The Mt. Ephraim Celebration Committee and the Mt. Ephraim Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary held a Lunch with Santa on Saturday, December 1^st. The event had over 125 people in attendance. Those who attended had a great time. The children enjoyed making the crafts that were available and visiting with Santa.

The committees would like to extend a special thank you to Miss Mt. Ephraim, Lucy Zettlemoyer; Miss Sons of Italy, Michelle Greenwald; Miss Democrat Club Melanie Lewis and Miss Flame, Bridget Gugel who helped the children with their crafts. We would like to give a very special thank you to Santa Claus for taking the time to meet our children during this very busy time of the year.

South Jersey Outdoors by Doug Skinner

Now I should have immediately seen this as an omen, but the Red tailed Hawk that was enjoying lunch in section 125 at Lincoln Financial Field before the Eagles/Seahawks game yesterday before the game actually caught me off guard…Thank goodness I had a camera…

The incident made me realize that no matter how crowded the east coast becomes, life will find a way….Where there are cities, there are pigeons, and where there are pidgeons there are apparently predators.

I\’ve grown used to seeing these amazing birds of prey all over my more natural confines in southern New Jersey, but it was a complete shock in a major football stadium. On a bowhunting excursion a few years back, I was hunting about 50 yards off the edge of a farm field. The field had plenty of deer attracting \”Jersey Fresh\” produced just waiting to be devoured, but for whatever reason they weren\’t interested that night. Instead, as it turned out, I was in for one of the most interesting nights of my life.

I was sitting in a tree stand about 30 feet above the ground, just minding my own business, when another large red tailed hawk decided to pay me a visit. He landed on the branch of a dead pine tree only 15-20ft in front of me, at eye level. Now, during bow season you are allowed to be clad entirely in camouflage, and for me that meant that only my eyes were exposed.

The hawk must have seen my eyes, because as he sat on his branch he kept bobbing his head like he was trying to figure out just what I was. Unfortunately, he that I fit into the category of things he could eat, and flew at me. The speed of his movement startled me and I threw my arm up in front of my face expecting an imminent impact. That protective movement, apparently, was all that was necessary for him to realize his mistake and at the last minute he hit the air-brakes and flew off. He was so close that when he pulled away I felt the wind from his wings…If I hadn\’t been covering my face I probably would have been able to touch him.

Fortunately, for both of us no one was physically injured in the attack, and we both learned a valuable lesson.

His: Don\’t judge a meal by the size of its eyes.
Mine: Always wear a safety harness…

 

For those who haven\’t noticed Gloucester Plumbing Supply has begun building a new showroom and warehouse on property the company owns at 522 S. Broadway near the corner of Broadway and Jersey Avenue. The work began several weeks ago and weather permitting will be finished in late April.

According to Joe Kenney, owner of the company, this is the first phase of a three-phase construction project that is planned for the location.

Kenney said besides building a 2200 square foot showroom the outside of the building will be completely renovated with new windows along with a stucco facade. The second and third phase of the design for the site includes a new warehouse and off street parking.

Mayor Bill James in an interview last February raved about the improvements that Gloucester Plumbing was planning. \”A new Gloucester Plumbing building would enhance the south entrance to the City. The lighting will be better and the landscaping will be improved. All and all it is a good plan.\”

I spoke with Councilman Nick Marchese today and was told the Department of Community Affairs has given the City the go ahead to buy the Gloucester Heights Fire Hall, and renovate it into a Senior Citizens Community Center. A $400,000 state grant for the Community Center was received by the Kilcourse administration in 2005-06 but for some reason no action was taken to utilize the money. In 2007 when the James administration took control they found the deadline for using the money for a senior center was about to expire. The proposal to use the Fire Hall for the Community Center was presented several months ago to the state. Marchese said approval of the plan from the Department of Community Affairs has recently been received.

Marchese said the Fire Department will still be located in the building but will only utilize the side where the fire equipment is kept. \”With the money they receive from the sale of the hall the plans call for the construction of a second floor on top of the garage for the firemen\’s use,\” said Marchese.

He further explained that one-half of the hall will be section off for the use of the senior citizens on a daily basis. The other half of the hall will be rented out for weddings and other functions. The City will own the property. He expects action on the plans will start in the very near future.

At last Thursday, council meeting a resolution (R276) was passed to allow the City of Gloucester City to enter in to Agreements for the Sale of the Properties known as Chatham Square and Gloucester Terrace. According to Marchese if an agreement is reached to purchase the property, the apartments would be demolished and single family homes would be built. Both he and Mayor James said that this idea is in the early planning stages.

Chatham Square is located on Rt. 130 and Klemm Avenue in the area where Beazer Construction Company has built 64 new homes.

NOTE: I received several recommendations for the November Cheers and Jeers column that I did not use. The reason, I had already submitted the column. They are on file and I plan to publish the suggestions in my December column. In the mean time if you have a Jeer or Cheer you would like to submit for this month\’s column send it to [email protected].

 

Eric Hamilton is a Finalist for Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award;
Fans Can Cast Vote for Eric Hamilton at coachoftheyear.com by December 15 to Win $50,000 for Charitable Support and $20,000 for Alumni Scholarship

Ewing, NJ – December 4, 2007 – The College of New Jersey’s Head Football Coach Eric Hamilton has been named a finalist for the 2007 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award, which honors the college football coaches who best exemplify responsibility and excellence on and off the field of play. Fans can cast a vote for Eric Hamilton to win for Division III by December 15 at www.coachoftheyear.com. The winner will be announced on December 29 during an ABC/ESPN special.

\”More than a half-million fan votes were cast for 597 college football coaches this season, a tremendous and passionate outpouring of support from college football fans across the nation,\” said Greg Gordon, Liberty Mutual vice president, Consumer Marketing. \”Each finalist embodies what makes this award different than any other: responsibility – not only to his own team and players, but also to his school and his community.\”

Hamilton guided the 2007 Lions to the NJAC Co-Championship, while garnering a bid to the NCAA Division III Playoffs, as the team advanced to the second round before bowing from the tournament after facing the No. 1 ranked Mount Union College Purple Raiders. Hamilton produced the 2007 NJAC Defensive Player of the Year in Joe King, as well as a 2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Second Team honoree in Andrew Larkin. For the season, the Lions went 9-3 overall with a 6-1 mark in NJAC play after being tapped to finish seventh in the league’s pre-season poll. Hamilton is also one of the finalists for the AFCA Region I Coach of the Year for his accomplishments with the Lions this fall.

Joining Eric Hamilton as a finalist for Division III are:
Greg Debeljak, Case Western Reserve
John Gagliardi, St. John’s (Minn.)
Joe King, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Mike Swider, Wheaton College

Each winner receives $50,000 from Liberty Mutual to support his civic and charitable activities, $20,000 in scholarship to his school’s alumni association, and is recognized in the permanent Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year display at the National Football Foundation’s College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind.

During the initial fan-voting phase at www.coachoftheyear.com (September 6 – November 27), the top 25 vote getters in each division qualified to be evaluated by an objective model designed exclusively for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award and reviewed and endorsed by the College Football Hall of Fame. The model arrived at the finalists by scoring each of these qualifying coaches in four areas: coaching excellence, sportsmanship and integrity, academic excellence, and community commitment.

Fan votes in this second phase account for 20 percent of each coach’s final score, with a voting committee of college football media (25 percent) and College Football Hall of Fame coaches and players (55 percent) contributing the remainder.

The winners will be announced December 29, 2007, on an ABC special presentation hosted by Hall of Fame Sportscaster Keith Jackson and Analyst Kirk Herbstreit at 5:30 p.m. (ET). The special award presentation will re-air January 8, 2008, on ESPN2 at 2:00 p.m. (ET).

NICASTRO, CARLO J.

Age 56, of Medford, passed away Monday, December 3, 2007, at Samaritan Inpatient Hospice, Mt. Holly.
Born in Philadelphia, PA, Carlo resided in Cherry Hill before moving to Medford 31 years ago. He was a parishioner at St. Mary of the Lakes R.C. Church in Medford. Carlo was a teacher at Eastern High School in Voorhees.
He was an avid outdoorsman, who enjoyed fishing, hunting and running. Carlo touched the life of everyone he met, whether it was a student or a stranger he met while hunting or fishing.
He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Paula A. (nee Edwards) Nicastro; his parents, Louis and Nancy Nicastro; his son and daughter-in-law, Matthew and Kate Nicastro of Haddonfield; his daughter Kristine Nicastro of Medford; two brothers and sisters-in-law, David and Tracey Nicastro, and Mark and Maddy Nicastro; and two nieces and two nephews.
Relatives and friends may call on Thursday, December 6, 2007, from 6-8 PM, and again on Friday, December 7, from 9-10 AM, at the MATHIS FUNERAL HOME, 58 N. Main St., Medford, (609) 654-2439. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday at 10:30 AM, at St. Mary of the Lakes R.C. Church, 40 Jackson Rd., Medford, (609) 654-8208.
Interment will be held privately at the convenience of the family.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Carlo\’s memory to St. Jude\’s Children\’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

KENNEDY, JANICE L. (LORI)
On December 3, 2007, of Bellmawr. Age 49.
Beloved daughter of Janice D. Kennedy (nee Brown) of Bellmawr and the late Robert. Devoted mother of Joseph Sears, Jr. and Robert Kennedy, Sr., both of Bellmawr. Loving grandmother of Robert, Jr. (RJ). Dear sister of Robert Kennedy, Jr., James Kennedy, Darlene Kennedy and John Kennedy (Michele). Also survived by several aunts and uncles, especially Aunt Fran and Uncle John Wright and many nieces, nephews and cousins. She will also be sadly missed by her two furry friends, Buddy and Mia.
Relatives and friends are invited to the viewing from 9 to 11am Friday morning at Annunciation BVM Church, 601 W. Browning Rd., Bellmawr. Funeral Mass 11am. Entombment New St. Mary\’s Mausoleum, Bellmawr. Expressions of sympathy may be e-mailed to Condolences@Gardner FuneralHome.com

COYLE, ROBERT A.
On November 29, 2007, a 44 year resident of Collingswood, NJ. Age 75 years.
Beloved husband of 53 years to Eleanor Coyle (Nee-Thomson). Dear father of Martha (Joseph) Massimo of Palm Harbor, FL, Theresa (Steven) Daroszewski of Audubon, NJ, Robert (Dawn), Jr. of Marlton, NJ,Thomas (Darlene) of Spanish Fort, AL and James (Cheryl) of Howell, NJ. He is also survived by 15 grandchildren, a sister, Eileen Deely and brother, John Coyle, Jr., both of NY.
Born in New York and orphaned at a young age, Bob was raised at St. Agnes Home for Boys in Sparkill, NY. He was a graduate of Tappan Zee High School with a full academic scholarship.
Bob was a decorated Korean Conflict U.S. Army veteran and POW, where he served as Sergeant (T) and member of the \’Triple Nickel\’, the 555th Regiment Combat Team. He was also a former Senior Vice-Commander of VFW Post #1958, Haddon Heights.
Bob received a bachelor\’s degree in chemistry from Temple Univ. and worked at Glaxo-Smith Kline Labs in Philadelphia as a pharmaceutical chemist for 37 years.
Bob was a former Little League and Babe Ruth coach, an avid photographer, videographer and self-taught computer \’expert\’. He loved music, dancing and traveling with the Haddon Heights Socialites. He was especially proud of his Irish heritage, locating and visiting family in Ireland.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend his visitation Saturday 10 to 11 AM at the Church of St. John, Park & Lees Ave., Collingswood, NJ. Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 11 AM. Interment Military Garden of Honor, Harleigh Cemetery, Camden, NJ.
The family requests in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to the charity of your choice. Arrangements by the
FOSTER-WARNE FUNERAL HOME, Collingswood, NJ.

Aileen Marchese (nee Kelly) passed away tonight, December 5, 2007.

Aileen is the mother of Gloucester City Councilman Nick Marchese.

 

Funeral Arrangements will be finalized on Thursday afternoon by the McCANN-HEALEY FUNERAL HOME: 851 Monmouth Street, Gloucester City. Phone: 856-456-1142

 

LEWIS, BARBARA A.
Of Woodbury on December 3, 2007. Age 63 years.
Barbara was a caring woman who often put the needs of others before her own. Born in Bridgeton and a 1962 graduate of Deptford High, Barbara lived most of her life in the City of Woodbury.
A US Navy Veteran, Barbara served her country stateside during the Vietnam War. For over 30 years she was employed by the US Postal Service as a clerk in the Woodbury Post Office. Barbara was a member of the Edward Foy American Legion Post #534, McFarland, WI.
She is the loving companion of Frank McCormick; beloved sister of Marlene Fisher (Dave), Edward \’Skip\’ Lewis and Yvonne Lewis-Klein (Lewis); dear aunt to Mike Fisher (Kara), Pat Fisher (Linda) and Chris Fisher (Michelle) and great aunt to many.
Relatives and friends are invited to her viewing Thurs. 9:30 to 10:45 AM and funeral service 11:00 AM in the McGUINNESS FUNERAL HOME, 34 Hunter St., Woodbury. Interment Eglington Cemetery, Clarksboro. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Faith Bible Church, Grove and Mantua Grove Rds., Thorofare, NJ 08086 or to Fox Chase Cancer Center, 333 Cottman Ave., Rm C223, Philadelphia, PA 19111.
Tributes and memories may be shared at: www.mcgfuneral.com