Barbara Essington writes that people should support the Jan. 27 "March for Life."

To the Editor:

Long before Hillary Clinton spoke of her "basket of deplorables," there was Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood. 

Sanger had her own opinion of "deplorables" such as the poor and minorities, along with those who have low IQs, untreatable and hereditary diseases, and the disabled. As a eugenicist interested in improving the human race, she opened her first birth control clinic in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1916.

In 2009, Clinton was given Planned Parenthood's highest award. According to Clinton, who was in "awe" of Sanger's "life and leadership," the founder's work remains "unfinished."

Jan. 22 marks the 44th anniversary of the U.S.Supreme Court's controversial 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade decision, resulting in more than 55 million unborn babies being aborted. The culture of death this promotes is a lack of respect for life at all stages.

In Jeremiah 1:5, God directs Jeremiah to say, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you ... ."  Psalm 139:14a states, "I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made... We are all made in God's image and every life matters and has a purpose. Children are a gift from God."

The 2017 March for Life, with the theme "The Power of One," will take place Jan. 27 in Washington, D.C. The march is a reminder to all, from our leaders on down, to protect the innocent unborn.  A baby aborted has no choice and no voice. We have to be a voice for them.

Barbara Essington

Carneys Point Township

Boost Sweeney's school aid plan

To the Editor:

There is no question that public school funding needs to be addressed by our representatives in Trenton. The issue has gotten far out of hand. It makes no sense at all that school districts with rapidly growing enrollment are shorted in much-needed state aid, while other districts actually receive more of this aid than they should.

Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) has proposed a logical state aid plan that is, if nothing else, a much-needed start on fixing this problem. His legislation calling for a panel to recommend changes has passed the Senate, but is being held up in the Assembly.

Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson) supports a different reform plan, and his refusal to let Sweeney's come up for a vote hurts the state's chances of ever having a better, fairer education system. 

Anyone interested in fair education funding should call on Prieto to stop his political games and allow a vote Sweeney's Senate bill.

Kelly Shields

West Deptford Township

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

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Perez is the owner of Hernando's Hometown Pharmacy

VINELAND -- Hernando Perez was born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico and came to the United States in 1972. Like many others, his family sought good financial opportunities and a better life. He graduated from Vineland High School in 1985, and then went on to earn his degree from Long Island University's College of Pharmacy in 1991.

Hernando PerezSubmitted photo 

"I have always loved the City of Vineland and was inspired to start my own business," said Perez. In 2012, Perez and his wife Kimberley, a registered nurse and graduate of Cumberland County College, opened Hernando's Hometown Pharmacy in Vineland -- the first Hispanic-owned pharmacy in southern New Jersey.

Perez is involved with numerous organizations, including Garden State Pharmacy Owners, Wounded Warriors and the SPCA. He serves on the board of the Vineland Downtown Improvement District and is involved in Breast Cancer Awareness fundraisers, World Vision, and in sending medical supplies and over-the-counter medications to missionary groups.

"I strive to improve where we live and to be a positive role model for youth in the community," Perez said. He is proud to have a business that is well known to the community for great service and a true "hometown" feeling.

"Hernando is a civic-minded person with a high level of business acumen and a heart for this community," said Dennis DiLazzero, Foundation Board Chairman. "He will be tremendous asset to the Foundation Board."

This item submitted by Nancy James for Cumberland County College.

Troopers were told Thursday morning that a woman in labor was being brought to the Port Norris station

PORT NORRIS -- It isn't unusual for police officers to rise to the call of duty -- even if that means helping to deliver a baby.

Troopers were told Thursday morning that a woman in labor was being brought to the Port Norris station because she didn't think she would make it to the hospital on time, police said in a press release.

(L-R) Tpr. Tyler Dornewass, Detective Matthew Hanlin, Detective Andrew Abdill, and Tpr. Bryan Blair. The four helped deliver a baby Thursday morning in the Port Norris station parking lot. NJSP 

Detectives Matthew Hanlin and Andrew Abdill, along with Troopers Bryan Blair and Tyler Dornewass met them into the parking lot and jumped into the van where they helped deliver the baby.

Emergency crews arrived a short time later to attend to the mother, Deshyamma Dayton, and her baby -- a girl who she named Ka'naih.

"So far, so good," Dayton said about the baby over the phone from the hospital. 

Dayton said she's doing well -- but is still a little exhausted.

Rajeev Dhir may be reached at rdhir@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @googasmammoo. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Do you want fries with that quiz, hon?

This week's list of the best Jersey diner in each county was one of NJ.com's most popular features of the week. So it's only natural that this week's local news quiz jumps on the diner bandwagon. The quiz below is based entirely on Jersey diner trivia and lore. And I admit I cribbed liberally from my colleague Pete Genovese's book on the subject. Take the quiz and brag on your score in comments.

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

Serious delays are becoming more numerous on this vital Philadelphia-South Jersey link. A slow recovery after a recent snowfall is the latest example.

Time was when the Philadelphia-Lindenwold PATCO Hi-Speed Line was the envy of the commuter-rail universe. 

That time was 1969, when the line opened. Only San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), also built during the 1960s, had similar buzz as the subway system of the future. PATCO riders received clean, on-time, safe transportation, along with breathtaking views of the Philadelphia skyline as they looked out the windows over the Benjamin Franklin Bridge.

What riders now see out the window at PATCO is its once-vaunted reputation. 

In the latest service hiccup, a moderate weekend snowstorm taxed the system for days. Fewer than 6 inches fell on Saturday, Jan. 7.

The toll, according to an apology that the line's chief just issued, included motors on at least 21 cars. They've now been replaced. On Jan. 9, a train was evacuated at Camden because smoke was billowing inside. If this is what happens following an off-hours, non-event snowstorm, what can we expect after a foot of snow on a weekday morning? It's bound to happen before April.

This past week, delays of 15 to 35 minutes were common as trains were cancelled. Confused riders had to board and disembark from multiple trains, making others overcrowded. 

These days, PATCO operates on more modified schedules than a sports league  back from a players' strike. Lately, commuters have breathed in more smoke than at a barbecued rib cook-off -- and it doesn't smell nearly as good.

PATCO's parent, the Delaware River Port Authority, has suffered from  institutional ineptness, but the rail line had been its shining light. Problems started a few years ago when broken station escalators stayed in disrepair for months. The mishaps keep coming, even though PATCO is well on its way to finishing a long-delayed program to refurbish its 120 cars. 

Regarding the most recent problems, PATCO General Manager John Rink's explanation that measures "to counteract the effects of winter" added to "a backlog of repairs" falls short. Winter happens. If PATCO can't make things normal 36 hours after it snows, even with substantial overtime, it suggests serious deficiencies in scheduling and/or preparedness.

PATCO riders are still more likely to get an error-free ride than fellow commuters, mostly in North Jersey, who use NJ Transit. In November, the Federal Transit Administration awarded NJT its most-likely-to-break-down crown among all U.S. commuter railroads. The agency recorded 540 mechanical breakdowns in 2015 that kept an NJT train from starting or finishing a route. This September, one person was killed and more than 100 injured when an NJT train crashed into a Hoboken station barrier.

But note that while NJT has hundreds of miles of track and some equipment that goes back to the railroad-baron age, PATCO maintains a single, 14-mile straight line, with no branches or spurs, and no equipment that has reached its 50th birthday.

We're eager to see PATCO branch out and do good things like reopen its Franklin Square station in Philadelphia, and interface with a long-promised Camden-to-Glassboro light-rail line. First things first, though. The immediate goal is a turnaround to prevent the existing Lindenwold line from becoming another NJT.

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

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.

The column that hopes Mary Messeck feels better

The column that hopes Mary Messeck feels better

--

Good morning!

--

Don E. Woods | For NJ.com 

"Just wanted to take a minute and give a big thank you to Millville PD and Millville Animal Control.

"I got done work early today, came home to let my dog out, and was leaving for Target. There was a black mound in the middle of the road that I thought was a dead animal until someone else hit it and its head popped up. A young or malnourished black cat was bleeding right in the middle of my road. I grabbed a blanket out of my trunk, scooped up little black kitty and knocked on a few doors with no luck of an owner.

"I called my vet who gave me Animal Control's number. I called a few times and left a message. Under advice from my Mom, I called the police station itself who informed me Animal Control was out for the weekend. The officer said, however, that she would send out an officer to pick up little black kitty and go from there. A half second after hanging up, Animal Control called back! Luckily for me he had forgotten his radio. He asked my location and came out right away. Even with traffic, the officer was there very quickly! He scooped up little black kitty and put him/her in a carrier to get checked out. Little black kitty didn't go quietly, it still had some fight in it!

"I am really grateful for both Millville PD offering an officer's help and then the Animal Control officer forgetting something at the office.

"I wish little black kitty the best. I hope it's OK. It was bleeding pretty bad.

"Thank you Millville PD and Millville Animal Control again! You guys were awesome!

"RIP to my black and white Converse sneakers though. Little black kitty bled all over them. A small price to pay to help you little black kitty."

- Jamie Lynn Smith

--

"Cumberland County Health Department
"Spring rabies clinic schedule - 2017

"Date: Saturday, March 25, 2017
"Location: Bridgeton Fire Hall, Orange Street

"This is a free service for residents.

"If animals have been vaccinated for rabies any time in the past, pet owners should bring proof of prior rabies vaccine to receive a three-year certificate. Dogs must be on a leash or in a carrier. Cats must be in a carrier or closed container with ventilation. Neither the municipality nor the County Health Department is responsible for animals that get away.

"For further information, call the Health Department at (856) 327-7602."

- Bridgeton Police Department

--

Been seeing photos of a bed bug found in Millville Walmart on Facebook recently. I called Walmart's corporate office about it and, according to them, they disposed of the bug and did not find any evidence of an infestation at the store.

Take from that what you will.

--

MY KIND OF TOWN: Where things go bump in the night

Don't sleep on these teams.

Get your nominations in for the winter edition of our statewide contest

Can you feel the gym shake? Are you looking at a sea of red, white and blue, or have the bleachers become a balmy beach scene in the middle of January? Is that organized cheer still rattling in your head?

Student section at work.

Whether it's themes, cheers, chants or banners, we know there are some student sections that help the team catch fire - home or away. We want to know which N.J. school has the best student section this winter, and we're relying on those student sections - and the rest of the school community - to show us - with pictures, with testimonials and in the end, with votes.

We're launching the winter version of our best student section contest (Oakcrest won the football version this fall). It's journey that will last until the end of February, and it starts with an critical first step - a nomination.

To be a part of all that follows, your school has to get a nomination by Monday, Jan. 30. That's not a ton of time, but nominating a school is super easy.  Someone just needs to take at least one picture of the student section and use the form below to submit it.  That's it. Done deal.

Our photographers will also be around the state looking for student sections, and we'll use some of our photos to make nominations too, but don't count on us - we can't be everywhere. Make it a sure thing, and nominate your school with a pic.

Contest format:
Nominations will be open through Monday, Jan. 30. We will then split the nominations into regions and launch a one-week qualifying poll for each region. Your voting in the regional qualifying polls will determine the schools that move on to an elimination bracket, with week-long head-to-head voting matchups to determine regional finalists. We will skip the regional finals and have one big statewide final for all the would-be regional finalists.  The whole thing is targeted to wrap up Monday, Feb. 27.

Nomination and photo submission notes:
• The form below will work with your cell phone - you can nominate your school from the game!
• NJ.com staff will also make nominations with our own photography.
• Only upload photos you have shot or that you personally received permission to use. We can't use photos from other media outlets. Please don't grab and submit photos from other websites.
• Multiple nominations for a school are welcome, but we may not use every photo.
• Submitted photos will be added to the gallery after some processing time; nominations will be compiled and listed on top of this post after the weekend's play.

So start talking and sharing - rally the troops to nominate, vote and make your student section officially the best in N.J.

Approximately 200 birds were found dead in November in Stow Creek Township.

STOW CREEK TWP. -- Testing continues to find out what killed 200 birds in the township, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection.

The dead birds were found in November around Frank Davis Road. Testing is continuing but one hypothesis is that the birds were poisoned by imidacloprid, an insecticide used by farmers when they plant their crops.

"To actually confirm it scientifically, we sent specimens, additional specimens, to be evaluated for that pesticide," said Larry Hajna, spokesman for DEP.

On Nov. 2, 12 to 18 dead birds -- mostly red-winged blackbirds were reported in a rural section of Cumberland County. Birds continued to be found dead in the area -- estimated around 200 -- into November.

"A poisoning was suspected in the black birds due to the acute nature and highly localized area of the mortality pattern," states a New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife report dated Dec. 15.

Salem County bank first to fail in 2017

The birds were seen feeding in nearby farms and, once approached, were slow to take off. Once in the area, they were seen dropping out of the sky midflight. Officials performed necropsies -- animal autopsies -- on the dead birds and found internal bleeding and trauma caused by the birds hitting the ground.

While there is no evidence of chemical poisoning at this time, a local farmer was using fungicides and pesticides, including imidacloprid.

"Everyone should be concerned about the ramifications of hundreds of birds falling from the sky," said Jane Galetto of Citizens United to Protect the Maurice River and its Tributaries.

According to Galetto, imidacloprid and other insecticides in the neonicotinoids chemical class are harmful to the ecosystem.

According to the DEP, imidacloprid can cause disorientation in birds and is considered toxic. Wheat seeds from the farmer's field were found to be ingested by the birds but have not shown to contain imidacloprid.

The robbery occurred Thursday night on Landis Avenue.

VINELAND -- Two men robbed a Landis Avenue business Thursday night at gunpoint, according to police.

Vineland police were called Thursday at 8:39 p.m. to the Family Dollar Store on West Landis Avenue. Two men wearing bandanas over their faces entered the store and took an undisclosed amount of cash.

Man charged with death of daughter

The two men fled through the rear door of the Family Dollar Store. No injuries were reported in the armed robbery.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Vineland Police Department by calling 856-691-4111 or by submitting information anonymously through the department's Tip 411 service.

Former teacher Richard Super was charged in 2016 with endangering the welfare of a child.

VINELAND -- The city school district can potentially be sued for $5 million by the family of a student who allegedly had sexually explicit emails sent to her from a teacher.

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

The teenager's guardian filed a tort notice against Vineland Board of Education, school officials and Richard Super -- the former teacher who is accused of corresponding with the teen. The school district received the tort notice on Oct. 26.

"When the district discovered inappropriate email interaction between a Rossi School teacher and pupil the Administration addressed the matter swiftly, including prompt notification to the Board of Education," said Gianina Messore, spokeswoman for Vineland Public Schools, in a statement.

Authorities charged Super in June with endangering the welfare of a child. Super was a language arts teacher at Anthony Rossi Intermediate School.

The relationship between Super and the teen allegedly took place from November 2015 to May 2016 where communications of a sexual nature were sent over the school's network and using school property, according to the tort.

Bridgeton man sexually assaults teen, cops say

A tort notice is not a lawsuit but instead reserves the right for a person to file a lawsuit. The tort states that Vineland schools was negligent in supervising and hiring its employees, as well as monitoring its equipment, leading to sexual abuse, assault, battery, fraudulent misrepresentation and intentional infliction of emotional distress for the teen and her guardian.

The tort claims $5 million in damages.

Super resigned from the district in September. Before his resignation, Super was placed on paid leave. He was hired in 2003 and attained tenure in 2006.

What a terrible time of year to write an outdoor column

I often wondered what it would be like not being able to write my column. Well, after many years I finally found out.

Jim Boltonnj.com 

I got laid up in the hospital with pneumonia. I started to get shortness of breath and I was tired all of the time. 

Now I am in rehab and I couldn't get in touch with my many marinas and boat captains and contacts in Delaware Bay and down along the shore.

So here we go along with what's happening in the local fishing news.

If you are determined to fish in January and February there is always plenty of perch fishing going on along with some stripers biting here and there. 

One thing I should mention is that I picked a good time to get laid up. This is the time of year when some fishing and hunting writers take a break because December, January and February are the slowest times of the year to find interesting outdoor news. 

Unless you are a skier, there isn't much going on. But if you are a skier or snow boarder there are plenty of places to go. 

We had a ski club in Millville called "The Cumberland County Ski Hawks" with quite a few members from all over the county and we used to take weekly and weekend trips to Mount Snow and Stowe in Vermont and Big Boulder and Camelback in the Poconos.

But of all of the sports I participated in I have to admit skiing was my favorite. I had to quit because of a bad back and then I just plain got old.

The other activity I really miss is dancing with deer hunting and fishing a close second.

Anyone with any interesting news either give me a call or send me a note. I would really appreciate any news.

Jim Bolton is the outdoors columnist for the South Jersey Times. He can be reached at 856-313-9347 or 22 Arbutus Ave., Millville, NJ 08332.

Carnations grow in the most colors of any flower and last longer than any other

By Lorraine Kiefer

Well, we are in the long, dark month of January and I can once more celebrate carnations, the flower of the month. I love these blooms that are such pretty ruffled colorful flowers that last for a couple of weeks in clean water. How appropriate that this long lasting bloom be the flower of the month or birthday flower for January. Everyone needs a pretty long-lasting bloom in their house to remind them that spring will come. Carnations grow in the most colors of any flower and last the longest of any other. It is no wonder florist love them. I like to add them to most vases or arrangements and I also love the decorate cakes with the mini carnation.

Carnations are flowers that retrieve memories of special times in my childhood. For most holidays, parties or special family events, my Aunt Addie Bertulis would bring beautiful big bunches of fragrant carnations for me to arrange. They were grown under glass locally, in nearby Clayton, by her neighbors the Baptiste family. These carnations were beautiful and they smelled like carnations. 

So did the dianthus or pinks that grew in my grandmothers' gardens in spring and summer. I loved to pick them and fill little vases and place them on top of birthday cakes. We all grew fragrant Sweet Williams, the biennial dianthus as well as pinks and miniature carnations in the garden.

Actually these beautiful blooms, often  associated with love and Mother's day are quite a bit older than my childhood. They are considered to be among the "ancient" flowers. Greek botanist Theophrastus classified them according to their form and structure, calling them dianthus. This comes from the Greek dios, divine and anthos, flower. Many think the carnation part came from coronation, flower garland, because the blooms were used to make floral crowns in ancient Greece.

I especially love the small garden carnations, that were actually from the spicy smelling old-fashioned pinks or gillyflowers as they were called in England. They were called clou de girofle (nail of the clove tree) in France because of their spice odor. The smallest spicy smelling June pinks are also called clove pinks. These are often planted in herb gardens and are the plant of the poets. A favorite in the Middle Ages they were often used for many ailments from headaches or a fever to nervous disorders. The petals were used in soups, sauces, wines and vinegars. We still love to use them on cakes and cupcakes as a pretty edible decoration. Plan to plant these drought resistant blooms in your sunny garden this spring

They were grown in the monastery gardens for their beauty and fragrance. Since they usually bloomed in the month of May they were often used to crown or decorate statues of the Blessed Mother.  

Dianthus are resilient to heat and drought and if deadheaded will bloom during summer in most climates. Here in southern New Jersey a good helping of lime is needed each year to sweeten the soil. This disease and pest resistant dianthus is a great addition to any sunny garden. I chose it because of its fragrance and color. Another plus is that butterflies like it. 

In January you can give a colorful bouquet of carnations wrapped or in a vase with baby's breath. What a bright spot on a winter day. I do not know of a prettier, more colorful, but especially long lasting bloom to enjoy this month. I love the bright colors and sometimes mix them together. It is especially fun to always try the new varieties that come in so many stripes and  patterns. However, I always sniff the bloom, forever searching for the old fashion fragrance I remember from my childhood. Seems modern breeders have created flowers with unusual colors and longevity, but much of the fragrance is sacrificed. Every once in a while a faint nostalgic scent is there, I love it.

So delight someone with a January birthday with a great big bunch of carnations and mini carnations. Surprise someone else who does not have a birthday. Carnations will last a couple of weeks or even more in a cool house. They are reasonable and available this time of the year and be sure to ask about the many new colors. 

Sign up for the Triple Oaks newsletter at www.tripleoaks.com.

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

Lidl is a German supermarket company that's looking to expand into the United States.

As Lidl is set to debut in the United States this year, Cumberland County is looking forward to the German supermarket opening up in the area.

Lidl, a German-based supermarket chain, plans on opening its first United States locations no later than 2018. (Submitted photo) (Guido Frigo) 

Lidl locations were approved in Vineland, Millville and Upper Deerfield. The stores represent more than a new place to shop but also more jobs and ratables, according to officials.

Construction started on the Vineland location, which will be on West Landis Avenue near Wal-Mart and Shop Rite.

According to Sandy Forosisky, economic development director for Vineland, Lidl opening up on that part of the city shows West Landis Avenue's continued growth.

6 things to know about Lidl

"I'm excited for the west side of Landis Avenue," she said. "We always thought that was going to be the next commercial corridor when Wal-Mart opened in 2008 but the recession slowed it down. We see now, with Capital Bank and the Taco Bell and Wal-Mart and the Shop Rite and now Lidl ... we see west of Delsea Drive on Landis Avenue as our next commercial corridor."

Despite Lidl opening up next to two giant stores, Foroskisky doesn't see it as a problem of competition but instead a signifier of the commercial strength of the corridor.

In Upper Deerfield Township, the supermarket will be located on Bridgeton Pike near Carll's Corner, where Motel 77 now stands.

"It's in the right area of the township, it's in the commercial area," said Mayor Jim Crilley. "We welcome any businesses that come into that area because they seem to feed each other and grow."

Lidl will fill a void left by the closing of an Acme supermarket in the summer.

In Millville, Lidl will be built near Wal-Mart.

"When they came before the planning board it was a very well thought out plan, it will be a benefit to the city and it will be more jobs," said Commissioner Lynne Porreca Compari.

Lidl is eyeing 100 locations in America for store openings, according to Reuters. Lidl operates 10,000 stores in 26 countries across Europe and have 230,000 employees.

Citizens are reminded not to approach, confront, or detain these fugitives.

BRIDGETON -- The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office would like your help in finding two of their most-wanted fugitives.

Larry Deshields, 33, is being sought on one Superior Court of New Jersey Family Court warrant for failing to pay $53,201.88 in child support payments. Deshields is described as a black male, 6 feet tall, 185 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. He has a tattoo on his left hand "MARY" and a tattoo on his chest "JAMIR". His last known address was 4th Avenue in Upper Deerfield.

Marcel C. Nelson, 24, is being sought on one Superior Court of New Jersey Criminal Court warrant for failure to appear. Nelson is described as a white male, 5 feet 7 inches tall, 210 pounds, with brown eyes and brown hair. His last known address was East Chestnut Avenue in Vineland.

Sheriff Robert A. Austino asks anyone who comes in contact with these individuals to call the police immediately. You should contact state or local police, or the Cumberland County Sheriff's Department TIP-LINE at 856-451-0625.

If you know the whereabouts of this individual, share this information anonymously by downloading the CCPOTIP App at the Android or iPhone Store and choosing Cumberland County Sheriff's Department, submitting an anonymous tip via text to 847411 with CCSONJ and your tip in the message line or going to the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Facebook page and clicking "submit a tip" and submitting a tip to the Cumberland County Sheriff's Department.

Citizens are reminded not to approach, confront, or detain these fugitives.

How the need to clean wallpaper led to an iconic plaything.

According to playdoh.hasbro.com, more than 950 million pounds --or, 2 billion cans -- of Play-Doh have been "squished and squashed since 1956."

And, this modeling clay, which children have played with for generations, was the brainchild of a nursery school teacher from Dover. The teacher, Kay Zufall, found her inspiration in a hardware store.

 

The story goes this way:

In the 1930s, two men from Cincinnati, Joe McVicker and Bill Rhodenbaugh, developed a compound to clean wallpaper called "Kutol."

Demand for the product diminished in the 1950s with the introduction of vinyl wallpaper, which could be cleaned with soap and water. So, the partners stopped manufacturing the compound.

Well, sort of.

Writing in "Inventing in New Jersey," Linda Barth notes that Zufall read about using wallpaper cleaner for art projects. She was confident the compound was safe for children to play with; she knew the doughy substance's composition -- flour, water, salt, boric acid and mineral oil - was non-toxic.

Play-Doh was originally marketed in this canister in the 1950s. Courtesy of therapyfunzone.net 

So, after finding a can of the cleaner in her local hardware store, she introduced it to her pupils. The children loved it. They rolled it, kneaded it and used cookie cutters to make shapes with it.

Zufall convinced the men to once again manufacture the product, only this time as a child's toy. The rest is history.

Play-Doh was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 1998. Zufall, who died on Jan. 18, 2014, could easily be called the inventor of Play-Doh.

Kay ZufallCourtesy of legacy.com 

But this teacher can be credited with far more. She and her husband, urologist Robert Zufall, founded the Zufall Health Center, which provides affordable medical treatment to the working poor, uninsured and underserved residents of Dover.

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

 

Given a pledge pin three times before finally earning a regular pin

I was sifting through my many thousands of archives the other day and came upon a white lapel pin that jostled my memory. Then I found a second white pin and a third within the contents of a jar of press badges from the 1981 U.S. Open Golf Tournament, the 1982 World Series, and the 1976 NCAA Basketball Final Four at the Spectrum, all prized possessions.

Bob Shryocknj.com 

The pins are still gathering dust, thing is, I was only supposed to have a lone white one. That's what I get for being pledge-pinned to three young ladies in three states at the same time. That's a taboo Phi Gamma Delta move.

I bring this up because an acquaintance called during the Christmas holiday, said his grandson was heading into the second semester of his freshman year at Gettysburg College, and wanted some advice about fraternity options. He knew the right guy to ask. I flunked out of G-burg twice, but passed the fraternity test with limited effort. That included pool and Frisbee at the Fiji house.

In the fall of 1956, I entered Gettysburg as an immature 17-year-old with few academic skills. I'd have been better off taking my ROTC option and joining fraternity brother Dick Shimer as he flew helicopter missions over Vietnam, saving countless U.S. lives. Well, no, I wasn't really suited for that. I couldn't fly a kite.

Before stepping foot in a classroom, I was forewarned that I should delay entering fraternity life for one full year before pledging and then becoming brotherized. That was for the purpose of getting my academic life together before discovering the many social values of fraternities.

I didn't listen to my instincts.

There were 13 fraternities on campus in 1956. Amazingly, 10 of them "rushed" me and eight of the 10 extended invitations to join. Eight was a bunch.

The invitations included picnics and, yes, beer parties at Caledonia State Park and other off-campus locales.

Ultimately, I selected Phi Gamma Delta because I felt best suited to spend four years with that particular group of guys. Seventeen were in the pledge class, 16 made it, me excluded.

My pledge "big brother" was Bob Webb, an absolute ace of a man. My roomie, until busting out, was Doug Underkoffler from Souderton, Pennsylvania. A good friend was Jack Hathaway, a coach and teacher who still resides in Woodstown.

Placed on academic probation, I failed to elevate my grades to become brotherized with my classmates until I became a junior. I was given a pledge pin three times before finally earning a regular pin. And that's where I found the three pins, at the bottom of my chest of drawers.

I may attempt to pen a book about my pledge days -- such as being blindfolded, getting dumped on a road in South Mountain with instructions to hustle back to the fraternity house to spend the weekend waiting on tables instead of thumbing a ride to Colgate, and a weekend party tour.

We had our share of luminaries. Fred Fielding certainly comes to mind. One of the sharpest people I've ever known, Fielding arrived at G-burg a year after I did and excelled at everything, notably academics. After grabbing his undergrad sheepskin, he also earned his law degree and became chief counsel to Richard Nixon and four other U.S. presidents.

Fielding was at the White House during Watergate and survived Nixon's exodus. He was among those who was rumored to be "Deep Throat," but denied it. Wouldn't that have been a scoop?

Yo, Fred -- you promised.

But at least I was 2-up on Fred. I collected more pledge pins than he did.

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

Harvest Community Bank in Salem County has gone under. It's not a wave, but it shows why it's important to keep financial regulations in place.

According to federal regulators, the first U.S. bank to fail in 2017 is based in Pennsville, Salem County.

Harvest Community Bank, with branches in three other Salem County towns, is now in receivership under the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC).

The good news for depositors is that those words "FDIC-insured" really mean something. Up to a general $250,000 limit, no account-holder should lose a dime. Under FDIC auspices, the former Harvest locations are being managed day to day by First-Citizens Bank and Trust Co. of Raleigh, N.C.

The bad news is that Harvest is the first New Jersey bank failure since the FDIC shut Fort Lee Federal Savings in 2012. Since a press release about Harvest remained atop the FDIC's website Friday, the local bank is probably the last one in the country to become insolvent before Donald Trump became president.

That's neither good nor bad news, but it is cautionary news. Trump appointees and congressional Republicans seem eager to ease bank and consumer-protection regulations. The FDIC would still protect depositors, but investors and creditors could be at a mercy of a banking system with looser reserve requirements, absent of tough "stress test" examinations.

The fact is, Harvest's customers are OK because regulators could monitor its deteriorating financial position. An FDIC spokesman attributed Harvest's failure to bad loans, without much elaboration. The bank had been under FDIC observation since March 2015. The closure order was issued on Jan. 13 -- actually, Friday, Jan. 13.

Friday the 13th bad luck? Maybe, but bank consumers will need more than luck if regulation is dialed back too far.

There's been bipartisan griping that rules meant for "too-big-to-fail" banks are too harsh when applied to smaller community banks. It's important to have these banks. They focus on local business patterns, lending to customers with whom they are familiar. Shackling them needlessly can make loan funds too scarce. Community banks are also a check that prevents Wells Fargo, Chase, Citibank, Bank of America, etc., from getting even bigger. 

At the same time, Harvest's failure shows why appropriate pressure should remain on small banks even if regulation's heavy hand can be lifted a little. No one expects the 2008 meltdown to repeat, but it would be foolish to let lenders resume underwriting risky mortgages or funneling questionable loans to cronies.

On Thursday, President Trump's choice for treasury secretary, hedge fund guru and former bank owner Steven Mnuchin, had to defend his record before the Senate Banking Committee. That record, it appears, includes tens of thousands of rapid-fire home mortgage foreclosures -- among them, improper ones carried out against military families -- when Mnuchin headed OneWest Bank.

We don't know if Mnuchin wants to roll back regulations against overly aggressive collection tactics, but we know that's the arena in which he played. Harvest borrowers who are a month or two behind should be assured that they won't hear eviction notices being tacked to their doors at midnight. That's why GOP efforts to gut the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau should be rejected, and tests of banks' solvency should not be severely weakened.

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

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Dogs and cats throughout New Jersey await adoption.

Here is this week's collection of some of the dogs and cats in need of adoption in northern and central New Jersey.

If a nonprofit rescue group or animal shelter in any of the following counties wishes to participate in this weekly gallery on nj.com, please contact Greg Hatala at ghatala@starledger.com or call 973-836-4922:

* Bergen County     * Burlington County     * Essex County

* Hudson County     * Hunterdon County     * Mercer County

* Middlesex County     * Monmouth County     * Morris County

* Ocean County     * Passaic County     * Somerset County

* Sussex County     * Union County     * Warren County

More pets in need of adoption can be seen here and here.

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

If you're willing, you can help change the trajectory of a young person's life through these Cumberland County College programs.

There are times when certain words can be overused to the point that they lose their impact. Whether it's a word such as "great," or "awesome" or "unique," they lose their meaning when applied to too many things. 

But in describing the plight of so many young men and women today, especially those in high school and those just starting college, the word "epidemic" seems right when trying to capture the scarcity of solid adult role models.

This lack of an adult -- especially male -- role model is far more common in resource-poor communities than others, and the impact is keenly felt in many minority communities. This absence touches almost every part of a young person's life: education, social and life-skill development, and more.

That's why I was gratified to learn about Cumberland County College's career mentoring and internship programs, and the renewed emphasis these important initiatives are receiving under the leadership of the new college president, Dr. Yves Salomon-Fernandez.

On the practical side, the programs bring together current and retired professionals to help our students develop a sense of what to expect in a variety of work settings. The mentoring will focus on such basics as writing good resumes and cover letters, workplace etiquette, professional appearance, communication skills, financial literacy, customer service and other "soft skills" so necessary in the job market.

In a perfect world, these basic skills would be the very things that parents would instill in their children in the course of growing them into young adults. But we don't live in a perfect world for a host of reasons.

Not a week goes by when I don't speak with an employer or business owner who does not bemoan the fact they have such a hard time hiring young people -- and perhaps some not-so-young people -- who have these skills and are basically ready to go when hired.

With that in mind, we can either continue to be frustrated with what seems like a hit-or-miss thing with work force readiness, or we can be more proactive by giving our time and perhaps opening our work spaces as mentors to these young people.

As I indicated, the practical side will be about teaching soft skills to these young men and women. But perhaps more importantly, volunteers will be in a position to build a relationship allowing them to share all the wisdom, insights, experiences and lessons they've learned over a lifetime. If you're willing, you can help change the trajectory of a young person's life through these programs.

I don't think I'm being too dramatic when I say that I've see the positive impact that one caring adult, be it a teacher, coach or youth leader, can have in the life of a person just starting out in adulthood. Many of you have observed this, too. It's no small thing.

That's why I'm hoping you will consider giving the benefit of your time and experience through Cumberland County College's Career Mentoring Program or through an internship. 

If you're retired, perhaps your work will be on campus. If you're still in the thick of your career, running your business or overseeing your department perhaps you can have a young person spend time with you in your workplace -- talking, sharing, teaching and listening, so this person can learn the things you know.

Young women need to see professional women working in their chosen fields so they know they can also achieve success if they're willing to work for it. Our young men need to get that same message and see what it looks like in action.

There's no one-size-fits-all. I'm working with several of our churches as they develop mentoring models for our youth. In the case of CCC, the easiest part is working with businesses on a structure that works. The hardest part is finding enough professionals willing to extend themselves as mentors.

Please take the time to learn more about the program. Contact Dr. Maud Fried-Goodnight, who is heading it up, at 856-691-8600, ext. 1502. Her email address is mgoodnight@cccnj.edu.

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

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