In an effort to further revitalize the Gloucester City waterfront, Mayor and Council are currently looking for developers and builders who want to play a part in the effort.

This is part of a Citywide revitalization effort that began in 2007 calling for the King Street corridor to become a festival retail and entertainment destination by locating stores, restaurants, and housing near the existing waterfront park and marina.

As part of a much larger plan, the conversion of the King Street corridor into a regional destination is just one of the recommendations contained in a Community Insights™ market analysis and retail assessment that was conducted last year by the JGSC Group of Pennsauken, who are currently serving as the City\’s business recruitment and retention consultants funded and coordinated by the Gloucester City Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ).

Among other things, the plan calls for Gloucester City to capitalize upon the presence of Irish residents to create an Irish-themed village of shops and restaurants along King Street, being that more than 42 percent of all residents of Gloucester City are of Irish ancestry, which is more than double the average for the entire Delaware Valley.

Additionally, the King Street corridor is slated to become the destination for many of the City\’s activities, festivals, and events. Other ideas being explored include expanding the promenade along the river as well as the parks and marina areas.

Interested developers, builders, restaurants or retailers are invited to contact Gina Dunphy, UEZ Coordinator/Director of Community Development at 856-456-6075 or [email protected] to learn more about the opportunity.

Isabella B. Jones, 75, of Pass Christian died Sunday, January 27, 2008 in Gulfport. Mrs. Jones was a homemaker and had been a resident of the coast for 37 years. A former resident of Gloucester City NJ, she was a graduate of Gloucester City High School.

Mrs. Jones was preceded in death by her husband Howard L. Jones; daughter Gail F. Jones; parents Joseph E. and Beatrice Schaeffer; sister Josephine Songer; and brother Joseph E. Schaeffer, Jr.
She is survived by her daughters Debra Vogt of Victoria, TX, Bonnie S. Rose of Biloxi, and Beth M. Whitman of Pass Christian; son Howard L. Jones of Biloxi; grandchildren Joey, Ethan, Warren, Sarah, Austin, Breanna, and Courtney; sister Patricia Adair of Hinkley, CA; and brother Thomas Schaeffer of Gloucester, NJ.

Arrangements were under the direction of the Bradford-O\’Keefe Funeral Home on 15th Street in Gulfport. Service will be Wednesday at noon in the funeral home chapel. Interment will be in D\’Iberville Memorial Park.

source http://blog.markmatthews.com

After missing the last few, I attended the Bellmawr Council meeting on January 24, 2008. The agenda included awarding of several checks to various town groups by a town business, Officer Appointments, commentary on recycling, the approval of the reassessment contract (yes, it is coming!) and a brief update on the landfill project… which I have a feeling has shifted from its original plan to be more commercial, less residential.read more

On January 23, 2008. Baby Arianna Entered this world and was taken home to heaven. Of Cherry Hill. Loving daughter of Alisha Taylor. Cherished grand-daughter of Wendy Taylor and Ronald Gabriel, Jr. Beloved niece of Michael Taylor and Julianna Taylor.

At the request of the family, funeral services will be private. Burial New St. Mary’s Cemetery, Bellmawr, NJ. Family requests memorial donations in Baby Arianna’s memory to the Baby Arianna Jade Taylor Memorial Fund: P.O. Box 358, Gloucester City, N.J. 08030.

Please write in the memo of the check: Baby Arianna Jade Taylor. Expressions of sympathy can be e-mailed to the family through our funeral home website www.mccannhealey.com under online obituaries of Baby Arianna Jade Taylor.

The story of \”Bo the show dog\” is like a Jack London novel. Just replace dogsleds and the call of the wild with primping and daily tooth brushing.

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January 25, 2008

source http://www.walb.com

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source http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com

Though I\’ll not argue with wildlife biologists that the rut, or breeding season for deer, is determined by the number of hours of daylight, but I will argue until the cows come home that the weather has as much to do with deer movement as the number of daylight hours. I tell ya\’, until the nasty weather came south, I was afraid the rut would not start, though not really.read more

Media Release

Young Musicians Combine From Four Districts

January 21, 2008- The fifth annual \”Winter Festival Honors Band\” concert was held on January 19^th at Kershaw School in Mt. Ephraim.

Fifty 5^th and 6^th grade students were selected from Mansion and Haviland Avenue Schools in Audubon; Kershaw School in Mt. Ephraim; Alice Costello School in Brooklawn and Atlantic, Glenview and Seventh Avenue Schools in Haddon Heights.

Destinee Meeser a 6th grade flutist from Mt. Ephraim is mesmerized by the directions of one of the teachers.

\”She exemplifies the type of student we have in Honors Band- totally focused on learning music,\” said Mary Manion, Instrumental Music, Mt. Ephraim Schools

Musicians are chosen based on their ability by their respective band directors, Susan Moore, Mary Manion, Eleanor Bracey and Jessica Horne. The teachers meet in November to begin the planning process.

The music they selected covered a wide-range of styles including an Irish tune, patriotic melodies, a western, a classical Beethoven piece and even the 60\’s rock tune, \”Doo Wah Diddy Diddy.\”

Students had fun learning their music which is distributed in late December. They then combine together in January in three rehearsals over a two-week period.

They benefited from performing under new conductors and with their musically gifted peers.

Friendships are made that carry over into high school. Many expressed the desire to have Honors Band all year and continue into 7^th and 8^th grade.

Band directors (L-R) Susan Moore, Eleanor Bracey, Jessica Horne and Mary Manion