ELSINBIORO TWP. -- The Salem Country Club, established in 1898, is open again after almost 10 years with a new look. The new event venue and B&B continues the local tradition that was so well known to the South Jersey community. The new name, The Inn at Salem Country Club reflects the combination of the century-long tradition and the...

ELSINBIORO TWP. -- The Salem Country Club, established in 1898, is open again after almost 10 years with a new look. The new event venue and B&B continues the local tradition that was so well known to the South Jersey community. The new name, The Inn at Salem Country Club reflects the combination of the century-long tradition and the new modern look.

The community will be able to see the new venue during a ribbon cutting on April 21 and an expo and open house on April 23.

The new look reflects changes of the times. The nine-hole golf course is now a nature preserve with walking paths. For the golfers The Inn has a free driving range. With the spacious indoor-outdoor layout, The Inn creates opportunities for private and business events with a food and drink caterers to meet a wide range of tastes and budgets. The Inn networks with partner vendors for all kinds of special services.

Three spacious B&B rooms provide the opportunity to enjoy a quiet corner of South Jersey overlooking the Delaware River and enjoy exploring the Bayshore area and all it has to offer from bird watching to a walk on the beach or crabbing.

The "River" and "Meadow" rooms are spacious and comfortable and equipped with full bathrooms. The "Tower Suite" (coming soon) can host a family or two couples. The suite is a studio apartment with kitchenette and full bath. A spiral stairs leads to the third floor tower for panoramic views.

The Inn located between the 90-acre nature preserve and the Delaware River is a venue with multiple indoor-outdoor possibilities. The east side of the building reflects the original design of the 1922 clubhouse. Tradition quickly changes to contemporary once inside the Great Room. Two large folding doors lead to the river deck bring the dynamic view of the Delaware into the room. The Inn's capacity is up to 150 for seated catered events and 250 for dancing and less formal parties. The south lawn is also available for events.

The official ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for Friday, April 21. On Sunday, April 23 the public is invited to an Expo & Open House celebration from 1 to 5 p.m.

The expo will feature food from two caterers. In addition, many of the special service vendors will participate. Space for the Expo is limited so please RSVP on-line at www.salemcountryclubnj.com or call at 609-420-8190.

Information provided by The Inn at the Salem Country Club.

No one has a greater interest in the responsible management of pension funds than those who plan to benefit from them after they retire.

By Stephen Sweeney

The state Legislature's overwhelming bipartisan vote to give New Jersey's police and firefighter unions greater control over their own pension funds is an important step in ensuring the stability and viability of the retirement system. This change could provide an alternate model for public pension systems that have been systematically underfunded by entities controlled by governors and state treasurers.

My bill, which was approved by the Senate, 37-0, and the Assembly, 61-4, transfers responsibility and authority to manage the Police and Firemen's Retirement System from the Treasury Department's Division of Pension and Benefits to the PFRS Board of Trustees. The reconstituted PFRS Board will include three police officers, three firefighters, one retiree, a senior state government official and four appointees selected by the governor to represent county and municipal government employers. These local governments currently have no representation on the PFRS Board.  

Giving unions greater control and fiduciary responsibility over investment decisions for their own pensions is not a new idea. Many private-sector unions manage their own pension funds. In the public sector, Washington State and Ohio both provide their police and fire pension trustee boards -- which have union majorities -- with a wide range of investment oversight and policy powers. Washington and Ohio's similar pension systems are better-funded than New Jersey's; in fact, Washington's is one of just four state pension systems with no unfunded liability.

PFRS is the logical New Jersey pension fund to pioneer this new management approach because this system is almost 70 percent funded. Shortly after I first proposed the idea two years ago, public safety union leaders began carefully weighing the pros and cons of accepting greater management responsibility for their pension funds. They concluded that they would like to take on that role.

Vesting the PFRS board with the power to set employer and employee contribution rates - which requires a super-majority vote of eight members, including at least one management appointee - is a safeguard that makes sense. Let's not forget how Gov.Chris Christie's administration retroactively changed the contribution methodology in 2015 to allow local governments to contribute $135 million less than they would have had to put in under the old rules.

This was just the latest in a series of local government "pension holidays," including seven years of zero or lower payments following former Gov. Christie Whitman's pension bond scheme, and $585 million of underfunding in fiscal years 2009-2011, an effort to help local governments balance their budgets during the Great Recession. Pension holidays didn't make the liability go away: Local governments are paying more today to make up for paying less in the past.

In fact, last year's PFRS valuation report showed that local employers paid $276 million toward that year's cost of police and firefighter pensions - just 8.5 percent of payroll - but had to shell out an additional $572 million (17.7 percent of payroll) to cover the accrued unfunded liability that had built up over the years.

Of the six current police and firefighters who would serve on a revamped PFRS board, one police officer and firefighter would be elected by current union members, and one of each would be appointed by the presidents of the New Jersey State Policemen's Benevolent Association, Fraternal Order of Police, Firemen's Mutual Benevolent Association and Professional Firefighters Association. They would have not only a fiduciary, but a moral responsibility to ensure that their pension system is adequately funded.

Neither they -- nor the retiree representative elected by those who currently receive PFRS benefits, for that matter - have any incentive to restore now-suspended cost-of-living adjustments for retirees until the pension system is adequately funded. Anything that prematurely reduces the funding ratio of the system would jeopardize future benefits on which both current officers and retirees depend.

I am confident that current and retired police and firefighters, their union leaders, county and municipal government officials, and taxpayers will look back on a decision to turn over PFRS fund management to its board of trustees as a key step in solving New Jersey's pension crisis.

State Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) is a prime sponsor of the bill, S-3040, to allow the public safety unions to run their own pension system. The legislation awaits action by Gov. Chris Christie.

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Wrestlers from nearly 20 states battled it out on the mats in Wildwood

WILDWOOD -- Approximately 2,000 wrestlers traveled to the region for the 2017 "War at the Jersey Shore" National Youth Wrestling Championships.

The wrestlers, representing nearly 20 states, took to the mats Friday for the first day of the two-day tournament.

The competition, hosted by the Atlantic Coast Wrestling Association, is held at the Wildwoods Convention Center annually on Easter weekend.

The K to 12 Open Division Tournament features girls and boys competing against each other in Tot, Bantam, Midget, Junior, Intermediate and High School divisions. Action continues Saturday to determine the champions of each division. There were also girls-only matches.

A look back at the 2016 'War at the Shore' wrestling tourney

Competition continues Saturday at 8 a.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for students 6 and older, and under 6 are free.

For results, visit www.flowrestling.org.

Lori M. Nichols may be reached at lnichols@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @photoglori. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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

Every Saturday, the South Jersey Times cheers those who make our area a better place in which to live and jeers those whose actions merit derision.

CHEERS: To welcoming a new schools leader. The Woodstown-Pilesgrove Regional Board of Education has chosen Virginia Grossman to serve as the new superintendent of schools for the district. Grossman, will succeed Superintendent Tom Coleman who is retiring effective July 1. Grossman comes to Woodstown after serving five years as superintendent of Westampton Township Public Schools.

JEERS: To a deadly spring. Two men were fatally shot in a span of two days in Cumberland County. On Sunday Christian Rodgers, 26, was found shot to death in a Vineland backyard. On Monday Charles M. Boozer, 56, was killed on a Millville street. As of late this week Jules Black, 30, had been arrested and charged in Rodgers' killing. A search continued for who fatally wounded Boozer, according to authorities. And the violence did not stop there this week. There have also been reports of non-fatal shootings in nearby Bridgeton.

CHEERS: To a three-day roundup of deadbeat parents earlier this month in Gloucester County. The sheriff's office served warrants on 83 people and brought in nearly $26,000 in back child support payments. While many made payments and were released, many others were jailed, leaving us with that familiar question: How do we expect these parents to pay what they owe while they are sitting in jail? We shell out tax dollars to detain people who aren't paying their child support and won't be able to earn money will jailed. That sounds like a losing proposition. There has to be a smarter way to hold these parents accountable.

CHEERS: To the return of a much-loved tradition in Washington Township. The community plans to hold its first Fourth of July parade in 8 years this summer. The event will take place on the 4th and it will follow the old route, which takes the procession in a loop around the high school. The evening will wrap up with a fireworks show visible all along the parade route. Sadly, some of our favorite traditions often end when money gets tight and tough decisions must be made. Thankfully, officials found a way to resurrect this popular event after a long absence.

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

Unlike some wildflowers the bluebell can grow in most part-shade gardens

By Lorraine Kiefer

For the past few weeks I have been watching the tight buds of the Virginia Bluebell wildflower begin to bloom. I love this flower and so appreciate its bluebells on a sunny spring afternoon.  

I cherish the large beds of these wildflowers that have established all over my yard. Unfortunately this pretty plant is one of the ephemerals which means they will go dormant by mid summer. It is often in bloom for Easter and we always find it a real photo opt at our family egg hunt. One of my favorite photos is granddaughter Lilli with her basket at the bluebells.

It is a hardy perennial native in North America. It can be found in zones 3-8 in part to full shade It likes a woodsy soil and is deer and rabbit resistant. 

Its botanical name is Mertensia Virginica, but it is commonly called Virginia bluebells. It will grow well in most shady yards, but in the wild is found in moist, rich woods and river floodplains. It is  clump-forming will often grows 1-2-feet tall.

The plant is graceful looking with fluffy trumpet-shaped, blue flowers. The foliage is smooth, with an oval shape and bluish green tinge. The plant is one of the wildflower ephemerals because it has foliage that dies to the ground by mid-summer as the plant goes dormant.

Granddaughter Lilli with her basket at the bluebells.Lorraine Kiefer 

This wildflower bluebell is also called the Virginia cowslip. I have heard that in West Virginia you may find fields of Virginia bluebells here and there because they naturalize. Unlike some wildflowers the bluebell can grow in most any part shade garden. Some of my plants thrive in almost all sun and others in lots of shade 

The buds may actually start out pinkish when they are young and then bloom into the darker, richer hue. This is a beautiful flower to have growing in your garden , but make sure you have some that you will see every day as you go in and out of your door. Virginia bluebells bloom in early to mid spring and will continue blooming for a month or more if it is cool out. This, of course, depends on its growing environment and how much rain we get. They need well-draining soil to prevent them from getting too much water, yet they need a moist woodland soil. 

Bluebells flowers will grow to a height of 18 to 24 inches tall, so they make a great naturalization plant for your yard in corners here and there, or even as a backdrop in your flowers garden behind the other plants. Their color goes well with other colors, When it comes to watering Virginia bluebells, you should always remember not to overwater. They do not do well with over head sprinklers, these often damage the blooms. Put your finger in the soil to make sure the soil isn't still wet from the last watering before watering once more. Too much water will definitely  harm the plants. The Virginia bluebells bloom well whether propagated by seed or by division and they seem to spread naturally. If you want to move them or transplant you must do very early just as they are pushing out of the soil.

The Virginia bluebell is very tolerant to different spots. They do, however, insist on peaty, sandy soil. 

I love them bordered by a  lot of pansies in front of them. Hyacinths and tiny white narcissus also look nice near them in my garden. I usually put some annuals out where the bluebells grow so they will cover when the bluebells leave for the summer. I also have some part shade perennials mixed in with them. Bluebells just grow nicely around anything you plant. Add some bluebells to your garden now for years of real spring beauty.

Lorraine Kiefer is the owner and operator of Triple Oaks Nursery in Franklinville. She can also be reached by e-mail at Lorraine@tripleoaks.

Salem 2 is one of three reactors operated by PSEG Nuclear in Salem County.

LOWER ALLOWAYS CREEK TWP. -- The Salem 2 reactor -- one of four nuclear plants in New Jersey -- has been shut down for refueling and maintenance, officials said.

The reactor was taken off line around 8 p.m. Friday, according to Joe Delmar, a spokesman for the plant's operator, PSEG Nuclear.

"The work we perform this outage will further improve the reliability of the Salem Unit 2 and our ability to provide safe, clean energy to New Jersey and the region," Delmar said Saturday.

According to Delmar, during the outage PSEG Nuclear employees and an additional 1,000 contractors will perform over 21,000 tasks at the plant. High level major work includes inspections, repairs and upgrades of equipment like baffle bolts, a reactor coolant pump, the circulating water system and main power transformers.

Additionally, one third of 193 fuel assemblies will be replaced with new ones in the reactor core.

Study: Cancer deaths up near nuclear plants

This is the 24^th time that the plant has undergone a refueling outage since it first started producing electricity in 1981.

The plant outages have an economic impact on the Salem County community, Delmar says.

"With an additional 1,000 contractors, hotels, sandwich shops and restaurants are always busy. It's great to see how the local economy flourishes during this time," he said.

There was no estimate when Salem 2 would return to service.

Along with Salem 2, PSEG Nuclear operates the Salem 1 and Hope Creek reactors at its Artificial Island generating site in Lower Alloways Creek Township.

Both Salem 1 and Hope Creek were operating at full power Saturday morning, Delmar said.

The three plants in Salem County comprise the second-largest nuclear complex in the U.S. in terms of power output. Only the Palo Verde station in Arizona produces more electricity.

New Jersey's fourth nuclear reactor, Oyster Creek, is located in Lacey Township in Ocean County.

Carneys Point's Dunn's Park was crowded Saturday morning for the annual Easter egg hunt.

CARNEYS POINT TWP. -- A longtime tradition continued Saturday morning with the annual Easter egg hunt in Dunn's Park.

Children and grandchildren of Carneys Point residents, up to age 10, took part in the event.

Armed with buckets, baskets and bags, the children raced across the park lawn through the carpet of colorful eggs waiting for them.

The Easter Bunny was even on hand to greet the children.

Dunn's Park on Shell Road is the center of many township activities including the Easter egg hunt.

The event was sponsored by the Carneys Point Recreation Commission.

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

The accident shut down lanes on I-295 in New Castle County, Del., just south of the Delaware Memorial Bridge.

Traffic is reported to be flowing again after a major accident shutdown the southbound lanes of Interstate 295 near the Delaware Memorial Bridge Saturday, authorities said.

Ten people, including four children, were hurt, 6 ABC reported.

The crash took place just after 10 a.m., Delaware State Police reported, in the area between state Route 13 and Interstate 495 in New Castle, County, Del.

#BREAKING: All WB lanes on 295 in New Castle, DE remain CLOSED due to crash...near 495NB. Several cars involved. @6abc pic.twitter.com/QuTQeXwWzh

-- Chuck McDade (@Squared6abc) April 15, 2017

Television news video from the scene showed some of the vehicles involved were from New Jersey.

The injuries were reported to be non life-threatening.

There were no identifications of those injured.

Eventually all lanes were reopened and traffic began flowing again.

In the area where the crash took place south of the bridge a major road reconstruction project is underway.

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

As hard as it might be to believe, it was not so long ago when AM radio ruled. Cool kids listened to hot hits on AM via portable radios while dads listened to ballgames with transistor radios pressed against their ears. "The Good Guys" on 570 WMCA-AM; "Famous 56, WFIL!" "Seventy-seven, WABC!" "Murray the K and the Swingin' Soiree"...

As hard as it might be to believe, it was not so long ago when AM radio ruled.

Cool kids listened to hot hits on AM via portable radios while dads listened to ballgames with transistor radios pressed against their ears.

"The Good Guys" on 570 WMCA-AM; "Famous 56, WFIL!" "Seventy-seven, WABC!" "Murray the K and the Swingin' Soiree" "The Wonderful World of Wibbage!"

Back in the day of the transistor, North Jersey kids might have tuned to Cousin Brucie Morrow, Harry Harrison, Ron Lundy and Dan Ingram broadcasting from New York City, while south Jersey teens listened to Philly rock jocks George Michael, Hy Lit, Jerry Blavat and Long John Wade.

John Bardeen, foreground, Walter Brattain, standing, left, and William Shockley received the 1956 Nobel Prize in Physics for their work on the transistor.courtesy of Bell Labs 

The transistor, which took the radio out of bulky cabinets and put it in the palm of listeners' hands, was developed by John Bardeen, Walter Brattain and William Shockley in 1947. Bardeen, Brattain and Shockley were engineers at Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill when they came up with the tiny transistor, which eliminated the need for large vacuum tubes and made radios portable.

By 1948, the three engineers had developed a prototype transistor radio. The Regency TR-1, built by Texas Instruments in 1954, was the first practical transistor radio made available to the public and sold for $49.95 - equivalent to more than $400 in the 21st century. By the 1960s, the cost of a similar but more powerful radio had dropped below $10.

Thank you, AM radio, for bringing us top-40 hits, the British Invasion, prize patrols and wisecracking DJs. And thank you Bardeen, Brattain and Shockley, whose innovation helped make music mobile.

And here's a little flashback -- of course the sound needs to be on!

Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find Greg Hatala on Facebook.

Mom insisted I attend church -- but disliked going herself

Mom had a somewhat distorted outlook on the merits of going to church. She insisted I was a regular, beginning at age 11, but disdained going herself. And that included Easter, Christmas and other holidays when you see folks, like Mom, you rarely see.

Bob Shryocknj.com 

The thing is, I truly enjoyed going to church and Sunday School, and took part in all that was available to young people including dances, basketball, volleyball, even bobbing for apples at Halloween. I was proud to be one of Pastor Ritz' regular acolytes at the Evangelical United Lutheran Church even though I once set my hair on fire while lighting a candle at the Christmas Eve service, drawing gasps from the packed congregation. Several of them put out the fire. I think that's why I'm bald to this day.

I loved Pastor Ritz, a large man with a large heart, even though he gave excruciatingly long sermons.

We lived about one mile from the church. When the weather was good, I walked the two-mile round trip. In Waynesboro, a town of 10,000 nestled in a pristine valley, everything was close together. It was a town of many churches.

I often asked Mom why she didn't attend church, even irregularly, when she was so insistent that I go.

She reminded me of her series of chronic illnesses (she never recovered from mastoid surgery she had as a 29-year-old). And she was defiant when supplying the other reason: "Bobby, not everyone who attends church on a regular basis is a Christian, and vice versa."

I hadn't even reached my formative years when Mom and I began having regular discussions on the subject, and they continued through college.

Today is Easter Sunday and my mind drifts to growing up in a divided household on the subject. I remember one Easter in particular, a breathtakingly lovely day, when I prodded Mom about her stance and pleaded with her to attend church with me -- just once.

I lost the battle of words, as usual, and dejectedly trudged off to church by myself, mindful that another day of having Pastor Ritz tell his Sunday School class about Jesus dying on the cross at Calvary to save us from our sins was always a mental boost.

I was one of Pastor Ritz's most reliable acolytes so I had duty on this Easter Sunday.

After the service, with the packed crowd taking what seemed to be an inordinate amount of time exchanging greetings with Pastor Ritz, I noticed some commotion in the back of the church.

Curious, I walked over to see for myself.

People were making a fuss over a frail woman dressed stunningly. Most knew her from her many good deeds around town, but not from church.

I was at a complete loss for words. For the first time in either of our lives, Mom was in church, sitting in the back by herself.

"Bobby, i just wanted to surprise you," she said. "It was a beautiful service, wasn't it?"

Amen to that, Mom.

It was the last time I recall Mom going to church.

But I absolutely remember her as a Christian.

Bob Shryock may be reached at bshryock@njadvancemedia.com. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Jimmie Hollis writes that he hopes a lackluster South Jersey GOP will also become a force for change.

Several wonderful events have taken place over the past six months or so: President Barack Obama's time in office came to an end; Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election; Donald Trump won the election and became the president; and last, but not least, Judge Neil M. Gorsuch was recently confirmed as a U.S. Supreme Court justice. 

These indeed have been a series of wins for the nation and we, the people. If there were to be icing on the cake, it would be a huge loss by Democrats in the 2018 congressional elections.

Locally, the Republican Party has been lackluster over many years and I was told at one time that I was too conservative for the party. So, I left the GOP and became an independent. But all that is about to change. 

I have it on good authority that going into 2018, the local GOP will be a party to be reckoned with, and pretty soon everyone will know who and what the party stands for. It is about time. 

Many good things have been happening since Obama left office and Trump took over. We, the people, must continue to push this current positive trend by not allowing complacency to set in. 

We must hold the current GOP-led federal government accountable, and hold its feet to the fire. As for the Democratic Party, it is self-destructing all over the place, and I do hope that trend continues.

 Jimmie Hollis, Millville

Rullo rocks for N.J. governor

The June 6 primary elections are approaching fast, and political party leaders are scrambling to get their chosen gubernatorial candidate on the endorsed "line."

It seems to me that Democrat Party leadership has already made up its mind for one candidate, but the Republicans are still in a state of confusion over a nominee. In Gloucester County, for example, the leadership is backing Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno. 

In October, Guadagno announced that she did not plan to vote for Donald Trump, a move that many saw as an endorsement for Hillary Clinton. She also sent signals that she is distancing herself from Republican Gov. Chris Christie, the highest-ranking GOP figure in the state.

I question Guadagno's allegiance to the Republican Party. Another GOP contender has caught my attention for many reasons. Joseph "Rudy" Rullo, an Ocean County businessman, is a candidate who resembles President Trump. He is not a politician. He has plans to help every New Jersey resident and its business community, while draining the cesspool in Trenton. 

In a state that leads in so many negative rankings, a leader like Rullo -- who is  not connected to the political cult  -- is the best choice for governor on the ballot. 

New Jersey is a leader in political corruption and it exports people, jobs and taxpayers' dollars. Unless Rullo is on the ballot in November, the Republicans will not have a voice in the general election for governor.

Giancarlo D'Orazio, Washington Township 

Editor's note: Guadagno and Rullo are two of five Republicans seeking the GOP gubernatorial nomination. The June 6 winner will face the Democrats' nominee in the fall.

Sweeney's is only viable school aid plan

When it comes to the very serious school funding problem in New Jersey, state Senate President Stephen Sweeney has presented the only viable plan to resolve state aid inequity. His plan is to make sure every school district gets exactly the amount for which it qualifies, according to a 2008 school funding formula. 

His plan removes "Adjustment Aid" and the "Growth Cap." These provisions were added to the 2008 formula for political reasons. Adjustment Aid allows districts with declining enrollment to keep receiving all the aid that they qualified for in 2008, thus becoming overfunded in terms of state support. Meanwhile, districts that have seen dramatic enrollment increases have become severely underfunded because of Growth Cap limits. This is fundamentally wrong and unfair.

Gov. Chris Christie said in a Feb. 28 budget message that he wants to sign school funding reform within 100 days. Sweeney's plan is the one that should be sent to him. 

Tom Sullivan, West Deptford Township

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

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The president has provided a lot of cover for Candidates Behaving Badly, and now it has filtered down to a South Jersey Assembly race.

This is a story about two hangovers.

The first hangover is the one that Republican Assembly candidate Brian McDowell might have had the morning after he was caught on video propositioning a woman in a vulgar way at a Wildwood bar.

The second hangover is the one from the election of Donald Trump as president, despite his record of disrespect toward women. It permits candidates like McDowell -- who is seeking one of two First Legislative District's Assembly seats -- to say that inappropriate actions don't hurt their electability.

McDowell has long attached himself to Trump's star; he ran the presidential candidate's 2016 campaign in Cape May County and, in 2005, was a contestant on "The Apprentice," the reality show that Trump hosted.

The Assembly hopeful, also running in portions of Cumberland and Atlantic counties, has received some comeuppance from GOP brass in his home county.  After the video of McDowell using a graphic term toward the woman surfaced,  the Cape May County Republican Committee dropped the 41-year-old real estate broker from its endorsed Assembly slate. The other endorsed candidate is Cumberland County Freeholder Jim Sauro.

Time was when McDowell's indiscretion would turned off enough voters to brand him as a total liability. But that was "BT" -- before Trump -- who proved that you can say or do the most offensive things and still connect with like-minded voters. The grabber-in-chief's ascendancy emboldened McDowell to state that voters will still pick him because he wants to drain the swamp in Trenton. Where have we heard that before?

So, despite his mild acknowledgement that maybe he should not have talked to the unseen woman on the video that way, and that maybe he could have had a little less to drink that evening, McDowell's quest to go to the state capitol lives on. He's refused to quit the race.

"Even Jesus dropped the cross three times," he said in an interesting comment, coming right before Easter. "I'm not running for Pope. I'm running to make New Jersey more affordable." And, in multiple TV interviews Thursday night, he invoked Trump, "Access Hollywood" baggage and all.

"We elected Donald Trump. Trump has been known to say things that were blasted over the media and voters got past that," McDowell told WPVI-TV.

Republican county organizations still have time to replace McDowell on their "endorsed" line to run with Sauro. We hope they act, since this is a competitive district. (We endorsed Sauro for the same seat when he ran in 2015.) Democrat incumbents Bob Andrzejczak and R. Bruce Land are also running for re-election.

Right now, "If Trump can do it ..."  is an entirely Republican phenomenon. But a fresh Democrat candidate, or one seeking higher office, could just as easily claim that sexist behavior at an Atlantic City convention, perhaps, won't hurt his candidacy because he's such a good, you know, advocate for progressive policies. 

Trump has debased the notion of what is acceptable regarding candidates' personal conduct. Voters need not give up their own moral lines, however. And potential nominees should not forget that acting out can have consequences: Just because Trump jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge of civility and survived, doesn't mean it's OK for you to try.

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

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Three people were pistol-whipped and robbed in the incident in December.

SALEM -- Three men have been indicted for their alleged roles in a violent South Jersey home-invasion robbery where three people were pistol-whipped, according to court records.

Vasir J. Gary, 20, of Swedesboro, Thomas F. Jones Jr., 28, of Bear, Del., and Michael Yates, 28, of Secane, Pa.,  all took part in the incident at a Penns Grove apartment complex on the night of Dec. 13, authorities said.

The trio is alleged to have been part of a group of four armed men who entered an apartment at complex through an unlocked door, police said at the time.

Once inside, they pistol-whipped two men and a woman inside and took $2,300 in cash and cell phones before fleeing.

One man and a woman needed hospital treatment for injuries to their faces. The other man refused treatment.

The nine-count indictment naming the three was handed up by a Salem County grand jury last week.

Gary, Jones and Yates were each indicted on three counts of third-degree aggravated assault first-degree robbery, second-degree conspiracy to commit robbery, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, third-degree theft and second-degree burglary, according to court documents.

Man indicted in murder, kidnapping

The weapons allegedly carried by the robbers were handguns and possibly one sawed-off shotgun, police said.

After the robbery, the intruders fled. Police, including a K-9 unit, were unable to immediately locate them, but Yates was soon arrested followed by Gary and Jones.

At the time of the incident, police said the fourth man involved had his face covered. They also believe a fifth man was involved in planning the robbery. Their arrests have not yet been reported by police.

Police have not said whether the victims knew their assailants or how the specific apartment was targeted.

Dogs and cats all over New Jersey wait patiently for adoption.

If you're interested in helping homeless animals but aren't able to adopt one, there are a number of other ways you can be of assistance.

Realistically, not everyone can adopt. People who live in apartments or developments that have no-pets policies fall into that category, as do people with allergies or disabilities that will not allow them to care for pets of their own. Adoptapet.com offers these suggestions for ways people who want to help can participate in caring for homeless animals.

* Help out at a local shelter. It's not glamorous work by any means, but it's vital and will be very much appreciated. You can do anything from help walk dogs to bottle feed kittens, help clean kennels or cat's cages or even help with bathing and grooming. Contact your local shelter to find out their policies regarding volunteers.

* If you're handy, you can lend a hand in many ways. Shelters usually need repairs of many kinds, so fixer-uppers can help out like that. If you sew, quilt or crochet, you can make blankets for your local shelter.

* Help out at an adoption event. Many shelters and rescue groups participate in local events by hosting a table with pets available for adoption. They also hold these program at malls, pet supply stores and banks, and can always use a helping hand.

* For galleries like this one and for online adoptions sites, often a shelter or rescue group doesn't have the time or equipment to shoot good photos of their adoptable pets, Something as simple as making yourself available to shoot and provide digital files of pet photos can be a big help.

* Donate. It doesn't have to be money; shelters need cleaning supplies, pet food, toys for the animals and often even things we don't think twice about getting rid of like old towels and newspapers. Every little bit helps.

If you don't know where your local animal shelter or rescue group is, a quick online search will reveal a number of results. It doesn't take a lot of time or effort to get involved but it provides immeasurable assistance.

More adoptable pets can be viewed here and here.

Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find Greg Hatala on Facebook.

Salem County Rewind offers a look at our unique history through photographs and news items from a century ago.

In this feature which appears each week, we present a vintage photo from Salem County (along with a large number of other historic local photos in an earlier gallery) and local history tidbits taken from newspapers of a century ago.

SALEM COUNTY PICTURE FROM THE PAST

The vintage photo of Salem County shows a group of adults and children gathered around the makings for a large bonfire in the Alloway area probably sometime around 1900. None of the individuals are identified except Archibald Shimp at the left. This picture is from the Salem County Historical Society's Robert P. Dorrell Photograph Collection and is part of the photographic materials acquired by Dorrell from 1969 until his death in 1997. The collection consists of approximately 1,200 glass plate negatives and additional film negatives. The photographs, primarily of Alloway and vicinity, were taken by Abraham Darlington and his son, Willard, from about the 1870's or 1880's through the 1950's or 1960's. The collection was donated to the Society and is in the process of being digitized. To learn more about the vast research archives available to the public at the Society, call 856-935-5004. (Photograph provided by the Salem County Historical Society)

SALEM COUNTY HISTORY

Looking back 100 years ago in Salem County for this week in 1917, these news items were included in the Salem Sunbeam.

*

The gardeners who purchased their cabbage plants on Saturday and expected to plant them last Monday were surprised to find they were obliged to use a snow shovel instead of a spade.

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The Standard Oil tanks in Woodstown are being guarded every night now that the United States has declared war against Germany.

Carl Green returned home to Pedricktown on Monday after spending the winter in Hallendale, Fla.

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Congressman Brown has introduced a bill in Congress providing or the erection of a federal building on the site already purchased in Salem at a cost not to exceed $65,000. The building would be used for a post office and whatever offices are needed.

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A railroad car loaded with tin arrived this week at the Quinton Station for Ayars' canning factory.

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We have at the Sunbeam from Sen. William Hughes a number of packages of fine garden seeds which we will be glad to give to our subscribers. The seeds include carrots, lettuce, turnips and muskmelons.

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In Salem some 159 persons took the auto driver's license examination last Tuesday and all but 14 of those persons passed.

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

For those who don't know how to get involved and those who have limited time, events in Bridgeton might be just the right thing.

I often run into people who express a desire to get more involved with their community, but aren't sure what opportunities are out there. At other times, people will hesitate to step forward because they have busy lives and don't want to commit to something and not follow through.

So for both groups -- those who don't know how to get involved and those who have limited time -- two events in Bridgeton on Saturday, April 29, might be just the right thing.

The day starts off with a walk to support autism research. Led by City Council President Gladys Lugardo-Hemple, whose own family has been touched by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the walk will take place in City Park beginning at 9 a.m. Every dollar raised will go toward ASD research.

This is important because many families in our region are impacted by autism. This complicated developmental disability usually first shows itself in early childhood. It can affect someone's ability to communicate and engage. Because it affects people in different ways and to different degrees, it is known as a "spectrum disorder."

There is no known single cause of autism, but knowing what to look for and getting an early diagnosis can make a huge difference in outcomes. This depends on connecting affected families to appropriate treatments, services and support. Some behaviors associated with autism include delayed language learning, difficulty making eye contact or holding a conversation, difficulty with functions related to reasoning and planning, narrow interest, poor motor skills, and sensory sensitivities.

We share this information in an effort to help raise awareness and to invite you to support the April 29 walk, the first one in Bridgeton. For more information, you can contact Council President Lugardo-Hempleat at jeladys@aol.com.

The other April 29 opportunity to get involved comes courtesy of the Cumberland County Littoral Society. The society will head up a community cleanup throughout Bridgeton. From 8 a.m. to noon, cleanup teams will go to various neighborhoods in and around Bridgeton to remove trash and litter. This is a  "spring cleaning" of sorts, to help us get off to a good start for the warm-weather months.

The timing is good because the city will be moving ahead with its own anti-litter campaign in weeks ahead that will include neighborhood clean-ups, but also educational materials for students, increased enforcement and other things to encourage a litter-free community.

Litter may seem like a small thing, but we all know it's the first thing you notice if it's all over the streets, curbs and sidewalks. No matter how nice landscaping might be, the presence of litter is a blighting influence and makes us feel bad about our surroundings.

More than anything, litter leads to more litter. If there is litter all around, people assume that no one cares. It becomes an easy thing to throw trash out of the car window, or drop it onto the sidewalk when walking down the street. That's why we'll be putting out a call for volunteers to serve as litter marshals and bringing in other enforcement pieces. But, before we get there, it helps to start with a cleaner slate.

That's why I hope you'll come out April 29, even for an hour or two, to help us and the Littoral Society make our community a better place. When the work is done at noon, the society will provide refreshments -- and then you'll have the rest of the day to do your own thing.

For more information about the cleanup, please contact Littoral Society Conservation Coordinator Meredith Brown at (856) 825-2174, or visit sjwatersavers.org to sign up. We have a lot of ground to cover, but we need more volunteers. Please consider helping out.

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

UPPER PITTSGROVE TWP. -- Elmer Grange is hosting three fund-raising events at the Grange Hall this month.  The first event is the special public dinner featuring fried oysters and chicken salad on Saturday, April 22 at the Grange Hall.  Reservations may be made by calling 856-358-4361.  Call right away to make sure reservations are still available.  Tickets are $20.with...

UPPER PITTSGROVE TWP. -- Elmer Grange is hosting three fund-raising events at the Grange Hall this month. 

The first event is the special public dinner featuring fried oysters and chicken salad on Saturday, April 22 at the Grange Hall.  Reservations may be made by calling 856-358-4361.  Call right away to make sure reservations are still available.  Tickets are $20.with serving times of 2:30, 3:30, 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. Takeouts are available.

There will also be a bake sale at this dinner plus the sale of glass ornaments that commemorate the reopening of the hall in 2016 following a major rebuild necessitated by structural issues.  The proceeds from this event will be used to help pay down the loan Elmer Grange had to take to pay for the renovations.

The second fund- raising event is the annual yard sale and sub sale on Saturday, April 29 at the Elmer Grange Hall parking lot from 8: a.m. to 1 p.m.  Yard sale participants are needed and a space can be secured by contacting Becky at 856-769-4371 or emailing elmergrange@gmail.com.  A space is only $10. 

That same day, the Grange is holding an "old-fashioned" sub sale from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at the Grange Hall.  Reaching back into years ago this traditional sub sale means these subs will be handmade right there at the Grange Hall.  It will be a real large sub and will only be $7.

Sub tickets can be purchased from Grange members or by calling 609-202-4157. Or you can email in your sub order to elmergrange@gmail.com  A great lunch deal supporting a great cause as the Grange continues to make improvements to its facility. 

The Grange Hall is located at 535 Daretown Rd., not far from the Pole Tavern Circle.

Information provided by the Elmer Grange.

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Breaking down the best baseball games in the state this coming week.

The preview will be held April 26 at Salem Friends Meeting

Arts in Bloom will hold a gathering of Salem County artists to preview the 9th annual Arts In Bloom Tour on Wednesday, April 26 at 7 p.m. in the Salem Friends Meeting House Annex, East Broadway and Walnut in Salem.

All are welcome to this display of artful and creative works. Meet the artists that make this Salem County's premier arts event.

The Salem County Arts in Bloom Tour will be held May 20 and 21. 

Arts in Bloom began in 2009. It is a self-guided artist studio tour throughout Salem County featuring around 60 artists at nearly 30 locations. Artists from all over Salem County and Southern New Jersey welcome guests to tour studios, galleries, and other scenic locations. Every stop on the tour offers a unique experience in a scenic country setting. 

Visit, www.artsinbloomnj.com.

This item submitted by Janice Chassier and Kathy Mills for Arts in Bloom.