The plant on Forest Grove Road has 220 workers, “all of which are being retained,” said Richard Hasenauer, Kimble vice president and director of human resources.

Terms of the sale were not disclosed. Comar is privately held, and Kimble is owned by Gerresheimer Group of Germany.

With the sale, Comar will no longer compete with Kimble in the business of converting glass tubing into vials for pharmaceutical use, which was the main product of the factory, Hasenauer said.

The plant also made glass pipettes that are assembled into droppers, and that part of the operation will be retained by Comar and moved to its facilities in Buena, according to Richard Harbeson, marketing manager. That is expected to be done within six months, while the deal should be finished by week's end.

The sale will allow Comar to focus on plastics packaging for the health-care industry, general manager and part owner Mike Ruggieri said.

“We have a deal here that creates a lot of value for both companies,” Ruggieri said. “Kimble will focus on growing the glass business, which they do well, and Comar will be able to focus on plastics, which we do well.”

He said Comar has hired investment bankers Plante and Moran Corporate Finance to look for possible acquisitions to expand and diversify its business, and “cash received from the sale of the glass operation will allow us to accelerate those plans.” Specifically, Comar is looking for a second plastics manufacturing site, he said.

The acquisition will give Gerresheimer eight production plants in North America and bring its number of workers in Cumberland County to approximately 1,350, Hasenauer said.

Comar will be left with approximately 300 workers, Ruggieri said.

Cousins Nick Esquilin, 25, and Daniel Esquilin, 21, along with Elvin Torres, 24, were charged with murder, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, Atlantic County Prosecutor Jeffrey S. Blitz said Saturday.

The Esquilin cousins, of Newtonville, also were charged with an additional count of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and aggravated assault in connection with another incident that allegedly happened at the scene Thursday, Blitz said.

The men were arrested in a South Philadelphia bar Friday night and are currently in a Philadelphia jail pending extradition proceedings, Blitz said. The charges are in connection with the stabbing death of 26-year-old Raymond Campos.

Shemika Tillman, Campos' sister, said police had not been forthcoming with information until they told her about the arrests Saturday. When she heard the news, she began to cry out of slight relief as well as sadness.

“I was so happy that they didn't get away with this,��� Tillman said Saturday. “I think that it makes things a lot better. It's a little better for me to rest at night, knowing that whoever did this has been caught.���

Authorities believe the incident began when another Esquilin relative, Thomas, became engaged in a car chase after Campos, who was driving a late-model sedan with passenger Larry Spellman, 24, of Mays Landing. Both cars stopped at the intersection of 9th Street and Jackson Avenue in Newtonville.

Spellman got out of the car and approached Thomas Esquilin's car, while Campos exited his car, authorities believe, when a third vehicle with Nick and Daniel Esquilin and Torres, of Margate, arrived at the scene and allegedly crashed into Campos' vehicle. The three suspects exited the vehicle and began to chase Campos, authorities said. While running away, Campos tripped and fell, allowing the three suspects to catch up to him, get on top of him and stab him, Blitz said. They then fled the scene in an unknown vehicle, authorities said.

Meanwhile, Juanita Esquilin, who is Thomas Esquilin's sister, arrived at the scene from her Jackson Avenue home to see what was going on, only to be struck by Thomas Esquilin's vehicle, when he, allegedly drunk, attempted to flee the scene, authorities said.

Thomas Esquilin, 40, was arrested Thursday night and charged with assault by auto, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and driving while intoxicated in connection with injuries suffered by his sister, authorities said. He was treated for minor injuries at Kessler Memorial Hospital in Hammonton before being released to jail, authorities said.

State Police arrived at the scene at about 6:45 p.m. to find Campos and Spellman bleeding and Juanita Esquilin injured. Spellman was transported to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Campus, in Atlantic City for suffering what authorities said were “several slicing-type wounds.��� Juanita Esquilin, 50, was airlifted to Cooper Health System in Camden, authorities said.

Campos was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. Autopsy results revealed he died from a knife wound to the heart and suffered four additional stab wounds and lacerations to the head and shoulder, Blitz said.

Tillman, Campos' sister, says she doesn't know any of the three suspects. She has spent the past few days making funeral arrangements for her brother, as well as receiving a multitude of phone calls and visits from friends and family. One of those visitors was Spellman, who was released from the hospital and visited Tillman's home on Saturday.

“I have a lot of support,��� Tillman said.

The State Police Major Crimes Unit is handling the investigation, along with Sgt. Michael Fadden of the Major Crimes Unit of the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office, under the direction of State Police Detective Charles Vincente.

Staff writer Michael Miller contributed to this story.

Cousins Nick Esquilin, 25, and Daniel Esquilin, 21, and Elvin Torres, 24, were charged with murder, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, Atlantic County Prosecutor Jeffrey S. Blitz said Saturday. The Esquilin cousins, from Newtownville, were also charged with an additional count of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and aggravated assault in connection with another alleged incident which happened at the scene Thursday, Blitz said.

The men were arrested in a South Philadelphia bar Friday night, and are currently in a Philadelphia jail pending extradition proceedings, Blitz said. The charges are in connection with the stabbing death of 26-year-old Raymond Campos. Authorities believe Campos was stabbed by the Esquilin cousins and Torres after they crashed into Campos' vehicle Thursday night, the result of another Esquilin relative, Thomas, chasing after Campos.

Shemika Tillman, Campos' sister, said Saturday she felt relieved that police have someone in custody. "I think that it makes things a lot better. It's a little better for me to rest at night, knowing that whoever did this has been caught."

Raymond Campos, a 26-year-old father of four from Hamilton Township, was stabbed to death Thursday night on Jackson Road and Ninth Street in the Newtonville section of Buena Vista Township.

His friend, Larry Spellman, 24, also of Hamilton Township, was recovering from multiple stab wounds he suffered during a melee after a car struck their vehicle from behind. Police said they are investigating who was in the Chrysler that struck the Toyota Camry in which Spellman and Campos were traveling.

Police have made no arrests in the slaying. Initially, authorities said they were looking for two suspects who fled the scene on foot into nearby woods.

Campos' family said they think he was ambushed by an old enemy he had fought months before outside a bar. Police said several people participated in the street brawl.

Shemika Tillman was bringing home groceries from ShopRite at about 6:45 p.m. Thursday when she saw a State Police cruiser and the three smashed cars near her Newtonville home.

She thought it was merely an accident until she saw her brother's best friend, Spellman, covered in blood.

She approached the scene and saw someone nearby administering cardio-pulmonary resuscitation to her stricken and motionless brother. But nothing could save him.

Campos died at the scene from a single knife wound to the heart. An autopsy Friday determined he was stabbed five times.

Tillman said she thinks her brother's killer was a childhood enemy from their Newtonville neighborhood who was retaliating for an earlier fight. She did not know his full name.

“They got into it. My brother beat him up. My brother is not the kind of man to back down from anybody,” she said. “I thought they might have hit (his car) on purpose to get him to stop.”

Meanwhile, a Buena Vista Township woman is recovering from at least two broken bones she suffered when the Lincoln Continental driven by her allegedly drunken brother, ran her down by accident at the scene of the slaying.

Police said the driver of the Lincoln, Thomas Esquilin, backed into his sister, Newtonville resident Juanita Esquilin, while trying to leave the scene.

Neighbor George Smith rushed outside when he heard a car hit his mailbox. He called police. Outside, he saw the Lincoln slam into Juanita Esquilin.

“He hit her hard,” Smith said. “She was flying through the air.”

Thomas Esquilin did not get far. His car dug furrows through Smith's yard before plowing into and snapping the pine tree Smith's family had decorated every Christmas.

Thomas Esquilin was arrested at the scene. Police charged him with driving while intoxicated, assault by auto and possession of a weapon. He was lodged Friday at the Atlantic County jail.

Spellman was flown by helicopter to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Campus, where police said he was in stable condition recovering from multiple slicing knife wounds.

Police spoke to witnesses late into the night Thursday.

“They're not leaving there until the troopers get their answers,” Sgt. Stephen Jones said of the witnesses Thursday.

Investigators were back at the scene Friday, where they interviewed neighbors, searched the woods around the intersection and took photographs and measurements.

Police released few details about the brawl.

Smith said he saw someone brandishing what he thought was a stick during the fight.

On Friday, Esquilin's family said he was a victim in the melee. His sister, Juanita, rushed to the intersection when she heard of the skirmish. She suffered a shattered pelvis, broken wrists and a broken knee in the accident, a family member said. She was flown by South Star helicopter to Cooper Health System in Camden.

Millie Esquilin, 46, said she did not know who else was involved in the fight. Later, the family declined further comment.

The slaying stunned Campos' extended family. They put up white balloons Friday at the intersection near the yellow police crime scene tape.

Campos has had his share of legal problems. He spent nearly three years in state prison on drug-distribution charges before he was paroled in 2004.

But his family said he was a doting father and an affectionate friend who worked as a union apprentice. Campos used to snatch his aunt, Carmen Gomez, in both arms and twirl her around until she giggled.

The day he died, Campos insisted on chaperoning his daughter, 9-year-old Gloria, on a school trip to the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.

“He was a great father,” his estranged wife, Jessica Campos, said. “He was all about his kids.”

The couple married in 1998, the year he graduated from Buena Regional High School. He was just 18. Buena Vista Township Mayor Chuck Chiarello presided over the ceremony.

Chiarello said he did not recall the wedding but said he was shocked to hear about the slaying in Newtonville. This is an increasingly suburban but still rustic part of Atlantic County. The slaying happened down the road from a horse farm.

Campos helped his older sister, Shemika, move into her new home this week. She joked to him that he owed her a house-warming gift. He was always fun to be around, she said.

Growing up together in Newtonville, she enjoyed bullying her younger brother while she could. But he quickly outgrew her.

“I hope they get the people who did this,” she said.

Cape May Seashore Lines is living up to its promise to boost business in this sleepy river town.

“It's slow coming, but it has improved our train museum and our membership,” said David Levari, president of the Greater Tuckahoe Area Merchants Association. “The town looks better.”

The 40-minute ride between Tuckahoe and Richland is popular, especially in the winter when it becomes the Santa Express, owner Tony Macrie said. Taking a cue from that success, the train will host the Easter Bunny this spring.

“We had 5,000 people ride between August and December. That's just 20 operating days,” Macrie said. “I think it's had a positive impact.”

On Thursday, Macrie and his crew tinkered with one of their engines in preparation for Saturday's first ride. On tracks nearby, the gleaming silver cars of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus train sat idle. And in the distance, the horn of an oil train bellowed on its way to the B.L. England power plant in Beesleys Point.

Cape May Seashore Lines has partnered with Levari's Station House banquet hall for train-themed weddings. One last week brought 160 people to a reception in Tuckahoe. Another 210 people participated in a Station House fundraiser dinner and ride.

Levari said the biggest challenge for the Greater Tuckahoe Area Merchants Association is attracting more merchants to Tuckahoe. He counts just 54 members. But Levari said he sees the train playing a bigger role in developing Cape May County tourism.

He jokingly said the excursion goes “from nowhere to absolutely nowhere.” But if the line were extended from Tuckahoe all the way to Cape May as originally conceived, it would be a huge draw, Levari said.

A separate Cape May Seashore Lines excursion runs between Cape May Court House and Cape May. But the tracks between Woodbine and Cape May Court House are in need of major repairs.

“When I heard it was going to Richland, I couldn't believe it. It's going the wrong way,” Levari said.

Many riders venture into the two train museums in Richland and Tuckahoe. Levari said the excursion has boosted attendance twenty-fold at the Tuckahoe museum operated by the Shoreline Railroad Historical Society.

And in Richland, the Patcong Valley Model Railroaders opened a museum off Route 40 with scale models.

In Tuckahoe, kayakers paddle the gentle Tuckahoe River and a steady stream of traffic zooms by on Route 50. The railroad is by far the biggest tourism draw.

“We get patrons here who ride the trains on Saturday,” said Mark Bluth, who owns Tuckahoe Junction Deli. “It can't hurt.”

Upper Township Mayor Richard Palombo said he has taken the excursion to Richland.

“It's an interesting trip with nice scenery,” he said.

But he thinks of the railroad in terms of transportation. In an emergency, the train could help evacuate people without clogging jammed highways.

But for most riders of this excursion, the train is the destination.

Witnesses who watched the incident nearby said the driver of a beige Lincoln heading northwest on Jackson Road struck a mailbox, threw something out of the car and came to a stop at the intersection of Jackson Road and Ninth Street. A black car followed the Lincoln, and the occupants of both cars emptied out and began arguing.

During the dispute, police and witnesses said, one man was beaten severely by a group of men and stabbed to death. One man fled the altercation, jumped into the Lincoln and started to drive away, while a nearby woman pleaded with him not to leave. The driver then struck the woman with the front of the Lincoln, throwing her “a significant distance,” said State Police Sgt. Stephen Jones, adding that she was flown to Cooper Health System in Camden.

Witnesses, many of whom did not wish to be named, said several men then ran back and got into the black car, which soon was struck from behind by a third car, a maroon Chrysler, which also was headed northwest on Jackson Road.

The three damaged cars sat at separate corners of the intersection at Jackson Road and Ninth Street, the Lincoln facing south, the Chrysler pointed west with its front smashed in and the black car facing northeast with its bumper dangling off the back and the dead body sprawled out in front of it.

Investigators took pictures and eventually draped a white sheet over the body of the man lying on his back, his arms and legs spread out and his shirt torn off his body. According to witnesses, troopers performed CPR on the man.

Police said another man was also stabbed and flown sent to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center.

“He may have come from the same vehicle as the man who died,” Jones said.

“I saw one guy running from the body, he had blood everywhere, all over him,” said Ed Decker, who arrived at the intersection in his car after the incident but before the scene was secured by police.

Police, whose marked and unmarked cars lined Jackson Road and Ninth Street, would not comment on the incident at the scene, and State Police at the Buena Vista sub station did not release any information before press time. Investigators with the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office also were at the scene, along with several ambulances and firetrucks.

“It's still a very muddy picture,” said Jones, reached late Thursday night. “But we have a lot of man power invested in this, and I'm sure by tomorrow we will have a much better handle on things.”

The wooded area consists of few homes along Jackson Road and Ninth Street. However, three homes are immediately adjacent to the scene of the accident and several people stood by the yellow police tape to watch the investigation.

“This is normally a quiet neighborhood,” said Lorie Schmidt, who recently moved to a Jackson Road residence with her husband. “It seems very peaceful usually. I would never expect something like this.”

One of the witnesses, a 14-year-old girl who lives at one of the homes on a corner of the intersection, watched the entire incident from her frontyard and was one of the first people to call 911. Investigators spoke to her several times in private as they gathered evidence.

“This is the second time I've seen an accident here,” said the girl, who, along with her mother, asked not to be identified.

“Yeah, well,” her mother responded, “you shouldn't have had to see this.”

At least 80 workers were fired last week, bringing the total number of layoffs to about 550 since Columbia Sussex Corp. took ownership of the casino in January, according to Atlantic County Freeholder Joe Kelly, who is also a Tropicana engineering mechanic.

“Over the last three months, it's been terrible here,” Kelly said. “It's fear, it's nothing but fear in here. If they're allowed to operate like this, it's the end of a promise by the casinos of good employment for the workers.”

Tropicana officials in Atlantic City refused to comment. Calls this week to Columbia's public relations representative in Chicago were not returned.

The most recent cuts mainly involved the casino cleaning staff and the food and beverage department, including about 20 unionized cocktail servers, employees said.

Layoffs began in the fall when Aztar Corp. still owned Tropicana. They accelerated after Columbia Entertainment, the gaming arm of Columbia Sussex, took control of the casino Jan. 3. Columbia Sussex, based in Fort Mitchell, Ky., acquired Aztar's casinos in Atlantic City, Nevada and Indiana in a $2.75 billion takeover.

“Everybody's walking around here in shock. No one knows what's going on,” Kelly said of Columbia's ownership. “It's a mess. Everyone's walking around with a dazed look on their face, wondering what's going to happen with the casino.”

Employees are not the only ones to criticize Columbia for slashing the work force. Assemblyman James Whelan, D-Atlantic, asked the state Department of Labor last week to conduct an investigation to determine if any labor laws have been violated.

Whelan was also angered by the firing of Vincent Rennich, a table games supervisor who filed a lawsuit against Tropicana last year claiming that his lung cancer was caused by secondhand smoke he inhaled at the casino. Rennich, an anti-smoking advocate, lost his job March 4, only a week after he testified in support of state legislation that would ban smoking in casinos.

Casinos fear that a smoking ban could cost them hundreds of millions of dollars in business by scaring away gamblers who smoke. Rennich, a 26-year Tropicana employee, contended that he was fired in retaliation for his anti-smoking campaign.

“I thought that when they did that to Vinnie, it would stop,” Kelly said of the layoffs. “If this doesn't stop right now, every casino in town can come in and devastate the work force.”

Under New Jersey Casino Control Commission rules, casinos are required to maintain adequate staffing levels for their gaming operations. Over and above those requirements, it is left to the casinos to determine their staffing needs.

It began with an invitation from local officials for the freeholders to meet here, and a sort of warning from Atlantic County Freeholder Chairman Joseph Silipena to fellow board members last month.

“Larry Angel, here we come,” he said.

The freeholders arrived as planned Tuesday, and Angel, a regular at Mullica Township Committee meetings, was waiting for them.

In true Angel form, he commended a report on finding ways to share services.

“Neat-O,” he said, responding to one answer he particularly liked.

And then Angel said he found the prayer read before the meeting started to be “offensive,” although not as offensive as some other prayers he has heard at other county functions.

And this was all before the freeholders got to the part of the meeting reserved for public comment.

Angel admits he gears up for freeholder meetings, whether they're held here or at the Stillwater building in Northfield, where the freeholders usually gather.

“I throw some compliments and vent some anger,” he said. “But the compliments are sincere, and the anger is sincere. It's for other people to decide whether it's good or bad.”

Angel has rankled public officials for years with his sarcasm and stinging questions. He has even been sued by local officials who didn't like the nicknames he gave them on his Web site.

Angel started the meeting by kneeling in the aisle of the meeting room to get a better vantage point from which to photograph the freeholders.

Later, when it became clear that just about everyone who wanted to speak during the public portion of the meeting had done so, Silipena said, “Seeing no one else ...”

Angel started to thrust his arm into the air.

“... we'll go to Larry,” Silipena said.

Angel was off and running:

n He complimented Atlantic County Freeholder Frank Giordano for efforts to reduce the number of take-home cars given to county officials, calling it “really worthwhile.”

n He issued another compliment to Atlantic County Freeholder Joe Kelly for objecting to a contract that would pay for parking for county employees in Atlantic City.

n He accused county government of being “obsessed with sex,” noting how a court ruling will force municipalities to spend money to undo legislation, imposed at the urging of county government, to limit where sex offenders can live.

n He further accused the freeholder board of being “homophobic,” saying members “pander to bigotry” by supporting legislation that would give elected officials the option of declining to perform civil unions if it was “in conflict with the public official's sincerely held moral or religious beliefs.”

“Thank you for your comments, Larry,” Silipena said when Angel told him he was finished.

Giordano said it's “interesting to get the other point of view.”

“Welcome to our world,” responded Mullica Mayor Kathy Chasey.

Township Committee introduced a more than $ 4.4 million budget Monday.

This year's proposed budget would spend $611,000 less than in the previous year. The reduction was attributed to two factors: the poor tax collection rate and the drying up of state grants from the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, which were used to lay tracks at Richland Village and for construction of the visitor center.

While township officials were able to plan for the loss of the grants, the drop in tax collections will likely lead to an increase in the tax rate, Mayor Chuck Chiarello said.

“The budget is a fair budget, we just have to get more aggressive on collections,” Chiarello said. “If that means a slight increase (in taxes) to keep it stable, then that's where I'm going with it.”

The township's overall tax collection percentage fell from 94.84 to 94.03 during the past year. Overall, the township is collecting $314,792 in revenue, most of it from weaker tax collections.

To make up the shortfall, the township's proposed budget would:

n Increase the amount of surplus used to $350,000, or $170,000 more than what was used in 2006.

n Increase the local purpose tax by 4.7 cents to 59.4 cents per $100 of assessed value. That increase will net the township $162,247 more in taxes collected over last year. The township's overall amount to be collected will be more than $1.6 million.

Chiarello said officials tried, but could not lower the tax increase further.

Township Solicitor Mark Stein said the township is exploring a more aggressive stance on collecting payment from bankruptcies and foreclosures as a way to increase collection. The township is also considering holding tax lien sales at the beginning of the year, instead in December.

“We have to do a better job on collections. The times are getting tougher,” Chiarello said. “We don't want to blindside ourselves and be in an even deeper hole next year.”

The township still may have other options. Officials are hoping the money from a land sale in early April could be applied to the budget.

The budget could be adopted on April 9 but also may be amended before that time. The public hearing will also be held April 9.

Chiarello noted the absence of the Urban Enterprise Zone tax and a lack of discretionary aid from the state government, two relief programs enjoyed by neighbors of Buena Vista Township, as another likely cause of the township's tax struggles.

“There's not a whole lot left,” Committeeman Mike Rivera said. “We just kind of have to work with what's left, it's the best we can do."