The column that wonders how much money kids made this weekend shoveling snow.

The column that wonders how much money kids made this weekend shoveling snow.

--

Good morning!

--

Jaime E. Marine | South Jersey Times 

Here's the information from the weekend winter storm, according to Kim Wood, deputy county administrator:

"- Parts of the County have seen upwards of 13 inches of snow.

 "- No major incidents to report. Most calls were for assistance with pulling emergency vehicles out of snow drifts. Private contractors and some county personnel worked over night (Saturday night) to assist with the responding to the calls.

"- Over 30 trucks are out plowing snow including both county crews and private contractors.

"- Wind has diminished making road crew's job much easier today in clearing with roads.

"- As with most areas of the county, the Bayshore is experiencing significant drifting on roads. 

"- Flooding has occurred and Mayor Bob Campbell reports that the bay almost topped the bulkhead in Fortescue, but did not. In addition to Downe Township, flooding issues have also been reported in Maurice River, Commercial and Greenwich townships.  The tide is receding now. Approximately 9 p.m. (Saturday) evening will be the next high tide.

"- County officials also report that the 5-ton vehicles and Humvees that the sheriff's department strategically staged around the county proved to be very helpful in moving emergency personnel to where they were needed. These vehicles assisted both with getting through the snow drifts and as well as areas that experienced flooding.

"- Residents are encouraged to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary. Most available resources are already in operation to fight the storm.

"- County road crews took a break to sleep around 8 p.m. (Saturday) night and were called back in at 6 a.m. (Sunday) morning.

"- If you must be on the road, motorists are encouraged to have a full tank of gas, a shovel, blankets, power bars, flash light, and extra rock salt to place under tires for traction, bottled water and a fully charged cell phone.

"- Please also be sure your pets are being well cared for.

"- As of 8:30 a.m. (Sunday), out of 36,020 customers, Atlantic City Electric has 113 reported outages in Cumberland County."

- Kim Wood

--

What do you do with all of the milk, eggs and bread you bought for the storm? If you're Sam Feinstein, you make a nice, delicious plate of French toast and share on Facebook to the envy of everyone else.

--

"We have three more big slices soaked and sitting in the fridge ... I figured that's what everyone buys bread, milk and eggs, for."

- Sam Feinstein

--

Have the winter blues?

Need a quick pick-me-up?

Check out video of Tian Tian, the resident giant panda at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. playing in snow.

It's worth it.

--

If you need to know whether Code Blue is in effect or where a shelter is, text "CodeBlue" to 31996 to join the text message alert system or call the hotline at 1-888-410-3973.

--

MY KIND OF TOWN: Where I've always preferred waffles over French toast.

Other than Ted Cruz, I have never seen such a group of uninformed, biased GOP candidates who disparage any opinion different from their own.

It is 2016, which means it's presidential election time. 

I'm ready, since I have done my research, watched enough debates to never need to see another one, and reviewed the records of the candidates.

Let's start with the GOP. Other than Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, I have never seen such a group of politically unintelligent, uninformed, biased candidates who disparage any opinion different from their own. Like the cheese in "The Farmer in the Dell," Cruz stands alone. He is all the aforementioned, except he is an intelligent guy. 

Cruz's disdain for immigration reforms is puzzling because, although he purportedly meets the constitutional definition of a "native-born" American, he was born in Canada. We've heard nothing from yet from him regarding any plan send all Canadians near the North Coast back across the border if here illegally.

Last week, Sarah Palin formally endorsed Donald Trump. I knew Trump was whacko, spewing hate against immigrants, but marrying at least two of them. But even Trump should realize an endorsement from Palin is akin to the Grim Reaper knocking at the door. 

Palin has not been on a winning team since she walked off the job as governor of Alaska. Now picture Trump and Palin traveling all over America together, except for when she must return to Alaska to support her son in court. Track Palin was arrested Jan. 18 on charges of domestic assault, interfering with a domestic violence report and misconduct with a firearm. 

This woman crazily absolved her son from having any personal responsibility for his alleged criminal actions,  for not supporting returning troops. Any surprise there? Citing post-traumatic stress disorder, Palin stated that her son returned "different" after a year of volunteer military service in Iraq.

Now, just imagine if Dr. Ben Carson had a son who was accused of beating up his girlfriend and drunkenly waving around a gun. Then, in this imaginary scenario, let's say Carson also had a never-married daughter who had two children by two different men. Many in this "new" GOP would hold up the candidate as all that is wrong with America, and they'd likely demand that he leave the country.

Speaking of Carson, some were unhappy with my criticism of him months ago. I wrote last summer that he was a puppet for a GOP that needed to have a "black face" in the campaign, and that the party would soon abandon him. I also wrote that he was saying some very stupid things. Guess what? He said so many stupid things he isn't even a blip on the GOP radar screen anymore. But I won't say that I told you so.

On the Democratic side are Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. I like Clinton and respect her body of work that is open for review. I think she could be a good president, and I would not be disappointed if she wins the nomination. But I do not think I will vote for her -- and it has nothing to do with her gender. I just do not believe in, and find it extremely difficult to support, political dynasties. 

The Kennedys held powerful government posts for decades, and the Bush family has more recently dominated American politics. The eight years of Bill Clinton's presidency were some of the best economic times of this nation, but contrary to popular belief, you cannot go back to the future. 

Hillary Clinton has had an excellent political career and has served the nation well. But I like Sanders, even though I do not agree with him on every single issue. For instance, he's often voted against gun controls as a U.S. senator from Vermont. His honest explanation was that his state is largely rural with many hunters, and his job as a senator was to represent the interests of his constituents. Whether I agree with him or not, I like his honest response. 

I like Sanders' willingness to fight for the middle class and his desire to close the income gap. He wants everyone to have access to health care and wants to reduce  prescription drug prices --which is good, because I'm going to need both. His proposals for Wall Street reform, personal income tax reform, ending tax havens for multi-national corporations, taking profits out of government student loans and getting big money out of politics all sound good to me. 

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.

To my dying day, I'll not forget the very first Hose Bowl. It seemed half the town turned out to witness the numbing tussle

Bob ShryockTimes file photo 

With the 50th Super Bowl on the horizon, the mind drifts to another storied post-season rivalry and the realization that the borough of Wenonah also could be celebrating its own half-century football milestone.

I have played in, officiated, and covered many unusual sporting events in a lifetime that's approaching 80 years. That includes facing Dr. J. in a foul shooting contest at the Cherry Hill Mall (he won, making 8-of 10, while I made 7) before a dazed crowd of hundreds, and playing one hole of golf with The King, Arnold Palmer. I don't consider Howard Eskin a sports celebrity, so I won't count the bizarre round of golf he and I played at Woodbury Country Club.

But I've played in two Hose Bowls, a New Year's Day "touch" football donnybrook pitting both geographic sides of Wenonah in mortal combat. Hose Bowl is a play on words (Rose Bowl, get it?) and appropriate because many of the participants were members of the town's excellent volunteer fire company unit.

Candidly, I don't recall much about Hose Bowl II, despite having a knack for remembering oddball happenings that dot my early life.

But, to my dying day, I'll not forget the very first Hose Bowl, which was played in deep snow in the backyard of Dr. and Mrs. Churchill Blakey next door to the firehouse. It was a classic; it seemed half the town turned out to witness the numbing tussle.

These organizational events set the tone for the day. Blakey, who played for Browntown, and me, wide receiver for Greentown, engaged in a war of words via the newsletter route (these were the late 1960s) that included trading players and updating injuries (Henry Cox: broken leg in practice). We practiced diligently, sometimes finding obscure sites to work out in secret.

The big day arrived. The Browntown team pulled off the game's biggest coup, arriving just prior to kickoff in a Gateway school bus, with players' offspring first off the bus wearing cheerleaders' garb.

Conditions weren't ideal. Deep snow was pushed to the side and the Blakey turf was slippery at best. Play wasn't Alabama-Clemson tough, but it was spirited. Speaking of "spirits," there was plenty of that fortification during halftime, plus hot dogs on the grill.

Somehow I managed to catch two touchdown passes from Ken Noddin, but here's where it gets tricky. If Ken was playing for Browntown, what was I doing on the same team? After all, I lived in Greentown. Was I traded? Sold? Cut? What?

I suspect it played out this way, but  if John Dominy corrects me I'll go with John's memory.

Dr. Don Weems, the Greentown legend, was home nursing the flu bug, unable to play, when his team trailed at halftime. A teammate called him at the booze break, imploring him to play, and Weemsie did just that, hurling two TD passes and winning MVP honors in his admitted best day as an athlete.

I'm just not sure which team he won the game for except it wasn't mine.

Several of the Hose Bowl gang are deceased. The rest, like me, wander through life trying to figure out which team won.

I'll call it a tie.

Federal investigators are examining the Jerame Reid case. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it shouldn't be viewed as a second chance to indict the officers involved.

Confirmation from Bridgeton officials that the federal government is looking into the fatal December 2014 shooting of suspect Jerame Reid by a pair of city police officers should not surprise anyone who has followed the case.

Officers Braheme Days and Roger Worley were exempted from any possible criminal charges in August, when a Cumberland County grand jury chose not to indict them. The outcome has continued to earn skepticism from Reid's family and the surrounding community, and has spawned peaceful demonstrations organized by local activists.

It should not be routine for the U.S. Justice Department or FBI to investigate every time a minority suspect undergoes lethal force from municipal police officers. If those with grievances over the Reid case grand jury outcome think the feds are predisposed toward a "do over" to indict Days and Worley, they may be greatly disappointed.

We'd hope a federal review would be broad enough in scope to examine police policies and practices in Bridgeton. Such an outside look should be welcome by anyone interested in justice and fairness, especially if brings recommendations for any change that may be needed.

It's possible that federal investigators will find that the killing of Reid was justified, as the grand jury apparently concluded, but that problems will be found with the department's deadly force policy in general, as well as how it chooses  who officers stop and who they arrest.

It can't be stressed enough that controversy over the grand jury result stems partly from New Jersey law that allows county prosecutors' offices to decide (usually with compliant grand juries) whether or not to charge cops in use-of-force and other serious cases. The officers work for each town, and the prosecutor's office is attached to the county. But the relationship is so close as to form an automatic conflict of interest presumption. Local departments and county prosecutors routinely work hand in hand bringing suspects to justice and supporting trial evidence. That's as it should be, but complications arise when local officers are put under the microscope.

The New Jersey Attorney General's Office can investigate such cases directly, based on a 2006 law. But the AG rarely chooses to do so -- it didn't with Worley and Days -- and that's a major flaw. It's shameful that state legislation introduced in May by Sen. Peter Barnes III (D-Middlesex), which compels the AG to handle investigations when an on-duty law enforcement officer has caused a death, didn't even make it past the Senate Judiciary Committee in the just-ended Legislative session. Lawmakers must give expedited consideration to the pre-filed 2016-2017 Assembly version of the bill (A-1116).

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

Emergency management and road department chiefs reported no major issues across Gloucester, Salem and Camden counties on Sunday morning. Watch video

Work is under way to clear roadways across South Jersey following the blizzard that swept through the state, local officials reported Sunday morning.

Gloucester County officials just reported that Tomlin Station Road in Harrison Township has been reopened after crews cleared snow drifts. Officials posted images of the clearing effort on Facebook.

Oldmans Creek Road is closed by 4-foot snow drifts, emergency management officials report. That road runs through Woolwich and Logan townships.

Apart from drifting snow still blocking a handful of county roads, no other issues were reported across Gloucester County this morning.

In addition to Oldmans Creek and Tomlin Station, the following roads are closed by drifting snow. Some may be opening up shortly:

• Monroeville Road from High Street and Route 538 in Woolwich
• Route 538 at Patsy and Russell Mill in Woolwich
• Heritage Road in Mantua

In Salem County, officials reported no unusual events related to the storm.

"Things are pretty much getting back to normal," reported Scott Haines, director of Salem County Emergency Services. "Our road crews are out working hard to get things cleared up."

About 95 percent of county roads are plowed and open, Salem County officials reported by mid-day Sunday. Major snow drifts caused considerable issues Saturday evening, but Sunday's favorable wind conditions allowed plow crews to remove the drifts, officials said. 

In Camden County, officials reported ongoing efforts to clear roads utilizing about 100 trucks.

"In many places throughout Camden County our crews made great progress getting roads down to blacktop, but there is still plenty of work to be done," reported Freeholder Susan Shin Angulo. "At this time we are still asking residents to stay off the roads and relax at their homes."

No serious incidents were reported in the county Sunday morning.

"The 911 dispatch center is fairly quiet, but we are still getting some calls for stranded vehicles," the freeholder said.

Reminder: If you see a problem on a county road, please call our 24-hour hotline at (856) 566-2980 to report it to the DPW.

-- Camden County (@camdencountynj) January 23, 2016

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.

Check back for updates all day Sunday.

SALEM COUNTY -- Even though the snow has stopped and the sun is out Sunday afternoon, many towns in South Jersey are still digging out after the weekend storm dumped more than a foot of snow on the southern part of the state.

The following is a working list of school closures and delayed openings in the county, as reported by various media groups. Check back later for updates. 

• Alloway Township School District -- Closed
• Damien O'Shea Children's Center -- Closed
• Elsinboro Township School District -- Closed
• Lower Alloways Creek School District -- Closed
• Mannington Township School District -- Closed
• Oldmans Township School District -- Closed
• Penns Grove-Carneys Point Regional School District -- Closed
• Pennsville School District -- Closed
• Pittsgrove Township School District -- Closed
• Quinton Township School -- Closed
• Salem City School District -- Closed
• St. John of God Community Services - Damien O'Shea Children's Center in Pittsgrove Township -- Closed
• Upper Pittsgrove Township School District -- Closed
• UWSC Early Learning Academy -- Closed
• Woodstown-Pilesgrove Regional School District -- Closed

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.

High winds shipped the foo-tplus of snow Salem County received into high drifts. Sunday was a day to dig out.

SALEM -- Salem County began digging out Sunday from the weekend nor'easter which brought blizzard-like conditions to the region. 

Like Salem County, residents of Cumberland and Gloucester counties were digging out, too.

Generally, officials were saying the storm was rough, but not extreme.

The exception to that was at the Jersey Shore and Delaware Bayshore where it wasn't the snow, but the extremely high tides -- record tides in some cases -- that caused widespread flooding. 

Snowfall totals varied across the state. In Salem County a foot-plus fell.

Strong winds that lingered throughout the storm shipped the snow into high drifts. 

Some roads -- especially those in rural areas -- were left impassable for a time until the winds subsided and crews, many with heavy equipment, were able to clear them.

Most of the power outages were in the Jersey Shore region. Salem County residents were lucky. Very few people lost power in the storm.

Bill Gallo Jr. may be reached at bgallo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow South Jersey Times on Twitter @TheSJTimes. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

There's a hole in our city today because the Hillcrest Tavern and all that it witnessed — all the memories made within its walls — no longer sits at the corner.

By Albert B. Kelly

There is a big hole in our city and it can't be filled. Those were my thoughts after hoping no one was hurt and being heartbroken for Cosmo. I had planned a business lunch meeting there for that day. "A hole in our community that can't be filled," was playing in my head as I was thinking about the Hillcrest and the fire that wiped away 234 years of history. 

They can haul away charred debris and clear the remains. They can back fill the foundation and tamp it so that it's level. One can even construct a new building on the corner of Franklin Street and Broad Street, but what we can't do is fill the hole left by the fire.

Like a missing front tooth, a gap in our collective smile, the landscape along Broad has been altered permanently. It's more than just a missing building or the loss of a business. In its way, the loss of the Hillcrest is the loss of something that connected us to a distant past.

As many know, the original building was erected in 1782 by Henry Hann. Located across from the County Courthouse, its clientele were mostly those attending to their business at the court and travelers making the long journey from Trenton to Cape May along the main stagecoach route.

If I read the history correctly, Daniel Marshall took it over somewhere about 1790. Known alternately as the Franklin Tavern and the Hillcrest Hotel, we recall it fondly as the Coach Room. In some ways it's hard wrap yourself around the history, because it's hard to imagine back to the late 1700s.

But when you consider the generations that passed through the place, it gives you pause. Like all such historic locations, it stood as a witness not only to local history, but to the bigger story of the nation's history.

If you're willing to imagine it, you can almost hear the generations discussing, debating -- maybe even arguing about the issues of their respective times: independence, war, change. Perhaps the workers building part of the jail in the 1790s refreshed themselves at the Tavern.

Maybe a local writer or two from "The Argus and New Jersey Sentinel" stopped there before heading on to other taverns looking for a scoop or a little local gossip. Who can say if Sherriff George Burgin stopped at the tavern at some point on the day he carried out an execution in 1799? Patrons were likely discussing it.

I can easily imagine men such as Fithian, Bacon, Glaspey, Shepperd, Mulford, Woodruff, and Nichols, incorporated Bridgeton's first Mayor and Council in 1865 gathering amongst themselves at the Hillcrest to discuss the communities' future and what they planned to do about it.

Maybe it was here at the Hillcrest, on that April weekend that one or the other of them had a meal and pondered what they would say "for the record" to their community still reeling from news of the assassination of President Lincoln at Ford's Theater.

Surely the Hillcrest, and later the Coach Room, was the main gathering spot for lawyers, judges, and litigants over many decades --  the place where the real business got conducted. Maybe it was here, at tables and on stools, that people's fates were decided, even before the afternoon session reconvened.

In more recent days, the place was witness to events many of us remember, like the June 1979 standoff between law enforcement and inmates who had taken over part of the county jail. On that day, if memory serves, the Hillcrest was a staging point and command post.

The day ended when two inmates were killed trying to escape using hostages as shields. After a day like that, the Hillcrest might be the place where more than a few went to throw back a drink or three to steady frayed nerves, dial down the stress, and toast another day survived.

Most days at the corner of Broad and Franklin were not that dramatic; it was always about the people who gathered there and the folks that served them. It was there at that corner that deals got made, where relationships began and maybe a few ended, where sorrows were forgotten and good fortune celebrated. 

So there's a hole in our city today because the Hillcrest Tavern and all that it witnessed -- all the memories made within its walls -- no longer sits at the corner of Broad and Franklin and we're a lesser community because of it.

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

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

We want to see the spots that the plows haven't reached: No blacktop allowed. Watch video

New Jersey is still digging out from Saturday's epic winter storm. While highways might be clear, there are plenty of streets that look like they haven't been touched by plows. We want to see the unplowed streets you are seeing today.

Tweet your photo @njdotcom with the hashtag #plownj, or Instagram it using the same hashtag. Include the name of the street and the New Jersey town where it is located. Photos of poorly plowed streets you post will appear below.

John Shabe can be reached via jshabe@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter and find NJ.com on Facebook.

Penn Beach Honor Roll

 

PENNSVILLE -- Penn Beach Elementary School announces the names of students on the Honor Roll for the first marking period.

4th Grade

All A's -- Luke Chamberlain, Kendall Cooksey, Aiden Darling, Madison Flitcraft, Noah Flitcraft, Samuel Gant, Amanda Girtain, Lillian Irwin, Luke Jackson, Emily Lyons, Georgia Mulhern, Brandon Myers and Georgia Wilson.

A&B Honor Roll -- Adnan Alqutawna, Courtney Banger, Noah Bohn, Nolan Dowell, Taylor Freas, Megan Greenwood, Ethan Hankin, Ruby Hassler, Cara Hoyt, Jacob Isaac, Kendal Johnson, Arianna Jordan, Ember Jordan, Samantha Kornsey, Briel Martinez, Joshua Muntz, Daniel Neiling, Evan Nipe, George Psihalinos, Hailey Rambo, Ryan Ricketts, Sarah Santoro, Gary Schwegel, Thomas Stoms, Sierra Stultz, Trinity Taylor, Mindy Tomasetto, Kendall Turner, Dylan Waller, Tyler Warner, Micah Welch, Jaxon Whitman, Darren Wiley and Mackenzie Wurst.

5th Grade

All A's -- Ali Bowman, Kyle Cahill, Matthew Chattin, Emily Gratz, Paige Hogan, Jyllian Law, Jaida McCaffery, Donovan O'Brien,  Liam O'Brien, Kairi Schrenker, Jordyn Smith, Melissa Tecum Vicente, Jared Vandersteur, Alexandra Whitehead, Faith Willis and Emma Wilson. 

A&B Honor Roll -- Corrine Ammon, Kollin Baker, Brady Bartkowski, Angelina Bertles, Michael Bertles, Ashlynn Borden, Johnna Clark, Kamryn Curry, Jordynn Danner, Breanna DelGrippo, Anthony Derish, Jeremia Dowens, Aidan Emery, Hailey Grover, Rachel Guzman, Erin Hagan, Jordyn Haley, Hannah Hawthorne, Reilly Hekl, Noah Isaacs, Na'cyer Jackson, Kaylin Jaeger, Jalen Johnston, Lillian Keevan, Peyton Kolar, Jayden Martinez, Jay-Lynn McFarlane, Matthew Miller, Michael Miller, Rachael Morrison, Jacob Oettel, Kelsey Oleson, Juliane Parks, Trinity Peacock, Nathan Pszenny, Nicholas Pszenny, Elijah Rivera, Bryan Robertson, Logan Salmon, Carly Santimaw, Shea Scrivani, Casey Shorts, Hunter Smith, Hunter Streitz, Mason Tanyer, Matthew Taylor, Shelby Truax, Serenity Van Namee, Gregory Walker, Erica Warner, Lily Watson, Erin Weaver, Alexandria Weber, Logan Young and Gianna Zuniga.

Salem County Rewind offers a look back at Salem County's rich history through photographs and news tidbits from a century ago.

In this feature, which appears each week, we present a vintage photo of Salem County (along with a large number of other vintage Salem County photos in our accompanying gallery), and Salem County history tidbits.

SALEM COUNTY PICTURE FROM THE PAST

The latest addition to our gallery of vintage photos from Salem County shows a postcard view of the Delaware Memorial Bridge not long after its opening in August 1951. This view from the tower on the New Jersey side gives a view of Delaware's river shoreline. Notice the marshy area to the right which was later filled in and used as a landfill. Also notice on the bridge the lanes were separated by a center divider -- two lanes headed west and two headed east. This span was joined by a second one which opened in September 1968. (Times File Photo)

SALEM COUNTY HISTORY

Looking back 100 years ago in Salem County for this week in 1916, these news items were included in the Salem Sunbeam. They appear throughout the week in print today in the South Jersey Times in our Salem County History feature.

*

Last Saturday, Penns Grove broke the record at the railroad station when 4,000 tickets were sold, nearly all to men employed at the Carneys Point Powder Mills.

--

The Salem Driving Park Association has leased the racetrack grounds on Johnson Street in Salem for the 1916 season. This means that Salem will again see some good horse racing.

--

Mr. Jere Chambers of Cape May has entered Slape and Higgins' grocery and meat market in Salem City as clerk.

--

The Salem Aerie of Eagles will give a sauer kraut supper to all members in the aerie at 7 o'clock tomorrow evening. An orchestra will be present to make the super brighter and lighter.

The weather this week has been so warm and spring-like that the small boy has sought out his bag of marbles and the housewife has been raking the lawn.

--

H.J. Heinz Co. is now taking tomato contracts for the coming season at $10 per ton. Call at the factory in Salem in person or call Bell 57.

--

The annual Salem County Board of Agriculture meeting will be held at Patterson's Hall in Woodstown, Feb. 9, 1:30 p.m. The program topics will be "Fruit Growing" and "General Farm Management."

Bill Gallo Jr. may be reached at bgallo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow South Jersey Times on Twitter @TheSJTimes. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Luis Perez writes that bankruptcy is the just reward for waste and inefficiency.

To the Editor:

Atlantic City hasn't been a well-run city for the past 75 years. Neither Republican nor Democrat administrations have ever reflected any type of efficiency.

The casinos, first allowed in the 1970s, were to be the salvation of the city's future, but as economics will have it, gaming activity has shifted to Delaware and Pennsylvania. Atlantic City is now broke, with debt of about $240 million which it cannot pay.

Should the state government bail out the city from impending bankruptcy? I say, "No!"

Let Atlantic City be a lesson to other towns in the state. If they do not learn to live within their means, let them file for bankruptcy, break all labor contracts and start to lay off workers  -- of which they have more than they need.

The state does not have the money to bail out Atlantic City, let alone bring the city back with the same characters in charge. Just maintain the basic needs of police, fire safety and schools, and bring back efficiency by dealing with a new  labor force. 

I believe Atlantic City can become the largest senior-citizen city in the state by boosting efforts to rent apartments and sell condominiums to seniors. Positioned as they are, the remaining old casinos lend themselves to that market. 

Luis M. Perez

Glassboro

New nickname for Gov. Chris Christie?

To the Editor:

I agree with the Jan. 21 print edition editorial, "Even common-sense gun laws are GOP poison," from the Star-Ledger of Newark. 

The editorial described how Gov. Chris Christie had just vetoed legislation to add carjackers, gang criminals and those making terrorists threats to the list of those barred from buying firearms in New Jersey. The editorial went on to state that Christie has flip-flopped on this issue and others in order to help his run for president.  

Perhaps we could give Christie a new nickname. My choices are "Gov. Flipper," "The Big Flipper" or just "Flipper."

When his term as governor is over, Christie should go to Sea World in Florida and become the headliner of the dolphin show.

John Rosenberg

Franklinville

Liberals use revisionist history of Obama's era

To the Editor:

The recent letter ("Clown car returns to GOP debate stage") suggests writers  Roy Lehman and Gary Fagan put their heads together and came up with revisionism of the last decades. 

They dubiously claim that Democrat presidential debates are examples of "substance" in contrast with Republican debates. This perception of Democrat substance comes from the news media, where pundits do their best to be nice to pro-socialism candidates. These candidates, if given a free hand, will destroy an economy already weakened by President Barack Obama.

The revisionists would have you believe our country is in wonderful financial shape. Our national debt doubled in the last six years. Tens of millions have left the work force. The letter writers go back to the "Blame Bush" rhetoric on the 2008 economic collapse. The collapse was the result of easy-spending liberal financial policies of government-backed mortgage agencies. While George W. Bush did agree to these policies, they came from Democrat Bill Clinton's appointees.

Lehman and Fagan's letter moans about wars under way. But the terrorism problem results from Obama's policy in Syria and his abandonment of Iraq under a shaky government -- while  Obama and Hillary Clinton, as secretary of state,  ignored the early existence of ISIS.

The letter writers suggest that the world is melting. What makes members of the human race believe that mankind can control the Earth's temperature? This year was warm. Last year was cold.

Conservative opinions call for less spending, lower taxes and freedom from government interference in our personal lives. Such opinions are criticized by Democrats and liberals who pay little attention to our national debt. They speak in line with Obama's recent State of the Union address that fictionally ballyhooed a growing economy.

Gerald Keer

Turnersville

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

Dig out fire hydrants

U.S. Fire Administration/ FEMA 

GLASSBORO -- The Glassboro Fire Department would like to remind everyone that in case of fire, firefighters need to access fire hydrants quickly to protect people and property.

The department is asking that residents dig out at least three feet around all sides of local fire hydrants. 

Valuable time could be wasted trying to first dig out hydrants in order to access them for fire emergencies. Taking a little extra time to dig out a hydrant on your street could save lives.

Salem Main Street essay winners

SALEM -- The 25th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship and Awards Breakfast was held Jan. 18, at Salem High School. At the breakfast, Salem County Main Street announced the names of the 2016 Martin Luther King Essay Contest Winners. 

Essay participants were told to write an essay on Bishop Richard Allen (1760-1831). Allen was a minister, educator, writer, and one of America's most active and influential black leaders. In 1794 he founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), the first independent black denomination in the United States. He opened his first AME church in 1794 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Allen was elected the first bishop of the AME Church in 1816, Allen focused on organizing a denomination where free blacks could worship without racial oppression and where slaves could find a measure of dignity.

Volunteer Judges included: Thronna Busche, Jackie Bobbitt, Elois Cooper and Sharon Kellum. 

Essay Contest Overall Winners

• Khabeerah Adams, second grade, Ms. Maccarone, teacher, John Fenwick School
• Aaron Hiram Vaughn, fifth grade, Mr. Sanders, teacher, Salem Middle School (3-5)
• Da'Shon Jahiem Bundy, eighth grade, Mrs. Montgomery, teacher. Salem Middle School (6-8)
• Jahyde Maynor, 10th grade, Ms. Lamont, Salem High School

Grade Winners

Pre K

1. Desmond Slater, Ms. Meehan
2. Khyla Jones, Ms. Meehan
3. Ja'Naysia Floyd, Ms. Meehan

 Kindergarten

1. Syani Terrell, Mrs. Mullen
2. Bruce Ramos, Mrs. Mullen
3. Triscia Wilson, Mrs. Mullen

1st Grade

1. Lay'la Dewey, Ms. Thompson
2. Lilyanna Lugo, Ms. Thompson
3. Ma'Leyah Smith, Mr. Shearer

2nd Grade

1. William Dunn, Ms. Maccarone
2. Rudy Perez, Ms. Maccarone
3. Mar'Jziah Bundy, Ms. Maccarone

Additional Winners

1. Mason Jones, Mrs. Paris
2. Juelz Santiago, Mrs. Paris

3rd Grade

1. Caden Lopez, Ms. Stanisce
2. William Johnson, Ms. Pino
3. Angelina Latoree, Ms.  McConathey

4th Grade

1. Raina Carter, Ms. Ryan
2. Alyah Green, Ms. McDermott
3. Anthony Traae, Ms. Morris

5th Grade

1. Reyna Gonzalez-Rivera, Mr. Sanders
2. JaeLynn Turner, Mr. Sanders
3. Serenity Turner, Mr. Sanders

6th Grade

1. Cory Williams, Ms. Tortella
2. Najah Freeman, Ms. Tortella
3. Shailyn Moncrief, Ms. Skinner

7th Grade

1. Rashon Jones, Mr. Johnson
2. Davi'Yonna Thomas-Bundy, Mr. Johnson
3. Montrae Boone, Mr. Johnson

8th Grade

1. Nah'Zhai Dunlap, Mrs. Montgomery-Weid
2. Kristopher Reagan, Mrs. Montgomery-Weid
3. Aaron Michael Linkhorne, Mrs. Owen

9th Grade

1. Megan Pankok, Mrs. Unger
2. Akina Nichols, Mrs. Unger
3. Destiny Holmes, Mr. Boone

10th Grade

1. Sarah Sharp, Mrs. Unger
2. William Forney, Ms. Mace/Ms. Lamont
3. Curtis Bailey, Ms. Lamont

11th Grade

1. Danielle Jones, Ms. Ilaria

12th Grade

1. Cody Marich, Mr. Merritt
2. Miracle Smith, Ms. Ilaria
3. Ajea Dumas, Mr. Merritt

Elmer Grange is holding a fundraiser on Super Bowl Sunday. The Grange is selling Super Bowl sub trays from the New Dodge's Market in Elmer on Sunday, Feb. 7.  Dodge's New Market is helping Elmer Grange raise funds to help rebuild the Grange hall. Super Bowl sub trays each include 36 to 40 pre-cut, ready-to-eat wedges. Choices are Italian, turkey and cheese subs. Trays...

Elmer Grange is holding a fundraiser on Super Bowl Sunday. The Grange is selling Super Bowl sub trays from the New Dodge's Market in Elmer on Sunday, Feb. 7.  Dodge's New Market is helping Elmer Grange raise funds to help rebuild the Grange hall.

Super Bowl sub trays each include 36 to 40 pre-cut, ready-to-eat wedges. Choices are Italian, turkey and cheese subs. Trays are made by Dodge's Market and will be fresh. 

If the Grange sells 50 or more $45 Super Bowl Sub trays Dodge's Market will donate $5 back to the Grange per tray. If the Grange sells 100 or more trays, the market will donate $10 back per tray.

Place you order by calling 856-358-4571 and use promo code Elmer Grange. Super Bowl Sunday sub orders can be made any day and must be picked up between 1 and 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 7 at the New Dodges Market, 55 Chestnut St. (at the corner of Main) in Elmer. 

Safety is a main concern in deciding if schools will open after a major snowstorm.

Many of the main roads are clear after the weekend blizzard, but progress on the back roads that are more common in the rural areas was a major factor in deciding to close schools and delayed openings today.

"We were prepared for the storm, however, there were some major circumstances that made it difficult," explained Dale Archer, mayor of East Greenwich township.

Plowing began as early as 8 p.m. Friday, but with high winds and sporadic snowfall, the task of keeping roads clear was a difficult one. Some areas had snowdrifts more than 3 feet high and even after numerous hours of plowing, there was more yet to be completed by Monday morning.

Snow piled from the streets onto sidewalks from plows was a consideration in some school districts. Kingsway and South Harrison School Districts, where many rely on the walkways to get to school, had to evaluate the status of their regional areas' sidewalks, according to Superintendent Jim Lavender. Even in areas where walkways weren't buried under snow, there was worry that cold morning temperatures may cause icing on the walkways and bus stops that could be dangerous for students to walk on.

Whatever factor school districts considered, the most common concern shared was safety.

"The winds and the snowdrift made cleanup progress slow, and we didn't feel like it's worth the risk," said Thomas Coleman, the superintendent for Woodstown-Pilesgrove school district. "Safety trumped everything else."

Most school districts have snow days built into the school year, with days being made up during spring vacation. Some schools however just add the day to the end of the school year, but try to avoid it as much as possible so graduation dates don't change.

With snow clearing still ongoing after this monster blizzard, districts plan to have schools opened by tomorrow.

Anthony Medina may be reached at amedina@njadvancemedia.com. Follow South Jersey Times on Twitter @theSJTimes. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.

Officials along the Delaware Bayshore were fearful that high tides from the storm would cause major damage. Luckily, they did not. Watch video

DOWNE TWP. -- For the tiny towns that sit along the shore of the Delaware Bay, it seems that preventative measures and a little luck this weekend prevented the devastation seen during Superstorm Sandy.

"Another day or two we'll have pretty much everything back in shape ... ," said Downe Township Mayor Bob Campbell on Monday.

The mayor said of the three bayside towns -- Fortescue, Money Island and Gandy's Beach -- it was Gandy's beach that saw the most upheaval with one to two feet of sand pushed out of the bay onshore throughout the town.

Campbell said since Sunday heavy equipment has been in operation clearing streets.

"It's quite a mess. We lost some of the smaller bulkhead structures, but we can fix them," Campbell said. "Our cleanup started (Sunday) right after high tide. We've got a pretty good jump on it."

The highest tides seen over the weekend storm were about 4 inches below those of Sandy, the mayor said.

One of the luckiest breaks for the township was the wind direction. During Sandy, the wind switched to the west/northwest, piling water onshore. During the weekend storm, the winds stayed from the northeast.

No homes were destroyed by the weekend storm, although one still under reconstruction after Sandy was slightly damaged.

Overall, the new bulkheads, berms and dunes put in place after Sandy held and are being credited with saving the towns.

Roads in and out of the fragile towns were spared major damage, too.

"All roads are open and clear," Campbell said Monday.

The experience of living through the horror of Sandy helped the Bayshore prepare for future storms.

In all, Campbell estimates there was $100,000 to $200,000 in damage left by the storm. He said a FEMA official was expected to visit Downe to assess the storm's impact. Campbell's concern was that the damage meets the threshold for aid.

Once the cleanup is done, Campbell said, he said officials will turn toward "permanent prevention measures," such as reinforcing bulkheads.

Each major storm is a lesson for officials, he said Monday.

"We learn all the soft spots," Campbell said of weak shoreline barriers -- especially on private properties.

While the Bayshore's concern was the threatening tides, throughout the rest of Cumberland County it was snow.

As of Monday morning all 540 miles of the county's roads were passable, according to  John H. Knoop III, county engineer and director of public works and property.

High winds impeded the work by county crews -- who worked 12- and 14-hour shifts -- and the outside contractors brought in to help.

Through Monday morning, some 1,500 tons of salt had been spread on county roads, Knoop said.

In neighboring Salem County, flooding had been a concern in tidal areas and was seen in Lower Alloways Creek, Elsinboro, Salem and Pennsville, officials said.

Nineteen county employees and 10 extra contractors have helped in the battle to remove the snow

County crews were still working Monday in areas of rural Pittsgrove and Penns Grove Monday moving snow.

Official said the intensity of the storm, the accumulation and winds made snow removal a battle.

Emergency management officials reported no major damage from the storm.

Officials in Cumberland and Salem counties also said they had heard of no deaths attributed to the weekend snowstorm.

Bill Gallo Jr. may be reached at bgallo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow South Jersey Times on Twitter @TheSJTimes. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The Scoop offers tidbits of news from around Salem County and a few surprises, too.

The construction is over at the Salem County Career and Technical High School in Mannington is ready to dedicate its seven new classrooms. A special ceremony open to the public is set for Tuesday, 4:30 p.m., at vo-tech at 880 Route 45 in Mannington. In addition to seeing the new classrooms, the public will be able to tour the school's Agriculture Academy greenhouse, the fitness center for students and staff and the remodeled cosmetology classroom. The vo-tech board of education and county and state official are also expected at the ceremony. FFA and Air Force Junior ROTC students will lead tours for the public.

--

Help support Salem High School's Positive Behavior Program (PBSIS) at McPrincipal's Night at the Salem McDonald's on Wednesday, Feb. 3. Between 5 and 7 p.m., members of the administration from Salem High School will roll up their sleeves and serve parents and students. McDonald's will donate a portion of each sale to the Salem High School PBSIS program.

--

Salem County Sheriff Chuck Miller has added a title. It's "grandfather."

--

After the Salem County freeholder election drama resulted in a tie and no winner for a seat on the board, will the board decide someone should be seated in the interim? As of last week, the idea was still being pondered.

A little over a week ago we asked in Scoop, "where's the snow?" It snowed that very afternoon. Then, this past weekend, we had a blizzard. Maybe we should not have asked where the snow was.

--

All of the first responders who worked through the snowstorm deserve thanks. Many were unpaid volunteers.

--

Florence Catts of Pennsville has a big birthday coming up. She will turn 100 on Sunday, Jan. 31. Happy birthday!

--

Reconstruction of the Elmer Grange Hall at Pole Tavern continues. To held fund the work the Grange is selling Super Bowl sub trays from the New Dodge's Market in Elmer on Sunday, Feb. 7. If the Grange sells 50 or more $45 sub trays, Dodge's will donate $5 back to the Grange per tray.  If the Grange sells 100 or more trays, Dodge's will donate $10 per tray back to the Grange. The trays each include 36 to 40 pre-cut, ready to eat wedges.  Choices are Italian, turkey and cheese subs made by Dodge's. Order by calling 856-358-4571 and use Promo Code Elmer Grange. Trays must be picked up between 1 and 3 p.m. Feb. 7 at Dodge's.  

A 45-year-old N.J. man was found hiding in snow after police followed his footprints to make arrest.

PENNSVILLE TWP. -- A 45-year-old South Jersey man was arrested after fleeing from police and attempting to hide in the snow, authorities said.

Richard L. Boyce, 45, of Deepwater, was charged on an outstanding warrant, interfering with police and issued several motor vehicle tickets, after officers tried to stop him while riding an ATV Sunday.

Boyce was seen driving an ATV around 12:48 a.m. Police found he was wanted on a warrant an the man fled in the area of Illinois Road.

Dig out snow at least 3 feet around all sides of fire hydrants

Authorities followed his tracks in the snow and found Boyce int he backyard where he attempted to bury himself in the snow to hide from police.

Boyce was arrested and held at the Salem County Correctional Facility in Mannington in default of $550 bail.'

Brittany Wehner may be reached at bwehner@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @brittanymwehner. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.

Hospital elects 3 new board members

The Board of Trustees of The Memorial Hospital of Salem County (MHSC) elected 

David Bailey Jr., Kevin Gibala and George Seretis, D.O., to serve on the hospital Board.

David Bailey Jr. COURTESY PHOTOS 

David Bailey Jr. has served as the CEO of Ranch Hope in Alloway for the past 11 years. Bailey leads a team of 225 employees whose mission is to provide behavioral health care, educational, short-term shelter care, supportive housing and adventure-based services for thousands of children and families annually.

Bailey earned his Bachelor's degree from Penn State University and Master's degree in Non-Profit Management from Eastern University, Philadelphia. A lifelong resident of Salem County, Bailey was born and raised on the Ranch Hope campus, graduated from Woodstown High School and currently resides in Woodstown, with his wife, Julie, and three children.

Kevin Gibala 

Kevin R. Gibala is a vice president in commercial l6 ending with TD Bank. In his position, he is responsible for managing commercial relationships in Southern New Jersey. Prior to joining TD Bank, he served as vice president, chief commercial loan officer with Franklin Bank in Pilesgrove. Gibala has been in banking for over 14 years. He is a graduate of Messiah College in Grantham, Pa. Gibala and his wife, Bethany reside in Alloway Township with their three children.

George Seretis, D.O. 

George Seretis, D.O., is a board-certified family physician and is a member of The Memorial Hospital of Salem County medical staff. He is in private practice in Logan Twp. Upon completion of his undergraduate studies at New York University, he earned his medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He then went on to serve as a family medicine resident at Doctors Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.  Seretis, and his wife Pam, have three children and live in Woolwich Township.