There was a flurry of excitement at the Gloucester City Council meeting on Thursday, Dec. 28, as family members of Evan Coxe, firefighters and volunteers of the Celebrations Committee filled the room talking excitedly among themselves.
The first order of business was the installation of Gloucester City’s newest firefighter, Evan Coxe, who was sworn in by Mayor Dayl Baile.
Coxe was surrounded by a dozen relatives and received a big round of applause from the firefighters in the audience as he joined the Gloucester City Fire Department.
“Congratulations to a great young Gloucester High graduate, Evan Coxe, for being sworn in as a Gloucester City firefighter. Evan played football and baseball for the Lions of Gloucester City High School and was always a very positive influence on the playing fields and in the classroom. Best of luck, Evan,” retired educator Joe Gorman said.
The second order of business was Mayor Baile declaring Dec. 28 in Gloucester City as “Joe Hargesheimer Day, and presenting him with the proclamation for organizing the Betsy Ross 250th Wedding Anniversary celebration held in Proprietors Park on Nov. 4, 2023.
Then Hargesheimer brought up the members of the historic Celebrations Committee present at the meeting, and Baile presented them with a plaque honoring their efforts during the re-enactment event.
Hargesheimer said, “On Dec. 28 the committee was honored by Mayor Baile and City Council in appreciation for all their work in bringing the history of Gloucester City to life. The committee was first formed in 2015 to start getting ready to celebrate Gloucester’s 150th anniversary of becoming a city.”
The committee has served under three mayors, the late mayor Bill James, former mayor Dan Spencer and now Mayor Baile.
“I am very proud to have served on this committee with such outstanding people. Many of the projects undertaken by the committee are lasting reminders of the work of this committee, including the Memory Walk, the repair of the Sadie statue, the restoration of the historic bell in front of the West House, the planting of tulips that remind us that the City was first settled by the Dutch and the new historic information plaques that can be seen around the city,” Hargesheimer said.
“As witnessed by the Betsy Ross Wedding, the people of Gloucester have a very sincere appreciation of their very impressive history. It was a pleasure serving alongside of these people who managed to bring this history to the citizens of Gloucester City.
Committee members include the late Mary Lou Adams, who had passed away shortly before the wedding re-enactment, Mayor Dayl Baile, former mayor Bob Bevan, attorney William Dilks, Lisa Debus, secretary Jay Goheen, Rachel Gorman, Sean Gorman, Patrick Hagen, Ted Howarth, William Johnson, Councilman James “Bowie” Johnson, City Clerk Vanessa Little, Dori Wasko and Committee Historian Patrick Ward.
After the council chambers emptied out, City Council members approved a resolution to advertise the sale of the property at 301 Essex St., which is owned by Gloucester City and no longer needed for a public purpose.
Then, the approved paying the monthly bills in the amount of $1.848 million, and wished everyone a Happy New Year.
