BROOKLAWN
CHEERS: To Brooklawn officials and volunteers for expanding waterfront and community events, including the borough’s Fourth of July celebration and charitable pickleball tournament that raised funds for a local resident’s recovery. [findglocal.com]
JEERS: To continued debates over public-use fees and regulations for borough baseball fields, an issue that required council review and postponement rather than immediate resolution. [citizenportal.ai], [brooklawn-nj.com]
BELLMAWR
CHEERS: To Bellmawr’s long-awaited Timber Creek Waterfront Park project, which aims to transform a former landfill into public recreational space featuring walking trails and river access. [42freeway.com], [citizenportal.ai]
JEERS: To the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the Interchange 1-4 Capacity Enhancement Project. Residents and officials continue raising concerns about delays, stormwater impacts, noise, and lack of clear communication. [gathergov.com]
CAMDEN
CHEERS: To city and county officials for continuing to secure federal and state funding aimed at housing improvements, homelessness assistance, community development, and economic opportunity programs. [camdennj.gov], [camdencounty.com]
JEERS: To the continuing violence that still claims lives in Camden despite progress made over the years. Recent homicide and shooting investigations serve as reminders that public safety remains a major challenge. [tapinto.net]
GLOUCESTER CITY
CHEERS: To Gloucester City for maintaining public access to council minutes, resolutions, agendas, and other municipal records through its municipal website, allowing residents to monitor government activity. [cityofgloucester.org], [cityofgloucester.org]
JEERS: We heard from several residents who attended the August council meeting that were shocked at the outbursts of City Solicitor Howard Long. According to members of the public, Long took it upon his self to scream at a resident who questioned the rise in their local property taxes. The question that arises, would Mr. Long stay silent if his property taxes increased by $800. Long serves at the pleasure of the council. He is not and elected official and should keep his mouth shut when the public is addressing their elected officials.
CHEERS: Seaboard Marine is pleased to announce an important enhancement to its West Coast South America (WCSA) service with the introduction of a direct northbound call to Gloucester Marine Terminal in Gloucester City, New Jersey at the Port of Philadelphia.
Beginning with the voyage arriving in Gloucester City on Sunday, October 25, 2026, customers shipping from the West Coast of South America will benefit from a more direct connection to the U.S. Northeast through Gloucester Marine Terminal. READ THE FULL ARTICLE
JEERS: Why do Verizon employees continue to park their vehicles on the sidewalk in front of the Verizon building on Market Street. There is a parking lot for the trucks in the back of that building and there is another parking lot just a few feet away on Cold Springs Drive. Local, county and state laws forbid parking a vehicle on a sidewalk. The illegal action forces predestrians to walk on the heavily traveled Market Street. The law exists to stop this violation, the police need to enforce it.
(Cleary’s Notebook image)………….
JEERS: To the persistent concern among residents that government transparency remains a work in progress. Publishing records is important, but public confidence is strengthened only when information is timely, complete, and easy to obtain.(Editorial opinion based on ongoing public accountability discussions.)
GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP
CHEERS: To Gloucester Township for investing in recreation, including renovated courts at Broadmoor West Park, new pickleball facilities, and the addition of a free outdoor Fitness Court at Veterans Park. [patch.com], [nationalfi…mpaign.com]
JEERS: To the continuing pressure of rapid development throughout the township. Residents frequently find themselves balancing growth with concerns about traffic, infrastructure, and preservation of open space. Public planning activity remains extensive. [glotwp.com]
MOUNT EPHRAIM
CHEERS: To Mount Ephraim for successfully celebrating its 100th anniversary and bringing residents together to recognize the borough’s history and community spirit. [mountephraim-nj.com]
JEERS: To the ongoing challenge facing many small towns along the Black Horse Pike corridor: vacant commercial properties and the need to attract new businesses. While new businesses are opening, several locations still await productive reuse. [mountephraim-nj.com], [42freeway.com]
WESTVILLE
CHEERS: To Westville officials for pursuing redevelopment opportunities at Chestnut Street and Park Avenue that could bring new age-restricted housing, retail, and commercial activity to the borough. [civiciq.com]
JEERS: To rising tax burdens that have prompted the mayor to issue public explanations regarding 2026-2027 tax bills. Homeowners throughout the region continue to feel the impact of higher costs. [westville-nj.com], [westville-nj.com]
CLOSING NOTE
JEERS-To the Trenton Democrats for naming NJ a Santuary State–Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ-04) blames the Trenton Democratic legislature and former President Biden for allowing undocumented immigrants into the state of NJ. As a result, Smith said, two illegal immigrants caused the death of a 9-month-old baby and hospitalized a woman and a 5-year-old child in Jackson. “Despite being deported from the United States five times and being previously charged with operating a motor vehicle without a license, Ariadna Lazaro-Flores—the owner of the vehicle that caused the death of a nine-month-old baby and the hospitalizations of his mother and five-year-old sister—was still able to obtain a driver’s license in New Jersey. Likewise, Maria Cobon-Guzman—the individual in the driver’s seat at the time of the accident—was also in the United States illegally and had never been licensed to operate a motor vehicle. Had these individuals been properly vetted and denied entry into the United States, this innocent baby would still be alive, and a young family’s lives would not have been completely shattered.
JEERS- To government complacency, rising taxes, public safety concerns, and any obstacle that keeps citizens from obtaining the transparency and accountability they deserve.
EDITOR’S NOTE: IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE A CHEER OR JEER FOR OCTOBER’S COLUMN send it to Wecleary@gmail.com