In terms of the percentage of Camden County children, Camden City comes in first out of 37 communities with 32 percent of the 18,551 school children between age 5-17 living in poverty or 6,024; Woodlynne is second with 23 percent of the 627 children age 5-17 in poverty or 144 children; and Gloucester City is third with 19 percent of 2,106 children age 5-17 or 395 children.

PAID FIRE DEPARTMENTS ARE SHRINKING-I read an interesting article in the Courier Post earlier this week about the Medford Fire Department. The Fire Department has 80 volunteers and six paid daytime firefighters that cover the 39-square-mile township. What struck me most about the article was the estimated cost to operate the Medford Fire Department is between $1.3 million to $2 million depending on capital expenses.

In Gloucester City, a community that is 2.2 square miles the estimated budget for the Fire Department is $4 million.

According to City Councilman Nick Marchese, Finance Chairman the department has 32 paid firemen, which includes 9 supervisors. Salaries for those full-time employees is approximately $2,565,003.The City has 25 volunteer firemen.

Across the state paid departments are shrinking because of budget constraints, yet here in Gloucester City mayor and council recently swore in seven firemen to full-time positions. Only one of those men was new since six of them had the title of provisional firefighter.

The City firefighters have been working without a contract since December 2008.

Steve Addezio, Medford public safety director said Medford\’s volunteers are paid between $2 and $5 per call and can qualify for a township-funded pension program. The department responds to about 1,200 calls per year and between 11 and 15 firefighters per call on nights and weekends.

According to the site the Brooklawn School District received two grants one for $655,687 and one for $93,298, the Gloucester City School District received a grant for $3,906,884, and the Gloucester City Housing Authority a grant for $172,927.

YOU CAN’T BEAT MOTHER NATURE-Last week’s Nor’easter caused millions of dollars in damage to the coastline of New Jersey. Last month NJ Senator Robert Menendez announced that he was able to secure more than $159 million for NJ beaches and flood control. And just the other day the Senator announced that the fed\’s were allocating another $17.6 million to fix the beach damaged from the most recent storm.

I am just wondering what the solution is to saving the state’s coastline? It is apparent that all the money being spent is not doing a bit of good. One big storm is all it takes and those refurbished beaches are washed out to sea.

What is really upsetting is not only do my tax dollars both state and federal get spent on these useless beach restorations, but I am also charged a fee by the shore towns to use the beach that I paid to rebuild.

Esmee Denters at Kershaw School

Mt. Ephraim, NJ – November 16, 2009 – The students were spellbound as the beautiful,young pop singer, Esmée Denters, stood before them on the stage at Kershaw School last Friday and told her unusual story of discovery. An aspiring singer who fell in love with her father’s Stevie Wonder albums as a child, Esmée was 17 when she began posting videos of herself three years ago on YouTube singing her favorite hits by Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Pink and Natasha Bedingfield and also some original songs. These she recorded in the bedroom of her suburban home of Oosterbeek in the Netherlands.

Bryson Bridges \”Her biggest Fan\”

Photo: Student Council Presents Certificate

After telling her story, Esmée performed three songs for the students with acoustic guitar accompaniment. Her warm, bluesy voice captivated the crowd of students and teachers alike. The Talent Club asked prepared questions which Esmée graciously answered one by one. \”Esmée, I’m your biggest fan!\” said eighth grader, Bryson Bridges, before he asked her his question. Esmée explained how in the Netherlands English language is heard on television and sub-titled in Dutch.

When asked, she spoke some words in her native language. She said she may continue on to college someday to study languages.

She talked about how life on the road was hard and that she missed family, although she loved what she was doing. The Talent Club presented Esmée with a signed t-shirt and hat that said \”Jersey Girl\” on it. The Student Council officers presented a signed certificate of appreciation and a large tray of local Philly Pretzels for Esmée and her crew.

At the end, the Talent Club was able to get up-close and personal and had a moment to talk to Esmée backstage. Students were presented with autographed posters. Manion said, \”This is an experience the students will remember for a long time and we are grateful to Esmée for volunteering her time to the kids.\”

The Talent Club, Student Council and Rock Band with Esmee

The Guide leads readers on an exploration of New Jersey\’s distinct landscapes, diverse habitats, and unique flora and fauna. Beautiful, full-color photographs proclaim New Jersey\’s natural grandeur and provide snapshots of what awaits visitors at each viewing site. A three-tiered rating system alerts readers to those must-see locations throughout the state. Other features include driving directions, amenities, trail information, contact information and web addresses. A special section discusses tips and techniques to increase the likelihood of seeing wildlife. 

St. Mary’s parishioners, with the guidance and coordination of Sister Christine Hartnett, O.P., de-veloped their own special way of honoring their priests. Gospel readings, prayers, and hymns like \”Here I Am, Lord\” were selected to mark that day.

St. Mary School children created colorful posters and class Spiritual Bouquets to enhance the interior of the church. Families created their own Spiritual Bouquets consisting of prayers and acts of charity offered for the priests and their intentions.

I am extremely disappointed with the Mayor and council with regards to sketchy answers given regarding serious questions.

Questions were asked regarding what \”appears to be\” work done on private properties in conjunction with publicly funded jobs that leaves the residents of Brooklawn wondering just how that private property work was paid for.

The best Mayor and council could do was refer us to filing OPRA requests for documents to verify that information as Mayor and Council were unaware of what those jobs entailed initially,(which I find hard to believe). I was told only the town engineers would be aware of the actual job specs.

A disappointing answer to a valid legitimate question that the residents of Brooklawn deserve to have an answer to. Its kind of strange that Mayor and Council voted to move ahead on projects that they now claim to have no knowledge about what was included on those jobs.

Other questions with regards to Brooklawn are that several council people have been found in violation of construction permits and tax assessments by the Camden Co. Board of Taxation. The residents of Brooklawn want and deserve answers from the representatives but to date Mayor and Council seem unwilling to provide acceptable answers to clarify to the tax payers what is being done, why its being done, and how its being paid for.

Unwillingness to communicate with the people you represent. Proceeding with work on town projects without any knowledge of what the work was supposed to entail. Knowing that work was done on privately owned properties and refusing to answer questions with regards to it. Then showing no interest in finding an answer as to why work was done on private properties in conjunction with a town project does not make for a prudent government with the towns best interest in mind.

Earl Foster

Brooklawn