As a father of three children, I thought it was a good idea to attend the meeting to see what may come out of the meeting. Well, I was mistaken and displeased at what I observed and heard at the Council meeting I attended on October 21. I was disappointed in the Mayor and Council’s performance.

At a certain point, I had to ask a question since I was displeased at what I was hearing. I asked what other measures Council was looking at. For instance, are you looking at reallocating resources within the Police Department to patrol peak times of traffic on Creek road? The Bellmawr Police Captain addressed the issue and, in my opinion, offered no solutions. I then asked Mayor Frank Filipek if has he petitioned any other state agency to assist with patrols? He asks me, who do I petition?

It’s his job to find a way. To find a practical solution to this unsafe condition that continues. I was not elected to run the town, he was! 

Mark T. Sharp, Bellmawr (source Gloucester City News)

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Mary was a member of the Hairdressers Guild of New Jersey and was owner of Valenti Hair Styling in Audubon.

Locally there were no suprises. The incumbents, Mayor Bill James, and council members, John Hutchinson, Bruce Parry, and Kelly Ferry easlly won re-election. James beat his opponent Nick Schultz, a fireman, by 913 votes (1485 to 572). As for council the only incumbent to be challenged was Hutchinson who received 470 votes beating out two unknowns, Dave Townsend (257 votes) and Mike Walters, (91 votes). 

Because of the hard feelings between the firemen and Mayor James you would have thought Schultz would have received more votes. Apparently the majority of residents who voted agreed with the mayor’s decision to lay off 8 firemen. The turnout was light in Gloucester City. Out of 6244 registered voters only 2389 people voted or approximately 38 percent of those eligible.

A QUIET MAN-Gloucester City resident Jim Nicholson made an appearance recently on the television show Sunday Mornings with Charles Osgood. Nicholson a retired obit writer for the Philadelphia Daily News, was interviewed by Jeff Greenfield. 

In the early 1980s, a Philadelphia Daily News writer named Jim Nicholson moved to the obituary beat, and began to breathe new life into this very old form. 

\”We were the people paper; still is the people\’s paper,\” Nicholson said. \”And it just seemed natural to do real-house people, mechanics, plumbers, teachers, cops – nothing startling.\” 

People like a chef \”who was a hard worker and an easy touch\”; a bartender \”who could make a setting click whether it was a tavern, girls club or home.\” 

That was something of a revolutionary idea for a big-city newspaper. But it wasn\’t just who got memorialized, but how, with recollections and anecdotes that brought these people to life, the kind of stuff that happens every day on street corners. 

\”When two buddies run into each other and say, \’Did you hear crazy Ralph died?\’ \’No, really?\’ And for the next five minutes, they sum up all the characteristics, good and bad, of crazy Ralph, right off the top of their head,\” Nicholson said. \”Sometimes, when you get really small picture and granular, you get the big picture. What would make him mad? What kind of cigarettes did he smoke? Did he keep his shoes neat in the closet?\” 

It was an approach that won Nicholson an American Society of Newspaper Award for best writing. Not obituary writing. Best writing, period. 

Nicholson has also appeared on the History.com cable show \”Gangland\” sharing his experience about the Black Mafia in Philadelphia. His investigating report that appeared in the Philadelphia Magazine in the 70’s was a factor in bringing that gang to justice. Two years ago Jim, who I consider a good friend and mentor, traveled to the Middle East as a Army Lt. Colonel specializing in counterintelligence. He was 66 years old at the time. 

photo: Lt. Col. Jim Nicholson

Tourtual said Nicholson has been responsible for taking down bad guys for over 35 years and yet rarely if ever talks about his adventures with his friends or family.

Besides raising a family, serving in the Marines and then joining the Army reserves, he has worked a full-time job as an investigative reporter and journalist until his retirement in 2001. And in each life he has excelled without much fanfare.

Tourtual said earlier this summer the 66-year-old, Lt. Colonel James Nicholson (Ret), was asked by the Army to come back to active duty to serve his country one more time.

Nicholson, whose specialty is counterintelligence, accepted the offer and shipped out to the theater of war in the Middle –East last month

I visited Jim a few days before his appearance on the Sunday morning show, he never mentioned a word to me about his upcoming TV appearance. He doesn’t like the limelight and no doubt will be a little upset that I wrote about him in my column this week. However any reporter \”worth his salt\” would never let a story about Jim pass by. And if our shoes were reversed Jim would do the same. 

 Related: 

Any licensed hunter 15 years old or younger may participate during this one-day hunt. Youth of this age who are exempt from Maryland hunting license requirements may also participate. Young waterfowl hunters must possess a receipt showing they purchased a $9 Maryland Migratory Game Bird Hunting Stamp. Note that hunters under 16 years old do not need to purchase a federal duck stamp.

Participating young hunters must also be accompanied by an adult at least 21 years old who holds a valid Maryland hunting license or is exempt from the hunting license requirements. One adult may take several youth hunters and that adult may call waterfowl, assist with decoys and retrieve downed birds but may not possess a firearm or bow.

Maryland has a rich waterfowl hunting heritage. DNR builds on this tradition by

On behalf of my family and myself, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our family, friends and the many businesses for their help in making the fundraiser a huge success. It was an extraordinary night that I will never be able to forget. 

The success of the event was overwhelming and was a direct result of the generosity and hard work of everyone who dedicated their time and efforts to make it happen. 

The proceeds will definitely help in covering my medical expenses during the uncertain times ahead of me as I battle this illness.

While I cannot list everyone I would like to thank, there are a few names I must acknowledge here; first, my family and friends who planned the event. Uncle Mike, Aunt Ginny, Kate, Kendall, Mike, Ed Malone, Rich Dolson and families, I love you all and appreciate you organizing the night on my behalf. 

In addition, I extend a special thank you to a number of local businesses for their support: Konrad Beer Distributors (Herb and family), Brown’s Shoprite of Brooklawn, Tropical Illusions Tanning Salon, The Camden Riversharks, Hair Peace, Tia’s Hair Care, McCann-Healey Funeral Home, Lipkin’s Drugs, Dining Car Depot, Whispers Inn, Webimax LLC, Brown’s Farm, Jacqueline’s Pizza, Metro Diner, Clancy’s Pub, Gentleman’s Den, Gateway Diner, Diamante Jewelers, Back to Front Massage, Sangarlo’s Pizza, Johnny’s Liquor, Westbrook Lanes, Max’s Seafood, Thirty One (Chrissy Garrity), Mary Kay (Vivienne Hampshire), Troxies Pizza & Chicken, Rutgers University, and Tummy Tee LLC. 

A special thanks to Dolson Family Catering, who prepared and served the food which was enjoyed by everyone.

Last but not least, a special thanks goes out to our entertainment for the evening, Howdy Riddell (DJ), the original Junkyard Band and the Broken Shillelagh’s, you guys rock!

Finally, I want to thank my sister Laura for your help with this event and your support since my diagnosis. I know in life we may not always say what we feel but somehow you just know it.

Thank you again, to everyone, for all of your continued support and prayers, it means the world to me.

Adam Goin, Gloucester City

In other matters, Superintendent Joseph Rafferty said Mount Ephraim will consider participating in the \”Interdistrict Public School Choice Program Act of 2010\” during last week’s Board of Education (BOE) meeting.

The Act had been signed into law by Governor Christie on September 10.

Beginning with the 2011-12 school year, School Choice will allow parents to send their children to participating schools outside of their district.

Transportation would be provided to schools within a 20-mile radius of the student’s home.

Limits will be set on how many students may leave a district; and sending districts will have to pay tuition to receiving districts.

In other news, the issue of Easter/Spring Break has yet to be settled; Audubon’s break is the week before Easter and Mt. Ephraim’s is the week after.

Parents said that this is a problem for families that have students in both schools, and could reduce the number of voters in the school board election on April 26 because families may be out of town.

Another parent said that she was told by Audubon that it is the responsibility of the sending district to sync their calendar with the calendar of the receiving district. School Board president Dominick Cipolone said that that is untrue and that he will discuss the calendar with the board members.

  Mr. Cipolone read a letter out loud from Acting Commissioner of Education Rochelle Hendricks in reference to the $124,618 that Mt. Ephraim will receive under the Education Jobs Act allocation encouraging the district to use the money for classroom activities to improve education.

Raywood said the district’s JIF (Joint Insurance Fund) does not recommend the presence of students during the landing or take off of a helicopter for a proposed Drug Awareness program. Cipolone assigned the Community Relations Committee the task of meeting with JIF to see if a program can be scheduled for the spring. 

\”Kids do a great job and follow directions\” is what Mr. Rafferty said about student behavior during fire and emergency management drills.

As of November emergency management drills are a monthly requirement in addition to fire drills but Mt. Ephraim has been performing them for some time now.

Board members introduced the district’s new Supervisor of Special Services Amy Francis, who will earn a prorated salary of $80,000. 

Nadine Oliveti has been rehired at a prorated salary of $52,810 with benefits to work in the highly needed area of basic skills. The position will be funded by the 2009-10 excess fund balance.

The Board has approved the request of the Mystics Softball Organization to cease charging custodial fees for use of facilities.

Danielle Wallace has been approved to be a substitute teacher at a rate of $80 per day. Laura Gillian, Jennifer Spera and Dena Vanterpool have also been approved to be substitute teachers at $80 per day and substitute paraprofessionals at a rate of $60 per day.

Also, Maria Canuso has been approved as a substitute lunch aide at $7.25 per hour, and Denise Pooley as a substitute custodian at $9 per hour.

September Student of the Month winners from 1^st to 8^th grade are; Gianna Canuso, Audrey Warren, Tiffany Vu, Analyn Efymow, Kh-ang Ton, Kaila White, Tashana Brown, and Hakunu’u Misawic.

The next meeting is Monday, November 8, at 7:30 p.m. in Kershaw Middle School’s Media Center.