It is Official, Put Away the Life Preservers, Afghanistan Troop Tour
Monday, August 24, 2009
TIPS AND SNIPPETS:
By Bill Cleary
TIP…It Is Official-Gloucester City Mayor and Council
approved the appointments of Lt. George Berglund as acting Police Chief and Lt.
Ken Eller as acting Deputy Police Chief at the Thursday August 20th
caucus meeting. They will be replacing Chief William Crothers (28 years of
service) and Deputy Chief Michael Kaye (27 years of service) who are retiring the end of August.
Berglund has 21 years with the Police Department and Eller 20 years. They both have Associate Degrees and graduated from the West Point Command and Leadership Program which is an intensive course spread over 16 weeks.
With Crothers and Kaye leaving the Police Department the force is reduced to 27 officers.
SNIPPET…No Need for Life Preservers (for now)-Even though we had several days of heavy rain showers this weekend there has been no flooding on King Street near the Mill Block Homes, which is a good thing. As you know the rain storms we had earlier this month caused severe flooding in that area of Gloucester City.
The Mill Block residents say they have been complaining about the flooding for the past 14 years. King Street is a county highway.
City Administrator Jack Lipsett has been in contact with the county trying to resolve the problem. It is nice to see that the residents finally have an advocate in their corner; if anyone can get the problem solved it is Mr. Lipsett.
SNIPPET…Former Gloucester City Resident on Troop Tour. Earlier this month Pittsburgh College women's basketball coach Agnus McGlade Berenato joined a group of college coaches to tour U.S. military bases in Afghanistan. Agnus was born and raised in Gloucester City NJ. A star basketball player, both in high school and college, she graduated from Gloucester Catholic High School in 1975 and Mount Saint Mary College in 1979.
During the tour of the military bases she kept a daily diary which appeared each day in the Pittsburg Post Gazette (www.post-gazette.com).
Here is an excerpt from day five.
We had a 15 minute break before dinner and I was excited to shower and cool off. There was a knock at my door and Billy (Murray State) said he needed a favor. And asked if I could come down to the coaches room to meet a soldier. It was there that I met Steve Bell who was from Franklin, PA and a huge Pittsburgh fan. After exchanging greetings, Steve told me of his struggle the last two weeks with the LA Fitness shootings. My legs went weak and Goosebumps went up and down my arm as he recalled reading the e-mail that told him of the death of his closest childhood friend, Jodi Billingsley. As I listened I sensed his pain 8,000 miles away. He told me her funeral was Wednesday and they had photos of him and Jodi throughout their childhood and young adult life. He spoke of a particular photo that was on the story board at her service. Jodi and him together in their snow suits at age 4. Wow, talk about fate. We shared and I listened and I wanted to hug him but we just met (I know that has never stopped me before) but I believe God had us in the same place for a reason. He had just flown in and out of 25,000 people on base; we were on the same floor. I do believe Jodi is in a better place and I hope to do something special for her. She played basketball at Pitt Johnstown so she is a part of our Pitt family.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09228/991307-175.stm#ixzz0P0rImgK2
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