The large paintings or reprints of early Gloucester City that hung for decades on the walls of the PNC Bank in Gloucester City have been moved to the third floor of O\’Hara\’s Pub on King Street. The bank is in the middle of remodeling their Monmouth Street office and had no further use for the pictures.

 

Because of their historical value, Bob Bevan, (top photo) from the City\’s Community Relations Office, talked with PNC officials and was able to save the photos from the dumpster.

Bevan said the pictures are so large the only place that had a high enough ceiling to hang the reprints was at O\’Hara\’s. \”One portrait is 5 feet wide x 20 feet long and another was 10 feet wide x 15 feet long\”, said Bevan

Bevan added that the owner of O\’Hara\’s is thinking about calling the third floor of the pub \”The Gloucester City Room\”.

And the City\’s Historical Society, located on King Street a few doors from O\’Hara\’s, plans to have a sign made directing their visitors to the Pub to view the portraits.

\”This scenario is still in the talking stage; nothing has been finalized\”, Bevan said.

Last week Bevan, Mike Niedzwadek along with Tom Wright and Jake McCleary from J Ferry Fence moved the portraits to O\’Hara\’s. The job was supervised by Ken MacAdams, who also took the photos.

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By ROBERT STRAUSS

Published: December 16, 2001

JEFF BROWN was a bit perplexed over the summer when Mayor John Soubasis asked him to lunch. To Mr. Brown, who owns the only supermarket in this small Camden County town, the ShopRite of Brooklawn, a call from the mayor could only mean trouble.

\’\’We\’ve done little things for people in town, helped pave a roller hockey rink, helped someone short on funds for food,\’\’ said Mr. Brown. \’\’But when the mayor calls you to have lunch, you know it\’s something bigger than that.\’\’

What Mayor Soubasis had in mind at that lunch meeting is now seen as a unique arrangement. He asked Mr. Brown to put up some money to effectively buy naming rights to a new gymnasium for Brooklawn\’s only school, the Alice Costello Elementary School.

Last month — after mulling over the mayor\’s offer — Mr. Brown, who also owns five other ShopRites in the suburbs of Philadelphia, pledged $100,000 over the next 20 years to pay the debt service on the $1.7 million gym. When it is finished next year, the gym will be known as the ShopRite of Brooklawn Gymnasium.

Michael Yaple, a spokesman for the New Jersey School Board Association, said he knew of no other sale of naming rights for any part of a school building in New Jersey and, as far as he can determine, anywhere else in the country.

\’\’Certainly, advertising is in the public schools,\’\’ he said. \’\’But there is nothing permanently named in return for a donation, not until now.\’\’

So far, no voice has been raised in protest in Brooklawn, a community that is not particularly well off in terms of per capita income. The fact is, school officials would not have been able to build the gym without a tax increase or some other help.

\’\’We\’ve crossed the line and we know it,\’\’ said John Kellmayer, Brooklawn\’s superintendent of schools. \’\’The issue is really the privatization of civic responsibility. In an era when infrastructure needs to be updated and it\’s hard to raise taxes — well, we may be the first to do this, but I can assure you we won\’t be the last.\’\’

Even in such wealthier districts as Cherry Hill, where Mr. Brown lives, the Brooklawn experiment is being taken seriously.

\’\’Oh, yes, we\’re open to things like this,\’\’ said Cherry Hill\’s superintendent of education, Morton Sherman. \’\’I can assure you if you come up with a million or two for us, we\’ll find a place for your name.\’\’

Brooklawn — a town with little crime and little abject poverty — finds itself in a position more difficult than that of a larger town, said Mr. Kellmayer. For one thing Brooklawn is rated by the state as one level above the poorest, so it gets little state aid.

On the other hand, nearby Gloucester City, a larger city but with a similar economic profile, is one of 30 districts to obtain supplemental state aid — $31 million in this case, while Brooklawn is receiving none.

While Brooklawn has been a stable community, Dr. Kellmayer and Mr. Soubasis realized that the school system had to improve for the town to remain that way. Last year, Brooklawn was designated a school-choice district by the state, meaning that starting next year any student in Camden County can attend Costello and the state will pay the pupil\’s tuition.

\’\’Brooklawn is a safe school with high-achieving kids and small classes,\’\’ said Dr. Kellmayer. \’\’We have a good start.\’\’

Still, there had to be a more substantial reason for students from other communities to seek out Costello, so Dr. Kellmayer and the school board came up with innovative programs in music and technology.

\’\’We would infuse the curriculum from kindergarten to eighth grade so, if the student and parents chose it, they would in effect be majoring in music or tech for their time here,\’\’ he said.

But doing that meant upgrading. The gym was one thing. And now there are other projects on Dr. Kellmayer\’s wish list — a library media center and a technology center, for instance.

\’\’So we\’re out looking for sponsors there, too,\’\’ he said. \’\’They kid us about looking for sponsors for a center-jump circle and a scoreboard, but I\’d think about them, too.\’\’

For his part, Mayor Soubasis said he would not stop sponsorships with the schools, noting that he had already been soliciting in the town for businesses that might want to help pay for a new street sweeper.

\’\’Anyone who helps out will have their names printing on the side so that when the sweeper goes through town, everyone will see,\’\’ he said. \’\’When I got to council a few years ago, I saw how difficult it was to do a budget in a small town. I\’m into creative finance, so this idea came up. I\’m saving clippings now to show people in other towns later who talk against this. When they end up doing it, too, I\’ll have them.\’\’

But Dr. Kellmayer said there were lines he would not cross.

\’\’Look, no one is suggesting us contracting with Delilah\’s Den,\’\’ he said, referring to a gentleman\’s club in Philadelphia. \’\’We wouldn\’t consider a product tie-in. There wouldn\’t be a Coke Tech Center here. No alcohol or tobacco or guns, anything like that.\’\’

He went on: \’\’But everyone uses food, so we contracted with a supermarket, a local supermarket. We\’re talking to local banks, people like that.\’\’

For his part, Mr. Brown eschewed the idea of naming the gym after himself or his family.

\’\’I have an ego, but I thought it would be best to have a sense of the community there,\’\’ said Mr. Brown. \’\’ShopRite of Brooklawn keeps the town name on it. I could have done advertising elsewhere, but this tells us we are sticking here in this community, trying to build it.\’\’

Moreover, Dr. Kellmayer said the gym and proposed tech center would be open to the entire community during nonschool hours.

\’\’In this sense, it is a multiple win,\’\’ he said. \’\’We really couldn\’t raise taxes. There are many seniors here who would just not be able to take the increase. But we needed improvements and now everyone will be able to take advantage.\’\’

\’\’If someone wants to criticize that we have opened up a can of worms, well, they are right,\’\’ he added. \’\’Someone will eventually cross the line into something much more controversial. I hope it won\’t be us.\’\’

Continued

By KRISTEN COPPOCK
Burlington County Times 

For professional athletes making big money, sports-related injuries that develop over time may be a small sacrifice to pay for playing at the highest levels.

For children, however, these same problems can hinder growth and spell lifelong trouble if the injuries are not properly healed. And experts say the types of injuries that come from overusing body parts during sporting competitions are becoming more and more common.

According to the Children\’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), the number of children being seen by physicians for overuse injuries involving muscles, bones and joints is rising as a result of the growing number of children playing sports, both recreational and organized.

A spokeswoman for South Jersey Radiology Associates said the number of sports injuries, such as sprains and fractures, in athletes younger than 18 has quadrupled since 1995 with 3.5 million children nationally receiving medical treatment in 2003. LauraLee Munson suggested also that parents\’ encouragement and the drive that children have to succeed may be contributing to the rise in those numbers.

Dr. William Muir, a radiologist for South Jersey Radiology Associates in Evesham and Voorhees, said the growing intensity of these sport activities may be contributing to the growing reports of sports-related injuries.

\”It seems like kids are involved with more and more sports at a higher level,\” said Muir, who noted that many child athletes are \”specializing\” in one sport instead of playing a variety.

By concentrating on playing one sport continuously and at higher intensity levels, Muir said certain body parts are being overused because the same areas are repeatedly being worked. Little League pitchers, for example, are more commonly developing injuries to their elbows from repetitive throwing motions, which can damage growth plates that are still developing.

\”They can injure the growth of their elbows,\” said Muir.

Children who switch sports from season to season are less prone to overuse injuries because they\’re working different body parts for each game. Muir, who is affiliated with Virtua West Jersey Hospital Voorhees, said he sees the most overuse injuries in knees, followed by shoulders, elbows and wrists, and ankles.

Young athletes who participate in contact sports, such as football or hockey, are at a greater risk for injuries than those who play noncontact sports. \”Some of the worst injuries in kids come from soccer,\” Muir said, who explained that sport-specific movements required to play tend to wear on ligaments.  

In addition to Little League elbow, there are a variety of other common types of overuse injuries in children, according to CHOP and The Nemours Foundation\’s Center for Children\’s Health. On that list are Swimmer\’s Shoulder, caused by the repeated stress of an overhead motion; Jumper\’s Knee, the inflammation of the patellar tendon; Sever\’s Disease, which is caused by the Achilles tendon being pulled on the heel bone; shin splints, caused by pain and tenderness in the shin area of the leg; and Sinding-Larsen-Johansson Disease, a fracture of the kneecap that\’s caused by repetitive movement.

Back pain due to slipped vertebra also is common in football linemen, ice skaters and gymnasts. This occurs when these athletes excessively extend the lower back. Overuse injuries also may lead to stress fractures in the bones, which are common in the feet of runners and basketball players, according to CHOP.

According to the health experts, overuse injuries in child athletes also can stem from growth spurts, inadequate warm-up techniques, excessive intensity, duration or frequency of playing, improper play techniques or unsuitable, unsafe equipment.

Muir said he would encourage any athlete not to ignore signs of pain. \”The athleticism is great for the kids,\” he said. \”But, don\’t play through the pain.\”

If a sports injury is suspected in a child, he or she should see a pediatric sports medicine specialist, who is specially trained to treat cases in young athletes.

While traditional X-rays are used to determine fractures, an MRI is a good way to determine soft tissue injuries by showing cross-sectional images of the body. Muir said the device is especially helpful to children because it does not rely on potentially harmful radiation that other machines use. Children also fit better in the machine than adults do, he said.

Once diagnosed, Muir said patients with sports injuries should allow themselves time to heal completely before going back to playing. Then, they should work up to their full potential instead of rushing to do too much too soon. High school students, he said, should listen to what their athletic trainer has to say and follow his or her advice.

According to CHOP, children\’s injuries caused by overuse can heal quickly, so long as the patient adheres to recommended activity restrictions and rehabilitation programs. Without proper healing, Muir said, \”they could have lifelong problems.\”

Source http://www.phillyburbs.com 

  

On August 17, 2007. Age 79. Of Gloucester City. Loving husband of 49 years to Beatrice V. (nee Krebs). Devoted father of Maryann LaGesse of Penns Grove, Sam C. Monroe of Gloucester City, Mary Kathryn Donegan of Washington Township and the late Rosemary Staudenmayer. Beloved grandfather of 11. Dear Brother of Alice Licciardello of Mickleton.

Sam was born, raised and lived his entire life in Gloucester City. He proudly served our country in the U.S. Navy. Sam worked as a stockman for 35 years at J.C. Penney in Audubon. He was a longtime volunteer for the Gloucester City Fire Department: Station # 54 in Gloucester Heights. Sam was a lifelong and devoted parishioner of Saint Mary\’s R.C. Church in Gloucester City.

At Sam\’s Request, there will be no viewing, all are invited to attend Mass. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend his Mass of Christian Burial on Thursday 11 am at Saint Mary\’s R.C. Church: 426 Monmouth Street, Gloucester City. Interment with U.S. Navy Military Honors in New Saint Mary\’s Cemetery, Bellmawr.

Family requests that memorial donations be made in Sam\’s memory to Saint Mary\’s Tuition Fund: 426 Monmouth Street, Gloucester City. Please write in memo: Samuel G. Monroe. Expressions of sympathy can be e-mailed to the family through our funeral home website www.mccannhealey.com under online obituaries of Samuel G. Monroe. Funeral Arrangements and Inquiries may be made through McCANN-HEALEY FUNERAL HOME

On August 15, 2007. Age 87. Of Williamstown. Formerly of Gloucester City. Loving husband of 45 years to the late Margaret Williams (nee Corcoran). Devoted father of Richard Williams of Williamstown. Dear Brother-in-Law of Mariann Corcoran of Gloucester City and Joan Corcoran of Cape May Court House. Caring Uncle to many nieces and nephews.

Hank was born and raised in Gloucester City and recently moved to Williamstown. He was a 1939 graduate of Gloucester City High School. Hank proudly served our country during World War II in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1945. Hank worked for New York Ship from 1945 to 1951 before joining the Carpenters Union Local 454 in 1951 until his retirement in 1985. He was a volunteer fireman for 10 years with the Gloucester City Fire Department Station 53 in Highland Park. Hank spent his summers in Rio Grande, NJ and enjoyed hunting and fishing. He was an avid Phillies and Eagles fan. Hank was a devoted parishioner of Saint Mary\’s R.C. Church in Gloucester City.

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend his viewing on Sunday evening from 7 to 9 pm and Monday morning from 9:30 to 10:30 am at the McCANN-HEALEY FUNERAL HOME: 851 Monmouth Street, (at Brown Street) Gloucester City. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Monday at 11 am at Saint Mary\’s R.C. Church: 426 Monmouth Street, Gloucester City. Interment New Saint Mary\’s Cemetery, Bellmawr. Expressions of sympathy can be e-mailed to the family through the funeral home website www.mccannhealey.com under online obituaries of Frank P. \”Hank\” Williams.

 

NOVELLI, VICTOR C., JR.

On August 15, 2007 of Mt. Ephraim, formerly of Phila, PA. Age 83.
Beloved husband of the late Julia (nee Ciotti). Devoted father of Victor, III and his wife Diane, and Daniel. Dear brother of Anthony, Irene Cirucci, John and Charles. Loving grandfather of Steven and his wife Becky, Brian, Anthony and his wife Stacey, and Carlin.
Also survived by many nieces and nephews.
Mr. Novelli was an Army Combat Veteran of WWII receiving the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend the viewing Saturday morning from 8:30 to 9:45am in the Sacred Heart RC Church, 11 N. Black Horse Pike, Mt. Ephraim. Funeral Mass Saturday 10am. Interment Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Cheltenham, PA. Expressions of sympathy may be e-mailed to Condolences@ Gardner FuneralHome.com