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ARTIST Dave Wolfe
Vol. 6 No. 37 (March 15, 2020)
Editor\’s Note: Each Sunday morning we post a weekly comic strip provided by cartoonist Dave Wolfe. (click image to enlarge)
Month: March 2020
New Jersey Cancels All Municipal Court Hearings, Jury Trials for Two Weeks
March 14, 2020
(Camden, NJ) – Yesterday, the Camden County Department of Health announced the second presumptive positive case of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Camden County. On Saturday, New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice, Stuart Rabner, announced that all municipal courts in the state will begin a two-week suspension starting Monday.
Anyone scheduled to appear in municipal court between Monday, March 16, and Friday, March 27, will receive notice of a new court date.
“Although the risk posed by coronavirus in New Jersey is still considered low for the general public, suspending these and other activities helps to reduce the likelihood of exposure for residents who would otherwise be required to spend several hours in crowded facilities,” said Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. “Our administration is working tirelessly to ensure that government services remain available to Camden County residents while we combat the spread of coronavirus. We share the state’s goal to minimize the risk posed to our residents while causing the smallest possible disruption to daily life.”
On March 12, Rabner suspended all reporting for petit jury service,
announcing
that no new civil or criminal jury trials would be conducted until further notice. Ongoing jury trials and grand juries are to continue at this time. Jurors who are serving on ongoing trials are asked not to report if they are sick or at risk of exposure to COVID-19.
New protocols have been implemented throughout Camden County to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the county’s workforce and residents. Enhanced cleaning and screening protocols have been implemented in county facilities, monitoring for potential exposures and keeping high-contact surfaces such as doorknobs, elevator buttons, and handrails disinfected. All work-related travel has been cancelled.
The Camden County Correctional Facility has cancelled all in-person visits and has instituted a pandemic response policy. Additionally, all inmates will have their temperatures taken upon booking and release. Both the staff and inmate populations have been briefed on proper practices to reduce their risk of exposure and protect themselves from contracting coronavirus.
School districts throughout the state have begun announcing closures for training, cleaning, and to mitigate the risk of exposure inside their facilities. In Camden County, Pennsauken and Camden City School Districts have announced closures beginning March 16, until March 27, and April 1, respectively.
A complete list of all school closures in the state is being maintained on the New Jersey Department of Education
website
.
Information regarding coronavirus, government preparations, event cancellations, and all other updates from Camden County is being continually updated on
camdencounty.com
. Residents should frequently check the county webpage and social media for up-to-date information.
NJBIA Statement on Senate Economic Relief Actions in Response to Coronavirus
NJBIA President and CEO Michele N. Siekerka, Esq. released the following statement in response to a series of economic relief actions announced today by Senate President Steve Sweeney.
\”NJBIA thanks Senate President Sweeney for consideration of these much needed economic initiatives, which will help both employers and employees during these extremely challenging and worrying times for small business in the state of New Jersey.
\”In no uncertain terms, many of our members are telling us both directly and through our polling that they have serious concerns about the stability and solvency of their operations, both in the short-term and the long-term, due to the overall response of the coronavirus.
\”We believe the protections and extensions proposed today are a start toward helping to mitigate some of the negative economic impacts being experienced, or soon to be experienced by our job creators, workers and their families as we go through this together.
\”NJBIA is grateful to our policymakers for their continued consideration of ideas and proposals that can help the business community and we look forward to further working with them as they come to fruition.\”
FBI Top Ten List Turns 70
The FBI looks back at seven decades of the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives program—from the creation of the famous list in 1950 to the modern-day ways we’re reaching out to the public about dangerous offenders.
The seeds of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list were planted on February 7, 1949, after
The Washington Daily News
published the article “FBI’s Most Wanted Fugitives Named.” The FBI’s public affairs function at the time had given the reporter—who’d asked for a list of the “toughest guys” the Bureau wanted to arrest—the names of 10 dangerous individuals.
The resulting news story became so popular that the FBI created the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list on March 14, 1950.
This week marks the 70
th
anniversary of the list, which is commonly called the Top Ten. The program uses public outreach to capture offenders wanted for serious crimes.
Over the years, 523 fugitives have been placed on the list, with 488 of them having been caught. As a testament to the effectiveness of the program, 162 of those captures were made with the public’s direct assistance.
The early Bureau used identification orders as a way to get the word out about wanted fugitives. The first identification order was issued in December 1919 seeking escaped U.S. Army prisoner William N. Bishop, who was captured in April 1920.
“The FBI has been in the business of seeking fugitives from the law really since its beginning,” says FBI Historian John Fox. “We started issuing, as early as 1919, our first identification orders—basically, fliers we would send out to law enforcement notifying them of criminals we were looking for. That’s what eventually evolves into the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives program.”
Historically, the Top Ten list has reflected the concerns of the time. In the 1950s, bank robbers, burglars, and car thieves populated the list. The 1960s saw fugitives wanted for kidnapping, sabotage, and destruction of government property. Members of organized crime groups and murderers were present on the lists of the 1970s. Drug kingpins and serial killers were a priority in the 1980s. And in the 1990s, the list reflected the increasing threat of international criminal activity.
Over the past two decades, the Top Ten list has focused on the most violent of fugitives sought for homicides, armed robberies, gang activities, and mass shootings.
In the earliest days, wanted posters would be placed in local post offices, and information on offenders was provided to newspapers. This quickly was supplemented with radio shows and television programs. As media has changed over the years, so have the FBI’s outreach methods.
“We still do the traditional stuff—the press conference, posters, sending out a press release—but we now add in the more modern aspects,” says Chris Allen, head of the FBI’s Investigative Publicity and Public Affairs Unit. “Now folks are on their smartphones, so we have a
Wanted mobile app
. We have social media we use to publicize fugitives—we tweet, run Facebook ads, use Instagram.”
The FBI also works with
digital billboard companies
to publicize wanted fugitives, Allen added.
The front page cover of The Washington Daily News, published February 7, 1949, with the story “FBI\’s ‘Most-Wanted Fugitives’ Named,” was the very first instance of the FBI releasing a Top Ten list of wanted offenders.
There are two main criteria for adding an individual to the list. First, they have to be considered dangerous—based on crimes already committed—or likely to continue committing crimes. Second, a fugitive may be added if investigators believe publicity will help lead to the fugitive’s arrest. Not all fugitives meet both criteria.
Criminals who appear on the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list are not ranked. Instead, their position on the FBI website changes randomly every week, regardless of their length of time on the Top Ten, how dangerous they are, or the crimes they’re accused of.
While the Top Ten is usually just that, in 70 years, there have been 13 special additions—instances where the list has expanded past 10 individuals. These include the additions of James Earl Ray for the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Ramzi Yousef for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
The most on the list at one time was 16, when six members of the Weather Underground militant organization were added in 1970 for acts of domestic terrorism.
All fugitives on the list are considered armed and dangerous. If you come across one of the Top Ten fugitives, contact the FBI’s toll-free tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or
submit a tip online
. Additionally, you can contact your local FBI field office or nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.
Thanks to the public’s help, our Ten Most Wanted Fugitives program continues to apprehend some of the world’s most dangerous criminals—while reminding fugitives on the run that the FBI never forgets.
source The United States Department of Justice
Resources
Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
Burlington County Sheriff Files Complaint in Superior Court to Stay Eviction Proceedings
in Response to COVID-19
Mount Holly—
Counsel, on behalf of
Burlington County Sheriff Anthony Basantis, filed a Complaint for Declaratory Judgement in Superior Court this evening to stay the execution of eviction orders. This is supported by Governor Murphy’s Executive Order No. 103,
declaring a State of Emergency for the Coronavirus public health crisis. The Sheriff’s duties include, but are not limited to, overseeing the service of writs of possession related to evictions and ejectments for properties within Burlington County.
A member of the Burlington County Coronavirus Task Force, the Burlington County Sheriff will evaluate the need to reallocate resources of the Sheriff’s Office to assist in addressing the public health, welfare, and safety concerns of the community.
“Displacing residents from households is inconsistent with the goals of containing the spread of COVID-19,” said Sheriff Basantis, “Evictions will increase social contact, and disrupt self-isolation efforts by residents attempting to comply with the recommendations to minimize the spread of the virus.”
Letitia M. McNally, Registered Nurse with the Philadelphia Nursing Home
Cherry Hill – On March 10, 2020. Age 62. Letitia worked for many years as a Registered Nurse with the Philadelphia Nursing Home in Philadelphia.
Burial will be private at the family’s convenience. There will be no visitation or service.
Condolences and Memories may be shared at
www.mccannhealey.com
under the obituary of Letitia M. McNally. Funeral Arrangements and Inquiries through:
McCANN-HEALEY
FUNERAL HOME
: Gloucester City Ph: 856-456-1142
Kevin O\’Donnell “Heavy Kevy”, of Williamstown, formerly of Gloucester City, Rams Alum
Kevin aka “Heavy Kevy”, O\’Donnell, age 59 of Williamstown, New Jersey passed away peacefully on March 12, 2020 surrounded by his family. Beloved husband to Vickie (nee Curtis) O’Donnell, devoted father to daughters Devin and Riane
“Heavy Kevy”
O’Donnell. Cherished son of Thomas J. O’Donnell and the late Kathleen (nee Delahunty) O’Donnell. Son-in-law of Wilma Curtis and the late Charles T. Curtis. Kevin was happily married to Vickie O’Donnell for 21 years. There is nothing in the world he valued more than his family. He is survived by 5 siblings – whom all share the most remarkable bond with each other. Dr. Deborah Mulgrew (Joe), Kelly Duffy (John), Tricia Cunningham-McNulty (the late Steve McNulty), Michael O’Donnell (Denise), and Thomas E. O’Donnell, Esq. (Ruth). He is also survived by an uncle, aunts, cousins and many nieces and nephews.
Kevin was from Gloucester City, New Jersey. He graduated from Gloucester Catholic High School in 1978 as a proud Ram. He received a degree in business and finance from West Liberty University. Kevin worked briefly as a stockbroker but most of his career was in the mortgage industry. He was a valued employee of Greentree Mortgage Company in Gibbsboro, New Jersey. Kevin worked in the mortgage and banking industry for over 30 years. He was an active member of the New Jersey Mortgage Bankers Association and was commonly considered a “mortgage savant”.
Kevin was well-known as Heavy Kevy, a champion Wing Bowl competitor and commentator. He was a proud winner of Wing Bowl 2 and 3 and went on to be inducted into the WIP Wing Bowl Hall of Fame. If you knew anything about Kevin O’Donnell, you knew he had impeccable style. He was always well dressed, and he enjoyed working as a mortgage banker very much. He was a devout Catholic, and a friend to anyone in need. As a kind and compassionate man, he sought every opportunity to comfort and support those who needed help in any situation. He enjoyed coaching football, watching sports, hanging out with his girls and binge-watching Dallas, The Sopranos and Live PD. An avid music lover – Kevin could quote the lyrics to nearly any song between 1970 and 2000. A Phillies and Eagles fan till the end, he assures us all he will talk to the Big Guy about getting us another Super Bowl win this year.
There will be a viewing from 6:00pm to 9:00pm Monday evening at GARDNER FUNERAL HOME, RUNNEMEDE. Viewing Tuesday morning 9:00am to 10:00am at GARDNER FUNERAL HOME, RUNNEMEDE. Funeral Mass 11:00 am at St. Mary’s Church Gloucester City, New Jersey. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Kevin’s name, payable to the Ram Fund c/o Gloucester Catholic High School, 333 Ridgeway Street, Gloucester City, NJ 08030.
CNB Fishing/Hunting NJ: Bluefish/Striped Bass Regulations Update
The NJ Marine Fisheries Council passed motions to adopt new recreational regulations for Bluefish and Striped Bass at their February 13, 2020 meeting.
The NJ Marine Fisheries Administration is working to implement these new regulations by April 1. Until then,
regulations from 2019 are in effect
. See the table below and keep an eye out for additional message information.
Guest Opinion: Toll Hike Benefits American Dream Mall, Hurts Commuters
Jeff Tittel, Director
New Jersey Sierra Club
This week, New Jersey Turnpike Authority released more details about a proposed toll increase. The proposed increases include a 36% increase for the New Jersey Turnpike and a 27% increase for the Garden State Parkway. The money from the toll hike will go toward various projects, including full-
time use of NJ Turnpike exit 19W with direct access to the American Dream Mall in the Meadowlands.
“Using toll money to pay for more direct access to the American Dream Mall is a sham. This mega mall was too costly to build and too costly to visit, and now they want New Jersey commuters to pay for a direct exit from the Turnpike to the mall. This is ridiculous. New Jersey taxpayers already paid for that interchange to be moved originally to allow for direct access to the mall and also paid about $2 million in road and rail improvements to benefit the mall. In addition, taxpayers paid over $1 billion to subsidize this monstrosity of a mall, its customers are being charged to enjoy it, and now commuters are being charged even more,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “This hits commuters in the wallet and doesn’t help them get to work. The mall still owes taxpayers millions of dollars for their mega mall, and now they are taking more money out of our wallets.”
The toll increases would be equally applied to all toll rates, including cash, E-ZPas, peak, off-peak, truck and car rates. The rate for a passenger car on the Turnpike would increase by an average of $1.25 and Parkway tolls by 30 cents.
“The tolls for the Turnpike will go up by an average of $1.25 per trip. That means that the average commuter who takes the Turnpike every day will be paying an additional $600 every year just to get to work. Using that money to benefit the American Scheme mega mall is ridiculous because it has already been the largest corporate subsidy in the state’s history. In addition to these toll hikes, people have to pay $24 for parking, and the daily price to ride American Dream rides will be $80 soon. Combined, that’s more than a season pass at Six Flags and just $5 shy for a daily pass to Disney World,” said Jeff Tittel. “The people who work at the American Dream Mall making $11/hour cannot afford to go there, much less drive there with these toll hikes. To spend a full day at the park could take a full week’s wages.”
This toll hike is estimated to raise more than $500 million. The money will support a capital plan that goes through 2029. There are 53 projects that will widen sections of the Parkway and Turnpike. Both roads will also get cashless toll collection, and full-time use of exit 19W. 19W allows direct access from the Turnpike to the Meadowlands sports complex and is currently only open on event days.
“There is no real traffic program for the bus or train services that are reliable, instead the mall will be car-dependent. The project, which comprises 7.1 million square feet of office and commercial space, in order to be successful, it will need to generate around 120,000 to 150,000 cars a day, gridlocking Bergen County with traffic. Everyday traffic will be like game day at Giants Stadium, and now they want to use toll money to benefit the mall,” said Tittel. “The Murphy Administration has been trying to fix traffic problems by proposing a rail plan that will cost $1-$2 billion while NJ Transit is crumbling. That money could have been used to finish the Bergen-Hudson Light Rail Line or important improvements for NJ Transit. Why should we be paying for a rail to a private mall. They created the problem, why should NJ taxpayers and commuters pay to fix it?”
The mall is an estimated 3 million square feet with more than half of that allotted to entertainment and the other 45% of the space will be for retail. There are 11,000 parking spaces and they share 22,000 with MetLife stadium on non-event days. The American Dream/Xanadu mall sits partly on wetlands in an environmentally sensitive area prone to flooding. Meadowlands resources are important for flood control, fisheries, and migratory birds.
“We have been fighting this mega mall for over 20 years because it is too large, it’s in an environmentally sensitive area, and will cause a lot of pollution and traffic. The American Dream/Xanadu site flooded during Hurricane Sandy. The mall’s water park is built on top of wetlands, which means increasingly vulnerable to the effects of sea level rise and storm surges. Studies have shown the entire area will end up under 3 feet of water. The EPA and Fish & Wildlife under President George W. Bush opposed the project because of environmental impacts on clean air and water, and wildlife,” said Tittel. “Overdeveloping the Meadowlands will not only put more people in danger of flooding, but will actually impact wetlands and the fragile ecosystems.”
Governor Murphy believes this project has provided New Jersey residents with extraordinary opportunities for good-paying construction and building jobs, as well as opportunities for New Jersey’s business owners.
“The billions of dollars for American Dream could’ve been used for building schools and colleges, taking lead out of our drinking water, or cleaning up our toxic sites. Instead, this private enterprise is a one-two punch to our wallets, the billions it took to build it and the high price tag to enjoy its amenities. The American Dream mall shows everything that is wrong about New Jersey,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “By proposing to use toll increases to help pay for direct access to the American Dream Mall, the NJ Transit Authority is failing the commuters of New Jersey.”
Theodore L. Galiazzi, Sr., “Ted” of Bellmawr
Theodore L. Galiazzi, Sr., “Ted”, on March 12, 2020, of Bellmawr; formerly of Magnolia.
Age 80.
Beloved husband of Marie (nee Iacovelli). Devoted father of Linda Galiazzi, Diane Verratti, Ted Galiazzi, Jr. (Heather), and Michael Galiazzi (Christine). Loving Pop Pop of Mia, Bella, Mikey, Julionna, Gia, and Nick. Dear brother of Richard Galiazzi (Marie), Annette Venezia, and the late Anthony and Bobby Galiazzi. Also survived by nieces and nephews.
Ted retired from RCA in Camden after 30-plus years of employment. There will be a viewing from 8:15am to 10:15am Wednesday morning at GARDNER FUNERAL HOME, RUNNEMEDE. Funeral Mass 11am Wednesday at Holy Child Parish, St. Teresa RC Church, Runnemede. Interment New St. Mary’s Cemetery, Bellmawr.