CNBNews

BREAKING NEWS The scene at 6:30am (Mark Matthews) (CNBNews)--The recently reopened Piston Diner on Crown Point Road in Westville, NJ sustained heavy damage from a construction loader overnight. The loader was apparently stolen from a nearby construction project. Bottles of liquor were seen in the cab of the truck. A business across the street captured the incident on video, which does not appear to be available yet. NJ.com spoke to Westville's Police Chief. Investigators believe the thief knew how to operate the complicated loader; he not only drove it into the building, he raised the bucket to damage the diner’s roof, as well, said Police Chief Fred Lederer. “This was pre-planned. He had a ride” lined up, Lederer said. CNBNews was at the scene this... Read more →

BREAKING NEWS Sitting in the Deptford Pizzeria UNOs for a late dinner on Wednesday Night (great gluten free pizza!), and the power went out. Everywhere we could see. The hotels next door. Up the road. And not just a blip, but we were there a good 20 minutes in the dark before putting together the money we needed to get out even while the cash registers were down. I've never really experienced an outage like this on a clear day. Hopefully this is not the result of an accident, and everyone is safe. Twitter users are commenting that it extends thorough the Target shopping center, and up into Runnemede. One twitter user posted their address in Runnemede, which puts them over by the Turnpike Entrance... Read more →

View from Annunciation Church The information center session will be held at: Bellmawr Ballroom 29 Lewis Ave Bellmawr NJ 08031 Thursday Feb 21, 5pm to 8pm You can visit at a time that is convenient to you as this is an informal information center. You will be able to review exhibits of the project, and ask questions of NJDOT representatives and designers. From the NJ.Com article: “This is a major multi-year project that will have a substantial impact on Camden County motorists and several municipalities,” said Freeholder Ian Leonard, liaison the Camden County Department of Public Works. “It is important for county residents to be aware of how this construction will affect their commute and their communities. ”"Besides the Pulaski Skyway, I can't think of... Read more →

BY MARK MATTHEWS CNBNEWS.NET Short Summary: If you live in Bellmawr or the immediate area, go like this page now. Everyone is on Facebook... or if you are like me, you WERE on Facebook and moved on! Those who love it don't really rave about it, they simply use Facebook non-stop and ask new acquaintances "Can I friend you?". But it seems that everyone who hate it... or maybe they just don't understand it.. well they'll tell you a million reasons why its awful. But at its core, its really just another way of communicating. Too many times it's "She posted another picture of her lunch?", and other times you find some very useful things, when done properly. So my vote for the most popular... Read more →

After several years of Guidettes and Mafia wives representing New Jersey in the national entertainment media, last night's Late Show with David Letterman changed things up by featuring 2 of our states more positive prominent citizens. Monday Night (2/4/2013), Governor Chris Christie and Audubon's Superbowl MVP Joe Flacco were guests with Letterman. On a national level, they are two of our most talked about residents right now, and the irony is that one is seen as one of the most athletic people in the country, while the other... Clips of the Christie's interview show that it was all about fun... Dave admits he has made Christie's weight a regular target of jokes on the show, and the Guv goes right along with it, pulling out... Read more →

With no official confirmation out there...we've been scouring the media outlets to determine what exactly is moving into the old Brooklawn K-Mart location. Today, we may have found something that gets us one step closer to finally uncovering the secret of "What's going in at K-Mart?" I'm no private investigator... but this could be a clue. Hah... so I had the day off today and a little too much time on my hands I guess. :-) So its good to see the sign go up! Although the interior walls are still a work in progress. The club web-page is up also... It says details are still to come, but it states the club is open 24hrs a day, and the first Monday of every month... Read more →

Thank you to all who have submitted Tips and Comments over the past year. Thank you to all our faithful readers. Thank you to our advertisers. and Thank you to our family and friends who help us throughout the year with their commentary and photos especially... Albert Countryman, Bruce and Jill Darrow, Gary Devine, Chris Freind, Jessica and Geoff Gettings, Mark Lagerkvist, Wil Levins, Mark Matthews, Slim Randles, Raymond Rolak, Kelly Ann Tussey, Dawn Watson and Connie Lynn Woods. Sincerely, Bill and Connie Cleary owners of CNBNEWS.NET Established 2006 RELATED CATEGORY FILM RELATED: CNBNEWS POINT OF VIEW related: ClearysNoteBook YouTube Channel CNBNEWS TIPS AND SNIPPETS CNBNEWS OP-ED Related articles TIPS AND SNIPPETS: Five Years and Counting; Cheerleaders Win; City Artists in the News; Bring Them... Read more →

BY MARK MATTHEWS CNBNEWS.NET (December 8, 2012)BELLMAWR NJ-The Crescent Park section of Bellmawr, near Bellmawr Lake, is experiencing a power outage this morning. A pole at Farragut and Warren caught fire this morning, knocking out power for several blocks. A neighbor says they've been calling PSEG about the pole for months. "I could see an electric arc on the top of the pole every time it rained. A few months ago even went to the pole and got the number off it and told them" PSEG was at the pole around 9am to inspect. Burnt debris was on the ground and the top of the pole was burnt off, and leaning on the wires. From my "regular guy" vantage point it looks like a new... Read more →

I made a late trip to the Brooklawn Shop-Rite last night, and down by what is usually a darkened west end, I noticed the ol' K-Mart store was lit up like a beacon calling out to me to come take a look. :-) So before heading home, I drove over to see that an interior partition wall is basically complete. The new wall segregates about 1/3 of the building on the right side, leaving a large portion on the left which includes the main front glass entrance. If you've been following along this week to my prior post, and the CNBnews staff update on the new project for the Brooklawn K-Mart, you know that a fitness center is coming in. So, not really knowing specifics... Read more →

UPDATE Monday, November 19, 7:30PM (CNBNEWS.NET Staff)BROOKLAWN NJ-We have been able to confirm that a Planet Fitness franchise is coming to the Brooklawn Shopping Center and will be housed in the old K-Mart store that has been emptied for the past two years. According to two reliable sources, renovation work has started on both the inside and outside of the building. However there is no mention on the company’s website about a new franchise opening in Brooklawn anytime soon. As such we reached out to the company’s Vice-President of Marketing, Mark Christie Monday afternoon for more information. We are still waiting for his response. Opening up a Planet Fitness franchise is an expensive venture. Looking at the company’s website (http://www.planetfitness.com) under Franchise you’ll find the... Read more →

THIS Saturday, Bellmawr is the place to be, as the town brings together multiple events into one great day of fun at the Recreation Center located at Creek and Bell Roads! The events are Saturday October 20th and run from 10am to 4pm. Octoberfest Framing the day’s activities, is the 2nd Annual Bellmawr Octoberfest! Everyone was pleasantly surprised by the great turn out last year, and this year there’s even more reasons to visit. Activities will include a car show, pony rides and other amusements. Vendor booths will be there offering a big variety of craft items and food! New this year... is a beer garden! (Probably helps explain the name shift to Octoberfest!) The beer garden is operated as a fund raiser for Bellmawr... Read more →

By Chris Concannon Gloucester City News Bellmawr Superintendent Annette Catiglione said the vote on a $3.1 million bond referendum to replace the roofing on all three School District buildings will be on Tuesday, December 11. She encouraged Bellmawr voters to support the referendum during the recent Board of Education (BOE) meeting, pointing out that the new roofs are necessary. School Board members looked at photographs that showed visible decay in several areas of the roofs, along with numerous patch work solutions. An earlier article had indicated the referendum would appear on the General Election ballot November 6. Instead, it is being sent to the voters on December 11. The BOE said the change was necessary so that the question would appear on all ballots, including... Read more →

photo credit: Anne Forline BELLMAWR 10U-REPEAT CHAMPS:-Back Row: Coaches Ken Yurcaba, Ed Legenski, Michele Legenski Middle Row: Cara Forline, Daliah Legenski, Danielle Campbell, Nayellie Ortiz, Paige Tobey, Madison Baldwin, Morgan Fries, Amanda Magpiong Front Row: McKenzie Yurcaba, Nicole Morsillo, Kira Correll, Alexa Lee, Alisa Ruh By Chris Concannon Gloucester City News Three championship girls’ softball teams were honored and presented with plaques during last week’s Bellmawr Borough Council meeting. Longtime coach Ed Kitchenman read a lead-in, chronicling the successes of Bellmawr’s 10U and 18U teams, each winning their divisions in this summer’s Gloucester City Girls’ Softball Tournament. Recreation Director Lou De Angelo, with help from their coaches and Councilman Jim D’Angelo, presented the awards to both teams. The softball team from Bell Oaks School was... Read more →

By Chris Concannon Gloucester City News As the 2012-13 school year is now underway, Bellmawr School Superintendent Annette Castiglione took a few moments to sit down with the Gloucester City News recently. During her term as head of the public school system, she noted that she is most proud of the entire Bellmawr learning community. She praised the way everyone comes together for one another, from the students to their parents, and so forth. Castiglione thanked the Board of Education for their recent additions of staff, pointing out that staff spent this past summer writing and developing new student curriculums. The Superintendent was delighted about improved test scores, adding that Bellmawr students are either at pace, or exceeding, other area students in nearby districts. The... Read more →

BY MARK MATTHEWS cnbnews.net A Gloucester City woman has written a letter expressing "indignation and sense of outraged feelings at the statue of a nude female in the park at Gloucester City." She goes on to say the statue should be draped or removed! "It's bad enough to see females bathing in one piece bathing suits, but that has never compared to the influence of this statue". Wait... what? Huh? Yes, the letter is real, written by Prudence Talbott, and sent to the Camden County Park Commission. But what I didn't mention... is that the letter was sent in 1930! The article which presents the letter is titled "Maiden Lady Wants Statue Clothed to Save Morals" Recently at Cleary's Notebook there have been several posts... Read more →

(cnbnews.net)Drinking my morning coffee and reading the news online... I headed over to check out the Bellmawr.com website. The site has been steadily improving, and I find that I am learning more and more about the town news and current events by checking out the site regularly. I know someone will point out another town's site which they feel is better, but you can't deny Bellmawr.com has improved over the most recent year(s) with the redesign and updated information. I appreciate a good-looking web site, and not that our site is lacking in design... what I like most about Bellmawr.com is someone seems to be putting in a lot of effort to put current and relevant information on the site. I know that Bill Walsh,... Read more →

BY BILL CLEARY (cnbnews.net)Walking our dog recently along the railroad tracks in the Riverview Heights section of Gloucester City I came upon a young man asleep in the weeds rolled up in a sleeping bag. At first I thought he was dead. It appeared that he wasn’t breathing. Undecided on what to do I reached out to 911. As I was speaking with the dispatcher the young man set up and said he was okay. Last week I saw the man in the same area. We spoke, he said his name was Tom, that he was 28-years-old. Tom said he slept in the bushes along the tracks almost every night. “I was born in Camden but lived in Gloucester City most of my life. I... Read more →

He's one of county music's biggest acts, staying in the list of top earning musicians despite doing fewer shows.... because he is filling stadiums. So even though he doesn't have to give it away, media outlets are saying that on Thursday Kenny Chesney will be announcing a FREE concert at one of our favorite Jersey Beaches... Wildwood NJ. The concert is said to be taking place in just TWO weeks, on Wednesday June 20th. In summary, this sounds like a pretty big deal; A monster stage, 18-20 cameras to broadcast on YouTube, premium seating for 15,000 American Express Card holders... but still free to everyone esle. The stage (rumored to be used for one of the Pink Floyd tours) will be set up on the... Read more →

(cnbnews.net)Several things going on right now in Bellmawr... instead of my usual wordy self, here's some quick hits. Bellmawr Concert in The Park Up first on Thursday May 31st, is Bellmawr's First Annual "Concert in the Park". This innagural event features cover band BlackHorse and will be held at the Recreation Center (Bell and Creek Rds) from 7-9pm. The band's website lists Journey, Boston and Foreigner as some of their top covered bands. Food and drinks will be available. Bellmawr Run For Education Saturday June 2nd brings a 5k run back to Bellmawr, when the Bellmawr Board of Education hosts a triple threat event featuring a 5k, a kids walk, and a family walk. Please see the web site for information on registering and any... Read more →

Photo by Mark Matthews Brooklawn American Legion Post 72 Commander Ted Howarth at the Memorial Day Services. by Mark Matthews cnbnews.net While I grew up in Bellmawr, my father Stanley was very active in the Brooklawn American Legion, and because of this Brooklawn was like a second hometown to our family. Ever since I was born, we've attended the Brooklawn Memorial Day services to honor the soldiers of Brooklawn and the country... who served us all... and too many giving the ultimate sacrifice to protect us, our children, and our way of life. My mother, brother, and I were there like everyone else to honor our greatest Americans, and we were also honored to present a wreath honoring my father Stanley. The Brooklawn service is... Read more →

(cnbnews.net)This Saturday, May 26th is the amazing Collingswood May Fair! This yearly event is widely recognized as one of the top South Jersey town festivals… And this year, Meandering Mark is part of the entertainment! What started out in 1979 as a small art event, has grown to over a mile of fun things to see and do, with more crafters, more food, more entertainment, more antique cars… then probably any other town festival in South Jersey. From the Collingswood Mayfair website; An estimated 50,000 people attended the 2011 event which was expanded to include more blocks and attractions. 200+ artists and crafters will display and sell their unique creations in a juried show. Children will have their day of fun in the “KidZone” featuring... Read more →

related CNBNews TIPS AND SNIPPETS related CNBNews Point of View BY BILL CLEARY Contract negotiations between the Gloucester City School Board and newly appointed Superintendent Joseph Rafferty have been completed. The contract, effective July 1, 2012, is for three years. He is replacing Paul Spaventa whose contract was not renewed. According to Rafferty his starting salary is $146,00 with increase of two percent in year two ($148,920) and year three ($151,898). MEET AT THE SHIP-Jim Walsh, Courier Post staff writer, recently wrote an article on the Brooklawn Diner, which shut down unexpectedly a few days before last Christmas. Court records show the diner’s operator, Kostas Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April 2011, citing debts of $3.8 million and assets of about $65,000. Located... Read more →

The true start of summer is here, Bellmawr's St Joachim's (Annunciation) Carnival is on RIGHT NOW! I've been attending these carnivals for decades, and after stopping there tonight... this is definately the biggest one yet. The rides wrap around the side of the school offering many more fun things for kids of all ages. But honestly, it looks like someone was looking out for the upper elementary ages kids as there are more "big" rides than ever, including my personal favorite... Zipper. And for Thurs, Friday and Saturday... the rain is set to move out and looks like sunny and 70s all three days. Besides the great rides, the carnival features many games of chance including the favorites; ring toss, Whack a mole, and even... Read more →

All I know is what I see on the signs... "Reopen March" Read more →

related meandering with mark matthews (cnbnews.net)After a lengthy delay, many skeptics in Bellmawr didn't think it was going to happen. But after a legal case involving a zoning issue was resolved... construction seems to be really moving fast! The warm, no snow weather has probably helped move things along quickly. So just a short post... to share some pics that I took Today.. a bright and sunny Sunday. From what I remember, the location will include the Bottom Dollar Foods store, and 5 other stores will be available for rent. Looking for a job? Do a google search on: Bottom Dollar Foods Bellmawr There seems to be a lot of postings... Read more →

(cnbnews.net)Two quick items... This morning's Daily News published a story on famous steak-maven Tony Luke's 100 pound weight-loss over the last year, including an amazing 40 pounds lost in 6 weeks! Tony did this under doctor's supervision... and while the article mentions "South Jersey Doctor, Matthew Pinto", it doesn't mention that Dr Pinto's main office is located right here in Bellmawr at Glendale Primary Care. The office is located in the former Super Fresh Center, located in the same building as Retro Fitness and the Stardust Ballroom. Article at the Philly.Com Dr Pinto's office: Also, I noticed that the Pennant East is officially up for sale. The asking price is $499,000, which includes the property and building... but not the alcohol license. I have no... Read more →

related category Meandering with Mark Matthews (cnbnews)Earlier this year, the producers of the infamous "Jersey Shore" came up with a new TV Show which has been running on Spike TV... Repo Game. They are in Camden County right now, and Meandering Mark caught up with them in Brooklawn and Westville today (Oct 1) Repo Game is a product of today's economy... the hosts are actual repo-people who take back possession of cars where the owners stopped paying the banks. The angle for the game show is, the show surprises you at your house and puts your car up on the tow truck. If you agree to "play" by answering questions, you have a chance to earn your car back as the show will catch up... Read more →

CNBNEWS.NET: Today could be one of the most important elections Bellmawr has seen in years... And considering the spring Council elections can be mostly insignificant, I assume most residents aren’t paying attention. To be clear, this article is not about who to vote for, but just to be aware that this is an important election and you should get out to the polls today, especially if you are registered as a Democrat or Unafilliated*). Polls close at 8pm. Background: The purpose of the June Council primary is for each party to decide “who runs under our party each year for the fall election”. You could say that typically the Council primaries in Bellmawr are non-events. Of the 6 council seats, two are up for election... Read more →

A busy Saturday led to a lazy Sunday. So as I sit here hiding from the cold by watching the football playoffs and countless random shows… the laptop ends up in front of me and the aimless web surfing begins. Which leads me to a short blog on the new Bottom Dollar Store, and a few upcoming road projects of interest... information derived from obsessive Googling. Bottom Dollar Mechanicals Based on a very recently posted “Request for Proposal”, it looks like things should start happening soon at the old Heim’s supermarket. Mechanical contractor Costa and Rihl has posted full mechanical blue prints for the new Bottom Dollar Supermarket and retail stores, requesting contractor bids. Two separate drawings, one for the store and one for the... Read more →

In just a few square block area in and around Bellmawr's main intersection, we had several building eyesores... I noticed recently that there has been significant progress in cleaning up and rebuilding these properties. Xtra! Xtra! First the big news... We've been looking at this eyesore for way too long, and it has finally started coming down! Sitting on the main gateway into our town, the abandoned Xtra! gas station at Browning Rd and the Black Horse Pike has not been giving the thousands of drivers who use the intersection "a warm fuzzy feeling" about our town. I had been told a few weeks ago that the plans were in place to demolish the building... with asbestos needing to be removed before the actual demolition... Read more →

By Mark Matthews No, we are not getting an infusion of new cash… but looks like we are getting 2 new businesses with a "Dollar" theme! A discount variety store has opened this week, and coming up next is a discount supermarket! Just opened this week at the Browning Square shopping center is Dollar General. It is located in the center of the old Super Fresh building, with Retro Fitness to the right. Despite what you would think based on the name, Dollar General is not a dollar store. They are general merchandise store. From their website “From brand-name grocery items, to apparel and household décor, to a wide variety of health and beauty items for the entire family, Dollar General Market has everything you... Read more →

UPDATE-The one car accident reported last night on CNB happened Sunday evening at 5 PM on Old Salem Road near the Brooklawn/Bellmawr border. Brooklawn Police Chief Fran McKinney said on Monday morning that a woman accidentally loss control of her car and hit the pole. "She was unhurt and was able to drive away in her car. No citations were given." ~Bill Cleary & Mark Matthews Related articles by Zemanta UPDATE: Bellmawr Police Arrest Burglar (gloucestercitynews.net) Meandering with Mark Matthews: Brooklawn Kmart Down, but Wal-Mart Continues its Growth (gloucestercitynews.net) Meandering with Mark Matthews: A New Gas Station, Gino's is Trying, I can't Drive, Canals (gloucestercitynews.net) Read more →

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 -A utility pole was broken in half on Salem Road next to Westbrook Bowling Alley, Brooklawn/Bellmawr border. The road was blocked, and police were still at the site at the time this photo was taken at 7 PM. The cause of the accident is not known at this time. ~Mark Matthews Related articles by Zemanta Cheers and Jeers for August 2010 (gloucestercitynews.net) Building Fire at Hess Gas Station in Brooklawn (gloucestercitynews.net) Brooklawn Dwelling Fire, No Injuries Reported (gloucestercitynews.net) Bellmawr Celebrates National Night Out (gloucestercitynews.net) Child Struck by Vehicle in Bellmawr (gloucestercitynews.net) Meandering with Mark Matthews: A New Gas Station, Gino's is Trying, I can't Drive, Canals (gloucestercitynews.net) Meandering with Mark Matthews: Brooklawn Kmart Down, but Wal-Mart Continues its Growth (gloucestercitynews.net) Read more →

By Bill Cleary August 24, 2010 The Big KMart located in the Brooklawn Shopping Center, Browning Road and Route 130 is closing its doors come November 7. About 50 employees will loose their jobs as a result. The managers of the 70,000 square foot store would not talk to the Press about the closing referring all questions to the corporate offices of KMart. However if you talk to some of the employees working on the floor as a customer they will gladly tell you that the owner of the shopping center has double KMart’s lease' Supposedly the lease expires the end of this year. Brahin Properties, Inc. Philadelphia manages the rentals of the stores in the Brooklawn shopping center. Whether or not the KMart lease... Read more →

By Mark Matthews A new Gas Station is moving in: We lovingly remember the spot next to Ponzio’s as the home of the Gino Giant when Gino’s was a regional hamburger and chicken fast food restaurant. Then it spent many years as a Roy Rogers restaurant. (Are they still on the Turnpike or Expressway?). Then a few years ago one of our favorite eating places became an Amoco gas Station… but then quickly closed. Well the “closed more than open” gas station has gotten freshly painted, and the pumps are bearing the logo of its newest tenant. The much loved BP Oil is opening up soon! With the leak in the gulf finally plugged, will you be making the new BP Oil a regular stop?... Read more →

By Mark Matthews By this time everyone knows the Brooklawn K-Mart is closing. The store is PACKED with shoppers. My wife was there on a Friday night and said every register was open! I was tempted to drive over to witness it! If all it took was to knock 20% off of everything to pack the store, why didn’t they do it years ago? J Walmart continues to grow and in my opinion definitely squeezed the life out of our K-Mart (or K-mart continues to let things slip to a level that consumers choose to drive a little further for other shopping options). But Walmart is not done. Opening this fall is ANOTHER Walmart for our area, at the Somerdale Plaza. Most of us know... Read more →