Roy Lehman writes that baby boomers want something for nothing, and they're taking up the GOP candidate on his offer.

To the Editor:

Donald Trump's new TV ad states, "In Hillary Clinton's America, taxes go up." The ad further states, "In Donald Trump's America, working families get tax relief."

When you study the comparative advantages of each candidate's tax plan, it is apparent that rather than the outsider Trump claims to be, he is a standard-issue, trickle-down Republican. He supports this protection racket for the economic elite.

Trump's tax cuts would be largely directed to the already wealthy, who don't need them. Some analysts say that if the cuts are implemented, this would add up to $10 trillion to the national debt over the next decade.

It is a constant source of amusement as I listen to the baby-boom generation talk about how their tax burden is too excessive and the national debt is out of hand. Yet, at election time, they're out on the street like a heroin user shopping around for the candidate who will promise them more "tax relief" to inject as the national debt piles higher and higher. 

This makes me wonder if the baby boomers will ever realize that much of the tax burden has been shifted down to them from corporations and the wealthy. And, like the tax relief "drug abusers" they've become, will they recognize that THEY are the "takers." They should be actually called the "Deadbeat Generation," as they happily hand down their public debt to their children and grandchildren.

Can the millennials "Just Say No" to the pushers and their 30-second commercials that have addicted their deadbeat parents to the "tax cuts for everybody" meme?

Deadbeats, free riders --  no matter what you call my generation -- we must be an embarrassment to the "Greatest Generation," our parents who won World War II and paid down the public debt during their time in charge of government.

Roy Lehman

Woolwich Township 

To spite Times, elect Trump

To the Editor:

I consider the South Jersey Times to be a slanted socialist rag.  

I hope Donald Trump wins the presidential election if for no other reason than to spite the Times. He is much less of an idiot than Hillary Clinton, the clown in a pantsuit. 

Frank Danci

Mullica Hill

Send a letter to the editor of South Jersey Times at sjletters@njadvancemedia.com  

Linda DuBois of Pittsgrove Township will serve as local advocate

Linda DuBoisSubmitted photo 

Linda DuBois of Pittsgrove Township is the new American Red Cross Community Volunteer Lead for Salem County.

In this new role, she will serve as volunteer representative, local advocate and community partner to build relationships with key stakeholders within Salem County.

DuBois comes from a diverse Red Cross background and has previously served as a volunteer chair and vice chairperson of the local board of directors, health and safety instructor and public affairs representative.

 "I'm excited to once again represent Red Cross within Salem County" said DuBois, I look forward to working with Salem County municipal governments, communities and civic groups coordinating Red Cross services and programs."

For more information or to schedule a Red Cross presentation for community groups, schools or service clubs contact, Linda DuBois 856-981-6101. or lnddbs@gmail.com.

Submitted by Laura Steinmetz, American Red Cross.

CTS continues its campaign in creating the world's largest rubber band band

 

SALEM -- Community Treatment Solutions (CTS), a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the most at-risk youths affected by trauma in New Jersey, is holding a Salem County kickoff event at Mount Zion Baptist Church , 437 Grieves Parkway on Sept. 12 at 10 a.m. to introduce and continue its campaign to break the Guinness World Record in creating the world's largest rubber band ball, which currently stands at 9,032 pounds. 

The campaign known as the Rubber Band Bus (or "Bands that Unite US"), which began with a presentation at CTS' Moorestown office in April, was developed to raise funds for and bring attention to the subject of youth who have been abused, neglected and abandoned. The campaign's symbol, a rubber band ball, has been visiting venues around the region, giving participants an opportunity to take part in the effort.

Scheduled to speak at the kickoff are Salem Mayor Charles Washington Jr., The Rev. Awood A. Jones, Pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church and CTS President and CEO Susan Buchwald. In addition to introducing the Rubber Band Ball initiative in Salem, CTS will also introduce an interactive presentation for elementary school students about the dangers of abuse.

The idea to break the world record occurred when CTS faced a huge task with a very tight deadline that required the entire staff to drop what they were doing to help out. According to Buchwald, "We met the deadline, which demonstrated that seemingly monumental tasks can be accomplished when everyone works together. "Bands that Unite US" came about out of that concept, and my continued hope is, with everyone in the region working together, we can support at-risk youth and beat the current record to create the world's largest rubber band ball, which stands at 9,032 pounds."

The rubber band ball, currently basketball sized, will continue to make stops at events and public and private venues around the region where participants can add rubber bands, take photos and, most importantly, be a part of this huge, worthy and fun endeavor. 

For more information or to book your Rubber Band Ball visit, www.ctsnj.org/donate-to-the-rubber-band-bus/ or access "rubberbandbus" on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

This item submitted by Laren Schiavo, Thomas/Boyd Communications.

If you know of someone or something you would like to nominate for a cheer or a jeer, please send the information to sjletters@njadvancemedia.com

CHEERS to talking the talk. We walked the walk: 2.4 miles on an unforgiving June afternoon. Camden City School District officials agreed to talk to the talk: $150,000 to provide busing for high school students who live between 2 and 2.5 miles of their schools. "Courtesy busing," as it's called, is a service offered in many school districts for students living within that thresholds. Camden was not one of them -- until now. While additional funding to come via legislation at the state level to pay for the service in other New Jersey school districts is still being hammered out, this is a win for Camden students. For those lending a hand with raising a family, working part-time jobs or striving academically to secure a college education, not having to worry about what awaits on the walk home is akin to the weight of a thousands textbooks being lifted off students' shoulders.

CHEERS: To West Deptford and county Republicans for acting quickly to sever ties with a write-in candidate accused of harassing a reporter with disturbing and vile messages. The organizations saw this disaster for what it was and distanced themselves from Mike Krawitz, a candidate seeking a place on township committee. Krawitz claimed someone had hacked his social media accounts and posted a comment expressing the hope that a Daily Beast reporter would be raped. A lesson for political leaders at all levels is that any candidate joining a ticket for any office -- either through the primary process or a write-in campaign -- must be vetted to ensure they are suitable to serve. It appears Krawtiz's alleged behavior began with comments he made to the reporter back last December. A little homework could save party bosses from embarrassment and save voters from potentially making a terrible choice at the polls. Voters deserve quality candidates, not ballot fillers.

JEERS: To a cruel sport. A Milville man is the latest suspect to be arrested in an alleged interstate dog fighting ring. Robert A. Elliott was taken into custody Wednesday after it was found he was the owner of several dogs alleged involved in fighting.  On the property where Elliott lived officials found dogs in pens, chained in a wooded area and held in crates in a basement. The dogs allegedly used for fighting are now being cared for by animal welfare authorities.

CHEERS: To 40 years for a community tradition. It all began as a small celebration to mark America's 200^th birthday. Today, 40 years later, the Pennsville Septemberfest celebration has grown and become a tradition of its own. Thousands are expected to turn out Saturday for the parade which takes place on Broadway in Pennsville beginning at 11 a.m. Activities then shift to Riverview Beach Park where music, food and other activities continue until dusk when a grand fireworks show begins.  It's a true community celebration that must not be missed!

JEERS to "The New Jim Crow." Let's be real here. If you're in jail, you did something wrong. There are worse fates than being paid pennies on the dollar for working while behind bars for billion dollar corporations. That, among other grievances raised Friday by Decarcerate the Garden State during a protest in Camden, is just a sad fact of life. However, the National Prison Strike held on Sept. 9 on the 45th anniversary of the Attica prison riot does shed light on human rights concerns -- namely the incarceration of minorities at a higher rate in New Jersey compared to caucasians as well as the money to be made on sending people behind bars, no matter how long the sentence. We, too, think that should be addressed. Just don't start complaining about the food that gets served in the clink -- it affects the credibility of an otherwise just cause.

If you know of someone or something you would like to nominate for a cheer or a jeer, please send the information to sjletters@njadvancemedia.com

The column that is super-sized to make up for the sporadic postings

The column that is super-sized to make up for the sporadic postings

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Good morning!

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Jaime E. Marine | South Jersey Times 

The other day I grabbed lunch at the Jamaican-cuisine restaurant on Landis Avenue in Vineland and, it was such a nice day, I decided to eat it in front of the old Landis Marketplace. In the ten minutes it took to eat my big plate of jerk chicken, three different people asked from where I got it.

I surmise two lessons from this:

1. It pays to know and try food places you have in your downtown

2. Sometimes the best advertisement for a food establishment is people eating outside

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"Taking a minute to think of all of the children in foster care who are beginning new school years, not necessarily in schools, but homes. Change isn't easy, but, sometimes it brings an incredible amount of positivity.

"I'm specifically thinking of my little girl, who is not just someone I advocate for in court, but is a child I love with my whole heart. She finally had a chance to start a new school instead of a new home. She's in her forever home surrounded by a family dedicated to making her experience life for everything it's supposed to be. She may not know how fortunate she is right now, but, one day, she'll be able to look back at her journey and appreciate each stop, no matter how trying. When I received her back to school photos this morning, I cried so much! Her happiness and effort to trust is a journey in itself. 

"We're all not out of the woods yet, but, progress is inevitable when you're surrounded by people who genuinely care. 

"Please consider being a voice for a child in foster care. You could be a part of the village. No effort is too small. No voice too quiet."

- Jennifer Henderson

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"The next public session of the Cumberland County Law Enforcement Community Engagement Series is being held on Wednesday, September 14, 2016 at the Cumberland County College - Luciano Conference Center from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. We will be discussing how a police office is trained to conduct motor vehicle and street stops. We will be discussing what your rights are as a citizen. Additionally, we will look at the anatomy of a motor vehicle stop and how citizens should behave so everyone leaves the encounter safely. Please come out to join us for this timely discussion. To learn more about the event, see the flyer and press release below. To register, go to: www.communityengagementseries.com."

- Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office

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"I know this was already posted but I just wanted to remind everyone about the two paint nights Millville Rescue is hosting this fall; one on Sept. 27 and one on Oct. 9. If you're interested in the September date, remember to register and pay by the 15th or the price will increase. A portion of the money received will be used in December to help provide for a family in need.

"If you've never painted before or you feel like you're not artistic enough, don't worry! an instructor will guide you step by step and your painting will look great!"

- Carissa Redden

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"Fall Festive Painting (the tree on the flyer) Tuesday, Sept. 27, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Cost $25.00 if paid by Sept. 15 or $30.00 if paid after the 15th. Cash or checks (made payable to Millville Rescue Squad) will be accepted at the front lobby window of 600 Cedar St. in Millville. This is open to all employees and the community members (ages 16 and over). A portion of the proceeds will be used to adopt local families for the upcoming holidays. For more info, email jlanglois@mrsems.org"

- Millville Rescue Squad

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Carribean Cultural Heritage Festival is on Sept. 17 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at WheatonArts.

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"This Caribbean Festival is a one-day celebration bringing together music, dance and visual arts that represent the many faces of the Caribbean cultural heritage as maintained and transformed by the Caribbean communities residing in our region and abroad.

"Artists, storytellers, musicians and dancers will provide visitors a vivid introduction to the unique Caribbean traditions showcasing both similarities and differences between the various Caribbean communities while simultaneously placing them in the multicultural context of the American society.

"Carnival procession! Bring your costume and join us for the carnival procession to begin the festivities for the day. Musicians and dancers will turn it into an unforgettable experience for participants.

"The narrated music and dance presentations will feature Puerto Rican Jbaro, Pena and Bomba music and dance, Jamaican Nyabingi and Reggae, Haitian Vodou drumming and dancing as well as Rara and Twoubadou music, Trinidadian Calypso, Soca and Steel Pan performances, Dominican Bachata, Merengue, Palo and Dem-bow(Dominican Reggaeton), Cuban Bata drumming, Afro-Caribbean stilt walkers, Djembe drummers and dancers as well as Garifuna music and dance. All visitors will be invited to join the dancers for several rounds of Caribbean salsa

"Special demonstrations in folk and traditional arts will be offered to introduce audiences to the unique experiences of old imagery and present-day creativity. Visitors will be able to observe art displays and demonstrations as well as engage in a dialogue with the artists. Featured art forms will include: Puerto Rican, Dominican and Trinidadian mask making, Bahamian, Trinidadian and Puerto Rican carnival and dance costumes, Puerto Rican and Jamaican coconut and wood and bamboo carving (santos and figurines, decorative carving), Jamaican and Puerto Rican domino tables, Jamaican doll making, dreadlocks or rasta locs, Haitian jewelry making, palm weaving, papier-mache, leather sculpture, Vodou bottles and beaded/sequins flags, Cuban Lace, Puerto Rican weaving, Garifuna cooking demonstration, and more...

"Contemporary art displays and artist market will present the paintings and sculpture of contemporary artists showcasing their works and delivering yet another layer of artistry and creativity through the lens of the Caribbean heritage.

"Authentic Caribbean cuisine will contribute to the atmosphere of the celebration and will complete the unforgettable experience of everyone who joins us for this celebration.

"Admission to the festival is $5.00."

"See the Festival Program here: http://wp.me/P5MUur-3DG"

- WheatonArts

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MY KIND OF TOWN: Where food is the quickest way to understand a different culture

At least 703 New Jerseyans died on Sept. 11, 2001. Here, for the first time, are all of their photos

Fifteen years ago, nearly 3,000 Americans lost their lives in the worst terrorist attack in our nation's history. More than 700 of those victims were from New Jersey. Most perished at the World Trade Center. Others were on hijacked planes. At least two worked at the Pentagon.

Their memories live on.

With today's anniversary, NJ Advance Media presents a tribute in photos to 703 victims known to have lived in or grown up in the Garden State.

Viewers can navigate through the entire gallery or jump to names using the alphabetical links below.*

For desktop users who would prefer to read the captions beside the photos, the gallery can be viewed here.

Acquaviva to Apollo* [?] Arczynski to Basmajian [?]  Bauer to Betterly

Bharvaney to Brady [?] Brandemarti to Callahan [?]  Calvi to Charette

Cherry to Colbert [?] Coleman to Cramer [?]  Crant to D'Ambrosi

Darling to D'Esposito [?] Devitt to Dudek [?]  Duger to Etzold

Evans to Ferrugio [?] Fersini to Fraser [?]  Frederick to Gilbey

Giordano to Grazioso [?] Green to Hargrave [?]  Harris to Horning

Houston to Jensen [?] Jerath to Keane [?]  Keene to Koo

Kopiczko to Lassman [?] Laszczynski to Lilore [?]  Lin to Maddison

Magnuson to Mattson [?] May to McHeffey [?]  McLaughlin to Mirpuri

Molisani to Murphy [?] Murphy to Niedermeyer [?]  Nimbley to Parandkar

Parker to Pham [?] Picarro to Pullis [?]  Pykon to Rescorla

Reynolds to Rodriguez [?] Rodriguez to Rowe [?]  Ruben to Schlag

Schlissel to Silverstein [?] Simmons to Stahlman [?]  Starita to Takahashi

Talhami to Tobin [?] Todisco to Vanacore [?]  Vandevander to Walsh

Warner to Woodwell [?]  Wortley to Zisa

* Joao A.D. Aguiar, 30, of Red Bank, and Jean A. Andrucki, 43, of Hoboken, were unintentionally omitted from the first photo collage and can be found on the final collage. 

Mark Mueller may be reached at mmueller@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarkJMueller. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

It should have been easy, in hindsight, to have connected the al-Qaida dots leading to 9/11. With today's lone-wolf terrorists, it's a more daunting task.

To take our temperature on this 15th anniversary of September 11, 2001, look on what we wrote in this space on the 10th anniversary of the attacks.

Our Sept. 11, 2011, editorial began:

"Ten years ago today, on an ordinary Tuesday morning, our collective calm was shattered, our sense of American invulnerability destroyed, by an unprecedented attack on our own soil. Foreign terrorists -- led by a fanatic and fueled by misguided religion -- used our own tools, four American airliners, to launch an attack on our most iconic buildings that killed nearly 3,000 people, injured hundreds more and wrecked havoc with our economy for months.

"We have recovered from the initial shock, though the pain will last forever."

Time has made the pain feel less sharp. Five years later, instead of direct images, some of our remembrances in South Jersey now revolve around a fund-raiser, a plaque or a park named for victims.

Yet 9/11 still stands as the most horrific terrorist act to take place on our nation's soil.

We are safer today from the kind of massive attack perpetuated by Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida. With what we now know, it is hard to imagine that a well-organized group could again coordinate a multi-phase deadly assault on multiple targets within the United States. Our fatal raid on bin Laden's hiding place in Pakistan on May 1, 2011, exemplified how al-Qaida had been largely rendered inert. Thank our Navy SEALS and other heroes who carried out precision attacks to take out bin Laden's henchmen. But "lone wolf" terrorism poses a different danger.

If vanquishing al-Qaida can be compared to the mass eradication of polio,  neutralizing today's adherents of various worldwide Islamic State iterations is like our current battle with pesky mosquitoes carrying the Zika virus. We are all like that pregnant mom-to-be in Miami, constantly looking over her shoulder for the miniature carrier of a potentially deadly disease. 

It's nearly impossible to guess where another San Bernadino or Orlando shooter, or a Boston Marathon bomber, will emerge. You cannot "connect the dots" when there is only one or two dots at most. Even in Europe, where small networks of bad actors have committed multiple acts of terrorism in the name of ISIS, the intelligence community has been unable to get it right.

Getting it right, as we observe anniversary No. 15, is our greatest 9/11 legacy challenge. The means to get it right, without stomping on the privacy rights of citizens and legally invited guests, is at the core of our presidential election. Five years ago, a candidate proposing to ban "all Muslims" from entering the United States could not have become a major-party nominee. A nominee who said that we could beat terrorists by engaging them online would have been laughed at.

Although the nature of the threat has changed, we must never forget those who gave their lives responding to the Twin Towers or the Pentagon, or those thousands of innocents who perished simply because they went to work or chose to take a flight on that ordinary Tuesday morning.

Send a letter to the editor of South Jersey Times at sjletters@njadvancemedia.com

Milton Hinton: Social scientists agree that 'black-on-black' crime is more accurately viewed as 'poor-on-poor' crime.

City, state and federal elected officials last week formally announced a $16.2 million federal grant to improve roads and infrastructure in Camden near the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. 

A ceremony about the funding came soon after the murder of 8-year-old Gabrielle Hill Carter, a crossfire victim of the city's roving gun battles. Gabrielle was preparing to start the third grade when she was gunned down while playing outside her residence. I have previously addressed what the community must do to quell Camden's violence, but elected officials are also failing residents with their lack of leadership and initiative.

In the 1960s, President Lyndon Johnson mandated a broad study and investigation of the social issues plaguing America's cities. A bipartisan commission produced the "Report of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders," also known as the Kerner Report. 

The report concluded, among other things, that segregation and poverty created a destructive environment in the inner-city that was foreign to most white Americans. To quote Kerner:  "What white Americans have never fully understood but what 'Black Americans' can never forget, is that white society is deeply implicated in the ghetto. White institutions created it, white institutions maintain it, and white society condones it."

The statement above is a very powerful synopsis of the environment too many black Americans still find themselves in today. It also describes the conditions into which Gabrielle Hill Carter was born and tragically died.

Elected officials of the City of Camden, as well as those of Camden County, have seemingly turned a blind eye toward the devastating level of gun violence in the city. Those who blindly follow stereotypical explanations will erroneously proclaim the violence as "black-on-black" crime. But many social scientists agree that it is more accurately viewed as "poor-on poor" crime, which can be significantly decreased if those in charge have the inclination and will to do so. 

Nowhere in our area, except in a predominantly black and Puerto Rican environment such as Camden, would such devastation be allowed to continue without swift yet lawful intervention by law enforcement and elected officials. Show me another community in South Jersey where drug addicted women, mainly white, openly prostitute themselves on a main thoroughfare with minimum law enforcement contact. Watch what would happen if I walked down the street in Wenonah, Haddonfield or Voorhees Township smoking a marijuana joint, or I stood on a corner all day and half the night, exchanging small bags of heroin for cash with motorists from the suburbs. 

Camden's elected leaders' inaction has led to pervasive unemployment, poor city services and unrestricted criminal violence. This failed political structure jeopardizes the safety and well-being of the city's most valuable, most vulnerable residents -- its children.

Residents victimized by the governing body charged with their protection will use violence as a solution to what they view as insurmountable problems. This is true no matter whether they are in Camden or in Appalachia. Conservative writer Kevin D. Williamson, in a 2014 essay, described Appalachia as "the white ghetto," noting that some parts of the region have a homicide rate greater than those found in major cities. Impoverished Appalachians suffer from the same ills as Camden residents, with the same deadly results. 

If Camden's leaders desire to push back against poverty and provide residents hope and opportunity for upward mobility, they should build a factory, and then train and hire city residents. If the goal is to stop the violence and drastically lower the murder rate, build three factories and make it easy inexpensive to start a legitimate business.

These leaders must not continue to sit idle, saying and doing nothing of any substance. Too many residents, especially children, are now at risk.

Milton W. Hinton Jr. is director of equal opportunity for the Gloucester County government. He is past president of the Gloucester County Branch NAACP. His column states his personal views, not those of any organization or agency. Email: mwhjr678@gmail.com.

The reader writes, Trout "will never overtake Ruth," and he's likely correct about that.

I received a series of e-mails from a reader who sounds like the world's greatest Mickey Mantle fan. Close, but no cigar. I'm No. 1. I'll grant the reader No. 2 status.

The reader takes issue with me because in a column I suggested Millville's Mike Trout has greatness stamped all over him. I stopped short of anointing him the next Mantle or Babe Ruth because he's only played for five years. But I did suggest the possibility exists that he's the real deal.

The reader writes, Trout "will never overtake Ruth," and he's likely correct about that.

Bob ShryockTimes file photo 

Some of the reader's thoughts: "Trout isn't half as good as Mantle, who was the most popular athlete on the planet. He won a Triple Crown. Hit 50 home runs twice, 18 World Series home runs, led the league in runs scored six times, and won three MVPs. He led the Yankees to 12 pennants and seven world championships. He hit 536 regular season home runs, many of them tape measure shots. Then you say Mike Trout could become the greatest player of all time. No, that's Babe Ruth, who reinvented and saved baseball."

Since baseball is based largely on statistics, the argument for Trout becoming more than an ordinary player has its roots in the daily "Scoreboard" updates on Mike's career that appear in the South Jersey Times.

It seems Trout's seasonal output for a fourth place club is rather ordinary, yet in Friday's capsule he is among the American League West leaders in batting average (.323), runs scored (109), hits (153),  RBI (88), walks (96), homers (27), and on base percentage (.442).

And who can say what Trout's numbers would be if he played for a contender, not an Angel  team that's languishing 20 1/2 games out of first place?

I like the reader's loyalty to The Mick. I'm biased, for sure, a Mantle and Yankee fan since emerging from diapers.. If Mike Trout can some day achieve Mantle's numbers, and help his team to glory, I won't say I told you so.

But Babe Ruth? A different story from a vastly different era.

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Judy Clark Dickinson, a four-time winner on the LPGA tour and former tour president, will be inducted into the All Sports Museum of Southern New Jersey Tuesday, Sept. 13 at 2 p.m. at 8 Burt St. in Bridgeton.

Between 1985 and 1992, Dickinson captured tour events in San Diego, Boston, Rochester and Seattle. She served as LPGA president in 1990, 1991, and 1992.

She has one international victory and two legends championships.

Currently head professional at West Palm Beach Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla., Dickinson has been honored often and is in two halls of fame.

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The name of Yvonne Giovannitti's  charity for "Dancing With Gloucester County's Stars" was rebranded in April. The new name is "United Methodist Communities at Pitman Fellowship Fund."

Between the new school funding proposal and the amount already spent on supplies, the divide between the haves and have-nots is getting bigger.

Sometimes in life, it's the stuff you don't think that can hold you down. Maybe that's because we focus on the really big things and we don't give much thought to the little things, or we just assume it will all just take care of itself.

It's sort of what happened when I thought ahead to the start of the new school year and the students heading back for the 2016-2017 academic year.

The "big thing" I got focused on was the new school funding formula coming out of the Statehouse --  the one that would basically put Bridgeton, and many other resource poor school districts, in a multi-million hole.

So in thinking about the impacts of such funding deficit, I overlooked the little stuff like what it takes for parents, or a single parent, to get their youngsters equipped for the new school year.

You don't often think about "back to school" costs until you start pricing the stuff. We're talking electronics, clothes, backpacks, pens, assorted school supplies -- and that doesn't even begin to address the fees if your child wants to join the band and needs an instrument.

In skimming through a recent piece by Rachel Abrams in the NY Times entitled "A back-to-school divide", it highlighted the way retailers are working the opposite ends of the income gap.

In its own way, something as simple as "back-to-school-supplies" and the income divide became emblematic of the bigger issues around education inequality and this new funding proposal that would enshrine it into law.  

According to the piece, parents can expect to pay, on average, just over $670 on electronics, clothes, and notebooks heading into the 2016-2017 academic year for grades 12 and under.

When you add it all up, it amounts to a $27 billion a year industry and retailers count on it as much as they count on the holidays.

That doesn't necessarily cover four dozen pencils, multiple boxes of crayons, sharpies, hand sanitizer, tissues, folders, glue sticks and goodness knows what else.

For those of us of a certain age, back to school meant some new socks, maybe some shoes, and some clothes, along with a three-ring binder and a few pens and pencils. We were all set. As I recall, crayons, paper, and other supplies were provided by the school.

Not so much these days. Once you get past these basics, students today do so much digitally and electronically that somewhere along the line, you just know it has to involve electronic, digital or mobile devices.

What happens if the funding gets stripped to the bone and schools can't provide any of these devices? It will be the poorer districts, especially those with students of color, who will be the most impacted and these youngsters will pay the heaviest price    

When I think about Bridgeton, and I'm reminded that over 90 percent of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, I have to wonder what kind of bite a "back-to-school" bill that could run into the hundreds might do to an already strained household budget.

Wealthier families in well-funded districts where $500 Versace backpacks are in play don't have to worry so much about what it takes to allow their children to succeed. They can afford what they need.

And while I don't begrudge anyone Versace if they can afford it, why impose a funding formula that would decimate the resource-poor district when parents having a tough time affording the basics on the "back-to-school" list?

These are just the basics, so we're not talking about additional costs that get passed on to parents for those things that are considered "extracurricular" such as music or sports.

There are examples of districts in New Jersey with activities fees that run into the hundreds, whether for sports, Honor Society, student government, band, or various clubs -- basically "pay-to-play" fees.

The bottom line is that everything from "back-to-school" supplies, to activities fees, to this new funding proposal from Trenton basically means the gap is getting wider between haves and the have-nots.

If you doubt that, you might want to check out a report entitled "Misspent Money: How Inequities in Athletic Funding in New Jersey Public Schools May Be the Key to Underperformance" by Cassie Merkel.

This 2013 report puts the issue in perspective and my basic take-away is that a lot of students around the state are being pushed out to the margins in multiple ways and as typified by the ever-growing "back-to-school" list.

Albert B. Kelly is mayor of Bridgeton. Contact him by phone at 856-455-3230 Ext. 200.

The annual event was a day-long celebration beginning with a parade and ending with a spectacular fireworks display

PENNSVILLE TWP. -- It may have been unseasonably warm for September, but that didn't stop the celebration in Pennsville Saturday.

The town held its 40^th annual Septemberfest.

The day began with the traditional parade along Broadway and then activities shifted to Riverview Beach Park.

Featured in the parade were bands, fire and rescue and military personnel, various area marching groups, Septemberfest Parade Marshals Terry and Chris Ostrander and Miss Septemberfest 2016 Kelsey Brady.

There were also a number of floats and antique automobiles and, of course,  candy for the kids.

After 40 years, still a big draw

Once the parade ended, all focus for the day sifted to Riverview Beach Park.

There was music, food and many display set up. There were also amusement rides, including a carousel, which was a reminder of Riverview Beach Park's heyday as the region's premier amusement park

The day was capped off with a spectacular fireworks display.

Bill Gallo Jr. may be reached at bgallo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Bill Gallo Jr. on Twitter @bgallojr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Join the NJ.com football writers for their first chat of the season, Sunday, 7:30-8:30 p.m.

WOODBRIDGE -- The first full week of high school football is in the books and there's plenty to talk about.

The NJ.com football writers -- Jermey Schneider, Pat Lanni, Bill Evans, Braulio Perez and Joe Zedalis will host their first Sunday night chat, 7:30-8:30 p.m. right here. Come prepared with questions, comments, thoughts.

MORE: Results and links for Sat., Sept. 10

The newest NJ.com Top 20 will be released at 6 p.m. Could there be another new No. 1?

What about the upsets, the big performances, Player of the Year candidates, the Week 2 games? It is all on the table and open for discussion.

Just enter your opinions or questions in the comments box below and be part of the conversation.

The NJ.com football writers will be here at 7:30 p.m. We hope you will be, too.

Joe Zedalis may be reached at jzedalis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @josephzedalis. Like NJ.com HS sports on Facebook.

Chambers Cogeneration had challenged the host benefit payment agreement that has been in place with Carneys Point since 1991.

CARNEYS POINT TWP. -- The township has won what officials say is a major court victory in a dispute over the host benefits a local company must pay, according to an attorney representing Carneys Point.

Superior Court Judge Ann McDonnell recently ruled in favor of the township after Chambers Cogeneration challenged its agreement requiring it to make annual payments to the township, according to attorney Joseph Maraziti Jr.

The ruling requires Chambers pay the township the $2.6 million in host benefits it owes for 2016, said Maraziti who argued the case on behalf of Carneys Point. That is in addition to the $1.5 million in property taxes the company will pay this year.

The coal-fired cogeneration plant is located on Shell Road. It sells electricity produced there to Atlantic City Electric and the nearby Chemours site.

"We are humbly proud of being able to accomplish that outcome for the residents of Carneys Point because the consequences of losing this case would have resulted in extreme economic hardship for the township and its people," Maraziti said late Friday.

McDonnell also rejected Chamber Cogeneration's request that the case be dismissed, according to Maraziti of the law firm Maraziti Falcon LLP, the special counsel hired for the case.

Under court order, plant pays township

In late 2015, the township filed suit after Chambers Cogeneration said it would not make the scheduled host benefit payment.

Carneys Point went to court and McDonnell, at that time, issued an injunction which required the host benefit payment of $2.5 million be made.

The judge's summary judgment, issued earlier this month, requires Chambers Cogeneration to pay the township the agreed upon payments through 2033, the entire term of the agreement the township and the company originally signed.

The payments began in 1991. They continue to escalate over the years with the 2033 host benefit payment scheduled to be $9 million, according to Maraziti.

But the battle over the host payments is not over.

In July Chambers Cogeneration filed suit in federal court asking the agreement be nullified and that Carneys Point repay the company some $66 million.

That request is "simply unconscionable," Maraziti said Friday.

He said he would also be representing the township in that case.

Maraziti was hired as special counsel to aid township attorney David Avedissian in the case.

Chambers Cogeneration could still appeal McDonnell's ruling.

"The 2016 payment will be for approximately $2.6 million and is essential to maintaining the police department, emergency service units, administration, public works, and other public services," said Carneys Point Deputy Mayor Wayne Pelura in a press release from Maraziti's office.

Representatives from Chambers Cogeneration could not be reached late Friday.

Bill Gallo Jr. may be reached at bgallo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Bill Gallo Jr. on Twitter @bgallojr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Sellers was the only cowboy to make the required eight-second ride in the bull riding competition. He earned a total of $1,015.20 for the evening.

PILESGROVE TWP. -- Bull rider Scott Sellers was the top money-winning cowboy at Cowtown Rodeo Saturday night.

This was the second week in a row that Sellers, of Warwick, Maryland, came away with the most prize money.

Sellers was the only cowboy to make the required eight-second ride in the bull riding competition. He earned a total of $1,015.20 for the evening.

Here are the standings from Saturday night's performance. The results include the contestant's name, score or time, and winnings:

Bareback Bronc Riding: First, J.R. Mills, 72 score, $418.30; Andy Carter, 69, $250.98; Dusty Whidden, 62, $167.32.

Saddle Bronc Riding: First, Clovis Crane, 72 score, $921.20. (Crane's winnings include $552.72 in ground money.)

Bull Riding: First, Scott Sellers, 72 score, $1,015.20. (Sellers' winnings include $609.12 in ground money.) 

In N.J., rodeo has become a tradition

Steer Wrestling: First, Bryan Tamm, 6.5, $421.12; Clay Harp, 6.9, $315.84; Ryan Whetham, 15.4, $210.56, Chad Stoltzfus, 24.9, $105.28.

Team Roping: First, Chuck Smith and Kevin Brown, 6.5 seconds time, $639.20 each; David Ballantyne and T.R. Serio, 7.2, $479.40 each; (Tie for third and fourth) Mary Ann Brown and Kenny Brown, 7.8, $239.70 each and Jose Mota and Chris Soto, 7.8, $239.70 each.

Tie Down Roping: First, Tim Naylor, 13.8 seconds time, $391.04; Troy Roberto, 18.3, $293.28; Colby Clement, 18.5, $195.52; Chris Soto, 18.6, $97.76.

Barrel Racing: (Tie for first and second) Karly Stoltzfus, 17.67 seconds time, $498.20 and Kristin Weber, 17.67 seconds time, $498.20; Jaime Fowler, 17.69, $357.20; Amanda Lloyd, 17.76, $263.20; Sheralee Fiore, 17.77, $169.20; Nicole Yost, 17.99, $94.

The rodeo continues every Saturday, rain or shine, at 7:30 p.m. at the Cowtown Rodeo arena, on U.S. Route 40 through Sept. 24.

Bill Gallo Jr. may be reached at bgallo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Bill Gallo Jr. on Twitter @bgallojr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Dogs and cats throughout New Jersey need homes.

Sometimes, it seems our dogs just don't listen to us; we bark commands and our canine companions just don't respond.

Courtesy of Distejon 

For those dog owners who are hoping to improve communication with their pets, OneMind Dogs (oneminddogs.com) has a method that may be worth trying.

The OneMind Dogs training method concentrates on forging the dog-human bond and works in concert with the dog's natural instincts. The method follows the philosophy that dogs do not make mistakes, their behavior is a direct response to the signals they get from us humans.

So, here are OneMind Dogs' tips on how to speak dog:

1. MOTION OVER VOICE
"While vocal cues are useful in training, your dog naturally responds first to body language. If you teach your dog to sit and lie down using words and accompanying hand gestures, and then you tell your dog to "sit" but use the gesture for "lie down," your dog will lie down - following the gesture, not the word. Therefore, use your body language to really communicate meaningfully with your dog."

2. TREAT 'SMALL'
"From a dog's perspective, a large treat is no greater a reward than a small one. When training with large treats as rewards, your dog will become full and lose motivation more quickly. So treat often using small bits. The timing of when you treat is crucial, too. For example, if you reward your dog for sitting too late, after she has already gotten up from the position, the next time she will naturally get up in anticipation of her reward."

3. LEAD BY EXAMPLE
"When dogs learn new skills, they automatically associate the emotion surrounding the experience with the skill itself - so if you're having a bad day, it's not the best day for a training session. If you approach the training session with a positive outlook, your dog will be enthusiastic about what you're teaching him, both during the session and in the future. You'll find that keeping an upbeat attitude will also lengthen your dog's attention span for longer sessions."

OneMind Dogs was developed in Finland in 2003, when top-performing agility dog Tekla suddenly lost her hearing. From then on, her trainer could only rely on physical cues to communicate and had to see the world from Tekla's perspective in order to make the dog understand her. What could have been a crushing road block for Tekla's agility career turned into a groundbreaking way for all dogs and their humans to become more in sync than ever before.

Here's a gallery of dogs and cats in need of adoption from northern and central New Jersey. Make sure captions are enabled to get all the information for each homeless pet.

More galleries of adoptable pets can be seen here and here.

It's the third top 20 and our third No. 1 team. Will this one hold down the throne?

The event was held at Salem County's 9/11 Memorial Park. The monument there is made out of steel from the World Trade Center.

MANNINGTON TWP. -- It has been 15 years since the terrorist attacks on America, but those lost -- from first responders to civilians -- have not been forgotten.

Hundreds of Salem County residents gathered Sunday evening to remember and honor those who were killed on Sept. 11, 2001.

Those attending gathered at the 9/11 Memorial Park at the county's Department of Emergency Services headquarters on Cemetery Road for the evening ceremony.

The 9/11 memorial there was made out of a single steel beam that came from the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. The beam was cut in two, its pieces rising to the sky resembling the Twin Towers.

Two fire trucks -- from Penns Grove and Woodstown -- raised their ladders to symbolize the Twin Towers as the ceremony got under way.

There was patriotic music and several officials who made remarks.

The keynote speaker for the evening was Salem County Undersheriff John Cuzzupe who is in charge of the Salem County 911 center and is a retired New Jersey State Police captain.

Leroy Pierce, chief of the Salem County Fire Academy, and chairman of the Salem County Remembers 9/11 Committee which organizes the event, also spoke. He looked back at the last 15 years since America was attacked.

It was along the Penns Grove riverfront that the first ceremony honoring those lost on 9/11 was held just days after the terror attacks. The ceremony has now become an annual event in Salem County.

The audience also saw a video presentation prepared by B.J. Ayars and the Road Knights car club was recognized for donating funds for Phase II of the 9/11 Memorial Park which will include a stone from the site of the United Airlines Flight 93 crash near Shanksville, Pa., on Sept. 11.

As the ceremony was ending, the two fire truck ladders symbolizing the Twin Towers were slowly lowered, one at a time.

Bill Gallo Jr. may be reached at bgallo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Bill Gallo Jr. on Twitter @bgallojr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Fifteen years later, the attack is still taking its toll, silently, on the health of hundreds who dug through the rubble, first for survivors, then for remains on the consecrated site.

By Stephen Sweeney

We all remember where we were 15 years ago on the morning of Sept. 11, and we never stop remembering.

Across our state, Sept. 11 memorials dot parks in cities, suburbs and small towns. In Atlantic Highlands, a seagull sculpture grasps a steel beam from the site of the attacks. In Middletown, there's a granite archway and garden lined with headstones to mark the 34 residents who lost their lives on that day. In Bayonne, a shining teardrop tears a massive bronze block down the center.

Each town mourns differently with respect to their unique memorial. Bayonne's towering monument accompanies a large, public ceremony. Other towns hold smaller, quieter gatherings. Some families pray with a congregation at a synagogue, mosque or church while others visit graves, gather annually at the 9/11 Memorial site in Lower Manhattan or use the day as an annual day of service.

Stories of where we were and what we were doing flood back naturally.

Our first responders, doctors, communications and construction workers -- including the ironworkers union that I am proud to serve as an international vice president -- have different stories to share than the rest of us. They rushed to the scene from across the river and flooded the city streets in the ensuing hours, days and weeks to help.

Fifteen years later, the attack is still taking its toll, silently, on the health of hundreds who dug through the rubble, first for survivors, then for remains on that consecrated site.

James Zadroga of North Arlington was a New York City police officer. He was inside 7 World Trade Center as it began to collapse, but managed to escape. Over the weeks that followed, Officer Zadroga spent hundreds of hours digging through debris while inhaling the contaminated air at Ground Zero

It didn't take long for the chronic cough, shortness of breath and headaches to develop. Just five years later, on Jan. 6, 2006, he died of respiratory disease, Black Lung and mercury poisoning -- the first confirmed fatality from exposure at Ground Zero.

Congress passed the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act to take care of those who suffer from Ground Zero-related illnesses. The legislation expired last year, and it is incomprehensible to me why it took such a difficult fight to get Congress to reauthorize it. I'm proud that most members of New Jersey's congressional delegation came together to fight to guarantee continued coverage for the next 75 years to over 4,800 first responders from our state alone.

First responders aren't the only ones that continued to suffer even as the immediacy of the tragedy abated.

Foremost are the families that will never get to see their loved ones again, whose missed fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles left an aching hole at weddings and graduations, holidays and birthdays that never goes away.

People of faith found comfort in prayer as the religious community united to provide services in both the immediate and continued aftermath of the attack. They worked hard to keep the community safe and leaders of our Muslim communities were highly proactive in assisting authorities, including working with the U.S. Attorney's Office to follow leads on the hijackers who had been in Paterson. They were, like all U.S. citizens, eager to help, unified in the search for justice and security.

In New Jersey, we are lucky to live in the most diverse state in the nation, a state that has been the entryway to America and the American Dream since the opening of Ellis Island.

As a state and as a nation, it is our tolerance -- our embrace of peoples from all nations, races and ethnicities, and faiths -- and the way we bridge our cultural gaps to come together in our shared commitment to freedom and democracy that makes us strong.

We were never more united than we were in the days and weeks that followed 9/11. Let's remember that spirit not only on the anniversary, but in the months and years ahead.  

Sen. Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) is president of the New Jersey Senate.

Two adults were taken to a hospital for evaluation after a parking lot accident.

WOODSTOWN -- Two adults were taken to the hospital after a motor vehicle crash in the carpool lane at a Salem County elementary school, district officials said.

No kids were involved in the incident, according to Woodstown-Pilesgrove Regional School District Superintendent Tom Coleman.

The minor crash occurred Monday at roughly 7:35 a.m. when one vehicle in the carpool lane at Mary S. Shoemaker School hit another vehicle, district officials said.

Woodstown Police and emergency personnel responded to the scene and no one was seriously injured.

The district sent out a notice through email to parents explaining the incident and the young students were reminded that community volunteers, such as EMTs and police, were there to help keep everyone safe. 

Brittany Wehner may be reached at bwehner@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @brittanymwehner. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Elaine Harkins writes that she finds anti-Trump bias in editorials and presidential election coverage.

To the Editor:

In the South Jersey Times' Sept. 12 print edition, you printed a long editorial from the Star-Ledger of Newark criticizing Donald Trump's comments on sex assaults in the military.

Yet. I found not a word in the Sept. 10, 11 or 12 print edition about Hillary Clinton's comment about half of Trump's supporters being a "basket of deplorables." She made the statement during a Sept. 9 fund-raiser with her elitist friends who all laughed, clapped and cheered at the comment.  

Then, to add insult to injury, the Times devoted much space on Sept. 12 to the health episode Clinton had at the 9/11 memorial service. She had been diagnosed days earlier with previously undisclosed pneumonia. Maybe she should have skipped that big fund-raiser with her friends. 

There is really a double standard in your paper. Be fair, if you can.

Elaine Harkins

Glassboro

Democrats betray American workers

To the Editor:

For the last 40 years, American industry moved to foreign lands and foreign labor came into America.

Where were the unions in this transference of labor?

Yes, labor unions did much for the worker 100 years ago. But union leadership no longer even mentions the loss of manufacturing jobs or the influx of cheaper foreign labor.

The Democrat Party has turned its back on the American worker and has sided with the employers who want cheaper labor. This is betrayal that I will never stop talking about. And the unions will still support Hillary Clinton, who is controlled by the global financial interests.

Wall Street hates Donald Trump because he wants to raise import tariffs. Since U.S. companies have moved their production overseas, an increase in tariffs would reduce Wall Street profits. This is the real reason Wall Street is throwing millions at Clinton.

The Democrats and the union leaders will talk much about education, health care, transportation and public worker pensions. Their economic philosophy is that government spending will solve the economic problem. But they forget that government draws its revenue from the private sector. 

Raising import tariffs would revitalize American manufacturing and restricting immigration would cause a scarcity of workers that would cause wages to increase. 

Instead, the unions want to focus on government work. We cannot all get government jobs. But those who do will become the new ruling class of a socialist society. And, these public-sector workers will use their political power to enslave the private-sector workers.

Lee Lucas

Gibbstown 

Nothing fair about Christie school aid plan

To the Editor:

Gov. Chris Christie has been calling his state school aid funding proposal a "fairness formula," but it's actually the opposite of fair. 

Taking away resources from poor school districts and transferring them to wealthier districts, as his flat statewide per-student amount would do,  is not fair at all. The issue with school funding is not the current formula, it is the fact that the state has refused to fund it fully. That's why so many districts are experiencing so much pain.

A faulty line of thinking behind Christie's plan is that wealthier districts will cut local property taxes taxes as because they will get additional state aid that comes from less-wealthy districts. I can't imagine anyone actually believes that. 

To take away resources from a district like Kingsway Regional that genuinely needs them in order to finance some fantasy tax break in a place like Cherry Hill is incredibly wrong-minded on many levels.

Senate President Stephen Sweeney has offered a better proposal that would more equitably fund districts, since a vast number of them currently receive less aid than they should, based on the formula. That is the right idea, and that is the fair thing to do.

Jean Garozzo

Woolwich Township 

Can't wait for self-driving vehicles

To the Editor:

I heard on the news that traffic fatalities were up last year, and that there are pending federal rules to require that heavy trucks be equipped with speed limiter controls, and mandate their use on trucks that already have them.

When self-driving cars and trucks take over the roads, traffic deaths will go down and speed will be automatically controlled. Everyone will stay in his or her lane, nobody will be speeding, tailgating or cutting in and out of traffic. Never again will I get "the finger" for not going fast enough. 

I can hardly wait!

Harry Walker

Pitman

Send a letter to the editor of South Jersey Times at sjletters@njadvancemedia.com