If those on the political correctness patrol don't want any group to be stereotyped, they must ask the states of Massachusetts and Minnesota to change their flags.

By Ted Frett

As the "political correctness" beat goes on, one wonders how far reaching it will get. With the continuing effort to get the Washington Redskins to change their name because it is considered offensive to Native Americans, is the state name "Oklahoma" next?  

After all, the word Oklahoma comes from two Choctaw language words, "okla" meaning people, and "humma," meaning red. There you have it, a state named for "red people."  

And if those on the political correctness patrol don't want any group to be stereotyped, they had better ask the states of Massachusetts and Minnesota to  change their state flags. Both flags show Native Americans holding weapons.  These examples and some others that follow came from a talk by political commentator George Will that was posted this summer on the conservative "Prager University" video website. 

Some overly sensitive progressives also make clear that they detest some of our Founding Fathers and other well-known historical figures due to their beliefs and actions involving slavery and Native Americans. Will that eventually mean that every state, city, public building, street, school, university or business  have to change names that include "Washington," "Jefferson" or "Jackson"?  Will every statue or image of these men be targeted? What about Mount Rushmore?

Maybe some of these activists will even want to change their own last names because of this.  Let them start with Washington, D.C., the State of Washington, and the Washington Post.  Let us not forget the name "Roosevelt,"  due to Franklin Delano Roosevelt's treatment of our Japanese Americans during World War II. His government didn't intern German American or Italian Americans during that time, or confiscate their property.  We need our children to learn from our history, not erase it.

The political correctness patrol also has gone after the expression of religious beliefs, particularly when they've determined that such beliefs promote a particular religion at publicly sponsored places or events. Yes, in a 1802 letter, Thomas Jefferson referred to the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution as creating a "wall of separation" between church and state.  

Well then, the PC patrol has its work cut out for it. They should be very busy for many years.  Maybe they should start challenging the names of at least  54 cities in the United States named after Catholic saints -- You know, those little-known places such as St. Louis, San Antonio, St. Augustine, San Francisco, etc.

To save them a lot of time and energy, maybe it would just be wise for them to take the advice of the 1970 Beatles song title: "Let it Be".

Ted Frett writes from West Deptford Township.

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Is it the urbanized 24/7 rat race that is so common in northern and central New Jersey that is stressing out our state's residents? Maybe not.

Decry the great yoga studio shortage around these parts. There are few "new-age" storefronts compared to North Jersey, as well. And, not enough of us have been stocking up on "calming" teas when they're on sale at Whole Foods or even Walmart. 

Come to think of it, there isn't a single Whole Foods location in the part of the state that a recent Rutgers University study tagged as "Southeastern New Jersey." What the great Southeast does have, however, is higher rates of stress than researchers found anywhere else in New Jersey. 

Breaking out Atlantic, Salem, Cape May and Cumberland counties, and based on a 2016 survey, 23.8 percent of regional respondents said they had a "great deal" of stress, and 52.2 percent said they had "some" stress. The Southeastern percentage in each case was the highest among five New Jersey regions, as was the combined percentage (76.1 percent ) of "some" and "a great deal" stress responses.

Let it be known that no part of New Jersey is stress-free. Its statewide "some stress" score of 44 percent is seven points above the national average. The lowest regional combined score in New Jersey was 64.7 percent, only about 11 percent lower than the Southeast section.

Still, it surprised the Rutgers team that the counties in the state with the least traffic congestion, the lowest population density and, probably, the smallest overall property tax bills, would most need "Marcus Welby, M.D." actor Robert Young to come back from the dead and ask "Why so tense?" while hawking decaffeinated coffee on TV.

But, there's a possible reason for stress gaps that didn't entirely escape the researchers: "It's people who say they have trouble paying their bills, even if they're not low-income," said Joel Cantor, director of the Rutgers Center for State Health Policy.

Both "South" sections -- Gloucester County and north was labeled as "Southwestern" -- reported higher financially related stress than the other regions, Cantor added.

In other words, the results of this survey track closely with other assessments of New Jersey on factors such as child health and poverty. Every year, in its annual "Kids Count" profiles, Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ) puts Cumberland, Cape May, Atlantic and Salem counties near the bottom of the 21-county ranking. This past July, Cumberland finished last, Cape May was 18th, Atlantic was 16th, and Salem was 15th. They were joined near the bottom with urbanized Camden, Essex and Passaic counties.

Which counties did ACNJ rank best? Morris, followed by Hunterdon, Somerset and Bergen. All have average family incomes well above any South Jersey county's.

There's probably a synergistic correlation between the studies' data. It stands to reason that counties in which youngsters' outcomes are most at risk would have the most adults who are worried -- stressed out -- about their kids. Some 70 percent of the Southeastern residents polled in the Rutgers survey attributed their stress to concern about a family member.

Lack of access to jobs, to social safety net services and to convenient health care are all stress triggers, and maybe they're bigger ones than traffic jams or high crime rates. Sure, we can stop drinking so much Red Bull and start learning Transcendental Meditation techniques. To really move the regional stress needle, though, it will take a more equitable distribution of resources throughout our state.

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

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It's the last poll of the year.

It's the last poll of the year.

Dogs and cats throughout New Jersey await adoption in shelters and rescues.

Pets Plus of Delran hosted a grand reopening on Nov. 19 to celebrate its transition from selling commercially-raised puppies to only offering rescued shelter dogs and puppies for adoption.

The dogs will come from the Hub City Humane Society in Mississippi, Animal Aid USA and St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center in New Jersey, Homeward Trails Animal Rescue in Virginia, the Humane Society of Raleigh County in West Virginia, the Heart of Louisiana Humane Society in Louisiana, Natchez-Adams County Humane Society in Mississippi, Oktibbeha County Humane Society and other shelter partners.

The store will join more than 2,600 other pet stores around the country that have signed the Puppy Friendly Pet Stores pledge of The Humane Society of the United States, making it their official policy not to do business with puppy mills.

The Pets Plus Natural pet store chain has converted all of its stores to the new humane model.

"The Humane Society of the United States applauds Pets Plus of Delran for improving the community's pet adoption rate and taking a stand against inhumane puppy mills," said John Moyer, corporate outreach manager of the Stop Puppy Mills campaign for The HSUS.

Pets Plus of Delran is located at 1321A Fairview Blvd.

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

Teams tumbled and two new teams entered.

The first of five finalists in NJ.com's #NJmascotchallenge

It's only fitting that as the NJ state football playoffs are marching toward their finals, the #NJmascotchallenge is gyrating toward its final.

Here, as promised, is the first of our five finalist videos, produced by the NJ Advance Media video team: The Rancocas Valley Red Devil. Infamous for stalking the sidelines of South Jersey, this Jersey Devil doesn't slink off into invisibility like its mythical cousin. It sticks around for the fight.

LOOK BACK: 5 finalists and all 25 mascot videos for the #NJmascotchallenge

The video above is No. 1 of five finalist videos we'll be rolling out this week ahead of next week's final vote, scheduled to launch Monday, Nov. 27. On the 27th, we'll post all the videos, along with the original video submissions and package them with the final poll.

Thanks for your patience - we did warn you it could take a while to get all the finalists shot, and it did. We look forward to a thrilling final round.

Video schedule (order selected at random):
Tuesday - Whippany Park's Wildcat
Wednesday - Vineland's Rowdy Rooster
Thursday - Gateway's Turkey ... er, Gator - Gateway's Gator
Friday - West Orange's Monty Mountaineer

Even in non-wealthy parts of New Jersey, those who itemize on their federal returns will will lose at the margins if state and local tax (SALT) deductions are eliminated.

If you haven't been paying attention to what's going on in government and politics, that's understandable in light of the 2016 election cycle, but it's time to get locked in again, because if certain "tax reform" bills being floated in Washington, D.C., are enacted, it could be devastating to many homeowners and other taxpayers in New Jersey.

I'm talking here about the acronym SALT, but not the one that means "Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty" -- although that might also be needed before all is said and done. This concerns SALT, as in "State And Local Taxes," which are deductible on itemized federal income tax returns under current law. 

As I mentioned several weeks ago, it has been 32 years since we've had a tax-code overhaul. Everyone agrees that the time is right for some type of reform and simplification. What everyone does not agree on is how to get this done. 

One way the White House hopes to get the revenue needed to offset big tax cuts it plans in in other areas is by doing away with or limiting the ability to deduct state and local taxes. Fully eliminating this deduction -- as the recent GOP  Senate proposal would do --  would impact our state particularly hard. A GOP  House bill that won approval last week would cap the deduction at $10,000.

A solid analysis in early October by Colleen O'Dea of NJSpotlight suggests that the average New Jersey taxpayer would lose approximately $21,500 in write-offs if the SALT deduction is completely eliminated. Digging a little deeper, there are no less than 160 ZIP codes in our state where the average property tax deduction alone exceeds $10,000, according to my colleagues at the New Jersey League of Municipalities. Even if a a deduction of up to $10,000 remains, this would still hit New Jersey hard.

But "average" doesn't begin to tell the whole story. If you look at it in terms of specific communities, the numbers are frightening. Using 2015 data and a map tool created by O'Dea, in a community like Saddle River (07458), where the average adjusted gross income is $393,009, their average total state and local tax deductions came to $80,567. More eye-popping is New Vernon (07976), with an average household income of $732,525 and state and local tax deductions that came in at $143,431.

Maybe you have little sympathy for those in the wealthy ZIP codes above because many households there pay more in taxes than others earn in a given year. But the pain could affect less-affluent communities as well.

In Woodstown (08098), the 2015 average adjusted gross income was $75,938 with a state and local tax deduction that averaged $15,424. How about Mullica Hill (08062), where the average adjusted gross income was $114,680 and the  average SALT deduction was $21,780? Can those itemizers live without taking these deductions? 

In Vineland, the average adjusted gross income in 2015 was $73,784 and the total SALT deduction came to $13,872. In Millville (08332), the averages were $47,900 income and $10,624 in deductions. For Bridgeton, it was $44,552 and $10,885. So, even in these areas, those who itemize will lose at the margins if these deductions are eliminated. 

One analysis from the National Association of Realtors estimated that for homeowners with an adjusted gross income of between $50,000 and $200,000, the average tax increase would be a little over $800 if the state and local tax deduction were eliminated, and the standard deduction were doubled, something that both the House and Senate bills would do. 

Other analysts suggest that eliminating SALT would cause a decline in home values of around 10 percent shortly after the change. In New Jersey, this would be particularly painful in light of how our municipalities depend so much on local property tax ratables to pay for infrastructure, public safety and education. To the extent that communities would have to look elsewhere for these resources, priorities would no longer be community-specific, but subject to the requirements of state or federal funding sources.

So, yes, we need a tax system overhaul, but it shouldn't just benefit corporations, nor should it benefit the wealthiest few at the expense of the middle class. What we need now is "fair and equitable."

Albert B. Kelly is mayor of Bridgeton as well as the president of the New Jersey State League of Municipalities.  Contact him by phone at 856-455-3230 Ext. 200.

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Who stole the show in in the playoffs?

They also created stories for the scenes and their classmates had to solve the case.

Washington Township High School forensic science students have scaled-back their analysis of crime scenes -- literally, by creating crime scenes in a box.

Students have spent the last several months conceiving, sketching and crafting shoe-boxed sized crime scenes that will be analyzed and potentially solved by their peers. 

As part of the assignment, students were asked to prepare a story line for a fabricated crime, provide a pencil sketch of what they envisioned and then execute it by creating three-dimensional visuals by which their fellow crime scene investigators could decipher what crime took place and how the crime was committed based on the evidence that they included in their models.

"My students were tasked with making miniature crime scenes to showcase what they know about crime scene documentation and types of evidence and interpreting a crime scene," said teacher Shannon Hornibrook. "They evaluated each other's work anonymously, scoring in three categories- creativity, neatness and overall appearance - and recorded what evidence was presented in the scene and what that evidence meant. They were very impressed with each other's work and thought it was a worthwhile project."

The students have moved on to studies about blood types, DNA, fingerprints and trace evidence.

Have community news you'd like to share? Send an email to sjtowns@njadvancemedia.com. Have an event happening you want to share? Go to nj.com/events to submit your information to be included in a community calendar. 

Who stole the show in state tournament?

She passed a note to the cashier demanding money, noting that she had a knife.

A Haddonfield woman was arrested after confessing to robbing Heritage's in Clayton.

On Wednesday, Nov. 15, a disguised women entered the Heritages store on Delsea Drive in Clayton with a knife and allegedly demanded money by passing a note to the cashier. According to Clayton Police, an undisclosed amount of money was turned over to the woman.

Patrice L. Quackenbush (Provided)
 

The woman was later identified as 37-year-old Patrice L. Quackenbush.  

Clayton Police responded to the scene and with the assistance of Monroe Twp. Police, Ptlm. Picillio and his K9 partner, were able to track Quackenbush to the area of her boyfriend's residence located on Church Lane in Clayton.  

Police learned that Quackenbush had a Taxi waiting for her at the home and that she had fled the scene prior to police arrival, they reported.

Police located her later in the day when she returned to the home from Camden. Police reported that in addition to charges from the robbery, Quackenbush had an active warrant for an unpaid traffic citation out of Deptford. Police arrested and searched her without incident.

Multiple bags of heroin, hypodermic needles, and drug paraphernalia were found on her during the search, police said.

Quackenbush was taken to the police department where she confessed to the robbery, police reported. She told police that she robbed the store to feed her drug addiction.

Clayton detectives applied for a search warrant for her residence. The clothing that Quackenbush was wearing to disguise herself was located along with the note that she had passed to the cashier. 

Additional drugs and paraphernalia were located inside of the residence, as well.

Quackenbush was charged with possession of Heroin, possession of hypodermic needles, possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to surrender C.D.S., robbery, theft, and terroristic threats. 

Quackenbush is currently lodged in Salem County Jail awaiting a detention hearing.

Caitlyn Stulpin may be reached at cstulpin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitstulpin. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The sophomore owned the stage with her rendition of three famed songs.

Glassboro High School sophomore Jade Wesley owned the stage this October when she won the 12^th annual Glassboro Idol competition.

Sophomore Bethel Bichay came in second, with senior Kody Johnson placing third. Other contestants included seniors Katherine Amrhein and Henry Ottenthal, junior Hannah O'Brien, sophomore Olivia Tucker and freshman Daniel Ball.

Wesley wowed judges and audience members with her renditions of "Endless Night," "I Put a Spell on You," and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face."

Bichay stood out with her performances of "September," "I Will Survive" and "Burn."

Johnson gave impressive performances of "Skinny Love," "Imagine," and "Death of a Bachelor." 

This year, 20 students auditioned for spots in the competition. Television technology teacher Patricia Yanez filmed those try outs, and audition judges/teachers Maureen Morrison, Anne-Sophie Meeks, and Richard Wisniewski narrowed the number of contestants down to eight prior to the show. Choir teacher Lisa Neglia helped students prepare.

Alexis Browne, Chris Kruc and Megan Sacco judged the competition on performance night. Browne, a GHS graduate, has performed in local musical theater productions. In December 2005, she proudly donned a crown, becoming the first Glassboro Idol. Kruc, a Rowan University communications major, held key roles in the productions of "Bye Bye Birdie" and "Anything Goes," has interned at WMMR Radio Station, and is both a singer and a guitar player. Sacco, an Atlantic County Community College education/psychology major, held key roles in "Once Upon a Mattress" and "Bells are Ringing" and performs as a wedding vocalist.

Audience participation remains one of the most popular aspects of the annual Glassboro Idol competition. The judges made the preliminary round selections, while the audience selected Wesley as the winner during the final round.

Wesley and several other contestants are members of the prestigious Glassboro School District Fine and Performing Arts Academy. Through its partnerships with Rowan, the district offers Fine and Performing Arts Academy members the opportunity to earn college credits while still in high school.

Have community news you'd like to share? Send an email to sjtowns@njadvancemedia.com. Have an event happening you want to share? Go to nj.com/events to submit your information to be included in a community calendar. 

Elaine Sooy Goodman writes that Sean Dalton's dedication to interaction between law enforcement and those with mental health issues was trailblazing.

Editor's note: On Nov. 9, Gov. Chris Christie nominated Monroe Township attorney Charles Fiore to replace longtime Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean Dalton. Dalton has served in the post since 2002, but has not been formally reappointed since 2007. Below, a member of the county's mental health services community argues that Dalton should remain as prosecutor.

By Elaine Sooy Goodman

In November 2003, Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean Dalton created a mental illness and intervention committee to address problems that people with mental illness and their families encounter with the criminal justice system. 

Fourteen years later, the committee continues to meet monthly. It includes approximately 20 members of the criminal justice, corrections, social services and mental health systems, as well as members of NAMI Gloucester County. (The NAMI acronym originally stood for National Alliance on Mental Illness.) 

In 2004, the committee that Dalton created initiated a successful bridge program for incarcerated inmates with mental illness, as cooperative venture between the prosecutor's office and NewPoint Behavioral Health Care. This program provides counseling while an inmate is incarcerated, prepares him or her for release, and follows up to ensure a smooth transition into mental health care, housing and employment. 

For the past few years, the Mental Illness and Intervention Committee has sponsored yearly mental health and drug abuse expos to educate the public, featuring speakers and presentations by area providers. Gloucester County may be the only county in the United States that has continuously provided ongoing mental illness education since 2000 for all criminal justice system personnel -- dispatchers, law enforcement officers, judges, public defenders, prosecutors, corrections personnel, and probation officers.

Mental illness education has been a regular part of re-certification of all law enforcement officers since 2000 at the Gloucester County Police Academy, which trains thousands of officers from Gloucester and surrounding counties. In Gloucester County, the SWAT team and psychiatric emergency screening personnel cross train. Both actively participate in crisis situations on a regular basis. All Gloucester County police officers receive training sessions in mental illness and how to deal humanely with crisis situations. This is unlike most Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) programs, where just a few volunteers receive intensive training. 

All of this has been accomplished through the ongoing efforts of Prosecutor Dalton. There is regular communication and cooperation between his office and NewPoint Behavioral Health Care, the nonprofit that operates the county's community mental health center. Gloucester County was awarded a grant from the state attorney general's office in 2016 to further implement this very successful interaction. 

Dalton has been an outstanding, exemplary prosecutor. With all of this, and considering the subsance abuse crisis that is inundating the country, it is incredible that Gov. Chris Christie would choose this moment to nominate someone to replace Dalton as prosecutor.

He is a vigorous advocate for people with mental illness, a tireless worker toward solving the substance abuse crisis, and a true anti-stigma hero. He should continue as our county prosecutor for as long as he is capable.

The writer, a Wenonah resident, is the founder and retired coordinator of the NAMI New Jersey Law Enforcement Education Program.

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Lee Lucas writes that failing to follow officers' orders will bring on a brutal society.

I say, support the police in their enforcement of the law. 

I do not believe there is much police brutality -- which has been a target of NFL players' protests of the national anthem -- to speak of. This is all hysteria incited by the media and Democratic Party politicians.

What there is, is a lot of violence in African-American neighborhoods. This is why the police have their guard up in certain areas. 

Police officers have to be very careful. A state trooper was shot and critically wounded in Pennsylvania a couple weeks ago, after stopping a driver.

The police represent the will of the totality. All must submit to the authority of the law. It must be this way to maintain civilized life.

Some people, though, have a problem understanding the necessity of law. These people must be controlled by force. Otherwise, we'll have a brutal world where the strong take from the weak; a disorganized world where there is no peace, and no advancements in science, technology and art.

We can never allow anyone to disobey police orders. The police do not engage in unjust oppression. They are the defenders of a great way of life that many take for granted.

When your vehicle is pulled over, be respectful to the police. Their job is dangerous and, in this violent world, they never know what they will encounter. 

There will always be some who hate America. But I say to them that it is better than most places in the world. That's why so many people want to come here.

Lee Lucas, Gibbstown

Mass shootings demand that Congress act

We need to take a stand against gun violence. Don't wait for others to stand up against the powerful gun lobby. Congress did not respond with any legislation to the Oct. 1 mass shooting in Las Vegas. Since then, we have witnessed another mass shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, and a school shooting in California. 

Our country's gun homicide rate is 25 times higher than the average of other developed nations. This is not normal.

Two crucial pieces of legislation are currently before Congress. One is S1539/HR3207, titled "The Protecting Domestic Violence and Stalking Victims Act/Zero Tolerance for Domestic Abusers Act." This bill would close the loopholes in current federal law that allow stalkers and domestic abusers access to firearms when they are not married to their victims.

The second piece of legislation is known as "Concealed Carry Reciprocity" (CCR). If approved, those with permits to conceal and carry guns in one state would be permitted to carry them in other states, even in states  where "concealed carry" generally isn't legal. New Jersey legislators and citizens have worked hard to enact sensible gun laws, including laws that do not permit most gun owners to "conceal and carry."

I f everyone who is horrified about gun violence in our country writes to their congressional representatives, it will make a difference. To find out how you can take a stand for common sense legislation, contact your local chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense of America.

Mary Anne Degenhart, Collingswood

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

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Going hungry on a college campus is a complex problem. Rutgers-Camden and others are trying to defeat it.

Unless their campus is clear across the country, college students will return to their family home this Thanksgiving week for a festive, home-cooked meal. Most will return to school hauling enough leftovers and made-from-scratch baked goods to fuel them for several days of class.

What happens when the carved turkey and chocolate-chip cookies run out? That is what the folks who have opened food pantries specifically designed for college students have been thinking about.

Some will scoff that there are needier populations where having enough to eat is  a constant struggle. But college students on their own for the first time become subject to "low levels of food stability," even if their families are middle class or wealthier.

Consider a small, nondescript room in the Rutgers University-Camden Campus Center that, three days a week, opens to offer up to five pounds of food per student, no questions asked. Maria Serra, the campus director of health services, says she knows students are going hungry, since they used to show up at her office for snacks she kept in her desk. The pantry, which opened about six weeks ago, allows more self-sufficiency in selecting food. It also stocks important toiletries such as toothpaste and feminine hygiene products for which students might find themselves short of cash. 

If students have chronic hunger issues, Rutgers tries to steer them to longer-term nutrition programs. But many students, on occasion, just run out of money. They may be too embarrassed to ask their families for cash. And college campuses, regardless of location, can become captive "food deserts" for the student body.

Dormitories often don't let residents have cars. Some students must crack the books long past the time when traditional supermarkets close -- leaving only fast-food eateries, limited-selection school stores and corner groceries. None is known for healthful choices.

A 2016 National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness study found that 48 percent of college students surveyed had experienced "food insecurity" over the past month. Pantries like the one at Rutgers-Camden fill a need that many of us did not even know existed. If you know a student in such a situation, direct them to a pantry. If you can donate food or money, that's even better.

The "no questions asked" aspect of these food giveaways is a good, anti-judgmental feature. However, maybe the colleges should be asking themselves -- not the recipients -- some honest questions.

Under-25s can be bad stewards of limited resources. When a student always has enough money for smokes and beer, but not enough for food, that is a financial-management issue. There are students who don't understand that cheap ramen noodles are high in saturated fat and low in protein. Pasta and canned soup are almost as inexpensive, but the buyer must know how to prepare them. Some students can't "cook" beyond putting a noodle cup in a microwave.

College administrators should consider offering more instruction in healthy eating and financial literacy, not as a condition to receive donated food, but voluntarily for the students' own well-being.

Does the college sponsor once- or twice-a-week transportation to well-stocked supermarkets with fresh food? Does it ensure that dorms or recommended apartments have can openers, pots and pans and other utensils?

Hunger on college campuses is avoidable to some degree. Food pantries, knowledge and access are all keys to reducing the incidence. 

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

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The memories keep coming back.

During a trip back to the mountains recently, the memories swirled to Christmas 1956, my freshman year at Gettysburg College.

BOB SHRYOCKBob Shryock | For NJ.com 

Douglas Underkoffler, my fellow Phi Gamma Delta pledge brother, and battle-tested roomie, ran an interesting idea past me while we dined on burgers and fries at the Lincoln Diner one evening.

"Sam Cooke is in concert in a Washington, D.C. nightclub this Friday night," Doug said. "A high school friend of mine can get us dates. She also can supply us ID cards. Are you in?"

"It sounds great," I said. "But I've got a Spanish mid-term Saturday morning. If I somehow miss it, I'll get a failing grade and my father will do me bodily harm."

But Doug could be somewhat persuasive because after thinking things through for, oh, 10 seconds, I flip-flopped my decision. "I'm in," I said. "When do we leave?"

Washington is less than a two-hour drive from Gettysburg. So what could go wrong? The worst that could happen would be a late arrival back on campus and reduced study time for my Spanish mid-term. And truth is, I wasn't exactly a Spanish scholar. Senor John Minnich, my high school Spanish teacher who failed me twice, reminded me often of that.

The first part of the trip went off without a hitch. Our dates were both nice gals and we seemed to hit it off. Sam Cooke's concert was memorable; he sang his No. 1 billboard hit, "You Send Me," twice.

Then the fun began. We had parked in a nearby D.C. lot, but weren't aware of the sign that informed us "LOT CLOSES AT 11 P.M."

It was already 11:30. Hopefully, the sign was incorrect.

No such luck. And with the Spanish mid-term looming at 8 a.m., bad thoughts began entering my mind. I was in a semi-panic mode.

"It's a long walk back to campus," I mused. "Got any ideas, Doug?"

We checked our dates. They had one car between them, but at the time it was inoperative because of brake problems.

A taxi ride to Gettysburg was out of the question because of the cost factor.

The wrath of dad was upon me.

We checked our finances. The year was 1956 so credit cards were hardly rampant. We had $7.42 in cash between us, so an overnighter at the nearby Holiday Inn wouldn't work.

We opted for a $6 room (a double) at the YMCA with a community bathroom. It wasn't clean. I managed to fall asleep, but Doug's snoring woke me up.

We overslept until 6:30 a.m. with no shot whatsoever of making my mid-term.

I decided that discretion was truly the better part of valor so I called dad and fessed up to the entire saga.

"You did what?" he said, his voice becoming louder with each word. "We'll talk about this when you come home for Christmas."

At least I was still invited.

Oh, and my Spanish prof allowed me to take the mid-term after the holiday.

I flunked it. As usual.

He will oversee surgical services at the three Jefferson Health New Jersey hospital locations as well as at its Surgery Center in Sewell.

Roy Sandau, DO, FACOS, has been named Chief of Surgery at Jefferson Health New Jersey.

In his new role, DSandau will provide system-wide leadership and oversee surgical services at the three Jefferson Health New Jersey hospital locations -- Cherry Hill, Stratford and Washington Township, as well as at its freestanding Surgery Center in Sewell.

Roy Sandau (Provided)

In 2016, Sandau, who is also an Assistant Professor at RowanSOM, was awarded the Distinguished Surgeon Award by Intuitive Surgical, Inc., creator of the da Vinci robotic surgical system, and Mentor of the Year by the RowanSOM Department of General Surgery and Surgical Residency program. A three-time "Top Doctor" through South Jersey Magazine, the Cherry Hill, resident has practiced robotic-assisted surgery since 2011, completing more than 500 robotic surgeries at Jefferson Health New Jersey to date. 

Over the past few years, Sandau, who has been a guest lecturer/research presenter at national surgical conferences, has been part of several robotic surgery milestones at the South Jersey-based health system. He performed New Jersey's the first EndoWrist(r) Stapler technology on the da Vinci robotic system, as well as South Jersey's first robotic-assisted Laparoscopic Single Incision (SILS) colon surgery.

Specializing in "scarless" robotic, single-incision colorectal and gallbladder procedures, Sandau is Jefferson Health New Jersey's Cancer Liaison Physician for the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC). He is among a national network of more than 1,500 volunteer physicians responsible for providing leadership and direction to establish, maintain, and support their facilities' cancer programs.

Sandau, who has a strong interest in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with malignant diseases, is a member of Jefferson Health New Jersey's multidisciplinary Cancer Committee. Earlier this year, he took the lead role in the health care organization's "80% by 2018" initiative to increase colorectal screening awareness and participation among its employees.

Have community news you'd like to share? Send an email to sjtowns@njadvancemedia.com. Have an event happening you want to share? Go to nj.com/events to submit your information to be included in a community calendar. 

Where did your favorite team land in the season's final ranking?

NJ.com looks at 25 unhealded performances from the state football semifinals

The second of five finalists in NJ.com's #NJmascotchallenge

It's only fitting that as the N.J. state football playoffs are marching toward their finals, the #NJmascotchallenge is gyrating toward its final.

We are using this week to roll out each of the five finalist's videos that were produced by the NJ Advance Media video crew. Today, it's Whippany Park's Wildcat, a dancing, drumming, placard-wielding bundle of energy who's just as comfortable in the stands as on the field.

LOOK BACK: 5 finalists and all 25 mascot videos for the #NJmascotchallenge

The video above is No. 2 of five finalist videos we're rolling out this week ahead of next week's final vote, scheduled to launch Monday, Nov. 27. On the 27th, we'll post all the videos, along with the original video submissions and package them with the final poll.

By Monday, Dec. 4 (or so), we should know N.J. top HS mascot.

Thanks for your patience - we did warn you it could take a while to get all the finalists shot, and it did. We look forward to a thrilling final round.

Video schedule (order selected at random):
Monday - Rancocas Valley's Red Devil
Tuesday - Whippany Park's Wildcat
Wednesday - Vineland's Rowdy Rooster
Thursday - Gateway's Turkey ... er, Gator - Gateway's Gator
Friday - West Orange's Monty Mountaineer