CNBNews

WILLIAM E. CLEARY SR. | CNBNEWS EDITOR

RUMOR UNTRUE- We heard a story that the Cold Springs Pre-School program was closing because the state was cutting the funding for IT. 

In 2018 the Philadelphia Eagles were in the Super Bowl, and the Cold Spring Students spelled out EAGLES in support of the team. (photo from CNBNews photo file)

We contacted Gloucester City School Superintendent Sean Gorman and received this response.

THE rumors about the preschool are not true. We have already started the preschool student registration process for the 23-24 school year.  Our preschool program is still considered a “model” program in our area; the State continues to encourage South Jersey school districts who are trying to begin preK programs to visit our Early Childhood Center to see best practices in action.  We are extremely proud of the program.  

As for how many children are enrolled in the program and how many children registered for Kindergarten class this year,the most recent preschool enrollment numbers that I have quick access to are from this past October — we had 244 total 3 & 4 year olds enrolled at that time.  Preschool enrollment numbers continue to increase post-pandemic; we anticipate this pattern continuing.  At the same time of this year, we had 154 kindergarten students

CNBNews photo of Barnard Avenue June 7, 2023

THE STREET IS A COWPATH--On April 24, Gloucester City Mayor and Council approved a change order to the contract for infrastructure improvements to the Barnard Avenue project. The cost for that work decreased from $543,534 to $526,747 or $16,797 less.

The work on repaving that street began in the fall of 2022. In January 2023, it was stopped because of the cold weather, we were told. Six months later, the repaving of that street still hasn't been completed. 

We spoke with one Barnard Street resident the other day; he was upset with the mayor and council for dragging their feet on this project. "We were promised it would be done a year ago. We have been waiting for the street to be repaved for a decade. They patched it so many times they started to patch the patches. We were all elated when we heard the work would be started a year ago. But the City broke its promises. The street is still a cowpath almost a year and a half later. I can't open the windows in my house because of the dust and dirt on the street. The water is so high in heavy rain that it runs over the curbs. It is a disgrace; those running the City could care less about us."

SAY GOODBYE--At the same meeting, Mayor and Council passed a resolution that awarded the contract for the demolition of 51 South Brown Street to Caravella of Hanover, NJ, for the low bid of $324,265. The City received six proposals to demolish that property. We looked and looked for 51 South Brown, and we couldn't find the property. The last address on South Brown Street is 35, stopping at the Hudson and Brown Street intersection. City Clerk Vanessa Little said that address is for the former Brown Street School.

One wonders why the resolution didn't say it was the Brown Street School/Old PAL building.  

That school building would be 75 years old or older. Things won't seem the same without it. We lived on East Brown Street, a block away from the school. We went there for kindergarten and moved to St. Marys's Grammar School afterward. We played basketball behind the building. And as a kid, there wasn't a day we didn't walk by it. Many longtime residents went there as well from kindergarten to 3rd Grade. From 4th Grade until 6th Grade, it was Monmouth Street, and from 7th Grade to 12th, it was the Mary Ethel School on Cumberland Street. The other neighborhood schools included Broadway, Hunter Street, Gloucester Heights, and Highland Park. 

SIDENOTE: Mayor and council canceled their caucus meetings during the summer; the notice was sent to City's email program subscribers. "Summer Caucus Sessions Canceled - June 19, July 17, and August 21."

GLOUCESTER CITY ONE OF THE BEST—SmartAsset has released its eighth annual study analyzing the most affordable places to live in New Jersey. The analysis weighed several factors, including taxes, homeowners' insurance, and home costs relative to the local median income. Places, where home ownership costs were lowest relative to the median income in each location were the places that ranked highest in the study. GLOUCESTER CITY IS ranked number seven out of ten. 

SIDENOTE: Once again, we wonder why the City is ranked as one of the best places to live and also is ranked as one of the highest in property taxes since 2018. The list of 30 communities with the highest taxes is Gloucester City at 23. There are 565 communities in the state. 

Bill Gross Construction Company built the welcoming sign at the entrance to the Wildwoods. Gross is a former Gloucester City resident and a Gloucester Catholic High School Class of '63 graduate.

DOO-WOP REMAINS STRONG IN WILDWOOD CREST--At a prime corner in Wildwood Crest, developers are making a $28 million investment in the staying power of Doo-Wop. This funky, mid-century design style came to define one of the best shore towns in New Jersey, according to New Jersey Monthly. 

Madison Resorts has reimagined the 100-plus-room motel that opened as the Admiral in 1963, and this spring, set about rebuilding its iconic jet-age lobby—hewing to its original design, with an asymmetrical blast-off roof that evokes the futuristic airport terminals of the 1960s. It is expected to open by the end of July.

"We had been watching what was going on in the Wildwoods as a whole—there were a lot of condo conversions and townhouses—and it was sad to hear of the Oceanview going condo," says Madison CEO Dan Alicea. "We kind of swept in and said, 'Let's keep Doo-Wop alive.'" READ ON