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William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews

MOUNT EPHRAIM, NJ --The Black Horse Tavern at 13 Black Horse Pike, Mount Ephraim, owned by Bobby Ray Harris, is now open to the public.  In 2019, Harris acquired the former Guiseppi's Restaurant. From late 2019, when he purchased it, up until this year, he has faced several challenges that have hindered him from opening the tavern.  One of the challenges Harris faced was the deteriorating condition of the building that housed the old restaurant, built back in 1922.  The situation was so bad that Harris had to demolish the building and rebuild it from scratch. Harris also owns a similar business in Pennsauken.

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Bobby Rays Black Horse Tavern

On the Bobby Ray Facebook page, Michelle DiCrecchio, granddaughter and niece of the former owners, John and Tony Guiseppi, shared her memories of growing up and working at Guiseppi's.  

DiCrecchio commented, "That previous building was my childhood, teens, and young adulthood.  My grandfather and uncle, John & Tony Guiseppi, opened the bar after the war.  They expanded over the years to become one of South Jersey's finest Italian family restaurants.  It was the epitome of 'family'.  If you looked out the back door of the restaurant, you'd see my grandparents and uncles' houses all sitting next to each other on Gloucester Ave.  You may have seen my grandmother, aunt, or even me as I got older, bringing trays and trays of freshly made gnocchi and ravioli from the house to the restaurant.  My grandmother and aunt made all the pasta for the restaurant in their kitchen.  Any Saturday afternoon, I was there with my grandfather, playing waitress and pouring myself all the soda I could ever dream of.  As I got older, I was there bussing tables and seating customers.  Many people requested to be seated in the 'Sinatra Room'…..the back dining room's walls were covered with pictures of my grandfather's favorite singer.  I had the thrill of meeting many Flyers players in the 70s."

Proprietors Park playground, Gloucester City--

As reported in the October issue of the Gloucester City Newsletter, the Community Development Director, Lori Ryan, announced that the City has successfully secured a $25,000 grant from the prestigious Camden County Open Space Preservation Program.  The grant has been obtained to erect a fence around the new playground at Proprietors Park.

It is worth noting that the reason for the fence installation was not disclosed in the report.  Originally, the fence was scheduled to be constructed sometime in October.  Ryan said Phase II of the playground installation will begin soon.  We are in the engineering phase and completing the environmental review studies, she stated in the newsletter.  This playground will be installed in the area between the water and the existing playground walkway.

Don't miss out on the pancake breakfast hosted by the Gloucester City Lions Club at Gloucester City High School this Sunday, November 12, from 8 AM to 12 noon.  Be there and show your support!

WHAT A GREAT IDEA!-The old Train Station restaurant now has a new owner who has renamed it Marie's Station.  The building has a cool sign painted on the front stone wall.  Although the restaurant is currently under renovation, Marie's Station does offer catering services.  The sign features an image of a train in the center with the words "Gloucester City" written alongside of it.  The right side of the sign is dedicated to Gloucester High School, while the left side is dedicated to Gloucester Catholic.  You can find it at the intersection of Monmouth Street and the railroad.

YO DUDE! THE SIGN SAYS NO PARKING--The sign on the vacant lot at Little Somerset and Washington Streets clearly states "No Parking," yet some residents have turned it into their private parking lot for their trucks and vehicles.  Not that long ago, the site was home to a bustling playground.  Vandalism destroyed the playground equipment, including the basketball rack, which was never replaced.  Instead of maintaining the playground, the City allowed it to be swallowed up with uncut grass and weeds.  It is time for the City to take responsibility and restore this little patch of green to its former glory.  The community deserves a safe and functional playground, not a dumping ground for cars.

YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW- The phrase "you reap what you sow" from the Book of Hosea in the Hebrew Bible highlights the principle of accountability in life.  On another vacant lot located just a block from the former playground, there is a 60-foot yacht parked near the corner of Cumberland and Westminster.

A vacant lot is all that remains of the former Brown Street Elementary School, Brown and Somerset Streets.

You can hear the boat owner saying to himself, "If they can park their cars on a No Parking lot a block away, I can anchor my boat on this spot."

It's puzzling why some residents in Gloucester City are penalized for blocking the street sweeper while others who blatantly violate the City's No Parking law go unpunished.  The empty lot where the Brown Street school once stood, which is nearby, might be the next parking lot for this area.  We wonder how long it will take for this to become a reality.

On the western side of the city, numerous vacant lots appear to be in worse condition.  We have previously shared pictures of cars sitting on cinder blocks and other vehicles without valid license plates or inspection stickers.  Recently, we spoke with a resident who witnessed a man changing his vehicle's oil and then pouring the used oil down a nearby sewer grate.  This raises concerns about the potential negative impact on the environment and public health.

Skeletons escaping from Union Grove Cemetery, located in the 800-unit block of Powell Street by the railroad.  We wouldn't have believed it if we hadn't seen it - where could they be going?

Now we know!  A party was happening in a house in the nearby town of Westville.  The music was so loud that we could hear it!  Hank Ballard was singing: "There's a house party way across town.  People are coming from miles around.  Put on your pretty red dress.  Let's go see about this mess.  We're gonna have a whole lotta fun.  We gonna greet the risin' sun.  All night long, we gonna ball.  Until we hear your mama call."

Click... LET'S GO LET'S GO LET'S GO

New Business Coming to Gloucester City!  The Elite Kitchen, formerly at Broadway and Hunter Street, closed down a few months ago.  However, there is good news for food lovers as Cafe Poblano, a Mexican restaurant, will soon be opening in its place.  After Hoagie Heaven closed its doors several years ago, numerous businesses have tried to make a go at that location.  Interestingly, old-timers might remember that Joe Delengowski ran a gas station on the same property for decades.  He was a great auto mechanic—a man you could trust to give you a fair price. 

SAY GOODBYE TO PNC BANK, GLOUCESTER CITY-- The local PNC Bank has closed its doors and moved to Mount Ephraim.  Several different banks have used that building over the years.  We remember when it was known as Camden Trust, that was in the 50s.  The sign on the front door of the bank reads, "We've moved to a new location.  See us at our PNC Bank, Mt. Ephraim, 205 Black Horse Pike 08059".

WESTVILLE, NJ--During our stroll in Westville, we had the opportunity to capture a stunning photo of the Philadelphia skyline overlooking the Delaware River using an Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max.  It's incredible to think that in the past, capturing such a photo would have required a 70-300 mm f/4-5.6G Zoom Lens or bigger with autofocus, not to mention several other lenses.  A good camera would have cost at least $800, plus hundreds more for various-sized camera lenses.  The skyline was located 2 to 3 miles away from where I stood on the banks of the Big Timber Creek.

Peyton and Me admired the beautiful mums placed in front of a home on Stites Avenue in Gloucester City.  The addition of Halloween decorations complemented the flowers, creating a lovely display.

TRAVELERS NIGHTMARE--Repair work will continue on the sidewalks and curbing on Nicholson Road in Gloucester City starting Monday, November 6, and continuing till Friday.  The work will be ongoing between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. every day.  During this period, there will be a partial closure of the road going eastbound on Nicholson Road between University Avenue and Oxford Avenue.

PEYTON! PEYTON! WAKE UP AND SAY GOODBYE--As she approaches her 10th birthday in February, she seems to be taking longer naps. Nonetheless, she still eagerly anticipates our daily walks, and so do I. She was originally trained to be a show dog, and every
now and then, during our walks, she prances, like a show dog in front of the judges, to get my attention. She looks up at me with a look that says, "Don't I look cute? How about one of those doggy treats you're hiding in your pocket?" We're both getting older, and there have been moments when she sets the tempo, and I try my best to keep up with her. She is such a great friend. I wish I could fall asleep as fast as she does. If you have an opposing point of view don't hesitate to send it to us. And, if you see we made a mistake please bring it to our attention so we can correct it.  Email [email protected]

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