Pine Barrens Tribune October 26, 2024-November 1, 2024

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Vol. 8 – No. 45

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The News Leader of the Pines

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FR EE

October 26 - November 1, 2024

‘TO KNOW THE PULSE OF THE PEOPLE’

BurlCo’s ‘Addiction Crisis’ Takes Center Stage in Race for County Commissioners GOP Candidates Charge BurlCo Suffers Affordability, Cost-of-Living Crises, Too, as Democrats Respond with How They’ve Addressed Affordability and Public Safety

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

Photo By Tom Valentino

Rajesh Mohan, a practicing interventional cardiologist running as the Republican candidate for the Third Congressional District seat being vacated by Democratic Rep. Andy Kim, speaks to voters after a LeisureTowne forum on Oct. 16.

Cardiologist Rajesh Mohan, GOP Hopeful for State’s Open Third Congressional District Seat, Joins with Green Party, Libertarian and Independent Candidates Also Vying for House Seat in Introducing Themselves to Voters at LeisureTowne Forum; Democrat Rival Notably Absent

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

SOU T H A M P TON — C a rd iolog i st Rajesh Mohan, a Republ ican from Monmouth County hoping to flip New

Jersey’s Third Congressional District seat for the U.S. House of Representatives from blue to red for the first time since 2019, as the current holder, Rep. Andy Kim, mounts a Democratic bid for an open U.S.

Senate seat, told voters who gathered for the high-profile LeisureTowne Candidates Forum in Southampton Township on Oct. 16, “no pun intended, I pride myself to See PEOPLE/ Page 10

SOUTHAMPTON—An “addiction crisis” in Burlington County, and how to best address it, took center stage during the Burlington County Board of Commissioners section of a Candidates’ Forum held Oct. 16 in the LeisureTowne s e ct ion of Southa mpton Tow nsh ip, with at least two of the four candidates vying for two seats up for grabs on the com missioner’s board revealing how addiction has hit close to home.

Johnathan Duff, a 24-year-old insurance ad m i n istrator from Southampton Township, one of two Republicans looking to break up the Democrats’ absolute hold on the board, described that he was “raised by a single mother, because when I was eight years old, my father struggled with drug addiction and had left us with a broken home.”

“And yet, my mother worked very hard to give me a better life than she had,” asserted Duff, originally from Medford Lakes.

Duff maintained that the “reality of the situation in Burlington County, today, is that there are now 116 percent more people dying of drug overdoses than there were See CRISIS/ Page 11

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Business Directory................................. 22 Christmas Countdown.............................. 6 Event Calendar....................................... 19 Halloween Countdown............................. 4

Local News............................................... 2 Marketplace & Job Board....................... 20 Worship Guide........................................ 24

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Saturday, October 26, 2024

Browns Mills Fire Call-Turned-‘Active Shooter’ Situation Ends with Suspect Dead Following Shootout, Officials Say

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

PEMBERTON—In what represented the most significant law enforcement response in the Pinelands since November 2019, police officers from law enforcement entities throughout the region converged on Pemberton Township as they engaged in a purported shootout with an apparent “active shooter” on Oct. 19, with a township cop ultimately reported to have killed the suspect.

The incident unfolded at a residence on Woodland Avenue in the township’s Browns Mills section.

Passers-by, as eyewitness video taken from the scene depicts, watched as flames shot up from the residence, all as State Troopers armed with long guns filed onto the property, including making use of a ramp that was there.

Tow nsh ip re sident s, as that was transpiring, received a Nixle emergency noti fic ation war n i ng of an “active shooter” in the area of Woodland Avenue, and for those in the vicinity, “to stay in your house.”

The all-clear was given about 40 minutes later.

Neighbors later described to various Philadelphia television stations that it was a surreal scene for the community, having “never seen such a large law enforcement presence in the area.”

The eyewitness video showed dozens

of police cruisers, including a number of New Jersey State Police cruisers, lined up on nearby Lakehurst Road, which was ultimately closed for an extended period of time during the beginning stages of the investigation. Some residents of the area, who were away at the time of the incident, described having to walk home upon their return.

Ac cordi ng to the state Attor ney General’s Office, which has taken over the investigation because of it being classified as an “officer-involved shooting,” a 911 call was placed at 3:22 p.m. reporting that smoke was seen coming from the residence in question.

The Pemberton Township Volunteer Fire Department and police officers from the Pemberton Township Police Department then responded to the residence.

From there, responding officers received information that an individual, later identified as Marvin Taylor, 57, of Browns Mills, was armed with a firearm and located in the backyard of the residence.

Officers are then reported to have positioned themselves in the “woods-lined area behind the residence’s backyard,” according to the attorney general’s office, and “once there, officers gave verbal commands in an attempt to have Mr. Taylor drop the weapon.”

But instead, the attorney general’s office reported, “Mr. Taylor exchanged See SHOOTOUT/ Page 14

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HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN

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Mikulski Seated as Superior Court Judge in Camden County’s Family Division, Requiring Resignation as Southampton Mayor Mikulski’s Mayoral Predecessor Assumes Mayoral Post on Acting Basis After It Was Found Position of ‘Deputy Mayor’ Not Officially Adopted, Yielding Post to ‘Most Senior Member’ of Committee till Correction OK’d

Saturday, October 26, 2024

3 Creepy Crafts for Kids This Halloween, encourage your kids to get creative. Here are a few fun and easy crafts your little ones will love making.

1. Felt critters Cut pieces of felt into various shapes and glue them together to make insects, animals and fantastical creatures. For young crafters, you can trace out the desired shapes with a marker and get them to simply cut along the lines. Use pompoms, buttons and bits of yarn to add the finishing touches.

To create a spooky spider, for example, cut out a large black circle for the body, two medium white circles for the eyes and two small black circles for the pupils. Attach eight same-sized pieces of black pipe cleaner to make the legs.

2. Mason jar lanterns To create a spooky lantern, paint the outside of a Mason jar with the face of a jack-o’-lantern.

Another idea is to make it look like the lantern is covered in creepy crawlies by filling it with plastic insects and cotton cobwebs. Alternatively, you can

fill the jar halfway with dried leaves, flowers and pebbles to create a more fall-like look.

Once the jar is ready, place a battery-powered tealight inside. The flickering candle will cast the perfect eerie glow.

3. Toilet roll monsters Make ghosts, vampires and other Halloween monsters out of empty toilet paper rolls. Use the tubes as torsos for your spooky creatures, then create horns, wings, fangs and other eerie features with markers, paint, construction paper, pipe cleaners and other odds and ends you have around the house.

To make a mummy, for example, wrap the roll in strips of gauze or paper towel. Or, to bring your very own Frankenstein to life, use green paint and black felt for the hair.

All three of these crafts can be made with objects found around your home and adapted to your children’s ages and abilities. Use the crafts you make to help decorate your home, design a haunted house or put on a spooky puppet show.

Photo Provided

Michael S. Mikulski II (right), Southampton Township’s now-former mayor, pictured with local state Senator Latham Tiver (left) upon being approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee as a Superior Court judge.

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

SOUTHAMPTON—Republican James F. Young, Sr., a Southampton committeeman of nearly three decades and who served as township mayor for 25 years through the end of 2019, is back in the Southampton mayoral post, at least on an acting basis, for now, after nearly five-year GOP mayor Michael S. Mikulski II resigned upon his being appointed as a Superior Court judge.

Mikulski, according to Southampton Township Administrator Brandon Umba, rendered his resignation letter on Oct. 1, effective the following day, Oct. 2.

Ac cording to Umba and an Oct. 1 pronouncement from New Jersey Courts, “Superior Court Judge Michael S. Mikulski II is hereby assigned to the Superior Court, Family Division, Camden County (Vicinage 4).”

Mikulski, who has practiced law for 31 years, was to be seated on the bench Oct. 21, announced Umba at an Oct. 15 Southampton Committee session, the first without Mikulski presiding as township mayor.

The New Jersey Globe, an online media outlet that reports on statewide political affairs, reported that Mikulski’s appointment to the bench was part of a deal that had been struck between local 8th District Senator Latham Tiver and Democratic Governor Phil Murphy to get Tiver’s approval in signing off on the governor’s nomination of John Jay Hoffman to the state Supreme Court.

Tiver, a freshman Republican from Burlington County, the outlet reported, had to approve Hoffman under the state Senate’s unwritten rule of senatorial courtesy, which prevents consideration

of a governor’s nominee until the home county senator(s) sign off.

Tiver, a known close ally of Mikulski, did just that after the deal to appoint Mikulski was struck, allowing Hoffman to be confirmed.

The brokered deal, according to the New Jersey Globe, was to also entail Murphy appointing three top area Republicans to various key positions: former State Sen. Jean Stanfield to a seat on the New Jersey Parole Board, former 3rd Congressional District candidate and Viking Yacht executive co-chair Robert Healey to a seat on the South Jersey Transportation Authority, and former Bass River mayor and county commissioner candidate Deborah BuzbyCope to the Pinelands Commission.

As of press time, however, those three individuals have not yet been seated on the respective governing bodies, based on this newspaper having checked the current listed members for each one.

“It has been my greatest pleasure to serve our township on the committee since 2015, and as your mayor since 2020,” wrote Mikulski in a resignation letter from the Southampton committee that was read aloud by Umba, who once served as a Republican state assemblyman for the same district Tiver is now representing, and who had been a (defeated) running mate of Tiver. “I have accepted a new career opportunity, and the position does not permit me to be an elected official anymore in New Jersey. I am proud of what we have accomplished over the nine years, including the creation of the Red Lion Recreational Park and keeping taxes flat, for more often than recently.”

See JUDGE/ Page 20

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Forest Fire Service Implements Stage 3 Burn Restrictions as Chief Can’t Recall Conditions This Dry in 30-Year Career ‘Rash’ of Wildfires Observed, Including One on Joint Base’s Range; Drought Watch Issued Signifying Water Conservation Is Appreciated

Photo By Douglas D. Melegari

A smoke plume from a wildfire on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

JOI N T BA SE MC GU I R E -DI XL A K E H U R S T— P r o l o n g e d d r y conditions – some of the driest weather conditions that longtime forest fire personnel can recall in their careers, have led to state officials strongly urging the public to heed what are now Stage 3 fire restrictions that are in place, and to issue a statewide drought watch encouraging water conversation.

It comes as Joint Base McGuireDix-Lakehurst, for the better part of a week, has been battling a wildfire at the federal military installation, with New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) Chief Bill Donnelly, responsible for wildfire mitigation and firefighting activities elsewhere in the state, reporting during an Oct. 21 conference call with reporters that the agency has observed a “rash of fires” and in the “last week alone, we had 107 fires for a total of 183 acres, and for the year, we are sitting on 917 fires as of today.”

Notable small brush fires of late in our area, besides the one on the joint base, include one Oct. 16 in the Brendan T. Byrne State Forest, which grew to about 35 acres and broke out in the area of Mary Ann Forge Road, and a 30-acre one Oct. 11 in the Tamarac section of Medford (which at one point had threatened 30 structures, but has since been fully contained).

“When conditions become this dry, the simplest things can start a wildfire,” said Donnelly in a later press release. “In my 30-year career with the Forest Fire Service, I can’t recall a time when we faced such a prolonged period of dry weather with no relief in sight.”

Donnelly, during the earlier conference call with reporters, in referring to figures the NJFFS monitors for fire behavior and weather, declared, “We have numbers right now that basically no one in the agency really had the opportunity to see over their careers.”

“Not that we are breaking world records See FIRE/ Page 14

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♦ CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN

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Independent and Third-Party Candidates for U.S. Senate Come to Kim’s Home Turf as He Vies to Be NJ’s Next Democratic Senator Rep. Andy Kim, and His Main Rival, Republican Hotelier Curtis Bashaw, Absent from Local Forum Where Voters Told of Need to End ‘Duopoly’

Saturday, October 26, 2024

Christmas Do you want to avoid going over budget this gift-giving season? Here are a few tried-and-true ways to keep costs down and get the best gifts.

START EARLY Nothing beats the feeling of getting all your Christmas shopping done early and avoiding the stress of crowded stores. Starting in Novem­ber allows you to take advantage of pre-holiday sales and ensures you’ll have plenty of time to find the perfect gifts for your loved ones.

Photo By Tom Valentino

Independent Senatorial Candidate Patricia G. Mooneyham tells LeisureTowne residents she entered the race on the account of having had an MRI done and having to “utilize my highdeductible healthcare plan for the very first time.”

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

SOUTHAMPTON—Three of the four independent and third-party candidates for U.S. Senate went to Democratic Rep. and Senatorial Candidate Andy Kim’s home turf on Oct. 16, attending a LeisureTowne Candidates’ Forum i n Southa mpton Tow nsh ip, w idely considered the most important Pinelands political event leading up to the General Election, in asking voters for their support in the upcoming Nov. 5 race.

Kim, despite a placard on stage for him, was absent from the event he has attended many times as both a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives and congressman from the local Third Congressional District, and Republican Senatorial Candidate Curtis Bashaw, this newspaper was told, did not respond to an RSVP. Kim was the first Democrat to enter the Senate race when now-former U.S. Senator Robert Menendez was indicted, the latter accused of having accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes. Following a two-month trial, Menendez was found guilty on 16 accounts levied against him.

Menendez, reported to have initially considered an independent Senate bid this November in the wake of the indictment, ultimately resigned from the U.S. Senate amid political pressure. Democratic Governor Phil Murphy then appointed George Helmy, a former chief of staff to the governor, as a “caretaker” junior senator until voters weigh in this November.

But Kim and Murphy’s relationship has purportedly been somewhat strained (Murphy has downplayed reports of their relationship being fractured, however), after First Lady Tammy Murphy had also entered her hat in the ring for Senate

on the Democratic aisle, challenging Kim to a primary. But the first lady’s senatorial bid was cut short when she decided to pull the plug amid what became an uphill battle for her, at least as reflected in the polls, amid claims of potential nepotism.

As of press time, Murphy has not endorsed Kim by name, simply stating that he would vote for the entirety of the Democratic ticket.

Bashaw, a hotel ier c onsidere d a moderate Republican and businessman, has previously served as the executive director of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority. He has also revealed that he is a married, gay man.

Polls have shown a tighter than normal Senate race, and so, turning out the home base could prove crucial for either major party candidate – with it reported a majority of voters in North Jersey still know little about the candidates, both of whom are from South Jersey, and if either men are elected, it would be the first time in a long while that the state would have a senator from South Jersey.

What became evident at the Oct. 16 local forum, however, is that Independent S e n at or i a l C a n d i d at e Pat r i c i a G. Mooneyham, with a campaign slogan of “Vote Better,” Green Party Senatorial Candidate Christina Khalil and Socialist Workers Party Senatorial Candidate Joanne Kuniansky hope to chip away at whatever home field advantage Kim might have.

“In the s enate, b e c aus e I a m an i n d e p e n d e nt c a n d i d at e , I a m not beholden to either party, which kind of makes me dangerous as a Jersey girl, because if any of you know Jersey girls, you know once we get a little passionate See SENATE/ Page 16

SHOP SALES Many businesses offer major discounts on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Keep an eye on your preferred stores and websites for special deals on everything from electronics to clothing. It’s a fantastic opportunity to snag some incredible bargains and stretch your budget even further.

USE THE INTERNET TO YOUR ADVANTAGE Subscriptions to newsletters from your favorite brands are a savvy way to stay informed about upcoming sales and exclusive deals. Plus, price tracking apps can help you monitor the prices of big-ticket items, ensur­ ing you snap them up at the best possible price.

Consider supporting the retailers and makers in your area to find thoughtful Christmas gifts.

Christmas is

9 WEEKS AWAY!

Saturday, October 26, 2024

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Three-Year Old Boy Dies After Being Hit by Vehicle on Rt. 73 E V E S H A M — A t h r e e - y e a r- o l d boy walking on Route 73 in Evesham Township, was killed on Oct. 16 after being struck by a motor vehicle, Evesham Township Police reported.

The collision happened around 12:30 p.m. in the area of Route 73 and Holtec Drive.

The boy, according to police, was struck by a motor vehicle that was traveling southbound on the state highway. The driver of the vehicle, an 81-year-old man from Cherry Hill, remained at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation, police added.

The injured child, from Lindenwold,

was transported to Cooper Hospital, where he later died.

“Members of the Evesham Police Department’s Traffic Unit, Investigative Bureau and the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office are collaboratively investigating the collision,” police noted.

“This investigation is ongoing, and no charges or summonses have been issued at this time.”

Evesham Police are asking that any witnesses to the crash, or anyone with information, please contact them at 856-9831116 or email KennedyS@eveshampd.org .

Anonymous tips: text ETPDTIP to 847411.

Accusations That Laundromat at Browns Mills Shopping Center Is Being Forced Out of Town Roils Pemberton Council Meeting Meeting Attendees Hear of Laundromat Owner Being Allegedly ‘Evicted’, Passed Over in Making Offers for Land, Receiving $3K Water Bill, But Mayor Denies Any Eviction Letters Sent, Describes Town Going ‘Above and Beyond’

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

PEMBERTON—Allegations that the administration of Republican Pemberton Township Mayor Jack Tompkins has been amenable to breaking the prior promise of the township to at least one of a handful of remaining tenants of the Browns Mills Shopping Center, Elly’s Premium Laundry, with that promise entailing should the center be redeveloped, a new building would be built for those existing tenants to move into, before the existing one is demolished, roiled an Oct. 16 Pemberton Township Council session with bipartisan, lively denunciations heard.

Also roiling the meeting was a second claim that the laundromat owner, “Elly,” to avoid an anticipated rent increase and a battle over the shopping center space, had attempted to purchase the former bank building that the township had taken over in Browns Mills, alleging to have made a $375,000 offer for the building, but that it was recently sold to another enterprise for $250,000, causing him on Oct. 16 to ask repeatedly of the mayor, “How did that happen?”

The laundromat owner – who also alleged his water bills were hiked in a bid to force him out – additionally maintained that he has been offering the township $175,000 “cash” for the former Browns Mills Emergency Squad building, so he can relocate there, but only to be purportedly told that the administration is seeking $1.3 million, all while it has been vacant for a number of years (one official told this newspaper it has been vacant for close to 15 years).

Only after more than 45 minutes of numerous back-and-forth exchanges involving Republican candidates for council and their supporters, as well as Democratic Councilman Donovan Gardner, along with former Democratic councilwoman and cur rent council candidate Gaye Burton, recalling the original promise that had been made to Elly and pressing the mayor as to “what changed,” did Tompkins indicate that there was some truth to the reports that

there had been some sort of potential change in plans for the shopping center.

“I was in a meeting yesterday – I think it was yesterday, with the Community D evelop me nt D i re c tor ( Ros e m a r y Flaherty), and Mr. Elly and his daughter,” Tompkins acknowledged. “And there was some discussion going on and there are some things going on, on that. We are looking at other ways of utilizing that property that may benefit the township in a much better way.”

“I have my answer,” snapped Republican council candidate Perry Doyle, Jr. One of Doyle’s running mates for the three seats up for grabs on the council in this year’s November election is Harry Harper, who launched the first of what became several lively exchanges with Tompkins over the laundromat’s fate, with Harper charging in remarks that Elly was being “evicted” from the shopping center.

“Once they start building there (at the shopping center), he is interested in buying that squad building,” maintained Harper of the laundromat owner. “He is making a fair cash offer, from what I understand.

And if we don't have any other offers on that building, or for that area, then we should consider his offer.”

Harper called Elly’s offer for the squad building “not unreasonable.”

But Tompkins, in a rebuttal, contended that the laundromat owner’s offer is “not the first offer,” pointing to a prior offer by a developer, Franklin Land, who wanted to build a Tractor Supply where the old squad building stands now, or on Blocks 553 and 554, which are between Juliustown and Trenton roads.

“We did have an offer for that building ($1,250,000), and that whole property earlier this year,” Tompkins recounted.

“And council chose not to move on it, or take action, because they thought that a Tractor Supply in the middle of the town was a bad marriage for this town.”

Harper, however, shot back, declaring in part, “Here is another offer coming, and you choose – you choose – not to bring it before council!”

See LAUNDROMAT/ Page 17

Saturday, October 26, 2024

Medford Officials Promise to Tackle Resident’s Concern Over Illegal Hunting on 323-Acre Tract of Land in Limbo While Property at Issue Is Supposed to Be Off-Limits to Hunters, Lack of Action on Defunct Ownership Has Hindered Enforcement

By Bill Bonvie Staff Writer

MEDFORD—The question of how illegal hunting can best be legally halted on a parcel of land whose ownership is currently in limbo became a central focus of Medford Township officials after it was raised by a worried neighbor at the Oct. 15 township council meeting.

At issue was what, if anything, can be done to curtail such activity on a 323-acre tract of woods and wetlands known simply as the High Bridge Open Space, which is situated behind a residentially zoned neighborhood bordering Cliff Swallow Drive.

The problem with trying to invoke a deed restriction that prohibits hunting on the land, either with a bow and arrow or gun, according to Mayor Charles “Chuck” Watson and Solicitor Timothy Prime, is that the property in question is still listed as being owned by a real-estate firm that is no longer in operation. But while the township has a lien on the tract for unpaid taxes, it has not yet taken any legal action to acquire all that acreage, which limits its enforcement authority.

In the meantime, the current owner of an adjacent residential property who came before the council to voice her concern about the situation and express

her frustration with the roadblocks she had encountered, noted that she has an 11-yearold daughter and that she had purchased her home in a residential neighborhood, “thinking there wouldn’t be an issue” involving safety, only to hear a member of her homeowners association remark, “my wife won't walk in the woods without a red hat because she is afraid of getting shot.”

Once having become aware of the purpose for which the adjacent property was being used, the homeowner said she tried having “no hunting” signs put up along the perimeter of the land involved, which are a prerequisite to barring the activity, only to find they had all been torn down, and to be told by the police there was nothing they could do to stop it from occurring unless such signs were posted properly.

She next sought help from New Jersey Fish and Wildlife, she told the council, which actually sent someone out to her home to walk the land, discovering in the process that “there was a deer blind 30 feet from my fence.” But she soon realized that the agency “can’t do anything” if the land isn’t owned by a private individual.

Yet another possible course of action, making an offer to buy the lien on the property herself, she maintained, was See HUNTING/ Page 21

Saturday, October 26, 2024

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Medford Council Honors Retiring Beth Portocalis for 28 Years of Serving Township in Diverse Range of Jobs and Capacities Governing Body Also Entertains Ideas for Special Events Ordinance; Mayor Says He’ll Seek to Curtail Speeders on Newly Repaved Road

By Bill Bonvie Staff Writer

MEDFORD —The awarding of a proclamation expressing Medford Township’s appreciation for the nearly three decades of service provided to it by Beth Portocalis, who is scheduled to retire at the end of October as special assistant to the township manager, and a preliminary discussion of a proposed special events ordinance that she has been instrumental in promoting, were two of the main items on the agenda of the township council’s Oct. 15 meeting.

Also occurring at the session were discussions of two issues not on the agenda — how the township might put a stop to illegal hunting on a 323-acre parcel of “open space” still listed as owned by a nowdefunct real-estate firm (see accompanying article) and the conversion of a formerly run-down old road into a thoroughly modern thoroughfare, thanks to a repaving job described as being so slick that it has reportedly resulted in its having reportedly become a magnet for speeders.

The impact that Portocalis has had on “just about every area of the township,” emphasized Mayor Charles “Chuck” Watson, has included serving as its director of recreation, open space coordinator, Municipal Alliance coordinator, and zoning officer, as well as the township’s liaison to the Cranberry Hall Senior Center, Medford Arts Center, Freedom Barks Incorporated, Main Street Merchants of Historic Medford Village, the Medford Business Association, Medford Historic Society, Medford Youth Athletic Association, and Medford Vincentown Rotary. She has also been part of the Medford Celebrates Foundation, which has been responsible for the town’s July 4th fireworks displays.

In her role of “catalyst for parks and recreation development throughout the township,” Watson also credited her with having “shaped the facilities, layouts, and uses of every township park” and obtaining some $4 million in grant funding to conserve open space and construct park amenities, and improve safety for motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists.

In noting that “twenty-eight years is a long time to spend with one locality,” Portocalis told those in attendance that when she came to Medford, she really didn't expect the level of community involvement she found.

“I mean, all these community groups that the mayor listed in the proclamation, you know, they love Medford so much and give so freely of their time and their talents and their money, which made my job so much easier over these years,” she maintained. “There was not one cockamamie idea or brainstorm project that I wasn't able to bring to fruition because of the people here in the township.”

She added that working with “some amazing managers, council members, and staff people” had been a privilege for her throughout her entire tenure, and expressed her gratitude to her family as well for having given up a lot of time with her because the scope of her responsibilities,

which “wasn’t your typical 9 to 5 job,” but one that called for her to work on “nights, weekends, holidays, you name it.”

Among the last projects in which Portocalis has been involved is the creation of a special events ordinance to deal with both private and commercial events that request township assistance.

Prime noted that a draft ordinance on this subject had been prepared back around 2013, but which was apparently not acted on, and that he had “quickly proofread the ordinance and suggested some changes to,” adding he would defer to whatever the council’s position was, as he had “no legal issue with it one way or the other.”

A discussion followed on what kinds of criteria should be used to determine when to invoke such a measure, including the number of people in attendance or how much traffic it draws. Watson noted some events have generated “huge traffic issues,” and that they should, in the future perhaps be required to have private traffic control.

“We certainly don't need anybody paying any money for a couple dozen people walking down the street,” the mayor declared, whereas “some of these things have thousands of people” in attendance. “And those are the things that maybe, in my opinion, we should consider some type of a permit for.”

Watson added that he would initially defer to more current recommendations from the police chief and township manager.

Among the things to be taken into consideration, Councilman Michael Czyzyk contended, should be the question of whether a particular activity is for-profit or not-for-profit, and whether only outdoor events should fall under the provisions of an ordinance of this nature.

Pointing out that some of the events in town have a “big impact on us” and others “no impact on us,” the mayor stressed that he didn’t want to “start doing permits and putting fees on stuff that then causes the event not to happen.”

After further discussion, Prime said he would “wait for some guidance from the administration, I guess, some ideas, and then we will put it in some type of ordinance for you that we can kind of craft together and talk about it again.”

Township Manager Daniel Hornickel added that “it may make sense also to get some input from the zoning board because we're really talking about property use here.

So maybe it would be helpful to have some insights from them as well,” which prompted the mayor to suggest, “Or at least the zoning office.”

During the public comment period, Joseph Knazek of Tin House Road came forward to report both good and bad news regarding a repaving job that was done last year on adjacent Bear Head Road.

On the positive side, as he related it to the council, the repair crew had done such a good job they “made it look almost like a NASCAR racetrack.” But that, he said, was also the negative aspect ⎯ that “in fact it has become a NASCAR racetrack,” on which “50 mph is See RETIRING/ Page 16

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 9

Giving Back Matters Nonprofit Joins Pemberton Township Community We are thrilled to announce that Giving Back Matters, a NJ 501c3 Nonprofit Corporation has opened a new location at 12 Trenton Road, Browns Mills, NJ. As a dedicated s o c i a l n o n p r o fi t , G i v i n g B a c k Matters is committed to enriching and supporting Pemberton Township by providing a wide array of essential resources and services.

Our mission is to create and foster a spirit of understanding among all people for hu ma nitaria n needs by providing service through community involvement. To create and preserve longterm affordable housing opportunities for individuals and families, including the restoration of vacant and abandoned properties. This is accomplished by empowering individuals and families with enough information and an array

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The Green Party candidate for an open Third Congressional District seat, Stephen Welzer, blasts the U.S. having duopoly parties in remarks given during a LeisureTowne forum on Oct. 16.

PEOPLE

(Continued from Page 1) know the pulse of the people, coming from a cardiologist.”

“That is how I try to do my job better,” added Mohan, who made those remarks amid the notable absence of his primary physician rival, Democratic 7th District Assemblyman Dr. Herb Conaway, also the director of the Burlington County Health Department.

Instead, Mohan was joined on stage by two third-party candidates, as well as an independent candidate, also vying for Kim’s open seat, Green Party Candidate Stephen Welzer, Independent Justin Barbera of the “Join the Revolution” movement and Libertarian Chris Russomanno.

Mohan, “a practicing interventional cardiologist serving the people of New Jersey for more than 20 years,” shared with voters that his cardiology practice is based in Lakewood, Ocean County.

“I live in Monmouth County, and it is part of the district,” pointed out Mohan, with the Third Congressional District having been redrawn to include Burlington, Mercer and Monmouth counties, eliminating portions of Ocean County. “So, I have crisscrossed Burlington County, Mercer County, and Monmouth County, and one thing that I have seen, whether you are a Republican, Independent, or Democrat – you have the same concerns.”

Those “same concerns,” Mohan noted, are “about the cost of living, inflation, and healthcare costs that are rising every single year,” including the “out-of-pocket expenses that are rising every single year.”

Additionally, they entail, according to Mohan, “a law-and-order situation” with “what is going on at our border.”

There is “chaos,” he declared, at the southern U.S. border.

“It is an unmitigated disaster, as far as I am concerned, and I come as a clearthinking problem solver, which is what I have done all my life,” Mohan asserted.

The cardiologist went on to describe having run small, medium and largesized businesses in his professional career, including serving a hospital in the state as its chief medical officer where he maintained he stood up to “anybody and everybody because I am not afraid of anybody.”

“That is how I was brought up,” Mohan added.

The Republican candidate for Congress explained that “the main reason why I went into medicine” was because of both his parents and grandparents, who “always told me to speak up, work hard, never take anything for granted, and leave nothing to chance.”

Mohan recounted an initial board meeting following the appointment of a new CEO for the hospital he had been working at.

“I was the chair of medicine at that time, and I had a 75-slide PowerPoint presentation for the entire board as to what

was wrong with the hospital, and not only what was wrong, but how to fix it,” Mohan proclaimed. “A lot of people thought that I would have a target on my back after that.

But to their credit, they asked me to come in as chief medical officer and help them around the hospital.”

Mohan contended the board for the hospital, upon the CEO’s onboarding, “budgeted for a seven-digit loss in 2017,” but “by the end of the year, we were seven-digit profit,” claiming to have brought in “more than half a billion-dollar yearly revenue.”

“And that was not done by cutting costs, and not by laying off people, but by improving services, by increasing services, and by hiring more people,” Mohan declared.

“I introduced Artificial Intelligence in the State of New Jersey for Coronary CT in 2018.

Artificial intelligence is a big, you know, fashionable statement nowadays.”

Mohan described himself as the “first person, first cardiologist” to “put in an MRI-compatible pacemaker, way back in the early 2010s.”

“So, no pun intended, I pride myself to know the pulse of the people, coming from a cardiologist,” the Republican congressional candidate declared. “That is how I try to do my job better.”

Mohan further maintained that in the middle of the night, he used to “talk to nurses, talk to ward clerks, and talk to physicians” about “what was wrong” with

Saturday, October 26, 2024 the hospital system he worked for and “fixed it in real time.”

“And that is what I will take to Congress,” Mohan vowed. “When I was growing up, my mom wanted me to be a doctor. And not just a doctor, but a cardiologist. And not just a cardiologist, but the best cardiologist that I can possibly be. And that is what I will take to Congress: be the best congressman that I can possibly be, by solving people’s problems, not by being a flamethrower, whether on the extreme left or the extreme right. That is not who I am.”

However, he said of “anybody who thinks that they are better off today than they were four years ago” –“they are delusional.”

“Because the cost of living has gone up,” Mohan asserted. “Law and order is bad. My own car got stolen from the driveway, in a safe neighborhood, two years ago.”

The car, he said, had since been recovered after the “people who stole it, they were not smart enough” by leaving the E-ZPass device inside of it, allowing authorities to reportedly track its location.

Hoping that Third Congressional District voters will break from the more than 150year tradition of primarily voting for the “duopoly parties” is Welzer.

“The electorate in our country has been limited to just two significant parties for over 150 years,” the Green Party candidate maintained. “The Greens call that a duopoly.

Early reservations encouraged.

Photo By Tom Valentino

Libertarian Chris Russomanno, hoping to represent the Third Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, calls for the end of the Federal Reserve during a LeisureTowne forum on Oct. 16, charging that the federal entity has direct ties to foreign conflicts and inflation.

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Republican Johnathan Duff, a 24-year-old insurance administrator from Southampton Township running for a seat on the Burlington County Board of Commissioners, explains he was raised by a single mother because his father struggled with drug addiction.

CRISIS

(Continued from Page 1) 10 years ago,” in pointing to a purported 2022 study.

“So, we are dealing with an addiction crisis in Burlington County,” declared Duff (with the county, earlier this year, having officially recognized the opioid crisis’s impact on the county).

Duff then described the need to address the “root causes” of addiction and what he sees as other various problems affecting the county, including an “affordability crisis” and “cost-of-living crisis,” asking, “What creates the conditions that turns somebody to a life of crime, that turns somebody into someone who struggles with addiction?”

“I t h i n k t hat i nclude s exp a nd i ng ac c ess to BCIT (Burl i ng ton Cou nty Institute of Technology) and trade school opportunities for young people, having more vocations, and building a third (college) campus in Pemberton,” declared Duff of how he would address the root causes, in indicating his hopes to have the proposed third college campus replace t he now-va c a nt, for mer Bu rl i ng ton County College campus in Pemberton that “currently sits derelict and has for many years.”

But Democrat Tyler J. Burrell, a labor attor ney who “represents v icti ms of wrongful termination in the workplace, victims of sexual harassment, and folks who blow the whistle and ultimately

See CRISIS/ Page 13

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Dr. Felicia Hopson, Democratic director of the Burlington County Board of Commissioners seeking a third term to the board, describes that she lost two siblings to addiction and the various services the county offers to help battle addiction.

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 11

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Independent candidate Justin Barbera, of the “Join the Revolution” movement, describes his motivation for entering the U.S. Congress race in the state’s Third Congressional District, maintaining the parties have more power than the people and that he hopes to be a voice for the people.

PEOPLE

(Continued from Page 10) Are there only two political perspectives?

Of course not! In all the other advanced democracies, voters are presented on their ballots with candidates from a full spectrum of the ideological rainbow.”

After pointing out that “for over 150 years, the Republicans and Democrats have traded places in regards to presidential administrations,” he charged the two main political parties are “responsible for the state of things,” including what he contended are the “obscene levels of inequality in our country, militarism, inadequate housing and healthcare coverage, soaring federal debt, unfair taxation system, political dominance by the mega corporations and wealth power elites, destruction of ecological habitat, climate chaos – look at the hurricanes we just had this year, and withering of local community life.”

“The duopoly parties have been in power – they are responsible, and they are not exactly beloved by the people,” Welzer charged. “Voters constantly tell pollsters that they wish there were more choices.

But those duopoly parties do all they can to suppress political competition.”

Welzer went on to explain “Green parties have a distinctive ecological ideology, which resonates with a significant percentage of the electorate” and also “have been able to grow to the point where there are Green parties in over 90 countries worldwide.”

“We endure because people can see that the climate crisis is a specific manifestation of a more general ecological crisis facing hu m a n it y a nd i mp a c t i ng a l l l iv i ng creatures,” Welzer declared. “Scientists are warning about the rapid progression of a sixth mass extinction event. In his 2002 book, ‘The Future of Life,’ Edward O. Wilson calculated that if the current rate of human disruption of the biosphere continues, one half of Earth’s higher life

forms will be extinct by 2100.”

Welzer called it “moral in its essence,” noting it “will also greatly affect the quality of human life.”

“The Green Party endures because of growing recognition that our distinctive prog ra m, c entere d on e c olog ic al sustainability, social justice, peace, and revitalization of local community life, presents a compelling alternative to the programs and policies of the status quo parties,” Welzer asserted.

The Green party candidate also delivered a message to the Democratic party: “We say to the Democrats, instead of vilifying us and wringing our hands about the so-called spoiling potential of alternative candidates, you should work with us to reform the electoral system, so that the long-suffering American electorate is finally able to enjoy a full multi-party democracy.”

The only local congressional candidate to raise the conflicts occurring overseas was Russomanno, but in the context of the Federal Reserve, charging that “they print money out of nothing” and “they give it to the military industrial complex, which then sends weapons wherever they want, to start another war,” asserting that when it happens, “we are all the ones that have to pay for it.”

“We are in a proxy war with Russia, a nuclear power in Ukraine, as I understand it,” Russomanno maintained. “As I understand it, they have exhausted everything over there, pretty much. If you want to keep fighting, you are going to need fresh troops, if you got no more Ukrainians.”

Russomanno warned that it would then fall on the “people who are supplying the money and the weapons” to Ukraine, pointing out that is “us.”

The Libertarian candidate urged voters to think about the “people who we love,” and “now imagine them dead or without arms and legs, or bloody, or whatever,” contending it would be a possibility “if we keep going down the path that we are going now.”

Russomanno also slammed the War in Afghanistan, contending, “We were there for like 20 years – it got us nothing … it got us nothing, except a bunch of servicemen and women who came back with mental baggage,” describing that several veterans he knows personally are now suffering from PTSD. “Some of my buddies who were over in those conflicts – it changes people, and not for the better,” Russomanno declared.

“We have so many veterans, thousands of veterans, who come back and actually kill themselves, and you don't hear about it.”

But the Libertarian candidate also pointed this tidbit out, which is described on the U.S. Senate’s official webpage, despite the word “war” being widely used to describe not only the Afghanistan conflict, but also the later one in Iraq: the U.S. has not formally declared war since World War II, with a declaration of war required to be made by Congress. In light of this, Russomanno declared of the recent modern “wars” that, “They are all illegal! Yet, there we are!”

Russomanno was also the only local congressional candidate to raise any of the presidential candidates by name at the forum, in recounting that former President Donald J. Trump had vowed to eliminate the Patriot Act. “It is still here,” he said. “We still have it. It allows the government to spy on you – spy on Americans. I am sorry, but I have read the Constitution, notably the First and Fourth Amendments that are the foundation of our country, of our legal system, and you do not get to create a law that violates the Constitution!”

Russomanno, during the forum, also referred to the Federal Reser ve as a “private banking cartel,” charging it is comprised of “a bunch of private bankers, which create money out of nothing, or more succinctly, out of debt, and then lends it to our country at interest,” before praising Kentuck y Republ ic an Rep. T homas Massie for sponsoring a bill that would

Saturday, October 26, 2024 purportedly eliminate the Federal Reserve, which Russomanno maintains, of any passage, “we wouldn't have any more of this rampant inflation.”

Barbera, who declared “elections are what separates us from communism” in introducing himself as the founder of the Independent Patriot, explained that he founded the movement about a year ago.

“I go to every town, in every county of this district, and I meet people, and I explain what it is to be a patriot, and I look for their vote,” he said.

The Independent Patriot, according to Barbera, “is a non-profit political corporation and we will support other patriots around the nation to run and get elected into government, because the only way we can truly be free is to have what George Washington stated in his farewell address, and that is more power than the party.”

“Right now, it is the other way around,” Barbera obser ved. “The parties have more power than the people. So, they do what they want, and they lie to us. They poison us. They send us to war, and they feminize our men, and they destroy the family structure in America, which is so vital to our future. The only way to curb that and put them back in the place they belong, which is out of our politics, is to vote independent in November.”

Barbera added he “looks forward to being the voice of you and the voiceless,” in urging locals to “join me in this revolution.”

Mohan, meanwhile, pointed out that he won a Republican Primary in June “as a political outsider” by “almost eight, nine points,” before characterizing himself as an “underdog right now.”

“I love being an underdog,” Mohan declared. “And I love being underestimated.

Because every single time, knock on wood, thanks to my parents and grandparents, I surprise people. And I surprise people by doing the best job that I can possibly do.”

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Republican congressional candidate Rajesh Mohan describes during a LeisureTowne forum how he helped turn around a hospital.

Saturday, October 26, 2024

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Republican Nick Pawlyzyn, a New Hanover Township Committeeman whose son is a Pemberton Township Police officer, describes, in his bid to a secure a seat on the Burlington County Board of Commissioners, a need to improve the county’s emergency communications.

CRISIS

(Continued from Page 11) are fired” and hopes to fill a seat on the commissioners board soon to be-vacated

by Democrat Daniel J. O’Connell, with both Burrell and O’Connell residing in Delran, declared, “our opponents make a lot of hay about BCIT being underfunded or underutilized.”

“I can tell you, BCIT is a prem ier institution in this county, and that is b e c au s e of t he c om m i s sioner s, a nd the investments that we have made,” said Burrell, also president of both the Bu rl i ng ton Cou nty Sp e c ial Ser v ic e s School Distr ict and BCIT Board of Education. “Over the last two years, we spent $23 million in investment and infrastructure in that. We have over 30 career programs.”

BCIT, Burrell pointed out, has two campuses in the county.

“We are ranked second and third in ter ms of education standards in the county by the State of New Jersey,” Burrell contended. “And we have expanded. We have also, at the special services school, put in an all-inclusive playground, using grant money funded by the county board

of commissioners.”

T hos e t h i ng s, Bu r rel l adde d, a re “happening each and every day in the county to provide a solid education to folks.”

“So, whe n ou r opp one nt s go out criticizing the fact that BCIT is underfunded or underperforming, I implore you all to go take a visit because that is not what the statistics say,” Burrell declared.

Dr. Felicia Hopson, current director of the board of commissioners, seeking reelection to a third term in running alongside Burrell, described herself as “no stranger to addiction.”

“I lost two siblings to addiction,” Hopson revealed. “I am originally from North Jersey, so it is not lost on me the importance of needing to make sure those types of services are available to our residents.”

The commissioner director noted that there are “peer recovery centers that the county has invested in,” as well as “peer counselors, who are experienced individuals, who can address addiction.”

Hopson also pointed out that the county has a HOPE ONE mobile access unit that “goes out,” offering critical support for persons and their families struggling with addiction, in addition to a Meals on Wheels program supporting those facing financial hardships.

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Democrat Tyler J. Burrell, a labor attorney who also serves as the president of both the Burlington County Special Services School District and Burlington County Institute of Technology Board of Education, and hopes to succeed retiring Commissioner Daniel O’Connell (not pictured) on the Burlington County Board of Commissioners, points to the county already having a coordinated 911 service, in a central building, that is free to residents.

“Additionally, in our Human Services space, our focus has always been to help our residents and improve services for senior citizens; for veterans,” Hopson said. “And we continue to improve those services without having to raise your taxes.”

Hopson pointed to the county hosting Burlington County Restaurant Week “for the past five and a half years.” She also pointed out that the county “hosted economic development seminars for small business owners” and “offers to help them learn how to file their taxes as a business entity, and just other things to help a business be successful.”

“So, we have done some significant things, and I want to continue to make sure that we can continue to do that as we move our county forward by making sure that your taxes are not being increased,” Hopson declared.

But Republican Nick Pawlyzyn, who described himself as a “budget guy” and “money guy” on the Republican ticket while his running mate, Duff, is “about policy,” levied a charge during the forum that “in the last six years, the county’s budget went up about $53 million.”

“I run a $2.3 million budget in my township,” added Pawlyzyn, a current member of the New Hanover Township Committee. “So, a $53 million increase in the last six years is very substantial.”

Hopson, however, shot back, “That simply isn’t true.”

“Your county portion of your taxes have gone up a total of $20 per household in the last six years,” Hopson asserted.

Hopson pointed to the availability of the county budgets available on the county’s website, and offered that residents “can feel free to make an appointment with our county CFO.” “You do not have to talk to an elected official to get that infor mation,” she maintained. “That said, your county taxes are helping with everything that our opponents are already talking about.”

Pawlyzyn, however, who made a point of describing himself as an “everyday bluecollar worker,” maintained that “after talking to many residents around the different communities, they are struggling with paying their bills, and their taxes are continuing to go up.”

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SHOOTOUT

(Continued from Page 2) gunfire with Officer Kyle McQueen of the Pemberton Township Police Department.”

Taylor, the state agency maintained, was struck during the exchange.

“Officers rendered first aid to Mr. Taylor, who wa s flow n to Coop er University Hospital in Camden, where he was pronounced deceased at 5:36 p.m.,” according to the attorney general’s office.

“A firearm was recovered near Mr. Taylor after he was shot.”

No officers or other civilians were injured during the incident, it was added.

A n e ye w it n e s s t ol d N BC 10 i n Philadelphia, WCAU-TV, she had heard a gun shot outside, and immediately grabbed her children and brought them indoors. State police, she said, then asked that she shelter in place. At one point, she told the Philadelphia NBC affiliate,

FIRE

(Continued from Page 5) here, but the folks that are in place now, and you talk to some of the old timers and stuff like that, they don't recall it being this dry anytime over the last few years.”

According to Steven Domber, state geologist and assistant director of the New Jersey Geological and Water Survey, who was on the call with Donnelly, “New Jersey has been dry for the last five months, having seen below average precipitation.”

September, he pointed out, was three inches below normal with respect to precipitation, making it the third driest month in recorded history.

“And we have had almost no rain in October,” Domber recalled. “We have also had above average temperatures all

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she observed the person who lived there shooting from his backyard, describing to a reporter that, “from my window, yes, visually I could see it, and hear it.”

Pemberton Fire Chief Craig Augostoni, when asked about the particulars of the fire, referred this newspaper to the attorney general’s office because of their handling of the matter.

The attorney general’s office was asked by this newspaper several questions about how the fire started, and the damage caused to the residence, as well as about whether anyone else was inside the home or on the property when the incident unfolded.

Additionally, this newspaper posed questions about the type of gun used by the shooter, and what amount of ammunition the deceased suspect had available to him at the time of the shooting.

The state agency simply referred this newspaper, however, to its press release stating the “investigation is ongoing and

no further information is being released at this time.”

The attorney general’s office was also asked by this newspaper whether there are any heroic actions on the part of responding police and firefighters in this matter that should be particularly noted for the public’s consumption, which drew no answer.

And that is likely the result of Pemberton police officer McQueen, regardless of the circumstances, as a consequence of a 2019 state law enacted by Democratic Governor Phil Murphy in the wake of a social justice movement that followed notable police-involved shootings in the U.S. at the time that drew protests, having to have his actions subject to a mandatory scrutinization process since they involve a “person’s death that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in their official capacity.”

The state law, the attorney general’s press release notes, specifically requires

“the attorney general’s office to conduct investigations of a person’s death that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in the officer’s official capacity or while the decedent is in custody” and “it requires that all such investigations be presented to a grand jury to determine if the evidence supports the return of an indictment against the officer or officers involved.”

One man, in a social media thread about the incident, wrote, “I grew up with Marvin. I lived right across the street. We played together pretty much every day as kids. My 89-year-old mother still lives across the street. Thankfully she was not home while the fire was raging, and the other mayhem was occurring.”

FOX 29 Philadelphia, WTXF-TV, reported that one neighbor described of the shooter that he “kind of stays to himself,” sharing, “I know his father passed away, I think, at the beginning of the year. So, since then, he’s kind of been in the house.”

year long. And both of those conditions, the dry and the warm weather, lead to low supply and high demand.”

With little to no forecasted precipitation forecast in the next couple of weeks, according to Domber, “New Jersey decided it was appropriate to enter a drought watch.”

“So, we issued a statewide drought watch on Thursday of last week,” he asserted.

A “watch,” he explained, “does not require mandatory reductions” in water usage, “but actions that the public and the businesses take now will delay or prevent the need for further action in the future.”

“So, it is really important that our residents and businesses think about limiting or reducing outdoor water use, including looking for and reducing leaks within and around the house, cutting your lawn higher to prevent more root growth,

in addition to also looking for, and using commercial car washes, and not to using hose water on pavement around your yard and house,” he said.

Domber pointed out that “we need multiple months of normal to above average precipitation to get out of this situation.”

According to NOAA’s U.S. Drought Monitor, the southern half of the state is already in a “moderate drought.” The Pinelands, which did not get a brief spout of heavy rainfall in August, unlike the rest of the state, has entered the “severe drought” stage.

Domber was asked by a reporter on the call when the state might convert the watch to a warning.

“Certainly, I hope we don't get there,” he responded.

If a warning is ultimately issued, he explai ne d, it wou ld “al low the department (New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection [NJDEP]) to take some regulatory actions.

Then the following step, he noted, would be to declare a “drought emergency or a water supply emergency.”

“And that phase of drought would be where mandatory water conservation w o u l d b e i m p o s e d ,” D o m b e r declared. “And we would start with sort of outdoor water use conservation bans or outdoor water use bans initially. And then it can proceed from there.”

He noted that “we have a lot of time between now and then, when that would happen or might happen,” emphasizing, “we have a ways to go before we get there.”

What officials are stressing, for now, is that the public takes the Stage 3 fire restrictions, put in place earlier this week, seriously.

They prohibit all fires unless they are contained in an elevated stove using only propane, natural gas or electricity. No wood or charcoal fires are allowed, and the use of kerosene or gas torches of any kind is prohibited while this level of restriction is in place. The fire ban is in place on all public lands and private properties in all municipalities throughout the state, state officials specified.

The next several days are of “specific concern,” state officials noted, as wind gusts are forecast in excess of 20 mph with very low humidity.

In response, the NJFFS, this newspaper

has learned, has contracted additional aerial resources capable of dropping 600 gallons of water at a time to stage in the event of a wildfire.

In addition, th is newspap er was advised observers in fire towers across the state are “vigilantly watching” for any signs of wildfires, while measuring weather readings daily that include temperature, humidity, along with a drought index, which has “indicated unprecedented dry conditions.”

“This has raised concern about the potential rapid spread of wildfires in the state,” the press release from the NJDEP said.

As for the wildfire on the joint base, according to a press release put out by the federal installation Oct. 23, “the JBMDL Fire Department continues to respond to a wildland fire located within the confines of the JBMDL range area” and “wildland crews successfully implemented back firing strategies, which contained the fire in place.”

“Residents may see increased smoke as a result,” it was noted. “No structures are threatened, and no personnel have been evacuated. The JBMDL Fire Department continues to closely monitor the fire.”

A spokeswoman for JBMDL told this newspaper that the fire is located on the training range, and it was first reported on Oct. 18.

“I do not currently have details to provide on how it started or the size,” the spokeswoman added, noting, however, that she would not characterize it as a major fire.

“It is contained and under control.”

The last drought watch in New Jersey occurred in August 2022 and was lifted in December 2022.

The last statewide drought emergency with mandatory water use restrictions was declared in March 2002, and was lifted in January 2003.

“We are currently experiencing some of the driest conditions ever, making our forests, in particular the sprawling Pinelands region of Southern New Jersey, especially vulnerable to wildfires that could spread very quickly and threaten property,” NJDEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette said. “It is critical that members of the public be extra cautious about fire prevention and refrain from using any open flames.”

Saturday, October 26, 2024

CRISIS

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(Continued from Page 13) “So, therefore, you know, we need better leadership inside the county to hold these guys accountable, to ask questions, instead of just sitting up there saying, ‘yes,’ ‘yes,’ ‘yes,’ ‘yes,’ ‘yes,’ because it is that easy,” Pawlyzyn declared.

And Duff, who said “it is very important that we bring down property taxes for working people and seniors,” maintained of the “cost-of-living” and “affordability” crises he described, “I think it is so great that the county invested $900,000 into food banks to help fight food insecurity, but it treats a symptom, not a cause.”

“You see, when you look at investing in food banks, the question has to be, what puts more and more people in a position to need food banks in this county?” he asked. “What puts a 60 percent increase in homelessness on the table?”

He again pointed to expanding education opportunities throughout the county as part of the solution.

Burrell, in response to the Republican challengers, asserted, “Let’s talk about affordability!”

“As all of us know, things aren't getting cheaper, right?” he said. “I mean, I paid my way through law school, and I am paying student loans, and this is something that my generation has to deal with for generations to come. The commissioner’s board has kept taxes stable.”

Burrell, who first ran for elected office when he was only 19 years old and has been serving on the Delran Township Council for the past eight years, with the last four as council president, emphasized “under my leadership, we haven't raised municipal taxes.”

But that is contrary, Burrell charged, to “Nick, who is sitting in elected office right now, this year, who raised taxes in his town.”

“He didn't mention that to you, that he raised them by $500-plus dollars for the average household,” Burrell snapped.

“There was no mention of that, but they are very easy to criticize us when, actually, we haven't raised our taxes from a municipal standpoint. So, I think that is something you need to take a look at!”

Burrell continued that he recognized “you folks don't live in Delran, but I want to tell you some of the work and the accomplishments that we have had.”

“We haven’t raised our municipal taxes in five years,” Burrell repeated. “And in the last 13 months, we have hired more police officers than the prior administration did

Protectors Of Public Health & Property

in 13 years. So, one thing Felicia and I have been focused on in this campaign is affordability, public safety, and we think people want a government that is efficient and works for them.

“That is really all people want. That is my philosophy. No matter what the cost of that is, they want it to be affordable, and they want it to work for them.”

Pawlyzyn pointed to his son serving as a police officer in Pemberton Township, before describing that “I talk to a lot of great police officers, and a lot of them have the same issues with the county,” before maintaining the county’s communications system needs to be upgraded.

“We need to upgrade their system,” he maintained. “We are always the last one to move it on up in the world. So, with that being said, we need good leadership that is going to reallocate, or put some money in other hands where it is going to be utilized to keep our streets safe; it is going to keep the drugs off the streets.”

Burrell, however, spoke highly of the county’s current system, pointing out that Burlington County is the only one of 21 counties in the state that “provides free 911 services.”

“Other counties, you get a bill for that,” Burrell added. “We have a coordinated 911 service.”

The Democratic attorney noted that the county “consolidated 911 services into one central building,” claiming it was a move that has saved the taxpayers “thousands and thousands of dollars, results in better public safety, and ultimately, we were ahead of the curve when that happened, and we still are ahead of the curve.”

“So, all I ask for you to think about when you vote for the commissioners this year, is you have a team in Felicia and I who have a proven track record of success,” Burrell added. “A proven track record of delivering results with affordability, keeping your taxes stable, and making government work. Or you have a team who says they are going to do that, but does not have the track record to back it up.”

Pawlyzyn noted that he does not “want to devalue any work that any of them (his opponents) have done,” because everybody puts a lot of work into what they do, but in the same sense, when it comes down to decision-making, I think there could be, and there should be, better decisions being made in the county by multiple different organizations with their social services and their police departments.”

“I don’t know if anybody has ever sat with somebody who is sitting there homeless, who has no food or anything, but I have,”

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 15

Photo By Tom Valentino

Johnathan Duff introduces himself to voters during an Oct. 16 forum in LeisureTowne.

Photo By Tom Valentino

Dr. Felicia Hopson, Democratic director of the Burlington County Board of Commissioners, and her running mate, Tyler J. Burrell, a labor attorney, greet voters at an Oct. 16 forum in LeisureTowne.

Pawlyzyn added. “You hear their stories.

It is heart-wrenching. It is happening in our county more and more, as we see it. So, Jonathan and I, we are going to meet the change that this county needs.”

Duff characterized himself as a “young

person,” declaring, “And I don't believe that a 20th-century mentality is going to resolve 21st-century issues,” with Pawlyzyn concluding, in part, of their candidacy, “electing us Nov. 5 is going to put the checks and balances on the table.”

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

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Saturday, October 26, 2024

SENATE

(Continued from Page 6)

Photo By Tom Valentino

Socialist Workers Party Senatorial Candidate Joanne Kuniansky informs LeisureTowne residents on Oct. 16 those in her party are for “a working-class movement, a party of labor, a party that would fight for what we need along the road to the working-class taking power.” about something, we start to get sh** done, so that is kind of my approach,” Mooneyham declared. “My approach is not to go to Washington as a politician, you have heard actually some interesting things about politics in our country at this time, and I really don't want to be beholden to either party. I want to be able to go down and really represent what is best for ‘We the People.’”

The Independent Senatorial candidate from Cumberland County, who remotely works at Harrisburg University, described having entered the race on the account of having had an MRI done and having to “utilize my high-deductible healthcare plan for the very first time.”

“I learned a lot about the impact of the

Affordable Care Act and really started being concerned, not as much for myself, but for other people who might not be able to navigate that system or afford that system,” Mooneyham said.

She noted that “from there things spiraled” and she has taken note of increased mental health challenges in healthcare as well.

“It has been an interesting experiment to have a for-profit healthcare and pharmaceutical industry,” she asserted.

“And while I am a huge fan of small businesses and capitalist activity, I just don’t think that those two particular industries should be one that people are making money off of, so that would be a huge transition for our country, but one

that I think we can accomplish. There are lots of models to look at across the world of other ways to address healthcare needs for everyone in our country.”

Mooneyham further maintained “if we want change, we have to send that message to Washington, and the best way to do that is to stop sending the same people.”

“49 percent of the senators, sitting senators, are lifetime politicians and they have never worked outside of government or holding office, so they really don't have a real-world perspective coming from a middle-class family in New Jersey,” she said, noting she was the first in her family to attend college.

Kuniansky, who pointed out “more workers today are organizing unions and using them to fight for survival,” described that “when workers go out on strike, they feel the impact that they have on the economy.”

“They feel like they really do have some power to change things,” she declared.

“Look at what happened when the dock workers went out on strike. I went down to their picket lines. They were so confident in the hysteria in the press that they were taking action to improve their working conditions. Because it is our labor that produces the wealth. We believe that through union battles, we learn that there are not individual solutions, that it is our collective action that counts. That is the beginning of class consciousness.

And so, one of the hearts of our campaign

RETIRING

(Continued from Page 9) not uncommon.” As a result, he reported, he can no longer use it, and can’t bike on it any more or walk his grandchildren there.

“I don’t know if you could look into putting up a speed bump or two,” Knazek said.

He added that “anything that can be done to control that speeding” would be helpful to local residents, adding that he knew “the police are burdened as it is” and “there are not many of us out there.”

Watson replied that he would “ask the engineer and police chief to look at situation and maybe make some recommendations.”

In other business, an ordinance was introduced amending a previous ordinance

is building solidarity with labor battles today.”

Kuniansky made a point of her having walked several picket lines of late, including with autoworkers and nurses (the latter who she said have shared they have worked 12-hour shifts at times without bathroom breaks), and having also participated in rallies with flight attendants and postal workers.

She then pointed out that “everyone has talked about the skyrocketing prices for food, housing, medicine, and childcare.”

“Well, we believe that these are part of the normal workings of capitalism as a system,” Kuniansky declared. “As is the brutal speed-up and massive overtime that workers are faced with today. Some workers call this working a suicide shift.”

She touched upon childcare being “unaffordable for most working families” at about $2,000 a month, having “worked at a lot of places where childcare is the night shift.”

“We are for a working-class movement, a party of labor, a party that would fight for what we need along the road to the work ing- class tak ing power, taking political power out of the hands of the bosses, which means we need a class break from the Democrats and Republicans,” Kun iansky asser ted.

“They will never defend working-class interests because they are the parties of the bosses, and they don't have solutions.

We defend constitutional protections that were won in struggle.”

The labor party, she added, would “fight for cost-of-living clauses in every See SENATE/ Page 23 on “tree removal and replacement,” which the mayor said had been done after the state Department of Environmental Protection had reviewed it and asked for some changes.

Prime then explained that the ordinance had originally been amended to allow a tree to be removed without a permit in an emergency.

“I should have sent it to them in advance,” the solicitor acknowledged. “I didn't, I thought it was simple enough, two sentences.” But the agency, he said, “wanted to know who determines if it is an emergency tree.”

“We have to have somebody approve it,” Prime maintained. “So, we have amended the ordinance to provide that the emergency personnel in the township, at the direction of the township manager, will approve the removal of an emergency tree.”

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Green Party Senatorial Candidate Christina Khalil describes to LeisureTowne Candidates’ Forum attendees on Oct. 16 that as a mental health worker for a local hospital, she is the person who gets “called to have to come and intervene” with suicides, making suicide prevention a top priority for her.

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LAUNDROMAT

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(Continued from Page 8)

“Because, as you told me yesterday on the phone, you decide what properties get sold in this town and what properties don’t get sold in this town!” Harper further retorted.

Tompkins, however, maintained “I haven't seen anything in writing from Mr. Elly’s side,” causing Harper to charge that it is because “you ran him out of the township building when he was here to make an offer!”

Harper then pointed to Elly being in attendance at the Oct. 16 Pemberton Township Council session.

“Mr. Harper, I haven’t ever run anybody out of this building!” Tompkins retorted.

“So, I think you are wrong again!”

As the two Republicans began talking over each other, Democratic Council President Paul Detrick, who had cast the deciding vote to turn down the Tractor Supply in the said location earlier this year in what was a surprise in him joining with Republican councilman Dan Dewey in causing the related ordinance to die by there being only four members of council in attendance on the night of the vote, April 3, sought to end the Oct. 16 confrontation, declaring, “This is not the time to go back and forth!”

“We need to have things clear in this town,” Harper maintained. “We need to have clear communications both ways – administration, council and all.”

Deborah Skipper, owner of the Pine View Terrace community in Pemberton Township, who has been vocal in her support of the Republican candidates for council, approached the dais about five minutes after the initial exchange between Harper and Tompkins, declaring that, “I come up here as a business owner in town” because “there are very few businesses left in town.”

“We have a gentleman here that has had a business in this town forever, and we are not giving him the opportunity to move that business,” Skipper charged.

“We are saying we want new businesses in town, but we are running somebody out of town, instead of giving him a chance to purchase a building that has been sitting empty and is an eyesore, one that he is willing to fix up.”

Skipper declared she is “confused” as to “why we have let one person say ‘no.’”

“You are not even going to listen to

it?” asked Skipper of council about the laundromat’s offer in expressing disbelief.

“You are not even going to listen to a fair cash offer?”

Skipper called the laundromat owner “a good businessman in town.”

“I sure hope that you turn around and rethink, or at least bring up, his offer and look at the building,” she said.

America Phillips, a regular council meeting attendee who often sides with the Republicans on most issues, asked of Pemberton officials, “Why don't we take care of our businesses here and our local people?”

“He has the only laundromat,” she said.

“Why do we not sell it to him, and he can continue with the business here in town for us?”

Phillips called for residents to be “notified” first of any township-owned land for sale, and to “sell it to them,” asking why that prioritization does not occur already. She got no answer to her question, however.

Again, the subject of the laundromat was raised after about five or so minutes had passed, this time by Burton.

“I wanted to ask – someone said that Mr. Elly was, you know, forced out of his area, his spot,” Burton recounted. “But I know when I was on council, they were both – him and Dairy Queen, offered to get one of the first sites in the new redevelopment.

So why is he being bounced out?”

Detrick responded to the former council president, “I don’t know.”

“That was my understanding too – that both the Dairy Queen, and the two places that have been there forever, would be placed into the new building,” Detrick said. “I don't know what has happened with that.”

Burton called Detrick’s response, in light of his recollection being along the lines of hers, “interesting.” That is when Gardner chimed in, asserting, “I am going to verify that also – that was the plan.”

“Dairy Queen and Mr. Elly were to have first dibs,” added Gardner of his recollection, noting that the township was to provide for a relocation for the existing tenants of the center during the construction.

Detrick then expanded on his prior “understanding” that a “section of the project was going to be built, and then they could move.”

“Those two could move into it, and then they would tear down,” Detrick said.

However, the current council president

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revealed, “I don't know if that has been changed,” adding, “I am not aware of it.

I don't know why.”

The current council tur ned their attention to Tompkins in asking if anything changed, to which the mayor responded, “As far as I know, John (Harper) with Dairy Queen, has been offered the first place and he has accepted it. I do not know if something has changed or not.”

“I do know that we have offered assistance, as we are required, to Mr. Elly as well,” Tompkins added. “I mean, we even contacted one of our realtors who is working with him, diligently, trying to get him a location; even trying to build a building for him. I mean, in my opinion, we have really gone above and beyond in trying to help Mr. Elly find a new location.”

The mayor’s response, however, led Elly to take the microphone, with the laundromat owner asserting, “He gave me a realtor, but he is not helping me!”

“He never helped me for two years!” the laundromat owner declared. “Two years – he did not do anything for me!”

The laundromat owner further charged that “he doesn’t want me to have the property in the town.”

When Detrick questioned who wants to keep the laundromat owner out of town, Elly named the realtor, prompting the council president to ask, “Have you thought of trying to work with another realtor?”

The laundromat owner, at that point, described having been given “a very high price” and accusing the realtor of having sold the “property to some foreigner, adding, “He is from Brazil.”

“Now, he knows if I come in there with

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 17 the store, he is not going to make money,” the laundromat owner said. “I am here in Pemberton, 10 years in this town, and have been in the Pemberton (area) for 30 years.

Now, what is wrong with me? … Why are people saying I don’t live here? I have been living here for ages and have been doing business here for ages!”

Elly demanded to know, “Why am I being kicked out? Why? What did I do wrong to Mr. Mayor? What did I do wrong to you, Mr. Sir? I always hear that I am not being appreciated by Mr. Mayor.

Is it just because of my skin, my life, my background? What did I do wrong? …

Why do you hate me? What is the reason?”

Detrick responded, “I don’t know that anyone hates you,” but the laundromat owner recounted having been told that Tompkins was allegedly talking about him “outside,” describing him as “crying.”

The council president again asked the laundromat owner if he tried working with a “different realtor,” to which the laundromat proprietor responded, “I am trying,” adding, “The squad building is my best bet!”

The laundromat owner then contended that the squad building has been empty for years, and pointed out the township is supposed to be “making money on the prop er ty” by hav ing a ratable, before charging that the township isn’t supposed to be “making a profit” on land transactions.

“I was told it is going to be $175,000,” said Elly of the squad building. “I will give you $175,000! … I will give you the money tomorrow! I am a businessman! I See LAUNDROMAT/ Page 19

Page 18 ♦

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Saturday, October 26, 2024

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(Continued from Page 17)

have been doing business in the township for ages! And people in this town love me – not because I am black or Indian or Puerto Rican. They don't care about this!

It is because my style of doing business is different. I love everybody! I don't care who you are!

“That is why I reached out to the churches for (providing) the free laundry.

Because people in this town are poor. A lot of people are poor. I am helping! The new guy is not going to help you! I give you a guarantee!”

Gardener pointed out, “tonight, it was said twice that Mr. Elly is being evicted,” with the councilman asking administration, “Is that true, because in the last administration, when an agreement was drawn up, Mr. Elly and Dairy Queen, like was said earlier, once the construction started, their section was to be built first, so they could just leave and just go right next door, and their business would still be in effect?”

Tompkins responded, in part, “We are currently the property owners,” and, “We have not evicted anybody.”

“But with the redevelopment and the way things are, I believe we are obligated to provide assistance in the relocation if we are going to redevelop that property,” Tompkins added. “So, what we have been trying to do is provide that assistance, knowing that day is coming.

“I believe once the applicant goes through the Planning Board, and they get their final approvals through the planning board, then they can take possession of the property and they would be the one to give Mr. Elly or whoever else owns property in there a 90-days’ notice. And to my knowledge, no 90-day notices have been sent out at this time. We own that property, and I am not aware of us sending any evictions.”

But Gardner persisted in asking, “What then changed?”, in which it was ultimately acknowledged that the laundromat owner would not be guaranteed a new unit.

At one point, there were also questions about a forthcoming application to be heard by the planning board, to which Tompkins recognized of the redeveloper, New Horizons, “There may have been changes on what they are expecting to do with their building – on how the build out is and stuff. That will be presented during the hearings by the planning board.”

Gardner vowed that he would not tolerate the business owner being pushed around in the way in which Elly described (Elly also recounted allegedly receiving a $3,000 water bill on account of now being assessed a $50 surcharge per washing machine, asserting, “This is all a game to kick me out from there.”).

But then Doyle spoke out, indicating he did not believe the council was doing enough to mandate administration work with the laundromat owner.

“He needs continued income, and maybe instead of doing all this (looking through

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past agreements), we have a man sitting here in front of you offering to purchase a building!” Doyle pointed out. “He is going to eliminate all these problems on his own!

He is taking the matters into his own hands and coming (with) the cash to purchase a building, which is not making any revenue, to move his business to, on his own time.

“He is probably concerned the rent is going to go up, because I am sure it would with a new building like that (planned for the center), that he is not going to be able to afford. He is sitting here, telling us how he provides special services to the churches and things in his community.”

Doyle, in remarking about Elly’s business plan, called the laundromat proprietor “a genius.” “… He is providing this town with a service that we desperately need, and he is breaking his own bank to make it affordable for those who are less fortunate than some of us!” Doyle continued.

“They are the kind of business owners we need in this town! They are the kind of business owners that are the backbone of Pemberton Township! And this man is sitting here with cash in his pocket saying, ‘I'll pay you tomorrow.’ How about it, council? This is your meeting! Demand administration take a meeting with him and see what he has to offer!”

Detrick and Doyle then got into an exchange, with Detrick believing it was already put on the record what the council expects of administration, but ultimately, Detrick straight-out asked, “Administration, would you consider

EVENT CALENDAR ♦ Page 19 having a meeting with Mr. Elly?”

Initially, Tompkins would only point to the meeting he already had with the laundromat owner and his daughter. But after more public comments expressing outrage, including a resident who delivered a lengthy prayer that the local officials find their way, Gardner demanded a “yes” or “no” response, to which Tompkins ultimately responded, “All he has got to do is call Michelle (the administrative assistant to administration) and make an appointment.”

“Just a ‘yes’ or ‘no?’” Gardner pressed.

“Are you willing to have another meeting with him – ‘yes’ or ‘no?’”

“All he has to do is call my office, and make an appointment, and we will have the meeting,” answered Tompkins, to which the woman who prayed, shouted, “That’s a ‘yes,’” while others applauded.

“There, you got it done!” Detrick asserted.

As for the Browns Mills Shopping Center project status, council approved an ordinance on second reading that would amend the Browns Mills Town Center Redevelopment Plan, enabling future establishments within the designated area, to include the Browns Mills Shopping Center, to have “drive up windows on the sides of the buildings where otherwise they would only be allowed in the rear,” according to Detrick, with it noted at a preceding meeting that a planned Wawa and Taco Bell for the future redeveloped center are both slated to have drivethrough windows.

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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 County 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 .

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JUDGE

(Continued from Page 4) Mikulski, in his letter, expressed his confidence that “we have hired excellent employees dedicated to serving our township residents,” the township is left in “good hands,” and that “this committee will continue to serve the township effectively and excellently.”

“It has not always been smooth, but I hope that you all understand that every de cision and re com mendation was made solely with the best interests of the township in mind,” Mikulski declared.

Young praised Mikulski for having done a “fantastic job as the mayor here” following the reading of Mikulski’s resignation letter.

“I wish Mike all the luck in the world,”

Young asserted. “I know he will do a good job and be very fair about it because he is a very intelligent individual.”

Southampton Deputy Mayor Ron Heston declared it “was an absolute pleasure to serve as Mike’s deputy mayor on several occasions.”

“And I know he is really looking forward to being a judge,” Heston added. “And I am very happy for him because I know he is going to do an outstanding job. Some people are made for certain positions. I think he is made to be a judge.”

As for why Heston didn’t assume the mayoral position as most observers had anticipated, it came down to an apparent oversight that was discovered, which Umba explained in detail at the Southampton committee’s Oct. 15 proceedings.

“We do have a deputy mayor in town,” Umba pointed out. “However, with review

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of the ordinance, we have found that the deputy mayor listed in the ordinance is actually considered a ‘vice chair.’ That language was actually repealed back in the 90s by the state Legislature and is no longer enforced.”

The Southampton committee, during its Oct. 15 session, introduced an ordinance on first reading to “establish the deputy mayor’s position officially within the town.”

“Because there is no official designation within the cohort, that means that the most senior member of the township committee assumes the acting mayorship until a mayor is decided,” Umba contended.

“Under the township committee form of government, the five members of the committee select one member amongst themselves to serve a period of one year, as the mayor of the town.”

The local Republican party was to submit

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the names of three individuals wishing to serve on the Southampton committee to the governing body, according to Umba, and then the township committee will select one of them to fill the vacancy.

The Southampton committee has 15 days to act, with the committee scheduling a special meeting for 6 p.m. on Oct. 30.

A closed session is expected prior to any public decision so that the committee can conduct interviews with the three candidates, Umba revealed.

“Once that happens, then the five members, including the new member seated, can then discuss among themselves who would then officially be voted on by resolution to fulfill the mayorship through the end of the year, and then obviously at the reorganization meeting in January, a new mayor gets selected, but it is only a one-year term,” Umba said.

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HUNTING

(Continued from Page 8) rejected by the township, which indicated it would rather retain a parcel that size as open space—an assertion with which Prime agreed, saying that the intent was “to have this large piece of open space not owned by a private individual.”

The resident, however, said she had no problem with the township acquiring the land.

“But the concern I have is, what are you doing next, right?” she asked. “So, you take over ownership –when are you going to post the signs? Are you going to map out the perimeter … Who is going to enforce it? Who is going to monitor it? I mean with all the taxes we pay, it should just not be the situation.”

The homeowner added that she was “willing to volunteer my time and my energy” in any such effort, and had “cameras I am ready to put up that work, wherever you put them,” which utilize cellphone technology, rather than Wi-fi.

In addition, she said she could bring in someone she knew with “a heat-seeking drone that can monitor what is going on.”

Once the land becomes township property and the illegal hunters become aware of it, the resident contended, she really does believe “they may knock it off,” but added, “how do we make them know that? Is there something you put online? Is it something you put in the paper, if people even read that anymore?”

She pointed out that “hunting season, bow season has already started” and “gun season, I think, starts right around Thanksgiving.”

“So, what can be done?” she asked.

“I mean, I appreciate you have taken action to take over ownership, but then how quickly can we post? And how much can I ask someone to do without having ownership rights?”

After thanking the homeowner for br ing i ng the situation to counci l’s attention, Watson’s initial comment was that he would take the matter up again with the police chief, but added, “We don't own it yet, so it is a little hard for us to decide exactly what to do.”

Prime then explained that since the owner of record, Mainline Realty “is defunct,” there is no longer anyone there who is in a position to either pay the taxes, which he described as “nominal,” or else to deed the land over to the township.

“I would accept a deed in lieu of foreclosure if I could,” he maintained, but “I can't get anybody to insure it. So, we're going to have to foreclose the tax lien”— something he said he would work with the new township manager, Daniel Hornickel, to attempt to get done as quickly as possible.

Accomplishing that, however, the solicitor noted, “takes some time because it is a court process.” But, he added, “once we own title, then the administration, with the approval of the council, will go into the enforcement of it.”

“I think they heard you,” asserted Prime in attempting to reassure the homeowner that the council took the issue seriously.

“We understand the issues. We have other property that has to be enforced also. So, I think we have the right idea, but we just have to get it implemented.”

Lending his support to that sentiment, Watson told the resident that the council valued her concern and that her point was

well taken.

“If we put up some signs that say, ‘Medford Township property, no hunting, fishing,’ l think that carries a little more weight than the cardboard sign,” he said.

Prime interjected, “And I'll have to explore the legality of posting (them) while the thing is pending.”

It prompted the mayor to observe, “So we've got some stuff to look into.” But Watson again pointed out that, “First, we have to own the property before we can do anything really with it.”

When the resident continued to press officials for an estimate of how long it might be before the township was in a position to take action, Prime replied that while there was no way for him to predict the length of the foreclosure process, he didn’t expect anyone to be contesting it and that township officials would “do the best we can, absolutely” to expedite it.

The homeowner, however, then inquired if local authorities might either be able to give her permission to take steps to “make sure that the land is not hunted on anywhere near my house, in conjunction with you, not against the township” or else simply “look the other way” while she did so since hunting on the property actually constituted “trespassing” and “poaching.”

Prime replied that while “we can’t authorize you (to do things of questionable legality), that second suggestion about looking the other way, you know, I’ll maybe think about that one.”

When asked by Councilman Michael Czyzyk whether she knew the specific identities of any of the hunters encroaching on the property, she responded, “No, but I think I will soon. …Like I said, when

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 21

I call the police, they say, ‘Where is the person doing it?’” That, she maintained, was when it occurred to her to get a picture of them in the act, and “even if they shoot the camera down, it is all in the cloud, so it would be preserved anyway.”

She further told Czyzyk that she had gone so far as to “venture well into the property” back to “where the dirt road starts” to check out the situation, and described it as being “a little creepy” to go there herself while “they are dragging these deer blinds out of their trucks.”

She also claimed, in replying to a question from Hornickel, that the hunters involved pull over and park on Jackson Road, “so when you see a truck, you know what they are up to.”

In winding up the discussion, which had gone b eyond a ty pical publ ic comment that is limited to five minutes, Prime assured the homeowner that “we’ve reviewed your emails,” had gotten together with the council “right away on the matter,” and that “we have a plan in action.”

When she again asked whether the township, once it becomes the owner of the property, intended to put signs up along the entire perimeter, the solicitor replied, “We'll have to look at it,” but acknowledged that the perimeter where it is bordered by homes would be the most important thing for officials to focus on.”

Deputy Mayor Donna Symons then told the resident that once the plan the council was formulating is developed, “after we have it, then we can send something to you.”

“That would be great,” she replied.

Prime then thanked her, adding “I’ll make some notes.”

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(Continued from Page 16) contract where wages go up automatically as prices rise.” She also declared, “Let us fight for a shorter workweek with no cut in pay to spread the available work around.”

Kuniansky, in addition to worker’s rights issues, proclaimed, “The opening guns of World War III are getting louder, and we hear that from people as we go door-to-door,” describing that a “young person in the Army told us last week that for the first time, he was actually uneasy about the future.”

“As conditions of life deteriorate and wars escalate, millions are being drawn into politics and we think that is a very positive thing,” Kuniansky said.

She also made clear her position on recent international conflicts, describing the Hamas terrorist organization’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel as “the worst slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust.”

“I joined thousands in New York City to defend Israel’s right to exist as a refuge for Jews,” Kuniansky recounted.

“We are for the defeat of Hamas and Hezbollah, Tehran’s proxies. Without

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th is, they will car r y out what they promised, another Holocaust.”

She further maintained that “fighting Jew hatred is a life-and-death question for the working class.”

And on the other conflict making news of late, she said, “We support Ukraine’s right for national sovereignty against Putin’s invasion.”

“Saying this, the gover nments of U k r a i ne a nd Isr a el a re c apit a l i st governments, and they depend on fickle, imperialist allies, including the United States, that put their own interests first.

The U.S. rulers are always seeking their own military, economic, and political expansion around the world, just like their competitors do. But we know that the Jewish question, a national question, cannot be resolved under capitalism. It will be resolved only as working people of all religions and ethnic roots across the region join each other in revolutionary struggle and take state power. The same question is posed everywhere. It is a fight over which class rules. That is the central question, and in the United States, the U.S. working class will be decisive.”

Khalil, who works as a mental health worker at a hospital, talked of her plan

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One of the things that “doesn’t get talked about,” she observed, is “12 police officers a month commit suicide.”

“And I am the person who gets called to have to come and intervene with that,” Khalil declared. “And a lot of people don’t realize that when a person is at their lowest, it is an unimaginable situation, and I have to go give them their hope!”

“I had a woman last week, in which she was retired and just having a bad day, and we got a phone call that she wanted to end her life because of her limitations and her medical issues, and when we came forward and were there to intervene, it was the happiest moment of her life,” Khalil recounted. “She was like, ‘I just want to talk to someone,’ and it was that small thing that we were there, and we just made her day. We were able to get her the help that she needed, to help with her infrastructure, and she needed help getting home aid care, and we were able to do that.”

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clean the air, and redesigning the entire retirement system, “I am here to give hope back to all of New Jersey and to this entire country, and also to rebuild our international relationships, because the current administration, the duopoly, has completely destroyed it!”

Bashaw, a hotelier from Cape May County, if elected to the Senate, would reportedly become the first openly gay Republican senator in U.S. history. His website, in summarizing his positions, states “it’s time to restore freedom, security, and opportunity for every New Jerseyan.”

He calls out the “one-party Democratic monopoly that has represented us for far too long in Washington D.C.” K i m, who re c ently won a c ou r t challenge to eliminate county lines on primary ballots (which came about as a result of the Tammy Murphy challenge), has led a campaign of ending what he sees as political corruption in the state. He has served as a local congressman since 2019, but has decided not run for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in hopes of being sent to the Senate.

If Bashaw prevails, however, he will be the first Republican senator elected from New Jersey since 1972.

Page 24 ♦

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Worship Guide

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50 Burrs Mill Roadd, Southampton, NJ 08088 609 - 847- 4848

Sunday Worship Service �����������������������11 a�m� Cross Roads Youth Group - Sundays �������5 p�m� Prayer Fellowship - Wednesdays ��������7:15 p�m� Adult Choir Practice - Wednesdays ����7:30 p�m�

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