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 the news that Gloucester County is launching an addiction recovery coach program. The goal is to offer those struggling with substance abuse the opportunity to meet with a volunteer who can guide them toward treatment services. All of this was spurred by the opioid addiction epidemic and soaring numbers of drug overdose deaths in America. Heroin addiction is wrecking families and entire communities in our country and bold moves to combat the crisis are essential. Police in New Jersey can now administer an overdose antidote when they encounter an OD victim, but the question has remained: What happens next? Police can now offer these patients options to break the cycle of addiction. This is a major step forward. Cheers to our law enforcement community, health care providers and volunteers working on the front lines of this battle.
JEERS: To a code of silence. A young man was found wounded on a Salem City street early Monday. Shot once in the neck, he later died. Did members of the public rally to help find the 19-year-old's killer? No. No help, no tips. Once again people are not breaking a code of silence. They are letting a killer remain loose in their neighborhood. If residents don't come forward, they can't expect justice to be served. They also can't expect to live in peace. It's time to speak up.
CHEERS: To the Wreaths of Remembrance program, which places wreaths on the graves of every veteran buried at Gloucester County Veterans Memorial Cemetery. The ceremony is Dec. 3 and organizers need donations now to help purchase the 2,300 wreaths. They may be purchased online by going to www.pfpfoundation.org. Just click donate to pay by credit card or with PayPal. To pay by check, make it payable to "People for People" and write "Wreaths" on the memo line. Mail checks to P.O. Box 256, Mullica Hill, NJ 08062. Organizers also need volunteers to help with laying wreaths at each grave. To register yourself or your group to volunteer, call Janis at 856-579-7561. What an excellent way to honor those who served.
CHEERS: To fresh air on the high seas. Well, at least fresh air on the Delaware Bay. The Delaware River and Bay Authority announced this week that it would ban smoking and use of all tobacco products on its Cape May-Lewes Ferry fleet and around ferry terminals in North Cape May and Lewes, Delaware. That includes in parking lots and and any other outdoors spaces. The ban also applies to to the DRBA's headquarters in New Castle, Delaware, not far from the base of the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Cigarettes, cigars and electronic cigarettes and anything else tobacco-related will be out at the beginning of the new year, officials say.
CHEERS: To a Hollywood ending. Persistence has paid off for Kati Angelini, a Moorestown water issues advocate who tried again and again to get the attention of famed activist Erin Brockovich. Several of the wells in Moorestown have been found to have levels of a likely carcinogenic substance and the solution -- buying water while eyeing a temporary filtration system -- has been costly. Angelini is a council candidate and some have called the timing of Brockovich's role a little suspect. However, the fact that a name made recognizable by Julia Roberts' 2000 portrayal in a film about a company that contaminated water can only help Morristown residents toward what he hopes is a happy Hollywood ending.
JEERS: To a grinding halt. So nearly 5,000 Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) workers are looking for improved payment and work conditions? That's fine, but when you're the most "strike-prone" transit agency in the U.S., according to Forbes, we're warming up the world's tiniest violin just for you. Try driving around Center Center and you'll feel the full weight of a mass transit agency that said, "You know what? We're not going to operate our trains, buses or trolleys until we get what we want." Some New Jersey commuters who work in Philadelphia told NJ Advance Media that PATCO gets them close enough to their Center City offices. The rest of Philly, however, is left scrambling to figure out how its going to earn a paycheck while SEPTA holds a city hostage.
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