This site was created to open the public's eyes to how the Mayor and City Council of Gloucester City and surrounding Camden County Towns in NJ Spend your Tax Dollars. This site is also expanding to cover Gloucester County as well. To contact this site email [email protected].
CAMDEN — A Lawnside Police officer was arrested today for allegedly tampering with evidence used in connection with an alleged 2008 murder-for-hire in Quinton Township, according to Camden County Prosecutor Warren W. Faulk.
Lt. Lloyd Lewis, 44, of Lawnside, was charged Tuesday afternoon with four counts of official misconduct, three counts of tampering with evidence and tampering with public records. Lewis is the highest ranking member of the Lawnside Police Department and has been an officer for 23 years.
It is alleged that on Aug. 20, 2008, Lewis was contacted by a relative of Lee Williams Jr., who was wanted in connection with a Salem County homicide. Lewis reportedly was a long time friend of Williams’ relative and the relative asked Lewis if he would help facilitate Williams’ surrender, authorities said.
Williams and Lewis allegedly waited for Salem County investigators at the Lawnside Police Department, and in that time Lewis claimed Williams insisted on making a statement. It is alleged Lewis mirandized Williams and took a statement from the suspect. He recorded the statement with audio and video equipment, in which Williams acknowledged being an accomplice to murder, authorities alleged.
Lewis is accused of writing a report on the incident that failed to document that the defendant offered a statement. Police said Lewis made no verbal mention of the statement to Salem County authorities. He also is accused of failing to preserve the DVR record of the statement. the device in the Lawnside police department copies over recordings after 45 days, and Lewis is accused of making no effort to preserve the recording.
Salem County law enforcement learned about the statement after recovering a letter from the defendant to a friend which mentioned a statement they did not know existed. They notified the state Attorney General, who notified the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office.
Williams — a teenager at the time of the incident — was charged with murder in connection with a 2008 homicide death of Jeffrey Huff of Quinton Township. The charges were later dropped.
To learn more about this danger that Mayor James & Council has brought upon us, then click this link (smart meters are part of the engry strong program)
The winning bid was $4 million, higher than the appraised value of the property.
The company out-bid the Camden County Freeholder Board and Cherry Hill Township which partnered together to save the club, according to a press release from the county.
“I am disappointed and outraged,” Freeholder Jeffrey Nash said. “I find it difficult to believe that a real-estate group would bid more than $4 million above the appraised value, for a historic parcel that would be extremely difficult to develop in an environmentally sensitive area that requires federal, state, county and municipal approvals.”
Woodcrest Country Club is a 155-acre, par-71 layout in the southwest corner of Cherry Hill adjacent to two heavily traveled county roadways, between Route 561 and Evesham Road. The facility lies geographically in the center of Camden County. The golf club dates back to 1929, when Camden City’s Jewish population was barred at other golf courses and started its own.
“I know residents will continue to have concerns about the future of this property and we still believe this is an ideal property to protect from residential and commercial development,” Nash said in a press release. “We are going to explore all of the options at our disposal to work towards that goal and we are now focused on speaking to the winning bidder about their intentions.”
“Regardless of the auction, I still believe this natural area should stay a golf course or become a park that would be a benefit to everyone in the county,” Nash added.
Mayor Chuck Cahn was definitive in his support for the zoning of the property and the preservation of the land.
“Together with the county, we put our best foot forward in trying to acquire the property. I am disheartened by the outcome, but our position has not changed: Council and I do not want to see this site developed, and we will not support any change in zoning,” Cahn said. “We intend to do everything in our power to keep this property as either a golf course or open space – and to ensure that the integrity of this environmentally sensitive piece of land is preserved.”
Council President Dave Fleisher voiced the local governing body’s support for the current zoning.
“Township Council stands squarely with the mayor against any change in zoning and still believes this parcel should remain as open space,” Fleisher said.
The project, which would build 17 miles of new tracks connecting 15 new stations throughout Gloucester and Camden counties, is currently in the midst of an environmental study, slated to be completed and published by next spring, according to Joseph North, vice president of STV, Inc., a consulting firm tasked with carrying out the study.
“By next spring there will be a draft statement, followed by a public review phase,” said North at Monday’s information session inside the gymnasium at Woodbury Junior-Senior High School. “This today is a refresher meeting because we didn’t want a large gap in time between the last public scoping meeting and next spring.”
The last public session occurred in the spring of 2010, in which 176 residents attended, according to STV.
The new South Jersey light rail line would connect passengers from Glassboro to the Walter Rand Transportation Center in Camden, where riders can catch a PATCO train or transfer to the River Line.
Stops along the way include Rowan University, Pitman, Sewell, Mantua Boulevard, Wenonah, Woodbury Heights, two stops in Woodbury, and Crown Point Road in Westville.
Additional stations in Gloucester City and Camden — including one at Cooper University Hospital — will also be built, according to proposals.
From there, passengers would be able to board a PATCO train to Philadelphia, or the NJTransit River Line to Trenton.
Officials have estimated the travel time from Glassboro to the Walter Rand Transportation Center would be 35 to 40 minutes.
North said the $1.6 billion transportation project could be up and running by 2019.
“I like the idea of it,” said Giovanni Cavone, a Malaga resident who described himself as an investor in the Glassboro area. “I’m favorable toward it because I think it’ll bring in money to the area — people are going to be driving into Glassboro to take the train up to Camden and then Philadelphia.
“It would also relieve traffic congestion on Route 55, I think.”
Wenonah resident Jeff Penuel was also bullish about the proposal.
“I think it’s a good idea, given the advances in public transportation in South Jersey,” he said, before adding “It’s about progressive thinking.”
However, not all in attendance were sold.
“I go to Philly every single day for work, and I’m not about to take light rail that will add an hour and a half to my commute,” said Cheryl Carroll, from West Deptford. “And it’s going to tie up the intersections in Woodbury even more — it took me 20 minutes to get from one end of Broad Street to the other with the way it is now.”
Annual operating costs for the proposed transit line are currently estimated at $29 million. While the DRPA has been pushing for a Glassboro-Philadelphia rail connection since 2003 — and specifically a Glassboro-Camden light rail line since 2009 — the authority has no interest in owning or operating the system.
Instead, the DRPA is taking on the role of “project manager,” according to the authority.
NJTransit is currently paying for the environmental study, which the DRPA awarded to STV Incorporated with an $8.3 million contract in February 2012.
Officials have previously stated ownership of the rail line, once completed, could fall under a public-private partnership.
The River Line falls under one such partnership, operated for NJTransit by Bombardier Transportation, a private company based in Germany, under the name Southern New Jersey Rail Group.
We requested the following information from The City of Gloucester in regards to there Freedom Pier Project and was told the do not have any of the documents requested.
If you read the agreement it only relates to the construction of residential properties.
Freedom Pier llc seems to be a fantom company
The issue is that these documents are required "per there agreement"
1. I am requesting all meeting minutes as outlined in section 5.1 of the Redevelopment Agreement between the City of Gloucester and Freedom Pier llc. 1/1/08 to present
2. I am requesting all progress reports as outlined in section 5.2 of the Redevelopment Agreement between the City of Gloucester and Freedom Pier llc. 1/1/08 to present
3. I am requesting all submissions as outlined in section 5.3 of the Redevelopment Agreement between the City of Gloucester and Freedom Pier llc. 1/1/08 to present
4. I am requesting all insurance documents required as outlined in section 7 of the Redevelopment Agreement between the City of Gloucester and Freedom Pier llc. 1/1/08 to present
5. I am requesting all Approvals as outlined in Exhibit E of the Redevelopment Agreement between the City of Gloucester and Freedom Pier llc. 1/1/08 to present
6. I am requesting the development agreement between Gloucester City and Freedom Pier llc that outlines the plan as described in the Gloucester city Resolution 008-2013 (there should be a new agreement as the original calls for housing not a bar/brew pub)1/1/08 to present
Email response from Gloucester City Clerk
With regards to the attached OPRA request #'s 1-6 - None
This E-mail was sent from "RNPA0B085" (Aficio 3035).
Scan Date: 05.16.2013 15:29:53 (-0400)
Queries to: [email protected]
--
Kathleen M. Jentsch
City Clerk/Registrar of Vital Statistics
City of Gloucester City
512 Monmouth St.
Gloucester City, NJ 08030
856-456-0205 ext. 218 (phone)
856-456-8030 (fax)
Email: [email protected]Municipal Bldg. Office Hours:
M-W 8 am - 5 pm
Thurs. 10 am - 7 pm
Fri. Closed
Camden County will bid on the Woodcrest Country Club in an effort to preserve the bankrupt Cherry Hill golf course as open space when the property is sold at auction Monday.
But county officials have not disclosed how much they might spend on the 155-acre property, which will cost potential buyers a minimum bid of at least $6.5 million.
Revealing a dollar value would violate collusion laws and undercut the county's bidding position, a county spokesman said.
A Marlton real estate group has already entered into an agreement with a bankruptcy trustee to buy the club for $6.25 million, with a minimum bid increment and fees raising the bar for a higher bid by more than $300,000.
The freeholders voted Tuesday to spend $655,600 from the open space fund for the 10 percent deposit required to participate in the closed auction.
In an executive session, they also discussed "parameters" for the bid, said Freeholder Jeff Nash.
While he said he could not disclose those details, Nash said the county "does have flexibility - reasonable flexibility."
"We will be aggressive," he said.
The vote to bid on the club - which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last year and did not open this season - followed an announcement by Cherry Hill last month that it hoped to partner with the county in a bid to ensure the course remains undeveloped.
With the county playing the lead role in a bid for the property, the township doesn't yet know what it might need to contribute, "if anything," said Cherry Hill spokeswoman Bridget Palmer.
"At this point, it looks like the county is going to be putting up the lion's share," she said.
The township has about $1 million in its open space fund, and "any expenditure we would make would require council approval," Palmer said. "Our goal would not be to add any tax burden or spend any money we don't have."
The county's open space fund has about $11 million, Nash said.
The fund generates about $6.5 million a year through a tax of two cents per $100 of value, approved by voters in two referendums starting in 1998, said Jack Sworaski, director of the county Division of Environmental Affairs.
Properties the county has helped buy since then include the Stafford Farm in Voorhees, a $20 million purchase made in partnership with the state, the Township of Voorhees, and the nonprofit Trust for Public Land, Sworaski said. He said the county contributed $4 million.
The county also participated in a $10 million purchase of Timber Creek Park, now owned by the county, in Gloucester Township, Sworaski said. Gloucester Township contributed to the purchase, as did the state Green Acres Program.
Green Acres awards grants for open space purchases and contributes up to 50 percent of a property's appraised value.
An appraisal recently commissioned by the county valued the Woodcrest property at $6.5 million, said county spokesman Dan Keashen. The property was assessed earlier this year at $5.4 million, according to county tax records.
The county would seek reimbursement for a Woodcrest purchase from Green Acres, which is out of money but accepting applications.
In deciding when to spend open-space money, said Nash, a property like Woodcrest is precisely "what the fund is for."
"The area is very crowded. The existing road system can barely accommodate what's there now," said Nash, who lives in Cherry Hill. He said further development of the area "would be a nightmare" for residents.
The group with an agreement to buy Woodcrest, First Montgomery Group, has developed apartment units in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
The group has not commented on its plans for the club, but "we are aware it's an area and a piece of land that impacts a lot of people," Matt Haydinger, one of its principals, said Wednesday.
"We are absolutely taking that into consideration," he said.
The property is zoned for institutional uses, and Cherry Hill Mayor Chuck Cahn has said the township will not tolerate changing the zoning.
Other potential bidders include the Union League of Philadelphia, which is interested in running the club as a golf course, its lawyer said at a court hearing.
The lawyer, Edmond George, said this week that "we're not going to have any comment on that before the auction."
Former Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski also has shown interest in the club, according to Cahn.
Relay For Life is a celebration of survivorship – an occasion to express hope and our shared goal to end a disease that threatens the lives of so many people we love. There are many ways you can get involved with your local Relay For Life event:
Sign Up Today
The journey to end cancer starts with a single step. The American Cancer Society invites you to take that step with us by joining the global Relay For Life movement. When you walk to end cancer at a Relay event, it's your opportunity to not only honor cancer survivors and remember loved ones lost, but also to raise awareness about what we can do to stay well from cancer and raise money to help fuel the world's largest walk to end cancer. Join us in the fight to end cancer and sign up today
Become a Sponsor
By supporting the American Cancer Society through a Relay For Life event, you are sending the message that you care about the well-being of your community and are committed to saving lives by partnering with the world’s largest fight for more birthdays. There are a variety of sponsorship levels to choose from, but each level provides your company with valuable visibility. Check out a full list of our event sponsors
Become a Volunteer
We are interested in new Committee Members and volunteers for the planning and registration at the event. Please email Marie Phillips at [email protected]
Event Schedule
Survivor Luncheon: 12:00pm
All Survivors and a guest are invited to attend a complimentary lunch and dessert on the pier to celebrate their survivorship! They are the guest of honor at Relay!
Opening Ceremony: 2:00pm
Our opening ceremony will begin at the gazebo with the presentation of the flag and the National Anthem followed by the opening of ceremonies, our guest speaker and a few words from our Committee Chairs to kick things off. We will then begin the survivor lap as our first lap honoring all those that are survivors. .
Survivor Lap: 2:30 During the Survivors Lap, upbeat music plays as all cancer survivors at the event take the first lap around the track cheered on by the other participants who line the track, celebrating their victory over cancer.
Luminaria Ceremony: 10:00pm The Luminaria Ceremony is a time to remember people we have lost to cancer, to support people who currently have cancer, and to honor people who have fought cancer in the past. The power of this ceremony lies in providing an opportunity for people to work through grief and find hope.
Fight Back Ceremony: TBA The Fight Back Ceremony symbolizes the emotional commitment we each make to the fight against cancer. The action we take represents what we are willing to do for ourselves, for our loved ones, and for our community to fight cancer year-round and to commit to saving lives.
Closing Ceremony: 7:30am The Closing Ceremony is a time to remember the lives of those lost and to celebrate that each of us has committed, through our participation in a Relay event, to fight back against this disease over the next year. We will distribute awards and recognize our committee and give the totals.
We have a great line up of entertainment, face painting, food, vendors, music, games and lots of emotions!!!
No matter who you are, there's a place for you at a Relay For Life event. Each dollar you raise will help save lives. How far will you go to make a difference in the fight against cancer?
Your reason for participating in the American Cancer Society Relay For Life event is as unique and special as the story that motivates you. If you've been affected by cancer in any way, being part of the Relay event empowers you to make a difference and fight back. This is your opportunity to honor cancer survivors, remember those we have lost to this disease, and raise funds and awareness to help end cancer forever.
The American Cancer Society Relay For Life event is a celebration of survivorship an occasion to express hope and our shared goal to end a disease that threatens the lives of so many people we love.
In just this past month, it has been my pleasure to attend nine ribbon cuttings or groundbreakings for companies that are committed to doing business in New Jersey as a home for economic growth.
This flurry of positive business activity proves that Gov. Christie’s economic development policies are motivating companies to invest in the future of the Garden State, and by doing so, are creating more job opportunities for New Jersey families.
In fact, this local business activity will create or retain more than 4,000 private-sector jobs in New Jersey.
Specifically, since April, Thales Avionics Services opened its new state-of-the-art facility in Piscataway, creating and retaining more than 200 jobs.
Burlington Coat Factory broke ground on its new $41 million Florence Township headquarters, which will accommodate more than 800 employees, including 120 new full-time workers.
Prologis broke ground on its new warehouse and distribution center in Jersey City, which will retain and create 810 jobs.
Ascena and Dress Barn are investing $53 million in a new headquarters, which is expected to bring 575 new jobs to Mahwah.
Novo Nordisk officially opened its new $225 million, 731,000-square-foot U.S. headquarters, which created more than 500 construction jobs and will employ 1,100 company workers.
DRG International officially opened its new 35,000-square-foot Springfield-based headquarters, which is expected to employ 100 workers.
Quantex Laboratories opened its new 15,000-square-foot Cranbury headquarters. New Jersey American Water opened its new $78 million start-of-the-art water treatment plant in Millburn, which provided more than 200 construction jobs.
Church & Dwight opened its new 250,000-square-foot, two-building worldwide headquarters, which cost $70 million and can employ more than 500 people, in Ewing Township.
These and many other companies are choosing to do business in New Jersey, thanks to the success of the Christie administration’s efforts in improving the state’s business climate. Working with Democrats and Republicans, we passed $2.35 billion in tax cuts and reforms to give private-sector job creators new reasons to stay, expand or relocate in New Jersey.
Together, we strengthened key incentive programs to increase New Jersey’s competitiveness domestically and globally, while the bipartisan 2 percent property tax increase cap has made the Garden State more affordable for residents and their families.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that since February 2010, more than 127,800 private-sector jobs have been created in New Jersey.
This effort is the result of the Christie administration’s priorities, including the New Jersey Partnership for Action (PFA), which provides access to valuable business development resources for companies of any size.
The four elements of the PFA include: the Business Action Center, providing the business community with a single point of contact and applying a proactive, customer-service approach to businesses’ interactions with state government; the secretary of higher education, who coordinates, plans, develops policies and advocates for the state’s higher education system; the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, serving as the state’s financing arm; and Choose New Jersey, a privately funded marketing, business attraction and lead generation organization that markets the state as an ideal location.
Companies are also attracted to New Jersey’s many intrinsic and infrastructure assets and our concentration of highly skilled and well-educated workers. New Jersey is home to more scientists and engineers per square mile than anywhere else in the world. Furthermore, the Garden State offers one of the most sophisticated systems of connectivity in the United States. From New Jersey, one can get to one-third of the American population on a single tank of gas.
There are more than 130 million people and tens of thousands of companies within a day’s drive from New Jersey, and our state’s vast transportation network makes it easy to get goods to the region’s large and densely populated market. We have more than 38,000 miles of highways, three airports that provide commercial flights and eight that support corporate/executive and private-use general aviation activities, a thousand miles of rail freight lines and access to some of the most important ports in North America.
As New Jersey’s business climate and job opportunities improve, continued success requires constant work and vigilance. Progress depends on always seizing the moment. It also means embracing every opportunity to bring investment and jobs to New Jersey, no matter how tough the competition or steep the challenges — challenges this administration continues to meet head-on.
Our efforts are paying off and providing long-term benefits. New Jersey is emerging as a competitive and attractive place to do business.
Kim Guadagno is the lieutenant governor of New Jersey. She leads the Christie administration’s economic development efforts.
Relay For Life of Gloucester City