Monday, June 21, 2010

Beloved coach and mentor killed in traffic

How many more loved ones have to die before we realize that there is another way?


Authorities say that Bob Barth, 59, of Winslow Township, a longtime high-school teacher who coached baseball and basketball for decades in South Jersey, was traveling north on Route 42 in Bellmawr, Camden County, around 6:30 a.m. when his Mercury Mariner struck an abandoned vehicle near the Creek Road exit.
New Jersey State Police said that Barth was ejected from the vehicle, which flipped over when he struck the car, and that he was not wearing a seatbelt.
He was pronounced dead shortly afterward at Cooper University Hospital. PhilaDailyNews

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Planting seeds to fight high transit fares in NJ

My name is Emily, and I am an ordinary resident of New Jersey. NJ Transit is a big part of my life. I use it regularly to commute to work. My reasons for using mass transit are both on practical grounds (rather sit in the train than in my car) and philosophical grounds (good for the environment and the roads). Despite its shortcomings, NJ Transit is one of the things I really appreciate about life in New Jersey.

So when I learned about the proposed fare hikes on NJ Transit, I got angry. I already commit a big chunk of my paycheck for mass transit, and the thought of paying any more (especially in a single-income household) is just unbearable. So with the help of my tech savvy husband, we created the site http://stopnjtransitfarehike.org. Thanks to you all for taking part.

This morning on my way to work, I decided to hand out mini-flyers about the propsed fare hikes to fellow commuters. It was a very encouraging experience. About 9 out of 10 people accepted the flyer, and about 6 out of 10 even thanked me for it. Of course, I genuinely thanked them in return. Read more ...