Courier-Post from Camden, New Jersey • Page 1

A In Sports: In Business: Training program sparks growth for Commerce Bank In Sports: Fryers hoSd off 7i wen jacnsun career as coach i i late rally to eage or uamaen enub South Jersey's Newspaper A www.courierpostonIine.com Wednesday, February 27, 2002 50 Cents I I i 3.5 Cameo tax increase proposed. the Blackwood campus. Some county residents said the proposed tax increase comes at a bad time. "Ever since 911, people lost their jobs. It's gonna be hard," said Shanelle Perez, 23, of Camden.

Said Lisa Scardino, 36, of Cherry Hill: "I think they should have at least waited until the end of the year, when hopefully the economy turns around." payers," she said. "They didn't put any money away for a rainy day." Other budget highlights: $3 million toward an estimated $9 million expansion of the juvenile detention center in Lakeland. $2 million to build two libraries in the city of Camden. $1.8 million to expand the county college's Camden campus and improve property value. The $265 million budget is slightly higher than the $263 million officials had estimated Monday.

It is 2.2 percent higher than last year's budget of $259.2 million. "We work very hard never to raise taxes," said Freeholder-Director Jeffrey L. Nash. "We're never comfortable with tax increases." Gail Peterson said she is disappointed by the tax increase proposed by the free NASH holder board. "When the freeholders had money to control spending during the good times, they squandered the opportunity to help the tax- By AHAN KIM Courier-Post Staff CAMDEN Camden County resi dents would see a 3-cent increase in the tax rate under a proposed budget unveiled at Tuesday night's free holder board meeting.

The 3.5 percent increase the first in three years would raise the tax rate to 89 cents per $100 of assessed DAY 170 What's Inside Legal judgments U.S. interrogations of al-Qaida and Taliban prisoners from the war in Afghanistan are focusing on which of the nearly 500 in custody may be tried by a U.S. military tribunal. The Worid, Page 3A More denials Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Phila. Flower Show offers sights, scents of spring Cops test gun possibly used in 6 slayings I The county faces rising health-care costs for its 2,000 employees.

The costs are expected to skyrocket from $21.2 million to $29.5 million. Another key reason for the proposed tax hike: a $4.5 million loss the county jail faces after the state decided to stop sending some of its inmates there for a fee. Camden County Republican Party Chairwoman ed the show in one year, although attendance last year dipped to about 165,000 when weather reports incorrectly predicted paralyzing snowstorms. The Philadelphia Flower Show, the nation's old Stalling insists at a Senate that he knew nothing about manipulation of company books and denied misleading Congress. The Worid, Page 3A Courtroom emotion The alleged victim in a Deptford coach's criminal sexual conduct trial cries on the stand.

South Jersey, Page IB levond the (ream "Black History Month JosepMna Baker, Dancer sxtraordlnalra Artful pursuit A Westampton woman discovers the joy of wa-tercolor painting. South Jersey, Page IB Decision reversed The state withdraws a permit previously issued to the Lenape Regional District for its new high gchool. Environmentalists applaud the action. South Jersey, Page IB 1 I Immmmd By JASON LAUGHLIN and STEVE LEVINE Courier-Post Staff CAMDEN The case against a 16-year-old Winslow boy charged in six slayings moved ahead Tuesday, with prosecutors beginning the effort to try him in adult court and investigators testing a gun they believe may be the murder weapon. The West Atco boy appeared relaxed as he shuffled into a courtroom Tuesday morning, his hands and feet shackled.

Authorities close to the investigation confirmed the teen's identity as Llewelyn James. Also Tuesday, investigators were examining a handgun they recovered AVI STEINHARDTCourier-Post Workers from Young's Landscape Management move a large slab onto the Cinnaminson firm's exhibit Tuesday for the Philadelphia Flower Show. This year's show, titled 'Pleasures of the begins Sunday. AIDS vaccine test showing promise If you go The Philadelphia Flower Show is Sunday through March 10 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12th and Arch streets, Philadelphia. Ticket prices for adults range from $20 Monday through March 8 to $24 on opening day.

Hours are Sunday and March 10 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; March 4 through March 8 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; and March 9 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Flower show Web site: ww.theflowerehw.com I) i i a i j) i Flower Show taaai ii iiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiaftiiii mi 1 1 By JUDITH W.

WINNE Courier-Post Staff Just before spring each year, Walter Off, owner of Waldor Orchids in Lin-wood, rounds up his dozen employees and enlists friends and relatives to staff his exhibit and sales booth at the Philadelphia Blower Show. Since the early 1930s, Waldor has been showcasing its cattleyas and other exotic beauties at the annual show. The 2002 show themed "Pleasures of the Garden" begins Sunday and runs through March 10 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. from an abandoned building in North Philadelphia, said Camden County Prosecutor's Office spokesman Greg Reinert. They were testing that -weapon Tuesday to determine if it is connected with the six slayings in Winslow and Lindenwold earlier this month.

Authorities were also working to confirm the weapon's source, Reinert said. Prosecutor Lee Solomon said Tuesday his office is investigating reports that someone else was involved in the shootings that left four men and two women But the prosecutor said he didn't expect any more arrests would be See TEEN, Page7A crucial challenge of exposure to HIV. "We are encouraged," said Emini, head of Merck's AIDS vaccine program. "Obviously, the big question is how effective this will be in preventing or mitigating infection. That will have to wait until we get into long-term studies." If all goes perfectly, he said, it will be at least five years and probably longer before the vaccine reaches general use.

However, even if the vaccine works, many experts doubt it will stop infection cold the way most vaccines do. Instead, the hope is to fortify the body's immune defenses to hold the virus in check and prevent disease for many years, perhaps even a lifetime. The Merck vaccine and several similar ones near-ing human testing use a strategy called prime-boost. It involves first injecting one or more HIV genes, which are taken up by muscle cells and used as blueprints to make viral proteins. This is followed by an immunity booster, usually a harmless virus hollowed out to carry in more copies of the HIV genes.

In monkey experiments, this strategy fails to ward off infection but does keep the animals from dying from AIDS when they are exposed to the virus. Tomorrow A look at the Deptford neighborhood of Jericho. Willingboro trio lands in Grammy spotlight Experimental treatment seeks to hold virus in check By DANIEL Q. HANEY Associated Press SEATTLE The first preliminary human testing of a highly anticipated new kind of AIDS vaccine offers tantalizing hints it may ultimately protect against the killer virus. The study of Merck experimental vaccine is perhaps the most closely watched experiment in all of AIDS research.

The approach seems highly effective in monkeys, and many believe it or something similar is the best bet for a shot that could slow the worldwide epidemic, which has already killed 20 million people and infected 40 million more. Even though the vaccine is only part-way through first-stage safety testing, Merck's Emilio Emini was asked to update researchers in an address Tuesday at the 9th Annual Retrovirus Conference in Seattle. His bottom line: At this stage, the vaccine appears to trigger the same immune system response in people that it does in newly immunized monkeys, though the volunteers have not been put to the mm malm Weather 2A TODAY TOMORROW HIGH 42 38 est, is the largest indoor flower show in the world. The centerpiece this year is a 19th-century Victorian garden by J. Cug-liotta LandscapeNurs- See FLOWER, Page 8A and Marvin Gaye.

Ortiz has been called a Latin Lauryn Hill. Comparisons to the Fu-gees, the soulful hip-hop vocal trio that eventually See CITY HIGH, Page 6A 10A Scoreboard 60 13C Stocks 7B 4B Television 14C "It's tremendous publicity," Off said. "We've got close to a quarter million of the greatest flower lovers in the Delaware Valley under one roof." Perhaps more. As many as 315,000 have visit On the Web To hear selections from City High's eponymous album, visit www.cityhigh.com. Test your Grammy knowledge by taking our quiz at www.courierpost online.com.

by, 24, the group members, are all Willingboro High School graduates. They may be hobnobbing in Tinseltown tonight, but their hearts belong to Willingboro. "We really want to rep- BE CLASSIFIED ss AUTO Astroloov Business Comics Versatile spuds A new cookbook allows you to prepare potatoes in hundreds of ways. Taste, Page 1C High-tech help Video enables doctors to make long-distance house calls. Your Health, Page 8C Show us the money! South Jersey arts again are getting shortchanged by the state.

The governor should deliver on his promises of $1 million in funding. Opinion, Page 10A CqurierPost Visit our Web site to see a gallery of photographs of exhibitors setting up their displays at the Philadelphia Flower Show, and check back during the week for expanded online coverage. Story, 1A A GANNETT NEWSPAPER '40901 '01301 Photo courtesy of City High City High members (from left) Ryan Toby, Claudette Ortiz and Robby Pardlo graduated from Willingboro High. By BILL DUHART Courier-Post Staff Three locals hit the big time tonight in Los Angeles at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards, and Willingboro will be in the house. "Representing," as it's known in hip-hop jargon.

City High, a pop-urban trio from Willingboro, is in contention for a Grammy for Best Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for the song "What Would You Do." It's a single from the group's debut album, City High. Claudette Ortiz, 20, Rob-by Pardlo, 22, and Ryan To- 1. DA IC THE WORLD TASTE IB 3 SOUTH JERSEY SPORTS; resent Willingboro to the fullest," Pardlo said. "There is so much talent in Willingboro besides us, so look out for more." Their vocals have been described as a combination of Donny Hathaway n(Jex p- fi 15C Corrections 2A Editorials 88 Crossword ISC Movies 12C Dear Abby 15C Obituaries 22 lOW 21 I SET 1 MHh ITT. 70 QIERRYHILL SEE OUR it! 1 HflWiiiiiMiSffiia-'S- mmmtt.

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