Category: CNB NEWS TIPS & SNIPPETS

BE WARY OF T-MOBILE’S FREE PHONE OFFER!

William E. Cleary Sr. | Cleary’s Notebook News

UPDATED

WHAT A NIGHTMARE

Gloucester City, NJ (August 26, 2026)–More and more I am finding it so difficult to deal with businesses, utility companies and those in the medical field online. The wait time to talk with someone can be an

hour or more. In some cases you can’t talk to anyone. Instead you are switched to a chat-line that seems to lead nowhere. The frustration of navigating these systems is overwhelming. Most recently, we wanted to change our cellphone provider. What an ordeal this has become. After countless hours, we still haven’t been able to get that dilemma solved.

We had been with Verizon forever, and although the service was reliable, the cost for our mobile phone plan had become exorbitant. Tired of paying such high bills, we decided to switch to Consumer Cellular based on some recommendations. Unfortunately, the phone reception was abysmal, making it difficult to use the service effectively. Our next choice, based on further research and consumer feedback, was T-Mobile.

BAD MOVE

On June 7, 2026, I spent over an hour applying for a T-Mobile senior citizen 55 and over mobile account for my wife and me. The following day, I printed out the seven-page contract that I signed electronically. As I reviewed it, I was shocked to discover that I was billed $639 for an iPhone 17e that T-Mobile had advertised as being free as part of their promotion for new customers. Katherine the T-Mobile rep that I chatted with the day before emphasize several time that phone was free; “On us,” she wrote.

Continue reading “BE WARY OF T-MOBILE’S FREE PHONE OFFER!” →

Deer Family Enjoying Johnson Blvd Jogging Park

William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews

GLOUCESTER CITY NJ (August 20, 2026)–Today, around 1 PM, Connie and I were driving on Klemn Avenue heading towards U.S. Route 130. She yelled, “Look at the deer!”

“Where! Where!” I replied.

I had to back up a couple of feet before I saw them. Two fully grown doe’s and two spotted fawns were walking lazily about like they didn’t have a care in the world.

In recent years it is not that unusual to see deer in the Gloucester City.

Some of those sightings we have reported on include a large buck seen at the Lane Avenue playground. A Hunter Street resident reported that a deer was walking in the street past his house. A buck was hit at the railroad crossing on South Broadway near the Brooklawn border. A fawn that tried to jump the spike cemetery fence on Market Street didn’t make it and died. When walking near the back of GHS there are always deer tracks. Some of those tracks are big. To see these four deer out in the open at 1 PM in the afternoon was a pleasant surprise.

How did they get there?

We suggest they came from Newton Creek, which is on the other side of the trees in the photo. Deer can swim.

THE HOLT FILES: PART TWO

1980s Federal UDAG Program: Did It Help Gloucester City?

William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews

The Urban Development Action Grant program was introduced to Gloucester City residents in 1984. People living near the marine terminal at the time were against the idea from the very start. Several public meetings hosted by the mayor and council were held beginning in 1984. At those meetings, residents spoke about why they were against the expansion of that facility. At the time the Holt Family was just beginning to build their monstrous facility.

Gloucester City News article written by William E. Cleary Sr., published October 10, 1985

That program was promoted in 1978 by President Jimmy Carter. The purpose was to help distressed cities attract private investment, create jobs, and redevelop blighted industrial or commercial areas. UDAGs were awarded competitively and required substantial private‑sector participation. HUD’s regulations describe the program’s core mission as assisting cities facing severe economic distress by stimulating economic activity needed for recovery. 

The public’s objections included:

Continue reading “THE HOLT FILES: PART TWO” →

The Holt Files: Part One

The Holt Family Arrives in Gloucester City

William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews

CLEARY’S NOTEBOOK NEWS PHOTO

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.

RELATED:

HOLT FAMILY NOT LIKED BY LONGSHOREMEN

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

Continue reading “The Holt Files: Part One” →

Tips & Snippets: Trash Blockade, Flood, Sign Sez, Brooklawn Celebrates, No Power Again

Written By Cleary’s Notebook News Staff

CNBNEWS PHOTO

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.

Videos posted online showed flood waters breaching storefronts and basements.

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

Continue reading “Tips & Snippets: Trash Blockade, Flood, Sign Sez, Brooklawn Celebrates, No Power Again” →

Nextdoor’s Indefinite Ban on CNBNews Raises Serious Questions About Fairness and Transparency

William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews Editor

UPDATED:

Last week, Cleary’s Notebook News (CNBNews) received notice from Nextdoor Neighbor, the neighborhood‑based social media platform, that our account had been banned. The stated reason: three short snippets of press releases we posted allegedly violated their guidelines.

We immediately appealed. On Saturday, July 25, 2026, Nextdoor issued its final decision:

“Appeal not approved: Account indefinitely suspended.”

No explanation. No citation of a specific rule. No opportunity for correction. Just a permanent ban.

Local Reviewers With the Power to Silence You

Nextdoor relies on local “Reviewers” — ordinary users granted extraordinary authority — to censor posts, remove publishers, and suspend accounts. Because Nextdoor is a privately owned company, it has the legal right to remove anyone it chooses. But the way this ban was handled raises legitimate concerns about bias, personal grudges, and selective enforcement.

Continue reading “Nextdoor’s Indefinite Ban on CNBNews Raises Serious Questions About Fairness and Transparency” →

Former Supt. Receives 6 Figure Deal from Manchester Twp. School

William E. Cleary Sr. |CNBNews

MANCHESTER, NJ (July 13, 2026)(CNBNews)— Former Manchester Township Schools Superintendent John Berenato has received a six‑figure settlement in connection with his lawsuit over his 2023 firing.

He was awarded $265,000 by the district’s insurance carrier under a settlement approved at the June 16, 2026, Manchester Township Board of Education meeting, according to open‑government advocate John Paff of Transparency NJ.

Berenato was fired on Nov. 7, 2023 at a special board meeting, with the dismissal taking effect immediately. The board claimed he failed to disclose a 2010 drunk‑driving conviction and license suspension on his employment application.

Continue reading “Former Supt. Receives 6 Figure Deal from Manchester Twp. School” →

Trump’s Administration Scores Major Supreme Court Win

26, 2026

SUMMARY-The article describes the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of the Trump Administration’s decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian migrants. The article also highlights the Trump Administration’s efforts to end the catch-and-release policy, expedite deportations, and crack down on sanctuary cities.

The Supreme Court has delivered a major victory for American sovereignty, ruling that the Trump Administration has full authority to Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian migrants. The Biden Administration weaponized TPS as a backdoor amnesty to flood the country with millions of unvetted migrants — and that loophole is finally closed.

This is the latest decisive win in President Donald J. Trump’s relentless effort to end the border invasion and put American citizens first.

The Trump Administration has made 60 changes in border rules since being elected :

Continue reading “Trump’s Administration Scores Major Supreme Court Win” →

Gloucester City Power Outage Weather Related, said PSE&G

UPDATE: The power outage was not the reason why electricity was lost in the Riverview Heights section of the city, according to a spokesperson for Public Service Electric and Gas.

iStock graphic

Kathy Hennessy Riley, PSE&G Corporate Communications, said the cause was weather-related. “I wanted to clarify that the traffic light pole that was struck at Broadway and Market Street was not the cause of the local power outage that affected the Riverview Heights section of the City on Monday night.

The outage, which affected approximately 2500 customers, was weather-related. Crews worked to safely identify and address the issue and restore service to affected customers as quickly as possible.”

A thunderstorm was happening in Gloucester City and the surrounding area when the power outage occurred.

RELATED :https://gloucestercitynews.net/2026/06/local-power-outage/

Four-Hour Power Outage in Gloucester City

UPDATED

UPDATE: The power outage was not the reason why electricity was loss in the Riverview Heights section of the city, according to a spokesperson for Public Service Electric and Gas.

Kathy Hennessy Riley, PSE&G Corporate Communications, said the cause was weather-related. “I wanted to clarify that the traffic light pole that was struck at Broadway and Market Street was not the cause of the local power outage that affected the Riverview Heights section of the City on Monday night.

The outage, which affected approximately 2500 customers, was weather-related. Crews worked to safely identify and address the issue and restore service to affected customers as quickly as possible.”

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (CNBNews) (June 22, 2026)--The traffic light at Broadway and Market Street is apparently the cause of the local power outage that affected the Riverview Heights section of the City. The local police did not report how the light was knocked over. Neither did they release any information on whether there were any injuries. Businesses and residents lost electricity around 2 PM. It was restored at 6 PM.

Traffic lights along Broadway from Kohler Street to Market Street were offline. Many of the businesses along that stretch of highway closed their doors due to not having air conditioning. Residents living in the Carpenter Square Apartments were also affected.

Public Service Electric and Gas first notified customers that the electricity would be restored by 7 PM.  Service was restored at 6:10 PM.

Photo by CNBNews reporter Kathy Cleary Underwood

The traffic light at Broadway and Market Street was struck by either a car or a tractor-trailer. Work crews from Public Service Electric and Gas were at this location for several hours. Residents and businesses lost electricity around 2 PM today. Electric was restored around 6 PM. Local police released no information to the media about the incident.