Camdenbase

As the brawl about excavating and presenting the history of slavery at Independence Mall drags on, one of Camden's most significant historic sites is unearthing and showcasing a similarly long-buried part of its past. Exhibits at the former Cooper family mansion known as Pomona Hall, the centerpiece of the Camden County Historical Society complex on Park Boulevard, are being reinterpreted" to include the slaves who toiled there. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post"

The govenor tapped Sen. John Matheussen on Wednesday to run the Delaware River Port Authority, a move that could end months of internal bickering and launch a scramble for power in the state Senate. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The city's recently hired business administrator has backed out of the job before starting it, blaming the uncertain future of the city's recovery plan. Jean DiGennaro decided this week to remain business administrator in Washington Township, now that the Camden legislation is held up indefinitely in court. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Consumers warmed to both soup and easy-serve packaging during a chilly winter, heating up a 34-percent increase in earnings at Campbell Soup Co., the company said Monday. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The New Jersey Department of Labor is hosting a free workshop for Camden-based businesses from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at the New Jersey Department of Labor, 2600 Mount Ephraim Ave. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Camden County officials on Monday asked builders to include a replacement facility for the Pennsauken Mart in their plans for developing the property that surrounds the site of a proposed civic center. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Rutgers University has launched two training programs for current and future principals at the city's schools. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The secret severance package received by Paul Drayton gave the outgoing executive director of the Delaware River Port Authority a lot more than $198,725 in walking away money. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The Delaware River Port Authority needs an even more radical shake-up than we thought. The way it brougout out for former director Paul Drayton shows it lacks even more public accountability than it's been accused of - and that's really saying something. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

New Jersey Transit did not plan to dispose of excess dirt from its light rail project by piling mountains of contaminated soil along the tracks here and in Florence. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The future of the controversial discharge of groundwater from the GEMS Landfill Superfund site into Camden County sewer mains took center stage during a federal court hearing Thursday. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

It's official: New Jersey residents calling for help with their electronic welfare and food stamp cars no longer will be talking to someone in India. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The city's Division of Planning will receive a $200,000 grant to train about 50 residents for jobs in reclaiming brownfield sites, a South Jersey congressman said. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The city's teacher union has approved a new contract with the school board. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Jim Marino helps others make decisions that will alter the course of their lives. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Against a backdrop of brawny longshoremen emptying the steel bellies of two Del Monte fruit ships from Costa Rica, U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews, D-N.J., Monday called for increased security at Camden ports becasue of their strategic location. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Just days before a critical federal court hearing, the Camden County freeholders released a statement opposing the plan to discharge groundwater from GEMS landfill into county sewer mains.

The wind rattled the charred carcass of Riverview homes on Monday permeating the area around 9th and Erie with a smell both pungent and sad. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Council President Angel Fuentes thinks if a Superior Court judge sees the city's needs firsthand, he will rule in favor of the state's recovery plan Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

For years, Camden has suffered a lack of resources and a lack of leadership that could bring resources to the city and use them properly. The city also is a victim of stagnation. There has been no monumental change in the last 30 years, besides sporadic and concentrated instances of development. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Camden needs $11 million to bridge the gap in its 2003 budget, even on top of a $9 million anticipated boost from the state, a top city official said Wednesday. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

City council offcially approved a 1.3 million settlement with the city's longest delinquent taxpayer at its Thursday meeting. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

City officials anticipate an arbitrator's decision today regarding a three-year-old contract dispute between the city and its police and fire unions. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Three owners of property in Camden's Fairview community are fighting the city's plan to condemn and take their property for a proposed redevelopment project. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Seven Catholic churches in the city banded together Wednesday morning to oppose the impending war with Iraq, saying the money to fund the fight would be better spent at home. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Dressler Smith has a vision for Camden's future and soon it will be shared by city leaders and residents alike. The Pennsauken resident was one of three artists commissioned by the Camden County Board of Freeholders to paint three murals to hang behind the dais in City Hall's council chambers. The murals are the final stage of a renovation project designed to spruce up the grand old building, which has lost its luster over the years. The other two two commissioned artists are Sonia Gonzalez, who painted the city's past, and Cesar Viveros, whose mural depicts Camden's present. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A Woodrow Wilson High School teacher was arrested last week after he was caught buying drugs, authorities said. Undercover officers picked up Joseph Famille, 54, about 5:30 p.m. Friday at the Beacon Apartment Complex here, said Camden County Prosecutor Vincent P. Sarubbi. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

What's that? You say you want to see a professional baseball game at a beautiful stadium built this century with a real grass field and you can't wait until next year? Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Pennsauken Mart merchants fighting Camden County 's efforts to demolish their businesses to make way for a vivic center offered an alternative plan for reinvigorating the site Wednesday. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Mile by mile and in some cases, foot by foot, private groups and public agencies are creating the East Coast Greenway. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

At Dr. Charles E. Brimm Medical Arts High School, students line the halls at 7:30 a.m., 45 minutes before the bell announces classes are about to begin. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The city's effort to collect $100 million in back taxes from delinquent property owners came under fire Wednesday from residents who said the program could drive senior citizens from their homes. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

State Transportation Commissioner Jack Lettiere journeyed here Wednesday to offically reopen a section of Delaware Avenue north of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

State prosecutors are investigating a $4.7 million loan from the Delaware River Port Authority to a thriving eyeglass company nine years ago Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Manuel Cordero who had stored huge quantities of cocaine in his house to meet demand for an East Camden drug operation that terrorized a neighborhood for a decade, was sentenced Thursday to 12 years in federal prison Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

State Education officials have announced that three Camden schools, cited in 2001 as among the state's worst, have met their improvement goals. The Department of Education recognized the Riletta Cream Elementary School, the Dudley Elementary School and the Parkside Elementary School. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

We need your help! Who are the we?" We are the 600 senior citizens who dance each Thursday and Sunday at the Stardust Ballroom and the younger 700 people who dance each Friday and Saturday at the Stardust Ballroom. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post"

In an effort to move forward with the Camden recovery plan, state officials this afternoon will meet with plantiffs from one of three lawsuits challenging the legislation. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The state, scrambling to save $175 million earmarked for the Camden recovery initiative, faces another lawsuit challenging the plan. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The city's future could be in the hands of one Superior court judge. All motions for four lawsuits pending against the Camden revitalization plan officially called the Municipal Rehabilitation and Economic Recovery Act will be heard by Judge Andrew Smithson in Trenton. He plans to review the cases over the weekend and, by Tuesday, set a date for the hearings, a spokeswoman said. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Ab outraged crowd protested Thursday at an intersection where a state trooper shot and killed a Pennsauken motorist who tried to flee after he was pulled over. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

When you think of Camden, think of cashews. If everything goes as planned - and it's moving along smoothly so far - Camden could be considered the nation's capital of cashews by next year. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

We are reminded once again why it is a bad idea to deepen the Delaware River. And this time, the reason is buried deep in a report used by proponents of the project. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A man shot to death while trying to drive away from s tate police here initially pulled over for a traffic violation, authorities said Monday. Sgt. Daniel Ellington stopped Michael Simmons, 28 of Pennsauken , for ignoring a red light and not wearing a seat belt, said John Hagerty, spokeman for the Division of Criminal Justice. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The fate of Camden's recovery plan remains up in the air, but one decision by a Superior Court judge Feb. 14 could put the initiative back on track. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Courtesy of Commerce Bancorp, the Leap Academy Charter School has a new computer lab - and shares of the company's stock worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Warnings of dire consequences have been coming for weeks from Camden officials who say an upcoming state Supreme Court decision could kill the financing for a $175 million rescue plans for the city. But the warnings appear to be wrong, and it is highly unlikely the court's decision will affect Camden, say legal scholars at Rutgers and Seton Hall. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

An arbitrator's ruling in a three year contract dispute between the city and its police and firefighters unions would punch a $10.5 million hole in Camden's already strained budget. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The city needs at least $24 million to balance its budget, but state officials said Tuesdau they'll give Camden no more than $9 million in special aid to plug that gap. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The state has suspended the Board of Education vice president and censured its president for violating the law governing school ethics. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The Battleship New Jersey Memorial Museum fell short of meeting its $5 million budget during its first calendar year of operation, but officials are already implementing a plan to raise more revenue. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Unemployed, Diane Badie walks block after block because she can't afford a car. She says this struggling city - the poorest in the state - needs more jobs. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Former Gov. Jim Florio has a major bailout plan to close the city's yawning budget deficit. Florio's firm Xspand Inc. and its corporate parent, Plymouth Financial Co. would arrange for Camden a $10 million to $15 million loan. That loan would be secured against the city's $100 million worth of property-tax liens, related interest and penalties, which Xspand has already been hired to collect. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Chronology of Camden Recovery Plan Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

If the $175 million plan to help rescue Camden falls through, there is no Plan B for the state to help the city. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A disabled prison guard with a loyal followng and a landlord who last visited a barbershop in 1969 are the central figures in a legal battle that could cost this city's its best chance to revcover from decades of neglect and hopelessness. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

People want to know if Camden is "coming back." In other words, when will the artsy hipsters and cutting-edge coffee shops arrive? Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The plan for Camden to receive $175 in rescue funds received a temporary reprieve. An impending court ruling about state bonding will not necessarily mean Camden bonds have to be approved in a state-wide ballot. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

It began with a few dozen protesters, a bunch of bumper stickers and a single megaphone. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The city's police department has "failed miserably" to address recurring problems within the force, a damning 70-page report issued by local and state law enforcement offcial concludes. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Hoping to deliver a "knockout" punch, Rep. Robert Andrews released a report Tuesday that blasts the plan to deepen the Delaware River's shipping channel as a "moribund boondoggle." Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

When it starts rolling later this year, the South Jersey Light Rail Line will generate only a small fraction of its costs in fares. Worried state officials are considering bargain-basement rates to entice riders Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Dignitaries broke ground Wednesday for what city officials say is the biggest building to be constructed in Camden in the past 10 years. CAMcare, the city largest primary health-care provider, will invest more than $9million to put up a three-story building on Federal Street near Haddon Avenue, said Mark K. Bryant, CAMcare's president and CEO. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The South Jersey Baseball Hall of Fame has finally found a home. But its journey from - garages, closets and basements across the state and the country is far from over. The Hot Stovers Baseball Club of South Jersey has joined with the Camden Riversharks to create the Hall, which will be housed at Campbell's Field. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Camden's interim business administrator is considering a higher-paying position in a North Jersey city. Norton N. Bonaparte appointed this week as interim business administrator for the next 90 days, said he's negotiating with officials in Plainfield, Union County about filling the business administrator post there. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A state trooper clinging to the roof rack of a fleeing station wagon shot and killed the car's driver Wednesday morning near Our Ladies of Lourdes Medical Center, authorities said. The driver, 28- year-old Michael Simmons of Pennsauken died shortly after being shot. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A leading opponent of the Camden Recovery law said negotiations with state officials Wednesday left him confident the state will yield to his request that the plan give more money and power to city residents. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Wednesday's deadly shooting of a Pennsauken man by a state trooper patrolling Camden did little to improve relations between the state police and some city residents. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

It was with great sadness that I read the Camden Recovery Plan was in jeopardy. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

State and federal officials found 23 healthly stowaways hiding in the ceiling of a cargo ship carrying West African lumber to the Beckett Street Terminal here. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Camden residents will soon learn how President Bush's No Child Left Behind Legislation will affect city schools. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A Camden police officer was entitled to thousands of dollars in loans he made to himself from the account of a fraternal organization to which he belonged, his lawyer told jurors. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Camden's largest delinquent taxpayer and the city have agreed to settle a long running tax dispute for $1.3 million, the city attorney said Tuesday. Nedmac Associates Inc., which owns the five-story Parkade office building on Market Street across from City Hall, owes Camden $2.5 million in overdue taxes dating to 1992, said City Attorney Dennis Kille. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

State investigators are close to completing an investigation into the death of a Pennsauken man after he was shot by a state trooper duing a car stop authorities said. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

To contemplate Common Place Park in downtown Camden is to fight temptation. Thirteen years after plans were laid, more than a decade after ground was broken(it was broken again in 1999), the site near the Walt Whitman House remains a vacant lot. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Camden High School officials acknowledged they violated policy by not reporting donations to the boys' basketball team, a school board investigation. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Nearly 80 Pennsauken Mart merchants protested Wednesday outside the Camden County Improvement Authority building to try to stop the county's civic center project and save the mart. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Pennsauken Mart owner Elliot Kattan will tell you he knows how to run a successful business. Period. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

In a few weeks the city's Economic Recovery Board will begin taking grant applications for the first round of funding from the state's $175 million recovery package. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The long-awaited reorganization of the city administration, led by state appointed chief operating officer Randy Primas Friday afternoon was more of a rearrangement than an across-the-board slashing. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Demolition crews tear down a reputed drug house in the 600 block of South 4th street in Camden on Thursday. The action is part of the city's continuing effort to clean up Camden's neighborhoods. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The Pennsauken Mart Merchants Association and the mart owner have made up. The rift between the two stems from offers by private developers to relocate the merchants when the mart is demolished for Camden County's proposed civic center. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

School Superintendent Annette Knox has a new contract, but district officials won't divulge its contents. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Lanning Square students, forced to attend other schools after structural engineers found their building was in danger of collapsing, will be the first pupils in Camden to get a brand new school. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The state granted the Camden School district a one-month extension to fingerprint its employees who have been working without a criminal background check. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

It took Roxanne Lambert four hours to do two loads of wash on Friday. Residents here struggled Friday with low water pressure and emergency water restrictions for the second day in a row. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

More than 3,200 people flocked to the Camden Children's Garden as a new 1,700-square-foot exhibit celebrating the flora and fauna of Puerto Rico was dedicated Saturday. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The nonprofit that operates the battleship New Jersey as a museum is taking advantage of the nation's birthday weekend to hold its largest fund-raiser for the museum. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

There were many reasons 20 years ago why the Riverfront Prison came to be located along the Delaware River in Camden. That was then, this is now. Now there's a host of reasons why it's time to look at relocating. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A local church has opened a business-wear clothing bank in the city with help from several groups and the state Department of Labor. The Living Faith Christian Center cut the ribbon Friday morning on its new "Seed Store" clothing bank. The store, at the Word of Truth Christian Center on Mount Ephraim Avenue, provides business clothing to people for purposes such as job interviews. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Out of the 48 ninth-graders who entered Creative Arts in 1999, only five won't be at Monday's graduation ceremony. "But none of them dropped out," said principal Davida Coe, adding those students either transferred to other schools or moved out of Camden. In a city where the high school dropout rate has reached a staggering 50 percent, that's something to be proud of. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Gov. James E. McGreevey is investigating a severance package for the Delware River Port Authority's outgoing executive director, Paul Drayton. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

It's supposed to be a new dawn at the Delware River Port Authority- an era of open windows and fresh air, of letting the public seeing how its money is spent, of new accountability. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Anthony Mazzarelli was so afraid he wouldn't get the waterfront apartment of his dreams that he arrived at the Victor an hour before the doors opened Saturday. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

In the federal prosecution of two men charged with conspiring to deprive Camden residents of honest government, the biggest evil-doer is the U.S. government's chief witness, defense attorneys told jurors on Tuesday. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The New Jersey delegation of the Delaware River Port Authority is "outraged" by a $125,000 secret golden parachute agreement for the bistate agency's former executive director. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Results were mixed in Tuesday's nonpartisan municipal elections. In the City Council race for Camden's Ward 1, incumbent Michael P. McGuire faces a June 10 runoff election against Gilbert Whip" Wilson. Neither candidate received more than 50 percent of the ballots cast. Incumbents won the city's other three council races. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post"

Councilman Michael McGuire and Gilbert Whip" Wilson will vie for the Ward 1 council seat in a runoff election next month. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post"