Camdenbase

In an unprecedented legal challenge of the state supervision statute, Acting City Attorney Marc Riondino argued before a state Court of Appeals panel Wednesday that the state did not have the right to appoint Camden's business administrator. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A Philadelphia-based clergy group has joined the fight against a state takeover of this impoverished city, reflecting an effort by local activists to develop regional and national support for their cause. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

An independent audit of Camden's finances has found that the city failed to follow basic accounting procedures and may have lost revenue and jeopardized its ability to secure grants as a result. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The four finalists vying to become the city's next schools superintendent told the community Wednesday night how they would raise standards and increase achievement in the state's poorest district. Abstract courtesy of Courier-Post

Garden State Park, South Jersey's sole remaining venue for live horse racing, has been sold to developers who will transform the property into a community of upscale housing, shops and offices. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Late in the spring afternoon of April 14, 1977, no alarm sounded and no announcement came over the scratchy public address system to warn 11,000 people in the wooden grandstand of Garden State Park that smoke was coursing up the bleachers. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

After two years of financial troubles, Cooper Health System expects to be $2.7 million in the black by year's end. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

When it comes to traveling, no one can accuse the Camden school board of being thrifty. In each of the past three years, it spent well more than its $50,000 annual budget for board members' travel expenses. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A slanted hatch door opens with barely enough room for one person. As you climb into the turret from below, you are greeted by a painting of the Statue of Liberty and two skeletons of death bearing warnings to the enemies of freedom. Then inside three inner compartments you see the guns: the three 16-inch barrels of armor-plated gun turret No. 1 on the bow of the main deck of the battleship New Jersey, known to the Navy as BB-62. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

It's a battle over the battleship. As the trustees of the Home Port Alliance prepare to approve the design for the USS New Jersey museum, a rift has developed over a number of key issues including the project's size and cost. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

As the federal corruption case against Mayor Milton Milan heads to a jury, the focus in City Hall is shifting to who would take over the top post should Milan be convicted. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Photo Essay on the USS New Jersey. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

School officials Wednesday gave themselves until June 1 to fix more than 40 fiscal management problems identified in an annual audit by an independent accounting firm. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Mayor Gwendolyn Faison and Councilman Israel Nieves walked hand-in-hand Tuesday into a news conference where they announced they had repaired their fractured relationship and once again were a political team. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Equating Camden to a patient on life support, members of two church organizations on Monday called for the state to increase financial and human investment in the city. About 40 members of Camden Churches Organized for People and Concerned Black Clergy of the City of Camden gathered on the State House steps to ask the state to commit $500 million over five years to aid the city's rehabilitation process. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Flatbed trucks delivered two whaleboats Monday that will be mounted on the battleship New Jersey once workers refurbish the deck of the planned floating museum. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Richard Cinaglia, Camden's chief financial officer, dug in his heels Monday and told the city's state-appointed business administrator that he would not heed a call to resign. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The arduous task of selecting a jury to consider a death-penalty sentence for admitted cop-killer Leslie Nelson begins today. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Education officials on Friday opened a new chapter in this school district's troubled history by installing Annette D. Knox as superintendent. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

In the span of two hours, Councilman Whip" Wilson has seen both sides of Camden. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post"

New Jersey's Supreme Court heard about the man patted down by former Gov. Christine Todd Whitman during a Camden drug sweep, but lawyer's arguments Tuesday were over mandatory sentences, not the infamous photograph. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Joye L. Rozier was driving through a Camden neighborhood with a car of bright, young, teen-agers when she noticed five young people in wheelchairs, all in the street. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

An unusual pairing of delicate butterflies and sturdy football players will soon be part of the attraction at the Camden Children's Garden. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The state Local Finance Board on Wednesday is expected to consider extending its supervision over the city's finances for another year. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The state on Monday approved a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plan to dredge a section of the Delaware River near Beckett Street Marine Terminal so the battleship USS New Jersey can be towed to its new $11 million pier now under construction in Camden. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Nicholas DiMarzio came of age in the 1950s and 1960s amid Italian immigrants, including his grandparents, in blue-collar Newark. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Just five years ago, Melvin Allen stood at a Deptford High School blackboard, figuring math problems in yellow chalk as a student. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Changes to a bill allowing more state intervention in Camden's government could be completed by June 15, the bill's sponsor said. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The USS New Jersey has won three more battle stars even though it has not been actively sailing in the naval fleet for 10 years. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 542, a collection of craftsman, maintenance workers and toll takers who work the region's four major Delaware River bridges, has ratified a five-year contract with the Delaware River Port Authority. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A 25-foot column of bricks came crashing from the facade of a six-story apartment house onto a busy Cooper Street sidewalk late Friday afternoon, forcing officials to evacuate the building's 57 tenants. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The $22.9 billion state budget signed into law Friday contains several goodies for South Jersey, but it doesn't fulfill all of the region's wishes. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

City Council voted 3-0 Friday against removing Richard Cinaglia from his position as chief financial officer, defying a state order. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

When the state took over Chelsea in 1961, the city had a junk bond rating. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

After serving nearly a decade as mayor of Jersey City, Bret Schundler is in an uphill battle to get the Republican nomination in the governor's race this year. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Guy Santiago stood on the sidewalk running through a tiny neighborhood park and remembered the skeleton of a steel building that once stood on the land. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Behind the public housing projects where Ana Sanchez lives is a fenced-in lot that used to be home to an x-rated movie theater and a seedy strip joint named Caruso's Celebrity Lounge. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Hopes for an orderly state takeover of Camden appeared to collapse Thursday when city officials stormed out of an angry meeting in the State House. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The state attorney general's office is investigating whether three South Jersey Port Corp. officials misused public funding by padding their expense accounts during a five-day convention of port officials in Veracruz, Mexico. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Two-thirds of New Jersey's 2,365 public schools reported fewer than five incidents of vandalism, violence or substance abuse last year, state figures released Tuesday show. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A defense attorney for former Camden Mayor Milton Milan has asked the trial judge to set aside two of his convictions and one count on which the jury was deadlocked. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Jane Kenny, a head of the state Department of Community Affairs, is fond of saying that it it insane to keep doing the same things over again while expecting different results. Unfortunately, the recently introduced Camden takeover bill falls into this category. Here is why: Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Franks proposed on Tuesday the creation of tax-free zones in Camden to lure middle-class residents back into depressed neighborhoods". Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post"

The city's school district, once described by a state treasury department panel as a "ship...sailing without a rudder", now not only has a rudder, "but a charted course with a certified captain." Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

As a member of the Camden City Board of Education and now as the president of the board, I have said for the record that the Courier-Post news coverage and editorial position on the school board has been unnecessarily negative at times, and occasionally premature to condemn or blame, before all the evidence on an issue is made public, or investigations are completed. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Local officials continued to maneuver behind the scenes Wednesday as they prepare for legislative hearings on a bill that would engineer a virtual state takeover of this impoverished city. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

In crafting his proposal to give Camden $150 million in aid, acting Gov. Donald DiFrancesco chose the Delaware River Port Authority to administer the money rather than a state authority that lacked experience, an administration official said. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A state takeover of Camden is long overdue. With a few exceptions, the plan on the table now is a good blueprint. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The famous photo of a smiling Gov. Christine Todd Whitman patting down a black man in Camden could have a high price-for tax payers. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

There's the big blue bridge in the backround, the city skyline in the distance, the mighty river just beyond the left-field wall. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The gates were supposed to be open, but workers were rushing to weld them on their hinges. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

City police followed through Wednesday night on a promise to put an end to drinking and drug use in the Tweeter Center's parking lots and access ways. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The Statue of Liberty dazzles the onlooker in daylight, but at night she sparkles with lights that illuminate her from the torch she holds in one hand to the bottom of her Roman robe. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The city police department's new initiative to curtail drinking and raucous behavior at Tweeter Center concerts continued successfully Sunday during the biggest concert of the season thus far. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Camden has something to be cautiously excited about: The school district has a plan to combat poor achievement and a damaging dropout rate. And though the architect of the plan-Superintendent Annette Knox- deserves praise, she still hasn't met the challenge. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The state board overseeing financial operations in Camden authorized the city Friday to proceed with a $20 million bond ordinance for safety equipment and infrastructure improvements. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A state bill that would lessen the role of the city's elected officials might give voters a greater reason than the election to head to the polls Tuesday. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A Canadian firm has lost $4 million and has laid off workers due to a legal challenge that has blocked operations of its new cement-grinding plant here, the firm said Friday. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The park that has risen on the north side of Admiral Wilson Boulevard is a visible reminder of progress in this city. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Milton Milan's former colleagues at City Hall seemed mildly shocked and taken aback when they learned of his seven-year prison sentence. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

His voice cracking with emotion, former mayor Milton Milan apologized Friday for betraying the trust of city residents before an unsympathetic federal judge who sentenced him to more than seven years in prison. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

There could be good news, and more money, for South Jersey arts groups in wake of an eagerly awaited report released Friday by Secretary of State DeForest Soarles, Jr. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Mounting public outrage prompted City Council to announce Friday that members will rescind the pay increases they approved for themselves only a day earlier. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

1991 May- Milan, a 26 year old contractor, runs unsuccessfully for City Council Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Ralph Natale, 69, confessed mob boss, formerly of Pennsauken. A key witness at Milan's corruption trial, he was also recently a witness in the racketeering trial of Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino in Philadelphia. Natale said he bribed Milan with thousands in cash, in hopes of getting government contracts for Camden's empowerment zone - jobs he never got. Natale pleaded guilty last year to racketeering, murder and drug conspiracy. He awaits sentencing, which won't happen at least until the Merlino trial ends. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Milton Milan's sentencing may have ended a sordid episode of city history, but federal officials say their corruption investigation is not yet finished, and a gallery of notorious criminals connected to recent events await their fates. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A community group on Thursday announced plans to spend nearly $90 million to renovate 100 abandoned houses in the Parkside neighborhood. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The Army Corps of Engineers' plan to deepen the Delaware River shipping channel has sustained another blow. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Voters delivered a major victory to Mayor Gwendolyn Faison on Tuesday, overwhelmingly choosing the three candidates she supported for city council in a runoff election that drew few to the polls. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

When the St. Lawrence Cement Company tried starting a factory in Camden that would spray the air with up to 60 tons of partly adhesive limestone dust every year, one small group of neighbors actually was rooting for it. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

With signs reading "No jobs, no justice" and "Let my people work," nearly 40 Camden Waterfront residents rallied Monday at the State House asking government officials to allow the St. Lawrence Cement facility to open. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The mayor's bodyguard has asked for more than $11,000 in overtime pay, a request that has raised eyebrows around City Hall not only for the amount involved but also for its timing. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The editorial board's opinion in the South Jersey Courier-Post on May 17 ("Camden just can't afford to be fully independent", editorial), concerning state Sen. Wayne Bryant's latest rewrite of the proposed state takeover legislation, is the most misguided piece of thought I ever read. The Courier-Post stated: "We can't support anything other than a complete state takeover of the city[Camden] without knowing all the details of an alternate plan". Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The fate of 136 district employees remained unclear Monday night as the school board discussed whether to lay them off. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The state Local Finance Board on Monday directed the Camden City Council to remove Richard Cinaglia as the city's chief financial officer and comptroller and called for an overhaul of the city's fragmented" finance department. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post"

The school board has postponed its vote on whether to lay off 136 district employees until it can get an accurate list of those who would lose their jobs. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

City Council voted 4-0 Monday to kill an ordinance awarding salary raises to themselves, the mayor and several department heads. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The neighborhood near New Mickle Baptist Church is quiet, well-kept and filled with children at play. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

A recently released report on arts funding avoided ethics controversies and did not discuss how to help Camden's South Jersey Performing Arts Center. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The Delaware River Port Authority is expected to spend approximately $28 million today at a routine monthly meeting on projects that support its bridge network and its role as a regional economic engine. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Mayor Gwendolyn Faison announced a proposal Tuesday to restructure City Hall, raise salaries of elected officials and department heads and create new offices for code enforcement and public safety. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The general contractor building the South Jersey light rail line said Tuesday poor design led to the toppling of a rail bridge in April. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The district is developing plans to operate a "twilight school" for students who cannot attend regular morning classes, Superintendent Annette Knox said Tuesday. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Residents and community leaders joined City Council members Tuesday to sound off about proposed legislation that calls for a state-appointed official to take control of Camden's daily operations. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The city Parking Authority's Board of Commissioners asked its attorney Tuesday to research whether it can break a $129,255 buyout agreement with the agency's former director now that it knows he is the target of a criminal investigation. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Dr. Lewis L. Coriell, a pioneering scientist, virologist and physician who made many of his scientific breakthroughs here and in Philadelphia, died of cancer Tuesday at Cooper Hospital/University Medical Center on his 90th birthday. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The St. Lawrence Cement Group will open its controversial plant here as a result of a favorable ruling by a federal appeals court, a lawyer for the firm said Friday. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Once larger than life, Milton Milan seemed to get smaller and smaller under the scathing rain of words in U.S. District Court Friday. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

To outsiders, Camden can seem a forbidding place. The crime. The turmoil. The constant sense of crisis. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Joe Roberts and Nilsa Cruz-Perez, the Democrat incumbents in the state's 5th Legislative District, should have no problem making it through the June 26th primary because their would-be challenger doesn't want the job in the state Assembly. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

City Council gave preliminary approval Thursday to a harshly criticized plan for municipal pay raises, even adding one official to the list of those who would receive them. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

The school board worked Thursday night to hammer out details of a compromise that would allow the city-managed summer recreation program to operate this year. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Camden High School has recalled more than 100 yearbooks because they contain a quote accusing the student government president of being arrested for sexual harassment. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Near playgrounds ringed with barbed wire, on streets where drug dealers hawk their wares, Camden residents expressed disgust with the city and its leaders as yet another mayor faced sentencing for corruption. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

It was just another news conference, the announcement of a demolition project on the Rutgers campus. But it gave Milton Milan a chance to make an impression. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Milton Milan, whose bravado once boosted the hopes of a debt-ridden city, returns to the public eye today as he is sentenced for the federal crimes of corruption and fraud. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Mayor Faison, I salute you. You've got more brass, more nerve, more chutzpah than I gave you credit for. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

To look at Tina Clary in a cap and gown, it's hard to imagine her as a car thief, pot-head and wild child. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post

Disenchanted by years of single-party rule and a string of corrupt mayors, Camden residents have lost faith in their government and sweeping changes are needed. Abstract courtesy of the Courier-Post