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Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews Columnist Each month, the Gloucester City Council and other officials hold a caucus meeting to plan what needs to be discussed at the regular Council meeting the following week. The caucus meeting this month will be Monday, September 18th, and the regular Council meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 25th. Here is the agenda for this month. CNBNews graphic file Proposed Update to Personnel Policies (city employees) Employee Rights and Responsibilities Workplace Policies Paid and Unpaid Time Off Compensation and Employee Benefit Policies Additional Policies Returned checks. This is public information so it appears in both the caucus and council agenda but will not be shown here. What is important is that usually there are 3 or 4 returned checks. This month, there are 12. That is four times usual. We know that taxes have increased by as much as $1,000 per year. Add to that... Read more →

Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews CAMDEN CITY, NJ (September 15, 2023)(CNBNews)--Our Lady of Lourdes/Virtua Hospital is planning an expansion. The hospital announced to the Courier Post on August 20, 2023 that it has plans to construct a six-story tower addition amounting to 254,155 square feet. The expansion will not include any new patient rooms but will include new elevators and renovations to the existing hospital to be completed in two phases. The tower will include new operating suites for cardiac and neurosurgical procedures and for organ transplants. The helipad, which is currently at ground level will be raised to the rooftop level. Our Lady of Lourdes is the only hospital in Southern New Jersey that performs kidney, liver, and pancreas transplants. At night, Mary's crown is lit if there has been a successful transplant that day. As of August 20, 2023, the plans had been submitted to the city's Planning Commission.... Read more →

Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews Columnist It appears that some people think that handicapped parking spots are "suggestions." They are not. Here in Gloucester City, it was brought to the attention of the Dollar Tree that they have no parking spaces reserved for handicapped drivers. Now the problem has been sent to the corporate offices. Let's see if the problem is addressed. In Deptford, the Walmart (Clement's Bridge Road) employees use handicapped parking spots during their entire shift. We all know that not all disabilities are visible but on two occasions cars, without a placard or HC license plate, were parked in the reserved spots. On each occasion the employee came out to either put something into the car or take something from the car and then return to work. Walmart's management has been notified. Just today in a senior citizen's complex in Clementon, a man blocked the handicapped spots by... Read more →

We have been made aware of reports claiming that CNBNews published a story about the alleged passing of DelVal Football Coach Bill Manlove. We want to make it clear that we have not released any article regarding his death or any contradictory information Occasionally, we may re-publish an article that we believe readers would find interesting. On July 11, 2011, we published an article about Manlove's induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana. On August 14, 2023, we re-published the same article with the headline "Memories of Gloucester City: GHS Football Coach Bill Manlove." We included a notation that the article was originally published in 2011. Nowhere in the headline or the article did we mention his passing. We stand by our reporting and find it disappointing that individuals would spread rumors about our reporting without verifying the facts. Like everyone else, we are not... Read more →

William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews CNBNews photo taken at 8 PM Monday evening, August 21, 2023. HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN? Just a few feet from Broadway, a major route in and out of Gloucester City, there is a heap of garbage obstructing the pedestrian walkway. In the backyard of the property, there is a 20-foot boat. Click the photo you’ll find gas cans, oily rags, tires, car parts, and junk. How did this happen? The city mandates that all rental properties undergo annual inspections by the Housing Office and Fire Department. GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (August 21, 2023)(CNBNews)--We have recently received our property tax bill from Gloucester City and noticed an increase of $1000 annually or $250 quarterly. While reading the bill, we wondered, like others, what improvements or services have been made in the city to justify such a large increase. A drive through the community revealed nothing that... Read more →

Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews Columnist Gloucester City, NJ (August 21, 2023)--On a recent talk show the subject was "What did (mostly) boys and men do before computerized games?" Was there "life" a century ago, as life is known today? The answer is, "yes, there was life and a much more active and social life, a century ago." cnbnews graphic file In doing research for something else an article jumped out. It appeared in the Morning Post (of Camden) on November 5, 1915. In those days it appears that people, primarily men (women weren't permitted to vote yet) attended city council and such meetings because they recognized how important such meetings were. It is possible that the subject matter was digested over a glass, or two, of beer. Who knows. If civic meetings didn't interest the 1915 you, you had your choice of silent films at the Hayes Opera House or... Read more →

Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (August 13, 2023)--Radio Station 94.5 PST on July 24, 2023, announced the most unique towns in our state. Those towns familiar to most of us are: Princeton Cape May Bay Head (Ocean County) Cherry Hill (Croft Farm) Medford Barnegat Light Brigantine Collingswood Haddonfield On the same day, in the same article, 94.5 PST listed the most beautiful spots in New Jersey. Many of the towns listed above are on the list, with a few additional ones. Again, these are only towns with which most of us are familiar: Princeton Cape May Atlantic City Boardwalk Barnegat Light Red Bank Avalon Long Beach Island Smithville All these towns would be great one-day trips for the family. Read more →

Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews Investigative Reporter GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (August 10, 2023)--Over the past year or so, we have been hearing about the fire department's new Swift Water equipment. When investigating, the company's catalog showed a lot of costly equipment. The first question is, "Do we need this equipment?" Do other fire companies in the area have the equipment they could bring to Gloucester City in the event of an emergency? Remember, during the last two incidences involving water rescues, the Gloucester City fire department was the last to arrive. Surrounding towns got there first. During the water rescue between Gloucester City and Brooklawn, we were told that Gloucester City had to bring its Swift Water equipment. It goes without saying that time is of the essence during a drowning call. And, if it takes so long to assemble the kit, do we really need it? Unidentified firemen posing with... Read more →

Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ(August 5, 2023)--It has been decades since the summer jobs program (within the Gloucester City Department of Public Works) was begun. At the time, the jobs were well publicized, and the goal was to give some money to kids who needed extra money for back-to-school supplies. The jobs have always paid minimum wage ($8.00 - $8.50 per hour.) In recent years the jobs haven't been as well publicized as in years past. In recent years the minimum wage has increased until this summer when it is $14.13 per hour. That money could provide students with back packs, school supplies and clothes. Since that money didn't go to those who need it, churches and organizations around town are collecting supplies from those who have to buy their own kids' supplies and can't afford to help others. If the jobs and the $14.13/hour didn't go to... Read more →

Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews Investigating Reporter CNBNews photo of Gloucester City Police Officers circa 2016 GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (August 3, 2023)--ClearysNoteBook (CNBNews) submitted an OPRA request for Police Officers, Police Managers, Firemen, and Fire Managers' current contracts. We obtained four contracts; the contract for the Police Managers expired on December 31, 2021, so either the police managers have been working for 15 months without a contract, or we received the wrong contract. That will be investigated. Also, the contract for Police Management has a paragraph that explicitly omits Brian Morrell (part-time Chief) and his brother, Michael Morrell, Captain. Although the Morrells' contracts were included in the OPRA request, these contracts were not provided, and this will also be investigated. These contracts will be explained in a series of articles. Following that, the City of Gloucester Employee Manual will be examined for the same reasons. This article addresses only the first... Read more →

Dorothy Philbin |CNBNews Columnist Most students in the 11th or 12th grade have read Orwell's 1984 and Animal Farm or Huxley's Brave New World. These books, more than 50 years old, predicted what the world would look like in the authors' futures and our "now." In 2002 someone wrote to Ann Landers and asked her to explain all the "isms." Here they are: Starting on the left symbols for Socialism, Communism and Fascism Socialism - You have two cows. Give one to your neighbor. Communism - You have two cows. Give both cows to the government, and they may give you some milk. Fascism - You have two cows. You give the milk to the government, and the government sells it. Nazism - You have two cows. The government shoots you and takes the cows. Anarchism - You have two cows. Keep both cows, shoot the government agent and steal... Read more →

Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews As stated in a prior article, there are only two states with fully-funded pension plans. It shouldn't come to anyone's surprise that New Jersey isn't one of them. On tonight's news, a presidential candidate was interviewed. He said that he was very much against ESG. Say what? What is ESG? Is this new? CNBNews graphic file It turns out that ESG isn't new, it just hasn't received much press by design. ESG is a means of funding state pension plans and the reason not much has been made public about is - it doesn't work. There are 24 states limiting the use of ESG or not investing it at all. ESG stands for Environment, Social, and Governance. It is the word "Governance" which is most troublesome. President Ronald Reagan once said that the nine most terrifying words are "I'm from the government and I'm here to... Read more →

Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews You hear people talk about Millennials or Gen Xers, etc., but do you know who is what generation or even what a generation is? Traditionally, a generation is a group of people born within an 18 - 20 time span. Baby Boomers, for example, were born after the servicemen returned from World War II. The years assigned to Baby Boomers are 1946 to 1964. To clear up some confusion here are the years assigned to the other generations: CNBNews graphic file Gen X ......... was born 1965 - 1976 (11 years does not usually define a generation) Millennials born 1977 - 1995 Gen Z born 1996 - 2012 Snowflakes born 2013 - 2022 Other than Baby Boomers and Millennials, the other generations are shaky at best. How does one define a generation who is currently 10 years old at best? These dates are "best guesses" at... Read more →

William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews Editor GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (July 4, 2023)(CNBNews)--Gloucester City Mayor Dayl Baile and his council members approved the 2023 salary ordinance on second reading at the June 26 council meeting. The salary guide is for employees not represented by a union and is retroactive to January 1. Because of how the salary guide is organized, it is hard for anyone to know how much these employees make. CNBNews graphic file It is done that way intentionally, a former council member once told this reporter. "If the taxpayers knew how much these individuals are paid, including their health benefits and other perks, people would be shocked." Under the new guide, the salary for the city administrator is listed from a low of $95,000 to a high of $150,000. The guide lists the salary for the police chief from a low of $!25,000 to a high of... Read more →

Dorothy Philbin | Columnist/Reporter GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (JULY 4, 2023)(CNBNEWS)--It seems that everyone is running out of money. The average person is hurting financially; that's a given. But so many businesses are that, in the Deptford area, a strip mall is going to look like a ghost town. Here are the details. Behind the Outback are Bye, Bye Baby; Bed Bath and Beyond; Harmon Beauty; and the Christmas Tree Shop. ALL of them are closing. There won't be a single store in that area. The next strip after that houses David's Bridal. They are advertising "Going Out of Business" sales. A new company is looking at David's but nothing is certain yet. CNBNews graphic file In addition to the above stores, Walgreens is planning to close 150 stores. They haven't announced which stores yet. However, there is a closed Walgreens on Delsea Drive at Cooper St. also in Deptford. Lowe's... Read more →

The Atlantic City Police Department charged a man after fleeing a car stop with drugs leaving a handgun in the vehicle. On June 8, 2023, at 11:13 PM, Officer Adrian Nunez-Santos conducted a motor vehicle in the 1400 block of Cedar Court. The driver, Majestic Moody, fled the vehicle after stopping. Officer Nunez-Santos chased Moody and was able to apprehend him. Moody was found in possession 90 bags of heroin, 27 grams of cocaine, and 15 grams of methamphetamine. Officer Nunez-Santos used his K9 partner, Narco, a trained narcotic detection dog, to conduct a sniff of the vehicle. K9 Narco showed a positive indication for the presence of narcotics. This indication led to a court authorized search warrant for the vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, a loaded handgun was found. On June 17, Officers Matthew Crosby and Dion Lui located and arrested Moody at Tennessee and Atlantic Avenues.... Read more →

Dorothy Philbin l CNBNews Research for another article led to the current Master Plan for Gloucester City. The Master Plan contains much information which is probably new to most, if not all residents who don't work for the city. Over the next couple of weeks you will get to know the facts about Gloucester City. One thing to keep in mind is that there are roughly 4,300 households in our city, of which 3,000 are apartments. Keep that in mind when you read the following. House Heating Fuel: Natural Gas 2,948 Bottled Gas 109 Electricity 255 Fuel Oil/Kerosene 818 Coal -0- Wood 15 Solar -0- Other -0- No Fuel Used -0- Selected Characteristics: Lacking Complete Plumbing Facilities 16* Lacking Complete Kitchen Facilities 3* No Telephone Service 92** * If someone knows that people don't have plumbing and/or kitchen facilities, why has the Board of Health not been called? ** As... Read more →

Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews Columnist GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (June 8, 2023)(CNBNews)When it comes to the growing, processing and sale of marijuana some towns are saying "Over here, we want it." Other towns are saying "not in my backyard." Unfortunately, there are some towns where the residents don't want the pot in their town but the city/borough leaders do. Pot is taxed, providing more money for our leaders to spend. Woodbury Heights is one of those towns. courtesy of Westville Fire Department The residents of Woodbury Heights were fighting tooth and nail to keep pot out of their community but their leaders were bound and determined to have it. The designated area was the former Nova Bank building on Route 45, just behind the Hollywood Diner. Renovations were just beginning. Unfortunately, overnight between Monday, June 5th, and Tuesday, June 6th, the building was completely destroyed by fire. It needs to be... Read more →

Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews Columnist I couple of weeks ago I posted an article about the difficulties of dealing with the Office of Equal Opportunities concerning utility bills. I took my senior citizen friend as she was OPINION afraid to go around Airport Circle (which isn't there anymore.) We were the only people when we entered the building. Of course, we went in with smiles on our faces and said "please" and "thank you" as often as possible. Surprisingly, the employees were very nice and very helpful. The caseworker even asked my friend if she needed air conditioning for health reasons and gave her the form for the doctor to complete. Of course, there are two sides to every coin. While we were there two other people came in, seemingly very angry. The employees did not put up with verbal abuse for a minute. They put the customers in their... Read more →

Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews Several American cities, a few years ago, named themselves "sanctuary cities," never having any idea what was to come. They thought that they would get a few illegal immigrants here and a few there. Little did they expect floods of illegals, so many that the border states (Texas, Arizona, and Florida) would have to "outsource." This flood of immigrants was supposed to be someone else's problem. Earlier this year 54/57 illegals were sent to Martha's Vineyard, a very expensive island off the coast of Cape Cod. Former President Obama has a multi-million dollar mansion there. Another politician, Senator Edward (Teddy) Kennedy made the island famous decades ago for a more exciting but less moral reason. But nothing sticks to the rich and famous. Well, the illegal immigrants were welcomed to one side of the island and ushered off the other side in less then 24 hours.... Read more →

GLASSBORO, NJ - Rowan's Chad Yates has been named to the 2022 D3soccer.com Men's Soccer All-America Third Team after a career-best season in which he helped lead the Profs to the NJAC Championship and an appearance in the Second Round of the NCAA Championship. Yates (Sewell, NJ/Washington Twp) earned United Soccer Coaches All-Region IV First Team honors this season and was named the 2022 NJAC Pat Baldiserra Midfielder of the Year, becoming the first Rowan player to earn the award. A three-time NJAC All-Conference selection, he was chosen to the first team in 2022 for the first time in his career. The senior midfielder topped Rowan in scoring this season with a career-best 14 goals, while handing out six assists. He netted seven game-winning goals and tallied at least one point in 14 of 23 matches. A starter in all 62 matches he played in his career, Yates totaled 58... Read more →

UPDATED Philadelphia Water Department's latest alert, "Tap water from the Baxter Drinking Water Treatment Plant will remain safe to drink and use at least through 11:59 p.m. Monday, March 27, 2023." Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews PHILADELPHIA, PA (March 26, 2023)(CNBNews)The City of Philadelphia recommends using bottled drinking water from 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 26, 2023 until further notice for all Philadelphia Water customers. Contaminates have not been found in the system at this time but the announcement is being made out of caution due to a spill in the Delaware River. Today residents of Philadelphia looking to purchase bottle water were turned away from the Deptford Township WalMart (CNBNews photo) This announcement has been updated hourly as the water department watches the spill progress through the treatment plant. UPDATE: March 26 3:30 p.m. Based on updated hydraulic modeling and the latest sampling results and data, the Philadelphia Water Department... Read more →

Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews Columnist GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (March 20, 2023)(CNBNews)--After tonight's City Council Meeting (Monday, March 20, 2023) you will again pay more just for the privilege of living in one of the state's poorest, yet highest-taxed cities. Technically, your taxes won't increase (yet) because these new costs are fees. Shakespeare said that a rose by any other name smells just as sweet. For generation after generation Gloucester City and the State of New Jersey politicians have felt that a tax by any other name spends just the same. Call it a fee, license, surcharge, or make up your own name. They are all taxes and Gloucester City residents will be paying more of them. CNBNews graphic file The first new tax applies to residences built before 1978, probably 95% in Gloucester City. These rental homes, now mostly apartments, MAY HAVE lead paint in them. Lead paint can be... Read more →

Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews Columnist GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (March 16, 2023)(CNBNews)--People, usually older ones who lived through the Great Depression (1929 - WWII) or their adult children (1946 - 1964,) half-heartedly joke about hiding their money under their mattresses or in the freezer (cold cash.) They didn't trust banks because banks were not regulated a century ago and they operated on their own. Anything went. To help the nation climb our way out of financial disaster, in 1933 President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (in office 1933 - 1945) started the Federal Depositors Insurance Corporation (FDIC.) The federal government backed the individual's money up to a certain point. The original amount was $5,000 and now is up to $250,000. If a bank "goes under" financially, the federal government will pay the depositors the money which he would have otherwise lost up to the limit of the time. Why this history lesson? What... Read more →

Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews Columnist There is so much going on in the United States that is so "crazy" (sorry, but there is no better descriptive word.) Men playing women's sports? Racist automobiles in California? A transgender nuclear rod disposable kleptomaniac who stole women's suitcases from airports. Attempts to take away our gas stoves? The list just goes on and on and at each layer, the craziness increases. We have to win an award for craziness! Right? Sadly, the Canadian government is vying to top us. It was announced today, March 10, 2023, that there is a high school student in a Catholic Canadian school. His name is Josh Alexander. Some of his female friends were venting to him that they felt uncomfortable that boys were using the same restrooms. Josh took up the issue for his female friends and even quoted the Bible which stated that God had created... Read more →

DOROTHY PHILBIN | CNBNEWS See the video below, Opioid Tragedy: Inside the Fentanyl Crisis | $10 Death GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (March 13, 2023)--World War III was well underway; we were losing it even before we realized it had begun. This war is not being fought with bombs, fighter planes, or even nuclear weapons. It is being fought with drugs - large quantities of opioids, cocaine, fentanyl, and new drugs which don't respond to any known treatment. The United States is fighting the lion's share of the battle, but every other western country is also fighting. Here are the American human costs of this and past wars.* According to CBS Philly, Xylazine, a horse tranquilizer, is now seeping into the drug markets, primarily in the Kensington area. It is being mixed with fentanyl and heroin. Drug addicts don't even know they have taken the drug until their skin decomposes. Here are... Read more →

Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews Columnist GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (March 9, 2023)(CNBNews)--Following California's Governor Gavin Newson's lead in making his state reach 100% clean energy by 2035, New Jersey's Governor Phil Murphy announced the same goal for New Jersey. Murphy announced that his initiative would require all new cars sold in New Jersey to be electric powered. New Jersey's original plan was to mandate clean energy/electric cars by 2050. Governor Murphy refers to his updated plan as the "Next New Jersey." source https://www.aliexpress.us/ An executive order IS a law, but it is made independently by a Governor or President instead of presenting it to the legislature for study, debate, and the possibility of it being denied. In the early days of our country, it took one day to travel by horse the distance that it takes one hour to travel by car today. Executive Orders were a necessary evil in Colonial... Read more →

The tribute to the military is erected at the front entrance of Gloucester High School (CNBNews photo) William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (March 9, 2023)(CNBNews)--The Gloucester City Board of Education will accept sealed bids for the interior and exterior alterations of an Industrial Arts (wood shop) at the City High School, 1300 Market Street, on Friday, March 17, in the Board offices. This is not a school development authority (SDA) project. For decades the local public school district always had a wood shop, but for whatever reason, that class was done away with in 2005. Vince Kuczynski, the Industrial Education Department Head, taught the course for 34 years. Before him, it was Mr. Parsons. According to the Legal Notice advertised in two area newspapers, approximately 100% of this project is anticipated to be funded by grants received under (ARP/ American Rescue Plan SRP/ESSER Elementary and Secondary... Read more →

Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews Columnist GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (CNBNews.net)(February 26, 2023)--The Secret Service has code names for the various people they protect. Listed below in the left column are the names of recent presidents and on the right are code names. Your job is to figure out which code name was given to which president. The answers are at the bottom. John F. Kennedy Mogul Richard Nixon Lancelot Gerald Ford Celtic Jimmy Carter Search Light Ronald Reagan Renegade George H.W. Bush (father) Passkey Bill Clinton Eagle George W. Bush (son) Timberwolf Barack Obama Trailblazer Donald Trump Deacon Joe Biden Rawhide Bonus Question: Which two presidents in the 20th century were adopted by their step-fathers and changed their last names to their adopted fathers? Bonus Question: Which two presidents in the 20th century were adopted by their step-fathers and changed their last names to their adopted fathers? _________________________________ Answers: John Kennedy... Read more →

Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews Columnist In New Jersey people of almost every profession have to have a required number of educational hours, pass a test, and then pay a small fortune for a license to practice the trade. Some of these trades are hair stylist, manicurist, plumber, electrician, and all others but one. That trade is home improvement. If there is a storm, you will see home improvement companies come out of the woodwork. The first thing you should look for is the license plate and any decals on the vehicles. If they are not in-state license plates and local decals - don't answer the door. Public adjusters also come out of the woodwork. Adjusters, though regulated, negotiate on your behalf with the insurance company to get you a higher settlement. Your brother-in-law most likely can do the same and won't take 25% of the settlement. The reason for so... Read more →

UPDATED/CORRECTED (Feb. 22, 2023) William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (February 20, 2023)(CNBNewsnet)--Since June 2022 CNBNews has been trying to find out if the rumor about a Public Works assistant supervisor allegedly taking either equipment or money from that department was true. Each time we submitted an OPRA request about this supposed incident Brian Morrell, the Acting City Administrator/Police Chief replied with the same five words, “the matter is under investigation”. Some of those OPRA’s were written by Dorothy Philbin, CNBNews’ investigating reporter, and columnist. Philbin wrote the following to Morrell on February 11, “Please advise the status of the thief of city property allegedly by the assistant supervisor, keeping in mind that it has been about eight months. The Warren Commission only took 3 1/2 months to investigate the assassination of President Kennedy. Surely, Gloucester City can do better than that.” Her derision was just enough... Read more →

William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (February 9, 2023)--Gloucester City residents interested in voicing their opinion on two ordinances to allow a section of the Southport area to be developed into a marijuana zone should attend the public hearing on Thursday, February 23, at 7 PM. The meeting is being held at the Police Administration Building, 313 Monmouth Street, in the council chambers. RELATED: HOW MUCH HAS ORGANIC RECYCLING LAWSUIT COST CITY TAXPAYERS Last month after the ordinances were introduced on first reading, CNBNews asked Mayor Dayl Baile if anyone had applied to open up any businesses related to marijuana in that area. "As of right now, no one with a license has approached the City. This process will take the City a couple of months to complete the zoning. First, the person who applies for a permit from the state has to have an agreement with... Read more →

KINGSTON, RI (01/31/2023)-- The University of Rhode Island is pleased to announce the Fall 2022 Dean's List. Students named to the Dean's List represent nearly all of Rhode Island's cities and towns, all six New England states, New York and New Jersey, and many other states and countries. They include: Ellie Sennhenn of Audubon (08106) Chris Bracchi of Berlin (08009) Alyssa Gentile of Blackwood (08012) Melanie Wilson of Blackwood (08012) Katie Reichert of Bordentown (08505) Nicole Sagias of Burlington (08016) Kristal Stahler of Cape May Court House (08210) Aidan Landis of Cherry Hill (08002) Jadyn Aguiar of Delran (08075) Sydney Croly of Delran (08075) Mackenzie Nigro of Galloway (08205) Timothy Pender of Haddon Heights (08035) Brian Furlano of Haddon Township (08108) Makena Noone of Haddon Township (08108) Matthew DeFiccio of Hammonton (08037) Parker Smith of Kingston (08221) Mary Cetrone of Linwood (08221) Evan Daily of Linwood (08221) Liv McGhee of... Read more →

By Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews Columnist PHILADELPHIA PA--Fox29News, 6ABCNews, and 1210 AM radio were all talking on air about the Gloucester City School District starting classes two hours late the day after the Super Bowl (photo credit CNBNews photographer Amanda Stevenson Lupke image from the 2018 Super Bowl parade) SEE PHOTO ALBUM +++++ GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (FEBRUARY 3, 2023)--On Thursday, February 2, 2023 Fox 29 posted a facebook announcement that Gloucester City School District's schools will open two hours late the day after the Super Bowl. Interesting - our schools made the news. Later in the afternoon, radio station 1210 AM, WPHT addressed the same subject; first on the Dawn Stensland show and after that the topic continued with Dan Bongino. Dan asked his audience to send their opinions via twitter. He felt sure that 80% to 90% of the respondents would be in favor of the two-hour delay. When... Read more →

by DOROTHY PHILBIN | CNBNewsNet While reading some old newspaper articles last night I came across one particular article about the BLM protest/march almost three years ago. The article from the Courier Post, was dated June 8, 2020. In that article a man from Camden City, Isaiah Conteh, said "It shows this town is changing." Gloucester City's own Joe Gorman added "Gloucester is thriving because it is more welcoming and supporting of people who in the past may have been viewed as outsiders, blacks, Hispanics, LGBT and artists." by DOROTHY PHILBIN CNBNews Reporter That was a comment that made me say "WHAT?" Gloucester City is thriving? Is this the same Gloucester City where I've lived for the past 71 years? There is no denying that Gloucester City was a "sundown town" in the 1950s into the 1960s. However, even the 2020 article admitted that "Gloucester City was more integrated than... Read more →

Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews Columnist GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (January 18, 2023)--In today's news, it was revealed that a library in a small town near Boulder, Co. had to be temporarily closed to clean the restrooms of the chemicals and residue of methamphetamines. For several days prior, people complained about strange odors, sore throats, and even a dizzy feeling. While investigating the problem, it came to light that one of Boulder's libraries had been closed for the same reason and has not yet re-opened. The Boulder City and Colorado State Police are investigating, but libraries, by nature, admit everyone and allow everyone free access so long as everyone is peaceful. Fortunately, there are cameras everywhere; here's hoping that the tapes have not been tampered with or overwritten. Almost 9,000 children and young adults have died from opioid poisoning in the past 20 years, according to a study published in the Journal... Read more →

by Dorothy Philbin| CNBNews Columnist Coming up this week are a few things you should know. 1. The price of postage stamps goes up this week. There aren't too many people who send first-class mail anymore, but it is always a good idea to have a few stamps around, just in case. On January 22, 2023 the stamp price goes up from 60 cents to 63 cents. After that, the cost of stamps will go up each year. 2. Have you noticed that the doors on the blue mailboxes only open down far enough to mail a letter? There is a reason for this. Sadly, this is being done to prevent thieves from stealing mail from the boxes. Although nothing has been announced in Gloucester City yet, some communities are removing the blue mailboxes which are on street corners for the same reason. 3. This Wednesday, January 18, 2023, the... Read more →

Dorothy Philbin |CNBNews Contributor (GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ 08030)(January 13, 2023)--At least one person and probably several people in our city government don't want us to ask too many questions and they definitely don't want to give the city taxpayers the answers. CNBNews graphic file The average person has no idea how many police cars the city has. Is that accidental or by design? If you follow the city council's resolutions and ordinances you will see SUV after SUV being bought but rarely if ever, see any cars being sold. Judging from the price of the new vehicles, it does not appear that older vehicles are being traded in on the new. As stated before, there always seem to be six cars in the church parking lot and/or the former firehouse on Bergen Street. From time to time there will also be a big a$$ black SUV with heavily tinted windows... Read more →

by Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews columnist The people in Harrison Township stopped the building of a 2.1 million square foot warehouse by showing up at the township planning/zoning board meetings. According to many of those interviewed, the problem was that although it was a three-year project, they didn't know about the warehouse until they heard about it from neighbors. The township, they said, did nothing proactive to inform the taxpayers. That is probably true, at least half-true. The state rules governing what and how taxpayers have to be informed of planning and zoning issues were written 75 years ago! There was no internet 75 years ago and computers were in their infancy. Companies were in the process of switching from manual to electric typewriters. These rules need to be updated - desperately. So far as Gloucester City is concerned, no doubt the city meets the 75-year-old requirements but that doesn't... Read more →

by Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews Columnist Do you want to get rich quickly? Head west to California. Really rich? Stop by San Francisco. Just about every news station has shown clips of mile after mile of homeless tent cities, mainly in, but not limited to, Los Angeles and San Francisco. These images courtesy of unsplash tent cities have presented numerous problems for homeowners and small business owners. It is almost impossible to determine which issue is the most severe. People have to sidestep drugs and needles along every step. There are no bathrooms, so you have to use your imagination concerning what you have to sidestep there. But...California to the rescue. When all else fails, throw money at the problem. San Francisco, as well as other cities, have now initiated "guarantee income" programs. Would you qualify? Most likely, you would qualify for at least some of them. The criteria is... Read more →

BY DOROTHY PHILBIN | CNBNews Columnist photo credit https://www.gloucestercitynews.net When was St. Mary's school built? a. 1893 b. 1896 c. 1902 d. 1905 2. Which of these was NOT a Gloucester City hotel in the early 1900s? a. Thompson's b. Beuna Vista c. The Sands d. McGlade's 3. Where was Billy Thompson's racetrack? The early 1900s. a. In what is now Proprietor's Park b. Charles Street c. Brick Street d. North King Street 4. What was the name of the car dealership which was where Carpenter's Hall is now? About 1960s. a. Flexon's b. Wally's c. Lightman Motors d. Ace Ford 5. Who owned the stationery store on the corner of Broadway and Champion Rd? The 1960s into the 1970s. a. Dickensheets b. Brophy's c. Cleary's d. Fox 6. What was the original purpose of the 5 & 10 building on the north side of Monmouth Street (500 block?) 1930s.... Read more →

Dorothy Philbin l CNBNewsnet Car 54 Where Are You? was an old-time (1950s) television comedy about the zany adventures in a New York City police station. Police Car 54 was assigned to officers Twitty and Muldoon and much of their conversation took place through the front windshield of the car. We always knew where Car 54 was. How about Gloucester City? Do we have a Car 54? The citizens who pay for the 34 vehicles in the police fleet, plus gas, maintenance and possibly insurance deserve to know not only where Car 54 is, but where all the cars are. Usually there are five or six cars in front of the old firehouse or in the church parking lot. One court night there were 12 cars in the area. That's a start, but where are the 22 - 28 missing vehicles? They are not in the area of the police... Read more →

1. c. toward the river 2. a. the Kittyhawk 3. c. 514 4. c. 1902 5. d. She refused to holster her gun. 6. a. 1888 7. a. February, 1961 8. c. or d. It depends how "dainty" your parents thought their daughters were. 9. a. Sherrif West 10. fill in as many as you can, we'll print the answers later. Dorothy Philbin | CNBNewsnet How much do you know about the city in which you live or were raised? Here are 10 questions about our town with four possible answers. Some questions go back 300 years and some go back 300 minutes. Let us know how you did (if you want to) in the comments. 1. You are standing in the middle of Monmouth St. and Broadway. You read an article in Cleary's Note Book that an accident occurred two blocks west. In what direction will you walk? a.... Read more →

Dorothy Philbin | CNBNewsnet Anyone who has read or listened to the news in the past two weeks knows that Big Tech is getting smaller on a daily basis. The company which has been in the news most is Twitter, recently purchased by Elon Musk (self-named "Chief Twit.") Musk said from the very day he expressed interest in buying the company that he would eliminate thousands of jobs and he made good on that promise. He is, however, offering to rehire a few of those people, on a one-on-one basis, depending on the company's needs and the employee's skills. Elon Musk has officially dubbed himself "Chief Twit" In a second round of layoffs, Musk issued a correspondence to the remaining employees that within a certain period of time they had to sign documents committing to work hard, do what was required of them and, oh - show up for work.... Read more →

William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews THE GHS SENIOR PARKING SPOT...What a great idea.-- On a recent walk, we noticed some of the parking spots at Gloucester High School (GHS) were painted with different designs. Wanting to know more, we contacted School Superintendent Sean Gorman. "The new Senior parking spot tradition that we started has been wonderful. Seniors are assigned a parking spot in our lot. They worked with our Senior Class Advisor and Art Department Chair to personalize their design for their spot and completed the work themselves. Current Board of Education member Jackie Borger mentioned that she had heard of another local school district that allowed their Seniors to do this and thought it would be a marvelous tradition to begin here. We were able to connect with the other local school district, and our Maintenance Department helped support us in bringing this new tradition to GHS," said... Read more →

Dorothy Philbin | CNBNewsnet Sunday's Courier Post (November 13, 2022) profiled 50 South Jersey women who have raised the profile of women in sports in this year, the 50th anniversary of the implementation of Title IX which evened the playing field for all sports and genders. Three of those women are from Gloucester City. They are Lisa Angelotti Gedaka of Gloucester Catholic, class of '84; Megan Light Mason of Gloucester High School, class of 1998; and Bernadette McGlade, Gloucester Catholic, class of 1976. Here are their profiles. Lisa Angelotti Gedaka pictured with Monsignor Edward Luccitt scored over 2,000 points in her playing career. Lisa Angelotti Gedaka - "The Carino-South Jersey Player of the Year in 1984. ...Earned Big East Player of the Year honor in 1988 while playing for Villlanova University, which has retired her jersey (No. 25.) ...Inducted in the Big 5 Hall of Fame in 1995. ...A full-time... Read more →

Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews Columnist France and Brazil still vote with paper ballots but they both have the results counted and announced within five hours. America, with all the technology money can buy, takes into the following month to count our results. One week after election day neither Alaska nor Georgia has a winner and neither plans to know the winner until sometime in December. So much for technology. However, people conduct "exit polls" where they interview voters as the leave the polling site so see what was on their minds when they voted. Here are some results: Inflation was first on the list. 70% of voters thought it was a very important issue, 1% of voters said it was not at all important and the other 29% thought it was important but not the most important issue this year. The next four categories all came in with similar priorities.... Read more →

William E. Cleary Sr. |CNBNewsnet GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (November 13, 2022)(CNBNews)--An unwelcome group of young men in their 20s and teens driving unlicensed ATVs and Dirt Bikes visited Gloucester City last weekend, riding up and down Broadway at a high rate of speed. 6ABC video image of illegal ATV and dirt bike drivers riding through the City of Philadelphia last summer. (see video below) On Sunday, November 6, a group of these individuals got gas at one of the gas stations on Broadway at Market Street. An individual told us that a police officer was stopped at the other gas station across the street, also getting gas. "This guy on an ATV does a wheelie and spins towards the cop car, hitting it. The cop did nothing. I asked him why he didn't give the ATV driver a ticket. The cop told me they had been instructed not to ticket... Read more →

Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ November 4, 2022)--While researching one thing, I found another, and another and eventually found myself researching sexual offenders living in Gloucester City. I wondered how many there were, where they were living, and how the predator population in our city compared to other towns. All of this information is available on datauniverse.com and the NJ State Police Megan's List. I have to say, the State Police Megan's List isn't as easily available as it used to be. I don't know if this is another case of keeping information from the taxpayers or if the State Police have given Megan's List a lower priority over time. RELATED: Megan Kanka: When Justice Changed All There are 18 sexual predators in Gloucester City, the majority of which live between the railroad and the river. New Jersey categorizes predators in different categories, called Tiers. The first is... Read more →