On April 25, 2010. Age 69. Of Mantua. Formerly of Gloucester City. Loving husband of 48 years to Kathleen (nee Miller). Loving father of Albert J. \”Ricky\” Rickens, Jr. (late Kelly Walsh) and Kristine Lynn Rickens-Aguilar (Jerome). Loving grandfather of Jade and Kyrsten. Also survived by many loving family members.

There is no evening viewing. Memorial donations may be made to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation: 1415 Marlton Pike East, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034. Please write in the memo: Albert J. Rickens. Expressions of sympathy www.mccannhealey.com under online obituaries of Albert J. Rickens. Funeral Arrangements and Inquiries may be made through: McCANN-HEALEY FUNERAL HOME: 851 Monmouth Street, Gloucester City, NJ. Ph: 856-456-1142

Bill’s Point of View:

By Bill Cleary

It is upsetting to think that you work all your life to pay off your 30-year home mortgage and after it is paid you still have to fork out thousands to the government to live in your home. Residing in a state that has the highest property taxes in the nation doesn’t help I know. I asked one of many friends who moved from NJ to the other side of the river how much he pays in property and school taxes.

Gloucester City Council Contemplates Laying Off 15-20 Employees

HARRISBURG – An osprey that had become tangled in bailer twine and caught in electric lines crossing over Cummings Creek Road in Nelson Township, Tioga County, was rescued from its high-wire snare, according to Pennsylvania Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officer Robert Minnich.

A Penelec employee works to free an osprey from being entangled with bailer twine and an electric wire in Nelson Township, Tioga County.

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\”Employees from Penelec electric company did a great job getting the bird down for me,\” WCO Minnich. \”Once on the ground, I removed the twine and observed the bird for several minutes checking the leg and foot. No major injuries were found, only a few abrasions and the leg was weak.

\”After working the leg slowly, the osprey eventually strengthened and was opening and closing its talons. When it flew away, I noticed that the leg was hanging a little lower than the other leg, but fine otherwise.\”

WCO Minnich returned to the scene on April 12, and found both birds were around the nest site.

\”One was sitting in the nest and the other one was sitting on another electric pole eating a fish,\” Minnich said. \”I believe it was a nice black crappie.

After being freed from its high-wire snare, the osprey is seen standing on a nearby telephone pole.

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\”This is just another example

via www.portal.state.pa.us

Image via Wikipedia

Senior citizens are by far the biggest losers in health reform. Consider that:

• More than half the cost of health reform will be paid for by $523 billion of cuts in Medicare spending over the next ten years.
• Although there are some new benefits for seniors (mainly new drug coverage), the costs exceed the benefits by a factor of more than ten to one.
• As many as 8.5 million of the 11 million seniors in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans may lose their coverage, according to Medicare’s Chief Actuary.
• Those lucky enough to retain their MA coverage will face steep cuts in benefits or hefty increases in premiums or both.
• In addition to these direct costs there are indirect costs, including new taxes on drugs and medical devices. Although these taxes don’t single out senior citizens, who do you think are the heaviest users of wheelchairs, crutches, artificial joints, pacemakers, etc.?
• To make matters worse, severe rationing problems lie ahead, as 32 million newly insured people try to double their consumption of medical care under a reform bill that produces not one new doctor or nurse or other paramedical personnel. Because many of the newly insured will be in private plans paying market rates, they will be more attractive to doctors than Medicare enrollees paying about 20% to 30% less.

So how did this happen?

read via www.john-goodman-blog.com

McCAFFREY—Eugene J., Sr., Statesman and Devoted Family Man of Woodbury, NJ on April 24, 2010. Aged 79 years.

Gene is the beloved husband of 51 years to the late Joan M.; devoted father of Michele McCaffrey, The Honorable Eugene J. McCaffrey, Jr, and his wife Kathie, Kelly Anne Law and her husband, Christopher; loving grandfather of Brenna, Adam, Kaitlin, Patrick, Dara and Eugene J. McCaffrey III (Trip); loving brother of the late James McCaffrey.

A larger than life man of great humility; Gene proved himself as a dedicated and successful leader within his community. His family, however, was always paramount in his life.

He was born and raised in South Philadelphia and was a 1948 graduate of St. Joseph\’s Prep. Gene spent one year in the U.S. Navy and started his career at Royal Globe Insurance. He was recalled by the Navy during the Korean War and remained stateside as a firefighting instructor at the Philadelphia Navy Base.

Gene was Deptford\’s first elected mayor. He served as the county sheriff, and as a charter member of the county\’s \”small\” freeholder board. He served six years as freeholder director and later he served two five-year terms as surrogate. He served six years as county GOP chairman. Gene spent most of the 1980\’s in Trenton, serving as a cabinet member under Gov. Thomas H. Kean as commissioner of the NJ Department of Personnel. 

With Kean still in office , McCaffrey became president of PATCO and executive officer of the Delaware River Port Authority in 1989. George H. W. Bush spoke at the first Gloucester County College commencement and the two became friends. In 1980 Gene became campaign manager for the State of NJ of the George H. Bush presidential campaign. It was Bush who appointed \”Irish\” Gene envoy to Ireland, resulting in Gene\’s 18 trips there in three years to oversee an international fund for the country. There was an unofficial 19th trip four years ago when he took the entire McCaffrey clan with him for 10 memorable days. Gene and the late Joan McCaffrey married in 1955 and a year later bought one of the first 50 homes in Oak Valley, where he served as second chairperson of the community association, managed baseball, was active in the swimming association, and was recruited to run for Deptford Township committee in 1957.

After being elected County Freeholder, Gene served as director during major developments: The opening of Gloucester County College (GCC) and Vo-Tech (GCIT), start of regional sewerage (GCMUA) and the Department on Aging. He proudly served on the Underwood-Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees for 28 years, and served as chair for three years. Gene was a founding member and board member of The Bank of Gloucester County until his retirement. He was also the co-founder of McCaffrey-Paul Insurance Agency. He also served for the last five years as an officer for the Philadelphia Beltline Commission. Gene was honored just last April by receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Gloucester County GOP.

A devoted Catholic, he was a long-time member of Saint Patrick\’s Church and in 1995 was inducted as a member of The Knights of Saint Gregory. As Gene once humbly summed it up: \”It all happened to a guy from nowhere. And it\’s been a great trip.\”

Gene\’s family cordially invites you to his viewing Tuesday 4-8 PM and Wednesday 10-10:45 AM and Funeral Mass Wednesday 11 AM all in Holy Angel\’s Parish at Saint Patrick R. C. Church, 64 Cooper Street Woodbury, NJ 08096. Interment Wenonah Cemetery, Mantua, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: Discovery Ministries, 106 Vesper Ave., Westmont, NJ 08108 or to First Way Life Center, 686 N. Broad St., Woodbury, NJ 08096. Tributes and memories may be shared by clicking the \”share a memory\” link.

via obit.mcgfuneral.com

Parenting Your Pets

To most Americans a pet is part of the family. Even folks that live just above the poverty level consider their pets important enough to take care of them when moving or buying groceries. Most of us give our pets presents at holidays and many celebrate their pets’ birthdays. In short, we ‘parent’ our pets.

On August 12, 2009 former CNN reporter Lou Dobbs critiques the Amnesty Bill that was working its way through the various committees in Washington last summer. In the news clip Dobbs praises Minority Leader John Boehner for his candid remarks on the proposed bill. President Obama it appears favors a lenient immigration law. Yesterday the President used a naturalization ceremony in the Rose Garden to lash out at the Arizona Legislature for passing a bill requiring proof of legal status and empowering state and local police to stop people based on a suspicion of being illegal immigrants.

From Fox News, Obama called for comprehensive immigration reform and said Washington\’s failure to act has bred a climate of fear and retribution in some border states. He singled out the Arizona bill – which would make it crime to be in the state without documentation – now before Republican Gov. Janice Brewer. The governor has until Saturday to decide whether to sign it, veto it or allow it to become law without her signature.

\”Our failure to act responsibly at the federal level will only open the door to irresponsibility by others,\” Obama said. \”That includes, for example, the recent efforts in Arizona, which threatened to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and their communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe.\”

via whitehouse.blogs.foxnews.com