Around Pennsauken

 Aged Railroad tracks stream throughout Pennsauken Township. Behind many houses and into Pennsauken’s industrial park. The River Line light rail, accompanied by freight trains, run daily on the railroad tracks. Six years ago open fields covered most of East Pennsauken’s back yards. After plans to build the River line were final, the area that once contained the spacious fields, were filled with men and machines.

          Danielle Gilliam, a forty-five year old accountant, walked out on her back porch, and pointed to the railroad tracks.

          “We did not want this here,” Gilliam said. “We tried to fight against it, but we lost. Everyone kept saying ‘it’s going to be good for the economy,’ but it’s bad for our real estate.”

          The 34 mile long light rail train was the first passenger rail service in South Jersey since the Camden & Amboy line closed in 1963. The 1.1 billion dollar line rail project finished in March 2004, after years of construction. The River line, and the freight trains, operate on different tracks and times of the day because the River Line does not met the U.S Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) standards for crash worthiness. Because of this the train is not allowed to run with normal railroad trains. The River line service operates during the day and into evening, while the freight trains operate mostly at night (except for weekends). These adjustments keep the River Line safe and convenient.

Though some Pennsauken residents might not find the River line so productive, many others are benefitting.  

          “People are discovering that the River Line is an attractive alternative to driving, and we continue to look for ways to enhance the service to meet the needs of our customers,” said Joe North, NJ Transit General Manager of Light Rail Operations.  “Our ridership continues to grow as people recognize the benefit of using public transportation when a good system is available to them.  Another benefit of having this light rail system in the region is it opens the doors for economic renewal.”

          Pennsauken resident’s home values are going down, but development is going up.

          “I’ve said it before and I will say it again, the ultimate value of the River Line will not be measured with ridership reports, but in economic growth and development in the communities along this corridor,” said George D. Warrington, NJ Transit Executive Director. “It’s becoming increasingly evident that this line is, in fact, becoming a catalyst for economic growth and development.”

          Gilliam has been living on Pitman Avenue, in Pennsauken for the last eleven years. When she and her husband first heard about the River Line, they tried to inform their neighbors about the negative aspect of the light rail being in their township: the River Line would lower the neighborhood’s house value.

          “Everyone acted like they cared. We went to a meeting at the Town Hall to protest, but most of the people who complained about the plans, weren’t even there,” Gilliam explained. “No more than thirty people even came to the meeting.”

          Pennsauken residents lost the battle against the light rail project. Shortly after, the impalpable plans for the River Line became tangible.

          Miranda Davis, a thirty-five year old small business owner, lives off of River Road. In her front yard, a ’for sale’ sign sits on top of freshly cut grass. The same sign up has been up for a year. She use to live on the same street as her sister until the talk about the River Line started.

          “Soon as we heard that more railroad tracks were going to be put down and another train was going to be running, my sister moved. Including my sister, five families moved off of my street and out of Pennsauken, they knew the train would make the value of the houses go down,” said Davis.

          Davis moved to Pennsauken in 2001 before the River Line was in motion. She has not sold her house yet because she is trying to wait for the economy to improve.

          “I don’t want to lose money because of the economy and that River Line, but I do not want to live here anymore,” said Davis. “That train running in my back yard makes me feel like I live in a city.”

          The railroads in Pennsauken date back to 1831. The growing railroads were considered to be an advantage for Pennsauken because it provided a new form of transportation. One of the River Line’s economic obligations was to help the development of the riverfront towns between Camden and Trenton, which over time lost much of their traditional manufacturing industry. Rail roads help built Pennsauken, but now they are becoming a burden for some.

          Joseph Goldman, a fifty-eight year old Pennsauken resident explained that the River Line is helping to bring Pennsauken down, and how people complain but do not do anything to help.

          “A lot of people who said they did not want the river line here are the same people who constantly use it. There has been drunk kids doing ‘wheelies’ in the [River Line] parking lot, and throwing empty bottles around,” said Goldman. “They are suppose to be starting another train on Derousse Avenue that connects to the Atlantic rail, now that will be useful.”

          Gilliam listens to the freight trains at night and hears the River Line Bells in the morning. Gilliam said that she has no intentions on moving any time soon because they have put so much into the house, that the only thing she would accomplish by moving is losing money. Gilliam enjoys living in Pennsauken and sending her children to Pennsauken schools. The River Line was just a commodity, she could have dealt with out.

          “I really do love living in Pennsauken, a lot of historical events have happened here, Gilliam said. ” I live here, I work here. I just wish more people realized how special Pennsauken really is, and took the time to appreciate it, and not contribute to helping it deteriorate.”

            At Seven O’clock on Friday night they started. Parents and their daughters ages six to eighteen came to Phifer Middle School, in Pennsauken. Parents and children flooded into the red and blue colored gym. The girls lined up underneath the Pepsi scoreboard and waited for direction. Metal racks filled with basketballs were escorted into the gym. PYAA, Pennsauken Youth Athletics Association, are looking to recruit new young youth.

“I have more boys that try out than girls,” stated Trudy Pegues, Basketball president. Pegues sat at a paperwork scattered table, other PYAA members sat at the bleachers next to her. Because of the shortage of girls, Pegues said that she promotes PYAA girls basketball in middle and high school.

“I have about three hundred boys but only seventy girls.”

Pegues, a Pennsauken resident who has been coaching for seven years out of the twenty years she has been with PYAA, said that she joined the organization because, “no one else wanted to it.” Pegues explained that she started working with PYAA when her two sons were young.

“They needed a coach, and I wanted to help out,” said Pegues.

PYAA is a non-profit organization that offers football, baseball, soccer, cheerleading, and basketball for Pennsauken residents ages six to eighteen.

The Pennsauken organization participates in different trips and events, and gear students in the direction of higher learning.

“We are having a college tour in January at Temple University. The children will take a tour of Temple , and watch the men and women basketball games. We take a lot of trips.”

The PYAA basketball team has participated in trips from New York, to watch the celebrity basketball game to Dorney Park.

“We do this because we love it” described basketball commissioner Kenny Judge. “We don’t get paid to do this, not me, not Trudy.”

Judge sporadically walked back and forth handing paperwork and updating Pegues on what is happening with the tryout, in between her numerous cell phone calls and other volunteers giving her information

Pegues’s job description includes overseeing registration, the 50/50 raffles, and making sure that basketball stays in Pennsauken. Basketball courts have been pulled out of the ground in some parks and on July 25^th 2007 a basketball ordinance was set into motion. The ordinance stated that portable basketball nets are not allowed in any roadway or street and basketball play can not take place before 10 a.m. or after 7 p.m. daily.

“Pennsauken use to be predominately white and most of them have moved out but the aristocrats that are left have taken office and are trying to get rid of basketball in Pennsauken,” explained Pegues.

Pegues and fellow Pennsauken Athletics volunteers make sure that students have a place for students to play, where basketball is not endanger of becoming obsolete.

Because of Pegues’s hard work and dedication she acquired attention from Nike. Pegues received a community service award August 16^th at Footlocker in the Cherry Hill mall. The award was presented by Philadelphia 76ers basketball forwards, Thaddeus Young and Andre Iguodala.

Pegues has helped the basketball program to grow over 400 children in her last seven years as president

Some girls at the tryouts are returning participates from last year.

“ Basketball is really important to me and I want to play so I can go to college on a basketball scholarship,” explained twelve year old Bianca Cream.

This year will be Bianca’s third year in the program. Bianca waited for her turn to get one of the basketballs. They all took turns practicing their “jump shots,” and some girls were given the chance to move up so they could get a better shot. Though smaller than most of the girls, Bianca did not need the extra help.

“I want to stay in the program until I graduate high school,” Bianca said. “It’s really fun because we get to be involved in a lot of things. I want to play college basketball and I know I have to practice really hard, I know practicing with PYAA will get me there.”

Cars were parked along the street and in the small parking lot of Clifford Baldwin Elementary School, in Pennsauken, NJ. People rapidly walked in and out of the open doors of the school. No children were playing outside. No buses were parked in back of the school. “Corzine For Governor” signs dominated in numerous yards nearby, it was election day.
“I always vote, you have to vote, are you voting?” Asked 74 year old Theresa White, a retired History teacher. “People think that not voting doesn’t affect them, but then the same people that don’t vote complain about who is in office.”
White expressed that she was a John Corzine supporter. She was one of the 6,500 people that attended the Obama rally for Corzine last Sunday in Camden, at the Saquhanna Center. White walked to her car as Michael Dunn passed, ready to go inside the school and vote. Dunn eagerly expressed his enthusiasm about voting for Republican Chris Christie, before going to the voting booths.

“I want Christie to win. Republicans have better candidates and they care about our country,” said Dunn, a 55 year old government worker. “Democrats just always want to give something away for free.” Dunn talked about last year’s presidential election. “I wanted McCain to win, I think he had better experience. If McCain would have won there won’t be so many people on unemployment. He wouldn’t let them get all that money, people on unemployment are lazy.”
Compared to last year’s presidential race, there was a significantly difference in the number of people at the voting stations.. Last year’s lines had people almost waiting outside to vote, in comparison to the governor’s race; there was no line at all. Most of the people that came out to vote were middle aged to senior citizens. Drastic numbers in voters dropped state wide and Republican Chris Christie won the governor race, though New Jersey is a democratic state. Since 2002, New Jersey‘s governor‘s were Democratic. Christie won 49 percent to 45 over Corzine, but New Jersey was not the only state to experience the drop in votes. Both New Jersey and Virginia witnessed Republican candidates win the majority votes in Democratic states. Virginia has not seen a Republican governor in 12 years, and voters believe that both governor picks were due to apathy. November 4th the day after election, people expressed their concerns.

“Most people I know didn’t even vote,” said 23 year old Rowan College student Sharita Calloway, standing outside on the Riverline platform. She put her book bag down and lit a cigarette. “It just disgust me because now that Christie won everyone’s like, ‘Oh man I should’ve voted, I don’t want a Republican in office’ no one cared enough to vote but now their regretful.”

Some people justified not voting because they felt the race was not made to appear imperative. Collin Pemberton, a 20 year old Rowan student from Virginia explained why less people voted. “Everyone though everyone else was going to vote, except the republicans. Demarcates all around just got lazy and that’s why Christie and McDonnell won,” said Pemberton. “I don’t care, I’m a liberal.”

“I knew that Corzine, Christie, and Daggit were running, but I didn’t know much more than that, I just really didn’t care,” said Gabriel Corbett. Corbett, a 21 year old intern for a local paper said they virtually never talked about the governor election. “It’s like it wasn’t even important enough to talk about,” said Corbett. Maybe this election was slanted, but hopefully it will be a lesson learned for the people that did not take the time out to vote. “A lot of the minorities and younger people that went out and voted for Obama, didn’t vote in this election, even though Obama came out to rally for Cozine,” said Corbett. “Oh well, let‘s see what happens at the next election.”

Everyday I am getting something in the mail about voting. Pennsauken is HUGE on politics and voting. Those things are important to them.