival, the amount of noise it created for residents, and the inconvenience it caused businesses.

Council members said in the future it would be located down on King Street, by the Delaware River.

Marchese apologized to the residents and the business affected by the event. He said it was not the Celebrations Committee, but the UEZ who organized the event.

Councilman Bruce Parry announced that planning for the 2009 Community Calendar is underway, and for information or to put events in it, contact the UEZ office.

Parry said the Fourth of July Celebration will be July 3^rd. The parade will begin at 6 p.m., starting at CVS and heading down Broadway to O\’Donnell\’s Restaurant. From 7-9 p.m., there will be live music at Johnson Boulevard, followed by fireworks at 9 p.m.

The annual Baby Contest will be held on July 4^th at Martins Lake at 11 a.m.

Councilman Hutchinson thanked the Business Association, who invited Mayor and Council to their event on the Flagship IV. The ship is a charter boat which currently sails out of the old Coast Guard pier.

Hutchinson asked that if any residents know where to attain pictures, or has pictures of fallen veterans from Gloucester City, if they could contact the Clerk\’s office.

Mayor James also announced that the PAL Center located on Brown Street will be open everyday throughout the summer from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

James said there will be a physical education teacher present for the weight room and basketball courts, a yoga instructor for yoga classes, as well as arts and crafts.

City Council meets again Thursday, July 24, at 8 p.m. in City Hall, 313 Monmouth St.

Source: Gloucester City News, July 3, 2008

 

 

 

WOOD Richard A., Sr. On July 7, 2008. Age 79. Of Bellmawr.

 

Loving husband of 26 years to the late Rita Ann Wood (nee McLaughin). Devoted father of Richard A. (Betsy) Wood, Jr. of McDonough, GA. and John J. Wood of Bellmawr. Beloved grandfather of Richard, III, Kristina, Katie, John-Thomas, Sarah and Patrick Wood. Loving great-grandfather of Hailey Johnson. Also survived by many nieces, nephews and cousins.

 

Rich proudly served our county in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He worked 18 years for Owings Corning Fiberglass in Barrington. Rich was active at the Archway Senior Activity Center in Haddon Heights.

 

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend his viewing on Saturday morning from 9 to 11 am at the McCANN-HEALEY FUNERAL HOME: 851 Monmouth Street, (at Brown Street) Gloucester City.

 

Methodist service officiated by Pastor Richard Miles of Mt. Pleasant Methodist Church will begin at 11 am in the funeral home. Interment New Saint Mary’s Cemetery, Bellmawr. There will be no evening viewing.

 

Family respectfully requests in lieu of flowers memorial donations in Rich’s memory to the Donald L. Perry Foundation for Cancer Research, P.O. Box 7086, Atlantic City, NJ 08404. Please write in memo: Richard A. Wood, Sr.

 

Expressions of sympathy can be e-mailed to the family through our funeral home website www.mccannhealey.com under online obituaries of Richard A. Wood, Sr.

 

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

Symbol: M0452K

Title: PROGRAM MONITOR

Issue Date: 6/24/2008 Closing Date: 7/15/2008

Jurisdiction: GLOUCESTER CITY Salary: $35,000.00 Per Year

Num. of Positions: 1 Workweek: 37.50 Hours per week

Application Fee: $15.00

Open to Residents of: Gloucester City

Requirements:

EDUCATION: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor\’s degree.

NOTE: Applicants who do not meet the above education requirement may substitute experience in inspecting or reviewing activities/programs for compliance with established standards, guidelines, regulations, or contractual agreements or in the review, analysis, and evaluation of activities/programs to ascertain their adequacy, efficiency, deficiencies, and effectiveness in achieving objectives on a year-for-year basis with 30 semester hour credits being equal to 1 year of experience.

Application and More Info

 Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr. (D-Camden, Gloucester), commemorated the 100^th anniversary of the Gloucester City High School\’s first four year graduation.

Junior and Senior National Honor Society students from grades 7 through 10, marked the event by collecting memorabilia from their generation and storing it in a time capsule which will be opened in 2058.

Photo: at one time Mary Ethel Costello School, at Cumberland and Joy Streets was used as the high school.

source Family- Images.com

\”Years from now, students your age will open this time capsule and learn a great deal about the things that were important to your generation,\” Speaker Roberts said. \”From music and pictures to newspapers and articles of clothing, these items tell a story about who you are.\”

Among the artifacts stored in the time capsule were Phillies tickets, senior prom tickets, a cell phone, flip flops, a T-shirt, an Apple iPod play list, a school calendar, a NJ State quarter, and a picture of Corporal Marc Ryan, a casualty of the Iraq War and Gloucester High alumnus.

Also included were a 2008 high school yearbook, along with copies of the school newspaper and the Gloucester City News.

The time capsule was donated by McCann-Healey Funeral Home.

Students from each grade level tightened the screws to seal the time capsule before it was laid in the ground.

Gloucester City, Superintendent Paul A. Spaventa, Gloucester City High School Principal Dr. Jack Don and National Honor Society advisor Mrs. Barbra Gorman presided over the ceremony, which was well received.

Source Gloucester City News, July 3, 2008

By Lois Staas

NEWS Correspondent

Bellmawr Borough Councilman Louis P. DiAngelo said during last week\’s meeting that the town\’s Youth Program would begin July 7, with registration at the Recreation Center.

Mayor Frank R. Filipek added, \”About 100 14 and 15 year olds are interested, and want to come out and keep busy this summer.\”

Resident Maria Straub thanked the Highway Department for their efficient work in removing old, flood damaged furniture.

Triton Regional High School senior Michael E. Anthony thanked Council for the Community Service Award he received.

On another matter, DiAngelo reminded everyone about the Fourth of July festivities in Bellmawr.

Celebrations will begin with the Baby Parade at 9 a.m. at the Borough Hall. The Bicycle Parade follows at 10 a.m. The Main Parade is scheduled for 11 a.m., starting on the Annunciation School parking lot.

\”The American tradition of parades, cookouts, and fireworks helps us celebrate the summer season, especially our nation\’s birthday on the Fourth of July,\” he said.

\”However, fireworks can turn a joyful celebration into a painful memory when children and adults are injured while using fireworks. All consumer use of fireworks is illegal in the State of New Jersey. Please be careful and have a fire safe and injury free holiday,\” he said.

In regular business, Bellmawr Council approved a bond ordinance for the reconstruction of Beechwood Place, Elm Place, Pine Terrace, Laurel Place, and Aspen Place streets.

It appropriates the sum of $100,000 and authorizing the issuance of $95,000 for financing, which will be refunded by Community Block Grant.

Also approved upon second reading was a bond ordinance for the purchase and installation of one new emergency generator, appropriating the sum of $45,000. It is fully funded by the Capital Improvement Fund.

Council unanimously passed a resolution opposing Senate Bill #S-1455, which would consolidate the Municipal Tax Assessor, Municipal Tax Collector, Health Services, and Animal Control services.

Council Okayed submitting a grant application with the NJ Department of Transportation for the Bell Road and Browning Road Streetscape project.

A resolution to submit a grant application with the NJ Department of Transportation for the Lincoln Avenue Reconstruction Project was also approved.

Council approved liquor licenses for the following:

Joe Canal\’s of Bellmawr, Johnnies Liquor Store, The Liquor Mart, Bellmawr Lake Catering, Inc., Ten 9 Corporation, Dominic\’s Tavern, Pennant East, and club licenses for Bellmawr Fire and Rescue Squad #1 and Crescent Park VFW Post 9563.

Source Gloucester City News, July 3, 2008

 

Gloucester City Mayor Bill James announced early this afternoon that the New School funding allocations have been released by the state of New Jersey.

\”Gloucester City is on the list for a newly constructed Middle School for a total estimated cost of $53,520,915\”, said Mayor James.

The school will be built on the vacant ground located on Market Street between Fifth and Sixth Streets extending south towards Jersey Avenue.

Fifty-three schools will be constructed in New Jersey\’s poorest communities with $2.9 billion in funding lawmakers approved last week.The projects are the first to be proposed for funding since the contruction program depleted its original $8.6 billion in funding three years ago.

View the list of schools.

All Things Middle School

If you are having trouble reading this email click here. http://www.legionbaseball.com/game.cfm?GameID=1807

Guaynabo, Puert (3) @ Haddon Heights, (1)
Location Murnane Field
Game Date July 6, 2008 Game Time 4:00 PM

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
GNBO – 2,0,1,0,0,0,0,X,X – 3 5 1
HHTS – 0,0,0,1,0,0,X,X,X – 1 7 1
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
GNBO [SP]ﾠ- Rosario.W [C]ﾠ- Yazquey.Y [RP]ﾠ- Coste.Jﾠ- Quiley.B HHTS [SP]ﾠ- Schneider.Z [C]ﾠ- Gallagher.S [RP]ﾠ- Workman.Bﾠ- Dondarski.Cﾠ- Romond.S

Game Highlights:

Guaynabo, Puerto Rico wins 1st Annual Adrean Blue and Gold Tourney with outstanding pitching and clutch hitting.

Rosario Wilfredo went 4 innings to get the win giving up 1 run on just 4 hits and 2 strike outs. The run was an earned run. Rosario got outstanding relief pitching from Jorge Coste and Bryan Quiles. Hitting stars for Guaynabo were Ryan Santos, 2 for 4, scored twice and had 1 RBI and Xavier Feliciano who went 2 for 3 with a double..

For Haddon Heights Zack Schneider took the loss giving up 3 runs on 4 hits with no strike outs. Only 1 run was earned on his watch.

Hitting stars for Haddon Heights were Brandon Winkler 3 for 4 and Anthony Chiliberti who went 1 for 4 with a triple and a run scored.

Symbol: M0442K Title: CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER TRAINEE

Issue Date: 6/19/2008 Closing Date: 7/10/2008

Jurisdiction: GLOUCESTER CITY Salary: $15.00 Per Hour

Num. of Positions: 4 Workweek: 18 Hours per week

Application Fee: $15.00

Open to Residents of:

Gloucester City

Requirements:

LICENSE: Appointees will be required to possess a driver\’s license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform essential duties of the position.

Application and more info

 

It has been brought to my attention that the City of Gloucester City is seeking five people to add to the payroll. HelpWanted advertisements have been posted on the New Jersey Department of Personnel website .

The announcement for *Code Enforcement Trainees started on June 19 and expires on July 10. The announcement for a *Program Monitor was placed on June 24 and expires on July 15.

I want to thank Lori for bringing the announcements to my attention. Without her help I doubt many of us would have known the City was going to hire more people. Just last week Mayor and Council hired Lori Kraft to assist City Administrator/Municipal Clerk Paul Kain.

Does anyone know the job description of a PROGRAM MONITOR? According to the announcement the person is required to have a college degree. But there is no description of duties for that position.

One further thought; as you drive around our community it is obvious the City’s housing stock is shrinking. With less homes why are we are hiring more people to work in the Housing Office?

To those who asked why Council’s agenda for the Caucus meeting and the regular monthly meeting hasn’t been posted on CNB for the past two months. I am assuming there must be an oversight. I have requested Assistant Clerk Kathy Jentsch to put me back on the Email list for those monthly announcements.

I was told the UEZ meeting scheduled for Monday at 4 PM (yesterday) was cancelled at the last minute because the Board lacked a quorum. One of the topics to be discussed was a BID program for the Monmouth Street Business District. The City of Gloucester City has authorized a feasibility study for a Business Improvement District (BID) that would include businesses in a four block section of the City. The center hub for the BID would be Broadway and Monmouth Street.

The JCSG group is conducting the study for a fee of $5,000, according to Howard Clark, director of the City’s UEZ (Urban Enterprise Zone). In June the City paid the JCSG group $4500 for the study. See City Bills for June

If you have a Tip to share send to [email protected]

*Application/program monitor……………*Application/trainees

 

The article is authentic was written by Ken Blackwell, an African American conservative columnist. This column appeared on Townhall.com on March 14, 2008.

Blackwell is the Senior Fellow for Family Empowerment for the Family Research Council in Washington D.C. He is a columnist for the New York Sun and a contributing editor for Townhall.com.

It\’s an amazing time to be alive in America. We\’re in a year of firsts in this presidential election: the first viable woman candidate; the first viable African-American candidate; and, a candidate who is the first front running freedom fighter over 70. The next president of America will be a first.

We won\’t truly be in an election of firsts, however, until we judge every candidate by where they stand. We won\’t arrive where we should be until we no longer talk about skin color or gender.

Now that Barack Obama steps to the front of the Democratic field, we need to stop talking about his race, and start talking about his policies and his politics.

The reality is this: Though the Democrats will not have a nominee until August, unless Hillary Clinton drops out, Mr. Obama is now the frontrunner, and its time America takes a closer and deeper look at him.

Some pundits are calling him the next John F. Kennedy. He\’s not. He\’s the next George McGovern. And it\’s time people learned the facts.
Because the truth is that Mr. Obama is the single most liberal senator in the entire U.S. Senate. He is more liberal than Ted Kennedy, Bernie Sanders, or Mrs. Clinton.

Never in my life have I seen a presidential frontrunner whose rhetoric is so far removed from his record. Walter Mondale promised to raise our taxes, and he lost. George McGovern promised military weakness, and he lost. Michael Dukakis promised a liberal domestic agenda, and he lost.
Yet Mr. Obama is promising all those things, and he\’s not behind in the polls. Why? Because the press has dealt with him as if he were in a beauty pageant.
Mr. Obama talks about getting past party, getting past red and blue, to lead the United States of America. But let\’s look at the more defined strokes of who he is underneath this superficial \’beauty.\’

Start with national security, since the president\’s most important duties are as commander-in-chief. Over the summer, Mr. Obama talked about invading Pakistan, a nation armed with nuclear weapons; meeting without preconditions with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who vows to destroy Israel and create another Holocaust; and Kim Jong II, who is murdering and starving his people, but emphasized that the nuclear option was off the table against terrorists – something no president has ever taken off the table since we created nuclear weapons in the 1940s. Even Democrats who have worked in national security condemned all of those remarks. Mr. Obama is a foreign-policy novice who would put our national security at risk.

Next, consider economic policy. For all its faults, our health care system is the strongest in the world. And free trade agreements, created by Bill Clinton as well as President Bush, have made more goods more affordable so that even people of modest means can live a life that no one imagined a generation ago. Yet Mr. Obama promises to raise taxes on \’the rich.\’ How to fix Social Security? Raise taxes. How to fix Medicare? Raise taxes. Prescription drugs? Raise taxes. Free college? Raise taxes. Socialize medicine? Raise taxes. His solution to everything is to have government take it over. Big Brother on steroids, funded by your paycheck.

Finally, look at the social issues. Mr. Obama had the audacity to open a stadium rally by saying, \’All praise and glory to God!\’ but says that Christian leaders speaking for life and marriage have \’hijacked\’ – hijacked – Christianity. He is pro-partial birth abortion, and promises to appoint Supreme Court justices who will rule any restriction on it unconstitutional. He espouses the abortion views of Margaret Sanger, one of the early advocates of racial cleansing. His spiritual leaders endorse homosexual marriage, and he is moving in that direction. In Illinois, he refused to vote against a statewide ban – ban – on all handguns in the state. These are radical left, Hollywood, and San Francisco values, not Middle America values.

The real Mr. Obama is an easy target for the general election. Mrs. Clinton is a far tougher opponent. But Mr. Obama could win if people don\’t start looking behind his veneer and flowery speeches. His vision of \’bringing America together\’ means saying that those who disagree with his agenda for America are hijackers or warmongers. Uniting the country means adopting his liberal agenda and abandoning any conflicting beliefs.

But right now everyone is talking about how eloquent of a speaker he is and – yes – they\’re talking about his race. Those should never be the factors on which we base our choice for president. Mr. Obama\’s radical agenda sets him far outside the American mainstream, to the left of Mrs. Clinton.
It\’s time to talk about the real Barack Obama. In an election of firsts, let\’s first make sure we elect the person who is qualified to be our president in a nuclear age during a global civilization war.