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PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE www.pinebarrenstribune.com
Vol. 1 - No. 52
@PineBarrensNews
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The News Leader of the Pines
August 26 – September 1, 2017
Call to Action in Sunbury Village Residents Plead for Violence and Speeding to be Addressed During a Nearly 3 Hour Meeting
License Renewal Granted for Cramer’s Junkyard Following a Tense Hearing By Douglas D. Melegari Staff Writer
PHOTO BY VINCE DEBLASIO
Kinsley Road in Sunbury Village. By Vince DeBlasio
For the Pine Barrens Tribune
PEMBERTON—Questions about what can be done to remedy recurring issues of crime in Sunbury Village dominated an almost three-hour Pemberton Township Council meeting on Aug. 16. A majority of the more than 30 township residents in attendance came forward to speak about the neighborhood during a lengthy publiccomment portion of the meeting. The fallout from months of shootings, break-ins, and other disturbances in Sunbury spilled into an often-emotional meeting room last week. Village residents continued their pleas to council for the installation of surveillance cameras, increased police presence, and speed humps. Possible solutions to the village’s woes have
been discussed during the past few township council meetings, as reported by this newspaper. Gun violence has spiked in Sunbury since March. The uptick led to a response from major landlord Richard Gober, who set up a meeting with his tenants on June 9. He talked about how cameras could help to combat crime in the village and called on his tenants to come up with a new name for the village. These issues were brought forward at a Pemberton Council meeting later in June. A response came last month when Police Chief David H. Jantas spoke for 20 minutes before council. In part, Jantas made the point that Gober, not taxpayers, should invest in the security of his properties. Since Jantas’ speech to council, there has been a back-and-forth between Gober and different members of council and the administration.
The landlord, in an email response to Jantas, sent to much of the Sunbury community, said that his request for the cameras is being misconstrued. Gober recently clashed with Pemberton Business Administrator Dennis Gonzalez due to the tone and statements in the message. There have been disagreements over Gober’s proposed ideas to help the village, including installing cameras and the changing the village’s name. Comments on who Gober chooses to rent to and what background work he does are also coming up. Leading up to the most recent August meeting, Gober left a flyer at several doorsteps in the village, which was made available to council that night, urging residents to attend and voice concerns to their elected officials. A great many followed through.
RESIDENTS>>PAGE 20
BASS RIVER—Cramer’s Junkyard, located off Route 542 in Bass River Township, received the go-ahead to continue to operate following a tense public hearing that spanned over two meetings. The second part of the hearing, which lasted about 25 minutes and occurred during an Aug. 7 Bass River Board of Commissioners meeting, drew over 20 people (sizable for this town). Resident Carol Bitzberger, who expressed her uneasiness with the junkyard during the first part of the hearing, last month, reiterated that the front of the junkyard is “really kind of sloppy.” “It would be good if the front of it was a little more presentable,” she said. “In the past, Cramer’s Junkyard has been cleaned up right before license renewal. But, I don’t think it was really done this year for this license renewal.” Bitzberger again discussed the number of cars that are parked near two driveways from Route 9 to Route 542 and asked if the township sent their code enforcement officer to the locations to investigate whether the vehicles are registered. Bitzberger was previously told by Commissioner Louis Bourguignon that township property owners are allowed to have as many cars as they want on their property, if they are registered. Officials last month also briefly discussed how cars 20 years old or older are considered classic cars, which don’t require vehicle registrations under state law. “I don’t know if that is the code enforcement officer’s realm of expertise to find whether the cars are registered or not,” said Township Clerk Amanda Somes. Deputy Mayor Nicholas Capriglione said the driveways are part of private property belonging to the junkyard’s owner, Tom Cramer, and are not part of the junkyard. “I think the problem is that section of the premises is residential,” he said. “The issue in front of us is the licensing of the junkyard. It is a residential situation with too many cars and I don’t think that impacts the junkyard license.” Capriglione said it was his understanding that additional cars parked on the private lot are
JUNKYARD>>PAGE 19
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