Camdenbase

Political appointments can be pretty hilarious. Meet your newest DRPA commissioner, Vincent J. DeVito, a resident of...Fairfield Township in Essex County, about 100 miles away from the nearest DRPA project. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Peter J. O'Connor still likes to shoot a few hoops. In 1971, he was the lead attorney in a lawsuit that accused Mount Laurel of exclusionary zoning that blocked housing for low-income residents. A landmark 1975 state Supreme Court decision in the case produced sweeping change and carved battle lines that are still being redrawn. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

At Camden High School's basketball games, even the home team are visitors to the court these days. That's because it might take eight weeks to replace a portion of the Camden High gymnasium floor that was damaged after the heater/ventilator pipe underneath it broke about a month ago. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A New Jersey state trooper [Daniel Ellington] who shot and killed a man in Camden Wednesday also shot to death a suspect in an armed robbery in Massachusetts 14 years ago while on vacation. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Comparing the past two years, there has been a 12% drop in overall major crimes in Camden. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The shooting death of a Pennsauken man by a state trooper in Camden sparked protests by the victim's relatives and friends and other residents. If one community activist's [Yolanda Aguilar, coordinator of Camden Community Policing Partnership] views are any indication, the troppers have helped deter criminals. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

This South Jersey Speaks Out page includes an editorial and 10 letters on the topic of the Camden Recovery Act and opposing lawsuits.

A federal court has reinstated a lawsuit filed by a former Camden official [ Keith A. Walker, former Camden assistant business administrator] who claimed he was fired for challenging the city's now-jailed mayor [Milton Milan] on policies he felt were illegal. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

In a South Jersey neigtborhood some think too dangerous to visit, a half-dozen women are sharing a life of commitment, sanctified by prayer and spiced with laughter and lots of talk. Using their skills as physicians, counselors and administrators, the six battle poverty on their North Camden doorstep. They live in a convent that was opened in 1927 to house the sisters of St. Joseph who would teach in the Holy Name parish school. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The strains of what sounds like urban hip hop thumps behind the doors of Millennium Skate World in Camden. It's Thursday, otherwise known as Gospel Night at the roller rink. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

I could not believe what I've read about the fiasco in Camden. City Councilman Ali Sloan El and one of his co-plaintiffs, Colandus Francis, have met with the state treasurer to iron out" their problems with the $175 million state takeover that Francis and Sloan El are suing to stop. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post"

Financing for Camden's recovery remains on hold after a Superior Court judge postponed action Friday on lawsuits challenging the plan. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Carmen L. Martinez rarely misses a Sunday morning Mass at her church, Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Fatima in South Camden. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The last time I saw Odessa Paulk-Jones, it was the week before Christmas. I'd met Odessa while covering a story at Roosevelt Manor, in the Centerville section of South Camden, in 1990. Roosevelt Manor has since been substantially renovated (thanks in part to the lobbying efforts of Odessa and The Ladies), but back then it was utterly grim. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Teachers have reached a tentative agreement with the school district on a new contract. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

To those who don't want the state to run Camden because you believe Camden residents should choose all their own leaders: Your case would be a lot stronger if those who pay most of the city's expenses--and therefore deserve representation--actuallly lived in the city. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The date: Dec. 12, 2001. The place: Clarion Hotel, Route 70, Cherry Hill. The occasion: A rally to save Camden. Hundreds of people attended, and the speakers included some of the most powerful people in South Jersey politics. They supported a bold piece of legislation that essentially said the city would receive a big chunk of cash - about $ 180 million - from the state government, if city leaders would surrender control of Camden to the state. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

During the next three years, Rutgers-Camden will commit $1.2 million to help Fairview residents revive the historic community. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

In the grab-and-go lunch business outside the Camden County Hall of Justice, one outlet has star status among customers on a strictly followed one-hour court lunch recess. It is Bill Guerriero's quilted, stainless steel cart under the crookedly printed banner, WillieDogz. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Since 1995, federal (Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS) grants have helped the city put 84 new police officers on the streets. Since then, the number of murders dropped from more than one a week to two a month before rising again last year. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

State officials have given the board of education until the middle of March to explain how an underground heating oil tank at the now vacant Lanning Square School leaked, contaminating the nearby groundwater. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Parents, teachers, officials and students will meet Tuesday to consider how to make the district's schools safer. The meeting comes in the wake of the stabbing of a student at Woodrow Wilson High School earlier this week. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Camden-based Campbell Soup has recalled about 56,000 pounds of canned soup that may be contaminated with an undeclared allergen , the Agriculture Daprtment said Friday. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The city's top two officials formally told council Friday of their intent to fire the city's police chief [Robert Allenbach]. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Gazing at one of the huge mounds of dirt NJ Transit has erected near his East Camden home, Juan Marrero smiles, shrugs and says it's not the worst thing that's ever happened to his neighborhood. The barrier should help with the noise from the South Jersey Light Rail trains.... [However] Camden city councilman Frank Moran said he's worried NJ Transit is trying to camouflage" his district. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post"

The Camden County Prosecutor confirmed Saturday he is considering a request from city government leaders to assume control of the city's police department. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Frank Fulbrook is usually the guy who does the spanking. But lately, he's been taking a few whacks himself. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A half-dozen city girls pleaded guilty Friday to riot charges stemming from a street fight this week near Camden high School. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A judge plans to decide Tuesday the fate of the Camden recovery plan, the state's ambitious effort to revive its poorest city and exercise unprecedented control over Camden's government and schools. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A 9-1-1 dispatcher indicated she would alert police when a caller reported a violent abduction ourside a PATCO Hi-Speedline station on Nov. 12, 2001, according to a recording of the call released Friday. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Residents will get their first look at the Camden School District's proposed $311 million budget during a public hearing at 6 p.m. Friday at the district's Pine Street television station. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

After hearing Pennsauken Mart tenants plead for their livelihoods Thursday, Camden County is considering hiring a firm to help them adjust to a new location when a civic and sports center displaces them. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Friday's breakup of a powerful and violent city drug ring will have a major impact on the drug trade here and elsewhere in South Jersey, authorities said. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Camden school board members presented a proposed $329 million spending plan to the public during a Friday night hearing. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Luis Figueroa, one of two kingpins in a massive illegal drug market in East Camden for more than a decade, pleaded guilty Friday to a murder that was evidence of the violence that controlled low- and mid-level workers in the illegal business. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Authorities on Friday said they smashed a criminal group that spread drugs and violence in the city for at least 10 years. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The admissions team at Rutgers-Camden casts a wide net, factoring in grades and awards, standardized test scores and class rank, advanced placement classes and extracurricular activities. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Changing the location of your business is a trauma, a hassle and a risk So it's predictable that vendors at the Pennsauken Mart might not want to make way for the new civic center. The Mart is old, however, and the civic center has to go somewhere. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Bob durand and Marshall "Mush" Burr helped build one of the mightiest warships on Earth. Last week, nearly 43 years after the ship was launched and 36 years after the shipyard closed, Durand and Burr cme back to what's left of the New York Shipbuilding Corp. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Merchants at the Pennsauken Mart decided Friday to hire an attorney to help them fight a proposed $65 million civic center that would displace their businesses. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Sen. Jon Corzine, D-N.J. on Saturday pledged his support -- and some of his own money -- to a Camden church coalition working to improve the city's neighborhoods. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

There's nothing nutty about making money, which is why Menajen Tacher swapped a lucrative career in information technology for one importing cashew nuts to Camden. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A bigger, better centerpiece for a bigger, better waterfront. That's the promise of the approaching sea change at the N.J. State Aquarium Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The Rutgers-Camden Technology Business Incubator, a joint project of the School of Business-Camden, the Delaware River Port Authority and the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology, encourages new businesses by providing inexpensive support and space, at the former Virtua hospital building on Atlantic Avenue.

The U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration granted $850,000 to the Rutgers-Camden Technology Campus, Inc. which will leverage the funds to create a multimillion-dollar venture capital fund in the city.

Describes the problems of air, water, and soil pollution due to brownfields from previous industries and the nature of current businesses in the city of Camden

Four generations of Reas have wrapped sandwiches at a Pennsauken Mart shop. A pair of Cuban immigrants, the Vicents, have processed photos at the mart for a decade. A 68-year-old woman, Dot Carter, has made pizza and served snacks at different mart shops for 27 years. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

An international entertainment company {Clear Channel Communications Inc.]will ultimately own a civic center and sports arena to be financed by the Camden County Improvement Authority. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Robert P. Gross of Ventnor assumed a newly created $150,000-a-year job this week as deputy executive director of the Delaware River Port Authority. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Five people broke into Woodrow Wilson High School twice last month and stole more than $50,000 worth of equipment, including 19 laptop computers and eight metal detectors, police said. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Four generations of Reas have wrapped sandwiches at a Pennnsauken Mart shop. A pair of Cuban immigrants, the Vicents have processed photos at the mart for a decade. A 68-year-old woman, Dot Carter, has made pizza and served snacks at different mart shops for 27 years. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The city Parking Authority's former executive director, Anthony Scarduzio, was a habitual gambler who had ties to organized crime and used his office to funnel campaign contributions to ex-Mayor Milton Milan, witnesses told state agents investigating corruption in the public agency. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

NJ Transit might actually save money on its South Jersey Light Rail Line by allowing patrons to ride for free. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

I'm smack in the middle of Scumbagland, also know as the Pennsauken Mart. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority says it is not ready to accept the proposed dischange of contaminated water from the GEMS Landfill to its sewer system. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

With municipal elections just three days away, 10 candidates are fighting for three city council seats. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A fire destroyed a four-story apartment building under construction in North Camden early Saturday, leaving only twisted metal and a rear wall standing. The Riverview Housing property at 9th and Erie, owned by Camden Lutheran Housing, was to open later this year. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Philadelphia has its Flyers and Sixers. Atlantic City has its casinos. But South Jersey lacks an iconic character. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Merchants at Pennsauken mart have found themsleves in the eye of a storm, and business is suffering becauseof it, they said. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Gov. James E. McGreevey vetoed changes the Camden Board of Education made to the district's nepotism policy that allowed board members and top administrators to hire relatives. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Most motorists crossing the Delaware River bridges have not met Neil Stein, Philadelphia's premier restauranteur and man about town, but they've loaned him money. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The first crack in the relationship between U.S. Vision and the Delaware River Port Authority appeared almost three years ago. And the hard feelings that developed then could be at the root of the controversy both the company and the agency are embroiled in today. An investor group led by Democratic power broker George Norcross III announced in 2000 it was buying U.S. Vision. What had been a cordial relationship between the company and then-DRPA Executive Director Paul Drayton disintegrated when Drayton called in the balance of a $4.7 million loan. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Before, the famous sauteed crabs were cooked in a tiny kitchen in two deep fryers on a six-burner stove. They were served on plastic plates and eaten with plastic forks and knives. What a difference a $535,000 loan from the Delaware River Port Authority makes. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

More than $1.5 million in funding was approved Thursday by the New Jersey Urban Enterprise Zone Authority for a variety of projects, according to state Commerce Secretary William D. Watley. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Four new executives have been hired by the Battleship New Jersey Memorial and Museum of the Home Port Alliance located on the Camden Waterfront. Hired are Hope Koseff Corse, director of marketing; Alicia Ford, director of group and encampment sales; Barbara Hamilton, director of event sales; and Claire Allamby Morris, vice president of development and membership. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

[Pholo of] Phyllis Della Vecchia, president of Camden County College, launches the school's 'Watch Us Grow' initiative with the expansion of the school on a site bordered by Cooper and Penn streets and Broadway and 6th Street in Camden. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A federal judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit in which several city residents alleged school officials failed to act on high levels of lead in drinking water at several schools. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Tommy Trantino struggled to find a home after spending 38 years in state prison. He knows how hard it is to return to society. Now the convicted cop killer, who has been living in a Fairview apartment for the past year, runs the recently-opened "Beyond Prison Walls: Friends Transition Support Services", funded by the Quakers, out of a renovated brownstone on the 400 block of Cooper Street in Camden Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A former Camden police officer [Pierre Robinson] who was assigned bodyguard duties for former mayor Milton Milan was placed on probation for one year on Friday for inflating overtime vouchers in 1997. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Details of a secret severance package released Friday revealed outgoing Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) executive director Paul Drayton received $198,725 upon his departure. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Sen. Wayne Bryant, his wife and two brothers hold eight public-financed jobs, drawing $587,478 in annual salary. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The City of Camden's school district, South Jersey's largest, offers a full-day program, pushing Camden County's rate ahead of its neighbors (table of enrollment by county). Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The 6th Street pedestrian tunnel under the Benjamin Franklin Bridge was reopened Friday after being closed for three months for repairs. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The words still flow uneasily for Robert Peniston. Standing on the deck of the USS New Jersey on a misty Friday, the 80-year-old retired Navy captain recited the battleship's decommissioning speech he gave in 1969. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

In an agency well known for its political connections, Sen. John J. Matheussen has discovered family ties at the Delaware River Port Authority also run deep. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

One of Gov. James E. McGreevey's recent appointees to the school board has resigned after word surfaced about a misconduct complaint against him in 1981. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Dear Delaware River Port Authority, I'm applying for the $195,000-a-year job of executive director. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Latest developments in the 30 percent wage cut move and the move to abolish teachers' tenure...

A survey published here Monday indicates that during the four and one half years out of 3,224 arrests of children in Camden 1009 were colored, 2,142 native born, 1,160 Italian, 1036 Polish 46 Jewish and miscellaneous, 36.

Samuel E. Fulton, president of the Camden Board of Education, announced at a meeting of the Parent-Teachers' Association of Whittier School Monday night that manual training and domestic science courses, not only in Whittier, but in all schools would be eliminated.

Camden's fight for a separate colored company of miltia similar to those in existence at Newark and Atlantic City, continues. This week announcement of the names of the eleven members on the committee for promotion of the segregated unit reveals many prominent persons interested.

The Centerville dump is the last refuge of Camden's forgotten Negro men. Amid the litter of tin and rags and boxes and junk are scattered over a dozen shacks created by patient hand toil out of the very elements of the junk yard.

Contoversial race problems were carefully skirted at the Interracial Vesper Services staged on Sunday at the Central Y.W.C.A. on Stevens st. under the auspices of both the Centra land Frances Harper branches. Wayne L. Hopkins of Philadelphia presented the colored side of the work and Carlton R. Hopkins, principal of the Cooper B. Hatch Junior High, presented some aspects of the white angle.

Establishment of a better relationship between Camden Ministry and Camden courts and the creation of a tie-up between the church and the home were among the outstanding conclusions of a commission of the Camden Ministers Alliance, which body attended a luncheon at the Hunton Y.M.C.A. Friday afternoon to discuss the findings of the recent Camden report of the New Jersey Interracial Commission.

The recent New Jersey Interracial Conference Report on Camden and its statistics on juvenile delinquency and lack of recreational facilities is the basis for a statement issued here Monday by a sports authority and active worker taken part in by boys; the statement pointing out how serious lack of recreation facilities are in New Jersey.

Camden's cabbies got back the right on Wednesday to pick up fares where they want to pick them up, right next to the Transportation Center at Broadway and Mickle Boulevard. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Here is the timetable presented to the Camden School board by Don Todd Associates, the company hired to handle more than $400 million worth of construction for the city. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The revised legislation that gives Camden a $175 million infusion and the state unprecedented control over the city's schools is now law. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Yusif Storey slumps in a straigh-backed chair about two feet in front of his television. He's surrounded by half-open boxes. His new one-bedroom apartment looks like another box around him - just an empty container in which he's stored his things. It became home six days ago when a fire ripped through his North 35th Street apartment building. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority on Tuesday approved its largest donation yet outside of Atlantic City, giving $24 million to the proposed South Jersey Civic and Conference Center in Pennsauken. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The building of a civic center in Pennsauken fits in with recent redevelopment efforts along Route 130 corridor in Burlington county and Admiral Wilson Boulevard in Camden. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Two Camden Board of Education officials are violation of the School Ethics Act, according to a decision Tuesday by the state School Ethics Commission. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post Commission Chair Woman Lisa James-Beavers said the commission found board President Sara T. Davis and Vice President Rosemary Jackson violated the law when they voted to appoint attorney Harvey C. Johnson as board solicitor. He had represented Davis and Jackson on board and personal matters. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Dr. Christopher T. Olivia, an opthalmologist and the transition executive at Cooper Hospital/University Medical Center for several months, will move into a new role: president and chief executive officer. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

An extensive driving tour througout Camden brought Economic Recovery Board members to the second of many meetings they'll hold to chart a path for saving this afflicted city. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Financial record-keeping in the city's school district has improved, but still isn't good enough, a new audit shows. The 2001-02 report by Bowman and Co. of Voorhees identified 37 areas where the district should improve its procedures. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A fast-moving fire swept through a Ferry Avenue apartment complex Wednesday, displacing up to 17 families. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The Camden School District has fixed the problems that left eight city schools without sufficient heat last week. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Camden got the heat turned back on in all of its schools - finally. It only took them a week and a half to fix the problem that shouldn't have come in the first place or that districts at least should anticipate every winter. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The Army soldier stood next to his military vehicle surveying the dead Iraqis. The setting, however, was not Baghdad. It was the Rutgers-Camden student center Wednesday afternoon where a staged die-in" by members of the Progressive Student Alliance found itself next to an Army recruiting truck parked in front of the building. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post"

A Superior Court judge rejected an elected city offical's request that he visit Camden before ruling on the constitutionality of a state plan for revitalizing the city. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post