A BIG STINK
By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer
PEMBERTON BOROUGH—A
newcomer P emberton Borough Councilman, just a little over three months into his term (after being appointed to fill a council vacancy) and facing an election for the first time this coming November, is alleged on multiple occasions to have
pumped raw sewage from his home into a borough street, with the events in question over a period of a couple months captured by surveillance video.
Neighbor Ken Archer, who called Republican Councilman Ben Bernacki’s apparent actions “unquestionably vile” during a Sept. 16 Pemberton Borough Council meeting for what he charged put
public health and safety at risk, told both the council and this newspaper that “a significant volume of domestic sewage” was pumped on “the nights in question” from the councilman’s home “where it drained directly into a stormwater inlet over several hours.” Archer provided this newspaper, after the council meeting, with over 25
See STINK/ Page 8
State Troopers Instructed to Use ‘Zero Discretion’ in Event They Observe Trespassing at Murphy’s Pit
Order from Red Lion Station Commander Follows Meeting with Mayor, Complaints from Residents About Illegal Off-Roading, But Now Some Are Opposing Crackdown
By D ouglas D. M elegari
Staff Writer
SHAMONG—The station commander of the New Jersey State Police Red Lion Barracks, in the wake of a private meeting with Shamong Township Mayor Michael Di Croce several weeks ago, made an appearance at the regular September session of the Shamong Township Committee to discuss his agency’s efforts, and the limitations, in cracking down on purportedly illegal off-road vehicle riding at Murphy’s Pit, all following a multitude of complaints heard at recent governing body meetings, with grievances continuing to be aired at the latest session.
However, it became apparent during the latest Sept. 3 committee session that not all the townspeople are in favor of intervention by the state police.
“We are in a little bit of a rock and a hard place,” described Lt. Chris Salvato. Salvato contended that the local State Troopers used to have access to a “side-byside,” but that “we no longer have access to that.”
“When we were using that, we were effective
Photo Provided
Councilman Ben Bernacki, with a snow shovel in hand, is depicted on surveillance video checking out a stream of what a neighbor contends is raw sewage being discharged and running along the curb of Jarvis Street.
By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer
SOUTHAMPTON—A Southampton
Township committeeman is calling for the installation of a canoe launch in the Vincentown section of the municipality.
Committeeman Bill Raftery, during a Sept. 17 Southampton Township Committee session, described that he would like to see a canoeing/kayaking facility put at the Brown Family Meadow, which is an approximately 8-acre tract that is accessible from the 160 block of Main Street and was previously acquired by the township through its Open Space Trust.
The tract abuts what is known as the Vincentown Millpond, which is part of the South Branch of the Rancocas Creek.
Raftery spoke of his hope for vegetation overgrowth in the back of the parcel to be cleared for creek access, and that part of the property could even be “turned into a bird sanctuary.”
Newly-appointed Township Administrator Brandon Umba recounted having undertaken a similar project in another town where he worked. The cost of constructing a canoe launch, he maintained, is “fairly manageable,” but added that to obtain a permit from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to allow waterway
access, that can be an “issue.”
Mayor Michael Mikulski responded by asking township staff to gather potential costs for further review.
Since the committee meeting, some of the vegetation overgrowth in the back of the parcel has already been mowed.
Raftery, back in August 2017, proclaimed, “I have long thought that one of the treasurers the town has is Brown Meadow. It offers opportunities for fishing, bird watching and things of that sort.”
Then-mayor James F. Young, Sr., still on the governing body, had appointed a sixmember subcommittee that same month to study the parcel.
But then-administrator Kathleen D. Hoffman, who recently retired, had told this newspaper at the time of the subcommittee’s creation that while some of the ideas floating around for the tract include “constructing a park, planting a wildflower garden and building a dock for fishing and canoeing,” one challenge is “it is very wet” and “sometimes it is so wet, you can’t get back to the creek.”
Hoffman had also explained the history of the tract, describing that horses used to be kept in the meadow, which at one time was surrounded by wire fencing.
See LAUNCH/ Page 13
Richard J. Weber, DMD
Dr. Weber has been recognized for excellence in dentistry and has trained nationally and internationally with the most prestigious members of the profession.
Construction Commences on Communications Tower in Lower Bank with Expectation It Will Be ‘Up and Running’ in Three to Four Months Third Quarter Tax Bills Reflect Anticipated Tax Credit for 2023 School Taxes
By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer
WASHINGTON—Work has begun on erecting a “communications tower” intended to improve cellular phone reception in the Lower Bank section of Washington Township, and township taxpayers, in a separate, unrelated development, are in the process of getting a promised tax credit.
According to Washington Deputy Mayor Daniel James, a contractor, as of the Sept. 3 Washington Township Committee session, “started drilling the hole for the emergency communications tower at the Lower Bank Fire Company.”
The concrete was expected to be poured the day following the meeting.
“It has to cure for seven to 30 days,” James said. “He (the contractor) said it should be up and running somewhere between three and four months.”
This newspaper previously reported that the Pinelands Commission granted approvals for the tower back on July 16, and the state Department of Community Affairs OK’d permits for it. The tower has been a longtime coming, with officials contending with stringent commission regulations, but ultimately it was found that the tower is an “accessory use” to the fire company, making it a permitted use under the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP), whereas if it was a “principal use” it would not be permitted.
On many occasions over the past eight years, James, as well as other residents, have complained about very weak to nonexistent cellular phone reception, with the nearest tower to town reportedly some 10 miles away, in addition to limited landline and cable capabilities in town. James, a first responder, previously discussed how the lack of a nearby tower has been putting public safety in jeopardy, including by first responders being unable to make or receive calls.
It was announced in early 2021 that a cell tower “lease has been signed with the fire department,” with a Feb. 25, 2022, legal notice stating that “Public Participation
Valore, LLC, proposes the construction of a monopole-style telecommunications tower within a 80-foot by-80 foot lease area at 3 Fire House Lane, Washington Township, Burlington County, NJ,” (the site plan has since been revised slightly) with the physical address for the Lower Bank Fire Company 3 Fire House Lane.
As for the tax credit, according to Mayor C. Leigh Gadd, Jr., “as everybody who got their tax bill saw, we were finally able to pull together the tax credit for everybody.”
The tax credit program is an effort by the Township of Washington to give direct property tax relief to individual township taxpayers to offset a massive 2023 school tax increase that they saw caused by the local school board’s budget in closing a $473,871 shortfall.
Tax Assessor Jay Renwick, when asked by this newspaper how the credit program works, explained that the “2023 tax credit was available to all current taxpayers who owned property in 2023, regardless of property class (Vacant Land, Residential, Qualified Farms, Commercial and Industrial).”
“The credit was automatically applied to the Third Quarter 2024 tax bill,” he said. “The township budgeted $473,871 to help offset the large tax increase from the school district. The credit was based on a rate, and it was applied to the assessed value. Washington Township has no local purpose tax.”
Previously Gadd described the state being uncooperative with helping the town establish the program, and then he described “technical difficulties” posing an issue for officials.
The mayor, at the latest meeting, expanded on the latter, explaining that there is a program the township uses to produce its tax bills and “apparently it is pretty unique what we were able to pull together, and in order to do that credit for just one quarter, it took several people besides township employees” to make the software compatible with what the town intended to do.
“It is a short-term fix if you will,” noted Gadd of the credit program. “Our tax is a school-board problem, and we need to do the best we can with that.”
Medford Council Pressed to Petition State and County to Impose Weight Restrictions and Install 2 New Stop Signs on Taunton Blvd. Concerns over Traffic Dangers in Residential Neighborhood Heightened by Recent Accident That Injured Off-Duty Female Officer Riding Bicycle
By Bill B onvie Staff Writer
MEDFORD—Demands that the Medford Township Council be more proactive in addressing the alleged hazards posed by a steady, heavy flow of both car and truck traffic on Taunton Boulevard once again took up a substantial part of the public comment period of the governing body’s most recent meeting on Sept. 17 in the wake of an off-duty female police officer having been recently injured while riding her bicycle there.
This time, James Shiffer, the de facto
leader of a group of residents of the Lake Pine neighborhood that has been pressuring local officials to initiate measures to mitigate the problem, asked that the council advocate with both Burlington County officials and the state Department of Transportation to have weight restrictions immediately imposed on vehicles using the road, as well as pressuring the county to have two three-way stop signs installed on Taunton Boulevard at the Maple Road and Spruce Drive intersections.
See PETITION/ Page 11
By Jenn lucas Staff Writer
MEDFORD LAKES—Each year brings change, so when something can endure 50 years, it is cause for celebration.
That is just what the ladies of the Medford Garden Club did last week to mark 50 years of the club’s existence.
Tables filled with photos and scrapbooks of days gone by, old friends reuniting, and a catered lunch were the highlights of the Garden Club’s 50th Anniversary Celebration last week.
Past presidents of the club from as far away as California made the trek to commemorate the club’s golden anniversary and walk down memory lane with old friends. They swapped stories about the fun they had through the years, as well as remembered the good times with members no longer around.
Catching up, they gushed over the hundreds of photos the club saves.
President Josie Carafano, who joined in 1984, said meeting people is definitely one of the highlights of the club.
“The best part is the friendships we make,” she said. “That and learning about plants and birds. It is the friendships, though, that are most important.”
Cecilia Bell, a 30-year member with
the club, noted that when she moved to the area, “I joined the Junior Woman’s League, and they were all younger women just starting families.”
“Then I joined the Women’s League, and they were all women in their 70s and 80s,” she continued. “Then I found the garden club and it is exactly where I fit in, and I’m still here today.”
Some past and current members met for the first time at the celebration, which is something Bell said she was excited to see.
“It is important there is a renewal and new blood, because if not, we tend to do the same things,” Bell declared. “It is difficult to find someone to take responsibility.
We used to be a big club, then after the pandemic, our numbers were down, but we’re rebuilding and are flourishing again.”
The group, which dropped to about 20 members post-pandemic, are rebounding with about 50 members now, according to Carafano, but are always looking to add more people.
To join, one can just attend the general meeting at 11:30 a.m., every third Wednesday of the month at Vaughn Hall, 79 Tecumseh Trail in Medford Lakes. It is open to anyone from the area, said member Janet Wolf.
During the meeting, people will learn a little bit about the club and its many projects,
as well as enjoy a lunch prepared by club members, which is something everyone looks forward to, according to Wolf.
“It is the one thing that changes, someone is the point person, they assemble a team and cook for everyone,” she said. “It is always a nice surprise to see what they come up with.”
Food and friendships may be a nice perk to the club, but when it comes down to it, the group is a service organization.
Numerous committees keep the group running smoothly and a team effort helps them raise money for scholarships with events like a Garden Tour. This year, Wolf said, they were able to award $1,000 each to two high school seniors going on to major
Medford Lakes to tour houses whose owners sign up to show off what they are growing. Volunteers from the club sit at the houses to talk plants and answer questions.
“It’s a very cherished event,” Bell said. “It brings in so many people from outside Medford Lakes here. It shows off our community and what we do as a club. It also gives people ideas for their own gardens.”
The group also works together each year to decorate a room at the Smithville Mansion, upkeep traffic circles, beautify the area, keep the garden around Vaughn Hall – where they meet – growing and take part in field trips monthly. That, in addition to enjoying a different lunch and different presentation on a different gardening-related topic each month.
To join, attend the Oct. 16 meeting or give Wolf a call at 210-913-0866.
Photos By Jenn Lucas
Christine Dalton pages through an old scrapbook at the Medford Lakes Garden Club’s 50th Anniversary Luncheon Sept. 18 at Vaughn Hall in Medford Lakes.
Involvement of Medford Councilwoman’s Son in Harris Sign Vandalism Gives Rise to Display of Indignation by Homeowner at Council Meeting Criminal Mischief Complaint Is Pursued by Resident Despite Bethany Milk’s Claim Her 13-Year-Old Received ‘Valuable Lesson’ in Respecting Others’ Property, Beliefs
By Bill B onvie Staff Writer
MEDFORD—The deliberate destruction by two youths of lawn signs promoting the presidential campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris, with those youngsters then having posted videos of what they had done on social media sites, became the subject of some acrimony at the Sept. 17 meeting of the Medford Township Council after one of those involved turned out to be the son of a member of the all-Republican council.
The incident was aired during a public comment session when David Forward, a local insurance agent whose efforts to provide war-torn Ukraine with ambulances was featured in this newspaper last year, after introducing himself, asked, “I was wondering what council is going to about vandalism of signs that are put on (private) lawns.”
After first clarifying with Mayor Charles “Chuck” Watson and Solicitor Tim Prime that he was referring to political signs, Forward proceeded to inquire whether it “is the position of council, that since we live in America, we do have the right to place signs on our property, regardless of which political party we are a proponent of?”
Prime’s response was, “Yes, we have an ordinance that allows political signs, signs of free expression without the need for permits,” which he said was based on case law and its constitutional aspects.
“That is comforting,” replied Forward, who followed that up with, “So, what would you do gentleman and ladies, when we have these acts of vandalism of punks that come along and destroy our signs?”
A trespassing complaint would need to be involved, Prime told him, filed against “somebody entering on (the property) of the person who has the sign.” The perpetrator, once found, could be prosecuted for a disorderly person offense, he noted, “but it is always tough to identify after the fact who did it.”
In this case, however, there was no doubt about the identity of the responsible party, as Forward was quick to point out.
“Except when the perpetrator’s name is Milk, and this is the video of one (him) Milk,” he said, proceeding to play the video in question on a portable recording device, in which the son of Medford Councilwoman Bethany Milk, who was sworn in earlier this year, can be seen and heard destroying one or more Kamala Harris for President signs along with a friend, and laughing about it—a recording that the youngster himself had subsequently posted on two social media sites.
“Isn’t that fun, ‘See you in the next one,’ as you heard him say,” continued Forward, noting that “as you heard him say, this is already the second round of destroying political signs within Birchwood and Oakwood. And then these punks have the unmitigated gall to post this on Facebook and to post this on TikTok. And this punk is the son of a member of town council, a person who is by her own social media records is an election denier and a January 6 denier… and what is this town going to do about behavior like this?” (Forward later told this newspaper that the denialism claims
had come from a neighbor of his, and he had not actually seen evidence of them, but that Councilwoman Milk did not deny it when he had brought it up.)
Prime replied, “Well Dave, the council can’t do anything. If you feel there has been a violation of the law and you have evidence, you have to see the Police Department, file a complaint and deal with it. It is not something that we can deal with.”
After thanking the solicitor, Forward noted the proximity of the police department, and said he planned to stop by there “in just a few seconds” and file a complaint, but not before taking the opportunity to further vent his indignation over what had occurred.
“I can’t believe this is Medford, New Jersey, that this sort of thing is happening,” he declared. “I know in the town where I grew up that if I had done this, my backside would still be painful after my parents got done with me. But instead, they celebrate it. I mean, putting aside the loss and the cost of the signs they completely destroyed, if you had seen this video up front, they didn’t just steal the signs, they picked up the signs, making disparaging remarks about the political candidate for president and then kicked it around the street. And if that wasn’t enough, they picked it out of the bushes and bent it in half and destroyed it. Welcome to Medford.”
When Forward then asked for comments, Watson replied, “Number one, that shouldn’t happen. I think that is a horrible thing. But we have no … we’ve passed ordinances, we have regulations on it, (but) we’re not part of enforcement.”
Prime then added, “An enforcement issue – that is what it is.”
Forward’s response was to thank the solicitor and reiterate that he would “go to the police.”
At this point, Bethany Milk, whose husband and son were both sitting quietly in the front row, with the father extending his arm around the boy’s chair, asked, “May I say something?”
“Thank you, sir, for your comment,” she began. “I certainly don’t condone this behavior at all, and it is not tolerated in my home. My son, he’s 13, he’s actually right here this evening with my husband, he wasn’t raised this way, and frankly its very embarrassing for me and for him. He has learned valuable lessons in regard to respecting others’ property and beliefs and the negative impacts of social media. So, my husband and I have addressed all these concerns with him, and all has been corrected. So, I won’t have any more concerns with him. And I won’t have any further comments on this matter.”
“So, thank you,” she concluded, adding, “It is a private matter, thank you.”
In reply to her statement, Forward asserted, “So, another denial,” to which the councilwoman responded, “No denial.”
At that point, Bethany Milk’s husband, addressing Forward from his seat, said, “I’m his father,” and asked, “Would you like to speak with me?”
Forward, at that point, can be heard replying, “Oh, after I talk to the police.”
See VANDALISM/ Page 12
Medford Twp. Schools Employee Charged with Extorting Nude Photos from Young Girls He Met Online, Having Allegedly Blackmailed Them
MEDFORD—A 24-year-old Delanco man, an employee of Medford Township Public Schools up until last week, is facing multiple child pornographyrelated charges after an investigation by the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office determined he was blackmailing young girls he met online into sending him nude images of themselves.
Bryce Berger was charged first-degree production of child sexual abuse material, second-degree possession with intent to distribute child sexual abuse material, second-degree distribution of child sexual abuse material, second-degree impairing/ debauching the morals of a child, thirddegree possession of child sexual abuse material, third-degree obscenity to a minor and third-degree sexual extortion.
Berger, according to the Prosecutor’s Office, was arrested the morning of Sept. 19 during the execution of a search warrant at his residence.
He was subsequently lodged in the Burlington County Jail, in Mount Holly, pending a detention hearing in Superior Court.
An investigation into Berger began after the Prosecutor’s Office received information concerning Berger’s online activities, according to a press release from the agency, and revealed that Berger used an online app to request and receive nude photos from underage girls, then threatened to post those nude images if they failed to send him additional photos.
The investigation further revealed that Berger sent sexually explicit images to victims, as well as images of child sexual abuse material to another person.
Investigators identified numerous victims ranging in age from approximately 12 to 17 years old.
Multiple electronic devices were seized during the arrest, the Prosecutor’s Office said, and will be examined by detectives
from the agency’s High-Tech Crimes Unit. The New Jersey State Police TEAMS Unit assisted the Prosecutor’s Office with the search warrant execution, with the investigation also involving the Delanco Township Police Department and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations –Cherry Hill Office.
The press release revealed that Berger had been employed by Medford Township Public Schools as a computer technician, with the release emphasizing the post he has held “is a non-instructional position, and he was not around students in an unsupervised capacity, school officials indicated.”
“It is not believed at this point that any of the victims were students at the school, although the investigation is continuing,” the Prosecutor’s Office maintained through the release.
Medford Township Schools
Superintendent Keira Scussa, in a letter to school parents and guardians, maintained the district was informed of the “allegations made against a district employee” on Sept. 19 and that “while we cannot disclose details at this time, the person is no longer with the district” and “we have taken immediate action to ensure this individual has no access to school buildings or property.”
“The employee at issue held a noninstructional position, which did not involve regular or unsupervised contact with children,” she contended. “We do not expect that there will be any disruption to your child’s learning environment as a result of this matter, and we want to assure you that the safety and well-being of our students remains our highest priority.”
Scussa referred any questions to the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office and vowed, “We are working closely with the authorities and will continue to offer our full cooperation.”
GOP 3rd District Candidate Mohan Calls on Rival Conaway to Resign from Health Posts Due to His Sponsoring of Restrictive Medical Bill Cardiologist Vying for Kim's Seat Accuses Assemblyman Opponent of Trying to Intrude on Patient-Doctor Relationship with ‘Misinformation’ Ban
By Bill B onvie Staff Writer
MOUNT HOLLY—A proposed new law whose main sponsor is Dr. Herb Conaway, the Democratic Assemblyman representing the 7th Legislative District who is now a candidate for the 3rd Congressional District seat being vacated by Democrat Andy Kim in the latter’s run for the U.S. Senate, has become the basis for a call from Conaway’s Republican rival, Dr. Rajesh Mohan, for him to step down from his posts as chair of the Assembly Health Committee and the Director of Public Health of Burlington County.
The legislation at issue, Assembly Bill No. 1884, would establish the “act of disseminating misinformation as professional misconduct for health care professionals.”
Should that become law, it would mean
OCT.
Events and special promotions happening locally next month!
OCT. WEEKENDS
Train Rides Through the Woods of New Gretna
Location: Bass River Twp.
Details: The Woods of New Gretna Park and the New Jersey Shore Live Steam Organization provide train rides for all each Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The small steam locomotives, and other trains, wind their way through the beautiful park. The rides are provided by a group of dedicated volunteers who have revitalized the park and laid out the railroad track, based on the historical Tuckerton Railroad. The volunteers maintain the railroad and walking trails and are constantly expanding them. Riding the trains is free, but donations are very much appreciated. The train rides are outdoors.
OCT. 6
Free Koins for Kids
Location: Lindenwold
Details: South Jersey Coin and Collectable Show will be held Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Moose Lodge, 2425 White Horse Pike (Rt. 30), Lindenwold. Admission and parking is free. There will be free door prizes, food and refreshments, over 30 friendly dealer tables. The show will be held on the first Sunday of each month during 2024. Dealers wanted! Security provided. For more information, call Tom at 609-742-2279, or visit southjerseycoinshow.com .
OCT. 8
Medford School Board Candidates Forum
Location: Medford Twp.
Details: Meet the four candidates for the Medford School Board on Tuesday, Oct. 8, at 7:30 p.m. The Forum will be held at Medford Leas Theater, 1 Medford Leas Way, Medford. OPEN TO ALL RESIDENTS OF MEDFORD TOWNSHIP.
OCT. 14
44th Annual Apple Festival
Location: Medford Twp.
medical practitioners who disseminate “any health-related claim of fact that is false and contradicted by contemporary scientific consensus contrary to the standard of care” would be subject to “discipline, penalties and possibly even a loss of their license to practice.”
Exactly what constitutes such “misinformation” and how such “professional misconduct” might be interpreted, however, has been a subject of considerable debate in recent years, especially in regard to advice given to patients about COVID-19 treatment and prevention measures, such as vaccines, masking and social distancing. In fact, a similar bill, which was signed into law in California, was rescinded last year after having been successfully challenged in Federal court.
Details: ShopRite of Medford is presenting the 44th Annual Medford Historical Society Apple Festival on Sat., Oct. 14, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will be held at Kirby’s Mill, 275 Church Rd., Medford. Browse over 120 custom crafters, great food, apple butter, apple baked goods, signature apple-cider donuts, and specially made apple ice cream! Live music will be playing throughout the day. Admission is free. Parking available on Fostertown Rd. and Jersey Acres Farm, Church and Eayerstown Rds.
NOV. 4 (DEADLINE)
Medford Arts Center’s Annual Poetry Contests
Location: Medford Twp.
Details: Medford Arts Center is having its 2024 Annual Poetry Contests. High School students attending schools in Burlington County may submit up to three poems per entrant to: poetrycontest@medfordarts.com , using 2024 High School Poetry Contest in the subject line and including name, address, high school, grade and contact number.
Residents of Burlington over the age of 18 may submit up to three poems per entrant to: poetrycontest@medfordarts.com , with 2024 Adult Poetry Contest in the subject line and including name, residential address and contact number. Submission Deadline: Monday, Nov. 4, 2024; Celebration of awards: Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. For more information, see medfordarts.com/poetry .
TROOPERS
(Continued from Page 1)
and kept people out of there,” he said of what is essentially a Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV).
Salvato did not say why access is no longer available, but this newspaper was later told by a spokesman for the state police that “the Polaris UTV used by Troopers at the Red Lion Station is currently undergoing repairs due to mechanical issues.”
But, he contended, the entity is “pretty much now responsive” to any complaints.
“By the time we get there, they are in the wind,” said Salvato of the off-road vehicle operators. “And we are not going to chase them on Ford Explorers.”
Salvato maintained he is “open to suggestions” in how the barracks can bring a resolution to the situation.
“It is important to us, a constant issue that we constantly talk about,” the lieutenant declared. “We are not ignoring it, and constantly talk about it. Believe me, because it is an issue every day.”
Shamong Township Administrator and Clerk Susan Onorato asked if it “helps” the agency that it is now “on paper” that State Troopers have permission to be on the property, from the property owner, described recently as being in his 80s and having had a hospital stay.
“It does, but we kind of knew that already,” Salvato answered.
If State Troopers “were to actually catch somebody there,” Salvato vowed, they “would enforce trespassing” provisions of the law.
“I have instructed the Troopers to just basically have zero discretion over there,” Salvato proclaimed. “If they ‘catch somebody, write them for it.’”
Salvato described, however, that catching the riders “has proven difficult.”
Some who have complained about illegal riding in the pit and adjacent former landfill have inquired whether a fence would be an effective deterrent.
“Fencing, I think, would help,” Salvato advised the committee. “It would not be an end all, be all. But would it help? Yeah.”
Salvato indicated he understood that a property owner may not want to invest any money in such a project, particularly given the size of the parcel in question, but recognized that it might be a worthwhile expenditure for the owner because the ongoing activity poses a “liability issue.”
“Maybe some pressure can be put (on him),” the lieutenant said.
A woman living in a nearby development, Stoney Creek, thanked the state police for
their recent efforts, declaring, “I know your hands are tied.”
“When you do respond, it is rapid, or as rapid as you can to get there,” she said.
The woman then turned to the Shamong committee and asserted it is important to recognize she and her family have been “dealing with this not for 10 days, or 10 months – but 10 years.”
“It is not just an issue, but a problem,” she said. “It has gotten me so upset, and it is now escalating to confrontations.”
The woman, who said she “doesn’t know a gunshot from a firecracker,” went on to describe that on a recent Thursday night, at around 11:30 p.m., she heard loud noise emanating from the pit. She said her husband, in response, “went outside in the pitch dark” to find fireworks visible from the tree line.
Ultimately, she said, “they ran out of the woods” as four State Troopers responded to the scene.
Three days later, she maintained, she was driving down Atsion Road, where the pit has frontage, when a “kid on a motorcross bike comes out and nearly flips my SUV.”
During the same week, in what was another purported incident the woman described, as she was traveling down Atsion Road, two ATVs purportedly came down the road with their “lights blinding us.”
An apparent confrontation ensued, the woman recounted, in which “one gentleman started yelling, ‘What the f*** are you looking at bi***,’ before purportedly being “chased home.” Instead of pulling into her driveway, the woman said, she drove around the area until state police arrived, with four State Troopers again responding around 9:30 p.m.
“Someone said, ‘You moved to Shamong. This is what you are going to get,’” the woman further recounted. “No, that is not what I signed up for! They are there every day! That is not a motorcross track over there!”
Signs and letters, she maintained, “aren’t going to do anything.” In light of the purported incidents, the woman said she called neighboring Waterford Township to learn how they prevent problems with offroad vehicle riding and racing at the former, abandoned Atco Dragway.
The woman said an official with Waterford described that in the event of troubles with a parcel, a lien is placed on the property, and fines are issued to the owner.
“That is what has to happen here!” the woman declared. “A fence needs to go up! So, when you do a roll up, there is something there to stop them. … I can’t even pull into my own driveway because I have these imbeciles trespassing!”
Photo Provided
Shamong Township Mayor Michael Di Croce meets several weeks ago with the station commander of the New Jersey State Police Red Lion Barracks, Lt. Chris Salvato.
STINK
(Continued from Page 1)
separate video clips from the incidents that apparently occurred on Jarvis Street both in August and September, in addition to a dozen “screen captures.”
But Bernacki, in a Sept. 22 phone interview with this newspaper (the councilman was absent from the Sept. 16 council meeting), maintained that what is depicted on the videos (despite his having not seen them, he said) is not what it seems to be to the untrained eye – rather, it is “potable water” coming down the street, part of which is a discharge that is typical when one opens a “cleanout port,” describing it in layman’s terms (despite pointing out he is not a plumber) as the “normal discharge of someone’s sewer failing,” and that the water seen running down the street is also mostly the aftermath of his cleaning what little material leaked out.
In some of the video clips, most of which were filmed during the late evening hours or during the overnight hours, Bernacki can be seen sometimes with a flashlight watching over the street as fluid runs along the curb and the stream of liquid slowly expands. On other occasions, he can be seen maneuvering a hose from his property (with a Pemberton Street address, despite part of it abutting Jarvis Street) into Jarvis Street, washing whatever is flowing down away, further downstream.
A sound can be heard in one of the clips as fluid is seen running down the street –Archer says it is the sound of a pump and the “flow increases” upon the sound being heard, but Bernacki denies a pump ever being used, and questioned whether it was from what he can later be seen doing in some of the other videos – power washing, which the councilman acknowledges doing.
Bernacki, in one of the incidents, is seen on video taking a regular shovel and running it through the fluid flowing down the street, scooping and scraping what Archer describes as “solid waste matter” and toilet paper that ran into the street.
In a second incident, Bernacki takes a snow shovel and again scrapes the side of the street where fluid is running down it.
Archer recorded video of Pemberton Borough crews power washing the street the day following one of the incidents.
On yet another occasion, Bernacki is filmed, with a flashlight in hand, taking a hose himself and washing the fluid down running along the curb, including in front of his neighbor’s porch.
In yet another instance, Bernacki takes a power washer, and power washes the fluid running in front of his neighbor’s home.
Bernacki, who acknowledged that “unfortunately, I have had issues with the plumbing – the main sewer line going from my home was clogged,” maintained to this newspaper that the “video provided is literally me cleaning the street.”
“I disposed of all that waste correctly,” he further contended.
He strongly disputed Archer’s assertion that sewage was being discharged into the street over a several hour period, and being done so by a pump, contending that it was only “water” seen in the video during the course of those hours, of which is “potable water of me washing down” the street “and cleaner.”
“I was trying to be a good neighbor,” maintained Bernacki of his having “done everything in my power to be a good neighbor” in “going above and beyond.”
When this newspaper pressed Bernacki as to whether there was any sewage at all in the street, and why cleaning of the street would be a necessity (with there appearing to be a stream of fluid before any washing took place), he answered that “a small amount of material came out” that ran down the street to about 150 yards, but emphasized it is a common occurrence with any kind of sewage backup.
“There was a small amount, which I cleaned immediately,” Bernacki asserted. “… It is the normal discharge of someone’s sewer failing.”
He further maintained that the backup in question occurred in a pipe that runs from his home to the main, adding that the homeowner is ultimately responsible for maintaining that particular pipe. The “physical clog,” he explained, was “underneath the street, multiple feet from my home.”
“When it backs up,” he contended to this newspaper, it does so “with potable water” and “not necessarily solid waste or anything like that.”
“You have to open up the line where the water comes out,” he said of when a backup occurs. “I washed it down with my hose water. I also pressure washed the whole street.”
According to Bernacki, he not only “immediately called the plumbers” when the clogs had happened, but also “the town was notified immediately.”
In some of the clips, Rapid Rooter can be seen coming and going from the Bernacki residence in the daytime. In one clip, a pair of men with shovels are seen walking the street in the daytime as more fluid runs down alongside it.
As of Sept. 22, the councilman told this newspaper, the whole main line was “cleaned out” of debris and is “working mostly” now, but he has been told it has “deteriorated” and it is why he has now signed a contract “for a licensed professional to get the line
replaced underneath the street, to the main, in the coming weeks.”
He emphasized the “line is not cracked” and maintained it is “flowing, functioning right now perfectly.”
“It is just deteriorating, and I am being proactive in having it replaced so a situation doesn’t happen like this again,” Bernacki said.
He called it an “unforeseeable event that happened” and one that will “most likely happen to every homeowner” at some point.
“I hope my neighbors take in the realization of the situation, that there was no intentional means behind this,” Bernacki said. “I did my best to handle it properly.”
But Archer told council that in addition
to what he says was fluid discharge into the street for a several hour period on various nights, “Councilman Bernacki personally deposited solid waste matter into the storm sewer on no less than four occasions.”
In providing later video to this newspaper, Archer described what is depicted as “Ben Bernacki can be seen using snow shovel to try and remove solid waste from (the) curb” and “Ben Bernacki can be seen depositing contents of the snow shovel directly in (a) storm drain at the corner of Jarvis Street and Pemberton Street.”
The video is difficult to make out given
See STINK/ Page 9
Photos Provided
On two separate occasions, using two different kinds of shovels, Councilman Ben Bernacki, of Pemberton Borough, scrapes the side of Jarvis Street. In one of the photos at upper left, he appears to have material in the shovel.
Ben Bernacki, a Pemberton Borough councilman, takes a hose to wash the side of Jarvis Street where sewage discharge is alleged to have occurred.
STINK
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darkness and vegetation blocking the full view, but Bernacki appears to be in the vicinity of where a storm grate is located at the intersection of Pemberton and Jarvis streets (in comparing the camera angle with Google maps), and you can hear sound that is consistent with scraping or shuffling, before he makes a bending over motion toward the ground. But it is not clear what Bernacki is doing at that point in time.
Archer, however, conveyed to this newspaper he is convinced that the councilman is in fact discarding what he collected with his shovel into the grate.
“These actions violated not only local, state, and federal law, but demonstrated a blatant disregard for public health and safety, as well as the welfare of our environment,” declared Archer to borough council. “As such, I have several questions I believe this community needs answering.”
Among the questions Archer posed to council on Sept. 16 were:
“At what point did this municipality become aware of the illicit discharge of domestic sewage onto a public street directed toward stormwater inlets?
Was municipal staff directly involved in the unlawful discharge of domestic sewage on a public street and into the stormwater inlets, in direct violation of the requirements of the MS4 permit?
Was this municipality aware of the manual depositing of solid waste matter directly into the stormwater inlets by the councilman?
What efforts were made by this municipality to reduce, remediate, and eliminate the illicit connections to the stormwater inlet immediately upon discovery, as required by the MS4 (the acronym stands for municipal separate storm sewer systems) permit?
Were the illicit connections to the stormwater inlets reported to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) within two hours of discovery, as required by NJ Admin Code §7:14A6.10?
Will this municipality enforce the ordinances required by the MS4 permit? Both ordinances 2019-05 and 2005-16 were violated multiple times during the unlawful activity. As of Sept. 6, the public records show no indication that enforcement has occurred. Was the Department of Health made aware of wastewater contamination, as recommended by the NJDEP?
Why was no notification of the wastewater contamination provided to residents,
allowing them to take the necessary steps to avoid contaminated areas? Multiple residents were seen passing through potentially contaminated areas on the days following the unlawful discharge.
Will this municipality take any steps to remediate the wastewater residue from the street? Previous attempts by this municipality to remediate on the 28th (only after a public inquiry into the substance on the street) have been wholly inadequate, as decaying toilet paper can still be seen on the street today, including after a discharge last night with volumes of toilet paper down Jarvis Street.
Will this municipality take any steps to educate the public on the purpose and limitations of the stormwater inlets to avoid future incidents?”
Republican Mayor Bonnie Haines, chairing the Sept. 16 council session, in answering the first question posed by Archer about when did municipal officials learn of the situation, responded, “For me, it would be right now,” before letting out a laugh.
When Archer posed the second question, the mayor asked, ”Was there a sewer backup?”, to which Archer retorted, “He did have a sewer backup, but that doesn’t excuse …,” causing Haines to respond, “I am not saying that it does.”
When the third question was posed by Archer charging the councilman dumped excrement down the sewer, Haines responded, “I was not” aware, to which Archer offered to show the mayor a “picture” and declaring that it “was done by shovel.”
When it was asked by Archer whether the municipality would be taking enforcement actions, Haines questioned whether the situation has been reported to the NJDEP, to which Archer said it was reported.
The rest of Archer’s questions received no answers, with Haines contending she is “not aware” of the answers because “I am learning of this just now.”
Borough Solicitor David Serlin only requested a copy of the statement to be entered into the record.
About 15 minutes after this newspaper’s interview with Bernacki, GOP Councilwoman Diane Fanucci, who frequently cleans township streets of litter as a volunteer and is known to hold those to account who litter or improperly discard waste, phoned this newspaper to say, “You know me, I have a giant eagle eye” and, “There is no there, there,” maintaining that she was on Jarvis Street two times and “didn’t witness raw sewage or a pump.” She did say she observed some white residue on the street, but maintained it was “all dry” and is consistent with the “residue”
OCTOBER 5, 2024
8:00 AM to 12 Noon
Have junk laying around your home? A public area around your home that needs to be cleaned up? Confidential papers to be shredded? Bring old tires (limit 12 tires, no oversized tires), paint cans with lids, household hazardous waste, concrete, bricks, lumber, etc. to the Public Works Yard (located behind the Municipal Bldg. at 500 Pemberton Browns Mills Road, Pemberton, NJ 08068) for one day FREE disposal.
No gasoline or unidentifiable material accepted.
Note: Intact televisions, computers, waste motor oil and scrap metal may be brought to the Public Works Yard for free during normal yard hours. Pemberton Township Residents Only-No Businesses
Any questions please call 609-836-5258 or visit our website at www.pemberton-twp.com
Oct. 19, 2024 Meet at Browns Mills Firehouse. Nov. 2, 2024 Meet at Presidential Lakes Firehouse Nov. 9, 2024 Meet at Nesbit Center.
Clean-ups are from 8 am to 12 pm
Supplies are provided including a free t-shirt 609-836-5258 dmcbreen@pemberton-twp.com Take advantage of a Clean Communities’ mini-grant and earn money for your non-profit group or organization cleaning up litter and debris from targeted Pemberton Township roadways. 609-836-5258 dmcbreen@pemberton-twp.com
RECYCLING CART
PLACEMENT
The bar on the recycling cart must face toward the street. Residents on dead-end streets - if your home is on the right side of the street, going toward the dead-end, the cart must be placed on the opposite side of the street.
Photo Provided
A Pemberton Borough worker power washes Jarvis Street the day following an incident there of purported sewage running down along the curb.
TROOPERS
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And the owner of Murphy’s Pit, she charged, “is not maintaining the property safely and securely for decades now.”
A next-door neighbor of the woman attested that on the night of the fireworks being launched, there were “three to four cars full of teenagers” at the pit.
Di Croce – in making some news in the process – announced that he is now representing, as an attorney in his day job, “several kids charged allegedly with starting a forest fire July 4,” or the “substantial” Tea Time Hill Wildfire on the border of Tabernacle and Woodland townships, before asserting of those who launched fireworks at Murphy’s Pit, “at least these boys and girls had a sense to go out where there is no forest” that could be ignited.
“I am not condoning it, but at least it is smart,” added Di Croce, to which the individual shot back, “It is not smart to go past a no trespassing sign!”
But a man in the Stoney Creek development, who maintained he is probably closest to the pit, voiced that he is “surprised it seems to be such a big deal,” maintaining it is so “very infrequent I hear them,” and of the concerns, “I think it is frankly overblown.”
“I don’t hear them very often,” he maintained
RIVAL
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In a press release issued this week, Mohan, a Holmdel (Monmouth County)based physician with experience as a hospital administrator, refers to the bill as being “antipatient, anti-science and anti-health care,” which he claims would “punish” physicians for “deviating from ‘contemporary scientific consensus’ and would take medical science back to the medieval age when scientists, medical practitioners, and innovators were silenced and punished.”
Mohan, who has had no previous political experience, characterized Bill 1884 as being “another intrusion by the state into the sacred patient-doctor relationship perpetrated by career politician Conaway,” adding, “For these reasons and a pattern of behavior that has been extremist and tyrannical on families in Burlington County, and not based on scientific facts, he must resign.”
But Mohan went much further in his criticism, alleging that his rival “has been supported by big pharmaceutical companies and insurance companies” and that “apparently, his proposals have aligned with the agendas” of those interests, “making him their asset.” Conaway, he charged, “was also one of the main forces behind implementing mandatory masking of children, school shutdowns, and closing down hiking trails in Burlington County” as the county’s approximately $150,000-a-year director of public health, initiatives Mohan maintained “were not based on proven scientific facts, in ham-headed attempts to prevent the spread of Covid.” Among the “cruel policies” he blamed Conaway for implementing was keeping family members of patients from visiting their sick and dying relatives who were admitted to hospitals during Covid. Mohan also accused Conaway of favoring
of the riders. “And I don’t have any problem with them riding back there. Occasionally, at night, they will light off fireworks, but is no big deal and lasts a few minutes. Kids are kids, and they are going to do that.”
The man, a 30-year resident of Shamong, recounted that in the 90s “there was a lot more activity in the pit.”
He also apologized to Salvato for the state police “getting pulled into” the situation. As for a fence, the man maintained, the youth will “probably find a way to get around it, anyway.”
“There are probably bigger issues for this committee to work on,” the man maintained.
The man’s responses, however, led Di Croce to question who lives in his home, and after describing he has a daughter, the man asserted, “Kids will grow up, move on, such as life!”
Another man maintained the kids using the pit are “very respectful, nice kids” and the outdoors is “why I moved to Shamong, because I wanted my kids to experience it.”
“Being out in the woods is a good step to leading a good life as kids, and they are avoiding drugs,” the individual declared, adding he “personally likes hearing the sounds of bikes” traversing the outdoors.
The man pressed those complaining to describe what is “another alternative,” before asserting, “I hope nobody thinks to waste our tax money to putting up more barriers!”
Kids having fun, he added, is “a great thing” and is “why I moved to Shamong 18 years ago,” asserting, “I don’t see it as a problem.”
“lazy, knee-jerk reactions instead of using any coherent thought process in solving pandemic-related issues,” and of “adopting draconian shutdowns and policies that were not based on medical science,” as well as of having “pushed paper as a lawyer and adopted bureaucratic measures while setting aside his ‘doctor mindset’ in solving healthcare problems.”
This, he said, has led to children having suffered “immeasurable harm” due to not attending school as well as to businesses shutting down, never to reopen.
Then, touching on the congressional campaign, Mohan further castigated his opponent for now “shamelessly” attempting to “take his radical, bureaucratic mindset to Washington, D.C.,” after “hurting families and children in Burlington County with his policies based on quackery rather than medical science.”
“He must be stopped and retired,” Mohan contended.
Conaway, when contacted by the Pine Barrens Tribune and asked if he wished to respond to his adversary’s allegations, said he would do so only briefly.
“My service has been about advancing public health, and that mission relies on evidence-based information to enable people to make good healthcare decisions for themselves as individuals and the public at large,” he declared. “And misinformation is damaging to that mission.”
When asked why he was now introducing this particular legislation at a time when the Coronavirus Pandemic and the restrictions and mandates associated with it are largely in the rear-view mirror, Conaway responded that “the legislation was introduced some time ago, and that there are broad issues that fall under the rubric of public health and the biggest challenge we face is disseminating reliable, evidence-based information so that the public may be informed as to how to advance their health.”
A third man agreed, maintaining one is “asking for a big problem chasing kids down,” fearing that if that happens, “they are going to end up getting hurt or killed.”
“I moved out here, in the country, to be away from the city,” the individual added. “I moved out here to enjoy the country and not be in a city where ‘any noise’ is a problem, or everyone is trying to control everything.”
The grandmother of the third speaker, however, provided a middle ground in conveying she only “partially agrees with him,” or her grandson.
“If I am not mistaken, there have been serious injuries, in the past, at that pit,” the grandmother recounted. “You also have to be respectful of other people’s property.”
The woman suggested that “maybe a group needs to get together and put in a place for them” to ride their off-road vehicles legally, being there is no official point around the area to do that, and that she feels given any locale would be sort of on its own, “it would make money.”
Di Croce revealed that he recently observed some teenagers back in the pit, along with two dads back there. He recounted being “very comfortable going back” there and asking them to leave, and in doing so, the dads told him they would “‘rather have our kids do this, rather than doing drugs, or being in therapy or whatever,’” but would comply with the request of the mayor for them to not “come back.”
However, one man in opposition to off-road
“It is my view that physicians in particular have a moral responsibility to speak truthfully, to speak in ways that advance evidence-based practice,” he said. “I don’t think anybody would argue with that.”
As for whether he knew that a law
vehicles riding on the property, responded to the mayor by calling it a “false choice.” He also took issue that the property has not been redeveloped as promised, believing it would curtail a lot of what is happening, with Steve Raymond, a substitute solicitor, revealing regular Municipal Solicitor Doug Heinold has now called for a meeting with the prospective developers.
But the man caused the mayor to respond, “You can’t chase them in the roads, as they’ll crash into a tree and then there are liability issues.”
And when the Shamong mayor mentioned there has been activities with noise at a gun club and Atco as well over the years, the man shot back, “They are a registered business. This is not a registered business! This is trespassing!”
The final person to speak on the topic recounted having moved to Shamong in 1985 when “back then, Murphy’s Pit was an off-road tract.”
“They used to line up on the street,” he maintained. “I think it has slowed down. And I think that is why people moved out here – to enjoy the outdoors.”
After pointing to recent, purported ATV thefts in town, the man declared, “I think we need to figure out who is stealing property, and breaking into the barriers of our homes, and fields and try to shut that down.”
“I think Troopers need to spend more time catching the bad guys, rather than drive up to a pit,” the man concluded.
drafted along similar lines had to be retracted last year in California, Conaway would only say that he was generally aware that different states will take various approaches in attempting to solve “the many problems facing society.”
STINK
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of power washing.
But Fanucci did acknowledge she was not there during the nighttime occurrences in question as she “does not clean streets in the dark,” so she could not attest to what happened at that time, but can say the streets are clean with no evidence of sewage or toilet paper. She added the borough has problem properties, but Bernacki’s is not one of them and that the councilman actually takes great pride in the care of his parcel.
The councilwoman added that there have been other sewage backups before in the borough and, “yeah toilet paper gets out.”
“Someone had a backup on Hough (Street), and nobody ever cleaned it,” she maintained of her previous public railing against toilet paper being in the street for a while.
But Archer, at the Sept. 16 council session in maintaining there is still toilet paper left behind and issues, declared, “I am not having it,” further asserting, “This is unacceptable.”
Haines recognized, “I can see that.”
“All council members have a responsibility to avoid conduct that violates their public trust,” Archer said. “The unlawful discharge of domestic sewage and explicit deposit of solid waste into storm inlets only serves to degrade that trust. I cannot emphasize enough how the unquestionably vile actions of Councilman Bernacki demonstrated a complete disregard for public health and safety, as well as the welfare of the environment. The residents deserve better.”
Archer, following the meeting, provided this newspaper with correspondence between him and the NJDEP.
The state agency, in a Sept. 18 formal letter response, thanked him for notifying the state of the incidents alleged to have occurred, including on Aug. 26, Aug. 27 and Sept. 15. (Archer maintained to this newspaper and the council an incident also
PETITION
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“We also want to develop a method of providing Lake Pine residents with a follow-up on our conversation on what to do about the roadway,” he said, as well as forming a committee made up of township council, county and police department representatives, along with two or three neighborhood residents “to meet and discuss issues and solutions to the current roadway problems.”
Shiffer also told the council he had already been in contact with the NJDOT, the governor’s office, and county officials in regard to the proposed weight restrictions and “to ask that speed limit be lowered to 25 mph on Taunton Boulevard and 30 mph on Taunton Road.”
While extending his thanks to “the local authorities, and specifically the Medford Police Department, for their recent attention to the speeding concerns of our residents,” and noting that “we have observed a noticeable increase in their presence,” Shiffer told the council members that “you can be sure we won't be taking our collective feet off the gas pedal” to achieve what he called “sustainable results in this matter.”
He added that he was particularly concerned that a police officer had been injured on the road in question, and “had that been a child without a helmet not
had occurred on Sept. 4.)
“On Sept. 11, 2024, and Sept. 17, 2024, staff from the Southern Bureau of Water Compliance and Enforcement conducted investigations of these incidents,” wrote Bureau Chief Bryan C. Barrett. “At this time, there will be no further action, because there is no ongoing discharge. We do appreciate your due diligence in notifying us of the incidents.”
The letter from the NJDEP to Archer concluded that “should you need to notify the department of any further incidents or complaints, please contact our 24-hour hotline at 1-877-WARN-DEP,” and “if you have any health concerns regarding these incidents, please direct those concerns to the Burlington County Health Department.”
Specific questions, it was added, about the Borough’s MS4 stormwater system or sanitary sewage collection system should be directed to Pemberton Borough Administrator Kathy Smick, identified as a “Stormwater Program Coordinator,” as well as the borough’s Water and Sewer Department.
It is not immediately clear whether the NJDEP conducted any groundwater testing in response to the report.
Bernacki, in the phone interview with this newspaper, described his neighbor as a “disgruntled neighbor” and both he and Archer acknowledged to this newspaper that there is a “history” and they do not get along. Archer contended that the police had asked both parties to simply avoid each other, but “this particular event was too much to stomach, and I felt compelled to speak out publicly about it.”
(As one of the videos depicts, both men encountered each other as Bernacki power washed on the evening of Sept. 18, and after shaking hands, got into a confrontation in the middle of Jarvis Street shortly after Bernacki asked about the “root of the issue” between the families, to which Archer offers it began over a dispute about a tree branch. Bernacki asks why Archer and his family can’t be helpful, given the circumstances, like the rest of the
trained to ride on a road like that, it could have been a devastating circumstance.”
The amount and variety of heavy trucks exceeding the speed limit on Taunton Boulevard, especially in the last few years, was something Shiffer indicated he found especially alarming. The one thing none of those involved in the initiative had observed, he contended, was any construction vehicles, 18-wheel tractor trailers, car carriers, propane tankers, or “a dump truck going 50 or 60 miles an hour at 5 a.m.” being issued a ticket.
“I don’t think that has occurred, so we would like to see that effort stepped up” he asserted. “I’m in the back room of my house and the house shakes. And if they weren’t speeding and hitting those manhole covers, I would not even know they were there.”
Shiffer further promised to “make an audio tape” of the noise generated by that traffic and play it for the council members at the next meeting, and asked if anyone knew anything about what appeared to be an independent contractor who was “power-washing” a section of Taunton Boulevard one morning and waving traffic away, wanting to know if he was using a chemical, perhaps to wash away oil and grease. But when asked by a council member if he had made such an inquiry, he acknowledged he hadn’t, adding that perhaps he should have.
Also speaking before the council was a Taunton Boulevard resident who gave her name as Michelle Samiano and said she had
neighbors, to which Archer maintains the councilman is violating “the state law” as the discharge is running toward an inlet. The confrontation intensifies when Archer informs Bernacki he “is on video” seen “scooping up sh**” having “dumped it into the sewer grate,” having allegedly done so four times. When Archer vows “we’re not going to get along,” and tells Bernacki to stop “dumping sh** in the street, the councilman then denies having done so, and when Archer proclaims, “That’s what happened,” Bernacki can be seen taking his hands and wiping his face in apparent distress. Archer than walks away, saying, “There is nothing to talk about,” with Bernacki asking how he “would handle the situation,” maintaining he contacted four companies for help.)
Bernacki said he wanted to emphasize to readers “as this was going on” with sewage
lived there since December. While “30 mph might not seem fast on paper,” she maintained, “in an area where kids are playing, dogs are being walked, and people are constantly crossing the street, it is too fast.”
To illustrate her point, Santiano said she had done some research on reaction times that showed it takes about 88 feet for a driver to stop at 30 mph, whereas at 25 mph, that is reduced to 62 feet “and that difference could be the key to preventing an accident like what happened a few weeks ago.” In addition, she said, “when you’re driving slower, you can actually see more of what is happening around you.”
“We’re not asking for much, just a slight adjustment to keep us safe,” said Samiano, who contended that the installation of a radar sign flashing at 31 mph “definitely has made a difference” in causing motorists to slow down sooner.
Another spokesperson for the group, Mary Lucas, cited the mishap involving the policewoman as exactly the sort of occurrence it has been attempting to avoid.
“We’re here again to not necessarily plead our case,” she told the council, but to point out that “you have the responsibility of the protection and safety of the people. And that is why we’re going to be here every time until something is done to help correct this problem.”
Lucas described as “incredible” the amount of noise and vibration from over 12,000 cars and heavy trucks a day, noting
backing up into his home to the point toilets would not flush and sink drains would not drain, “the rest of my community, minus one, all stopped by, offered support, and told me how great” he has been with handling the situation and property upkeep in general, describing that he had invested in his backyard only to have “tear up the whole side yard” because of the incidents.
“It was an unforeseeable event,” Bernacki declared. “I live in an old town, and this is bound to happen at some point to people, and I hope they are not treated this way by their neighbors, because it is a costly event and stressful situation.”
The councilman ended the interview by recognizing this reporter has a job to do to report on the contents of the meeting, and apologized to this reporter for this “having to deal with this” over a “disgruntled neighbor.”
that “now with the school buses back and children waiting to be picked up, the safety issues are further multiplied.”
“It’s gone on too long, we’ve provided all the information that we possibly can, and what we’re looking for is not costly,” she declared, adding that she had worked in government all her life and “I know you’re looking for the bottom line.”
“The bottom line in this is that we are trying to save lives, and what we are proposing is not costly,” Lucas added. “And I hope that some action is taken very soon.”
In other business, the council unanimously approved on second reading an amended version of the township’s “tree removal and replacement” ordinance to allow for the emergency removal of trees that pose an immediate hazard to people or property as a result of such weatherrelated events as hurricanes, windstorms, floods and freezes without the need for permits, fees or replacement trees.
In answer to a question from the Pine Barrens Tribune , Medford Township Solicitor Timothy Prime said that means a homeowner is permitted to remove a hazardous tree without having to go through the process of applying for a formal permit to do so. The township, however, can only do so if a particular tree poses an imminent danger to the public.
Photo Provided
The moment Councilman Ben Bernacki (back to camera) is confronted by a neighbor and told he is allegedly on video depicted to be discarding sewage into a storm inlet.
Worship Guide
VANDALISM
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In a subsequent phone interview with the Pine Barrens Tribune, Forward, said he is actually a Republican but not a Trump supporter, and claimed the boy’s father had made no further attempt to discuss the matter with him.
In fact, he said, it was the family’s failure to communicate with him and offer an apology in person or offer any restitution for the cost of the two destroyed signs (which he said he has reordered at $40 each), along with Councilwoman’s Milk’s remarks, that he claimed prompted him to file a criminal mischief charge against their son.
“It stopped being a private matter, madam, when your son trespassed on my property and performed criminal mischief,” he told this newspaper by way of offering a reply to her speech at the meeting.
The boy’s parents, Forward further contended, had known for about a week that he had engaged in this conduct, and whose house was involved and that he had posted his actions on the social media sites, but “never bothered to knock on my door and apologize.”
“They obviously thought their son’s actions could be hidden by taking the video down,” he maintained.
On one of the videos, he noted, “You can hear them saying our house is No. 2, on to the next one, adding, “So, this clearly is a pattern,”
“If that were my son, who is certainly not perfect,” I would have marched him over to the victim’s house and said, ‘This is my son, and he has something to say to you,’” Forward said. “In addition, he would have
asked how much the damage came to “so we can reimburse you.’ To me, that is the most basic tenet of civil decency.”
Forward added that he regarded “a person with integrity” as someone “who is proactive about apologizing and reaching out to somebody’ who has been adversely affected, whereas Bethany Milk apparently thought “let’s just hope nobody finds out.”
As a result of the incident, he said, “We had to go out and buy a couple of cameras to put in strategic places,” because while he certainly hoped there wouldn’t be any more such behavior from the councilwoman’s son, “who knows what his MAGA friends might do to retaliate?”
As of Sept. 25, Forward said in reply to a question, the police had not yet scheduled any action on his criminal mischief complaint.
In a Sept. 25 email to this newspaper, Bethany Milk offered several responses “on behalf of our family” to Forward’s allegations, which she said came from her husband, inasmuch as “this is not a Medford Township Council matter” but “purely a private family matter.”
In his reply, Michael Milk said it was “absolutely false” that he failed to attempt to meet with Forward after the latter’s visit to the police station, indicating that the reverse had occurred.
“My son and I waited nearly two hours after the close of the council meeting to speak with Mr. Forward,” he wrote. “During those two hours, we saw Mr. Forward outside and in the lobby and approached him twice to have a conversation. Mr. Forward brushed me and my son off, saying ‘Not right now, I am meeting with the police.’ We continued to wait until he was done meeting with the officer to file his complaint.”
Eventually, he said, an officer came out to the lobby where he and his son had continued to wait, asking why they were still there. He said it was only then that they learned that Forward was the owner of a home where the signs had been vandalized, “which was never disclosed in the council meeting nor at any other time.”
“It is important to note that this is the first time that my family was informed that Mr. Forward was the homeowner,” Michael Milk noted in his email. “At the time, I asked the officer to go back to Mr. Forward and remind him that we were still waiting to talk and wanted to offer an apology, ask for forgiveness, and make amends. The officer did what was asked and returned saying that he relayed the message to Mr. Forward and ‘he did not want to speak with either me or my son.’”
Bethany Milk’s comment about it being a private matter, he said, “was in reference to how our son was being reprimanded and corrected only,” he said.
Had they known he was the affected homeowner, “my son would have apologized and made an offer to replace the signs, just like we were trying to do after the council meeting when Mr. Forward agreed to speak
with us, but apparently changed his mind.” Michael Milk also claimed that his son’s behavior on the video was “the second and last incident,” rather than a “pattern.”
“My family was made aware of the other home involved by police when the officer spoke to us,” he maintained. “We asked the officer if our family could have the contact information for the homeowner to offer an apology and correct the situation, but the homeowner declined, stating that there was no need and was relieved that it was just some kid and not an adult.
“Knowing that Mr. Forward knew of my son, I would have expected a grown adult and father to contact the parents directly to rectify the matter instead of coming to a council meeting in a clear attempt to embarrass my wife and make it a political issue where it was clearly a matter of a child making a poor decision,” Michael Milk concluded. “Additionally, Mr. Forward called my son names twice at the public meeting while my son was sitting right next to him. While I understand Mr. Forward’s anger, I would have expected better decorum from him, especially when it comes to referring to a child.”
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Speaking of Hoffman, at the latest Sept. 17 committee session, Vincent Fire Company Chief Scott Mitchell announced that she has been made an honorary life member of the fire company for her assistance to the entity during her administrator tenure.
Mitchell also shared “good news that we were able to secure another federal grant” on Aug. 16. This particular grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to the Vincent Fire Company, which is the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG), according to Mitchell, is for $62,561 to allow the fire company to purchase new hose.
But the fire chief pointed to a recommendation that has been made that all of its hose line, with the exception of what came with the last rescue engine purchased back in 2014, be replaced in “lump sum,” with quotes averaging from around $64,000 to $95,000.
“I don’t want to buy the cheapest,” Mitchell said. “I am asking for the middle of the road, not the Lamborghini, either.”
New hose should last 20 to 30 years, according to Mitchell, with the fire chief discussing his belief that new hose that isn’t the
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“I am asking for $3,000 to $30,000 from the township (on top of the grant),” said Mitchell, pointing out the $3,000 figure would be for the “economy” hose.
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“big believer in long-range planning” and expressed that in moving forward, the township/fire company should probably “buy a few lengths of hose” every year.
Mitchell, who added that Vincent Fire Company’s efforts have resulted in the entity receiving 13 grants totaling $382,000 over the past five years for needed equipment that didn’t require township support, was directed to get in contact with Umba for the next steps.
Raftery, meanwhile, questioned Mitchell if there was cooperation between Vincent and the Hampton Lakes Fire Company, the latter which also serves the township.
“There were many offers,” responded Mitchell, further maintaining he can only control his fire company and coordinate the best that he can, pointing out that there is extensive paperwork involved to make application for grants.
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Following a lengthy exchange about the working relationship of Vincent and Hampton Lakes, Raftery declared, “I would like to see some cooperation.”
Raftery, during the Sept. 17 session, also declared that obtaining a highway “electrical sign” to display township announcements on rotation outside the municipal building is “long past due.” The township has three signs currently at the Robert L. Thompson Municipal Building, and one is a small electronic sign that displays announcements, but Raftery asserted he wants to see one that is appreciably larger, the likes of one used by Hainesport Township.
Again, Mikulski asked municipal staff to get prices for evaluation. Umba said there are companies that install the signs for no charge to townships, so long as they can display advertising, which they sell, on every third or fourth display, and that he would look to see if he can find one of those firms.
With respect to the potential expenditures Raftery and Mitchell proposed Sept. 17, it was noted that one thing that now may make things easier for
the township to move forward with such projects is that Chief Financial Officer Kinjal Patel is now a Qualified Purchasing Agent (QPA), which enables the township to award projects up to $44,000 without having to go out to bid, versus $17,000.
Deputy Mayor Ron Heston, meanwhile, railed on utility companies, particularly a local water company, for purportedly making road openings and not maintaining the opening sites afterwards once they “throw cold patch in.” One “nice hole” that has developed, as he put it, exists on Retreat Road, a short distance away from the township building.
Umba said he would have the township engineer evaluate the area of concern, because under certain circumstances, a utility would be required to potentially repave the area. (The municipality is served by two water companies – New Jersey American Water and Pinelands Water –Heston later told this newspaper that the issue entails American Water and explained it is near where a standpipe had been.)
The township has long required road opening permits and the posting of a bond, but Heston maintained it is his understanding that a state Board of Public Utilities (BPU) directive has since waived the need for utilities to go through
the complete road opening process that is required by municipalities, specifically, having to post a bond to the township, which would essentially obligate the utility to complete patch work to the municipality’s satisfaction within a certain timeframe.
However, this newspaper could not immediately find any such directive, which Heston said he was told about back in 2012, and BPU Press Secretary Bailey Lawrence told this newspaper on Sept. 25 that, “No, the BPU has not issued any guidance on this matter,” when asked if utilities have been granted a waiver.
Resident Evelyn “Evie” Doherty, who lives in the LeisureTowne retirement community of Southampton, also during public comment, questioned whether there is anything the township can do in regard to purported recent water rate hikes implemented by Pinelands Water Company, maintaining her latest bill for only one quarter amounted to $521, despite her having no lake and only using a sprinkler on occasion.
She maintained it “used to be every three years” that an increase would be passed on to water system users, but “this is the second year in a row with an increase.”
“It is mindboggling,” Doherty declared. “It is not as much about me – I care about
the other people on fixed incomes.” Mikulski recounted the township having opposed a recent rate hike when a recent petition was before the BPU.
“There is not much we can do,” the mayor said. “We are not a big enough town to shop around.”
Heston maintained that according to a Notice of Filing, the rates are rising because the company wants to undertake underground infrastructure improvements, pointing to a project now occurring on Dorchester Drive in LeisureTowne as an example.
(Later in the session, in regard to the Dorchester Drive project, Bill Cozzi, president of the LeisureTowne Board of Trustees, described that the water company is actually asking the homeowners association to lend it property to store hydrants, and in return, the firm would “give us an apron to our lot,” which he described as a “plus for us in giving us access to our property,” adding he hoped the township would have no issues.)
“The BPU is granting them one-year increases,” Heston maintained.
Umba’s advice to Doherty was to “make sure your toilet is not leaking,” contending that has “always been the culprit in other towns” of higher than normal water bills.
Hasson CFSP, Manager
Carl J. Hasson CFSP, Manager NJ Lic #4180