CNB \”News Hound\” Provides List of Properties Owned by the City of Gloucester City

By Bill Cleary

A friend of ClearysNoteBook, who is a real estate appraiser, sent me this list of 122 $\"6a00d8341bf7d953ef011571114c5a970c-800wi\"$ properties listed on tax records as owned by the City of Gloucester City. About 67 of these properties are vacant lots.

I had asked a City official in July for a list of city owned vacant lots as I was writing an article about how new ideas were needed by our mayor and council to raise tax ratables but I never received it. No doubt the individual is very busy with other pressing matters.

Our CNB friend writes, \”Some of the properties are listed as parks, playgrounds, parking lots, etc. There were 2 on Kings Highway I deleted and probably should have left on – they\’re the 2 big lots just outside the development over there. I ran a search on my MLS service\’s tax records. I pulled all properties owned by the city. The list is not perfect but it\’s a start. It took about 15 minutes to compile.\”

In recent years contractors and developers in Wildwood Crest and other communities have been taking small lots and building townhouses with a garage on the bottom and two floors on top.

Could something similar work here on these vacant properties?

Sell the lot (s) to a builder for a $1 with the understanding that construction would have to be completed within a certain period. The finished product could be sold at a reduced price since the ground was free. And the buyer would have to live in the property for five years. I wrote recently about the Beatrice Nebraska\’s Homestead Act. Their idea seems perfect for our community.

And as I mentioned a few days ago Gloucester City has been talking about a similar program for over a year. In an article dated May 9, 2009 posted on CNB Mayor James stated –

\”We have identified all of the City owned vacant lots and in an effort to increase the value of these parcels and to create new tax ratable we are having conversations with residential developers to generate an interest in an in-fill housing program in the west side of town. These properties have sat for years and years and right now collect nothing but trash, overgrown weeds and abandoned vehicles. This can not continue to be the norm and we feel as though this initiative shows promise\”.

As the mayor stated some of these lots have been sitting vacant since 1972. Think of all the money in taxes the City has lost over that 40 year period; monies that could have been used to reduce our taxes and or fund needed services.

An interesting note, the total paid by the City (taxpayers) to purchase the 122 properties listed comes to $1,135,927. This amount does not include the $5.9 million the City recently spent for Chatham Square ($4.25 million block 256 Lot 1 and $1.65 million, for block 256 Lot 4); or the $5 million spent for the AMPSPEC property.

Hopefully Mayor James will soon be releasing the plan he spoke of in May 2009.

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Bellmawr Council Members Remember Colleague Peter DiGiambattista Sr.

By Chris Concannon

NEWS Correspondent

Members of Bellmawr’s Borough Council remembered their late colleague fondly $\"Peter$ during the August 26 meeting.

Councilman Peter A. Di Giambattista Sr., 67, (photo) had passed away August 19 following medical complications from an aneurysm.

Councilman Lou Di Angelo chaired the meeting in the absence of Mayor Frank Filipek, who is recovering from knee surgery.

He, along with the other Council members, remarked on Di Giambattista’s 15-year, five-term political career.

At the time of his passing, Di Giambattista, otherwise known as \”Peter Dee,\” was preparing to run for a sixth-consecutive Council term.

Councilwoman Regina Piontkowski then read a proclamation from Mayor Filipek, remarking on the career of their late colleague and friend.

In other business, the Bellmawr Fire Department received yet another Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program Award, presented by Tony Valente of PEOSH.

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Get \”Wild\” During New Jersey\’s First-ever Outdoor Expo Sept. 25-26

TRENTON – Perhaps you\’ve always wanted to learn how to fish or hunt but weren\’t sure how to get started. Or maybe you\’ve been longing to strap on a backpack and venture onto the Appalachian Trail for a long weekend but were afraid you lacked the skills. Or perhaps you\’re simply looking for some tips on making your family camping trips more enjoyable.

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Whatever your goal, slip out of your comfort zone this fall and \”get wild\” by picking up tips and insights on New Jersey\’s great outdoors from the experts during the Department of Environmental Protection\’s first-ever WILD Outdoor Expo Sept. 25 and 26.

The Expo, to be held at the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area in Upper Freehold, Monmouth County, will expose participants to a host of outdoors adventures such as hiking, camping and hunting that are in New Jersey\’s forests, parks and natural areas

\”New Jersey\’ inaugural WILD Outdoor Expo will showcase the wonderful natural resources and superb recreational outdoors opportunities that are out there just waiting for you and your family,\” said Commissioner Bob Martin. \”The demonstrations and activities held throughout this special weekend will foster an appreciation for New Jersey\’s bountiful natural resources and build the confidence to enjoy them safely.\”

The Expo is sponsored by the DEP\’s Division of Fish and Wildlife and Division of Parks and Forestry, as well as the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey. It is partly financed by a $10,000 grant from the Weatherby Foundation International.

The Expo will be held each day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine. Entrance and parking are free. Some activities will be offered at a modest fee. Some events require pre-registration. For a listing of programs and directions to the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area, visit www.wildoutdoorexpo.com.

It will include plenty of hands-on activities and demonstrations geared to avid outdoorsmen and women, as well as to novices who want to venture into the wild a lot more. Experts will provide tips and insights on fishing, hiking, shooting, archery, kayaking, wildlife watching and much more.

Camping demonstrations will be held for families looking to get outdoors together. An \”Orienteering Treasure Hunt\’\’ will test participants\’ compass skills. And there\’s fun for the kids too, including an opportunity to meet and take photos with the wolves appearing in the new movie \”The Sorcerer\’s Apprentice.\”

You\’ll also have an opportunity to buy gear to start you on your adventure through an outdoors-supplies flea market. Food will be available from vendors, or pack in your own if you prefer.

\”The Expo will help people connect with the natural world by providing a unique blend of conservation information, education, and hands-on opportunities to learn outdoors skills from the experts,\” said David Chanda, Director of the DEP\’s Division of Fish and Wildlife. \”Get out of your comfort zone. You\’ll be glad you did.\”

via www.nj.gov

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Hunting & Fishing News: Save Your Weekend! NJ Hunter Safety Course available Online

With hunting season fast approaching, many people are scrambling to get into a hunter $\"6a00d8341bf7d953ef0115722fc9cc970b-320wi\"$ safety class and obtain the necessary certification to purchase a New Jersey Hunting License.

The traditional New Jersey Hunter Safety Classroom Course is a minimum of 15 hours in length, conducted over 3-4 weeknights or an entire weekend. Many people find it difficult to spare that much time to attend a class which, until now, has been a barrier for new hunters.

Lucky for those people who cringe at the thought of spending an entire weekend taking a class, there is an online option that saves hunters hours of classroom time.

The HunterExam New Jersey Hunter Safety Course is a self-paced Internet course approved by the Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. The online course allows hunter education students to complete most of the course work from home, and attend a single \’Field Day\’ that is run by an instructor, where they complete some hands-on activities and a written final exam.

The online hunting course covers the same material that would be presented in the traditional classroom option. Online completion classes (or \”Field Days\”) are held in most counties throughout New Jersey and consist of a single session (usually 5-7 hours in length) that includes a review of material, hands-on activities and live-fire exercises at a shooting range. A written final exam is given at the end of the Field Day.

In order to deliver the Internet Hunter Safety Course in the most user-friendly manner possible, HunterExam\’s online study guide is fully narrated by a professional voice-over artist, includes over 400 detailed illustrations, and contains upward of 60 interactive exercises that cover every topic from rifle parts to hunting ethics. The three interactive online shooting ranges are a big hit with students.

Students are tested online via \”end of chapter quizzes\” and visual aids are presented in every exam question. HunterExam reports the average quiz score is approximately 87% (80% is needed to pass).

The online course is free to anyone as a study guide. Students who wish to purchase a \”Field Day Voucher\” (required to attend the Internet completion class) pay a one-time fee of $24.95 once they have passed the entire online course.

Fresh Air Educators, Inc, parent company of HunterExam.com also offers a New Jersey Boating Safety Course, where students can obtain the New Jersey Boating License Online.

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