Clarion Defender_1973-05-04

Clarion Defender 5 Here's One Way to Fight City Hall By /Jmwlrl .fmrsmr ,\,). Timr.< .'ir,.,.;,.,. Camdt>n, N .. f. T HIS BLIGHTED CITY on thE' Delaware Ri\·er. the bat:k door ~o Philadelphia. has received an infusion of flamboyance and imagination that has left residents blinking. The new-found flair comes in the person of Major Coxson, a transplant– ed Philadelphian with a flashing smile who says he can tum run-down Camden .into a model cit;.•. Last vear the 43-vear-old Pntl'c– preneur "wanted to buy land and build a multimillion-dollar housing project here, but was rebuffed by City Hall. So he decided to take over City Hall and announced his candidacy for mayor. * * * F OR A campaign kickoff ret:ently, he rented the biggest nightclub in the area, the Latin Casino in Cherry Hill, brought in the Supremes and the Temptations for ente1·tainment. and dispensed full-course steak din– ners to 2300 people. He plans an encore at the Latin later this month as a "victory party," he said in an inten·iew at the Camden "White House." The party will be be– fore the election, he said, because af– ter the election he will be too busy correcting Camden's multitude of shortcomings to have time for fun. * * * C AMDEN, a city of 102,000, \Viii . vote for its mayor on May 8. Nine candidates are in the nonparti– san races. A runoff between the top two will be held June 12 if no one has a majority the first time around. Coxson is accustomed to succPss. The evidence includes his 11 Rolls– Royces, Lincoln Continentals, Jag– uars and other specially built cars loaded to the SL~n roofs with cobr tel– evisions, phones, red leather, char– coal mouton carpeting, bulletproof glass and price tags up to $72,000. Even his two Volkswagens have Rolis-Royce ·grilles. His driveway in Cherry Hill winds for blocks through his four acres of woods before it reaches his swimming pool and whirl– pool. The Coxsons moved to Cherry Hill a few years ago. * * * T 0 GIVE himself a Camden resi– dence in time to run for mayor, Coxson bought a rundown house on once-elegant Cooper Street, spent $55,000 on redecorating, painted the house white, set it off with an Astro– turf lawn and printed cards calling it the White House. He keeps enough Geoffrey Beene suits in the third-floor penthouse so he doesn't have to go to Cherry Hill to change for campaign coffee klatch– es. Callers at the White House find the diminutive candidate in his gold-carpeted office, behind a de3k big enough to all but obscure him if he ever forgot the wide-brimmed Stetson he wears indoors as well as out. * * * C OXSON SAID his family moved from his hometown of Union– town, Pa., to Philadelphia so he and his brothers, Hosea and Israel. would not have to follow his fat her into ! he coal mines. While a teen-ager, Coxson started md operated shoeshine stands and car washes, He put the profits into used-!'ar lots, a new-ear agen!'~' , a ea1·-leasing business and other enter– prises. His worst brush with the la\v, rr– sulting in seve1·a1 months of residen•·e in the federal penitl'nt iary in Lewis– burg, " ·as for failun· to repa~; bank loans on l'a1·s lw sold. Ilr sa vs ht' did this in retaliation \\'lwn his ri·anchisp was re\·okC'd al't('l' thl' manufal't un't·'s regiona I represPnt at i\·e ka mect he was black. His prison I'C'!'ord appears to be no handicap in Camd(·n. one of the cl'imf' capitals of the countt·y. N OW TH~ T ~~ h~s every~hi~g he wants m hte, Coxson says, he \Yould like to devote his time to putting Camden, Cherry Hill's neigh– bor, back on its feet. He says the city's plight is so bad that "if the devil offered to come to help, they should send him a ticket." "I'm no priest," he says, "but I'm not the devil either. In New Jersey, most . office holders start as politi– cians and wind up being arrested. I thought I'd reverse the trend." "1550 On Your Dial" JIMMY"BANG BANG"WALKER "SOUL ON WEEKENDS"' Portland Vancouver (503) 285-5575 (206) 693-5970 MY-TE-FRESH Grade AA Large Eggs 53(Dozen .\·. r. Tintfll ,Jwto Major Coxson stands with his chauffeur outside his Cherry Hill, N. J., home. This Lincoln Continental is one of Coxson's 11 cars Lady Elberta Freestone Peaches luscious golden fruit, with sweet Reg. 50' Guaranteed strictly fresh finest quali- mellow flavor 29 oz. ty eggs. Available Grocery Sections MY-TE-FINE Fruit Cocktail 16 oz. Con Reg. 29' 25!ach Sparkling ripe fruits. Available Grocery Sections MY-TE-FINE ·Milk Bread 22¥2 Oz. loaf Reg. 39' More nutritious bread. Mode with " Family Pack ~0!,!~ ,~~Of!~., lb. chops. Sliced the 89* thickness you like. " lb. Available Meal Sections Large Vine Ripened Tomatoes 2 lbs. 49( Ii k e home Can conned. Nestle's Chocolate Quik Drink Mix 68( 32 Oz. Con Reg. 94' each Flavorful mix for a refreshing, nutritious beverage. Available Grocery Sections Jimmy Dean Sausage Rolls llb.roll sac Reg. 98' each than ordinary 33* milk nutrients for each For salads or slicing. Finest quality and lowest price of the spring season. Available Produce Sections 2lb. roll $175 Reg. s1.95 each • greater food value. Available Grocery Sections 2 and 4 Cycle Motor Oil Reg. 39( 59' quart Sto-lube 2 cycle oil, SAE-30. RPM 2 and 4 cycle oil. Volvoline 2 cycle oil. Available Variety Sections and Auto Centers. Turf King Lawn and Border Fence 18"xl0' 97 Sections ( Reg. •1.59 each Round white fence. Protect your new spring flowers. Available Variety Sections. Save 55c: On Everynight Shampoo 80z. 77( Reg. SJ.32 each So mild you can shampoo every night. Biodegradeable, too. Available Cosmetic Sections. Imperial Mixed Nuts 12 Oz. Tin Reg. 93' 77e~ch Fresh and crunchy peanuts, cashews, brazils and almonds. 70% peanuts. Salted and toasted. Available Variety and Candy Sections. Available Delicatessen Sections Boys' Top Quality Deck Shoes "Charge It" Sturdy canvas boat shoes, with cushioned arch and in– soles for top satisfaction. Sizes 2 Y2 ·6. Available Apparel Sections. Boys' Flare Leg Slacks Brushed cotton denim . Popular v-knee stylinq. $ 146 Sizes 1 to 7. Assorted color5. pair Available Apparel Sections. Open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, including Sunday. Always plenty of free and e?sy parking.