Gloucester City’s Freedom Pier should be Public Festival Area

Ever since the U.S. Government sold the vacated Immigration-Coast Guard Station to Gloucester City for $1 nearly 20 years ago, there have $\"LettersToTheEditor1\"$ been persistent attempts to place this prime spot of publicly owned property into private hands. In that time, to the City\’s credit, a successful adaptive reuse has been found for the Coast Guard building itself. But, the remainder of the eight-acre property has lain fallow, so to speak, as potential uses have been discussed and studied time and again.

Gloucester City has gotten rather good at staging celebrations, parades, festivals and public gatherings of every kind. In fact, in the recent past, we\’ve had car shows, farmers markets, a Shamrock Festival, a Rock n\’ Roll street party, river cruises, Gloucester Day, an Arts Festival, the Heroes-to-Hero Run, parades and fireworks.

Our very own Freedom Pier would be a natural as the perfect site for a lot of these festivities, especially since an engineering study in the 1990s showed the pier to be sound enough, structurally, for foot and vehicle traffic, but not for building construction. This view was reinforced in a recent conversation with Mayor James, who said the pier would remain \”open\” to public access, with no construction on it. Then, it happened.

I read in last week\’s City News that, at the last Planning Board meeting, a request was made for a survey to subdivide the pier for a walkway around it. A phone call to City Administrator Jack Lipsett advised me that a restaurant was planned for construction on the pier itself. This would be in addition to nearly 80 parking spaces, 29 private homes, and a pastel of retail stores that someone has also planned for the site.

It appears, then, that all the archaeological and structural engineering concerns have been resolved in one month that could not be addressed for nearly 20 years. I fail to see how this could possibly happen.

I am sure, however, of one thing: Once we have turned over the first shovelful of dirt on the Freedom Pier, we will have buried our last chance to create the nicest small-city, public festival-marketplace-port-pavilion complex on the Delaware River.

Steve Roche, Gloucester City

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Cheers and Jeers for the Month of September

By Bill Cleary

JEER–To those people from out-of-town that continue to disrespect the community of Gloucester City. That includes bar owners, slum landlords and disorderly people. Stay out of Gloucester City we don’t want your business nor do we need the \”trash\” that patronize your establishments or live in your apartments.

$\"6a00d8341bf7d953ef0105369fbfbd970c-320wi\"$ JEER-It was reported in the Sunday Philadelphia Inquirer that Camden City and Gloucester City are the only two communities in Camden County that still mix storm water and sewage in one large pipe. In other words when it rains, if the system overflows, it floods sewage everywhere. Besides paying a quarterly tax to the City of Gloucester City residents pay the Camden County MUA. Why hasn’t this problem been fixed? If 35 other communities in Camden County have been able to fix this quandary why hasn’t Camden and Gloucester Cities?

JEER–Lawn contractors with their noisy leaf blowers come into every neighborhood in the City and in surrounding towns blowing grass clippings and leaves into the street instead of sweeping up the debris and placing in trash bags. How much longer would it take them to do the job right; maybe five or ten minutes at the most.

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Restorers seek clues to ship\’s history (1948 it was docked in Gloucester City)

$\"Bilde\"$ The Lilac was spared a scrap-heap fate thanks to New York volunteers trying to revive the deteriorated ship as a working, educational treasure. A Delaware native with family ties to the ship crew is helping researchers fill in some of the holes in the vessel\’s history.

PHOTO: The Lilac is launched in 1933 at the Pusey & Jones Shipyard in Wilmington. Andrew J. Davidson was appointed captain during construction. (Hagley Museum and Library)

Shifted in 1939 as the Coast Guard assumed Lighthouse Service duties, the ship was renamed WAGL-227 and tended buoys after lighthouses automated. The Coast Guard converted most steam ships to diesel, but left the Lilac intact. Today, it is the only Coast Guard steam vessel left.

Painted gray in World War II, it added weapons and was assigned to port security. It was repainted in peacetime and moved to Gloucester, N.J., after its Edgemoor base closed in 1948.

via www.delawareonline.com

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South Philly Review: Fire kills two

Two siblings died in a house fire early Tuesday (Staff photo by Greg Bezanis).

A 68-year-old woman and her 73-year-old brother perished in a house fire early Tuesday morning on the 2400 block of South Warnock Street that the fire marshal said was due to careless smoking.

Firefighters pulled the lifeless victims from the flaming home after finding the woman in the first-floor living room and her sibling in the second-story front bedroom, Fire Department Capt. Richard Davison said.

When firefighters got to the scene at 12:28 a.m., they found the blaze very involved on the first floor of the two-story rowhome, Davison said, adding there were no smoke alarms in the dwelling. The blaze was contained by 12:45 a.m.

Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers was on location, along with Engines 47 and Ladder 27, Engine 49, Engine 53, Battalion Chief 1 and Fire Marshal 21.

Wednesday afternoon, as part of the department’s Fire Fatality Program, firefighters from the first-in responding unit — Engine 49, Ladder 27 — returned to the block to install free smoke detectors in homes that needed them and distributed fire prevention material. Additionally, free smoke alarms are available through the Smoke Alarm Hotline at 215-686-1176. The department also offers a \”Remembering When\” fire and fall prevention training program for senior citizens at local senior centers and churches. For locations, call 215-686-1382.

via www.southphillyreview.com

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Designer Comes Up With Fantastic Ideas for Gloucester City Development

By Bill Cleary

Bill Gugel, a resident of Gloucester City and project designer for the WF Design Group in Philadelphia came up with a new look for Jersey Avenue in Gloucester City.

He writes, \”Imagine Jersey A $\"!cid_image001_jpg@01CA435F\"$ venue (the true entrance to Gloucester City) looking like this! This would only be the beginning! I’m sure it would expand to King Street with additional development on King Street.\” See designs below.

Photo: The present view of Jersey Avenue and Broadway intersection.

Bill sent several different sketches of the area beginning at Jersey Avenue and Broadway. Below are just a few of those designs. I have to admit his drafts are attractive and would be a great improvement for the area.

He also sent in his ideas for the City\’s waterfront. He writes, \”Imagine the waterfront $\"!cid_image001_jpg@01CA436E\"$ with a merry-go-round, fountains, food stands and a skateboard park! It would further help develop King Street.\”

Photo: Proprietors Park and the Delaware River, click to enlarge.

It would nice if the City gave some consideration to his work. Let\’s here from you, what is your opinion?

Below are Bill\’s conceptions of Jersey Avenue at Broadway.

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William J. Carr \”Bill\” Jr. of Mt. Ephraim Retired from The DuPont Co.

$\"6a00d8341bf7d953ef0115724332f3970b-120wi\"$ On Oct. 1st, 2009. Age 88, of Mt. Ephraim, NJ. Beloved Husband of Lillian (nee Abbatelli) for fifty-seven years. Devoted Father of Joan Alcott, David (Shelly), Robert, William III, Steven (Carol) Carr. Loving Grand-father of eleven, Great Grandfather of nineteen. Dear Brother of Connie Family and Marie Dunn. Also several nieces, nephews and dear friends.

Mr. Carr retired from DuPont after thirty years. Also a longtime parishioner of Sacred Heart Church, Mt. Ephraim, and a member of St. Vincent de Paul Society. He also was a Navy Veteran.

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend his viewing Monday evening 7 to 9 pm and Tuesday from 8:30 to 9:15 am at the MAHAFFEY-MILANO FUNERAL HOME, 11 E. Kings Hwy., Mt. Ephraim, NJ 856-931-1628

Mass of Christian Burial Tuesday 10 am at Sacred Heart Church, 7 W. Kings Hwy., Mt. Ephraim. Interment New St. Mary\’s Cemetery, Bellmawr. Family requests in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 in Bill\’s memory. Expressions of Sympathy and condolences may be sent to www.milanofuneralhome.com

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Association of NJ Rifle & Pistol Clubs Annual Meeting Banquet

New Jersey gun rights attorney and author Evan Nappen is scheduled to be keynote speaker at ANJRPC’s combined Annual Meeting Banquet and Friends of NRA Dinner & Auction on Saturday, October 17 starting at 6:00 p.m. Attorney Nappen’s third book on New Jersey gun law will be launched at the banquet, and signed, numbered copies will be available to attendees at a discount. ANJRPC President Scott Bach authored the book’s foreword.

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Gloucester City News Headlines for the October 8th Issue

$\"Rds_news\"$ St. Mary School Makes Strides In Recruitment; Seeks More Volunteers

Hometown Hero Sgt. Joseph Bangle Coming Home From 14-Month Tour In Afghanistan

Betty Sheppard Memorial Park Unveiling Beautiful

Mt. Ephraim Legion, VFW Posts Honor Seven Local Veterans

Bellmawr Borough Council Praises Local Heroes

First Baptist Church, Gloucester City, Welcomes New Pastor, Rev. Robert Muse

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Towns hurt by litigation costs

Related: Gloucester City Taxpayers Give Police Chiefs etc.

via www.courierpostonline.com

\”We were thinking about eliminating those bonuses before other municipalities started doing it because of the recession,\” (Gloucester City Councilman Nick) Marchese said.

Employees were asking for much more than holding onto these perks, however.

\”They were asking for a 5 percent pay raise per year,\” he said. \”We were always going to go to arbitration based on that.\”

Officer William Johnson Jr., leader of the 27 officers represented by PBA Local 40, disputed the characterization of longevity pay as a bonus.

\”The way we do it, it\’s part of our paycheck. The more time you put in, the more you get paid to stay in the job,\” Johnson said. \”If it was a bonus then I would think I\’d get a separate check for that bonus. Part of my salary includes that longevity pay, and I\’m not going to give up a percentage of my salary because they all of a sudden can\’t afford it.\”