MARCUM, VERNA M.
On January 3, 2008, (nee Wicks) of Gloucester City, NJ, age 78 yrs.
Beloved mother of Carol Montgomery, LaVerne Grant, John Marcum III, Christine Higgins, Leah Liss,Janice Zee, Harry Marcum and Ray Montgomery. Loving grandmother of many grandchildren and numerous great grandchildren. Dear sister of Arthur Wicks, Sr.
Funeral services were held Sunday evening from 7:00 to 9:00pm and again Monday morning from 10:00 to 11:00am at the ETHERINGTON-CRERAN FUNERAL HOME, 700 Powell St., Gloucester City. Funeral services will be held 11:00am at the funeral home. Interment to follow at Bethel Memorial Park, Pennsauken, NJ.

St. Mary’s, MD…The College of New Jersey men’s basketball team opened the 2008 portion of the season on the road as they faced St. Mary’s College of Maryland. TCNJ would come away with a 79-63 victory to improve to 3-6 overall, while St. Mary’s drops to 7-6. The Lions snap a two-game losing skid, while SMC’s has now lost three in a row. TCNJ led by only one at the break, 39-38 but cruised in the second half.
TCNJ’s sophomore Jay Frank (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) added a team-high 19 points off the bench to help the Lions on the night as five different players finished in double digits scoring in the contest. The 19 points marks a career-high for Frank, whose previous best came last year with 17 points in a win over Muhlenberg.

Junior guard Jeff Molinelli (Pennington, NJ/Hopewell Valley) added 17 points, while senior forward Mark Aziz (Hackettstown, NJ/West Morris Central) put up 16 points for TCNJ with a 7-12 effort from the floor.
Senior guard Jeff Warner (Jackson, NJ/Jackson) added a double-double with 10 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, all on the defensive end of the floor. Senior guard Corey Gilmore (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) added 10 points as well for TCNJ with four assists and a steal.
SMC’s freshman Mike Bowden (Columbia, MD/Long Reach) added a game-high 23 points for the Sea Gulls, while senior guard Tyson Lesesne (Edgewood, MD/Edgewood) finished with 10 points.
TCNJ returns to Packer Hall on Monday, January 7 hosting Buffalo State College at 8 p.m., just following the women’s home 6 p.m. match-up with Salisbury University.

Collegeville, PA… The College of New Jersey wrestling team participated in the annual North/South Duals hosted by Ursinus College on Saturday and had a successful day as they finished the event with record of 3-1.

Match-by-Match Results

#9 TCNJ 36, Plymouth State 3
125: F. Wilkinson (Ply) won by dec 5 -3 over Dan Frank (TCNJ)
133: Ray Sarinelli (TCNJ) won by major dec. 17-3 over Chris Greenwood (Ply)
141: Brian Suozzo (TCNJ) won by dec 7 -5 over Joe McGowen (Ply)
149: John Barnett (TCNJ) won by technical fall: 4:28 over Adam Friend (Ply)
157: Dan DiColo (TCNJ) won by fall 4:53 over Jared Laganas (Ply)
165: Justin Bonitatis (TCNJ) won by technical fall, 5:00 over Mark Watts (Ply)
174: Greg Osgoodby (TCNJ) won by major decision 13-2 over Ryan Schieding (Ply)
184: Mike Denver (TCNJ) won by TB-2, 12-11 over Landon Nelson (Ply)
197: Adam Koziol (TCNJ) won by dec 8 -4 over Rob Phillips (Ply)
285: Steve Carbone (TCNJ) won by dec 5 -1 over Josh Stours (Ply)

#9 TCNJ 32, Messiah 9
125: Dan Hughes (TCNJ) won by major dec 20-9 over A. Clark (Mess)
133: J. Cragg (Mess.) won by fall 1:15 over Ray Sarinelli (TCNJ)
141: Mike Jacoutot Jr. (TCNJ) won by dec 9 -3 over L. Putnam (Mess)
149: C. Gin (Mess) won by dec 2 -0 over Ryan McCabe (TCNJ)
157: Dan DiColo (TCNJ) won by dec 9 -4 over M. Hojnacki (Mess)
165: Justin Bonitatis (TCNJ) won by fall 6:06 over T. Zampel (Mess)
174: Al Wonesh (TCNJ) won by dec 5 -2 over D. Jones (Mess)
184: Greg Osgoodby (TCNJ) won by major dec 9-0 over M. McHugh (Mess)
197: Jim Tomczuk (TCNJ) won by dec 5 -3 over T. Hopkins (Mess)
285: Steve Carbone (TCNJ) won by fall 0:58 over E. Arbiza (Mess)

#3 Wisconsin-La Crosse 40, #9 TCNJ 3
125 – Brandon Music (UWL) won by dec. Dan Hughes (TCNJ), 7-6
133 – Jordan Kolinski (UWL) won by dec. Ray Sarinelli (TCNJ), 7-3
141 – Kevin Barber (UWL) injury def. Mike Jacoutot, Jr (TCNJ)., 1:42
149 – John Barnett (TCNJ) won by dec. Eric Seppelt (UWL), 5-2
157 – Jay Milz (UWL) won by dec. Dan DiColo (TCNJ), 4-3
165 – Tim Palmer (UWL) won by major dec. Justin Bonitatis (TCNJ), 14-4
174 – Josh Chelf (UWL) pin Greg Osgoodby (TCNJ), 2:04
184 – Josh Zabel (UWL) pin Jim Tomczuk (TCNJ), 2:45
197 – Andy Moore (UWL) dec. Joe Bozzomo (TCNJ), 5-1
285 – Dan Laurent (UWL) pin Steve Carbone (TCNJ), 1:06

#9 TCNJ 46, MIT 0
125 – Dan Hughes (TCNJ) dec. Grant Kadokura, 6-1
133 – Dan Frank (TCNJ) dec. Greg Wellman, 3-2
141 – Brian Suozzo (TCNJ) dec. Keynan Tanote, 2-1
149 – John Barnett (TCNJ) forfeit
157 – Dan DiColo (TCNJ) forfeit
165 – Justin Bonitatis (TCNJ) forfeit
174 – Al Wonesh (TCNJ) forfeit
184 – Greg Osgoodby (TCNJ) medical forfeit over Travis Samuel
197 – Joe Bozzomo (TCNJ) major dec. Joe Silverman, 24-10
285 – Steve Carbone (TCNJ) dec. Glenn Geesman, 8-6

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Photos By Bill Bates

SERIOUS CRASH – The heavily damaged 2002 Chevy Tahoe that was headed North on the Black Horse Pike when it crossed the double line and into oncoming traffic when it collided with the tractor trailer that is seen in the background. The driver of the Tahoe had to be freed from the vehicle which took Mount Ephraim\’s Rescue crew approximately 45 minutes.

Victim Identified as Pennsauken Patrolman Thomas J. Soto, age 27

 Bill Bates

NEWS Correspondent

Acting Camden County Prosecutor Joshua M. Ottenberg, Mount Ephraim Police Chief Edward Dobleman and Pennsauken Police Chief John Coffey reported the death of an off-duty Pennsauken police officer in a pre-dawn car crash Saturday in Mount Ephraim.

Mount Ephraim and Haddon Heights Police were advised by Camden County Communications that there was a motor vehicle accident reported in front of the Pretzel Factory on the Black Horse Pike. Police arrived and advised communications of a motor vehicle accident with heavy entrapment, an SUV verse tractor trailer.

FUEL CONTAINED – The 75 gallons that ruptured during the crash can be seen to the right as it was contained by the fire department and haz-mat unit. Numerous debris can be seen scattered all over the roadway from the crash including the Tahoe\’s driver side front tire – seen at left. (click on photo to enlarge)

Mount Ephraim Fire and EMS along with Haddon Heights Fire and EMS and Virtua Paramedics were dispatched to the scene for a motor vehicle accident rescue assignment. Units arrived and Haddon Heights EMS transported one male passenger, a relative of Soto\’s from New York, to Cooper University Hospital in Camden for his injuries.

The male driver who succumbed from his injuries was identified as off-duty Pennsauken Police Officer Thomas J. Soto, 27, of Pennsauken. Pennsauken Police Chief John Coffey released that Thomas had been a member of the department since July of 2006. Prior to joining the force he had worked with the department as a civilian special officer for about two years.

Soto was heading north on the Black Horse Pike in a 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe when his vehicle crossed into oncoming traffic and hit a Pathmark tractor trailer. The truck driver, Lawrence J. Bochard, of Fords, NJ, was uninjured.

The cause of the collision is under investigation. Preliminary investigation suggests alcohol was not a factor in the crash.

Companies remained on scene well into the morning as they contained a rupture from the side saddle fuel tank of the tractor trailer. Approximately 75 gallons of fuel had leaked onto the roadway due to the crash. Clean-up of the hazardous material and removal of the un-operable tractor and trailer took several hours.

Other agencies that assisted at the scene were the Mount Ephraim and Camden County Emergency Management, Camden County Prosecutor\’s Office, Camden County Fire Police, NJ State Police, and NJ Department of Transportation.

The Black Horse Pike was shut down completely and traffic was re-routed onto side streets around the area. All four lanes of the pike were re-opened shortly before 1 PM.

Our sympathy is extended to the Soto Family and the Pennsauken Police Department that he so faithfully served. 

DAMAGED TRUCK – The tractor trailer that was hit by the SUV as it crossed the double line into oncoming traffic. The tractor trailer was un-operable and had to be removed from the highway by special heavy duty towing equipment which took several hours.

January 4, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LAWRENCEVILLE–Rider senior Jason Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape) compiled 26 points and 11 rebounds, and his younger brother, sophomore Ryan Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape) added a career-high 24 points and six rebounds, but it was not enough to defeat Marist in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference victory at Rider Friday night. \”They made more plays then we did in the last couple of minutes,\” said Rider head coach Tommy Dempsey. \”It was discouraging the way it ended.\”

Trailing 80-78, Marist senior Ryan Stilphen made a three-point play, with a lay-up on an inbounds pass and a foul shot with 3.4 seconds left to give Marist the win. \”Give Marist credit, they made all the plays going down the stretch,\” Dempsey said. \”Good teams are not going to go away. They kept battling, making shots and making plays, and the next thing you know it turns back into a dog fight.\”

Trailing 73-71, Rider (8-6, 1-2 MAAC) out-scored Marist (8-6, 2-1 MAAC) 8-2, six points coming from the Thompson brothers, to take a 79-75 lead with 2:09 remaining. Red Fox freshman guard Jay Gavin made a three point field goal with 1:39 remaining to cut the lead to one. Gavin finished with a team-high 21 points off the bench. \”Gavin really stepped up and made some big shots,\” Dempsey said.

Rider junior Harris Mansell (Cheltenham, PA/Cheltenham) made one of two foul shots for an 80-78 lead, before Stilphen’s game-winning three point play, the 17th and final lead change of the game. \”In that situation, up two, we had to guard against the three-point field goal,\” Dempsey said. \”In my wildest dreams I didn’t think a three-point play would end the game. If you defend the three and they score a lay-up, you can live with overtime at home, but I never expected a three-point play.\”

Stilphen finished with 11 points, including the 1,000th of his career and now has 1,006 career points, the 25th Red Fox to reach 1,000 career points.

After making all 10 of its foul shots in the first half, Rider missed its first eight foul shots of the second half and finished 12 for 21 for the game. \”Foul shooting has been an Achilles’ heel for us, but it never really cost us a game until tonight,\” Dempsey said.

Trailing 69-58, Marist out-scored Rider 15-3, eight points by David Devezin, to take a 73-71 lead with 3:11 left to play. Devezin finished with 14 points. \”Devezin was really hard for us to guard,\” Dempsey said. \”He put a lot of pressure on our defense, driving the ball.\”

Rider out-scored Marist 15-6 over the first 6:40 of the second half, six by Jason Thompson and five by Ryan Thompson, to take a 60-51 lead.

The Thompson brothers accounted for 31 of Rider’s 45 first half points. The \’double-double\’ for Jason Thompson was his eighth of the year and the 38th of his career.

Senior Kam Warner (Pleasantville) came in off the Rider bench and made three three-pointers in 15 minutes of action, finishing with nine points.

\”We scored enough points tonight,\” Dempsey said, \”but we had a difficult time stopping them in spots when we really needed a stop, and that is where the game got away from us.\”

\”This is a terrific win for our program,\” said Marist head coach Matt Brady, \”on the road against a team that is clearly a threat to win the regular season title. They are well coached and have a lot of answers.\”

Rider hosts Canisius in a MAAC game Sunday afternoon at 2pm.

Photo by Bill Bates

ROAD WORK CONTINUES – Periodically during the day time and night time road work still continues on the Route 76 overpass on Kings Highway at the Mount Ephraim and Gloucester City border. Residents in Gloucester City on Thompson Avenue and Chestnut Avenue along with residents in Mount Ephraim on Sartori Avenue can expect some increased traffic once in a while as some of the work requires Kings Highway to be shut down completely. The road work is from the surface replacement to all six lanes on Route 76. The project is not scheduled for completion until this upcoming June.

By GENE ZALESKI, T&D Staff Writer | Friday, January 04, 2008

source thetadd.com

The 43rd annual Grand American Hunt and Show\’s prehunt Coon Fest, sponsored by Orangeburg\’s New Hope Baptist Church, drew an estimated 500 coon hunters eager to share in a little fellowship, down-home Southern cooking and some gospel favorites.
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Gwynedd Valley, PA… Junior Hillary Klimowicz (Scotch Plains, NJ/Scotch Plains-Fanwood) posted a double-double and was tabbed as the most valuable player of the Gwynedd-Mercy College Classic as the Lions defeated the host school in the title game 54-40 on Saturday.

Next up for TCNJ is another non-conference game hosting Salisbury University at Packer Hall on Monday, January 7 at 6 p.m.

Source Media release, January 4, 2007

Ewing, NJ…The College of New Jersey Vice President for Student Affairs Jim Norfleet has announced the appointment of John Castaldo (Hamilton Square, NJ) as the athletic director for the College. Castaldo has served as the interim athletic director since June 1, 2007. Castaldo, TCNJ\’s former men\’s basketball coach and a 1982 graduate of the College, replaces Kevin McHugh, who resigned last spring to accept a position as the director of athletics and chair of the Department of Physical Education at Bates College (Lewiston, ME). Castaldo\’s appointment was announced on Friday by Vice President Norfleet.

\”An alumnus who is unwaveringly loyal to his alma mater, John has shown himself to be a creative and energetic leader,\” said Norfleet. \”He has enjoyed this new challenge, and I have been impressed with the way he has approached it. He is dedicated to students and TCNJ\’s concept of the student-athlete, understands the role of athletics and recreation in a highly selective residential college, and has an impeccable record of personal and professional integrity. His success in forging connections across campus and in stewarding relationships with our alumni and friends bode well for the further integration of athletics into the broader campus community.\”

Castaldo holds both undergraduate and master\’s degrees from TCNJ, having earned a bachelor of science degree in urban administration in 1982 and a master\’s of education in administration of physical education and athletic management in 1983.

Castaldo said of his appointment, \”It is with tremendous pride and honor that I accept and look forward to working as the Director of Athletics and Recreation at The College of New Jersey.\” Castaldo added, \”I am eager to work with Dr. Gitenstein and Jim Norfleet in creating our vision for the future. TCNJ is a remarkable place and I am excited about continuing to be part of it and continuing to build upon the outstanding traditions of the college and producing quality student-athletes. Working in a collaborative effort with my campus colleagues is paramount in reaching our goals. I look forward to reaching out to our alumni and friends, as we continue to move TCNJ on its continued path of success. As a former student-athlete, and graduate assistant at TCNJ, as well as the former basketball coach, I have witnessed first-hand the outstanding leadership traits of Roy Van Ness, which continued under the direction of Kevin McHugh. They have passed the baton and I look forward in building upon the legacy, tradition and belief that athletics and recreation plays a vital role within our campus community.\”

Castaldo served at the helm of TCNJ\’s men\’s basketball program for 14 seasons. He returned to his alma mater in 1993 and proceeded to rebuild the Lions\’ men\’s basketball program. Under his guidance, the Lions have been a constant threat in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) playoff race. In fourteen seasons at the helm, Castaldo has compiled a record of 200-149 at TCNJ. Including his stint at McCorristin High School, Castaldo has an overall coaching record of 410-209.

Castaldo remained at TSC following his graduation and earned a master\’s degree from the College. Born and raised in the Trenton area, Castaldo\’s local ties are extremely strong. He was honored in 2004 by the Golden Wave Club and presented with the prestigious Reverend Clarence O\’Shea Memorial Award for his area contributions and on the court successes. The award also comes on the heels of being inducted in 2003 to McCorristin Catholic\’s Hall of Fame.

Castaldo, 47, came to TCNJ from nearby McCorristin High School, where he had been serving as both the boy\’s basketball coach and the athletic director. Since 1983, Castaldo\’s basketball teams had compiled a 210-60 (a .780 win percentage), including a Mercer County record 56-game win streak spanning from the 1986 to 1989 seasons. In addition, Castaldo\’s 1989 and 1990 teams captured the NJSIAA Parochial A Championship. His teams also won three South Jersey Parochial A state titles and seven conference championships during his career. His record over his last eight years at McCorristin was an astounding 192-32 (a .860 win percentage). During his 10 years at McCorristin, his teams averaged 21 wins per season.

In conjunction with his McCorristin coaching duties, Castaldo also served as the athletic director from January 1985 until September 1993. He was responsible for all phases of the athletic department as well as developing an academic counseling program for student-athletes at the Trenton-based high school.

At TCNJ, Castaldo has also served as the coordinator of event staffing for the College\’s fall and spring varsity athletic contests, while also working on marketing and promotions of the College\’s 20 varsity athletic programs.

Castaldo added, \”I thank my parents, wife, and family for their unconditional support throughout the years. As I conclude twenty-eight years in the coaching profession, it is a pleasant feeling to know that I am not going home, but \”staying home.\”

by Michael Ratcliffe/The Times

Friday January 04, 2008, 8:22 PM

EWING — College of New Jersey officials are urging everyone on campus to \”exercise a heightened sense of alertness\” following the receipt by college police of a \”unsubstantiated threat\” to the campus.

\”TCNJ\’s Office of Campus Police Services has received information about an unsubstantiated threat to our campus,\” officials said in an e-mail sent out Friday night to students, faculty and others affiliated with the college.

\”Those on campus should exercise a heightened sense of alertness and report any suspicious individual or activity to the campus police dispatcher (extension 2167 from a campus telephone or 609-771-2167 from elsewhere). In case of an emergency, please dial 911,\” the alert said.

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