When East Meets West: Remembering Uncle Joe Barron

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My uncle Joe was killed in action while serving on board the USS. Franklyn CVA.13. the ship was set a fire by Japanese suicide planes crashing into the flight deck as well as bombs that were dropped.

Uncle Joe was a shipfitter 2nd class petty officer. He was a member of the damage control crew assigned to put out the fire.

As strange as it may seem the ship was attacked in the Japan Sea,only 23 kilometers from where I reside here in Kitakyushu City. Isn\’t it Ironic.
He is sadley missed by my extended family over the years , since WW II.

Warm Regards from Kitakyushu City ,Japan

Hank Miller

View photos of family members gathered at Uncle Joe\’s memorial banner at Broadway and Market Street , Gloucester City NJ

Reminder: – You can save these photos after viewing them by creating a free Kodak Gallery account.

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Ticket Applications Available for the 2009 NCAA Division I Women\’s Basketball Trenton Regional at Sovereign Bank Arena

$\"NCAA$ Image via Wikipedia

Media release

Edison, N.J. – Ticket applications are now available for the Trenton Regional of the 2009 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship at the Sovereign Bank Arena.

All-session tickets are priced at $52.00 for adults and $47.00 for senior citizens. Group rates for youth groups are also available. The tickets are good for both games on Sunday, March 29 and the regional final on Tuesday, March 31. The general public can obtain the ticket application by stopping at the Sovereign Bank Arena box office or logging onto www.sovereignbankarena.com.

\”The MAAC, Rider University, the Sovereign Bank Arena and the Mercer County Sports and Entertainment Commission look forward to hosting another successful NCAA event in Trenton,\” Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Commissioner Rich Ensor said. \”Fans from the area and throughout the country will have an opportunity to watch quality women’s college basketball as four teams vie to play in the Final Four.\”

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Another NJ Politician Off to Jail, Thank You Mr. Spaventa, Only One Will Be Chosen

TIPS AND SNIPPETS:

Here we go again, another New Jersey politician is found guilty of committing a crime. What else is new? Over the past several decades 130 New Jersey politicians (both Republican and Democrat) have been sentenced to jail terms. It makes you wonder how these people sleep at night. Don’t they have a conscience?

Apparently not!

Former State Senator Wayne Bryant (Camden 5^th District, Democrat) is the latest thief that will soon be wearing a new suit of prison blues. Caught with his hand in the taxpayers cookie jar a jury convicted Bryant on 13 COUNTS of selling his Senate influence to pad a government pension.

Bryant’s 28 year political career began in 1980 when he was first elected to the Camden County Freeholder Board. He served in that capacity until 1982 when he ran for the State Assembly. While in the General Assembly Bryant served as Majority Leader from 1990 to 1991. Upon the death of longtime Democratic Senator Walter Rand on January 6, 1995, Bryant was selected to serve the remaining term. In 2006 after being indicted Bryant resigned from the Senate.

http://www.answers.com/topic/wayne-r-bryant

I knew Wayne from the days he served on the Camden County Board of Freeholders and watched his rise into the state legislature. As a reporter I often covered events that he was in attendance. Always a firm handshake and a warm smile he was a typical politician. You couldn’t help not to like him.

Ask anyone in his hometown of Lawnside what they think of their beloved Senator Bryant and they will tell you in their opinion he was the greatest.

One wonders though when he decided that he was going to deceive these constituents and everyone else in the state? In other words when did he decide to become another shifty underhanded politician? Was it just greed? He had a successful law practice and from all accounts was financially secured. So what happened?

Looking for an answer to what makes politicians steal I found a number of theories. One that stood out more than the others was written several years ago by Richard Reeves http://realclearpolitics.com .

\”Among politicians, I have watched more than a few friends and acquaintances go off to prison. There are no hard and fast rules for corruption, but I have noticed that many Republicans go wrong because they believe that it is business as usual, un-American to pass up a chance at profit. They do what comes naturally in the private sector, but some of what comes naturally to a speculator is against the law for a public servant.

Democrats I\’ve known have gone wrong because they came to believe they had earned their way into a privileged class, complete with free meals and vacations, life on the fast track. Then comes a day, often when they are first faced with college tuitions for their children that they realize they can\’t afford the life of the people asking, begging them for little favors. They step onto the slippery slope of favors and loans and then bribes.\”

If you would like to learn more about New Jersey’s culture of corruption over the past 30 years read the book The Soprano State written by Bob Ingle and Sandy McClure. The authors point out why the state of New Jersey may just be the most corrupt state in the nation. The only way to change things, get involved.

By Working Together a Problem was Solved: The TIP- Bill, if you get a chance check out the flag flying at the G.H.S. football field. It is shredded and hanging by one eyelet. I was very embarrassed while attending the state playoff game at the field yesterday between G.C.H.S. and Pope John XXIII. Everyone staring at this scrap while the visiting band played the National Anthem. I never saw a flag in worse shape than this one. I know you take this disrespect towards our country and our flag seriously like I do so I figured I would mention it to you.

I am happy to report that within hours after contacting School Superintendent Paul Spaventa the flag was replaced.

Mr. Spaventa writes, Bill, Just wanted to let you know that the problem with the flag was that the rope broke in the high winds. John Kenney called the fire department and they were able to take down the old rope and replace it with new. The rope measures 85 feet. Thanks again for your concern. We certainly wouldn\’t want to disrespect our flag.

HEARD ON THE STREET-The unofficial list of the applicants for the job of Gloucester City Administrator are: Ted Howarth, Patrick Keating, Paul Kain, and Kathy Jentsch. Only one will be chosen. The official announcement will be made at the January reorganization meeting of City Council.

~Bill Cleary

Powerful Camden County Democrat Guilty

BILLS POINT OF VIEW

TIPS AND SNIPPETS

Mistakes Have Cost City Taxpayers Millions

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3 \’dangerous\’ chemical plants in S.J.

Link: Courier-Post.

The five New Jersey plants the report identified are:

Valero Refining Co. petroleum refinery in Paulsboro, which uses hydrofluoric acid to turn crude oil into gasoline.

The Thorofare plant in West Deptford, which uses hydrofluoric acid to make other chemicals.

DuPont Chambers Works plant in Deepwater, which uses chlorine gas to make polymers.

The Kuehne Chemical Co. plant in South Kearny, which uses chlorine gas to produce liquid bleach.

Infenium USA plant in Linden, which uses chlorine gas to make industrial additives.

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1958: Gloucester High wins first City Series in 5 Years

Note: A series of articles about the history of the Gloucester Catholic vs. Gloucester High football games was published in a booklet released in 1993 entitled \”The Renewal of Friendship\”. This great history of the series was put together my members of the Gloucester High Alumni Association.

Unfortunately I don’t have the entire book. But over the next couple of weeks leading up to this year’s game on Thanksgiving Day I will post the articles and photo pages that are in my possession. Drawing on front cover of booklet by Todd Whitten

Lions Rettew and Brennan Star

Gloucester High\’s \”Raiders\”, led by the brilliant running and pass catching of Bart Rettew, the pass catching of Dink Brennan and the fine arm of Harry Purnell, won their first city series game in five years before 3500 fans at the Charles St. Stadium on Thanksgiving morning.

Rettew thrilled fans with a fine catch of a Purnell aerial and an almost amazing return of a Gloucester Catholic punt for 50 yards and a TD. A resume\’ of the game is as follows.

Gloucester\’s Big Bob Weichmann kicked off for Gloucester to start the game. Gloucester Catholic\’s offense lost yardage and on fourth down were forced to punt. Gloucester took over on Catholic\’s 35 yard line. Purnell and Brennan carried the ball to the 7 in six plays. Then Purnell pitched a pass to Rettew who caught the ball on the 2 and scampered into the end zone for six points. Larry Pusey\’s try for the extra point was low.

Again Catholic\’s offense stalled and after an exchange of punts Gloucester had the ball on their own 47. Three plays and a penalty later Gloucester was on the Catholic 33. Here Purnell pitched a beautiful pass to the speeding Dink Brennan who gathered the ball in on the 19 and sped across the goal line for Gloucester\’s second touchdown. The extra point try again failed.

In the second period\’Catholic tallied their lose score when Ray McCann plunged over from the 3 yard line to cap a 58 yd. drive, which was sparked by the running of Jim Heverly and Dick Harris. The Rams made it 12-7 when Heverly threw a pass to Harry Parker for the extra point.

In the second half both teams tightened up their defense and it was a back and forth battle with neither team able to get any threat rolling.

On the third play of the fourth quarter Bart Rettew grabbed a Catholic punt on the midfield stripe, dodged 4 or 5 defenders, took to the opposite side of the field and raced all the way into the end zone for his second TD. The try for the extra for the extra point was missed and the score stood Gloucester, 18 and Gloucester Catholic 7.

Rettew, Brennan, Purnell and Joe Connolly were the offensive standouts for Gloucester while McCann, Heverly and Harris did the outstanding work for Catholic.

On defense for Gloucester, Bob Weichmann was tops along with Newcomb, Pusey, Hindsley and Kaisla. Chuck Morgan was the defensive standout for Catholic.

The game gives Gloucester the lead in the city series with a 6 win and 5 loss record. It also gives Gloucester a 3-6-0 final record for one of their best seasons in recent years. Catholic closes out their season with a 1-8-0 record.

All the boys on both teams can be congratulated for the fine game they played for their schools. Win or lose both teams were in there fighting, all the way.

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MACC Volleyball Championship Begins This Sunday

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Image via Wikipedia

Media Release

Edison, NJ – The 2008 MAAC Volleyball Championship begins this Sunday, November 23 with a pair of matches at UHY Court at Alumni Recreation Center on the campus of Siena College in Loudonville, New York. The winner will receive an automatic bid to the 2008 NCAA Championship.

At 1:00 p.m., second-seeded Siena plays host to third-seeded Canisius. The second semifinal, slated to begin at 4:00 p.m., will feature top-seeded Fairfield taking on the fourth-seeded Gaels of Iona. Both semifinal contests can be seen live on www.maacsports.com.

The championship match will be played Monday, November 24 at 7:00 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPNU.

Siena, the three-time defending MAAC champions, finished the regular season 18-12 overall and 15-3 in conference play. The 2007 MAAC Offensive Player of the Year Burgandy McCurty leads the Saints, who have topped Fairfield three games to two in three consecutive championship matches. Canisius enters the tournament after going 17-10 overall and 12-6 in the league looking for its first MAAC Volleyball Championship. The Golden Griffins were one of only two MAAC squads to get the best of the Saints, winning, 3-2, in both teams’ conference opener. Siena won the other meeting, 3-1.

Top-seeded Fairfield arrives in Loudonville with a 19-12 overall record and a 16-2 mark in the league. The Stags only conference losses came in road matches against semifinal opponent Iona and fellow championship contender Canisius. They have been in the Championship Match a league leading 11 times. Iona finished the season 19-11 overall and 11-7 in the MAAC. The Gaels feature eight-time Defensive Player of the Week Allison Nieters, who ranks third in the country with 5.96 digs per set. The two teams split their head-to-head meetings this season, with each school winning on its home court.

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Too soon to scrap Abbott

Link: NJVoices: Star-Ledger Editorial Page.

Thankfully, those courts, including the current one in its ruling Tuesday, rejected the idea that the Abbott case should die.

The Corzine administration sought court approval of a new state school financial aid formula. The new formula rejects special funding for 31 Abbott districts in favor of calculations that distribute $7.8 billion among all schools — $4.1 billion of it to the Abbotts — based on the number of disadvantaged students they have and a district\’s ability to provide for them.