Pictured are Bill Bramble, left and John \”Rocky\” Gianvito who were inducted recently into the Rutger-Camden Athletic Hall of Fame.

Also inducted at the ceremonies were Terry Cole, along with basketball stars Cetshwayo and Kamilah Byrd.

Photo: Inductees and presenters (click to enlarge)

The 2007 class was the second group to be inducted into Rutgers-Camden\’s Athletic Hall of Fame. The inaugural class was honored in 2005 and the school did not have an induction ceremony in 2006.

Gianvito is a former resident of Brooklawn and a graduate of Gloucester City High School. At the ceremonies his children presented him with a collage of box scores, press clippings and season and career records.

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On October 30, 2007. Age 78. Of Runsen House in Runnemede. Formerly of the Fairview Section of Camden. Loving wife of 43 years to the late Daniel A. Travaglini, Jr. Beloved mother of Teresa A. (James) Cathcart of Gloucester City, Maryann (Brian) Hall of Gloucester City and Susan A. Travaglini of Atco. Devoted grandmother of Judi (Grant) Jackson, Michelle Crean-Knorr and Robert A. (April) Crean, Jr. Cherished great-grandmother of Danielle, Marissa, Joshua, Robbie, Caitlin, Emy and Ethan. Betty was pre-deceased by one brother and one sister.

She was raised and lived many years in the Fairview section of Camden. Betty was a dedicated volunteer for many years at Saint John of God Community Services in Westville Grove. For the last eight years, she has been a resident of Runnemede where she was a devoted parishioner of Saint Teresa R.C. Church. Betty had a tremendous love and devotion to her Catholic Faith. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend her viewing on Monday Evening from 7 to 9 pm at the McCANN-HEALEY FUNERAL HOME: 851 Monmouth Street, (at Brown Street) Gloucester City.

On Tuesday morning, all are invited directly to the viewing from 10 am to 11:30 am at Saint Teresa R.C. Church: Evesham Road and Black Horse Pike, Runnemede. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 11:30 am in the church. Entombment New Saint Mary\’s Mausoleum, Bellmawr with her late husband, Daniel. There will be no morning viewing at the funeral home.

Family requests that memorial donations in Betty\’s memory to: Saint John of God Community Services: 1145 Delsea Drive, Westville Grove, NJ 08093 or Mass Cards are preferred from Saint Teresa R.C. Church. Please write in memo: Elizabeth M. \”Betty\” Travaglini. Expressions of sympathy can be e-mailed to the family through our funeral home website www.mccannhealey.com under online obituaries of Elizabeth M. \”Betty\” Travaglini.

HENSON, RITA L.
(Nee Dorsaneo), on October 31, 2007 of Haddon Hts. Age 82.Beloved wife of the late Howard G. Devoted mother of Norma J. (Beasley). Loving sister of Caroline, Norma and Gloria Dorsaneo. Also survived by many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Rita was retired from the US Defense Dept. in Philadelphia, PA.
Relatives and friends are invited to the viewing from 9 to 11am Saturday at GARDNER FUNERAL HOME, RUNNEMEDE. Service 11am at the funeral home. Interment Locustwood Cemetery, Cherry Hill. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Alzheimer\’s Association, 3 Eves Dr., Suite 310, Marlton, NJ, 08053, the American Cancer Society, 1851 Old Cuthbert Rd., Cherry Hill, NJ 08034 or the American Legion Post 370, 430 N. Warwick Rd., Magnolia, NJ 08049.

THE TOWN OF SELDEN, NEW YORK, located on Long Island, has a funny set of principles. The volunteer fire department is one of those that awards \”points\” for departmental activity and when a member reaches age 55 they may \”retire\” and draw a pension funded by the taxpayers. The department is overseen by a board of fire commissioners.

Earlier this year, five of the fire commissioners were convicted of stealing more than $50,000 of fire district funds from the taxpayers. Four of these five are members of the volunteer fire department and are still eligible to draw a stipend from the same taxpayers that they stole from.

One of the members of the VFD is outraged over this and tried to have charges brought against the miscreants. But the Fire Chief is having none of it. Selden Fire Chief John Bartnik wrote that because the five committed the thefts \”in their capacity as Fire Commissioners and not as volunteers, I believe the department is not the appropriate agency to commence any disciplinary proceedings.\”

However, that may change after the taxpayers learn about it from the story in today\’s Newsday HERE.

For background on how they pilfered the funds, read THIS.

LAWRENCEVILLE—Some of the greatest basketball players and coaches in the history of the Rider University program will return to Alumni Gymnasium on Saturday, November 17. \”This is going to be an exciting day for the entire Rider basketball family,\” said Rider head coach Tommy Dempsey.

The alumni game will be played at 11:00 am, prior to Rider’s 3:00 pm home opener against the University of Delaware.

Two former head coaches with a combined 16 years and 258 victories on the Rider bench will be the honorary coaches for the alumni game, Kevin Bannon and Don Harnum. \”Having Kevin and Don back on the benches certainly will add to the fun,\” said Dempsey, the former interim coach who begins his second season as the Bronc head coach with a 16-15 record.

Bannon took Rider to two NCAA tournaments and five conference title games, winning three regular season crowns on his way to 131 victories.

Harnum, now the Rider Director of Athletics, won 127 games on his way to two MAAC regular season titles and an appearance in the NIT. The MAAC Coach of the Year led Rider to the MAAC Title Game in his final season.

\”We have a long-standing, strong tradition in men’s basketball,\” said Harnum, \”and it will be great to get players form all different eras back at the same time. These are people who are part of our history and we’re trying to make this a true Rider basketball family.\”

Rider’s all-time leading scorer, Hall of Famer Darrick Suber, is expected to be one of the many players returning. \”This is a proud program and it is important to link current players to our basketball family alumni,\” Dempsey said.

-RU-

Note from Bill: The following article was printed October 29^th, 2007 in the Gloucester Daily Times, Gloucester, Massachusetts.

When I first read it I thought the author was talking about the Career Fire Fighters in Gloucester City New Jersey. It is uncanny how the two fire departments are so much alike even though they are 350 miles away; besides sharing the same name of the community they also share the same union problems. And it appears the City Council in both communities have a lot in common. Read on and afterwards drop me a line, I like to know what you think.

 

Gloucester Daily Times, October 29^th, 2007 Source http://www.gloucestertimes.com

 

How many firemen do you know? I know a few, and they are the greatest. These guys are super-friendly. They take their work seriously, and they contribute to the tenor of the town, active in sports and community stuff. When he was little, one of my kids wanted to be a fireman.

Have you ever had a fireman come to your house? They are great guys, they are courteous, efficient, all business. When they arrive you feel they are like soldiers liberating Europe in World War II. You are so happy to see them even if it\’s just a smoke alarm set off by oven smoke. They are concerned first about the residents\’ well-being.

All the firemen I\’ve met had a pretty good sense of humor, too. They\’re the kind of guys you\’d be happy to have your daughter date…They have families, and they know things can go wrong in a hurry. They really care about the people they serve in this town. They are Gloucester\’s finest.

Have you ever been to a City Council meeting? When there is business before the council that concerns the firemen\’s union, there is a very different Fire Department there. I don\’t know them, I am just a citizen who happens to be at the meeting for something else, but these guys scare me. And not just me…The council seems intimidated by them. They seem to be there to enforce the will of the union. When they applaud loudly, you are careful not to clap, or not to clap in the wrong place.

They do not seem interested in what\’s best for Gloucester. They seem to be interested in what\’s best for the fire union..That was the scene two weeks ago at the last council meeting. There was a spate of transfers for what appeared to be the refilling of the overtime accounts, $400,000 of which had been depleted in record time. It was hard to tell because the six or seven items were rattled off faster than a Mississippi cattle auction..Each completed transfer was greeted by aggressive clapping; leaving no question whose brand was on the cash cow. When the last transfer was completed, they turned as a group and swept out.

Does it ever occur to our municipal unions that they could be killing the golden goose? That all the minimum manning, maxed sick days, sky-high detail costs, infrastructure, overtime, overtime and more overtime could be killing this city? It was pointed out at the council meeting that almost all the overtime was on weekends and Mondays.

Do you push it right to the breaking point, where public opinion turns the other way when you drain a record amount of overtime and want a refill at triple the past years actual? Think maybe compromising your demands might be a better way of prolonging the deal rather than suck the city so dry that goodwill turns against the unions?

What does this have to do with the firemen on the job? Nothing and everything. They work hard and want to be paid fairly. They should be and are. But how does the overtime get so out of line? The manning minimums seem to more about the union than about safety, but what are the safe minimums? I don\’t claim to know, but my impression is that they were fixed by the guys at the back of the council meeting and agreed to by mayors who wanted to win elections.

Now before you write a thousand letters, this is a subject that has been thrust upon all of us because the numbers are through the roof. I didn\’t start this; I am merely pushy or stupid enough to bring it up – on behalf of the rest of us.

Should we have volunteer firemen fill in at the substations when we\’re below minimums? Volunteer fire departments work all across the country. It would be better than shutting down stations and the volunteers could begin the fight until the main station guys arrive. And while there will be a huge squawk about their status, what\’s more important, safety or minimums? If the city and the union can\’t reach a compromise in the next contract, what is our choice? Shut the stations or pay through the nose and, eventually, go into receivership. That\’ll change a few contracts…There has to be a middle road.

Gloucester resident Gordon Baird is the managing director of the West End Theater and producer of the \”Gloucester Chicken Shack\” TV show.

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On October 30, 2007. Age 81. Of Washington Township. Formerly of Gloucester City. Loving wife of 38 years to the late Francis Flaherty, Proud U.S. Army World War II Veteran who passed away in 1987. Devoted and cared for by her children: Carolyn A. Saxenmeyer (Charles) of Sewell, Dennis J. Flaherty (Mary Jane) of Hamilton and the late Paul J. Flaherty, Dedicated U.S. Army Veteran who was Killed in Action in 1969 during Vietnam. Cherished grandmother of Paul J. Saxenmeyer (Samantha) of Holly Springs, North Carolina, Steven (Kristine) Saxenmeyer of Deptford, Lauren Flaherty of Hamilton and Ryan Flaherty of Hamilton. Beloved great-grandmother of William, Charles and Evan Saxenmeyer.

At Lora May\’s request, the viewing, service, and burial at New Saint Mary\’s Cemetery are private. The family requests no flowers. Memorial donations to the Alzheimer\’s Association: Delaware Valley Chapter: 399 Market Street, Suite 102, Philadelphia, PA 19106.

Please write in memo: Lora May Flaherty. Expressions of sympathy can be e-mailed to the family through our funeral home website www.mccannhealey.com under online obituaries of Lora May Flaherty.

 

LEONARD, DOROTHY A. H.
(nee Harvey) on Oct. 28, 2007, age 82, of Gloucester City. Beloved mother of Diana Fell Leonard Brose (Thomas E.) of Gloucester City. Also survived by 2 grandsons, Patrick L. Brose of Gloucester City and J. Mark Gladney of MD, one great grandson, Dezmon P. Gladney, one sister, Ruth T. H. Mavronikolas (Christopher G.) of Haddonfield and one brother, Cyril H. Harvey, II (Judith W.) of Greensboro, NC.
Mrs. Leonard\’s family will receive friends on Thursday, after 10 AM, at KAIN-MURPHY FUNERAL SERVICES, 15 West End. Ave., Haddonfield; where her Quaker Service will follow at 11 AM. Interment, Springfield Friends\’ Burial Grounds, Springfield, PA.
Memorial donations may be made in Mrs. Leonard\’s name to The Children\’s Hospital Foundation, P.O. Box 827790, Philadelphia, PA 19182-7790

LOWERS, MARVIN
Age 73, of Deptford went home to be with the Lord October 20, 2007 at the Nova Health and Rehabilitation Center, Dept ford, NJ after an extended illness.
Born in Philadelphia, PA to the late Godfrey and Anna Marie (Freeman) Lowers, he was a Postal Worker from the Cherry Hill Branch where he retired from in 1992. Marvin was also an avid golfer.
Marvin leaves to cherish his memories 1 son Eric Lowers, 1 sister Helen Talton, 3 grandchildren and a host of other relatives and friends.
Services will be held Thursday, November 1, 2007 at the EDWARDS & SON FUNERAL HOMES, INC., 208 E. Commerce St. Bridgeton, NJ at 10:00 am where friends may view 1 hour prior to services. Rev. Hyram Adams of Union Baptist Temple will be eulogizing. Interment will be held at the Sunset Cemetery, Pennsauken, NJ immediately following services.