By William E. Cleary Sr.
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—The borough of Brooklawn hosted two free community shred events in cooperation with the Camden County Board of Commissioners. Residents had documents securely destroyed at Borough Hall on two occasions in September.
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—A member of the Gloucester City Little League recently commented on the organization’s social media page regarding William E. Cleary Sr., the editor of CNBNews. The comment highlighted that Cleary parked his van horizontally, taking up two spaces in the parking lot at the Johnson Blvd Little League campus. In response, Cleary explained that it was early in the morning when he parked this way on the empty lot to avoid a flock of geese nearby. He was there to walk his dog on the jogging track and wanted to prevent her from stepping in goose droppings or chasing the geese. Cleary acknowledged his oversight and apologized for any confusion caused by his actions.
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—North Carolina Democratic Governor Josh Stein recently signed “Iryna’s Law,” which enhances scrutiny of criminals released on bail. It also prohibits cashless bail for certain violent offenses and most repeat offenders. This legislation follows the tragic stabbing death of a Ukrainian refugee on a Charlotte light-rail train in August. violence when deciding on bail. Iryna Zarutska, 23, (photo)was killed on August 22, and Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr., a repeat offender with over a dozen arrests, has been charged with murder in her case. (Insert her photo)
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-TypePad, the internet host of Cleary’s Notebook News, notified its customers on August 30, 2025, that they were permanently shutting their system down as of September 30. We have published 80,000 articles on their network since 2006. To give us such short notice to transfer that many articles, plus build a new website, was alarming. Some of the articles and photos that are printed on CNBNews can’t be found anywhere else. The blog is a history book of what has happened in the South Jersey and the Philadelphia region since 2006. Typepad gave its customers no reason for the sudden closure.
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—Our daughters, Kelly Ann Tussey and Connie Lynn Woods, and our grandson, Geoff Gettings, worked many hours to save the majority of those articles. We are also thankful for the help of Rob Rockford of All Things Web Design & Development, Stockport, England, United Kingdom. Hostinger is now our hosting provider for our website. They are a Lithuania-based technology company founded in 2004. We are also using WordPress, an open-source content management system (CMS) that allows anyone to build and manage websites without requiring coding skills.
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—The Gloucester City mayor and council just happened to approve the plans for the 300-plus waterfront apartment complex at its September 29 meeting. The project is proposed for the Holt Terminal Office Complex. For old-timers like us, this political promise is always repeated whenever Democratic incumbents face challenges in the upcoming election. The Democratic and Republican council candidates running at large include:
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—Don’t forget that the Camden County Commissioner Board broke their promise to repair Route 551 at the border of Brooklawn and Gloucester City. After fixing the bridge on that stretch of highway in 2010, they promised to improve the road. Fifteen years have passed since. When you go to the polls on November 4, we ask that you hold Democrat Commissioners Edward T. McDonnell and Colleen Bianco Bezich responsible. Vote instead for Christian A. Navarro and Robert Stone
CHEER
—On September 11, the Brooklawn United Methodist Church, Brooklawn American Legion Post #72, and community members came together to commemorate Patriot Day and remember 9/11.
CHEER
—Democrat Dover Mayor James D. Dodd has ENDORSED Republican Jack Ciattarelli for governor of New Jersey. This is a disaster for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill, as Dover is in her congressional district. Kamala Harris won that town by 14 points in November.
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— Yet another shooting incident has disrupted the peace in Gloucester City. On the evening of September 23, 2025, police were inundated with calls reporting the sound of gunshots near the bustling intersection of Broadway and Middlesex Streets. Responding swiftly to these alarming reports, officers arrived on the scene and arrested two individuals believed to be involved in the incident.
What is happening to our once-thriving community? Why do we continue to witness such a disturbing increase in violence? The city, which used to be affectionately likened to the wholesome TV sitcom Mayberry RFD, seems to be fading away before our very eyes.
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—Gloucester Catholic High School is pleased to announce its annual Alumni Communion Breakfast will be held in November, with Bishop Williams in attendance. This tradition is a point of pride for the school and its alumni.
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—During the month of September, three juveniles from Gloucester City were arrested for breaking into vehicles in the Highland Park section of the City and stealing items of value. Authorities also charged the parents of two of the juveniles for failing to supervise their children.
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—The GHS Lions football team started the season with strong performances, including wins against Lower Cape May and Pennsville Memorial in August and September. And the Gloucester High Field Hockey Team won three games in one week.
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-The Durning String Band of Gloucester City is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. It was established in 1935. Their clubhouse is on King Street across from Proprietors Park.
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—The ongoing construction on the west side of the Brooklawn Circle is making good progress and is close to finishing. A thick cement sea wall has been built on both sides of the highway to effectively reduce the risk of flooding from Big Timber Creek. Additionally, new sidewalks have been added, creating a safer and more accessible route for pedestrians. Moreover, work on the Brooklawn/Westville bridges continues, contributing to the overall improvement of the area’s infrastructure and boosting connectivity for traffic.