A minimum of five lifeguards are needed to maintain a swimming schedule at Sunset Lake.

BRIDGETON -- Sunset Lake remains officially closed to swimmers due to a lack of qualified lifeguards, according to the city.

While the city looks for lifeguards, signs are posted to deter bathers from going into Sunset Lake. A minimum of five lifeguards is needed to maintain a schedule at the lake, said Dale Goodreau, Bridgeton business administrator.

"That's why the lake is not open right now," Goodreau said. "It's not water quality or anything like that. The reason why the lake is not open for swimming is because of lifeguards."

Anyone interested in applying can call the city's recreation department. For potential lifeguards, the city will help with attaining lakefront qualifications.

"There's a difference between qualifications for a lifeguard at a pool and qualifications for a lifeguard at a lake," Goodreau said.

Sunset Lake was restored in 2015 after a storm destroyed lake infrastructure in 2011. N.J. Fish and Wildlife stocked the lake with bass and bluegill sunfish in 2015 and added more in 2016 for fishing.

Diploma awarded to family of slain teen

This season, the county has tested the lake waters biweekly this season and the water quality passed two out of three times. It rained prior to the failed test and, according to Goodreau, the lake's location downstream makes it susceptible from runoff from area farms and also geese droppings. The city installed an aeration system in the lake to improve water quality.

"We're the bottom of the chain," Goodreau said. "Once it gets to us it goes out to the Cohansey River."

The lake water passed its most recent testing from the county. The failed test was after a rainfall, which could have affected the testing, the business administrator added.

To apply for a lifeguard position, contact the recreation department by calling 856-455-3230 ex: 280.

Policies and procedures at the Cumberland County Jail are correctly being questioned in the wake of three inmate deaths since March 2015.

A former South Jersey Times editor wrote passionately about an inmate death a few years ago, after a suspect who had just been brought into the now-closed Gloucester County Jail hanged himself with a shoelace.

If jailers don't take away shoelaces, belts or similar items, the death is on the jailers, the editor wrote. Much time has passed since the shoelace death, but what was stated then is still true.

Keeping inmates from harm is a corrections department's responsibility, the same way that schools are responsible for the health and well-being of youngsters who attend.

So, the fact that three people in the custody of the Cumberland County Jail were found dead by hanging in less than a year and a half justifies a recent request of two prisoner-advocate groups. They want a broader look into the facility's policies and how the staff carries them out.

One might dismiss the demand had it come from a distraught survivor of an inmate or a neighborhood rabble-rouser. But this call is from the American Friends Service Committee Prison Watch Program and the People's Organization for Progress. Having some inside knowledge, they think something is wrong at the jail. The rest of us should at least be curious enough to want some answers.

Specifically, the two organizations want to know more about the June 3 death of John Watson, 43, of Bridgeton. Warden Robert Balicki told one newspaper that Watson "apparently succumbed to suicide," which is just about the most incomplete review of the case imaginable.

The Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office is investigating, as is an attorney for Watson's family and those of two other inmates who died under similar circumstances. In October, an inmate known as Robert Lewis was found dead in a prison shower, hanging from a sheet. In March 2015, Allisa Allen, 24, was found dead in her cell.

Neither the prosecutor's office nor an attorney who is likely preparing civil lawsuits offer the confidence of totally unbiased probes. We've said it should be a law to have the state attorney general automatically look into police-custody deaths, since county prosecutors may be too close to the local agencies that must be investigated. County-jail custody deaths also ought to be investigated up the chain, by the New Jersey Department of Corrections, if not the state AG.

Balicki's defensive reaction to a letter that AFS and People for Progress sent out to request more information raises particular concern. Though "appreciating" their suggestions, he focused on the letter's disputed narrative of Watson's treatment and added that "it appears obvious the intent is to make myself and my staff look corrupt and incompetent with little or no real facts."

Warden, competency questions DO arise when three inmates in one small county jail die this way in 15 months. An outside policy and procedure review is strongly indicated.

The incident occurred in February 2015 at the Cumberland County Jail in Bridgeton. Watch video

BRIDGETON -- A Cumberland County corrections officer, who has been criminally charged, can be seen in a security video allegedly assaulting an inmate who is now suing the county for the incident.

The video, obtained by NJ Advance Media, was recorded in February 2015 when Raheem Jacobs was being held at the jail for weapons charges, obstruction, resisting arrest and criminal mischief.

According to a lawsuit filed against Cumberland County on March 18, five corrections officers beat up Jacobs.

"The video clearly shows an act of excessive force by officers at the Cumberland County Correctional Facility," said Conrad Benedetto, the attorney representing Jacobs.

According to Warden Bob Balicki, the corrections officers seen in the video were all given disciplinary actions, except for officer Mike Williams shown striking Jacobs, who was charged criminally for assault.

On Feb. 25, 2015, Jacobs got into an altercation with another inmate and then went to take a shower, according to the lawsuit. While in the shower, a corrections officer began searching Jacobs' clothing and personal items.

Advocate groups want investigation into jail

Jacobs returned and went to collect his personal items when, according to the lawsuit, he was put into a compliance hold, struck in the throat, pushed in the face, thrown to the ground and then pummeled further.

The video has no sound but shows the rear portion of C Dorm where the incident occurred. A corrections officers is seen going through Jacobs's clothing and various papers. When Jacobs returns, he is seen putting on his orange jumpsuit and then being hit by a corrections officer. Jacobs then goes off the screen and is later taken away.

A corrections officer sergeant involved in the incident has since retired, Balicki said. The other corrections officers were given disciplinary action but have since returned to work -- except for Williams -- who was charged criminally. Administrative charges are pending the criminal investigation. At this time, Williams is on restricted duty where he cannot come in contact with inmates.

"At this time I cannot disclose details which would impede an ongoing investigation but what I will say is there are mitigating factors pertinent to the timeline of events not included with the selected footage," said Victor Bermudez, president of PBA Local 231. "I stand behind Officer Williams and will seek fairness in parity with other agencies. Corrections is a unique entity filled with challenges and at times can be thankless."

Learn how mentoring has an impact on the entire community

VINELAND -- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cumberland and Salem Counties is offering a "Little Moments" information session on Tuesday, July 12 from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. at their office located on 1944 E. Landis Ave. in Vineland. Lunch will be provided by Larry's II Restaurant.

The session is informal and designed to educate the community about the work that is done at the organization. The session will feature testimonials from current volunteers and a behind-the-scenes tour from the professional staff members.

Learn how mentoring has an impact on the entire community and how easy it is to get involved. Anyone interested in attending must RSVP by calling Cherell Eutzy at 856-692-0916.

 For more information on the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program in Cumberland & Salem Counties, call 856-692-0916 or visit www.southjerseybigs.org.

This item submitted by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cumberland and Salem Counties.

Other programs are scheduled for July, August and October

Robert Schuyler, associate professor of archaeology at the University of PennsylvaniaPicasa 

Associate Professor of Archaeology Robert Schuyler at the University of Pennsylvania, recently captivated a packed house at the Vineland Historical and Antiquarian Society with the story of "The South Jersey Project: Exploring Vineland, New Jersey."

For over a decade, Schuyler supervised archaeological "digs" by student workers on the grounds of the society's museum at 108 S. Seventh St.. He explained that Vineland was selected as a project site because it was an example of a typical Victorian town where business and industry grew and prospered within a short period of time. 

Among the many objects discovered during their excavations, the researchers discovered embossed bottles, jewelry, and even personal records that survived years of burial.

Museum curator Patricia A. Martinelli said, "We were delighted to have had Prof. Schuyler as a guest speaker. While this was the last lecture scheduled for this year, the society will continue to offer other programs for the remainder of the year."

In July and August, the Vineland Historical and Antiquarian Society will participate in "A Race Through Time," a free event open to the public and organized in cooperation with other Cumberland County historic sites and museums.

On Aug. 6, the society will host its annual Open House on the grounds of the museum.  This event will include live entertainment, games for children, museum tours, demonstrations and refreshment stands.

In October, a classical music concert will be featured in the museum."

For more information, follow The Vineland Historical & Antiquarian Society on Facebook; call  856-691-1111; or visit www.vinelandhistory1864.org.

This item submitted by Jack Rawlins, Vineland Historical and Antiquarian Society.

Elaine Lore writes that no matter how much the gasoline tax goes up, it won't fix roads if politicians can divert the revenue.

To the Editor:

I am writing in response to the many articles regarding pending legislation to increase the New Jersey tax on gasoline. We have seen proposals to increase these taxes by 14 cents to 23 cents per gallon. While transportation funding is a necessary expense that must be pursued, I would like to offer the following caution:

Regardless of which amount is decided upon, if it is not earmarked to NEVER be used for anything but roads, bridges, etc., it will ultimately fall into the abyss of the state's "general" fund, only to used by politicians for any pet project of the moment.

My father has been gone for more than 20 years, but I can remember him telling me that the problem with New Jersey was that after three years of any new funding for a specific purpose, the money all ends up used for "general" budget items as stated above. 

We've seen examples of this over and over again - with state funding for public-worker pensions, with earlier fuel-tax revenue for the Transportation Trust Fund, and many others that I'm sure readers could add.

We definitely need our roads tended to. I have replaced things on my current automobile that, over my 50 some years of driving, I didn't know were parts of a car. So, make no mistake -- we are paying for the poor condition of our roads in one way or another.

Elaine H. Lore

Pitman 

Editor's note: New Jersey voters will be asked to approve a November ballot question (ACR-1) requiring that current and future motor fuel tax revenue be spent on transportation needs. However, voter approval is not being sought for any specific increase in these taxes.

Wall Street owns Hillary Clinton

To the Editor:

Hillary Clinton, although she is a so-called "liberal," acts as the representative of the international finance community. She has accepted millions of campaign and speaking-fee dollars from Wall Street firms and companies that have moved their production overseas, harming our national economy.

In the name of religious tolerance, Clinton favors bringing in more people from Muslim countries, who would become part of a potential foreign labor force. 

She can only get away with this with the help of most of the media. The media aren't curious about the undisclosed contents of her private speeches or what's in her e-mails while she was secretary of state. She used a private, non-government server not to hide stuff from our enemies, but to hide stuff from her own people.

Clinton represents a ruling class that wants to rule over a large, poor, peasant work force that has minimum-wage jobs, receives government assistance and doesn't own property.

Employers don't care. They want cheaper labor. Labor union leadership doesn't care, either. They are perfectly alright with handing over the private sector to foreign workers. The unions only want

more work and money government sources. Here in New Jersey, it's the construction unions that want to raise the transportation-project-related state gasoline tax.

Then union leaders have the gall to act like they are leading the masses. The unions will donate money to Clinton's campaign. What an infamous betrayal of the American worker.

Donald trump is fighting the terrible enemy of "globalism." He doesn't need money from its supporters. Going forward, it will interesting to see what tactics the globalists use to try to stop him.

                          Lee Lucas

                          Gibbstown

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

Third marking period 2015-2016

The Elizabeth F. Moore announces the names of students on the Principal's List and Honor Roll for the third marking period 2015-16. 

 

Principal's List (All A's):

Carlos Barragan, Theresa Ingegneri, Kayleigh Smallwood, Cecilia Hauserman, Samuel Falk, Faith Johnson, Eva Vittorini, Diana Waterman, Sarah Williams, Angelina Willitts, Giana Arno Harkcom, Emily Bruce, Andrea Lewallen, Justen Pace, Brooke Smith, Lukas Weist, Stephen Wilchensky, Breanna Lloyd, Cade Rose, Brielle Harris, Caitlyn Lupton, Anna Nichols, Gabriel Walker, Caden Everingham, Hunter Fleetwood, Emily Ford, Drew Nakai, Madison Wymbs, Collin Titus, Alexander Zimmermann, Nicholas Gibson, Jovany Hernandez, Lillian Cruz Garcia 

A/B Honor Roll:

Dwight Brown, Landon Wojciechowski, Jayden Shaffer, Aalaiyah Floyd, Isabella Franchetta, Juliana Santos, Michael Genco, Dayja Klotz, Miguel Martinez Flores, Mikayla Otero, Alexandra Rodriguez, Warren Sprouse, Marissa Tuthill, Bryanna McRae, Kendall Richey, Jose Torres, Katie Nichols, Daniel Pelaez, Ava Santos, Adriyana Brown, Madysen Brown, Rosalie Corney, Tristan Peterson, Lillian Trout, Gilbert Anderson, Megan Basile, Oliviah Carr, Melissa Cortazar Rodriguez, Gianna Guidoni, Harry Hernandez Lopez, Isabella Howard, Da'Marion Johnson, Gabriel Nieves, Madison Priole, Ryan Shafer, Allison Weber, Minh Hoang, Saniyah Jimenez, Amoni Cortes, Alexis Esquival Lopez, Dylan Stanker, Nathan Etherton, Mya DeMasse, Brad Clark, Michael Gomez, Marissa Manel, Darren Mattern, Kyon Barnes, Connor Callahan, Natalia Guzman, Glenn Hadley, Camryn Kwap Colin Lafferty, Zachary Schlosser, Katherine Smith, Khalisha Dawkins, Emiliano Garcia Rojas, Ayden Horsman, Lorenzo Sanchez, Luciano Sanchez, Abby Shafer, Trinity Williams.

This item submitted by the Upper Deerfield School District.

Third marking period for 2015-2016

Woodstown Middle School announces the names of students on the

Superintendent's List and Principal's List for the third marking period 2015-16.

GRADE 6 SUPERINTENDENT LIST

Alexis Boultinghouse, Emilija Caunitis, Chloe Cuzzupe, Erin Felizzi, Phoebe Harris, Abigayle Heathwaite, Ryan Hopp, Emma Kopec, Kristina Krishna, Troy Mullison, Allison Petrin, Dean Sorantino, and David Walker.

GRADE 6 PRINCIPAL LIST

Tristan Augusto, Miguel Baldwin, Halen Barrow, Karyse Bayless, Damian Bennett, Madison Betsill, Tristan Bittle, Nicholas Bowden, Ryan Bradford, Jordan Carey, Mariela Carroll-Lubrano, Paige Cataldi, Elianna Caunitis, Ethan Caunitis, Owen Champigny, Damian    Chiesa, Grace Clark, Grace Coles, Caden DeSiato, Alexis Egan, Jacob Egan, Lily     Foley, Kyla Frisby, Larissa Garneau, Dominic Green, Megyn Hackett-Slimm, Brandon Hagerty, Rebecca Harris, Madison Harvey, Kaiana Hickman, Tyaisha Husser, Emilee Kates, Jayden Kennedy, Rebecca Lindenmuth, Colin Lisinski, Luke Martin, Rebecca McCarthy, Gwendelyn Moore, Charlotte Nichterlein, Dominic Ottaviano, Meghaben Patel, Chase Prater, Lucas Prendergast, Kyle Quirk, Kevin Quiroga, Kiley Ricigliano, Abigail Ruggiero, Sirenity Santos, Jacob Smith, Matthew Telsey, Olivia Terry, Nicholas Tighe, Noah Tighe, Nicholas Timko, Leilani  Vazquez, Charles Ward, Benjamin Woodruff, and Ryan Zigo. 

GRADE 7 SUPERINTENDENT LIST

Sydney Adams, Katelyn Bailey, Mia Bialecki, Ndinelao Biegen, Sophia Briseno, Anthony Brock, Kelley Case-Harper, Kylee Donelson, Jacob Donnini, Madeline Fairfield, Aijonay Harper, Mason Hunt, Laney Jones, Kara Knorr, Isabella           Kurpis, Ava Lammersen, Joan Lodge, Madeline Melle, George Nowmos, Mia Ottaviano, Taylor Pierson, Riley  Quirk, Sophia  Riccio, Seamus Riley, Adriana Sanclemente, Sierra Schneider, Sydney Smith, Elizabeth Suwala, Erik Thomsen, Tara Tucci, Allan Warfield, and Zachary Wygand.

GRADE 7 PRINCIPAL LIST

Sarah Bayous, Isaac Bowens, Tyree Brice, Nathan Brown, Evan Bunting, Benjamin Chard, Alison Convery-Johnson, Ava Fenner, Jenna-Lyn Fulford, Dijonay Harper, Shareef Hickman, Maria Hite, Madeline Holmes, Benjamin Horner, Richard Joyce, Reece Kugler, Analise Layton, Shane Love, Maya Martin, Ashley Masly, Katelynn Miller, Dasani Minter, Destiny Morgan, Jay Kumar Patel, Jeffrey Proud, William Read, Nivea Rivera, Adriana Robinson, Nasir Robinson, Wayne Robinson, Chase Sherburne, Zoe Tantum, Jaden Wade, and Davis Wargo.

GRADE 8 SUPERINTENDENT LIST

George Carpenter, Ella Champigny, Catherine DiPatri, Lauren Gao, Madeline Hunt, Devon Kelty, Julia Lane, Jordan Lindstrom, Jasmine Lopez, Olivia Monahon, Grace Nichterlein, James Paranzino, Jack Prendergast, Mackenzie Rattigan, Benjamin Russell, Felix Vergara, and Isabella Villegas.

GRADE 8 PRINCIPAL LIST

Anthony Alliegro, Laura Allman, Katte Barriga, Sarah Bellacicco, Daniel Bonowski, Hannah Carter, Aidan Caruso, Sarah Clifford, Emma DiPatri, Madeline English, Sarah Gunther, Jordyn Hackett-Slimm, Shaylen Hall, Ashley Harvey, Katelyn Harvey, Mariela Hernandez-Carlos, Kimberly Hickey, Kayla Hopkins, J'la Howard Evans, Shaye Kelly, Trevor Lodge, Benjamin Melle, Jasmine Norman, Zayne Olsen, Andrea Sorbello, Raechel Spuler, Kayleigh Stubbins, Cody Swilley, and Jason Worrell.

This item submitted by Woodstown School District.

Third marking 2015-2016

Woodruff School announces the names of students on the Principal's and Honor Roll for the third marking period 2015-16.

Principal's List (All A's)

Sixth Grade:

Alexandra Basile, Anthony Bullock, Janell Canion, Peyton Elwell, Savanah Falk, Kaitlyn Fallon, Gavin Frazer, Bailey Halter, James Howard, Hailie Huntelman, Jordana Kelly, Abbie Lancetta, Brooke Lancetta, Abigail Pino, Hunter Russo, Samantha Talorico, Ryan Taylor, Gina Trexler, Amanda Volk. 

Seventh Grade:

Candace Hudson, Aashee Patel, Dhara Patel, Brooklyn Richmond, Gianna Smith, Averi Sprouse, Brynn Stanker, Dwayne Warren, Emily Wilchensky.

Eighth Grade:

Estela Balbuena, Idrianna Bowleg, Nicholas Dagostino, John Dang, Juliana Espinoza, Cole Everingham, Edward Fleetwood, Tyler Fleetwood, Jeffrey Horsman, Emily Lancetta, Jimmy Li, Alyson Lupton, Heather Marshall, Lindsay Nakai, Kayla Nieves, Justina Paulino, Yaeline Rodriguez, Maraya Silcott, Ava Taylor. 

Honor Roll (All A's and B's)

Sixth Grade:

Ogulcan Akilli, Morgan Briggs, Mackenzie Cheesman, Sarah Corey, Mitchell Coulter, Richard Cranmer, Alexia Dawkins, Erin Eckert, Luke Erianne, Brock Fleetwood, Evan Hemple, Luis Hernandez, Jaydan Hoffner, Jayden Johnson, Milana Lucente, Kyle Markert, Wyatt McQuilkin, Lexie Miletta, Jayden Peek, Frank Rio, Gage Russo, Quameer Saunders, Ashton Spears, Savannah Turpin, Fiona Walker, Nicholas Zimmermann.

Seventh Grade:

Ava Carman, Connor Carr, Gabriella DeFrancisco, Amber Dickinson, Midajah Garcia, Reonna Givens, Brianna King, Alyssa Lee, Nacir Martin, Korrine Maurer, Gianna Mauro, Luke Nestler, Madeline Ott, Ryan Ott, Tara Peterson, A'Shanti Rodgers, Ahmad Ross, Keith Smith, Blandia Telfair, Ashleigh Triche, Steven Turpin, Evan Warwick.

Eighth Grade:

Riley Anderson, Evelyn Barragan, Daniel Bizarro, Omar Bravo Martinez, Harrison Bruck, Geneva Canion, Noah Cheesman, Zachary Etherton, Michael Hamlyn, Betsy Hatcher, Nicole Jackson, Faith Johnson, Joshua Joyce, Yabria Kearney, Kimberly Keen, Alec Magee, Chad Mathias, Luciano Miletta, Cindy Perez Lopez, Carissa Phillips, Nicole Rios, Drew Rose, Dai'uana Shaw, William Taguwa, Myles Timmons, Alberto Turner, Taylor Williams, Kristal Zayas Mate.

This item submitted by the Upper Deerfield School District.

Richard Harold, 35, of Newfield, turned himself in for attempted murder in 2014 after being the subject of a manhunt.

BRIDGETON -- A Newfield man found guilty of attempted murder faces a possible life sentence in state prison.

Richard Harold (file photo)Don E. Woods | For NJ.com 

A Cumberland County jury found Richard Harold, 35, of Newfield, guilty on Thursday of attempted murder, aggravated assault by causing serious bodily injury, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, aggravated assault by pointing a firearm and possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose.

The attempted murder charge carries a sentence up to 20 years but, due to a 2002 conviction for aggravated assault, the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office is seeking to classify Harold as a persistent offender and give him a life sentence.

On Oct. 25, 2014, Harold fired 11 shots at another man in the parking lot of Delsea Village Apartment Complex in Millville. Police identified Harold as the suspected shooter after finding his minivan, which was used in the incident.

Video shows alleged assault in county jail

When officers attempted to arrest Harold, he attempted to leave in his minivan and, after a struggle with an officer from the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office, he fled with an officer's handgun.

A manhunt followed and Harold turned himself in later that night. Police were also directed to where the minivan and handgun could be recovered.

Harold's sentencing date has yet to be determined. He will have to serve 85 percent of his total sentence, per the No Early Release Act.

The column that curses you to live in interesting times

The column that curses you to live in interesting times

--

Good morning!

--

Jaime E. Marine | South Jersey Times 

The third annual Officer Christopher Reeves Superhero Scholarship 5k Run/1 Mile Walk is scheduled for Saturday, July 16.

Registration runs from 8 a.m. to when the race starts at 9 a.m. It costs $30 for the 5k and $15 for the mile walk.

Runners are encouraged to dress like their favorite superhero.

You can register online at https://runsignup.com/race/nj/Millville/reeves

The event is hosted by Millville PBA Local 213.

For more information, contact Jenn Satero at 856-825-7010 ex: 7625 or email jenngent@comcast.net.

--

Dottie Cullen and Friends have their Summer Fling on July 13 at the Vineland Veterans Home at 6:30 p.m.

It'll be a beautiful day, Dottie says, and I'd take her word to the bank.

--

"On Monday, July 4 the Millville Recreation Department will be hosting a 4th of July Celebration at Union Lake Park, Sharp Street in Millville.

"The event kicks off at 7:30 p.m. sharp with a local band called Grass'n Gravel which features Tom Buckley, John Workman, Thomas Fry and David Tracey who will be performing classic songs, country, easy rock.. Feel good Music.

"The main event, Fireworks, will take place at 9 p.m.  A half hour show is planned where fireworks will be shot over Union Lake."

- Samantha Cruz

--

"The next Public Session in the Cumberland County Law Enforcement Community Engagement Series will cover Incarceration, Re-Entry and Expungment. Please join us on July 13, 2016 at 6 p.m. at the Luciano Theatre at Cumberland County College to learn more about efforts to prevent recidivism that are happening right now at the Cumberland County Jail, about re-entry efforts going on in the community and about the 2016 changes to the expungment laws in the State of New Jersey."

- Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office

--

Remember Fairfield Township, the only ones getting rich are the lawyers.

--

"The Vineland Jersey Fresh Festival Committee is looking for artisan vendors interested in being part of this year's event.  All varieties of vendors are invited to participate including antique, craft, collectible, and hobby vendors. The Jersey Fresh Festival, which celebrates the significant role that agriculture plays in New Jersey, is scheduled for Sunday, August 14 from noon to 6:00 p.m. on the grounds of Vineland High School located at 2880 East Chestnut Avenue."

- Vineland

--

For information to volunteer or be a vendor call 609-364-7108 or visit www.vinelandcity.org.

--

"Tsk tsk from Team Anti-Soda. I'm all for a broadly implemented soda tax -- probably more effective than a local tax, since that in theory will just drive soda dollars outside town limits. People should be able to poison themselves with soda and cigs if they wish, but at a steep cost that benefits the community (and not the soda producers.)

"Maybe I'll bring you and Matt Gray some self-righteous vegetables or delicious, idealistic water next time I stop by the newsroom..."

- Lauren Taniguchi

--

MY KIND OF TOWN: Where the weather is only getting warmer and we need lifeguards

The Dave Matthews Band continued to celebrate their 25th anniversary with a stop at the BB&T Pavilion Friday night.

CAMDEN -- The Dave Matthews Band continued to celebrate their 25th anniversary with a stop at the BB&T Pavilion Friday night for the first of two shows.

It's a bittersweet weekend for DMB fans as the band will be taking a hiatus from touring in 2017.

Dressed in grey jeans and a blue-collared shirt, Matthews led the band on stage at 8:20 p.m., where they kicked off the nearly three-hour 20-song set with "Squirm" from the 2009 album "Big Whiskey & The GrooGrux King." 

The band delighted the crowd all night long with songs spanning their entire career, including "Dancing Nancies" from the 1994 album "Under the Table and Dreaming" and "Grey Street" from the 2002 album "Busted Stuff." 

"I don't think we played this before," Matthews told the audience before playing a new song "Plastic Girl."

"We will make it up as we go along."

A guest appearance by saxophonist Greg Osby electrified the crowd as he joined the band for "Warehouse" and "Grey Street." 

THE SET LIST

• Squirm 
• Seek Up 
• Seven
• Fool to Think
• #41
• Plastic Girl
• Crash Into Me
• Death On The High Seas
• When The World Ends
• The Best of What's Around
• Dancing Nancies
• Warehouse
• Lover Lay Down
• Samurai Cop 
• Grey Street
• You and Me 
• Pantala Naga Pampa
• Rapunzel 

       ENCORE

• Pig
• All Along The Watchtower

Tickets are still available for tonight's show and can be purchased at Live Nation.

Tim Hawk may be reached at thawk@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @photogthawk. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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.

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 students of Williamstown High School's Class of 2016 who took time to remember classmate Darius Boyer at the school's graduation ceremony last week. Darius drowned while swimming with friends last year and his mother, Linda Williams, attended graduation to accept his diploma. Numerous students greeted Williams on Friday, offering hugs and kind words about Darius. It was a genuine outpouring of love and respect, with several noting that they were thinking about him as they accepted their own diplomas. These students didn't forget their classmate after he died last July. They have remained in touch with his family and have helped keep his memory alive. The compassion shown by these students is proof that the future is in good hands as long as young people like these are around to shape it.

JEERS: To the alarming report of a drug bust in which heroin was found in a baby's crib. Monroe Township police included that disturbing detail in a recent report of a drug arrest in the township in which the parents of an infant were arrested. Strewn around the residence was drug paraphernalia and in the crib were three wax folds containing the drug, police said. Drugs cause people to make strange choices, but this particular detail hit home for many readers, who condemned the parents for their alleged actions. If the parents are found guilty, the penalties must be harsh, but with those penalties must come treatment. It's easy to call them cruel names and suggest the most violent of punishments, but that doesn't cure the disease destroying families and many communities in our state. Let's make sure that infant grows up in a world where we recognize drug addiction as a sickness and understand that treatment -- not just throwing people in jail - is key to defeating this monster.

JEERS to not having anything nice to say. In the war on drugs, all gave some and some gave all. Some, like parents who buried their children prematurely, are still giving. The war continued Tuesday in Bellmawr right outside Johnnie's Liquor Store, where Camden County authorities conducted a raid late last month on drug trafficking suspicions. As they have for weeks now, protestors stood outside with signs reading "This store sells heroin." Not all customers or passers-by were having it though, telling those gathered to redirect their efforts -- only in words not fit for print here. That's not going to get us anywhere. Addiction is a disease. Drugs kill. No one is immune. If you don't have anything nice to say... 

CHEERS to two weeks too late. It took 16 days for someone to come knocking on Marie Lenkowski's door, 16 days for a railroad company to speak up and confirm her son's death to NJ Advance Media, 16 days for Walter Lenkowski's violent on-the-job June 5 death as an iron worker in Pennsauken to be recognized beyond the obituary his family was forced to pen. The standout Clearview Regional High School graduate and scholar and athlete leaves behind a soon-to-born daughter, mourning friends, family, co-workers and union brothers. The tragic twist Lenkowski had to die to prove? He always said that everybody immediately knows when a police officer or firefighter dies in the line of duty. And an iron worker?  Two weeks sounds about right -- and that's just wrong.

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

The Governor and the State Senate President are both touting two very different school funding plans.

The final caps have been tossed and classrooms closed up, but as summer gets underway, New Jersey's schools are still taking centerstage. 

Both Senate President Steve Sweeney and Governor Chris Christie will spend the foreseeable future rallying support for each of their school-funding plans, two vastly different approaches to fixing the long-standing issue of inequitable state aid to N.J. schools. 

Sweeney's proposal uses the current, state Supreme Court-approved school funding formula which takes into account a district's wealth, enrollment, and other mitigating factors. Current disparities in state aid come down to the fact more than 80 percent of the state's districts are underfunded based on the formula Sweeney said during an editorial board meeting with the South Jersey Times.

Sweeney's bill calls for a $500 million increase in school funding over five years and establishes a bipartisan commission -- two members would be appointed by the governor, one by Sweeney and the other by the Assembly speaker -- to come up with recommendations to fix the inequalities.

In contrast, Christie's plan scraps the 2008 funding formula and instead sets a flat figure for each pupil in the state. Under his plan, wealthier districts would see massive increases in state funding and poorer districts that currently rely on significant amounts of state aid would see drastic drops in funding. 

Sweeney called Christie's plan "not just unconstitutional but unconscionable" and a non-starter that won't come to fruition.

He's arguing that principals, superintendents and educators largely back his proposal -- so we called up the heads of South Jersey districts that would see a major impact under either plan to get their take. 

Haddonfield Township Schools Superintendent Richard Perry

Haddonfield regularly tops the list of the best-performing school districts in the state, yet the affluent town's school district is the most underfunded in N.J. based on the current funding formula. 

It's created an imbalance Perry would be eager to see resolved, but he doesn't think either plan is the silver bullet to get the job done. 

"I would like to see [school funding] be a little more proportionate and I would like to see us getting the funding we need to truly run our district," said Perry, who added high-performing schools should not be penalized via aid for doing well. "We're always looking to improve, we have needs like all other schools."

While Christie's plan would bring down an average Haddonfield homeowner's tax bill by nearly $3,000, he said since the bulk of it is directed toward tax relief, it wouldn't be a windfall for the school district and would likely spur serious problems in Camden, just a few miles down the road.

"It's not really solving the problem," Perry said. "I think there should be more balance, and I think Sweeney's plan is more balanced."

Washington Township Schools Superintendent Joe Bollendorf

A big reduction in state aid in Washington Township -- which is technically 140 percent overfunded based on the current funding formula -- worries Bollendorf.

The district has only recently begun digging its way out of the grim financial situation a sharp cut to state aid put them in in 2010, and they're still a long way to full fiscal recovery, he said. 

"We're very much just watching and waiting and seeing, and when we have the opportunity to weigh-in, we fully intend to weigh-in. I know our board is very eager and watching this very, very closely," said Bollendorf. 

He's not sold on Christie's plan based on the serious impacts it would have on poorer districts, however, and is hopeful that any recommendation to come out of the commission created in Sweeney's proposal would plan carefully, reduce aid gradually and most importantly, provide all of the funds needed to keep districts fully funded.

"[Sweeney] is looking to create greater equity. Any loss of dollars the township could see could be mitigated by any funding formula they put forward to be fully funded," said Bollendorf. "No plan should devastate any one particular district."

Camden City Schools

Christie's plan would mean a 78 percent reduction in state aid for Camden City's chronically struggling schools, a massive blow that, by all estimates, would have a drastic impact.

The district's statement on the issue at hand is simple.

"We're learning more about this proposal and plan to listen as discussions continue over the coming weeks and months," said district spokesman Brendan Lowe in a written statement. Lowe said the district is monitoring Sweeney's proposal as well. 

Kingsway Regional Schools Superintendent Jim Lavender

Kingsway is one of a handful of school districts labeled as "super-growth" in the past few years. Population in the four towns that feed the middle and high school district have increased drastically bringing hundreds of new students to its hallways. Under the current funding formula, Kingsway has only been receiving about 43 percent of what it should have been.

Under Christie's plan Kingsway could see an additional $3,038 per student coming into its budget, but that's not enough for Lavender to support it. 

"Chris Christie's plan, I think it's shameful. I don't know if it's some sort of political game, but it's pitting suburban and wealthy districts against our urban districts," he said. "I can't see any school administrator being behind it."

While Kingsway is one of the more suburban districts with a wealthier tax base, and Lavender wants to make sure it gets every bit of funding it deserves, he believes that taking massive amounts of funding from the poorest areas is a disservice to those who need it the most.

"I am behind Senate President Steve Sweeney 100 percent. The funding formula itself had bi-partisan support, it was constitutional. The bottom line is the governor hasn't funded that formula," he said. 

Woodbury Schools Superintendent Joseph Jones

In Woodbury, where Christie's plan would take about $1,500 of funding per student, the superintendent argues it would do more harm to communities that need help.

"It's not meeting the needs of what kids in different communities face," Jones said. "While it's equal, it does not equate to fairness from our perspective...This is pitting a significant portion of the population against communities in need."

The existing school funding formula correctly addresses students from "difficult economic" backgrounds and English as a second language learners, he said. 

"The formula recognizes that they are going to need more funds. When that formula was first passed in the Corzine administration the money was to follow the most needy kids," he said. "This really moves in a very different way."

Jones agrees with Sweeney in that the existing formula should be funded properly and he and his school board are planning on actively fighting Christie' idea.

"Woodbury is on board with Sen. Sweeney's idea that the existing plan needs to be fixed. We have a very good plan, but that plan is not being correctly implemented," he said. "What the formula calls for, we believe is fair. There are differing needs for different school districts."

My hope is that the state will work with urban cities to come up with creative tools that can help leverage what is unique to the states' urba

Sometimes when I think about the Bridgeton community through my "mayor eyes," it almost comes about in the same way that a doctor might think about his or her patient. That is to say clinical, dispassionate, and business-like.

This clinical thing doesn't happen often because Bridgeton is filled with people I know and care deeply about, but it happens enough that I pay attention to it when it occurs. What prompted the latest bout of clinical "mayor eyes" was a report on urban poverty from the John S. Watson Institute for Public Policy at Thomas Edison State University.

The report, entitled "The Cost of Poverty: The Perpetuating Cycle of Concentrated Poverty in New Jersey Cities," looked at four urban communities: Trenton, Perth Amboy, Passaic, and Bridgeton to understand the chronic nature of urban poverty in our state. We tend to think of South Jersey as exclusively rural, but that's not quite accurate. 

Bridgeton, like many other urban communities, struggles to overcome problems that can only be understood in the same way we understand a patient with systemic problems --things that are foundational-less a symptom than a cause. Maybe understanding this difference is part of treatment.

One systemic or foundational thing in the report is New Jersey's ongoing reliance on the local property tax as being the only real way municipalities have to fund their budgets. This dependence means distress when the property tax base erodes, as has been the case here. The burden gets placed on the shrinking base. 

Another issue is the number of tax exempt properties in urban communities and the impact they have on the base. In Bridgeton, some exempt properties come from being a county seat and having certain state and county facilities. But a lot of exempt properties in cities exist in response to helping the poor. It's no surprise that nonprofit, social service, and faith-based agencies "cluster" where they are most needed.

Nonprofits do a lot of good in other ways, but it's forgotten when it comes to tax revenue. That's a big part of why Gateway, my nonprofit agency, and Complete Care run by Council President Edwards, willingly pays property tax, so as not to burden a communities' ratable base.

Cities do receive state funding known as "CMPTRA" or Consolidated Municipal Property Tax Relief Aid along with the Energy Receipts tax, but this aid has been reduced a lot over the past 10-15 years. Less revenue means more distress and unlike funding for schools, the money is not necessarily given out based on need. 

One possible answer might be a non-resident or "commuter" tax. Unfortunately, New Jersey does not let cities charge non-resident taxes as happens with those commuting into Philadelphia to work. This would be a way to ease the property tax burden for urban cities where a lot of the jobs are located.

What would that mean for a city like Bridgeton? It would mean an inflow of revenue from those commuting in to work at places like the county court/jail complex, state prison, school system, hospital, City Hall, and some of our larger factories and businesses. What gets spent at local stores helps local business, but it's not enough to lessen the burden in urban cities.

The report included a number of other recommendations -- everything from tax credits and nutrition programs to minimum wage increases, affordable housing, child care subsidies, literacy programs, pay equity, and paid family leave. While important, these are larger issues that get played out on a larger stage if at all. 

Until then, we still have an obligation to provide services for residents, including a unique labor force that works almost exclusively in the surrounding townships --  the opposite of the commuter. The difference here is that the bulk of this group is outside the financial mainstream so they can't easily be a part of growing the base.

What is needed are some new tools on the state level, tools that will allow for new and creative ways to ease the burden of urban cities, whether a commuter tax, a new set of tax incentives that are user-friendly for small businesses in urban areas, ways to mitigate the exempt inventory, or a needs-based formula for handing out state aid. 

Whatever it is, my hope is that the state will work with urban cities to come up with creative tools that can help leverage what is unique to the states' urban cities.

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

The Senate president has the better of a pair of dueling school aid plans, but both represent stopgap measures at best.

In a recently renewed battle over New Jersey school aid, Stephen Sweeney's Band-Aid is more likely to promote healing than Chris Christie's Band-Aid.

Both the Senate president and the governor took the wraps off of their new plans in the past two weeks.

While Band-Aids are known to cause pain when you pull them off, these plans would cause several "ouch" moments if New Jersey were to put them on. And, each fails to get at the cause of the wound, which is New Jersey's continued over-reliance on local property taxes to fund hundreds of local school districts.

Sweeney's reveal was first. He says his measure fully funds the school aid formula installed a decade ago under former Gov. Jon Corzine. Finalized in 2008, the formula has been nipped, tucked and used as political-deal fodder often enough to create significant distortions. Yet, it's unique in that it has survived state Supreme Court challenges -- a key attribute, since past formulas were declared unconstitutional for decades because they shortchanged the poorest, mainly urban, school districts.

The governor's alternative calls for a flat per-student aid amount, regardless of a town's wealth or ability to raise money from the local tax base. Offering $6,599 per year per student across the state has the aroma of fairness. But, it would take away 78 percent of the money that now flows to state-aid-dependent Camden, for example. You can argue that extra dollars don't mean better results, but not that this kind of reduction won't hurt kids.

Christie's radical surgery is surely unconstitutional. His plan also has absolutely zero chance of passing a Democrat-led Legislature.

Sweeney may not have the votes to pass his plan, either, since its aid "losers" could also include urban districts that the majority Democrats represent. But, it's better than Christie's. Here's why:

First, Sweeney would stick with a formula that's been proven to be constitutional, at least as written. 

Secondly, some districts get of extra aid although their student counts have declined (or their socio-economic status has improved) for years. The distortions will worsen with no action, and Sweeney says that $600 million in aid should be shifted to more-needy districts.

Third, we like that Sweeney would install a BRAC-style committee to recommend school funding changes. As with BRAC -- the military Base Realignment And Closing plan that neutralizes parochialism politics in Congress' base-closure decisions -- the Legislature would take an "up or down" vote on the school committee's report. No tweaking or horse-trading allowed.

Yet, both plans are admissions of failure as Christie and Sweeney end their current incarnations of public officeholding. 

The governor had more than seven years to try to re-balance school aid rules by seating more conservative Supreme Court justices. Sweeney now describes his long effort to reduce spending by having small New Jersey school districts consolidate as "banging your head against the wall."

What if both often-effective leaders had spent the last seven-plus years finding a way to replace local real estate taxes as the state's main school funding mechanism? These taxes still force senior citizens out of their homes and send young families running to neighboring states.

Hey, Teaneck, here's a $1,600 cut (under Chrisite's plan) that would reduce your average household property tax bill to a measly $9,913.

Our leaders still need to do much better.

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

New Jersey has changed dramatically in recent decades. But in many places, deep segregation still exists.

Police are investigating two burglaries that occurred over the weekend in Vineland.

VINELAND -- City authorities are investigating two burglaries that occurred over the weekend on South Brewster Road.

Vineland Police responded Saturday to the 200 block of Brewster Road for reports of a burglary.

Police were told that someone broke into the resident's detached workshop, which sits behind the house on the property.

Multiple power tools were stolen valued at more than $2,000, according to police.

Authorities believe the same suspect broke into a detached shed on property located on the 300 block of South Brewster Road.

The resident told police someone forced entry into the detached shed overnight, which sits on the rear of the property. 

However, nothing was found missing at this time.

Both incidents are still under investigation.

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

It's simple: Keep high school-aged kids busy during the summer months with programs that lift them and their communities.

By Robert Atkins

Teens are trouble, at least that's how many adults see them once school lets out.

In the summer, for many living in vulnerable urban and rural communities across New Jersey, adolescents are viewed as a problem to be managed. Yet if we are creative, we can find ways not only to keep teens out of trouble, but to turn them into valuable resources to lift up our communities.

Many people link the increase in crime during the hot months with the young people in their communities, and believe keeping high schoolers busy during the summer would reduce the summer crime rates.

In New Jersey's most vulnerable communities -- where more than 30 percent of the residents are under the age of 18 and resources are stretched -- community leaders will implement various interventions to limit the idle time of youth. Some communities will enact summer curfews and midnight basketball to structure the free time of youth. Other communities will provide summer jobs.

In May, the city of Newark was named one of 16 cities chosen by the White House to receive resources aimed at increasing summer youth employment. This is good news for youth in Newark. The news is especially good if these summer jobs aid the teens in developing meaningful skills and contribute to healthier communities.

Cleaning up parks, supervising younger children in summer recreational programs, and performing administrative tasks like photocopying and filing papers are typical and useful summer jobs for teens. Yet there are opportunities to implement summer employment programs that do much more for both the workers and for the overall health of the community.

A great example of a summer youth employment program that benefits both the teens and the community is taking place right now in Bridgeton. New Jersey Health Initiatives (NJHI), the statewide grantmaking program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation which I lead, recently made a grant to Gateway Community Action Partnership. Mayor Albert Kelly, who is also CEO of the Partnership, has focused on hiring teens to enroll eligible families in the Summer Food Service Program in Bridgeton.

The Summer Food Service Program, supported through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, ensures that low-income children continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session (the "hungriest time of the year"). Our grant provides the Bridgeton community with the resources needed to focus the time, talent, and energy of teens on building a healthier Bridgeton.

These high schoolers are provided with an opportunity to make meaningful change in their communities through summer employment and to develop the leadership skills that will propel them to future success. Together, these two goals enrich and engage the next generation of civic and community leaders.

What's happening in Bridgeton shows us how communities become healthier as diverse voices are engaged and given the opportunity to contribute their perspectives, time, talent, and energy.

We look forward to other communities following Bridgeton's example of regarding teens as a resource (rather than a problem), channeling their strengths to work on impactful projects that have the real potential to promote health and well-being in their communities.

Robert Atkins is director of New Jersey Health Initiatives.

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The alleged aggressors used beer bottles during the fight, according to Bridgeton police.

BRIDGETON -- A fight in a liquor store parking lot sent one man to the hospital and three other men to the county jail for assault, according to police.

Bridgeton Police Department officers were dispatched Saturday around 8 p.m. to the Supermarket Discount Liquors on North Pearl Street for the fight. When they arrived, the parking lot was empty except for beer bottles.

A witness told officers that a large fight occurred. The injured man -- who was bleeding from the head -- fled the scene in a white SUV with a Texas license plate. Three men involved in the fight fled on foot toward East Commerce Street.

Police found three men on the 100 block of East Commerce Street, two of whom were bleeding.

Jorge U. Rodriguez, 22, of Elmer Street, Hugo Velasquez, 26, of Church Street, and Raul Gonzalez- Perez, 20, of Elmer Street, were all charged with aggravated assault with a weapon and possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose.

Newfield man found guilty of attempted murder

Authorities obtained surveillance footage that showed the fight. According to police, Rodriguez was the aggressor in the fight. The video allegedly shows Rodriguez walk up to the man and smash a full bottle of beer over the man's head with a full swing without provocation. Velasquez and Gonzalez-Perez then allegedly joined in the attack -- using bottles, hands and feet to assault the man.

Police found the injured man parked on North Laurel Street after receiving a call about a man with a head injury. He was flown to Christiana Medical Center.

Rodriguez, Velasquez and Gonzalez-Perez were all held in the Cumberland County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.