There Are Important Issues in Millville..not just Noise.

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I live in Center City Millville and I agree with this gentleman:

To the Editor:

Since day one when the New Jersey Motorsports Park opened, a couple of groups have done nothing but gripe about everything that happens at the park.




Share I live very close to the NJMP and I have yet to hear noise so loud that I have to leave my home because of it.

TrackRacket and Millville First would find something else to gripe about if they closed the park down tomorrow. “If it’s not in my neighborhood, then who cares” is the attitude TrackRacket and Millville First seem to have.

Let me inform both groups: There is much more serious issues in Millville than the sound of cars and motorcycles because it’s in their neighborhood. Not one time has anyone from TrackRacket complained about the crime, safety problems, gangs, etc., in the city.

Why? It’s not in their neighborhood.

They, along with Paul Porreca and his little band of complainers, never show any concern for the safety of all the citizens of Millville. Could the reason Porreca and Tesoroni refuse to bring up how bad the crime is in Millville is because Dave Vanaman, a charter member of Millville First, is the commissioner in charge of public safety?

You can bet the house if any of the remaining four commissioners had public safety, Millville First would be as sarcastic, or even more so, to them. But you never have heard them question Dave Vanaman on any issue.

Why not ask about the lawsuits against the police department that have cost the city over a million dollars over the past few years.

Nothing is being said about the charges by Officer Gentile or Officer Colle. Not one officer on the Millville police force was mentioned as being responsible. If a civilian sexually harassed anyone, they would be arrested, have to post bail and go to court. But not those who caused Officers Gentile and Colle tremendous pain and made it hard for them to perform their duties as police officers. Why were those employees not fired or at least disciplined?

Mr. Porreca, where have you been when it comes to this costing the city money, as well as lawyers to represent the city in your lawsuit?

So there are more important issues in the city than the noise from the racetrack. What’s more alarming is the sound of gunshots, riots and gang violence.

I still believe the city should rent the fairgrounds and make it a tent city jail for gangs only. Put them all together and then let them go at each other. It would be easier for the police department to handle.

So, TrackRacket and Millville First, what will your gripe be next? The motorsports park is not going away, so maybe you should go away.

Louis A. Clendaniel Sr.
Millville

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June 17Th Thoughts

Good morning. I am going to stay in Philly this evening. Steve showed up after 4 days in Va. Glad he was ok. The weather is still warm. NJ Transit is eliminating the 6:15pm bus out of Camden. So if I miss the 5:55pm bus the next one is 6:53 and the one after THAT is 8:13pm. So NJ transit is not serving the commuter that works past 5pm. Yup, my 15% fare hike at work.
Of course we have Millville First. They support seeing 8 police being fired. Hell, they do not live in Center City Millville so f- it why should they care about crime? Well, a nice crime wave might support their contention that the Arts District was not successful. I must say it not ALL members of this organization but their leaders. Two of them receive GOVERNMENT PENSIONS!! Can you say hypocrite boys and girls??? SURE, I KNEW y'all could.
Another person has left the welfare building and is going to be a real social worker and REALLY help folks. She was fustrated by all the paper that the state loves to use. I know in the Career Development unit at welfare, they want more paper for EACH carfare you give and they want overpayments if a recept for a transpass is not received in 14 days. Hell, I am against fraud but when you add more paperwork requirements with a shrinking staff, you INVITE ERRORRS. Well, I guess finding errors in complicated Welfare policy and procedure is like shooting fish in a barrell and gives someone a job and political talking points. I am so glad I can do my little part. Good luck Kim in your new endevors.
Well, got to fly to make the 5:47am bus and working on pet-sitting projects.
Stay in touch and watch the World Cup.
REST IN PEACE DON!!

News Before the Holiday

I decided to browse the local media. I better do this BEFORE I have to pay for an online subscription as will happen as the bean-counters take over newspapers. There were 2 moves afoot to save Millville Police Officer's jobs. The first one reported was in the AC Press. The Millvile Housing Authority is working on a plan to hire a police officer:

With nine officers facing potential layoffs next month, Dice said he began considering an arrangement in which the Police Department would provide a presence in the housing authority's senior high rises. In exchange, the authority would pay a fee to be used expressly for officer salaries.

Now THIS Mr. Paul Dice is REALLY using his noodle! Kudos to your sir. I hope you can make this plan a reality since there tends to be security issues in public housing highrises. The next story in the Daily Journal in today's editon reports that Millville Police Chief Ed Grennon will retire to save a police officer's job.

Grennon said Wednesday his decision is tied to the city's budget problems. The city recently gave layoff notices effective July 1 -- which is the start of the 2010-11 fiscal year -- to nine police officers and one dispatcher. A 10th officer would have been laid off without his retirement decision, he said. "And the community needs officers on the street," Grennon said. "That's the way I'm looking at it."

This action is typical of the positive and selfless attitude of Mr. Ed Grennnon. In my converstations with him he has always a professional who wanted the best for Millvlle and its police department. Millville has been fortunite to have a police officer like Ed Grennon! In good news, Millville hopes to get a new mosaic program up and runnning. The ones developed by Liz Nicklus and students are reported to be wearing out. Its been 3 years since I helped put them up with Big Don, Carl and others. Also it looks like Jim Penlend will suceed in raising enough $$ for the hanging baskets to be put on High Street. Way to go JIM!!!
The hot weather is upon us and well it's less then one week till June 2010. I am keeping cool this am with the ceiling fan in our kitchen. Hope this video brings you all cool thoughts on this late May day.

Thursday

Good morning. I awake to the news that we will get a foot of snowby Saturday.
The video is of one of the several stops at Pittman NJ. This town is definitely more suburban then all the other towns that I see on the bus. I did hear they were able to keep most of not ALL low income housing out. Some come on the bus as if well-off commuters from Haddonfield or Collingswood.
I did miss the City Commission meeting but I am assuming that there was no decision made on the Motorsports Park's plans for a motocross track. I also think that no decision was forthcoming about the Millville Police dispatch being disbanded to save $$ and have ALL 911 calls being taken by the County.
The photo was taken this morning. Its pretty cold out. Lets hope the 408 Express shows up this morning. Yesterday, it did not show up at my stop at 2nd and Vine Streets.

Snow and Stuff..

Well, its early in the morning on Feb 3rd. The Groundhog saw its shadow and boy am I NOT surprised. The photo you see is from this morning where we have another snow. This one is only 1-3 inches but we may get a larger storm this Saturday.
Last night the City of Millville at the Commissoin meeting formally added 6 police officers so that the MPD is almost at full-strength. This is good news for sure.
A friend has been told that he has to move out stuff from his brother and ex-wife's house. He may have to move so he can fit the stuff. I decided to get a SEPTA monthly Transpass so I do not have to fumble for tokens and I can track my expenses better. Well, getting the trash out and riding the bus and the rails to work.

Millville Police Dispatch

The Police Advisory Committee met last night. New City Prosecutor Lauren Van Embden was the invited guest. The committee discussed various matters. The topic most on the minds of the committee was the proposal to layoff the police dispatchers and move all services to Cumberland County. We were told that the county sent a request for information to the police chief in December. It was a long list of questions to be returned so that the county could tell the police what the will and will not provide. The police do not know what all the details at this time but the County did say to the Chief that only basic emergency services would be provided. The committee was informed that the police department would have to pull police off the streets to answer calls. The overwhelming majority of the police in NJ that participate in the County dispatches have 5-10 police officers. Millville is ranked 58th in the state for the number of police officers.
A committee member stated that the 911 ends up transferring to the Millville dispatch. I know this to be true in my experience. Millville has 6 dispatchers at present. The city claims that the ending of the dispatch will save $450,000. The plans for the 2011 budget are starting and decisions will be made starting in the spring and by July the outlines of the budget will be made. At this time it is still just a proposal amongst many to save $$ for next year's budget. The city is in a position where it can not raise taxes 2 years in a row. This issue will be covered and discussed further by the city and this blog as well as the proposal is further developed.