Captain James C. Baker is retired in Lewistown, Pennsylvania.
| Captain James Baker | |
|---|---|
| Rank | Captain |
| Relations | Captain Linda Baker (wife) |
| Baker Family | |
| Appointment | Rank | From | Until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cadet - College for Officers Training - Eastern Territory | Cadet | 1970 | June 1972 |
| Associate Officer - Wilmington, Delaware | Lieutenant | June 1972 | September 1973 |
| Corps Officer - West Pittston, Pennsylvania | Lieutenant | September 1973 | (1975) |
| Corps Officer - Hazelton, Pennsylvania | Lieutenant, Captain | (1975) | (1979) |
| Corps Officer - Norristown, Pennsylvania | Captain | (1979) | (1982) |
| Corps Officer - Berwick, Pennsylvania | Captain | June 30, 1982 | 1989 |
| Corps Officer - Lewistown, Pennsylvania | Captain | June 28, 1989 | August 31, 1993 |
The Salvation Army Citadel here will have a new leader June 30, the Berwick Chamber of Commerce board learned Tuesday.
Current commander Lt. David Fleming, a recently elected chamber board member, said he and his family will move to New York City where he will resume training. Fleming said the transfer surprised him because he thought he would be in Berwick at least three years.
Fleming named his replacement as Capt. James Baker, currently serving with the army in Norristown. He said Baker was once Salvation Army commander in Hazleton.
Chamber president Tony Cerminaro lauded Fleming's work while in Berwick.
“This is a man who gets things done,” he said.
Norman Fedder, newly-elected president of the Berwick Jaycees, was introduced to the board. He said the Jaycees plan a June 30th input night when community and civic leaders will gather to “brainstorm” about Berwick concerns.
Cerminaro, who is also president of the Business and Professional Association, said the annual Berwick Sidewalk Sale Days will be July 16 and 17.
He said the merchants invited church groups and other organizations to put up concession stands downtown.
William Lamon, Berwick Borough Councilman, said the borough is working on an industrial development brochure.
“What the borough is attempting to do,” Lamon explained, “is to get the whole town working together to promote Berwick.
Lamon explained the borough is setting up committees of civic, industrial and other groups to help council in that endeavor.
The local Small Business Administration program that helped business people obtain SBA loans will be closed until the end of August because of SBA personnel shifts, Cerminaro said.
Edward Pittinger, executive director of the Berwick Industrial Development Association, said one industry at the BIDA complex is anticipating increased production soon. He declined further comment while negotiations take place.
Berwick Enterprise, June 9, 1982 (Berwick, Pennsylvania)
Though soldiers are used to taking orders, Capt. James Baker of the Salvation Army here will miss the borough when he transfers to Lewistown this week.
Baker, who has commanded the Berwick unit for seven years, will leave Wednesday for the new assignment but admitted he will miss the friendliness of local residents.
A self-confessed “sports nut,” he also said he will miss the Bulldogs.
“We loved Berwick very much and are going to miss it,” he said. “We have to take on the challenge of a new place, a new operation.”
Baker, 38, and his wife, Linda, have been with the Salvation Army for 19 years. They have five children, ranging in age from 5 to 19.
Linda Baker said the family is excited about the move, but at the same time sorry to leave their friends.
“We knew we wouldn't be here forever,” Linda Baker said of what will be their sixth transfer.
Baker explained officers are often transferred as the need arises, with the average stay in one area being three years.
There was no specific reason behind the current transfer and it simply represents a change in command, he said.
The Salvation Army is a religious-based organization that provides a variety of services for the under-privileged and community.
As commander, Baker administered all services provided by the Berwick corps, including family counseling, financial assistance, disaster relief and food programs such as Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners and “Feed a Friend.”
The Berwick unit will now be headed by Dan Long who is leaving a post in Dover, Del.
Founded in London in 1865 by William Booth, the church is based on a military format, with clergymen being officers and church members soldiers.
Baker and his wife graduated from the Army's school for officer training, a two-year course focusing on the Bible, Christian education, social services and counseling.
The Salvation Army is an international organization with more than four million members. Locally, the Berwick corps has about 80 volunteers.
Press Enterprise, June 27, 1989 (Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania)