Dad Vail Regatta, May 8-9 

The legendary Dad Vail Regatta will return for its 57th year to the Schuylkill River on May 8-9. An estimated 3,500 rowers from more than 100 colleges and universities are expected to compete in the largest collegiate regatta in the United States.

Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon, June 27 

The Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon has joined the Life Time Fitness Triathlon Series Race to the Toyota Cup, and will kick off the series on June 27. Held over three days, the marquis event (the Olympic Race) features a 1.5K swim, 40K bike race, and 10K run along the Schuylkill River.

2010 AT&T National, June 28 – July 4 

The 2010 AT&T National at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, PA, will mark the return of professional golf to the Philadelphia area.

Army/Navy Game Scores Big

With the game moved to the second Saturday in December, television viewership saw a significant jump, up by a whopping 85 percent over 2008. All told, 4.2 million homes tuned into the game.

The Army/Navy Game has been ranked fifth among \”Best Sporting Events to See Live,\” behind only the Masters, World Cup, Super Bowl, and Summer Olympics, according to the book The 100 Sporting Events You Must See Live (Robert Tuchman, BenBella Books, 2009).

Philadelphia will host five of the next eight games between the service academies, including this year on December 11, and in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2017.

The month of April is the kick-off for the 2010 23^rd Annual White Cane Drive. The Gloucester City Lions Club continues a pledge to the citizens of Gloucester City and Brooklawn that 100 percent of the donations collected will be used to continue and community and sight programs of the Lions Club.

A project that the Gloucester City Lions Club continues is in the medical field. We have acquired medical appliances and are lending them to the Gloucester City and Brooklawn resident at no cost.

We have wheel chairs, electric hospital beds, walkers, canes, and portable commodes available for loan at the present time.

Jack Hughes, 456-5909, is in charge of this project. If you have any medical equipment you would like to donate to the Lions project, please call Lion Jack. It will be picked up, refurbished and made available at no cost to any resident.

Remember the Lions Club still collect eyeglasses. This project helps many sight impaired people. The glasses are shipped to North Jersey where they are sorted and sent to impoverished countries.

If you can contribute to the White Cane Drive, please make your check payable to the Gloucester City Lions Club and mail to: The Gloucester City Lions Club, P.O. Box 102, Gloucester City, 08030.

Matt Wojtkowiak, Chairman, White Cane Drive

Gloucester City, Lions Club

This month’s message will focus on the budget. The unstable economy continues to affect everyone, including municipal government. The economy has affected every aspect of our lives. Interest rates on investments have dropped, and this is just one example of a revenue source that has disappeared. Local government depends on property taxes and state funding. Other sources of revenue include hotel tax and permit fees.

The Governor has cut our energy tax receipt funding by $239,118 this year. In previous years, this funding was paid to the State by utility companies acting on behalf of the Township, and the Governor has taken this assistance away. The State has also cut $331,224 of Consolidated Municipal Property Relief Tax. This is just another of example of the assistance that is being taken away from the community. As a result of the cuts, the Township is forced to consume a total loss of $570,342, or approximately 3.25 cents on the tax rate.

The State does not allow municipalities to keep local sales tax money. They constantly mandate and make laws that force municipalities to comply. These tactics put a tremendous strain on the Township and costs you unnecessary money.

Township Council and Administration are managing these issues while controlling property taxes in ways such as:

· More than 22 employees have been eliminated through attrition in the last two years. The proposed 2010 budget includes additional decreases in the number of positions through attrition. Although this is a tremendous strain on our services, our goal is to continue to provide the same quality services.

· We have cut more than $1 million dollars in non-mandatory spending.

· Even with more than $1 million in mandatory increases, the municipal budget has increased by less than one percent, which is well below the increase in Consumer Price Index for our area.

· In the last two years, the Township has procured more than $2 million in various grants for many necessary projects such as road improvements.

· The Township has reduced energy costs.

· We continue to utilize our own in-house road improvement program for smaller paving projects.

· Continuing shared services programs with the MUA and school district and exploring additional opportunities.

· Partnered with private businesses and the County to provide programs and services to our residents.

· Continuing the community service programs to clean parks, roads, recreation complexes and Township owned buildings.

At the end of this process, our budget has no spending for discretionary or new programs and services. The Township is operating on hard costs. We will work together to get through this difficult time.

Steve Skipton
PhillyFireNews.com
NJ Editor/Photographer

When Surya the orangutan meets a hound dog by the river, the two carry on like long lost friends.

A great story you will love it.

Link submitted by Cathy G.