Long-Time Gloucester City Resident and Vietnam War Veteran Needs Our Help

By CNBNews Staff

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (February 11, 2020)(CNBNewsnet)

—Bob Kotter, who was born and raised in Gloucester City, needs some help from his friends and residents of the community. Bob is battling stage 4 prostate cancer. A U.S. Marine, Bob fought in the Vietnam War. He believes his cancer was caused by Agent Orange which was dropped on the jungles of Vietnam by U.S. planes and helicopters to kill the heavy vegetation.

Bob Kotter (2018 CNBNews photo)

Recently his chemotherapy was increased to four times a week as cancer has spread to his bones.

For a decade or more Bob lived in the family home in the 400 block of Market Street taking care of his elderly parents. He cooked their meals, kept them and the house cleaned, and made sure they got to the doctors and received their medications. After his mother died the house was sold and he was left without a roof over his head.

\”A community activist,

I first met Bob in 2006-07 when he was trying to get the City of Gloucester City to clean up their parking lot at Fifth and Powell Street,\” said Bill Cleary Sr., editor of CNBNews. \”The lot was being used by junkies to shoot up. Empty needles and glassine bags were thrown around the lot in plain view. It was also an eyesore as a result of the trash and broken down cars on the lot.\”

From the 2007 article:

The city property was once the site of the Quaker Food store and the former Sand Bar. The City tore down the properties in the 1980s, paved it with asphalt, and put up an 8-foot high cyclone fence.

Kotter said during the interview,“that was the last time we saw the City. The fence has been decaying for the past several years. People used the vacant property to store their unlicensed vehicles and for changing the oil in their cars.”

Gloucester City Public Parking Lot is an Eyesore & \”Drug Den\”

In 2016 Bob fought against the terrible odor that was coming from the Blueknight Energy Partners asphalt plant on Water Street, home to eight million barrels of asphalt. Kotter told the Philadelphia Inquirer, \”Sometimes the fumes burn your eyes,\” he said. \”My elderly parents who lived four blocks from the plant have been putting up with it for years. But nobody does anything about it even though I have complained to numerous environmental agencies.\”

Gloucester City Residents are Fuming Over Fumes

Bob loved to walk through the city. He wore a wide brim light green hat with a US Marine emblem. You could tell by his walk he was military. He would start from his parent\’s home on Market Street head west to the riverfront and cover the entire city ending back at Market and Powell Streets. When he saw that the old GAF power plant was being demolished he was concerned that the property wasn\’t properly sealed, and, was worried the asbestos inside would spread to the nearby residential neighborhood.

\”As a result of his tip, we discovered some interesting history about the GAF power plant that we and the public would never have known if it wasn\’t for him,\” said Cleary.

Demolition Work on the 111-Year-Old GAF Power Plant

He loved Gloucester City and it upset him to see what was happening to certain neighborhoods in the community. He was quick to point out faults in the hopes by doing so improvements would be made. Take for example in 2018 when he wrote a letter to CNBNews about the condition of the entrance to the city on South Broadway, along with the pot holes on Jersey Avenue, two main highways coming in and out of the city.

\”I have attached some photos showing the deplorable road conditions on South Broadway when you enter Gloucester City from Brooklawn and the pot holes on Jersey Avenue from South Broadway to King Street,\” said Kotter.

\”These streets are so bad that if you hit some of the bumps doing the speed limit it will throw you right out of your vehicle\’s seat. I can\’t imagine what it does to the front end of your car/truck. Year in and year out these conditions have been allowed to exist. It is a disgrace. I give the person a thumbs up for the nice job he/she did in painting the new yellow lines on the street. However, painting dividing lines in the street before you repair the potholes is just plain stupid. \”

Deplorable Streets Need to be Repaired

\”Bob\’s heart was always in the right place\”, said Cleary.

\”He had no ulterior motive. He wasn\’t running for any political office. Nor did he have an ax to grind. If he saw something wrong he tried his best to fix it because of his love for Gloucester City. Please keep him in your prayers as he needs our help now both spiritually and financially.\”

Send your check to Runnemede VFW,

℅ Tim Salamatin, 13 East Sixth Street, Runnemede, NJ 08087. Make the check payable to Bob Kotter.

You can also send a Get Well card to Bob at the same address.

(published Feb. 11, 2020) https://www.gloucestercitynews.net

)

St. Mary\’s Parish Secretary Dan Spencer Resigning

by CNBNews Staff

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (February 10, 2020)—St. Mary\’s Parish Secretary Dan Spencer will be stepping down from his position on April 9 after serving in that capacity for the past 2.5

years.

When asked about a rumor that he was resigning from his mayor position he laughed. \”No, I am resigning from my full-time job as a parish secretary. It is just too much juggling that job with the mayor\’s position. I am going to do some part-time work and focus more time on being mayor. The new parish community center (next to the rectory) will be opening in April and I felt that this was a good time to make a move. I spoke with Monsignor Hodge (pastor) about it and he understood my reasons. I will still be helping the parish in some way once a week.\”

Spencer, who was elected as mayor of Gloucester City in November 2018, began his four-year term in January 2019 succeeding Bill James.

Prior to taking over the mayor position, he was a city councilman.

Five years ago Spencer retired from his job with Camden County with 30 years of service.

published

gloucestercitynews.net

January 2019 CNBNews CHEERS AND JEERS

Bill James, The Longest Serving Mayor in Gloucester City\’s History Dies Suddenly

Comcast Contractor Rewiring Gloucester City

Gloucestercitynews.net photo

Contractor Buckley Cable (photos above and below) working on Johnson Blvd., across from the baseball fields

CNBNews Staff

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (February 8, 2020)–Buckley Cable, a company subcontracted by Comcast has been working throughout Gloucester City running new cable lines. Gloucester City Police Lt. Steve Burkhardt was asked who pays for the officers that are assigned to direct traffic at these work sites? \”When the contractor needs officers for traffic control, they pay a fee to the city to cover the officer’s pay as well as an additional fee for the use of the city\’s police car. The officers work these details on their days off.

\”

The city ordinance pertaining to compensation for off-duty officers assigned to these jobs states the rate of compensation for the officer per hour for traffic is $85; the rate per-hour for all other is $50; rate of compensation per-hour for schools $50 three hour minimum $150; rate of compensation per-hour for police vehicle use $17.50. A full breakdown of the fees appears below. The ordinance was adopted on May 17, 2018.

published Gloucestercitynews.net

Men/Women who Have Forged the Character, Spirit of the City of Gloucester City

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (February 3, 2020)–(Gloucestercitynews.net)–The First Settlement on the Delaware, a history of Gloucester City, was written by Louisa W. Llewellyn and released in 1976. For those interested the book has been digitized and can be found on the Gloucester City Library website here. Below is an excerpt from the book

Dr. William C. Mulford, Gloucester\’s first physician, came to

CNBNews graphic files

Over 16,000 Artifacts of Gloucester City\’s History in Storage at the NJ State Museum

Gloucester in 1945 and contributed many years of service to the community. He operated the first postal service from a one-story frame building he owned on the southeast corner of King and Market Streets. From 1847 he was active in the administration of the school system, first as treasurer and later as acting superintendent. Dr. Mulford was an incorporator of the first building and loan association and Cedar Grove Cemetery and an organizer of the First Presbyterian Church, Cloud Lodge, and Arwames Lodge of Odd Fellows.

James L. Hines, one of the town\’s most highly respected citizens, was a well-known businessman and politician. He served as justice of the peace and mayor of Gloucester and was a member of the state legislature for two terms. Mr. Hines was an incorporator of the Mutual Building and Loan Association and Cedar Grove Cemetery. He was also very active in the First Methodist Church.

John Butts, handyman on William Thompson\’s estate, was a well-liked and respected Negro member of the city. The same young people who kept other Negroes out of the town would spend hours with him. Social workers came to Gloucester looking for poor blacks to help. They finally located John and asked him where the Negroes were. Mr. Butts very politely answered, \”Here I is!,\”

William D. Antrim, inventor, who lived at 920 Gaunt Street, was awarded patents on an oven door hinge and on an oven for gas ranges by the United States Patent Office in 1931.

John Owens, born in Gloucester in 1857, began building the model boats for the Memorial Day ceremonies in 1901. He continued this service until he was 92 and had constructed 48 boats for the celebration.

Henry S. Holmes, Gloucester\’s Indian fighter, served in three wars. He enlisted during the Indian Wars of 1890-92, was part of the Rough Riders during the Spanish American War, and fought in Mexico under Pershing. He was fond of telling stories about the days when Gloucester had about 150 farms.

The Rt. Rev. Msgr. M.E. Bric was the guiding light of St. Mary\’s parish from 1913 until his death. Under his administration of the parish the educational system was developed from an elementary school to a complete system known for high academic standards.

John A. Lynch dedicated 40 years of his time, effort, and concern to the public school system as a member of the Board of Education. Twenty-one of those years, he was president of the board. Mr. Lynch was also very active in the First Methodist Church and Cloud Lodge.

Emma Burns, organizer of a women\’s club in the city, was instrumental in starting the Gloucester Public Library. She was also involved in the activities of the D.A.R.

Grace A. Demarest devoted many years of service as a volunteer with the American Red cross. She also was active in promoting the Gloucester Library. Mrs. Demarest worked in canteens for servicemen during both world wars.

Miss Priscilla Redfield taught in the public schools from 1850 to 1903 and Miss Rose McBride taught from 1896 to 1949. Each contributed 53 years of service

to the children of Gloucester City.

Mary Ethel Costello, for whom a school has been named, dedicated her life to the children of the city. She inspired many others, including her sister Margaret, to become teachers. Miss Costello\’s high academic and personal standards were guidelines for many.

Sister Agnes De Lourdes put many children on the road to knowledge in the 50 years she devoted to the students of St. Mary\’s Grammar School.

Judith Unger Scott, former resident and graduate of Gloucester High School, became a well-known author of books for teens. Two of the books were Lessons in Loveliness and Manners for Moderns.

(Hundreds of others, male and female, have made Gloucester the fine place to live that it is. Those described above are simply examples of the many. Perhaps someday a biographical dictionary will be written-a Who\’s Who of Gloucester.)

***

Contributors

Artists

Janine Hill is a graduate of Gloucester High School and the Philadelphia College of Art. She does some freelance illustrating, painting, and drawing but is interested in designing as a commercial artist for a publisher. Janine is presently doing sales and display work at the Living History Center in Philadelphia.

Henry Karpinski was born in Sugar Notch, Pa., and has lived in Gloucester for 23 years. He graduated from the Philadelphia College of Art and began to teach in Gloucester City. Mr. Karpinski has taught here for 25 years, the last 13 in the high school. He had the first one-man art show in the new city library.

Glynneth Llewellyn graduated from Gloucester High School in 1975 and is presently an anthropology major at the University of Vermont. Glynneth enjoys working in several art media but does this basically as a hobby. Most of her artistic efforts are done for members of the family or friends. Glynneth\’s logo design is a familiar sight around town.

Frank Morrow attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia after graduation from Gloucester High School. Frank has a studio in his home where he works in oils and water color. He has sold a number of paintings, including his first award winning painting of St. Paul. Frank has just enlisted in the Navy.

Earl Nazar is a lifelong resident of Gloucester City and a graduate of Gloucester High School. The Nazar home on Baynes Avenue is frequently admired by passersby. As a commercial artist for R.C.A., Mr. Nazar is kept very busy and even designs the company\’s Christmas card. He also has a studio in his home.

Raymond Stanaitis holds a supervisory position at the Delaware County Daily Times where he began as an apprentice immediately after graduation from Chester High School, Pa. As the Bicentennial Town Crier he collected 300 signatures on the Declaration of Independence. Ray also did the centerpieces for the Bicentennial Ball.

Thomas Williams began painting after retiring from his job as a carpenter. After a few lessons at the Haddonfield Arts and Crafts School, he designed and painted his own Christmas cards. Most of his paintings are of historic landmarks copied from photographs. Mr. Williams is now 82 and lives in Florida because of his health.

Writers

Ronald Baile is a graduate of Gloucester City High School and a veteran of the U.S. Army. Ron has always been interested in the history of Gloucester and is an active member of the Historical Society. Ron has a very special interest which manifests itself in his membership in the Gateway Model Railroad Club.\”

Albert Corcoran (deceased) was both interested and involved in Gloucester\’s history. He wrote a column in the Gateway News under the name Roy Noble and stimulated considerable interest in the history of the area. Mr. Corcoran was chairman of the 100th anniversary celebration of Gloucester\’s incorporation as a

city.

John Corcoran is a man who wears many hats. He is a member of the speech department at Glassboro State College, a volunteer fireman, president of the Gloucester City School Board, and chairman of the Bicentennial Committee. Using a file left by his father, Dr. Corcoran persuaded the city council to become

involved in the Bicentennial celebration.

Harry Demarest is a former Gloucester High School history teacher who has maintained an interest in local history throughout his lifetime. Mr. Demarest has been active with with Historical Society and the Bicentennial Committee but another major interest is with the VFW. Almost singlehandedly he has kept the traditional Veterans Day alive.

Harry Green is probably better known in Gloucester City as Mr. History. His love for Gloucester and his knowledge of local history has become known throughout the state. As honorary chairman of the Bicentennial and as a member of the Camden County Cultural and Heritage Commission, Mr. Green is kept on the move.

David Munn is a former resident and a graduate of Gloucester High School who is considered an expert on the history of Fort Nassau and the life of David Brown. Mr. Munn is a graduate Rutgers-South and Drexel University and is president of the Camden County Historical Society. He works at the State Library in the Archives History Department in Trenton.

Frank Stetser is president of the Gloucester City Historical Society, having been a member of that organization for many years. For a number of years, Mr. Stetser was the owner-publisher of the Gateway News, a weekly newspaper printed in Westville. He has retired from the newspaper business.

Drawings, Maps, Photographs

Stanley and Michael Ashmen are a father-son artist team who have done work for the Bicentennial Committee. Each did only one drawing included in this book.

Cheryl Karpinski was the official photographer for the Bicentennial. A graduate of Glassboro State College, Cheryl plans to be an art teacher.

Mark Llewellyn a senior at Gloucester High School is better known as an athlete. He did a few drawings and maps and also some typing during deadline rushes.

Gerry and Thomas McGrath are a fine brother team of photographers. These young men did most of the photography for Chapters 6 and 7. They do their own printing and developing in a basement dark room.

Hollis Veley was the map maker for the book. The complete map on the back end sheets plus three major maps in the book were drawn by him and took about 300 hours of work. Hollis will soon graduate from Rutgers-South where he majored in math. He plans to continue drawing maps to publish and sell since his first was so successful and has sold over 1000 copies.

Photographs and maps courtesy of Ed Anyzek, the Corcorans, Essie and Harry Green, Barbara Hillman, Charles Walmsley (S.M.A.),and Marie Williams (corrected from addendum).

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Armstrong, Edward. \”The History and Location of Fort Nassau Upon the Delaware.\” (a paper read before the New Jersey Historical Society). January 20, 1953.

Barber, John W., assisted by Henry Howe. Historical Collections of New Jersey: Past and Present (New Jersey Heritage Series). New Haven, Conn.: John W.. Barber, 1868.

Barber, John W. and Henry Howe. Historical Collections of the State of New Jersey. Newark, N.J.: Benjamin Olds for Justice Bradley, 1860.

Baker, William Spohn. Itinerary of George Washington from June 15, 1775 to December 23, 1783. Lambertville, N.Y.: Hunterdon House, 1892.

Bebout, John E. and Ronald J. Grele. Where cities Meet: the Urbanization of New Jersey. Princeton, N.J.: D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc., 1964.

Bill, Alfred Hoyt. New Jersey and the Revolutionary War. Princeton, N.J.: D. Van Nostrand C., Inc. 1964.

Boyer, Charles S. Old Inns and Taverns in West Jersey. Camden, N.J.: Camden County Historical Society, 1962.

Bulletin of the Gloucester County Historical society. Woodbury, N.J.

Callahan, Charles W. Know Your City: Gloucester City, New Jersey, 1956.

Camden County History Society Scrapbooks, Volumes 1,3,6,7, and 8 (collections of newspaper clippings)

Carpenter, Allan. Enchantment of America: New Jersey. Chicago, Ill.: Children\’s Press, 1965.

Clement, John. Sketches of the First Emigrant Settlers of Newton township, Old Gloucester County, New Jersey. Camden N.J.: Sinnickson Chew, 1877.

Cook, Fred J. The New Jersey Colony. London: Crowell-Collier Press, 1969.

Copeland, Peter. Everyday Dress of the American Revolution Coloring Book. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1975.

Corcoran, Albert J. The First White Settlement on the Delaware River. Gloucester City, N.J.: The Historical Society of Gloucester City.

Corcoran, Albert J. and Harry F. Green. Gloucester City History.

History of Gloucester City: 1623-1964. Gloucester City, N.J., 1964. 1964. Gloucester City, N.J. 1964.

Corotis, A. Charles. The Story of Gloucester, the City. 1949.

Corotis, A. Charles and James M. O\’Neill. Camden County Centennial. Camden, N.J.: Hutzinger Co., Inc., 1944.

Cunningham, John T. New Jersey: America\’s Main road. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday and Company, Inc., 1966.

This is New Jersey. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 1968.

Cushing, Thomas and Charles E. Sheppard. History of the Counties of Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland Counties New Jersey, with Biographical Sketches of their Prominent Citizens. Philadelphia, Pa.: Everts and Peck, 1883 reprinted June 1974.

Cross, Dorothy. Archaeology of New Jersey. The Archaeological Society Publishers of New Jersey and the New Jersey State Museum.

DeCou, George. History of Camden County, N.J.

Fernow, B. (Keeper of the Historical Records). New York Documents: Dutch and Swedish Settlements on the Delaware Vol. 12. Albany, N.Y.: Argus Company, 1877.

Gloucester City Historical Society. The Point.

Gloucester City News (collection from 1800\’s and 1931-1961)

Godfrey, Dr. Carlos E. County and Municipal Incorporations of the State of New Jersey. Trenton, N.J.: Public Record Office, 1934.

Gordon, Thomas F. The History of New Jersey from Its Discovery by Europeans to the Adoption of the Federal Constitution. Philadelphia, Pa.: Daniel Fenton, 1834.

Green, Harry F. \”Historical Facts,\” Gloucester City news. Gloucester City, N.J.: Publishers, Inc.

Hagaman, Adaline P. Early New Jersey. New York, N.Y.: The University Publishing Company, 1963.

Historical Society of Haddonfield. This Is Haddonfield. 1963.

History of the Colony of Nova-Caesaria, or New Jersey

Honeyman, A. Van Doren, ed. Archives of the State of New jersey Vol. I. Somerville, N.J.: The Unionist Gazette Association, 1923. New Jersey Archives, First Series, Vol. II and III, Abstracts of Wills.

Iconography of Manhattan Island, the Vol. 4. Arno Press, 1967.

Jamison, William M. Religion in New Jersey: A Brief History. Princeton, N.J.: D. Van Nostrand, 1964.

Lee, Francis Baily. New Jersey as a Colony and as a State: One of the Original Thirteen, Volumes I-IV. New York, N.Y.: The Publishing Society of New Jersey, 1902.

Leiby, Adrian C. The Early Dutch and Swedish Settlers of New Jersey. Princeton, N.J.: D. Van Nostrand, 1964.

Lindestrom, Peter Martensson. Geographia Americae.

McCormick, Richard P. New Jersey from Colony to State–1609-1789. Princeton, N.J.: D. Van Nostrand, 1964.

McMahon, William. South Jersey Towns: History and Legend. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 1973.

Mickle, Isaac. Reminiscences of Old Gloucester or Incidents in the History of the Counties of Gloucester, Atlantic, and Camden, New Jersey. Philadelphia, Pa.: Townsend Ward, 1945.

Miers, Earl Schenck. Crossroads of Freedom. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 1917.

Minutes of Union Township, Camden County 1855-1867.

Morgan, John D. F. and Samuel Richards. \”Early Activities in the Upper Four Tenths,\” Camden County Historical Society Publications Vol. 3 #1 Camden, N.J.

Nelson, William., ed. Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey Vol XI and XXI. Paterson, N.J.: The Press Printing and Publishing Co., 1894.

New Jersey Archives Vol III Abstracts of Wills Vol II; Vol. XXXIV Abstracts of Wills Vol V; Second Series Vol 1 Newspaper Extracts Vol 1, 1777; Second Series Vol II Newspaper Extracts Vol 11, 1778; Second Series Vol III Newspaper Extracts Vol 111, 1779.

O\’Callaghan, E. B. New York Colonial Documents Vol 1 and 2. New York, N.Y.: Weed, Parsons and Co., 1861.

O\’Keefe, Stephen M. \”They Took Political Feuds Seriously In 17th Century Gloucester,\” Courier-Post. Camden, N.J., October 21, 1970.

Pomfret, John E. New Jersey Proprietors and Their Lands. Princeton, N.J.: D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc., 1964.

Province of West Jersey 1609-1702. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1956.

Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society. Vol. 15, No. 4. October, 1930.

Prowell, George R. The History of Camden County New Jersey. Philadelphia, Pa.: L. J. Richards and Co., 1886.

Roy Noble (Albert J. Corcoran). \”Chip R Git,\” Gateway News. Westville, N.J.

Simpson, Hazel B., ed. Under Four Flags: Old Gloucester County 1686-1964. Camden, N.J.: Sinnickson Chew and Sons, Co., 1965.

Spaulding, M.C. Historical Handbook of New Jersey. 1895.

Stewart, Frank H. Gloucester County Under the Proprietors. Indians of Southern New Jersey. Port Washington, N.Y.: Kennikat Press, 1932. Notes on Old Gloucester County, New Jersey.

Story of Gloucester City: 1868

Studley, Miriam V. Historic New Jersey Through Visitors Eyes. Princeton, New Jersey: D. Van Nostrand, 1964.

Vecoli, Rudolph. The People of New Jersey. Princeton, N.J.: D. Van Nostrand, 1965.

Weiss, Harry B. Life in Early New Jersey.

Weslager, C. A. in collaboration with A. R. Dunlap. Dutch Explorers, Traders and Settlers in the Delaware Valley 1609-1664. Philadelphia, Pa.: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1961.

Weslager, C. A. The English on the Delaware 1610-1682. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 1967.

West, Ruth and Willis M. Story of Our Country.

Wheeler, Edward C. Scheyichbi and the Strand.

Gloucester Catholic Principal Ed Beckett Selected as Grand Marshal For St. Patrick\’s Day Parade!

Gloucester Catholic Principal Ed Beckett has been selected as the Grand Marshal for the Fifth Annual St. Mary\’s Parish and Gloucester City St. Patrick\’s Day

Parade. The parade will be held on Sunday, March 1 starting at 1:00 pm.

Mr. Beckett will receive his Grand Marshal sash from Bishop Sullivan at the 9:30 am Irish Mass at St. Mary\’s Church..

Mr. Beckett has served as Gloucester Catholic\’s Principal since August 2013 and is highly regarded for his work with youth and his devotion to the Catholic Community. Mr. Beckett also served the school as Assistant Principal for Spiritual Formation for 8 years. An alumnus of the Gloucester Catholic Class of 1978, he previously taught at St. Joseph\’s Preparatory School and served as an administrator at Boston College High School.

The Parade begins at Martin\’s Lake (Baynes Ave and Johnson Blvd) and continues down Monmouth Street, and will feature String Bands, Bagpipes, Irish Dancers, Irish Music. Memorabilia, and Community Organizations.

Gloucester Catholic alumni are encouraged to attend the parade, and are invited to march with the school\’s contingent as we salute

Mr. Beckett as well as celebrate Irish Pride and the great city of Gloucester!

Local parade officials also announced that Mr. Beckett will receive the First Community Impact Award on Friday, March 6, at Elizabeth Ballroom in Gloucester City. Doors will open for the event beginning at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $25 and may be purchased by calling the Rectory at (856) 456-0052.

Link to St. Patrick\’s Day Parade Festivities

For further information please contact St. Mary Rectory at (856) 456-0052. You may also click on the link below for general information and a sponsorship registration form!

General Information on St. Patrick\’s Day Parade and Activities

Thank You from St. Mary\’s Parish and Gloucester Catholic

Suspect Driving Under the Influence of Heroin Strikes 2 Vehicles on S. Broadway; 1 Injured

by CNBNews

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (January 31, 2020)—Gloucester City Police responded to a traffic accident Thursday, January 30, around 10:20 AM after a car, driven by Jerry

Yelverton, crashed into two vehicles

waiting in traffic at the intersection

of South Broadway and

George Street. Several police vehicles along with the Gloucester City Fire Department responded to the scene according to a person who was passing by and saw the commotion.

Yelverton, according to Gloucester City Police Chief Brian Morrell was charged with possession of two bags of heroin. \”The 42-year-old male, who lives in the 200 unit block of Powell Street, admitted to police that he snorted a bag of heroin before the accident occurred,\” Morrell said.

Yelverton, along with one of the victims were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Morrell said at first it was thought the victim\’s injuries were not that serious. “But, doctors at the hospital said the victim had suffered head trauma and his injuries may be more serious than first thought.”

published Gloucestercitynews.net

Freeholder Cappelli and The State Of The County

The statement below is by Camden County Freeholder Director Cappelli (photo) in regard to the annual state of

the county address for 2020.

“Good afternoon everyone and thank you for being here. I want to start off by saying that as we enter our 176th year, the state of the county is strong. Thanks to our dedicated and caring residents, the resiliency of our communities, and expanding economic opportunity for all, we enter this new year with limitless possibilities ahead.

For the past 12 months we have celebrated the 175th anniversary of Camden County’s incorporation. We sought to do this in two ways: by hosting 175 events where we could come together for a shared experience, goal, or purpose; and by tirelessly striving to improve the quality of life, access to opportunity, and availability of resources. Through both, we sought to make Camden County a place that you would be proud to call home.

Today, we begin not only a new year but a new decade. In doing so I want to take a moment to highlight not only the accomplishments of the last 12 months, but some of the milestones we accomplished in the last ten years.

We began the decade in a precarious position, gripped by the worst economic recession since the Great Depression. While today’s national economy may be growing, many of us remember the sleepless nights all too well, lying awake worried about losing a job, how we would pay the cable bill next month, how would we save for retirement? But, our community didn’t give up. You supported one another and took advantage of every chance that became available. Today, incomes are rising, poverty is decreasing, and unemployment is at incredible, record lows. The state of today’s economy in Camden County is due in large part to your resilience and willingness to persevere.

Two years into the decade we faced a seemingly insurmountable obstacle in our mission to reinvigorate Camden City. In 2012, 67 people were murdered in the City, a grisly record that forced strong action and a serious moment of self-reflection for not only members of this board and those in the community, but for individuals all over the state of New Jersey who wanted to see the City Invincible return to its former glory. In 2013, we launched the Camden County Police Department and brought with it a radical idea about how policing in America could look. Our officers, at the direction of Chief Scott Thomson, committed themselves to a new model of community policing that was later heralded by President Barack Obama as a model for the nation. In 2017, murder was down more than 65 percent. Since 2012, violent crime has dropped by 42 percent.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to highlight the vision and leadership of Chief Scott Thomson, who retired earlier this year. He took the reins of a grand experiment where few outside of our borders believed he could find success. Ultimately, he turned the CCPD into a vital partner for the communities in Camden City, and he transformed the narrative of Camden City from one of bleak desolation to one of unprecedented hope. We are eternally grateful for his service.

It should be noted as well that the man who has filled Scott’s shoes, Chief Joseph Wysocki, has taken over the role without missing a step and is doing a tremendous job since taking over. We are extremely grateful for his public service and for the leadership he has brought to the department.

Elsewhere in the county, we focused our attention on not only public safety, but on public spaces. Over the decade we invested tens of millions of dollars into our park infrastructure, green spaces, and natural resources. In 2011 we opened

Jake’s Place

at Challenge Grove Park, a first-of its-kind all-inclusive playground for children of all abilities. In 2017, we completed the long-needed dredging of Cooper River and saw the return of nationally-renowned rowing to our shores. In fact, this year we welcomed the Gold Cup, a gathering of the world’s best individual rowers to Cooper River, making our river an internationally recognized venue for the world’s top athletes. Just a few months ago, we opened Gateway Park along Admiral Wilson Boulevard, fulfilling a promise made more than 20 years ago when the vacant and dilapidated businesses that once stood on that site were torn down.

Of course, there were countless other projects heralded by the Parks Department and the incredible team of professionals who are focused on making Camden County a place where we can live, work, and play. Thanks to their hard work, the county has built one of the best park networks in the nation, and there is more still to come.

I could spend all of 2020 just highlighting the incredible work and accomplishments that I’ve seen in Camden County over the past decade, but there is still too much work to be done. Instead, I’d like to begin looking forward and focusing on where we plan to take our community in the next 12 months and beyond.

On January 1, we took the dramatic but necessary step of eliminating all single-use plastics from county facilities and events. Many locations throughout the county have already switched to sustainable, compositable alternatives, and the others will be phasing out plastics in the coming months as their current stock is depleted and their supply contracts end. In 2020, we are focused on sustainable habits and on finding ways to reduce Camden County’s contribution to environmental degradation and climate change. Right now, our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Australia who are living through a catastrophic natural disaster that has been fueled by a rapidly changing climate. It is a stark reminder that we are nearly out of time to address this existential threat.

It’s not only ecological health that we’re focused on, but public health as well. During the last decade, we watched as an epidemic of opioid and substance use disorder gripped our communities and robbed us of the lives of too many young people. As a father, I take this issue very seriously. No parent should have to watch their child succumb to a preventable overdose. We cannot continue to enable the cycle of addiction and drug-related death.

This year, the Board is expanding and continuing several programs we believe to be critical to ending the opioid epidemic. This month, the Addiction Awareness Task Force will resume offering free Narcan training sessions, enabling ordinary community members to save a life during a moment of crisis. In the jail, recent grants now allow us to expand the Medication-Assisted Treatment program which will help reduce drug-related recidivism and overdoses among our formerly incarcerated population. In our communities, we have expanded the groundbreaking Project SAVE Program, which focuses on early invention for low-level offenders suffering from a substance use disorder. Together, we are prepared to attack the scourge of opioid abuse from all angles, and make our community a safer, healthier place.

In addition to safer parks, and safer homes, the Freeholder Board is continuing to identify public infrastructure such as roads, highways, and bridges, in need of repair or restoration. Each year the Board invests millions of dollars in the upkeep of our infrastructure as well as for major projects. In the coming weeks and months our crews will complete significant improvements along Chapel Avenue in Cherry Hill, Haddonfield-Berlin Road (CR 561), and new storm water enhancements throughout our network. As always, we will continue to connect with municipal leaders and residents for help identifying where significant upgrades can be made and are needed.

While many of these initiatives have been ongoing or occur each year, 2020 will represent a unique opportunity for our community. The decennial census count, which dictates the size of our representation in Congress, our federal funding allocation, and a variety of other critical measures, will be completed over the next 12 months.

We began connecting with our federal, state, and local partners last year to ensure a strategic, comprehensive approach to our Census efforts. Camden County is home to several, hard-to-count communities in both urban and rural areas, and we are working to ensure that everyone participates and gets counted. We are determined not to let this opportunity get away from us, as several of our communities have been undercounted in recent years, resulting in the loss of needed funds and even a lost congressional seat.

I want to highlight and thank Freeholder Carmen Rodriguez for the time and effort she has already spent helping to educate the public, and prepare for, the census, especially in the City of Camden. Her dedication and passion for this issue has undoubtedly increased the percentage of those who plan to participate, and we want to thank her for the work that she has already done and continues to do.

As we head into this 176th year in Camden County, we have so much to look back on, and so much more to look ahead to.

This year, we will continue to expand economic opportunity, protect the vulnerable in our community, push to make our communities safer, and ensure that our residents get their fair share of resources, funding, and representation.

I want to thank everyone for being here today and for their continued commitment to bettering our community. I also want to thank my fellow freeholders, as well as the public servants and employees that work to make Camden County a better place each and every day.”