Camdenbase

On a night with a notorious past, South Jerseyans enjoyed a relatively quiet Saturday night , meaning towns can devote today to trick-or-treating rather than assessing Mischief Night damage. From the inner-city of Camden to the suburbs of Medford, neighbors were on guard for mischief-makers, who on the night before Halloween have been known to throw eggs, scratch cars and even burn down homes. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The day the Navy launched the USS New Jersey - Dec. 7, 1942 - was fraught with symbolism. That was the first anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Now, some veterans say, the state of New Jersey is missing a golden opportunity for another symbolic moment by bringing the ship home on Wednesday, rather than waiting 24 hours for Veterans Day. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The Courier Post, Rutgers University-Camden and Garden State Cable are sponsoring a Summit on the Future of South Jersey in an effort to promote discussion between South Jersey's leaders and citizens on the region's future. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

City lawmakers are considering raising the salaries of the mayor, his top personal and all seven members of City Council. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The Camden Housing Authority announced Tuesday it has been awarded $1.2 million to benefit neighborhoods near the McGuire Gardens and Westfield Acres housing complexes, both near East Camden. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Mayor Milton Milan renewed on Tuesday his criticism of the county's top law enforcement official for his role in holding up the promotions of minority officers in the city police department. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A major city drug dealer testified Tuesday that alleged drug kingpin Jose JR" Rivera once bragged that he "put up the money" to finance Milton Milan's mayoral win in 1997. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post"

Lucas Torres bought all the trappings that came with successful drug dealing - and suffered from the dangerous lifestyle that came with it. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The city clerk on Wednesday certified a notice of intention to recall Mayor Milton Milan, the focus of a federal corruption investigation. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The Campbell Soup Company has been "M'm! M'm! Good" to the city of Camden where it began 130 years, but its current footprint is but a shadow of the days when local farmers provided the company's leading ingredient: the Jersey tomato. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The Joseph Oat Corp. is big business in the truest sense of the word - and it just got bigger. More than 200 years after its founding, Joseph Oat is taking on its largest job ever - a $21 million contract to build canisters to hold radio-active waste. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Police are expecting a quiet Oct. 30 this year, though officials say they have thoroughly planned for Mischief Night, in light of crimes committed in past years.Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The ailing tug responsible for bringing the Battleship New Jersey to Philadelphia is in Miami undergoing repairs, and early estimates are it will be fixed by late today. If so, the Sea Victory would be under way Thursday. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Gambaccini will deliver the closing address Saturday at the daylong Summit on the Future of South Jersey, from 9a.m. to 5 p.m. at Rutgers-Camden.The university, Garden State Cable and the Courier-Post are co-sponsors. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The nonprofit housing developer recently completed eight new houses in the 300 block of State Street in North Camden, and Ratliff (a resident) was among the first to secure a mortgage and move in in late August, The houses are called "Grace Housing," named after Grace Lutheran Church, located nearby at State and 4th streets. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A city police detective named prominently in testimony in a federal drug conspiracy trial on Tuesday defended his association with alleged drug kingpin Jose "JR" Rivera, saying he heard rumors of Rivera's drug ties but discounted them. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Camden residents should be thankful that Roderto Feliz has rescinded, at least for now, his resignation as public works director. Feliz works hard every day. He faces almost insurmountable challenges, but never quits. He makes his money the old-fashioned way: He earns it. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Nobody is saying so yet, but clearly charter schools are on notice. Perform or else. These privately run public schools are still so experimental, they have to prove they can succeed. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The city's government and school board failed to work out their differences Tuesday night over how to pay salaries of 20 police officers, who would be assigned to schools, after a federal grant runs out in three years. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

When Lt. Cassandra C. Smith was sworn in as a police officer 13 years ago, she had more to worry about than speeding tickets. She was one of the first women on the Camden force and rare sight in a male-dominated police office culture that hasn't always been accepting of women officers. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Gov. Christie Whitman on Sunday praised the Battleship New Jersey as a gallant warrior and paid tribute to the Panama Canal, calling it a true marvel of engineering. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

John Horan stood Sunday Just below an important spot in his life. It was the first time that he had seen it in person in more than 50 years. "That's it!" Horan said. He pointed to his World War II duty station, the battleship USS New Jersey's signal bridge. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

For the first time in more than a year, a member of Gov. Christie Whitman's Cabinet ran the monthly meeting of the Financial Review Board appointed by the state to oversee spending in the city. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

From January 1996 through June 1999, Rutgers spent a total of $660,000 lobbying congress on the university's top priorities - especially money for RUNet 2000, a high-tech communications system linking Rutgers to inner-city classrooms. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A federal task force is investigating whether profits from a notorious drug ring flowed into Mayor Milton Milan's successful campaigns for city council in 1995 and mayor in 1997. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority (CCMUA) is committed to providing quality service to our customers at the lowest rates we can responsibly charge. That is why we requested proposals for privatization of operation in April 1997. At the same time, we were also working hard to reduce operating costs internally. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

If Regis Philbin wanted to make you a millionaire, you'd probably take it. Especially if you had a few debts to pay off, right? Last month, U. S. Water wanted to help the Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority (CCMUA) make over $100 million. Considering that the CCMUA is more than $700 million in debt, you'd think it'd take it, right? Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The New Jersey Battleship Commission lacks a critical approval necessary to place the state's namesake battleship at a pier in Bayonne, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Centeno, supporters of Milan and city civic leaders said Saturday that Milan's ability to lead has been fractured by questions surrounding his connections to city drug dealers, allegations of unreported drug-sale proceeds funding his campaigns, and his relationship with a reputed mob associate. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Stymied by hostile market conditions, merger talks between Cooper Health System and the parent firm of Our Lady of Lourdes Health Services Inc. have been postponed, according to a statement by the organizations on Thursday. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Luis "Tun Tun" Figueroa - already facing a murder charge as alleged enforcer for a powerful city drug ring - has recently been charged with three sensational slayings in Puerto Rico, it was revealed in court here Thursday. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Sears building owner Mark Willis said Wednesday he is cautiously optimistic that the Delaware Port Authority is going to leave his property alone. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Cooper Hospital/University Medical Center, which has been cutting costs since losing $16 million last year, says it will end its mobile cancer screening next month - two years after starting the service. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The landmark Sears building, slated for acquisition and perhaps demolition by the Delaware River Port Authority as part of its beautification of Admiral Wilson Boulevard, appeared to get a reprieve Wednesday. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

South Jersey's future is directly linked to Camden's destiny, business leaders declared at the launch of a new institute intended to promote the region and its economy. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

NJ Transit has spent 3 1/2 years and $55 million so far planning, designing and paving the way - figuratively, that is - for its light rail line from Camden to Trenton. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

First-grader James Beebe is among 9,000 students statewide who are enrolled in 47 charter schools. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A local contractor and the wife of a former city official were called to testify Tuesday before the federal grand jury probing citywide corruption and Mayor Milton Milan. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

College tuition continues to increase faster than the rate of inflation, especially in New Jersey, according to annual College Board survey released Tuesday. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

With a clear identity, South Jersey could better market itself, attracting business and investors just like Silicon Valley and northern Virginia, says Richard Harris, co-founder of the new Walter Rand Institute for Public Affairs at Rutgers-Camden. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Still hoping to get an E-ZPass tag in the mail for Christmas? Paul Drayton, chief executive officer of the Delaware River Port Authority which operates on four major toll bridges in the region, announced plans to beef up staff Wednesday so pending applications for and E-ZPass transponder will be processed by Jan. 2. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

CAMDEN--The city's chief financial officer has been given until the end of next week to file the city's financial statement. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Mayor Milton Milan has informed the city school board it will have to help pay the salaries of 20 police officers assigned to the schools after a federal grant runs out in three years. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A new park has sprouted from what was once an empty lot at the corner of North 2nd and Elm streets. On Wednesday, the finishing touches of black paint were brushed onto the wrought-iron fence, making the park the first completed project in the Camden Empowerment Zone Corp's community streetscape program. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Re: "One way or another it's time for Mayor Milton to go" (editorial, 12/19). The Courier-Post abandoned Camden in 1955 and has never been back since. Periodically, you "check in, " but only to criticize and give unsolicited advice. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The state Department of Community Affairs is investigating whether Mayor Milton Milan should have consulted the state before ordering the slashing salaries for the top two officials in the police department. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Standing in front of the Sears Building on Admiral Wilson Boulevard, William Jenkins spoke passionately about the Camden he grew up in, a city no longer there. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Lawyer Howard Gross figured his client had an airtight case against the city. While standing on a sidewalk in an East Camden neighborhood, his client was accidentally shot in the leg by a police officer chasing a crime suspect on foot. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Docking an 887-foot, 45,000-ton battleship isn't like parking the family car. But that's the sort of thing Capt. John Flynn Jr. does every day. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

It was all part of a gun retrieval initiative in the city on Saturday. From noon until 8p.m., anyone could appear at any of four city fire stations with a gun and exchange it for a gift certificate. The goal was to remove 120 guns from city streets. By 6:45 p.m., 104 guns had been turned in, including the 16 brought in by Bill" and "Tom". Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post"

A major component of The Organization's criminal activities took root at the Woodrow Wilson Arms apartments on 33rd Street in East camden. Three buildings comprise the complex. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The state on Friday rejected the Milan administration's three-year plan to make the city financially independent, instead deciding to prepare its own plan for Camden with the help of an independent consultant. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Lost amid the headlines of a sensational federal drug trial is the staggering impact the city's biggest drug syndicate had on everyday life here. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

FBI surveillance photographs twice captured alleged drug lord Jose JR" Rivera and a confidential informant entering a Woodlynne bank in 1997 with thousands of dollars in cash. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post"

The city's police chief and his deputy still face a severe pay cut Feb. 1, despite a recent assurance from City Council that they would not. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A former Mr. Universe turned drug dealer testified Tuesday that Milton Milan, now the city's mayor, created fake documents in an attempt to retrieve $10,000. seized by New Jersey State Police during a raid. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Government informant Juan Marquez spent his second full day on the witness stand Wednesday, detailing conversations he had with many members of the city's biggest drug syndicate ever. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

When the Delaware River Port Authority began the electronic toll collection system known as E-Zpass, it estimated it would sell 80,000 tags within the first six months. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

For decades, business owners have rejected Camden City in favor of suburban addresses where the streets are cleaner, safer and flush with free parking. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

CAMDEN - City Council has amended a proposed $112 million budget for fiscal year 2000 to include $185,000 to fight a racial bias lawsuit and to pay negotiators handling union contracts. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

CAMDEN - The president of the Camden Board of Education has requested an investigation into the status of funds at Camden High School after a school safe was opened and found to be empty. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Mayor Milton Milan told the city's top two police officials Friday that he may distance the city from any liablity if they are sued for not promoting any of 12 officers in line for sargeant. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Emblazoned with colorful cultural decals, the van of the Walt Whitman Cultural Arts Center rolled up to the Cream Elementary School in Camden earlier this week. Out charged the center's director of development, Nick Patselas, carrying art supplies for the students and books for the school library. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

When the battleship USS New Jersey heads up the Delaware River Thursday, it'll do so to an appreciative audience. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

First it was engine trouble, and now bad weather, but the result is the same. The arrival of the Battleship New Jersey has been pushed back another day, officials said Monday. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Residents of North 33rd Street in Camden awoke Thursday to the incessant crowing of a neighbor's rooster and the kind of sticky, shimmering heat that comes after a heavy summer rain. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

It's a beautiful day and you decide this is just the day to spend at a park. Not just any park, mind you, but the one on the Camden Waterfront, right next to the state Aquarium. You finally get to Ulysses S. Wiggins Park. Many have heard the name but not as many know who Wiggins was. The park - a large, well-kept piece of property that has lured thousands of concert goers and park visitors over the years - is named for a man who, by all accounts, had a heart just as large as the park. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The director of a floating naval museum in New York Harbor on Friday said the Uss New Jersey should not be permanently berthed in nearby Bayonne. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Next week, the USS New Jersey will, for the first time, leave the Pacific Ocean - stage to some of its greatest victories. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The USS New Jersey will not make its final passage through the Panama Canal without a proper send-off. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The Battleship USS New Jersey inched its way, under tow, through the canal Tuesday, the second day of a three-day journey, and was to reach the Caribbean side today. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Wanted: A few good men and women willing to take on the monumental task of figuring out South Jersey's problems. The new South Jersey Regional Leadership Institute, funded by Rutgers-Camden, is on a mission to train corporate executives to fix festering social and economic problems in the region. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

When Camden City Council takes up a pay raise proposal for themselves, the mayor and department heads at its next meeting, it will need more than consensus among city officials. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Play ball! Camden Mayor Milton Milan kicked off the holiday season in grand fashion this week when he announced funding has been secured for the Waterfront baseball stadium. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The city's police chief and his deputy were assured Thursday they will not have to take a pay cut proposed by the mayor and City Council. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

I never had the pleasure of knowing Walter Rand, but it sounds like he was the type of politicial leader South Jersey needs today. Rand, who grew up in Camden and later lived in Bellmawr, was a state assemblyman from 1976 to 1982. He then moved to the state Senate, where he served until his death in January 1995. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

With the spotlight on an expanding federal investigation into corrruption in city government, Mayor Milton Milan on Thursday hired a new attorney, announced wedding plans for later in the evening and discounted allegations of wrongdoing. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A state appeals court Tuesday dismissed the city's lawsuit against the state-appointed board trying to fix city finances. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A section of North Camden could be among the hottest new addresses in the city by the time the community group behind the makover of State Street is through. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The battleship USS New Jersey will not arrive in Philadelphia on Nov. 7 as scheuled because the tug towing it, the Sea Victory, is experiencing engine trouble, a spokesman for Crowley Marine Services said Wednesday, Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

City lawmakers voted Thursday to impose a late-night ban on takeout restaurants in residential neighborhoods, but restaurant owners vowed to fight the measure. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Joseph Balzano[member of the South Jersey group hoping to bring the ship to Camden] stretched his neck over the railing of the battleship New Jersey and looked down. The water level more than 20 feet below him rose slowly and without a sound in the first Panama Canal lock on Monday as the ship silently entered on the Pacific Ocean side. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

An investigation by the Camden County Prosecutor's Office into allegations of corruption in the city police department may also dig into possible wrongdoing by other city officials. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The Delaware River Port Authority began condemnation proceedings Thursday against four Admiral Wilson Boulevard properties the agency wants to buy and demolish in order to turn the seedy highway into a more scenic, parklike entrance to Camden County. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Gov. Christie Whitman formally announced a $6.3 million project Thursday to rebuild 65 abandoned houses in East Camden. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Engineering companies have until March 31 to apply for the job of project manager for the battleship USS New Jersey memorial in Camden. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The state has rejected an ambitious bid to draft a blue-print for reviving the city and older suburbs on its borders. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Mayor Milton Milan has threatened to void the city's hotly disputed contract with U.S. Water as is administration continues to come under attack for allowing a $20 million payment to slip by. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

News that federal agents raided Camden Mayor Milton Milan's house and office Thursday was no surprise to some South Jersey residents. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Camden Mayor Milton Milan is the latest chief executive of New Jersey's poorest city to come under federal scrutiny. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

By 7:45 a.m. Thursday, federal agents had broken the security code for Mayor Milton Milan's office on the fourth floor of City Hall. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Camden County's criminal defense bar might have been miffed Thursday when they learned Camden Mayor Milton Milan, apparently on the brink of criminal charges, had reached out 60 miles to retain a lawyer. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

In gearing up for his administration's stretch run before the May 2001 municipal elections, Mayor Milton Milan has made two controversial appointments to key city departments as federal investigators continue their probe of alleged government corruption. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The city's school district has been forced to cut back on spending for the remainder of the school year as it scrambles to find $3 million to pay back to the state before a budget for the upcoming school year can be passed. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

New Jersey's 4-year old charter school law unconstitutionally siphons money from public school districts and risks upsetting the racial balance in their classrooms, lawyers for four districts argued Tuesday before the state Supreme Court. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Camden County Prosecutor Lee A. Solomon promised Tuesday to thoroughly investigate allegations that corrupt police helped the city's largest drug syndicate flourish for nearly a decade. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Today, there is little to distinguish the stretch of broken concrete known as "The Alley" from other rutted streets and alleys in East Camden. Only those who know its past recognize the cracked pavement and closely spaced row homes as the place where a lucrative and at times bloody cocaine trade operated for nearly 10 years, run by a drug syndicate led by Jose"JR" Rivera, Saul Febo and Luis "Tun Tun" Figueroa. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Tuesday's convictions of two Camden drug lords should ease the way for federal investigators and prosecutors to "flip" high-ranking criminals, several attorneys with experience in the federal court system said after hearing news of the verdict. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Federal authorities investigating allegations of government corruption called five city lawmakers in front of a grand jury Wednesday to answer questions about Mayor Milton Milan and possible mob influence in his administration. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A federal jury on Wednesday stripped convicted drug dealer Jose "JR" Rivera of his two East Camden business properties, but agreed to let him keep more than $410,000 in cash and securities the government sought to seize. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post