Camden Richer, But Tots Lose a Lot

By Camden NJ History
· Updated · 3 min read · News Articles
Children from El Centro day care center crossing the vacant lot at 123–127 Danenhower Street — Camden Courier-Post, November 1, 1973
Camden Courier-Post, November 1, 1973
View transcription
CAMDEN RICHER, BUT TOTS LOSE A LOT Playground Sold Despite Pleas From Day Care Center By MARC S. KLEIN Courier-Post Staff Camden City is $1,250 richer today at the expense of 23 Puerto Rican preschoolers who have been left without a playground. The city made the money by auctioning a vacant lot on Danenhower Street in North Camden instead of bowing to the request of a daycare center which wanted the property for a playground. "What this means is that there is no real commitment from the new city administration to the little people like the kids and the poor," said Miss Yolanda Aguilar, a member of the board of the El Centro Comunal Borincano Day Care Center. Miss Aguilar, who is also director of the Diocesan-funded El Centro social service agency said that the day care center had sought to lease the city-owned lot at 123, 125, 127 Danenhower Street for $1 a year and had even made a personal appeal to Mayor Angelo J. Errichetti. Errichetti, who had only taken office on July 3, said yesterday he turned the request over to former Director of Parks and Recreation Pete DelGrande. But DelGrande, now director of the city Economic Development office said, "I never heard anything about it." Miss Aguilar said, "We went to everybody who could help, but all of them were dumbfounded by red tape." For a short time last month, City Council seemed agreeable to the lease until Carl McDonald, owner of a house adjacent to the vacant lot, offered to buy the property for $400. He ended up paying $1,250 at a half-hour public auction during which the day care center's director continually raised their offer $5 above McDonald's until they stopped at $1,245. The property is assessed at $430. McDonald reportedly wants to use it as a side-yard or garage. Miss Aguilar said she and others had collected money door-to-door in the hope of outbidding McDonald. Her bidding stopped at $1,245 because "We just couldn't keep on going." "None of this would have happened if the administration demonstrated the commitment to the people that it says it has," she added. City Council President John R. Marini said, however, "Any land that's owned by the city is subject to sale. Even if we had leased them the Danenhower Street lot, the lease could have been cancelled in 30 days and the land sold at an auction." But Miss Miriam Small, head of the center, said there is no other vacant property on the same side of the street. The Danenhower lot is a few feet from the door of the day care center. "We wanted to have a lot that didn't involve crossing any streets. We've already had four accidents with children falling down in the street and getting cut on glass while walking to playgrounds three to seven blocks away in North Camden," she said. She said it is difficult for the center's three teachers to supervise 23 three to five-year-old children in crossing the streets. "We can't stop taking the children to play. At their age they need time to run out in a park, roll on the grass and exercise their muscles on recreation equipment." Marini said that the closest property he could offer the center is two blocks away in the 300 block of Main Street. He said he could not understand why there would be a problem in crossing the streets.

Playground Sold Despite Pleas From Day Care Center

By MARC S. KLEIN, Courier-Post Staff

Camden City is $1,250 richer today at the expense of 23 Puerto Rican preschoolers who have been left without a playground.

The city made the money by auctioning a vacant lot on Danenhower Street in North Camden instead of bowing to the request of a daycare center which wanted the property for a playground.

“What this means is that there is no real commitment from the new city administration to the little people like the kids and the poor,” said Miss Yolanda Aguilar, a member of the board of the El Centro Comunal Borincano Day Care Center.

Miss Aguilar, who is also director of the Diocesan-funded El Centro social service agency said that the day care center had sought to lease the city-owned lot at 123, 125, 127 Danenhower Street for $1 a year and had even made a personal appeal to Mayor Angelo J. Errichetti.

Errichetti, who had only taken office on July 3, said yesterday he turned the request over to former Director of Parks and Recreation Pete DelGrande. But DelGrande, now director of the city Economic Development office said, “I never heard anything about it.”

Miss Aguilar said, “We went to everybody who could help, but all of them were dumbfounded by red tape.”

For a short time last month, City Council seemed agreeable to the lease until Carl McDonald, owner of a house adjacent to the vacant lot, offered to buy the property for $400.

He ended up paying $1,250 at a half-hour public auction during which the day care center’s director continually raised their offer $5 above McDonald’s until they stopped at $1,245. The property is assessed at $430. McDonald reportedly wants to use it as a side-yard or garage.

Miss Aguilar said she and others had collected money door-to-door in the hope of outbidding McDonald. Her bidding stopped at $1,245 because “We just couldn’t keep on going.”

“None of this would have happened if the administration demonstrated the commitment to the people that it says it has,” she added.

City Council President John R. Marini said, however, “Any land that’s owned by the city is subject to sale. Even if we had leased them the Danenhower Street lot, the lease could have been cancelled in 30 days and the land sold at an auction.”

But Miss Miriam Small, head of the center, said there is no other vacant property on the same side of the street. The Danenhower lot is a few feet from the door of the day care center.

“We wanted to have a lot that didn’t involve crossing any streets. We’ve already had four accidents with children falling down in the street and getting cut on glass while walking to playgrounds three to seven blocks away in North Camden,” she said.

She said it is difficult for the center’s three teachers to supervise 23 three to five-year-old children in crossing the streets.

“We can’t stop taking the children to play. At their age they need time to run out in a park, roll on the grass and exercise their muscles on recreation equipment.”

Marini said that the closest property he could offer the center is two blocks away in the 300 block of Main Street.

He said he could not understand why there would be a problem in crossing the streets.

Advertisement

Comments