Ewing, NJ… The College of New Jersey’s Sharon Pfluger added another honor to long list of awards as she was tabbed as the 2008 Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association Boardwalk Region Coach of the Year.

This past season, Pfluger guided the Lions to the NCAA Division III semifinals for the 23rd time in program history and finished with a 17-2 record.

Acknowledged as one of the premier women’s lacrosse coaches in Division III, Pfluger became TCNJ’s all-time winningest coach in the sport in less than six full years at her alma mater.

Her teams have appeared in the NCAA Tournament 22 times, advancing to the NCAA Division III Championship game on 16 occasions.

The Camden County Emerald Society Pipes and Drums was just one of the bands in the parade. Behind the drum major in the first line of bag pipes (center) is Gloucester City Mayor Bill James.

Photos by Steve Skipton
SEE PHOTO GALLERY

click on photo to enlarge

By Bill Cleary

Friday, June 27, The Gloucester City News filed an OPRA request for a copy of the Email correspondence between Gloucester City Councilman Nick Marchese, Finance Chairman and City Administrator/Municipal Clerk Paul Kain. The request was hand delivered to the municipal building and given to the clerk.

Several sources say the Email referred to a number of issues including but not limited to the naming of a builder for Freedom Pier. Recently the City announced that 29 condos will be built at the old Coast Guard Base located on the Delaware River. The city is still seeking a builder for the project.

What is OPRA?

The Open Public Records Act (OPRA) provides procedures for the public (the \”requester\’) to review or copy government records.

• *To access government records, a requester must determine which records he or she wishes to see or copy, and then determine which public agency holds them. OPRA applies to requests for records, not request for isolated facts. The requester should ask the custodian of records for help in identifying what public record is likely to contain the information or facts being sought.

• *In order to be considered a valid request under OPRA, the request must identify the specific record(s) desired, the request must be submitted to the records custodian of the public agency that has the record, and that agency\’s records request form must be used to ask for the record.

• *As general guidance regarding the release of records, OPRA provides that \”… government records shall be readily accessible for inspection, copying, or examination …. With certain exceptions …\” N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1.

• *Additionally, OPRA defines a government record as a record \”made, maintained or kept on file … or that has been received in the course of … official business …\” N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1.1.

From what I have been able to gather from a confidential source (CS) on Friday, June 6 Councilman Marchese via an E-mail asked City Administrator Kain if he completed his new assessment and vision of the former Coast Guard Base property. Kain supposedly had a week to put together the report.

The following day, early Saturday morning according to the CS, Kain responded via Email to Marchese. Copies of the Email were sent to all council members. Along with deputy clerk Kathy Jentsch, Gina Dunphy UEZ office, Police Chief William Crothers, Frank Robertson and Bowie Johnson at the public works department.

Plus a CC: was sent to Fire Chief Brian Hagan, Joe Stecklair, Housing inspector, Joanne Marone, tax collector, Robert Saunders at a Cooper hospital E-mail address, John Dymond, tax assessor and to the Community Office. And it was sent to a person with the E-mail address of Gorman-Kain, and to a person with the E-mail address of James Ferry

According to the CS, Kain said he was putting this information together and unfortunately other matters had delayed his ability to complete it. That he works 60 hours a week 24/7 for the City.

The CS said it was his opinion the tone of the Email gave the impression that Kain was mad that Marchese had the audacity to ask him for this report which was a week overdue. The Confidential Source went on to say Kain was going to ask that Marchese be removed from the finance committee and that he be censured by the rest of council. That he (Kain) infers that Marchese had a professional relationship with one or more of the builders for Freedom Pier. And that Kain closes the correspondence with a demand that Marchese direct any further questions to him through the City solicitor said the CS.

There are 24 specific exemptions from disclosure included in OPRA. To view see link. http://gloucestercitynews.typepad.com/clearysnotebook/2008/07/opra-exemptions.html

It should be noted that just because the document you are requesting contains one or more of these exemptions it doesn’t mean the rest of the material in the document cannot be released if it meets the proper criteria.

Contacted for this article for an opinion on the Email was the New Jersey Foundation for Open Government. President Elizabeth Mason said all correspondence between government officials is open to the public for viewing. Likewise attorney Thomas Heim, of Woodbury said it was his belief that an Email or any other correspondence between community officials conducting city business would be public.

In Gloucester City the records custodian who decides whether or not this Email or other government records are made public is City Administrator/Municipal Clerk Paul Kain.

• *Information for the above (Government Records Council) GRC (http://www.nj.gov/grc
• The OPRA form for City of Gloucester City can be found at http://www.cityofgloucester.org/cityhall.php
• Link: www.clearysnotebook.com
  

All Things Paul Kain …………………………………..All Things Nick Marchese

 

source www.legionbaseball.com

UTICA, NY – Mark your calenders folks. July 3,4,5, and 6th will be four days of top caliber American Legion Baseball. It\’s the 26th annual Blue & Gold International Baseball Tournament. The tournament has ballooned from six teams last year to 12 this year. There three local teams: Adrean, New Hartford, and Utica plus nine from out of the area. There are teams from New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Puerto Rico.

Teams from New Jersey include, Brooklawn, Haddon Heights, and Hamilton.

They\’ll play 33 games in four days. The competition will be very strong. To follow the tournament go to www.legionbaseball.com.

(As of 6 p.m. July 3)……………..http://adonovan-uticaod.blogspot.com
Army Division
Guaynabo Post 295, Puerto Rico (1-0)
Shrub Oak Post 1080, N.Y. (1-0)
Utica Post 229, N.Y. (1-0)
Vestal Post 89, N.Y. (0-1)
Haddon Heights Post 149, N.J. (0-1)
Adrean Post 625, N.Y. (0-1)

Navy Division
Hamilton Post 31, N.J. (2-0)
Brooklawn Post 72, N.J. (1-0)
Gaithersburg Post 295, Md. (1-1)
New Hartford Post 1376, N.Y. (0-1)
Melvin Rhodes Post 1231, N.Y. (0-1)
Binghamton Post 80, N.Y. (0-1)

SCHEDULE CHANGES:
Today\’s 1 p.m. game between Brooklawn, N.J. and Shrub Oak, N.Y. at Murnane Field\’s Donovan Stadium is rescheduled for 8 p.m. tonight.
Tonight\’s 8 p.m. game between New Hartford and Brooklawn, N.J. at Murnane Field\’s Donovan Stadium is rescheduled for 5 p.m. on Saturday.
Saturday\’s 5 p.m. game between New Hartford and Gaithersburg, Md. at Murnane Field\’s Donovan Stadium is rescheduled for Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Joe Corr Memorial Field.

Link: SouthCoastToday.com: The Gazette

By JON HAGLOF

Sports Editor
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* Recent arrests from New Bedford
* Some Mattapoisett beaches closed due to bacteria levels

MIDDLEBORO — Pratt Free School may have been the underdog entering the Middleboro Little League Major League championship series against Kelly\’s Tire, but they were playing their best ball of the season.

Sometimes that\’s all it takes.

With a 12-0 win in Game 1 last Monday night at the Field of Dreams and a 4-2 win in Game 2 last Wednesday night, Pratt Free swept Kelly\’s Tire to win the 2008 Major League title.

For the champs, which earned the number three seed in the playoffs with a record of 16-6, the series was highlighted by Andrew Card\’s shutout gem on the mound in Game 1 and back-to-back fifth-inning solo home runs from the bats Sean Chipman and Card, the game-winner and a little insurance, in Game 2.

Link: Sportfishermen.

Another good lookin day! Reported on July 3, 2008 Hopefully we get some guys on the beaches today. The weather shouldn\’t be a problem – Sunny and breezy. Highs in the mid 80s. Southwest winds 15 to 20 mph. Ocean water temps are in the low 60\’s. We are still suffering from a fisherman deficiency which produces a highly deficient fishing report. It\’s looking like everybody is fishing on the internet waiting for somebody else to find the fish and report it and you know what I say – Dry hooks don\’t catch fish! We had one weigh-in yesterday: Dave Leonard – fluke 21\” 3.2 lbs on a squid/spearing combo The weatherman is looking forward to his favorite forecasts of doom and gloom for the weekend. Just remember his recent accuracy ratio (or total lack thereof) and get a plan into place to enjoy the holiday weekend rather than sit home waiting for a 20 minute rainstorm that may never come. We got a surprise box of rod blanks yesterday. We used it as a training mission for Mike before the big box of blanks arrives! He was able to use a sharp tool without removing any necessary body parts! And you guys think he is untrainable. Grumpy hisself That was so much fun that today I\’m going to try running with scissors ………..Mike

Grumpy\’s Bait and Tackle
Seaside Park New Jersey
www.grumpystackle.com

By Bill Cleary

Students from Fabulous Feet located in Bellmawr NJ will be participating in Bellmawr’s 4^th of July Parade on Friday beginning at 10:30 AM.

The school is owned by Bill Robinson and the dance director is Tara Robinson his wife.

Mrs. Robinson once suffered from a viral infection that paralyzed her for months. Beating all odds she has successfully brought the students to National championship level in two short seasons.

Photo: Tara and the dancers performed in Washington DC this past April. Click on photo to enlarge

The dancers and Tara have been working hard on the particular piece of choreography they will be performing on Friday morning. This will be the 3rd year participating in this event. This dance is used for all their charity performances.

The Bellmawr mayor and council have issued proclamations to all the dancers for their hard work in winning the NJ state dance competition with 18 awards last year and 22 this year. The governing body is also purchasing all the students jackets.

Most recently Tara & the dancers were hand selected to dance in the
National Cherry Blossom parade with the National All star tap team. They went and did so well that they were invited to participate in next year\’s parade in the opening dance. The School was also invited to send dancers to perform in Philadelphia\’s own Thanksgiving Day parade.

The parents and students of Fabulous Feet have formed a charity dance troop to help raise money every year for Childhood Cancer Research. They have raised almost $14,000 in two years for the Alex\’s Lemonade Stand foundation. They have another benefit planned for this coming August.

Tara is truly an inspiration to these kids who range from all ages. She not only gives her time and knowledge to the dancers but truly cares for each of them.

Tara husband Bill said, \”To be able to stand and walk again is a gift. But to dance with these kids in and out of the classroom is truly remarkable.

\”This story goes to show you no matter what life throws at you, there is always gold at the end of a rainbow.\”