Friday, April 10, 2009

News of this Week


Since I last posted some news came out that was very interesting. On Wednesday Governor Jon Corzine paid a visit to poor Cumberland County to announce $27 million in road improvements. Most of the $$ is marked for reconstructing the interchange between routes 55 and 49. During the summer season, the interchange quickly backs up with shore-bound traffic.The other project site is the Route 49 and Wade Boulevard intersection. That intersection is west of the highway interchange, but traffic also backs up there. I noticed alone with others that standing with the Governor was Lou Maggazzu and Albert Kelly. I did not see or read that our Assemblymen Albano, Milliam, nor Senator Jeff Van Drew were present. I did just now find where they were as of yesterday, they were in Oklahoma with Corzine. Are they not the folks who complained that Cumberland County received NO federal stimulus monies (the only county in NJ in fact)
I now read that there is to be a protest rally Tuesday April 14 at 7:30AM at the Wawa located at Wade Blvd and Rt. 49, Millville
A group calling itself "
Concerned Citizens of Millville" is organizing this event ought to be interesting. Its a concern to many that the quality of life in Millville is being attacked. This concern goes back several years when the housing boom was in full throttle. I plan to stop by and record the proceedings so stop back to this site next week.
I paid a visit to Millville Gardens to see the situation. During the City Commission meeting Dr. Kim Ayers stated that 36 homes are to be built and there was only now one tenant left. I decided to check it out myself and found it empty. You see what I found here and here. I asked a neighbor across the street and she said there was no one living there and she was pleased that the place was closed and that when told the city was building owner occupied homes she expressed approval. They thanked the city and thought I was a representative of the City of Millville. I assured them that I was not but a Board of Education Member till May of this year since I ran for a one year term last year
Today I read that the Millville Development Corporation
voted to approve a contract with the arts district's new advertising firm Thursday for a maximum amount of $375,675, marking the end of a process dating back to late last year. Members of the MDC in February, chose Graphicus Communications, a local marketing firm, to handle public relations for the downtown area. The decision was not announced until March 12th The MDC after a drawn out process dropped eight-year mainstay Wyble Advertising. A meeting will be held at the Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts, on High Street, at 6 p.m. April 28 to unveil their new marketing campaign for the city.
In other news the Millville Arts District is now on Facebook. Umm.. what took them so long according to the article it appears that they just discovered Facebook. Well its better late then never. Last but not least the minutes from Dec 8 Freeholder meeting will be put up later this week. Today is Friday folks!!!
Well have a happy and safe Easter.



3 comments:

What a bunch of *!%!!** said...

Doesn't Transportation $$s equal public transportation as well. Who has these pork projects on their wish list instead of providing what Cumblerand County really needs: more buses, more bus routes to the hinterlands. Wouldn't this be more "shovel-ready"? Wouldn't this add jobs as well as help people get to jobs and job-training as well as all the social service programs that $$$s are spent on but that the people they are intended for can't get to due to lack of transportation. Money being spent like this needs to be protested. It is an outrage.

Carl B. Johnson said...

Go to magazzuwatch.com and check out the post about a protest about this event.

It is not that we don't welcome $$ for projects, but why were the residents of Millville excluded from this decision?

Why not use the money to complete Rt 55, which would take the heavy traffic off of our rural roads?

And yes, we need to strengthen the transportation infrastructure. What about that proposed rail line to Camden/Philly area?

Since Magazzu is not serious about bringing real jobs to Cumberland County, we need to provide a way for our residents to commute to where the jobs are.

Anonymous said...

"Get the truck ready, Jethro. When they fix that there road, we're gonna ride right in to down town Millville, and buy us some Section 8 property".
"Can we get some fried chicken and cornbread while we're down there, Uncle Jed?"
"Oh yeah, boy, we can fix us some finger lickin' good chicken down at the arts district. People travel for miles around for that."

ALL ABOARD THE YOKEL EXPRESS EVERYBODY!!!! First stop Millville. It's amateur hour folks. Just what you'd expect from a town south of the Mason Dixon. Big Lou and the frat boys off the record meetings, Section 8 in the middle of town, Sherwood Forest I, II and III...All ABOARD!!!!