source http://www.cityofgloucester.org

 Gloucester City is now posting their monthly bill list on the web. It should be posted by the last Monday of every month.

Click here for November – December 2007 Bill List.

Click here for December – January 2008 Bill List.

Click here for January – February 2008 Bill List.

What began 14 years ago as a small band of Garden City, Mich., Legionnaires riding their motorcycles for fun has developed into a national American Legion program. Today, Legion Riders boast about 800 chapters across the country. Connecticut Rider Bill Anderson (left) is one of more than 40,000 Riders at the post, district or department levels. READ MORE

By Fred W. Baker III American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, March 14, 2008 – There were about the same number of sexual assaults reported across the military this past year as there were the year before, according to Defense Department report released today. Kaye Whitley, director of the Defense Department\’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, answers a question during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., March 14, 2008. Defense Dept. photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Adam M. Stump  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Officials released today 2007 report on sexual assault along with the 2006 gender relations survey. Both are congressionally mandated reports Because of reporting changes, this year\’s data cannot be directly compared to last year\’s. In this report the DoD changed its reporting window from calendar year to fiscal year. As a result, one quarter\’s worth of data from calendar year 2006 is also recorded in this report. Officials said they made the change in reporting to align with changes in the Uniform Code of Military Justice definitions for sexual assault crimes. Still, officials said it appears the number of reports remain \”relatively constant\” with last year\’s, according to the report. For fiscal year 2007 there were 2,688 reports of sexual assault among the services. Of those, just over 2,000 were unrestricted reports, meaning it is sent to the command for investigation. There were 705 restricted, or confidential, reports of sexual assault. Those allow the victim to receive medical care and other services without an investigation being initiated. The restricted option is a change to the military reporting system, and one that officials said affords many victims access to care who would not have reported the crime otherwise. \”We felt that the investigation and the notification of the command may possibly be a barrier to report. So we removed that,\” said Kaye Whitley, director of the the Defense Department\’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office. The command is notified only that an assault was reported. The victim can later change the report type. In this reporting period, 102 switched their report from restricted to unrestricted. \”When I see that number [of restricted reports] I truly believe that is 705 victims that would not have come forward and would not have gotten the help and assistance they needed,\” Whitley said. Nearly 70 percent of the restricted reports were for rape. According to the report, just more than 1,500 of those reports investigated involved servicemembers as victims. About 60 percent were reports of rape. The services finished about 2,000 investigations in fiscal year 2007. About 1,300 of those were reported in the fiscal year. The rest were carried over from the previous year. Of the investigations finished, commanders were able to take action against about half of those accused of the crimes. There were 181 courts martial, 201 non-judicial punishments and 218 administrative actions and discharges. Of those reports that the commanders could not take action against, more than three-quarters were found unsubstantiated or unfounded, lacked sufficient evidence or the victim recanted. There were 174 reports of sexual assault in U.S. Central Command. One hundred and five were made in Iraq and 43 in Afghanistan. The others were at other sites within the command. The term sexual assault for the purposes of DoD reporting includes a wide variety of offenses ranging from rape to indecent assault and attempts at those crimes. The DoD is required to report to Congress annually the number of sexual assaults in the military.

Related Sites: DoD Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office

Patricia A. Orsini, a former resident of Bellmawr and a graduate of Gloucester Catholic High School Class of 1974 was recently appointed to the position of Director of the Wounded Warrior Program by the United States House of Representatives.

When asked about her new job Patricia said, \”It is exciting and I attribute these successes to my foundation at Gloucester Catholic High School and all the great teachers and classmates who were part of my life.\”
Below is the story about Patricia\’s appointment that was published on the House of Representatives website. 

Retired Master Gunnery Sergeant Patricia Orsini (PHOTO) has spent most of her career supporting her fellow Marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen, by helping them return to civilian life and find jobs when they are injured and disabled.

As the director of the Wounded Warrior Program at the House of Representatives, Orsini will continue to answer the call to service, helping to establish and supervise the House\’s new program aimed at finding wounded veterans jobs working in the House.

Chief Administrative Officer Daniel P. Beard said Orsini was chosen to head the $5 million program in part because of her experience in developing similar, successful programs in support of veterans.

\”Patricia\’s extensive experience will be invaluable because she not only understands the needs of wounded warriors, but she also understands what it means to be a veteran,\” Beard said.

Orsini\’s goal is to develop a program that will employ as many as 50 veterans to work with Members of Congress, Committees, Leadership offices and in support services.

She has served more than 24 years in the U.S. Marine Corps in a variety of positions, including assisting active duty and reserve Marines with medical benefits. After retiring from active duty in 2002, she worked for the American Legion as deputy director for health care services and for the Veterans Administration as a service representative.

In 2004, Patricia was re-called to active duty in support Operation Iraqi Freedom at Quantico with the Marine for Life Injured Support Program. The goal of the program was to create and manage a \”medical hold\” process to assist injured reservists. Last year, she helped establish the Wounded Warrior Regiment within the Marine Corps.

Throughout her career, Orsini has played a unique and emotional role, she said, in taking care of the nation\’s veterans. She has escorted the bodies of fallen Marines in airplanes bound for home and played the bugle at many of her comrades\’ funerals. \”Those are the times when I\’ve had the most empathy for the dedication our veterans have to our country,\” she said.

Orsini said she is looking forward to the challenge that establishing the program will bring.

\”I\’m excited to put together this wonderful program, which will find jobs for wounded warriors at a time when they most need the support of the nation they fought for — when they return from war,\” Orsini said.

The House Wounded Warrior program was established at the direction of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Committee on House Administration Chairman Rep. Robert Brady. They directed Beard to develop the program in a letter dated November 7, 2007: \”From our visits with our wounded military over the past several years, we are well aware that these service men and women possess a wide range of valuable skills and experiences, as well as enthusiasm for hard work, which would be enormously valuable to any employer,\” the lawmakers wrote.

Pelosi, Hoyer and Brady are currently formulating the final elements of the program, which will be announced shortly.

SOURCE http://cao.house.gov/wwp-orsini.shtml

Related: Our Men and Women in the Service

 

 

Paddy was in New York. 

He was patiently waiting and watching the traffic cop at a busy intersection. The cop stopped the flow of all traffic and shouted, \”Okay, pedestrians.\” When everyone had safely crossed the street, he would then allow traffic to resume once again. 

The officer had done this several times and Paddy still stood on the sidewalk. 

After the cop had shouted, \”Pedestrians!\” for the tenth time, Paddy went over to him and said, \”Is it not about time ye let the Catholics across?\”

submitted by Gloucester City Fireman Dan McGlinsey

Related: Chuckles

Clermont, FL… A pair of strong pitching performances helped the The College of New Jersey softball wrap up its spring trip with a doubleheader sweep of Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham on Saturday. The Lions won the first game by the score of 2-1 and then finished off the sweep with a 9-1 triumph.

The Lions, which finished the trip with a mark of 7-5, will be right back on the field on March 18 as they head to Moravian College for a doubleheader against the Greyhounds.

Game 1: TCNJ 2, FDU-Florham 1
Pitcher Ashley Minervini (Cliffside Park, NJ/Cliffside Park) turned in another solid performance on the mound as she tossed a one-hitter for her fourth victory of the season. The sophomore allowed only one run in the third inning and finished with seven strikeouts.

The Devils got that run in the third, but the Lions came right back in the bottom half of the inning to knot the score. Sophomore Ellen Seavers (Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood) singled and came around to score one batter later as freshman Colleen Cawley (Riverton, NJ/Holy Cross) belted a triple.

TCNJ plated the winning run in the last of the sixth as senior Christina Lizzi (Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo) tripled and scored on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Rachel Greeby (Yardley, PA/Pennsbury).

Game 2: TCNJ 9, FDU-Florham 1
Freshman Jamie Moir (Mount Laurel, NJ/Lenape) picked up where Minervini left off throwing a complete game for her second victory of the trip. She yielded one run on a pair of hits and struck out 11.

TCNJ’s offense struck for three runs in the top of the first Cawley doubled and later scored on an illegal pitch. After Lizzi reached base on a error, she scored on a triple by Greeby, who in turn scored on a double by junior Taylor Cianciotti (Scotch Plains, NJ/Scotch Plains-Fanwood) making it a 3-0 game.

The Devils scored their run in the bottom of the inning, but the Lions scored three more runs in the fourth as Lizzi, Greeby and Cianciotti each brought home runs with singles.

TCNJ rounded out the scoring in the seventh as junior Kelly Armstrong (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial), junior Camille Heller (Maple Shade, NJ/Maple Shade) and Seavers each crossed the plate.

The Lions pounded out 13 hits in the win with Greeby leading the way with three, while Seavers, Cawley and Cianciotti each had a pair.

Seavers collected hits in both games extending her hitting streak to nine straight.

By Patti Bielling Special to American Forces Press Service MIAMI, March 12, 2008 – Two military officers were recognized in front of their peers March 4 for assisting civil authorities during recovery operations following the I-35 West Minneapolis bridge collapse in August. Army Col. Michael Chesney and Navy Capt. Bradley Gawboy each received the Joint Service Commendation Medal and the Minnesota Commendation Ribbon with Pendant during the 2008 Joint National Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer Workshop in Miami. Chesney is assigned to U.S. Army North as the Region 5 defense coordinating officer, and Gawboy is the Navy\’s emergency preparedness liaison officer in Minnesota. They were members of the federal team supporting local responders in recovering victims of the August bridge collapse that killed 13 people. The medals were presented following a panel discussion of the recovery mission. Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek, who led the response, was a member of the panel. Stanek said that when Chesney arrived at the site of the bridge collapse, he \”didn\’t know him from Adam and didn\’t know anything about the military.\” However, when Chesney and his team began work, Stanek said he had no doubt they\’d be successful in their singular mission of recovering victims\’ remains. Stanek said he was continually impressed with how well the joint military team worked together throughout the operation. \”I was amazed to see a Navy officer taking orders from an Army officer,\” he said. \”Local law enforcement doesn\’t work that well. We strive to be like that. We\’d love to have that type of organizational control and structure of a joint command.\” Chesney said the knowledge and professionalism that the state and regional emergency preparedness liaison officers brought to the team were invaluable. He said he relied on Gawboy\’s advice and expertise to integrate more than 20 members of Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 2 from Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Va., into the recovery operations. \”The divers were the true heroes of this event; we just helped bring them in,\” Gawboy said. \”We had such a critical and reverent mission, and everyone focused on that and responded in the most professional manner.\” Gawboy said that, until this event, he and the other Minnesota emergency preparedness liaison officers thought the only civil support experience they would get would be assisting with hurricane response in another state. \”We were very surprised to find ourselves working a civil support mission in Minneapolis,\” he said. \”But it\’s because we had trained here and elsewhere that we were prepared to do the mission.\” Gawboy found being a member of the community helped him fit in quickly. He said he had attended high school with some of the local responders and was acquainted with Stanek through community and professional organizations in their town of Maple Grove, Minn. Overall, Gawboy said, the event demonstrated the benefit of collaboration among local, state and federal responders and credited Stanek\’s leadership for the mission\’s success. Chesney added that the successful mission reinforced the importance of a joint military team that includes emergency preparedness liaison officers from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. They are in a unique position, he said. Not only are they experts on integrating their service capabilities, they bring an understanding of the states and communities they serve. Stanek agreed and said he emphasized to conference attendees the importance of building personal relationships before an emergency. \”Before working with them, I had never heard of an EPLO or DCO,\” Stanek said. \”It\’s important that they go out and introduce themselves to the fire chiefs and police chiefs in their communities and continue working on building or strengthening those relationships before an emergency occurs.\” (Patti Bielling works for U.S. Army North Public Affairs.)

Related Sites: U.S. Army North

COULSON Donna Lynn -On March 14, 2008. Age 45. Went home to heaven to be with the Lord. Of Magnolia. Formerly of Stratford and Somerdale. Beloved daughter of Diana Roberta Coulson of Lindenwold and the late Billy Arthur Coulson. Loving companion of Ted Blackson. Loving mother of Theodore Blackson, Jr., Audrey Lynn Coulson, Brandon Coulson and Ryan Coulson all of Magnolia.

Beloved grandmother of Dominick Coulson. Dear Sister of Diana Donlen, Richie Coulson, Charles Coulson, Brian Coulson, Joey Henderson and Stacy Bogert. Beloved godmother of Matthew Marcussen. Survived by many nieces and nephews. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to her visitation Monday evening from 7 to 9 pm at the McCANN-HEALEY FUNERAL HOME: 851 Monmouth Street, (at Brown St.) Gloucester City, NJ. Service will begin 8 pm in the funeral home officiated by Pastor Patrick Gaffney of The Lord\’s Home in Somerdale.

Cremation is private at the request of the family. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to her children\’s college trust fund c/o Christine A. Marcussen: P.O. Box 358, Gloucester City, NJ 08030. Expressions of sympathy may be emailed to the family through our funeral home website www.mccannhealey.com under online obituaries of Donna Lynn Coulson. Funeral Arrangements and Inquiries may be made through: McCANN-HEALEY FUNERAL HOME: 851 Monmouth Street, Gloucester City, NJ. Phone: 856-456-1142

Hello everyone,  

 

I need some mass voters out there!!

I have been nominated for overall MRS. PHOTOGENIC across the country for 2007.  

 

I need your help, please vote and forward this message to all you classmates, friends, students, colleagues etc.  

 

Thanks a million!!!!  Kim

PS:Polls Close March 15

click here to vote

     

Ada, Ohio… The College of New Jersey’s Stephanie Herrick (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) finished seventh in a pair of events at the 2008 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday assuring her of All-American honors.

The Lion junior claimed seventh in the one-mile run as she posted a time of 5:05.20 and then finished in that same spot in the 800 meters with a time of 2:17.46. By placing in the top eight of each event, Herrick is line to earn a pair of All-American citations when they are officially announced on Sunday. It will mark the second straight year she has accomplished that feat in the 800 meters. She is also a two-time All-American in that event during the outdoor season.

Junior Martine McGrath (West Long Branch, NJ/Shore Regional) competed in the 5,000 meters and placed 12th with a time of 18:22.73.