Life long Gloucester City resident, born in 1944. Graduated from Gloucester Catholic High School Class of 1963. Attended Camden County College. Army National Guard 1964 to 1970. Activated in 1967 during the Newark Riots. Worked full-time at the Gloucester City Post Office from 1967 to 1978. Worked part-time at the Gloucester City News from 1965 to 1977. In 1978 I was named editor of the Gloucester City News and Camden County Record. Purchased the City News in 1985. In 2005 the paper was sold. In 2006 I established Cleary's Notebook. At the age of 81 I remain editor of Cleary's Notebook News writing commentary and reporting the news for South Jersey and Philadelphia regions.
Herbert (Herb) George Boulden, 86, of Brigantine, formerly of Brooklawn, passed away on Saturday August 8, 2026. Herbert was born in Camden NJ to the late Herbert and Mary (Duranovitch) Boulden. Herb was a Gloucester High Class of 1958 graduate, where he played football and track & field.
Herbert was an avid fan of the Phillies and Eagles. He was formerly a season ticket holder of the Phillies. He enjoyed all sports.
Herb served for six years(1962-1968) with the Armed Forces of the United States of America. Herbert Boulden received an Honorable Discharge from the Army National Guard of New Jersey and from the Reserves of the United States Army.
He was an passionate Gloucester City High School Sports fan, and he enjoyed watching high school football games. For many years he participated in the Independence Blue Cross 10 Mile Broad Street Run.
Herbert was a member of the Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 19 for 33 years before retiring.
He loved reading newspapers and he enjoyed karaoke. He loved Brooklawn, Gloucester City and his retirement home in Brigantine. Herbert and his wife Rosemarie were snowbirds who traveled to South Florida each winter.
He was a lifelong member of the Gloucester City Mustangs Club and he enjoyed years of traveling with his family.
Hebert is survived by his beloved wife Rosemarie (Rickie) (nee Spadora), his son Scott Herbert Boulden and his wife Deanne (nee Mills) and his daughter Natalie Alessio and her husband Randy Alessio. He is also survived by his brother Joseph Boulden, his grandchildren Francesco and Gianni Alessio and Scott and Samantha Boulden and her fiancé Michael Buonanno, his niece Jennifer Boulden and great nieces Sophia and Cecilia Morquecho.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Life Celebration for Herbert on Thursday August 27, 2026 at the Brigantine Elks Lodge, 400 West Shore Drive, Brigantine. Welcome visitation starts at 11 AM. Service and Words of remembrance will be at 12 Noon followed by military honors, then food and refreshments.
To honor Herb, you are welcome to wear your favorite sports team apparel or Hawaiian shirt.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia at give2.chop.edu.
Family services by Keates-Plum Funeral Home, Brigantine.
Experiencing a personal injury in South Jersey can be stressful and confusing for anyone involved. Knowing the right steps to take after an accident helps protect your well-being and any potential claims you may have. It is important to understand both immediate actions and subsequent decisions that can impact your recovery and legal standing.
After sustaining a personal injury, your priorities should include seeking medical attention, documenting the incident, and understanding your legal options in South Jersey. Consulting with professionals such as Burlington County Personal Injury Lawyers may help you navigate the process more efficiently. Prompt actions are not only important for your health but can also affect your ability to pursue injury compensation Burlington County or successfully handle insurance matters. This article guides you through the essential steps to consider after experiencing a personal injury in Burlington County or anywhere throughout South Jersey while preparing for South Jersey accident claims.
On 7/8, a Bridgeton resident was charged with disorderly conduct and breach of peace. Court date pending.
On 7/8, a Glendora resident turned himself in on an NCIC warrant issued out of Camden. The warrant was confirmed, and he was taken into custody and turned over to the Camden City Jail.
On 7/9, officers responded to the Wawa on N. Evergreen Avenue for a report of a woman trespassing. The woman, a Camden resident, was identified and found to have previously been trespassed from the Wawa on multiple occasions. She was issued a complaint for defiant trespassing and released from the scene.
On 7/10, officers observed a man sitting outside a business on S. Broad Street consuming alcohol. He was issued summonses for possession of an open container of alcohol and consuming alcohol in public. A court date is pending.
On 7/10, while conducting foot patrol in the area of S. Broad Street, officers observed a Bridgeton resident walking through the area while consuming vodka. He was issued a summons for consuming alcohol in public. The vodka was properly disposed of. A court date is pending.
On 7/11, a Woodbury resident was charged with criminal mischief and possession of drug paraphernalia after allegedly attempting to enter an apartment that was not hers. A court date is pending.
On 7/12, officers responded to the Wawa on N. Evergreen Avenue for a reported shoplifting. Employees reported that an unidentified man entered the store and stole approximately $355 worth of Newport cigarettes. The suspect has not yet been identified, but his photograph has been distributed. Once identified, he will be charged accordingly.
On 7/12, Washington Township Police turned over a Westville resident who had outstanding warrants issued by the Woodbury Police Department. The individual was granted release on her own recognizance (ROR) after satisfying the required bail. A court date is pending.
On 7/13, officers responded to the Wawa in Woodbury Heights for a reported shoplifting. Employees reported that a Deptford resident entered the store, selected merchandise, exited without paying, placed the items in the trunk of his vehicle, and left the scene. Officers were able to positively identify the suspect. He was charged with shoplifting and was issued a trespass notice prohibiting him from returning to the store. A court date is pending.
On 7/13, during a traffic stop, officers learned the driver had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. He was granted release on his own recognizance (ROR) and issued a new court date. Traffic summonses were also issued for improper maintenance of lamps (brake light out) and failure to inspect the vehicle. A court date is pending.
On 7/15, officers responded to Vanderbilt Avenue for a reported hit-and-run crash. A vehicle that was legally parked on Vanderbilt Avenue was struck by another vehicle, which fled the area. The incident remains under investigation. Once identified, the driver will be charged accordingly.
On 7/16, officers responded to Monro Auto for a report of illegal dumping. Employees reported that an unknown person dumped four large trash bags outside of the company’s dumpster. There are currently no suspects. Employees were advised to contact police if the individual returns or if additional information becomes available.
On 7/16, officers responded to the Wawa in Woodbury Heights for a reported shoplifting that occurred approximately 20 minutes prior. Employees reported that a male, who had previously shoplifted from the store on several occasions, entered the store, took merchandise, exited without paying, and left in a vehicle. After reviewing store surveillance footage, officers positively identified the suspect as a Deptford resident. He was charged with shoplifting. It was also determined that he was operating a vehicle while his driver’s license was suspended, and he was charged accordingly. A court date is pending.
Since 1993, Holt has been leasing this land under the Walt Whitman Bridge for a $1 a year. The marine terminal was fined $30,000 for illegally dumping the fill into the Newton Creek, which flows into the Delaware River.
(Gloucester City News archives; photographer Tom Casey, February 5, 1981)
The Gloucester City News 1981 archive photos revealed the fill dirt and concrete used by Tom Holt Sr.,to fill in the Newton Creek swampland under the Walt Whitman Bridge near Collings Road. He was asked by this reporter why he didn’t wait for approval. “Paying the fines was cheaper than waiting for permits that may take months to obtain legally.
Holt was fined $30,000 by federal and state agencies for violating the law. Besides the fines, the court stipulated that he would have to build a park at his marine terminal for the public to view the Delaware River. Within the last couple of months, that park across from Freedom Pier was demolished and replaced with a stack of containers. It is not known if the Holt Family was permitted to remove that park.
The 1981 Case: Holt Fills Protected Wetlands Without a Permit
GLOUCESTER CITY NJ (AUGUST 6, 2026)–In early 1981, federal regulators charged Holt Hauling and Warehousing Systems with illegally filling in federally protected wetlands along Newton Creek, a tributary of the Delaware River. The company had expanded its storage yard by dumping dirt and construction material into tidal wetlands without obtaining the required permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The federal complaint made clear that Holt’s actions violated both the Clean Water Act and the Rivers and Harbors Act. A consent order filed in U.S. District Court required Holt to pay a civil penalty and restore portions of the damaged wetlands. The case was one of the earliest examples of federal environmental enforcement on Gloucester City’s industrial waterfront.
The reporting by the Gloucester City News editor and publisher at the time captured the scale of Holt’s ambitions. At the same time portions of Newton Creek were being filled in two massive container cranes—purchased in Germany—were floated across the Atlantic on barges and escorted up the Delaware River by the U.S. Coast Guard. As those barges passed under the Delaware Memorial Bridge, we were aboard a Coast Guard vessel documenting the arrival. It was a dramatic moment that symbolized Holt’s rapid expansion, much of it built on land created by backfilling marsh and riverbank.
The Same Land, Four Decades Later: A New Legal Fight
(Gloucester City News archives; photographer Tom Casey, December 17, 1981)
The wetlands Holt filled in 1981 are not just a historical footnote. They are the same tract of land at the center of a major dispute today between Holt Logistics and the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA).
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WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PUBLIC PARK THAT HOLT WAS MANDATED TO BUILD?
CNBNews photo–The arrow points to the location of a small public park that Thomas Holt was ordered to build as part of a court order levy against the shipping tycoon in 1982 for illegally filling in the Newton Creek swampland under the Walt Whitman Bridge near Collings Road. It is not known if the Holt family violated that1982 court order by removing it to make room to store more containers. byoder Holt.The cothe
Since 1993, Holt has leased the land beneath the Walt Whitman Bridge for $1 per year—a symbolic arrangement created during a different era of port operations. But the New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) recently forced a settlement with DRPA after determining that the lease was not in the public’s financial interest.
OSC’s involvement triggered a renegotiation of the lease, and Holt is now fighting efforts to raise the rent to market value.
Holt argues that:
The land was created by their own backfilling, not by the DRPA.
The property is inaccessible without crossing Holt’s surrounding private land.
Therefore, the DRPA should not charge market‑rate rent for land Holt claims it effectively built and maintained.
The DRPA and OSC counter that:
The land is public property.
The $1 lease has deprived taxpayers of fair revenue for decades.
Any future agreement must reflect the true value of the waterfront acreage.
This dispute has become one of the most consequential port‑related negotiations in South Jersey in years.
(Gloucester City News archives; photographer Tom Casey, November 4, 1982) —
Why the 1981 Case Matters Today
The connection between the 1981 wetlands violation and the current lease battle is direct and undeniable:
The land Holt filled illegally in 1981 is the same land they now claim to have “created” and therefore deserve to lease cheaply.
Holt’s long history of aggressive expansion—sometimes pushing past regulatory boundaries—helps explain why state oversight agencies are now scrutinizing the $1 lease.
The OSC’s intervention signals a shift: public agencies are no longer willing to accept decades‑old arrangements that favor private operators over taxpayers.
This recent photo taken at the foot of Monmouth Street shows cranes that are standing on land that was once covered by the Delaware River. Holt filled in the river in 1981.
The reporting by the Gloucester City News in the 1980s provides essential historical context. It shows that Holt’s relationship with the Gloucester City waterfront has always been complicated—marked by ambition, conflict, and a willingness to reshape the landscape to suit its operations. It also revealed that Holt wasn’t afraid of violating environmental rules if, in the end, he would benefit financially by doing so. When he ordered his employees to start filling in the swampland under the Walt Whitman Bridge before receiving the necessary permits, he said it was cheaper for him to pay the fines than sit around waiting for the approval of the permits needed to proceed with filling in the Delaware River.
On June 20, 1983 Thomas J. Holt, the president of the Holt Hauling and Warehousing System, promised Gloucester City Councilman Thomas Carter that his company would not expand its marine terminal any further than the foot of Monmouth Street. According to a AI search Holt Logistics began leasing the former U.S. Coast Guard station at Freedom Pier in 1988 following the base’s closure. The building was was located a block from Monmouth Street. Subsequently, the building was restored and renovated to serve as their corporate headquarters in the early 2000s.
THE POWER OF THE HOLT FAMILY
AUGUST 2026-The Holt family’s influence over regional port operations surfaced again this week. According to reporting in The Philadelphia Inquirer, Holt Logistics successfully blocked Hanwha — the Korean shipbuilder currently operating on a 110‑acre site in South Philadelphia — from expanding into the Paulsboro Marine Terminal. Hanwha officials said the Paulsboro site would have solved their space constraints and positioned the company to compete for major U.S. Navy contracts. With the deal halted, Hanwha is now shifting its search to southern states along the Atlantic Coast.
HANWHA PLANNED A $5 BILLION SOUTH JERSEY INVESTMENT
Hanwha has pledged to invest $5 billion in U.S. shipbuilding once it secures a suitable location. The Paulsboro facility, previously used for offshore wind‑mill construction, became available after President Trump canceled the federal wind program, prompting the tenant to vacate last December. Hanwha agreed to assume the lease — until Holt Logistics intervened.
Holt refused to approve the arrangement and filed suit to block it. After months of lobbying and legal maneuvering, Hanwha abandoned its Paulsboro plans and is now entertaining offers from southern states eager to attract a portion of the company’s multibillion‑dollar investment.
Paulsboro Mayor John Giovannitti estimates that fewer than 50 workers are present at the port on a typical day. The borough sublets the terminal to Holt, which paid $1.6 million last year to operate the facility. Leo Holt, whose century‑old company manages terminals in Gloucester City and South Philadelphia, said he is not entirely opposed to manufacturing at Paulsboro — but only under conditions acceptable to Holt Logistics.
New Jersey taxpayers have already invested heavily in the Paulsboro port, borrowing and spending more than $500 million to build the wharf, highway ramps, and supporting infrastructure intended to attract large employers. Hanwha’s departure underscores how much control Holt continues to wield over the future of that publicly financed facility.
Some parts of this article were writted with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Holt Marine Terminal encompasses 125 acres of Gloucester City waterfront property.
GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (CNBNews)(August 3, 2026)--Driving from North Broadway onto Hudson Street recently, it was hard not to see the giant cranes blocking the skylight as you got closer to the Holt Marine Terminal in Gloucester City. Some of those cranes that towered over the Mill Block properties, located between King Street and Ellis Street, were 20 stories high. There was a constant humming noise emitted from the terminal as we drove on Ellis Street towards Mercer Street.
You have to wonder how the people who reside so close to this terminal deal with the seven-day-a-week operation. When a container ship carrying fruit, meat, or some other commodity arrives, residents in the area are given no consideration. Their only choices are to move or sleep with a pillow over their heads.
Presently, the City has signed an agreement with a real estate developer who plans to build 350 apartments at the former Coast Guard Base, about 100 yards from the marine terminal. The Holt family is fighting the proposal. Their lawsuit claims that the development plan, which would be built just feet from Holt’s office building, would interfere with their operation.
59 YEARS AGO HOLT ARRIVED IN GLOUCESTER CITY
In 1967, Leo A. Holt Sr., the father of Thomas Holt, purchased 37 acres of the former New York Ship property. Interested in the same property at the time was the Camden County Municipal Utlities Authority (CCMUA). Gloucester City Mayor Vince Daily fought against the CCMUA moving into his community. Thank God for Mayor Daily. That agency processes roughly 58 million gallons of sewage every day at its main plant in South Camden. People living near it claim the smell coming from their property is sickening some days.
Holt was an independent truck driver serving Mom and Pop stores. Holt Motor Express had 10 trucks. And they owned 11 warehouses around the Philadelphia and Camden City area. Leo Holt Sr., died in 1968. After his death, his sons took over Holt Motor Express and expanded into the stevedoring business.
THE HOLT FAMILY’S RECENT IMPROVEMENTS AT THE GLOUCESTER MARINE TERMINAL
(THE SECRETIVE GLOUCESTER CITY COUNCIL—At a recent executive session of the Gloucester City Mayor and Council, City Solicitor Leonard Wood gave an in-depth report on the ongoing negotiations with the NHP Foundation and what they are looking to do with financing the purchase of city-owned property at Chatham Square.
CNBNews submitted an OPRA requesting a copy of that report to the council and was told by the custodian of records, Kathy Jentsch, “This matter is currently in the negotiation stage. These materials are in the possession of our attorney for that purpose-attorney-client privilege”.
According to their website, The NHP Foundation (NHPF) owns 30 properties in 12 states and the District of Columbia, totaling approximately 6,000 units of low-and moderate-income. They own two sites in New Jersey: Hollybush Garden, Glassboro (252 units), and Washington Dodd Apartments, Orange (300 units). See website
TRASH BLOCKS SIDEWALK—Why would those responsible for blocking the sidewalk with trash think that this was acceptable? A week ago, on Monday, Sweetie and I were walking on South Broadway towards Brooklawn. We tried to get past the blockade of trash in the photo, but it was impossible. We were left with no other choice but to risk our lives and walk onto nearby Broadway. Fortunately, traffic was light. One has to wonder about the people who piled the trash on the sidewalk that way. Surely they had to see that they were blocking the pathway for pedestrians. Unfortunately, as we travel through our City we have come upon more incidents of people who have no consideration for their neighbors. Their grass needs to be cut, their trash cans are placed in their front yard, and derelict cars with no license plates or registration stickers are parked on their property.
Photo courtesy of Gloucester City Historical Society.
GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ–Following a heavy summer rainstorm, youngsters played in the contaminated water that overflowed from the sewers, flooding Market Street and nearby Broadway. Residents in that neighborhood told Cleary’s Notebook News that they saw feces floating on top of the water. The exact date of the photo is not known.
RAW SEWERAGE BACKS UP INTO HOMES IN CAMDEN AND GLOUCESTER CITIES-The Courier Post reported recently that it would cost over $400 million to fix the flooding in Camden City and Gloucester City. In the meantime, raw sewage will continue to back up into homes and flows down city streets. The untreated wastewater spills into watersheds and seeps into popular recreation spots like Cooper River, which is regularly used by rowing teams but is too dirty to swim in. In Gloucester City the raw sewerage can be seen flowing into the Delaware River even on sunny days.
A heavy rainstorm on July 6, 2026, dumped almost four inches of rain in an hour and caused Camden County’s sewer system to back up, causing floods and over 150 calls for emergency help, officials said.
Camden County says it now has a plan to fix the longstanding issue, but it’s going to take more than a decade to complete and a huge sum of money to pull off. The Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority (CCMUA), a government agency located in South Camden, is responsible for wastewater treatment and regional sewage management. Since the 1970s, Camden County residents have paid that agency millions of dollars to fix the sewerage problem and flooding. When it was first proposed, the CCMUA was going to build its wastewater treatment plant in Gloucester City, where the Holt Marine Terminal is today. READ MORE
(GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ)(July 28, 2026)–According to the Mount Holly National Weather alert, all of New Jersey is under a severe weather alert beginning today, Tuesday, at 2 PM.
Tuesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 2 p.m. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 80. Light south wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New rainfall amounts between a half and three-quarters of an inch possible.
It’s not uncommon for Laura Foord to overhear compliments from passersby on the grand Queen Anne and gingerbread Victorian homes in her neighborhood in Jersey City Heights.
“They say, ‘Oh my God, I never knew this place existed in Jersey City,’” Foord said. “And you can see that it makes people happy.”
Commissioner Jeffrey Nash will join local elected officials to break ground on the next section of the Camden County LINK Trial, a 0.4-mile segment from Somerdale Road to Wakonda Road that will stretch from Somerdale to Hi-Nella.
This is the second LINK Trail section to enter construction in 2026, following the ongoing development of a 1.1-mile segment between Merchant Street in Audubon and Station Avenue in Haddon Heights. The project is being funded in part through a $525,000 Bikeways Grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation. Construction is expected to begin on August 3 and will be completed in 180 days.
