The team finished their season with 18 wins, 2 losses and a tie.

On Jan. 3, Freeholder Jim Jefferson honored the Clearview Regional High School field hockey team on their final 2017 South Jersey Group 3 Championship placement.

Clearview was ranked third overall and ended their season with 18 wins, 2 losses, and one tie. Along with their Group 3 Championship ranking, Clearview also ranked first overall in the final Tri-County Conference rankings.

Head Coach Britney Ewan was also awarded the title of South Jersey Times Field Hockey Coach of the Year, 2017.    

"This team has shown true dedication to the sport and to their teammates," said Jefferson. "These girls have shown that they are passionate and are willing to push themselves to that next level, and truly, that dedication and passion has paid off."

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. 

New day for S.J. boys hoops on NJ.com

NJ.com has always covered South Jersey boys basketball. But not like this.

I was mid-way through a fulfilling career covering South Jersey HS sports for a Camden County newspaper when things came to a screeching halt. We’ll spare you the details - if you follow South Jersey HS sports closely, you probably already know them.

Let’s say everything took a sudden turn for the better - for me and for the whole South Jersey HS sports scene - when NJ Advance Media/NJ.com posted an opening for a high school sports reporter position in December. A few days later, there was a meeting of the minds, and before long my career was back on track - and importantly, South Jersey HS hoops coverage was headed for a big boost.

There’s nothing like South Jersey high school basketball.

From the high-intensity games on a daily basis to those cozy, nostalgic gymnasiums scattered throughout the region; from the sounds of bouncing balls and squeaking sneakers to the roar of student sections, it all helps make for an incredible couple of months.

My new mission is to be the voice for South Jersey hoops within the collective statewide mindset of a great reporting team that now also includes one of the statesmen of N.J. HS basketball, Mike Kinney. The goal is to elevate coverage of the movers and shakers, highlight those who make the game great.

We’ll also continue to hit the airways each Saturday with a contributing segment on local radio, adding analysis and some well thought out opinion.

From my perspective, it’s important that the people in Jersey City, Monmouth or Linden know what’s happening with teams from Cherry Hill, Hammonton, Atlantic City and elsewhere.

It’s important for South Jersey players, moms and dads, grandparents to be able to turn on the computer, click a few links and find important and entertaining information.

The recipe is in place and we’ve already started to work with the ingredients. We spent time at the Seagull Classic watching Wildwood Catholic against Lenape, Timber Creek battling Linden and Camden Catholic face off with Atlantic City. On Thursday, it was off to Medford for a Top 20 showdown between Shawnee and Timber Creek. More great games and stories are certainly on the horizon waiting to be told.

As one of the newest additions to the NJ Advance Media high school sports staff, I’m looking forward to increasing exposure and showing what South Jersey boys basketball is all about.

But, South Jersey hoops community, YOU have a role to play - that includes ADs, coaches, players and parents. We have a feeling South Jersey is under-represented in NJ.com’s many statewide lists of top teams and players. That can’t change without you.

It starts with the simplest thing – reporting a complete box score. It’s important for coaches or their trusted helpers to take a few extra minutes after every game and provide as much information as possible. You know how to do it - or if you don’t, reach out to me and I’ll get you help.

People love numbers and they enjoy seeing their names. If coaches and stats people do their job, more kids will have a chance at making the weekly list of leaders or see their accomplishments noticed in top-player pieces or a hot-takes nugget on a Friday morning.

Players and parents - let coaches and ADs know if your team’s stats are slow, incomplete or otherwise lacking on NJ.com.

Great moments are going to happen. If you don’t see me at your game or if you have an idea you believe is worth exploring, take the time to reach out. Send me an email so your thoughts don’t remain in the dark.

So, what are you waiting for? Make sure to follow along on Twitter (@kminnicksports) and visit our website early each day for the latest developments.

Heck, come back often. There’s always something new and exciting to quench your thirst.

It’s an exciting time to be a South Jersey boys basketball fan, and I look forward to enjoying the ride as much as you do.

Kevin Minnick can be reached at kminnick@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @kminnicksports. Like NJ.com HS sports on Facebook.

The students will embrace a "day on, not a day off."

On Monday, while most students in the area will be enjoying their day off from school for the federal holiday, students from Woodbury High School will be participating in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, embracing a "day on, not a day off."

Dr. Jason Vivadelli, principal of Woodbury Junior-Senior High School, along with Edward Murphy, director of Pupil Personnel Services, will officially start the Day of Service from 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. in the auditorium with a program marking the significance of the occasion and addressing the theme of "What are you doing for others?"

As part of the celebration, students will provide testimonials of what service learning means to them, as well as perform songs and literary works to mark the occasion. In addition, Reverend Cedric Brown, from the Commitment Church in Lindenwold, will speak to students about the significance of service.

At 10 a.m., high school student volunteers will be deployed to 'service stations' throughout the district and the city of Woodbury to work on tasks until noon.

Woodbury High School students, to fulfill the district's strategic plan, are required to complete a total of 72 hours of service learning over the course of their high school career. The purpose of service learning is to acquaint students with the need to become participating agents of change. Students can provide service to public and nonprofit agencies; civic; charitable and governmental organizations; and within their own school district. 

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. 

A doctor, originally from Woodstown, Salem County, and his wife relate how the death of their son from a heroin overdose has impacted them.

Editor's note: This article about dealing with loss from addiction was written by a former Salem County resident and his wife. They now live in Healdsburg, Calif. The article originally appeared in the The Healdsburg Tribune in that city. 

By Walt Maack and Bretta Rambo

Recently, our 37-year-old son Morgan died of an accidental heroin overdose. He was an avid surfer who dodged big waves and sharks, but could not dodge addiction. We are devastated by his unexpected and untimely death. 

Addiction is a family illness that not only had a huge impact on Morgan, but also on the rest of our family: unending worry, broken promises, shattered dreams, financial hardships and disrupted relationships. We initially endured these agonies alone, feeling embarrassment about this unfairly stigmatized condition, but eventually found welcome and recommended support from Al Anon members and the Drug Abuse Alternative Center in Santa Rosa, Calif. 

Our family suffered mightily as we watched a sensitive and bright individual overcome by a relentless and cruel illness that ultimately took his life. Through the many difficult things we endured, our son suffered greatly as well. Despite a year of being drug-free and making positive changes, in the end, addiction won. Now we are left with the difficult task of accepting the permanent loss of someone we love deeply. 

We feel it is important to have compassion for addicts who feel shame and guilt as they see the harm they are doing to themselves and others. However, this is not easy, because the disease frequently changes a person into someone with few redeeming qualities. Addiction is not a weakness or moral failing, but a complicated disease with many facets including brain chemistry, genetics, environmental factors and trauma. It is difficult for those of us not addicted to understand the compulsion that drives addicts to use. Their need for drugs has been likened to the need for air. 

Drug and alcohol abuse is epidemic in our country. The opiate epidemic is killing an estimated 100 people a day and the numbers are rising; drug overdoses of all kinds are now the leading cause of death for those under 50. 

Even though addiction touches many families, few people are well-informed. While Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous have been valuable programs for many addicts, a one-size-fits-all approach for treating addiction has failed others. Newer treatment programs including medical support with effective medications, and addressing underlying mental health issues, will help more addicts find long-term recovery. 

The Affordable Care Act mandates that substance abuse coverage have parity with other medical conditions but, in the current political climate, ACA and state Medicaid reimbursements for treatment programs are in jeopardy. As it is, there is a severe shortage of treatment programs, and those that do exist are often prohibitively expensive. Even as a physician and nurse with some resources and knowledge of navigating the system, we often hit dead ends while trying to find support for our son. 

For us, what is intensely personal has become political. The senseless death of our son brings home the horror of the nationwide opiate crisis. The "war on drugs" has not been effective, yet we persist in criminalizing drug use instead of treating it as a medical issue. 

There is a model for the approach we could take. In the 1990s, 1 percent of Portugal's population was addicted to heroin. In 2001, Portugal decriminalized drug use and now provides mandatory treatment for addicts, resulting in a drastic decline in drug-related deaths. Portugal now has the second lowest overdose death rate of the 28-member European Union. And, it is far cheaper to treat those with addiction than to jail them. 

A new approach may save other families from the heartbreaking pain and loses we are experiencing. Our son's keen intellect, his kind heart and the love of his family could not save him. Perhaps a more enlightened attitude would have made a difference. It certainly wouldn't have hurt.

Dr. Walt Maack is a retired emergency room physician who grew up in Woodstown, where his father served as mayor for several years starting in 1961. His wife, Bretta, is a retired nurse.

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Gloucester County Freeholder Jim Jefferson writes that we have to try to instill the values of acceptance in our young people.

Recently, I heard about a horrifying incident that made headlines. Sadly, a swastika was painted on a home in Monroe Township. Last fall, we read about several race-based incidents in local schools. It seems that whenever I turn on the news I hear about some divisive incident that sets our nation back in time to when races and cultures were pitted against each other.

How do you tackle intolerance in this day and age? Is it possible to expose young people to the ideals of acceptance in our schools so that they can carry those values through their lives? The only thing I know for certain is that we have to try.

It is our job as elected officials, parents and human beings to speak up, speak out and defy racism. It is our job to make sure that our neighbors know they live in a safe and accepting community regardless of the color of their skin, ethnicity, the God to whom they pray, or who they love. 

As a freeholder, a member of Hope Christian Fellowship Church in Woodbury, and a father, I believe we can create an atmosphere of peace and promote tolerance. That is why, in the coming months, Gloucester County will bring "The Tolerance Project" to many schools and community events. The program employs various learning methods including interactive technology, video presentations, speakers and small-group discussions. Some issues it focuses on are discrimination, prejudice, racism, diversity and stereotyping.

A committee of community leaders will steer this effort. I know they will put their full energy into creating an atmosphere of respect and acceptance. 

It has always been my personal goal to bring people together. In November, I was part of a unity prayer service that more than 300 faith leaders attended. It is time to come together to show that hate has no room in Gloucester County.

Our children are watching us closely. The next step is up to us. Silence is equal to complicity, and that is not acceptable. We must stand together to speak out against racism and show that respect, equality, love, compassion, tolerance and kindness are the path that we lead our children down.

Jim Jefferson, Gloucester County freeholder, Woodbury

We send selfies to our own planets

I have never known a time when individuals, particularly the young, have been more self-consumed. 

With all of today's technology and social networking, we all have a false sense of importance. While we are shooting opinions all over the planet, the only planet of significance becomes "Planet ME."  

I see people willingly walk into the street in front of traffic, engaged with a device. When they get beeped at by a driver, they shoot an obscene gesture to the person who just saved their life.  

Why are such people they offended? Because they were jolted back to Planet Earth while wanting to stay on Planet ME. 

So many people are living in their own heads these days. They think everyone is interested in their opinions. The truth is, everyone only cares that YOU are interested in THEIR opinions. 

While claiming that they are in touch, I see more and more people out of touch with each other. Many young people struggle to speak in full sentences or communicate coherent thoughts. Yet, put a texting device in their hand, and they retreat back into the comfort of Planet ME -- prolific with the thumb, but stymied with the tongue. 

I know many young people who see the problem, but are at a loss to stop it. Youth have always lived on their own planet, but with all their debilitating devices, they now seem unlikely to return to Earth. Planet ME is very seductive.

Ken Frank, Pitman

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Former Assemblywoman Maria Rodriguez-Gregg states how a domestic violence situation may have influenced her strange behavior during a police interaction.

In no way is this an excuse for her much-criticized inappropriate behavior, but it is an admission that the South Jersey Times -- and others who took former Assemblywoman Maria Rodriguez-Gregg to task over how she interacted with police last year -- did not know everything that was going on with her at the time.

Previously, this looked like just another case where a lawmaker played the "Do-you-know-who-I-am?" card. She basically cursed out Mount Laurel Township officers when they smelled what they thought was a marijuana-like odor coming from the assemblywoman's car. The police were on the scene because another driver had rear-ended her vehicle.

But, in a stunning Facebook post and subsequent media interviews last week, Rodriguez-Gregg, R-Burlington, revealed that she had been a victim of domestic violence at the time of the crash incident.

After video of her expletive-laden rant was made public last fall, Rodriguez-Gregg stepped down as a re-election candidate for her 8th District seat, meaning that her term as a lawmaker ended last week. We heartily endorsed in this space the assemblywoman's decision to quit. In retrospect, that might have been a mistake.

Why? Because Rodriguez-Gregg, 36, has become an expert in what happens when you are the victim of domestic abuse. The Legislature could use more of her perspective. It's fair to say that about 70 percent of Trenton lawmakers have never experienced the harrowing ordeal that she has, since they are men. (Yes, men can be domestic abuse victims, too, but it's rare.) In November, males won the two Assembly seats in Rodriguez-Gregg's district.

Rodriguez-Gregg says she endured facial bruises and cuts as the result of a beating by a then-boyfriend on New Year's Day 2017, and had to suck it in because of a scheduled commitment that evening. "I remember having to go to an event shortly after everything happened and covering my face in makeup,"  she chillingly related. She said this was followed by "unraveling" that included depression and a downward spiral that preceded her arrest at the accident scene in April.

Her courageous Facebook post detailed the threats, the humiliation, and the pleas from her attacker not to report him. Because Rodriguez-Gregg has not released his name, the Times has not been able to verify her statement that he pleaded guilty to simple assault. Her own court case, on charges of driving while intoxicated (no marijuana was found, however) and reckless driving, is ongoing. 

What we learn from all of this is that a confident single mother of two -- and someone tough enough to skate in roller derby -- still has a tough time accessing or deciding to access the resources that are available to her, especially as a lawmaker. Imagine what a waitress who suffers similar abuse, and who does not have legislative license plates or any special access to navigate the system, must go through.

Rodriguez-Gregg is in recovery. Her Facebook post, we hope, is therapeutic for her as it helps others who are in the same situation. One day, we also hope, she can return to the Legislature, if not as an elected representative, as an advocate who can testify about the needs of women who have been victimized so brutally.

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

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The students broke their goal just before holiday break.

Fourth-grade students in the Read 180 program at Bells Elementary School recently surpassed a lofty goal, just prior to the holiday break.

For the first time since adopting the program, the Bells fourth-graders flew past the 1,000,000-words-read mark before the end of the calendar year.

Read 180 is a multimedia program that is designed to meet the specific needs of students to improve reading levels. The program blends instruction from the teacher with innovative computer software that tracks a child's progress and customizes instruction to meet their needs.

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. 

The robbery occurred in Gloucester County.

Authorities say Tyriek J. Bullock, 26, of West Berlin, (left) and Zaire Aumaitre, 28, of Camden, (right) conspired with Alicia Allen, 21, of Sicklerville, to rob a man in Woodbury. (Salem County Correctional Facility)
 

A grand jury has indicted three people in connection with an armed robbery that began with the theft of a man's lunch.

A handgun-toting bandit allegedly approached the manager of a business who was walking into his office on East Centre Street on the morning of Aug. 3, 2017. The gunman threatened the victim, grabbed a bag he was carrying and took off, according to police.

When the gunman realized he had only taken the man's lunch, he darted back toward the victim, who was running into the business yelling for someone to call 911.

The gunman entered the business and demanded the victim's other bag this time. The victim complied, turning over items including his wallet and iPad, police said.

Another employee of the business saw the robbery and "was so terrified that she used her hands to break a window and attempted to flee the building," according to the police report. She suffered cuts to her hands, police said.

The suspect fled with the victim's belongings in a vehicle driven by a woman.

Winslow police later stopped that vehicle and the motorist, Alicia Allen, 21, of Sicklerville, confessed that she was the getaway driver. She identified Tyriek J. Bullock, 26, of West Berlin, as the gunman. Zaire Aumaitre, 28, of Camden, was identified as the lookout, police said.

The trio allegedly targeted their victim because they knew it was pay day at the business, according to the criminal complaint.

Allen picked up Bullock and Aumaitre in Camden, drove to Woodbury for the robbery, then dropped them off at different locations in Camden County, police said.

All three were indicted last week on first-degree charges of robbery and second-degree conspiracy.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us: nj.com/tips.

Dogs and cats throughout the state await adoption.

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

We accept dogs and cats to appear in the gallery from nonprofit shelters and rescues throughout New Jersey.

If a group wishes to participate in this weekly gallery on nj.com, please contact Greg Hatala at ghatala@starledger.com or call 973-836-4922.

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

NJ.com looks at the can't-miss dual meets, quads and county and conference tournaments for the week of Jan 15-20, 2018

See which games you should keep an eye on this week.

Jimmie Hollis wants to change the channel on waiting-room and diner TV screens set to 'left-wing' ABC, NBC or CBS news programs.

As I expected since his election, the mainstream media and other liberals have attacked President Donald Trump, 24/7. Left-wing lies and spin are malicious and constant. 

An acquaintance of mine said the attacks on Trump made him sick, so I suggested that he not watch any television news except to get the weather and traffic reports -- and then turn the TV off. 

Even the daytime shows are horrible, since they, too, too bash the president. Televisions in waiting rooms and diners are usually tuned to ABC, CBS or NBC, where negative statements about Trump, conservatives and patriots assault one's ears and senses. When I find this acidic atmosphere too much to bear, I leave the offending diner or stand outside of such waiting rooms.

The level of hate the left and the most of media have for President Trump does not surprise me, but those of us who support him will continue to do so. And, we will be there to support him again in 2020 to re-elect him for four more years. 

 Jimmie L. Hollis, Millville

Stand up for N.J. nuclear subsidy

The plan to save New Jersey's nuclear generating plants by having electricity ratepayers subsidize them through their utility bills will help keep energy prices low for homes and businesses, while protecting thousands of jobs and reducing the economic damage from storms and floods caused by climate change. 

The legislation is sponsored by Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, Sen. Jeff Van Drew, D-Cape May, and Sen. Bob Smith, D-Middlesex. 

While it costs money to keep these plants open, the cost is less than if the plants were to be closed. That's because nuclear power generates a lot of energy, and reducing that supply would increase prices. Also important is that nuclear energy produces carbon-free emissions. (PSE&G, main owner of the Salem nuclear plants, claims the plants will soon become unprofitable, and may shut them without the subsidies.)

Climate change is real, and we are witnessing that first hand in New Jersey with erratic weather patterns and extreme conditions. We're seeing hurricanes and serious storms that are more destructive and deadly, costing lives and billions of dollars.

Alternative energy sources like wind and solar are good options to consider in the future, but in the short term it makes sense to make the most of the resources available right now. Nuclear energy allows us to be less dependent on fossil fuels while we work on establishing a renewable energy infrastructure. That and why I support the senators' goal to keep the plants open.

Elliot Davis, Washington Township

Editor's note: The 2016-2017 version of this legislation died at the end of the session. It was re-introduced Jan. 9 for the 2018-2019 session.

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New Jersey schools were closed on Monday, but Friends School in Mullica Hill was still packed full of students

New Jersey schools were closed on Monday, but Friends School in Mullica Hill was still packed full of students and parents looking to help give back to their community.

As one of the major Quaker schools in the tri-county area for pre-k through eighth grade students, Friends School has long been a major contributor to local service projects and Monday was no different as more than 60 students, friends and family members came out to participate in the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.

No one knew exactly how long it had been since the first annual MLK Jr. service day was held, but teacher Peter Manzelmann said it has been around since before he joined the school nearly a quarter-century ago.

"I've been at this school for about 23 years, and I love this day where we can give back," said Manzelmann, who teaches language arts and outdoor learning. "I'm a firm believer that service work is important at this school, and we incorporate that into events like this and throughout the school year."

The service theme for the 2017-18 school year is "The Year of the Tree," which made Manzelmann the perfect candidate to help organize this year's event as he and his wife, Mary Ann, work for the park service at Belleplain State Park in Woodbine. The headlining event was inspired by something the two put together at the park over the summer: a long scroll of hand-drawn trees by all who attended that would be sent to Gov.-elect Phil Murphy.

"We just want to let him know that we care very much about our parklands, and about nature and the creatures that inhabit this earth and hope that he makes good decisions as he takes over in office," Manzelmann said 

Other activities included making homemade bird feeders and homemade pet toys, and making valentines for the elderly at Friends Village in Woodstown and members of the ARC, an organization that supports people with disabilities.

Manzelmann also lead a campus cleanup around the school.

Yet Friends School is about more than just giving back to the community, as parent and Board of Trustees member Kathi Stetzer said that the Quaker principles are about acceptance as well.

"Part of the Quaker way of living is to accept everyone for who they are and to be champions of social justice and equality, and that is taught in this school from pre-k all the way to eighth grade," Stetzer said. "And it's seamlessly put into the curriculum so that the kids are becoming great citizens of the planet without even realizing it. This, what you're seeing today, is just second nature to them."

Robin's Nest expected only 30 volunteers but double that showed up to help out.

Dozens of volunteers paraded around the room at Robins' Nest in Glassboro on Monday with paper gift bags in hand collecting baby toys, onesies and diapers from distributing volunteers.

The bags were pregnancy care packages for local expecting mothers in need. Making the packages was part of a day of service to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Robins' Nest, the Glassboro-based nonprofit supporting children and families in New Jersey's 10 southernmost counties, partnered with Gloucester County NAACP and the campaign team of Gov.elect Phil Murphy and incoming Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver team for the day of service, bringing volunteers with them.

"It's just great to see everyone come together to celebrate the birthday, the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King," said Gloucester County NAACP President Loretta Winters. "Everyone is here today in service in his memory."

Robins' Nest Marketing Manager Caitlin Graham said the nonprofit expected 30 volunteers, but nearly double that amount showed up. The 250 packages were completed faster than she expected.

"We got done so fast, getting the bags together," said volunteer Kaythleen Gould of Somerdale. "It was really beautiful."

Gould was asked to volunteer by her grandson Ian Mosley of Lindenwold, who came with the Murphy/Oliver team.

"Ian texted me and said he needed volunteers, and I said okay," she said. "It's really nice, I would be sitting at home doing nothing."

Expecting mothers in Cumberland, Salem and Gloucester counties who are enrolled in one of Robins' Nest's support programs will receive the packages, according to Vice President of Prevention Services Niurca Louis.

Some of the programs include Parents as Teachers, which focuses on positive parenting practices, Healthy Families, which links parents with health and social resources, and Keeping Families Together, which provides housing for families at risk of homelessness. Robins' Nest serves 750 mothers annually, Louis said. 

"It's about the children who weren't always as lucky to win the zip code lottery," said Congressman Donald Norcross. "I live in the city of Camden, and I understand because I see firsthand the things that go on in my city would never happen out in some of the other Cherry Hills or Vorhees. And it's not the kid's fault."

Robins' Nest COO Melissa Fox said that anything can change a person's trajectory in life, from the change of a zip code to a loss of a job.

"Sixty percent of the people we serve are women," she said. "Many of them are women with children. Of course, some of them are women who are battling a substance abuse disorder. They're battling mental illness, domestic violence, challenging situations that are every day making it difficult for them to move forward - not impossible, but difficult.

"That's why we're here, because we want to help them," she continued.

Robins' Nest purchased the supplies in the packages, like baby books, wipes, and clothes, with grants from the Department of Children and Families Division of Family and Community Partnerships, according to Louis. 

Louis said church groups sometimes donate items like diapers to Robins' Nest programs. Diapers are crucial, she said, because they are not covered by public assistance. 

Winters said their Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service will become an annual event.

"This is going to be a new tradition between Robins' Nest and the NAACP of Gloucester County," she said.

It was just one of a number of volunteer projects happening in South Jersey on Monday.

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, dozens of volunteers from both the St. John of God Community Services and Bishop Eustace Preparatory School hosted a community service project of making and delivering sandwiches to Cathedral Hall in Camden.

What kind of sandwiches? The traditional kind according to Kristine Merckx, the volunteer coordinator of the St. John of God Community Services.

"They're making sandwiches with bologna, ham, cheese, and turkey. We package them in the plastic bags and put them in different bins so that they can be delivered," Merckx said.

This is the first year Merckx is working with Cathedral Hall. She's held her current position for a year and a half now. As for Bishop Eustace, they work with Cathedral Hall periodically bringing students over to help serve lunches and help with the families.   

Volunteers spent their time on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day assembling sandwiches that will be distributed on Tuesday in Camden. (Assane Drame | For NJ Advance Media) 

Volunteers on Monday were busy making sandwiches and putting them in their respective containers.

Katelynn Garden, a student from Bishop Eustace, is serving on double duty as a 'chef' and the woman to deliver them the following day.

"She (Merckx) just asked me if I'd be willing to do it and I said 'sure, why not.' I thought it (would) be nicer to see the donations being delivered. It always feels more fulfilling to me," Garden said.

St. John of God Community Services perform several service projects and hold many events throughout the year. About 100 volunteers rotate regularly each week and some volunteer for specific events such as their carnival in June. Student volunteers turn out from schools such as Gloucester Catholic, St. Augustine Prep, and Our Lady of Mercy Academy.

Merckx does her part to make these projects possible. For their collaborations with Bishop Eustace, Merckx and their service coordinator have been working together for a year now where students meet with them once a month as a part of the school's curriculum of service.

"We've just been coordinating with a lot of different things, to joining forces, and expand service programs with the schools and even bring it to other schools," Merckx said.

Merckx and Garden said MLK Day and the idea of service both have meaning for them.

"It's a really humanizing thing," said Garden. "It's nice to come out and help people especially since that was Martin Luther King's thing, which was to help people."

"MLK Day means just giving of yourself, helping, compassion, caring about people and it's something that should be followed all year round and St. John of God is all about that," said Merckx.  

Cathedral Hall, part of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, provides free sandwiches to the people of the Camden area each day. The sandwiches provided by the two groups on Monday will be given out at the hall on Tuesday between 10 a.m. and noon. 

St. John of God Community Services in Westville, NJ, is a non-profit organization whose mission statement is to provide educational, therapeutic, and vocational programs for those in need.

Bishop Eustace Preparatory School, an independent catholic school in Pennsauken, NJ, serves grades 9-12. The educational institution has been operating since 1954.

A five-year plan released earlier this month under Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's watch would allow offshore drilling in more than 90 percent of the outer continental shelf, which includes areas of the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans.

News that Florida appears to have gotten a pass from Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke while the Garden State's Atlantic Coast will likely be open for drilling has members of New Jersey's congressional delegation fuming.

A five-year plan released earlier this month under Zinke's watch would allow offshore drilling in more than 90 percent of the outer continental shelf, which includes areas of the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans.

The plan drew immediate outrage from governors and members of Congress representing coastal states - for good reason.

As U.S. Reps. Chris Smith (R-4th) and Frank LoBiondo (R-2nd) point out in a letter, the proposal poses significant economic and environmental risks to local marine wildlife - the lifeblood of commercial fishermen - while threatening a tourism industry that depends heavily on clean beaches.

Chris Christie and Phil Murphy join together to fight Trump

Three dozen Democratic senators - including our own Robert Menendez and Cory Booker - shot off a letter as well, in essence pleading with the feds not to tamper with a valuable natural resource to satisfy the cravings of oil magnates.

Equally strong opposition came from the governors of New York, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, California, Oregon and Washington, as well as New Jersey.

But Zinke so far has had ears only for Florida's Gov. Rick Scott.

After a meeting with the GOP governor, Zinke announced he's decided to exempt the state of Walt Disney, orange groves and alligators - and let's not forget Mar-a-Lago - from the new open-drilling policy.

"I support the governor's position that Florida is unique and its coasts are heavily reliant on tourism as an economic driver," Zinke said in a message announcing his decision.

So what are we in New Jersey - chopped liver?

It may be just a coincidence that Florida went big for Donald Trump in 2016, and that Scott is a buddy of the president's. It may also be a coincidence that Scott is expected to run for a U.S. Senate seat later this year against incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson.

Meanwhile, New Jersey and other states equally affected by the expanded drilling have are justified to view the administration as playing favorites.

But the nation's coastal waters are too valuable to be used as political bargaining chips, and Zinke has inadvertently exposed the Department of the Interior to court action for his seemingly arbitrary - and indefensible - decision to bestow his blessing only on the Sunshine State.

U.S. Rep Frank Pallone Jr. (D-6th), the leading Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, summed up the injustice in a few choice words.

"Florida," he said, "should not be given special status because the president is friends with Gov. Scott."

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This new, single-day season of "The Crown" awards the title of pension queen to Camden's former mayor.

You could say that the king for a day, Chris Christie, picked his queen for a day during his final 24 hours as governor. That would be former Camden mayor Dana Redd.

Don't worry about Redd having to wear a heavy crown, like Queen Elizabeth II, who recently complained about that and her carriage's horrible ride in recalling her coronation. Redd will be well compensated later for her troubles. 

On Monday, Christie signed what has been dubbed the "Get Dana Redd a Better Pension Act." It's even worse than we imagined while this clunker was making its way through the lame-duck Legislature.

You see, Redd was just hired as CEO of the Rowan University/Rutgers-Camden Board of Governors, a job that pays a state-pension creditable $275,000 a year. For what, we have no idea. This hybrid board was created as a consolation prize when the so-called "Rowan-Rutgers merger" was called off in 2012. The board's charge, we thought, was to set policy for medical institutions (presumably with their own CEOs or deans) that the schools were to administer jointly.   

Now, Redd's frozen pension -- which Christie's John Hancock just thawed -- will triple if she hangs on to her new gig for three years, according to Politico New Jersey. To rub more salt into taxpayers' wounds, the Politico story indicated that Redd was hired Friday during a 14-minute Rutgers/Rowan board meeting where only its chairman -- Jack Collins, a former Assembly speaker -- was physically present.

Until Friday, the worst thing about the legislation was that it allowed Redd to rejoin the defined pension system after having to endure contributing to a 401(k)-type retirement plan when she became mayor. At that time, she had already qualified for a pension based on a $92,000 top salary. The 401(k) requirement came with her mayor's title, and was based on a reform intended to curb spiraling officials' pension costs. 

Redd's mayoral salary was $102,000, so, until last week, her pension increase would have been relatively small if Christie had signed the bill. Our main objection in a previous editorial was the process: Here was another hurry-up, end-of-session rush job, engineered by state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, and others, to revive a bill that failed miserably three years earlier. 

One sentence in that editorial was downright prophetic, if we say so ourselves:

"And, who knows what pension-padding public job she'll claim next if she's back in the Public Employees Retirement System?"

Now, we know. 

We still don't know how many other elected officials who switched offices after the 401(k) law came in will benefit from the largesse of Sweeney and friends. 

We're not surprised that politicians conspired with other politicians to feather their own retirement nests. But we are surprised at how willingly Christie signed the bill, since the action makes ring hollow every word he's ever uttered about the need for public pension reform.  

As recently as last month, Christie warned decisively about the need for further "difficult reforms" to save the pension system, beyond the landmark changes that he and Sweeney collaborated on in 2011. 

It's no wonder that every beat cop, every firefighter, even every well-compensated teacher, steams as Christie and friends continue to treat politicians as a specially protected class. The pity is that we really do need further state pension reforms. Christie, in approving Dana Redd's Monday coronation, makes riding down that path even bumpier than Queen Elizabeth's coach.

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

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For three Skyland Conference members of the New Jersey Wrestling Top 20, Tuesday, Jan. 16 is moving day.

Who stole our attention on the hardcourt this week?

Paul Bunkin writes that the saddest part is that a U.S. president sees a need to defend himself against claims that he is racist.

"When Mexico sends its people ... they're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime. They're rapists and, some, I assume, are good people ... ."

That was Donald Trump's reaction, when declaring his candidacy for president in 2015, to roughly 11 million undocumented persons and certain other immigrants who had come to the United States.

Since becoming president, Trump has reportedly said that immigrants from Haiti all have AIDS, and that those from Nigeria and other African nations are coming from s---hole countries.  

When Puerto Rico was devastated by a hurricane a few months ago, Trump found it necessary to tell us about the poor bond rating and other financial problems that Puerto Rico was experiencing. I find it interesting that he never mentioned the economic status of Texas and Florida, also battered by hurricanes, prior to releasing the aid those areas so desperately needed.

During the campaign, Trump re-tweeted an image that had Hillary Clinton surrounded by a six-pointed star, resembling the Jewish Star of David, and dollar bills. I think the intent was clear. In a subsequent post, Trump stated that the star was a "Sheriff's (badge) Star, or plain star."

Last weekend, Trump said to reporters that he is the least racist person they have ever interviewed. It's a very sad day for our great country when the president feels the need to defend himself from accusations of racism.  

Paul S. Bunkin, Turnersville

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