(submitted by Mike Ference)

From her expectant manner it was apparent that her question had been a rhetorical one.

When it came,my answer must have been a disappointment.\”I\’m not at all sure of that,\”

I said. Her smile faded and two wrinkles made furrows between her eyebrows.

\”But you\’ve been living in Japan for 33 years,\”She said.\”Perhaps that\’s the reason I can\’t answer your question,\”I replied. After six months or a year in Japan, many foreign visitors know all there is to know about the country, and I was no exception. How pleasant it is to understand everything, to be an expert. But as years pass, the facile generalization prove to have too many exceptions, the neat cliches are revealed as trivia,and the onetime expert feels that he knows less than when he first arrived.

The Dragons Tail

Fukuoka Prefecture sits like a fantastically shaped cap on the northern end of the map of Kyushu. Anchored to Honshu by tunnels and the bridge across Kanmon Straits,It is the conduit which trains and trucks and cars.Products and ideas and fashions find their way down from Tokyo into western Japan.Surrounded on three sides by water,it stretches from Buzen in the east on the Inland Sea to Yabe in the south, near the impressive Hyugami-kyo Gorge, to the industrial city of Omuta. North of Omuta,on the Ariake Sea, is Kurume, famous to Japanese for Bridgestone tires and to foreigners for azaleas. On the Sea of Japan, Shikaka Village, near the beautiful Kwya Peninsula, is the westernmost point. Moving east along the coast, the finger on the map stops at Fukuoka City, the political and financial capital, then moves east again to that vast amalgamation of five cities, and my home Kitakyushu,the industrial heart of modern Japan.

Within these boundaries the past, present and future live together. Behind high stone walls ancient gabled houses drowse in mossy gardens next to stark concrete and aluminum buildings as modern as science-fiction films.

At Nagatare Beach,or Waita Beach, under the old pines that stood watching the sea before the first sight of the Mongol invaders seven-hundred years ago,bikini-clad girls drink Coca-Cola and listen to pop-tunes from their transistor radios fill the air.

Thirty years have passed since my first sight of Kitakyushu City. I now realize how many places remain to be seen. During the early years my wife Keiko and I walked all over the city, dashed off into the countryside on most weekends, and snapped hundreds of pictures for remembrance. We visited Hiroadai,near Kitakyushu City,the hillside of white rocks against the green fields look just like grazing sheep,mountains,castles graceful yet arrogant in strength, Museums and at least a hundred temples and shrines are scattered across the city and countryside.

We swam in the beautiful clear green sea and laid on the white sand at Waita beach, searched Shikanoshima\’s edges for garden path stones for our garden,and sailed a dinghy on Hakata Bay. There is no end to Fukuoka Prefecture\’s variety. There is so much to see and do living here. It is a great place for our business being the Miller English School Japan and it was a great place to raise three wonderful children, we\’ve been most blessed and extremely happy living here in Kitakyushu City, Japan.

Warm Regards & Best Wishes to you all back in my hometown of Gloucester City ,from Kitakyushu City Japan.

Hank, Keiko Miller & Family

For example, nearly 260 Camden County employees received layoff notices on February 11. The notices, which went out to everyone from clerks, to painters, to corrections officers, are scheduled to take effect April 4. Aside from the layoffs, the county plans to furlough remaining civilian employees for 22 days beginning in March. The furlough days would occur every other Friday for the remainder of the year. According to the Courier Post the layoff plan — submitted by the county to the State Civil Service Commission for approval — included a total of 261 employees, with 77 of the cuts from the county health and human services departments; 67 positions from buildings and operations; and 59 from the county\’s corrections department, which oversees the county jail. The plan also included cuts from departments such as the county\’s public safety department and the county clerk\’s office.

The City of Trenton with a $55 million deficit has been given approval by the Civil Service Commission to implement 13 temporary layoff (furlough) days for 600 employees beginning Friday, April 1 ending Friday, June 24. City Hall and the Municipal Court will close on the temporary layoff days. The city laid off 72 employees in November and submitted another layoff plan recently to the state Civil Service Commission. 

Last week the City of Camden City closed its library and has joined the County Library system. The City of Camden will assess the residents of Camden with a levy for library services. The tax assessed is based on property values and the library tax rate, which is about 4 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.

In Gloucester City the James administration, because of a budget deficit, is looking at further cuts to the Fire Department. In December that department lost 8 firefighters. It appears the City is seriously considering doing away with the paid ambulance service and replacing it with an outside contractor. Bids to provide that service are being accepted until February 23, at 2 pm. For more information contact City Clerk Kathleen Jentsch, Municipal Building 512 Monmouth Street.

The Christie administration announced on Feb. 9 that three Camden County municipalities will share $410,000 to fund projects under competitive FY 11 Local Aid grant programs. The grant recipients, Gloucester City, Gibbsboro Borough and Voorhees Township, are among 33 municipalities or counties statewide that are sharing approximately $7.6 million in grants under four state-funded Local Aid programs. Gloucester City received $200,000 which will be used for a pedestrian walkway as part of Phase III of the Broadway Street Lighting program.

Gibbsboro Borough will receive $140,000 for a bikeway project through the Bikeways program, which provides funds to counties and municipalities to promote the safe use of bicycles as an alternate transportation mode.

Voorhees Township will receive $70,000 for a project to create safer means of reaching mass transit facilities, through the Safe Street to Transit program. This program provides funding to counties and municipalities to improve safe access to public transportation facilities.

RECOMMENDED BY CNB – Are you looking for a great place to have your car cleaned and detailed? Look no further than Dave’s Auto Detailing, 301 N. Broadway, (corner of Broadway and Essex St.) Gloucester City. Dave has years of experience in the car detailing business having worked at a number of auto dealership in the area. Price for basic wash and dry is just $10 and includes vacuum and tire shine. Mini detail is $45 and full detail is $75. For more information or for an appointment, (609) 922-2612. The family owned business is a member of the Gloucester City Business Assn. 

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