Pine Barrens Tribune May 27 2017

INSIDE THIS WEEK

12 Employees Let Go in Pemberton School District. Page 5

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Vol. 1 - No. 39

Southeastern Burlington County’s News Leader

Lenape Regional Honors Parents and Students for Their Volunteerism

May 27-June 2, 2017 Numerous Roads Slated to Be Improved in Southampton

By Douglas D. Melegari Staff Writer

PHOTO SUBMITTED The Lenape Regional High School District Board of Education honored student volunteers from all four district high schools. Pictured from left to right are Meghan Vizzard, Gianna Glatz, Avi Patel and Ian Zink accepting for his brother Cole Zink.

By Douglas D. Melegari and Thomas Lohan Team Coverage

SHAMONG—The Lenape Regional High School District (LRHSD) Board of Education honored four students and four parents for their commitment to serving others on May 10.

“Our Volunteer Service Awards were born out of our long-range plan in an effort to continue the proud tradition of community service,” said Director of Programs and Planning Matthew Webb. “We believe it brings us closer together as friends, neighbors, and communities in the leading regional high school district in the State of New Jersey. Since 2011, the LRHSD has been proud to choose one of our students from each of our four high schools for an award.”

The ceremony included a video highlighting the work of each student honoree and brief remarks by each high school principal about their respective student or parent volunteer.

Students awarded for their community service were Gianna Glatz, a senior at Shawnee High

School; Avi Patel, a senior at Cherokee High School; Meghan Vizzard, a junior at Lenape High School; and Cole Zink, a senior at Seneca High School.

All of the students received $250 scholarships provided by the Foundation for Education.

Vizzard has participated in various community service projects at Lenape, but most notably was the founder of the nonprofit Cozies 4 Chemo. The organization provides hand-tied fleece blankets to cancer patients throughout the United States and abroad. Since March of 2012, the charity has donated 5,460 blankets to help individuals who are going through arduous cancer treatment.

Although Vizzard started the nonprofit as a way to help her 19-year-old cousin get through ovarian cancer treatment, she has turned it into a cause that many have embraced.

“This mission has become part of a theme during her three years here at Lenape,” said Tony Cattani, principal of Lenape High School.

“It’s a mission for many members of the Lenape

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family which has spread to different clubs, activities, teams and even my own children. My four daughters have participated in this. Meghan convinced my daughters to have a Cozies 4 Chemo blanket party this past January. Honestly, I’m just really grateful she taught my daughters a lesson, as well as everybody else in the community, about trying to help others.”

Cherokee’s Patel once benefited from volunteer tutors at the Kumon Learning Center.

When he graduated from the program, he decided to pay it forward and become a tutor himself. He has since recorded more than 500 hours tutoring elementary and middle-school students in Math and English.

“Avi’s motivation for these hours is the expression of gratitude and satisfaction that he gets from his students,” said Donna Charlesworth, principal of Cherokee High School North. “When he is tired and overwhelmed with his own academics, he recalls their happy accomplished faces and finds

VOLUNTEERISM>>PAGE 21

SOUTHAMPTON—The Southampton Township Committee is one step closer to beginning the reconstruction and/or repaving of numerous roads here.

The committee on May 16 unanimously introduced a bond ordinance which would authorize the issuance of general obligation bonds or bond anticipation notes in the aggregate principal amount of $2,755,000 to help finance the road program estimated to cost the municipality $2,900,000.

Coventry Court, Scarborough Way, St. Davids Place, Sherwood Place, Dunstable Road, South Westminster Drive, Friendship Road, Sooy Place Road, Powell Road and Newbolds Corner Road are currently listed in the bond ordinance to be improved. However, officials stressed that the committee may still decide to alter the list prior to their next meeting.

A public hearing on the measure is tentatively scheduled for June 20 at 8 p.m.

The committee verbally agreed to seek a 10-year bond to fund municipal road improvements during a budget work session held on March 10.

State regulations require a municipality to budget for a 5 percent down payment on any anticipated bonds. The 2017 budget adopted by the committee last month imposed a 1.5 cent local-purpose tax increase to generate revenue to pay for the down payment.

The tax increase was approved by a 4-1 vote, despite a recent revelation that the township has a $1.2 million surplus. Deputy Mayor Bill Raftery voted against the increase due to the township’s current circumstances.

The committee opted to take the surplus down to $650,000 for the year. However, the surplus would have needed to have been dropped to around $500,000 to avoid an increase in taxes.

In addition to the bond ordinance, the committee introduced a measure that would amend an existing ordinance on the township books which establishes salaries for various officials and employees of the municipality.

Township Administrator and Clerk Kathleen D. Hoffman said all township employees, including the administration, would be given a 2 percent raise should the measure pass on second reading.

A public hearing on this measure is also tentatively scheduled for June 20 at 8 p.m.

A third ordinance slated to be introduced by the committee was ultimately tabled. This measure would have allowed the township code to be amended to prohibit the use of recreational vehicles as living quarters.

ROADS>>PAGE 22

Now Direct Mailed to Over 2,250 Homes in LeisureTowne and 195 Homes in Hampton Lakes

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LOCAL NEWS

Forest Fire Scorches Nearly 300 Acres in Shamong

PHOTO BY STEVEN SINGER An aerial view of a Shamong forest fire on May 20 which burned 296 acres before it was contained.

By Douglas D. Melegari Staff Writer

SHAMONG—Firefighters from across Burlington County spent Saturday, May 20 battling a forest fire which broke out near the intersection of Forked Neck Road (also known as Dingletown Road) and Bard’s Bridge Road in Shamong.

The fire, which was first reported at 9:45 a.m., grew to 296 acres in size before it was contained by firefighters.

25 to 30 structures were threatened by the fire. Firefighters established a back burning perimeter on the west side of Forked Neck Road, north side of the Valenzano Winery property, and east side of Bard’s Bridge Road to help contain the fire and “box it in.”

Gusty winds throughout the day hampered firefighting efforts. However, fire crews had successfully back burned around any threatened structures, resulting in their protection.

“We back burned in and all are safe,” said Indian Mills Volunteer Fire Company Chief John Smith. “It is under control because we have it contained.”

The blaze was also listed as 0 percent controlled (having a 0 percent risk of it expanding beyond the fire line) four hours after it had been first reported.

“Basically it means the fire serves no possibility of getting out of the box,” said Shawn Judy, an assistant division fire warden with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS).

No injuries were reported during the blaze.

Shamong EMS and the Tabernacle Rescue Squad were on standby in case any injuries

occurred.

Smith said an animal rescue had to be conducted during the initial moments of the fire.

“We rescued horses, pigs and goats,” he said.

“Everything went well.”

Ten fire engines, one tractor plow, a mobile command center, a map trailer, and numerous tankers were deployed to the fire scene. A helicopter was also on standby.

Firefighters from Hampton Lakes, Indian Mills, Medford, Medford Lakes, Tabernacle, Shamong, Lower Bank, New Gretna, NJFFS, Pemberton and Woodland were at the fire scene.

Smith said many of these agencies helped establish structural protection.

The Burlington County Strike Team, consisting of fire police and fire containers, along with the Wildland Urban Interface Strike Team also reported to the scene. Additionally, New Jersey State Police and New Jersey State Park Police were onsite.

Volunteers from the Shamong Township Office of Emergency Management and Tabernacle Township Office of Emergency Management went door to door in the affected areas to help inform residents of the latest developments.

Forked Neck Road and Bard’s Bridge Road were closed for nearly 24 hours. Heavy smoke conditions occurred along these two roads.

Some of the smoke stretched across Route 206, just south of Forked Neck Road. Visibility and air quality improved dramatically north of the Shamong Diner.

Winds were blowing from the northeast Saturday morning, but veered to the east on

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FIRE>>PAGE 23

INDEX Automotive......................................27 Business Directory...........................16 Classifieds........................................20 Community......................................11 Fun and Games................................19

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Health ..............................................18 Home, Garden & Farming ............. 26 Local News....................................... 2 Opinion .......................................... 10 Scanner ............................................. 9

The Pine Barrens Tribune is published weekly by Pine Barrens Media, LLC. The newspaper is distributed free at select locations in Bass River, Medford, Medford Lakes, Pemberton, Pemberton Borough, Shamong, Southampton, Tabernacle, Washington, Woodland and surrounding areas. This newspaper is protected under the Federal Copyright Act. Reproduction of any part is not permitted by mechanical or electronic means without the expressed written permission of the Publisher. The Publisher reserves the right to revise or reject any advertisement. No liability shall be attached to the Publisher for interruption of publication or limitation of size and/or number of pages due to shortage of material, failure of transportation, flood, fire, severe weather, winter weather, riots, strikes, acts of God, or other causes beyond his or her control. It is our policy to promptly correct errors. If you believe that you see a mistake, please call (609) 801-2392.

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Lenape Regional School Board Adopts $159 Million Budget

By Douglas D. Melegari Staff Writer

SHAMONG—The Lenape Regional High School District (LRHSD) Board of Education has adopted a $159,131,283 budget for the 2017-2018 school year.

The budget, which is $2,510,679 more than the one in place for the current school year, maintains all programs and staffing. But it also doesn’t add any.

“We have no new positions and programs,” said Board Member David Stow of Medford, at a recent public hearing on the budget. “Yet the LRHSD remains at the top of the regional districts in the State of NJ.” Since 2010, 42 regular education teaching positions have been eliminated in the LRHSD. During the same timeframe, 55 special education positions have been added.

Residents residing in seven of the eight LRHSD sending towns will see an increase in regional school taxes as the regional tax levy is increasing this year by 2.23%. Residents in Evesham, Medford Lakes, Tabernacle, and Woodland will be hit the hardest.

“The history of our tax increases, going back to 2007-2008, shows that over the average of those 10 years, we have been below 2 percent on average or 1.96 percent,” Stow said. “The biggest year you’ll see (6.24% increase in the regional tax levy) is the year Governor Chris Christie decided to take $8 million away from us (2010-11) and we were forced to make ends meet and pass that on to our families and constituents.”

Here are the highlights of the tax impacts for this upcoming school year by town:

In Evesham Township, the board imposed a tax rate increase of 3.19 cents, resulting in an increase in regional school taxes of $86.16 on a home assessed at the township average of $269,900.

In Medford Lakes Borough, the board imposed a tax rate increase of 2.99 cents, resulting in an increase in regional school taxes of $87.18 on a home assessed at the borough average of $285,900.

In Medford Township, the board imposed a tax rate decrease of 0.21 cents, resulting in a decrease in regional school taxes of $10.49 on a home assessed at the township average of $327,100.

In Mount Laurel Township, the board imposed a tax rate increase of .73 cents, resulting in an increase in regional school taxes of $17.94 on a home assessed at the township average of $237,700.

In Shamong Township, the board imposed a tax rate increase of 1.19 cents, resulting in an increase in regional school taxes of $38.12 on a home assessed at the township average of $308,169.

In Southampton Township, including LeisureTowne, the board imposed a tax rate of 0.02 cents, resulting in an increase in regional school taxes of $1.17 on a home assessed at the township average of $192,129.

In Tabernacle Township, the board imposed a tax rate increase of 3.76 cents, resulting in an increase in regional school taxes of $97.59 on a home assessed at the township average of $263,533.

In Woodland Township, the board imposed

BUDGET>>PAGE 24

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Superintendent Search Begins in the Pinelands Regional School District

PHOTO SUBMITTED Dr. Maryann Banks, interim superintendent of the Pinelands Regional School District.

By Douglas D. Melegari and Thomas Lohan Team Coverage

LITTLE EGG HARBOR—The Pinelands Regional Board of Education has begun their search for a new superintendent of schools.

The search is commencing nearly a year after Interim Superintendent Dr. Maryann

Banks was hired by the board and approved by the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) to lead the school district on a per diem basis of $600 per day.

Banks was appointed to serve as the district’s interim superintendent on June 15, 2016 after Dr. Robert Blake agreed to a separation

SEARCH>>PAGE 24

Saturday, May 27, 2017

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12 Non-Tenured Employees Let Go in Pemberton School District Due to Alleged Poor Performance

By Adam Tait III

For the Pine Barrens Tribune

PEMBERTON—The Pemberton Board of Education accomplished an impressive amount of work at its May 11 work session here.

The biggest item on the agenda was a discussion of tenure for many school employees, not just teachers, by Superintendent of Schools Tony Trongone. He explained the procedure thoroughly, explaining how the system worked, how it was set up to weed out the few unsatisfactory workers and the protections against too hasty appraisals. One interesting fact was the time needed to become eligible for tenure. In this state it’s four years and one day.

After the meeting, Trongone was asked how many employees did not pass muster on their evaluations and would be let go. He said that 12 have been let go and that approximately eight of them are teachers. The deadline for notifying

those to be let go was May 15, but Trongone said all had been notified by the time of the meeting.

“They were non-renewals,” said Jeannie Mignella, spokeswoman for the Pemberton School District. “It (their contracts not being renewed) was not due to budgetary reasons.”

An administrative assistant in Trongone’s office said that replacements have been chosen for all of the positions.

In other action, a reorganization procedure recommended reappointments in 15 categories. Pat Austin was reappointed to six positions: board secretary, purchasing agent, custodian of public records, compliance officer, cash manager and affirmative action officer (one of three).

Rita Jenkins and Pam Kelly were also named affirmative action officers, while Jenkins will also fill a Title Nine position. Joseph Bowen will fill three posts: Right to Know Officer,

Safety and Health Designee and Homeless Liaison.

Under goods and services through state contracts, the board approved current curricula, textbooks and material purchases of almost $1,433,000. This includes many expenses not generally considered educational, but still necessary, including tires and paint.

An additional $755,900; primarily for textbooks, including chemistry, general science and social studies was approved.

Also approved were various petty-cash funds of between $200 and $500 set up at 16 township schools. Instruction took up 12 pages under curriculum in the agenda.

Some items discussed and acted on were quite interesting.

An inexpensive summer aquatics program for groups from elementary through high school will be held. Also scheduled is

a socialization program for students with disabilities.

A summer program for pupils in grades 3-5 is scheduled as well, geared at having them make the right choices over the break and coming back “strong” for the fall.

Half a dozen professional development courses were approved for individual teachers.

Most are during the summer. A few will be held during the school year.

Ten student teachers were approved, one for the summer, but the rest for the fall semester.

Their terms will run from six weeks to three months.

Five students have been reassigned to the Burlington County Alternative School for the remainder of the school year. Another student, who is disabled, is being placed in a new school for the rest of the year.

Several summer programs were approved.

EMPLOYEES>>PAGE 24

Shawnee Students, Faculty, and Family Memorialize Untimely Death of Popular Teacher

Pemberton Officials Recognize and Commend Bus Driver

PHOTO SUBMITTED A memorial plaque in memory of Shawnee High School Biology teacher Nicole Anna Spirit, whose life was cut short in December by a motor vehicle accident, was mounted in Shawnee’s Memorial Garden earlier this month.

PHOTO SUBMITTED Nicole Krieg, a quick-thinking school bus driver, was honored on May 17 at a Pemberton Township Council meeting. Pictured from left to right are Pemberton Township Schools Transportation Supervisor Mike Press, Mayor David A. Patriarca, Nicole Krieg, and Council President Kenneth Cartier.

By Adam Tait III

For the Pine Barrens Tribune

MEDFORD—Close to 100 people attended a memorial service on Thursday, May 18 for a popular Shawnee High School Biology teacher whose life was cut tragically short in a traffic accident last Dec. 16.

Nicole Anna Spirit, 32, in her sixth year at Shawnee, was remembered by many who spoke of her as a “best friend,” “a teacher who expected much but also gave much,” and as a “shining and sunny person.” The service was held at Shawnee’s Memorial Garden, a small but very peaceful spot adjacent to the school.

Perhaps the most moving eulogy was delivered by Darcy Roth, a fellow biology teacher and close friend.

Roth recalled their first meeting in 2011, when both were competing for the same biology post at Shawnee. Spirit won the job, but Roth was hired the following year.

The initial rivalry quickly became a close friendship, Roth said, that continued until the crash.

Roth later read a tribute and dedicated a Weeping Cherry Tree in honor of Spirit. The

tree was donated by Mr. and Mrs. Solomen of Eric’s Landscaping Shawnee Principal Matthew Campbell along with Assistant Principal and Science supervisor Craig Bookwalter made opening remarks.

This was followed by two songs presented

by Shawnee’s Sha’capella Choir, who sang twice, “Autumn Leaves” and “The House That Built Me.” All were dressed formally, the boys in white shirts, the girls in long blue gowns.

Gina Kehl conducted. There were also songs from two students.

There were two very meaningful quotes in the memorial program distributed at the service, including this one by Abraham Lincoln: “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”

The other was a humorous, but very accurate one from Dr. Seuss, “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”

Near the end of the ceremony, six college scholarships were awarded in Spirit’s name.

Spirit had an earlier brush with fate.

She suffered from leukemia before eventually

MEMORIALIZE>>PAGE 24

By Adam Tait III

For the Pine Barrens Tribune

PEMBERTON—The highlight of an otherwise routine Pemberton Township Council meeting on May 17 was the public recognition and honoring of a quick-thinking school bus driver.

Nicole Krieg was driving what appeared to be a routine school-bus route last month. She had stopped to allow some children to cross the street, when she saw a car approaching rapidly.

Realizing her options were very limited, Krieg simply leaned on her bus’s horn. This alerted both the pupils and the car’s driver.

The driver slowed and finally stopped, while the children got across the street safely.

Pemberton school bus drivers instruct their students to “freeze” in place if they blow their horn.

“This was a successful case of putting that into practice,” said Jeannie Mignella, spokeswoman for the Pemberton School District.

In other action, there were nine consent agenda resolutions that were acted upon

during the course of the meeting. All passed unanimously. One honored Krieg. Three others were minor.

Here’s a review of the remaining five.

The first was a refund of a tax overpayment of $1,042. Another approved a one-year extension of an affordable housing program known as Home Investment Partnership Program (HIPP). This is a program in conjunction with Burlington County. The township participates to be eligible for county housing funds.

The third approved a large expenditure, $184,294 for a 1,440 sq. ft. modular building to be used by the Department of Public Works on Juliustown Road.

Several modems for township police cars were authorized to be purchased to enhance communications capability with the county, with a price tag of $15,470.

The last authorized township tax collector Alison Varrelmann to prepare and mail tax bills.

Two ordinances advanced. One, passed

DRIVER>>PAGE 23

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$50 Million Medford School Budget Adds Five Special Education Teaching Positions

By Catherine Galioto

For the Pine Barrens Tribune

MEDFORD—A $50 million budget for the Medford Township School District has been approved and includes a 2 percent general fund tax levy increase to support it.

According to school officials, the budget maintains existing educational programs. It also funds all mandated programs and expenditures. The district will be dipping into its surplus funds due to a decrease in other revenues.

The amount to be funded by taxes is $42 million, calling for a tax levy increase of 2 percent. The budget also uses $2.6 million in taxes for debt service.

The total tax rate is $1.4875, an increase of $0.0227 from last year. For a home assessed at the township average of $327,100; the annual tax increase from last year is $74.10 or $6.17 a month.

Business Administrator Marie Goodwin presented the figures during a recent public hearing regarding the budget held by the Medford Board of Education.

After her in-depth presentation, the board briefly discussed the budget. No one from the public spoke or had any questions on it.

The board voted to pass the budget with Board Member Stephen Cappello abstaining from the vote, citing a conflict of interest. Board Member Amy Duca was absent.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Joseph Del Rossi said projected enrollment of 2,678 students for the 2017-18 school year is a “constantly evolving” number.

Although a district demographic study

conducted in 2014 predicted a continual decrease in enrollment, district officials say the overall student population remains relatively constant with only a slight decrease over time.

Del Rossi is predicting up to 50 fewer students during the upcoming school year.

During the 2008-09 school year, Medford had 3,118 students.

“We are very fortunate that for the last four years our enrollment has been consistent, it has been steady,” Del Rossi said.

He noted enrollment has pretty much hovered around 2,700 students.

“Presently, we thought we could have a reduction in force of our teachers and that may still be the case,” Del Rossi said. “Yet, as these numbers continue to move between now and May 15, we may have meetings regarding staffing to make some decisions.”

He also said that Medford is fortunate compared to other districts which are seeing even higher losses in enrollment.

“Other districts have had to reduce teachers, even into their tenured staff,” he said.

Notable in this budget, Goodwin said, was the addition of five special education teachers.

These are new positions, required due to the population and needs of special education students. There is also one new Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant (LDTC), and a half-time position for a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) teacher.

These additional positions will cost $410,000.

“We have an increasing special education student population,” Goodwin said. “We are

POSITIONS>>PAGE 23

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Held in Vincentown for Village Green

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Summer Courses Offered by Pinelands Commission and Stockton University

By Adam Tait III

For the Pine Barrens Tribune

PEMBERTON—The Pinelands Commission and Stockton University, which for years have offered short courses on every facet of the Pines, are adding to the program.

A total of 13 short courses will be offered, ranging in length from 45 minutes to all-day, on July 27. The courses will be held at Stockton’s Kramer Hall at 30 Front St. in Hammonton.

Three courses are full day: A guided canoe trip along the Batsto River, with an emphasis on plant life; a tour by van, focusing on industry in the Pines; and a hike between the Mullica and Batsto Rivers.

Four two-hour classes include a tour of the Atlantic Blueberry Company’s commercial farm in Hammonton; a guided walk through historic Hammonton; a guided walk along the Batsto River, featuring dragonflies and damselflies; and a program on the history of winemaking in the area.

Blueberries are also featured in two of five 75-minute courses: health benefits of blueberries and the domestication of the

highbush blueberry.

Other courses include one on butterflies and moths, the Revolutionary War battle of Chestnut Neck and agriculture of the Pinelands.

A lone 45-minute program is a live musical performance by state native Gabe Coia. His 2016 album “The Pines of My Past,” contains 11 songs celebrating the history and folklore of the Pines.

Early registration is urged, as Pinelands courses often fill up quickly. Registration is $60 a course.

Teachers who attend can earn professional development credits, as the courses are registered with the N.J. Department of Education.

For more information, call (609) 894-7300, ext. 125. Fuller course information is available online at the Pineland Commission’s website: www.nj.gov/pinelands. Registration can be made online or by phone at 609-652-4227, Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Davis St. Improvement Project Nears Completion

By Adam Tait III

For the Pine Barrens Tribune

PEMBERTON BOROUGH—The nearly year-long improvement project on Davis St. is in the homestretch, it was revealed at last Monday’s borough council meeting.

According to Mayor Harold Griffin, re-sodding of the shoulders was done early last week.

The street was repaved from the Rancocas Creek to Early St. The work was financed by a state grant of $200,000. It came in just under budget, at $197,335.

In other action, two part-time borough employees in the legal field were granted small raises, bringing them in line with the roughly 2 percent increases granted to full-time staffers a few months ago. They are Municipal Court Judge Krisden McCrink and Prosecutor

Kimberly Garrigues. McCrink will be paid $550 per court session, Garrigues $278.

The lone consent agenda item was the return of a $463 tax overpayment.

Two resolutions were approved, both of them routine. One was a statement of action on fair housing practices. This annual move is needed to make the borough eligible for state housing funds.

The second gave annual approval to the Home Investment Partnership Program (HIPP). This is a partnership with Burlington County for affordable housing. The borough participates to be eligible for county housing funds.

The meeting, which lasted just under 40 minutes, drew six residents, about average for the borough. Council will meet next on Monday, June 19.

Pemberton School District Hosts Free Summer Meal Program For the Pine Barrens Tribune

PEMBERTON—Children in Pemberton Township and Pemberton Borough can enjoy a free, nutritious breakfast and lunch all summer long, thanks to Pemberton Township Schools and the Summer Food Service Program of the Food and Nutrition Services, US Department of Agriculture.

For the eleventh consecutive year, the school district will provide a free summer meal PHOTO SUBMITTED Committeewoman Elizabeth Rossell, Vincentown Garden Club President Linda McCardell, Mayor James F. Young, Sr., and Deputy Mayor Bill Raftery cut the ribbon for the 69 Main Street Village Green.

By Vince DeBlasio

For the Pine Barrens Tribune

SOUTHAMPTON—Heavy rain came down early Saturday morning, May 13, as members of the Vincentown community gathered for a dedication of the new 69 Main Street Village Green, an open common area or park with a garden.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the

park included speeches from Southampton Township Mayor James F. Young, Sr. and Linda McCardell, president of the Vincentown Garden Club.

Holding shears and joking about the “beautiful weather,” Young thanked the Vincentown Garden Club, Southampton Historical Society, and township Public Works

RIBBON>>PAGE 23

program on weekdays to all Pemberton children ages 18 and under.

The program begins Monday, June 19 and runs through Thursday, August 31. It is closed on July 4.

This year, meals will be available Monday through Friday at Busansky School, Stackhouse School, Mirror Lake Beach, and the Nesbit Center. In addition, meals will be available at Pemberton Township High School,

PROGRAM>>PAGE 16

Two Dogs Perish, Two People Injured in Presidential Lakes Dwelling Fire

By Douglas D. Melegari Staff Writer

PEMBERTON—An early Wednesday morning (May 24) blaze in the Presidential Lakes section of Pemberton Township claimed the lives of two dogs and injured two residents.

Flames broke out at around 2:35 a.m. inside a single family dwelling located at 201 Louisiana Trail.

Upon arrival, firefighters attempted to knock down the flames. However, the fire extended

into the roof of the home which was made out of an unusual arrangement of materials.

“Complications with the roof required extra manpower,” said Pemberton Township Fire Chief Craig Augustoni. “The home was 30-years-old which also was another complicating factor. We had the fire contained within an hour.”

He said that the residents of the home were able to self-evacuate before firefighters arrived,

DWELLING>>PAGE 16

Saturday, May 27, 2017

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Medford Lakes Woman Appointed to Lead Human Resources for Deborah

PHOTO SUBMITTED Marion Stamopoulos, Deborah’s new Vice President of Human Resources.

For the Pine Barrens Tribune

BROWNS MILLS—Deborah Heart and Lung Center in Browns Mills announced this month the appointment of Marion Stamopoulos, of Medford Lakes, as Vice President of Human Resources, CHRO. She joins Deborah from Tidelands Health in Murrells Inlet, S.C. where she served as the Director of Human Resources. Prior to her tenure with Tidelands Health, Stamopoulos served as an Assistant Vice

President for Human Resources with Carolinas HealthCare System in Charlotte, N.C. She holds a BS in Business Administration from the University of Delaware and an MBA/ MHA from Pfeiffer University.

Married to husband Gus for 30 years, Stamopoulos has two adult children and is thrilled to have returned to her home state where she was born and raised.

The appointment is effective immediately.

Local Aeronautics Club Places at Rowan University Rocket Competition

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Deborah Celebrates Nurses Week

PHOTO SUBMITTED Shown from left: Malu Esmaya, RN, Director of Nursing Operations; Nurse of the Year, Denet Slocum, RN, Operating Room; Unit Coordinator of the Year, Delores McMullin, MICU; Indirect Care Provider of the Year, Tina Curlis, APN, Cardiology; and Rita Zenna, RN, Vice President, Patient Care Services. Not shown: Patient Care Technician/Nursing Assistant of the Year, Michael Zerr, SICU. For the Pine Barrens Tribune

BROWNS MILLS—Deborah Heart and Lung Center each year celebrates Nurses Week, held from May 6-12 in commemoration of Florence Nightingale’s birthday—who is credited with the birth of the modern nursing profession.

As part of Deborah’s celebration, recognition is given to outstanding professionals who contribute to Deborah’s national reputation as a 4-Star CMS-rated hospital, and as one of the most-highly recognized cardiac centers in the country.

More than a dozen of Deborah’s nurses were promoted this year to Clinical Advancement Nurses. They were recognized for their “excellence in nursing care,” demonstrating advanced proficiency in the categories of education, leadership, performance improvement and research.

Awards were then presented to those who were selected as outstanding nursing professionals.

Seneca High School Air Force JROTC Earns National Awards For the Pine Barrens Tribune

PHOTO SUBMITTED PLTW students at the Rowan Blast-Off Competition.

For the Pine Barrens Tribune

TABERNACLE—Seneca High School’s Aeronautics club joined forces with students in Seneca’s Project Lead the Way (PLTW) STEM program and other Technology education students to build three rockets to be entered in the Rowan Blast-Off Competition.

This event, held at the South Jersey

Technology Park in Mullica Hill last month, required teams to build rockets from scratch that would transport an egg to an elevation of 1,000 feet and safely return to the ground within 53-55 seconds.

The rocket designed and built by Ryan Eno, Connor Davis, and Ryan McLaughlin, earned

ROCKET>>PAGE 16

TABERNACLE—Seneca High School’s Air Force JROTC (AFJROTC) program was recently awarded the Distinguished Unit Award with Merit (DUA), the Distinguished Unit Award (DUA), and the Outstanding Organization Award (OOA) for the 2016-17 school year from the AFJROTC Headquarters.

According to Colonel Bob Woods, a representative from the Department of the United States Air Force University (AETC) and AFJROTC Headquarters in Alabama, the awards “recognize the personal growth and accomplishments of the cadets, contributions of the instructors as mentors, and the support of the school and local community.”

Seneca currently has 127 cadets.

“The program is extremely successful and continues to grow,” said sophomore Cadet Nickolas Rodriguez.

Other classmates were in agreement.

“This award is extremely meaningful to me

because JROTC is one of the biggest electives in our high school, and these awards are a result of a lot of hard work,” sophomore Cadet Dalton Thames said.

Seneca High School’s Air Force JROTC instructors are Major Sean Hoggs and Master Sergeant John Brooks.

“I’m really happy to have been a part of this outstanding program and to have contributed by putting in the work to help us achieve this distinguished award,” sophomore Cadet Austin Hauer said.

Seneca Principal Jeff Spector commended the cadets, instructors and the program.

“This recognition affirms what our students and staff see on a daily basis from the cadets and instructors,” he said. “I’m proud of all of the cadets and instructors who have worked extremely hard to earn this recognition out of the 827 Air Force JROTC and NDCC programs worldwide.”

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Saturday, May 27, 2017

Seneca High School Students Donate Hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths

More Than 225 Seneca Students Attend Safe Post-Prom Event, One Wins Ford Focus

PHOTO SUBMITTED Senior National Honor Society members and event organizers Kayla Dauria and Katelyn Dever pose after getting their hair cut.

PHOTO SUBMITTED Seneca senior Colin Ramage (car winner) poses with his new car, donated by Medford Ford.

For the Pine Barrens Tribune

For the Pine Barrens Tribune

TABERNACLE—Seneca High School’s National Honor Society hosted a Pantene Beautiful Lengths event.

Twenty-five students cut their hair that will be used to help make wigs for patients who lost their hair battling cancer. This student-led initiative stemmed from two Seneca High School seniors, Kayla Dauria and Katelyn Dever, both members of the National Honor Society, who brainstormed this event in February.

Dauria and Dever were inspired by the Pantene Beautiful Lengths campaign and the amount of women battling cancer who were in need of wigs; wigs that helped with their selfconfidence and their overall quality of life.

National Honor Society advisors Maureen McMichael and Judy Maier helped Dauria and

Dever organize the event.

Part of Dauria and Dever’s goal is to make this an annual event that can be passed down after they graduate, ensuring Seneca students’ participation for years to come.

“I am humbled by the amount of support we got from both the student participants and the spectators,” Dever said. “I’m grateful for Salon 541’s help during the event, the advisers for their help in planning the event, and I hope this continues to be a part of Seneca for years after we graduate.”

Maureen McMichael, National Honor Society adviser, shared similar sentiments.

“I thought it was a great idea and Kayla, along with Katelyn, did a great job organizing this event,” she said. “I’m really proud of them and all of the girls who donated their hair. They all did an amazing thing for an amazing cause.”

Left-hand Turn Ban Proposed for Planned Doughnut Shop

By Catherine Galioto

For the Pine Barrens Tribune

MEDFORD—The Medford Township Council introduced an ordinance at their May 16 meeting which would prohibit left turns at a soon-to-be built Dunkin Donuts at the corner of County Route 541 and Church Road.

The changes come for a final vote and public hearing on June 1, a departure from the normal Tuesday schedule due to Election Day. Mayor Chuck Watson said the ordinance is similar to others in the township code book which prohibit left turns and regulate traffic configurations at the entrances and exits to popular township eateries.

“The gist of this ordinance is similar to the one affecting Starbucks, not allowing a left turn at Dunkin Donuts at Route 541,” Watson said.

“This is a request from the county similar to other ones they’ve made.”

He also referred to the Wawa on Route 70 where left turns are also prohibited.

Should the ordinance pass on second reading next month, several council members asked for

a sign to be installed to warn motorists.

“I think it would be good to have a sign there to let people know you can’t make a left-hand turn,” said Councilman Christopher Buoni.

Township Manager Katherine Burger said she would confer with the county, as it was their request that the township introduce an ordinance prohibiting left-hand turns at the doughnut shop and coffeehouse.

In other news, Eagle Scout Bradford Devlin from Troop 20 was honored for his project to relocate a memorial stone and landscape to beautify an area of Freedom Park.

The mayor and council gave Devlin a proclamation at the meeting, where he was surrounded by his fellow scouts and troop leaders.

“Any time we have a proclamation like this, we are proud,” Watson said. “Deputy Mayor Bradley Denn and I are both Eagle Scouts.”

Watson said Devlin had about 20 volunteers assisting him throughout the project. He said Devlin and the volunteers worked to move

BAN>>PAGE 23

TABERNACLE—Seneca High School’s Student Council hosted its fourth annual Prom House 110 Carranza (Seneca is located at 110 Carranza Road).

Over 225 students attended the post-prom event meant to provide a safe, all-night event for those seniors who attended the prom and their dates.

“Prom House 110 Carranza is an opportunity to make good decisions while building lasting memories as senior year comes to a close,” said Erica Maira, Student Council adviser and guidance counselor.

Students watched a professional illusionist perform, participated in carnival and arcade games, and watched a magician/comedian.

“Our students’ safety is our number one priority,” said Principal Jeff Spector. “This

event not only provides our students with a safe, drug-and alcohol-free place to attend after the prom, it also strengthens the message that we care about them beyond the school day.”

Students were served food and won prizes including backpacks and school supplies, Keurigs, earbuds, speakers, gift cards, an Apple watch, iPads, iMacs, TVs and Smart TVs. The grand prize was a Ford Focus donated by Medford Ford and presented by Spector.

The event’s success was made possible with local partnerships including Medford Ford, Seneca High School’s Parents’ Group, student volunteers and Seneca staff including Student Council advisers Erica Maira, Laura Hoy and Matt Abate.

Layoffs Dispute Heats Up at Shamong School Board Meeting

By Adam Tait III

For the Pine Barrens Tribune

SHAMONG—The dispute over the layoffs of 13 teaching assistants and aides and their replacements by a private staffing firm showed no signs of cooling off at a Shamong Board of Education May 16 meeting held at the Indian Mills Memorial School.

Most of the 30 plus seats set up were occupied by the time the meeting started shortly after 7 p.m. After just 10 minutes and after middle and high school students spoke briefly, the board moved into an executive session that lasted 40 minutes until 7:50 p.m.

No information was given as to what was discussed in closed session, but this reporter was told the next day that the contract of Superintendent of Schools Dr. Christine Vespe did not come up. There was also a public hearing held on Vespe’s contract, but no one spoke.

In a follow-up phone call, Vespe said her contract, extended two years ago, was not up for renewal, and that this was simply an

opportunity for the public to comment on it, and by extension, her.

The layoffs, involving eight full-time and five part-time workers, is being attributed to the need to install a generator and repair a well-pit, estimated to cost to an estimated $200,000 to $250,000. The need to budget for this money was caused by the defeat of a $5.3 million bond referendum earlier this year, by a razor-thin five votes, 314-309, with most eligible voters not coming out.

A second vote is set for Sept. 26, just after the start of the next school year.

This meeting was harder to follow than most school board sessions here as there were no paper agendas handed out. When this writer complained, he was told agendas were available online. They were, but contained much less information than usual.

Fortunately, a next-day call to Business Administrator Laura Archer cleared up many of the uncertainties.

The first piece of important business was

LAYOFFS>>PAGE 22

Saturday, May 27, 2017

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PAGE 9

SCANNER Dodge Pickup Overturns and Strikes Utility Pole

NJSP and National Guard Host Boy Scout Camporee

PHOTO SUBMITTED A Dodge pickup truck overturned and struck a utility pole, splitting the pole in half.

PHOTO SUBMITTED The New Jersey State Police recently teamed up with the New Jersey National Guard to host the 5th Boy Scout Camporee in Sea Girt.

SOUTHAMPTON—The New Jersey State Police are investigating a crash which brought down a utility pole.

The accident occurred around 1:38 p.m. on May 21 near the intersection of Big Hill Road and Retreat Road in Southampton.

State police say a Dodge pickup truck driven

by 19-year-old Raymond Bordley of Thornton, Pa. overturned and struck the utility pole. The utility pole was split in half from the impact of the crash.

No other cars or passengers were involved.

The accident remains under investigation.

Pemberton Man Killed in Violent Crash Involving Alleged Racing

PHOTO SUBMITTED Boy Scouts from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York and Connecticut came together to experience a weekend of fun and excitement.

PHOTO SUBMITTED Two vehicles were destroyed in a deadly crash on Route 322 earlier this month.

MONROE—The Monroe Township Police Department, in conjunction with the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, is investigating a deadly crash that may have involved racing.

The accident, which killed two people, including a Pemberton man, occurred around 10 p.m. on May 9 near mile post 30 on Route 322, also known as the South Black Horse Pike.

Police say Elliot J. Festa Jr., 26, of Hammonton was traveling eastbound on Route 322 in a 2013 Subaru Impreza. Matthew H. Anderson, 33, of Pemberton, was traveling westbound on the same roadway in a 2007 Nissan Murano.

A preliminary investigation determined Anderson attempted to turn into the driveway of 3597 Route 322, which is the home of K&J fencing, when the collision happened.

Sgt. Jim Kelly, one of the lead investigators in the case, said that Anderson may have been

temporarily living in a house on the fencing company’s property.

Police say a man driving a motorcycle on Route 322, at the time of the crash, observed Festa and another vehicle racing. The man reported to police that Festa and the other vehicle passed his motorcycle at a speed which appeared to be greater than 100 mph.

The witness also told police that as Anderson attempted to complete his turn into the fencing company, the front of Festa’s vehicle made violent contact with Anderson’s vehicle.

Police later determined that the force and direction of the impact caused Anderson’s vehicle to rotate in a clockwise direction on its lateral axis, as it moved toward the eastbound shoulder of the roadway. While rotating on its lateral axis and continuing east, Festa’s vehicle

RACING>>PAGE 22

PHOTO SUBMITTTED Scouts were treated to various showcases from the state police.

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PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE

OPINION

Letters submitted to the Pine Barrens Tribune must include the name, address and phone number of the writer. Letters may be edited for length, clarity and taste. Because of space limitations, letters should be 150 words of less.

How to Send Items to the Editor: letters@pinebarrenstribune.com, put “Letter” in the subject line.

Editorial Pause to Reflect on Those Who Served To Ensure Our Freedom Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving our country.

It’s not just a day that officially kicks off summer fun; it is one of our country’s most solemn occasions.

Let’s all take time this holiday weekend to pause and reflect for a few minutes on the

sacrifices countless individuals have made for our freedoms.

Memorial Day parades are being held throughout our coverage area.

We encourage you to attend a local parade to applaud participating military personnel and members of veterans’ organizations.

Thank You, Local Firefighters Firefighters who descended upon Shamong last Saturday did a terrific job in saving up to 30 homes from a forest fire which grew rapidly.

Their efforts should not go unnoticed.

Livelihoods and lives were saved as a result of their prompt and professional actions.

We recently ran a story about how volunteer fire companies throughout the state and country are experiencing a shortage in volunteers.

What would our communities look like without volunteer firefighters?

We can’t even begin to imagine.

Notable Quotes “The Affordable Care Act is on the brink of collapse and no bureaucratic government report can change that. While I certainly respect the work of the Congressional Budget Office and the staff there, it is important to remember how wildly inaccurate they have been on projections related to the Affordable Care Act: Their projections on enrollment in the ACA in 2016 were off by a staggering 12 million people—or 120%. For all their efforts, they are clearly not prophets.

While CBO projections on enrollment numbers remain in doubt, it’s clear that the MacArthur Amendment will bring down premiums and make healthcare more affordable. To me, repairing the health care system has always been about protecting the most vulnerable among us, while working to drive down costs for all other families. I know that the American Health Care Act would do this better than the Affordable Care Act does.” — Congressman Tom MacArthur, R-NJ-3.

“Despite the considerable efforts of law enforcement and social programs staffed by dedicated personnel, the sad reality is, as statistics clearly show, domestic violence is still pervasive in our society.” — Senator Christopher J. Connors, Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf, and Assemblywoman DiAnne C. Gove, R-NJ-9th Legislative District.

PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE Established 2016

Douglas D. Melegari, Publisher, CEO Pat Carney, Senior Graphic Artist Adam Tait III, Copy Editor Colleen Jordan, Copy Editor, Graphic Artist Robert Urban, Copy Editor P.O. Box 2402, Vincentown, NJ 08088 Locally owned and published.

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Guest Commentary submitted to the Pine Barrens Tribune can be submitted by an appointed or elected official, political candidate, organization leader, or community leader. Guest commentary submitted to the Pine Barrens Tribune must include the name, photo, address, affiliation, title, and phone number of the writer. Commentary may be edited for length, clarity and taste. Because of space limitations, commentary should be about 450 words or less.

Letter to the Editor

Having a Different Viewpoint on Homeschooling Is Not Un-American I am writing to rebut the letter sent from Mrs. Marni Cunard (Partaking in a Certain Lifestyle Does Not Earn Participation in Extracurricular Activities-Pine Barrens Tribune: April 29).

As I stated in my previous letter, I do tip my hat to any parent, regardless of the reason, who takes the time and effort to homeschool their child. However, I take issue with some of her statements.

Cunard indicates prohibiting homeschoolers from participating in LRHSD extra-curricular activities is discrimination. Where exactly are you legally being discriminated against? I am not a lawyer, but I view discrimination as being denied a civil right based on a certain characteristic. Are you saying not getting your way is causing you to be discriminated against?

I am not insensitive to your argument, but I don’t believe being denied something you are not legally entitled to is discrimination; especially when it is a result of a choice that you made for your child.

If you are being truly discriminated against for race, religion or sexuality, than I will be first in line to speak out.

Seneca High School students spend their day on a bus, in study hall and at lunch. My understating is they take five to six classes a day, for an hour each, and are being educated under the approved curriculum of the Lenape Regional High School District.

I don’t believe that, according to the state Department of Education, homeschoolers have to follow the same curriculum or testing schedules that students attending the school do.

This is not an argument for or against

homeschooling; this is about the different set of standards kids who attend the school face every day vs. homeschoolers. Standards that include: academics, behavioral and attendance (and are monitored by school personnel).

You also argue that paying property taxes entitles one to participate in a school’s extra-curricular activities. I believe this argument in and of itself has no merit. It does no good to look at taxes as if it were a tuition payment. Paying taxes is not the same as paying tuition for a public school. If it were, people who have no children or senior citizens should not have to pay.

We fund public schools because we as a society benefit from having a well-educated citizenry. There are many government-funded services I do not use, but I don’t argue against funding them when they are needed.

As far as “coming down on the side of denying an opportunity,” perhaps you denied him the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities when you chose to opt him out of the public school system.

There is a policy in place. If you do not like it, I encourage you to work to change it and utilize elected officials to enact legislation and change the law as they’ve done in other states.

Please do not utilize emotional arguments to solve legal ones.

You call me un-American; but I am not sure when having a different viewpoint became synonymous with being un-American, even when it may not be the popular viewpoint.

Brett Hann

Tabernacle, New Jersey

24/7 Updates : pinebarrenstribune.com

Social Media Sound Off (Re: Forest Fire Scorches Nearly 300 Acres in Shamong) Thank you to all firefighters who saved my brother’s house.

Debbie DeGroff (Re: Forest Fire Scorches Nearly 300 Acres in Shamong) Next to ticks, fire is one of the scariest things about living in the Pinelands.

Vicki Mircheff Wells (Re: Letter to the Editor: Paying Taxes Does Not Earn Privileges or Grant Access to Programs and Facilities) You are attending your 60th class reunion because you attended that school because your parents paid taxes. You were given access to that school because your parents, and many others in that school district, paid their taxes. The school exists because the taxpayers paid for the building and the teachers in it. Public schools are public entities that provide public services for school-aged children in their communities. It’s a wonderful thing that you feel that your schoolmates were your family and you experienced a sense of camaraderie and belonging when you went to public school - that’s a blessing for sure. However, that doesn’t mean you should lock homeschooled children out of having access to participating in after-school activities in their local public school. That’s just wrong, not to mention mean.

Marni Cunard

Please comment on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Twitter: @PineBarrensNews with the hashtag #SoundOff or Facebook: www.facebook.com/pinebarrenstribune.

Saturday, May 27, 2017

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PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE

COMMUNITY

E-Mail Story Ideas and Community Events: news@pinebarrenstribune.com

Events

May 27 Event: Migrant Worker Outreach Clothing Drive Location: Mount Laurel Details: Help welcome migrant workers and their families to South Jersey during the blueberry harvest in June & July.

Donate clothing and more to the Migrant Worker Outreach clothing drive. Visit www.MigrantWorkerOutreach.org to see a list of requested items. Call Dory Dickson at 609-969-2480 to set up an appointment Saturday, May 27, at the Mt. Laurel Library, 100 Walt Whitman Ave., Mt. Laurel. Donations accepted by appointment only.

May 29 Event: 138th Annual Memorial Day Parade Location: Vincentown Details: Parade starts at 10 a.m. – Main Street and Hilliards Bridge Road. The public is welcome to a Veteran’s Luncheon starting at noon at Grange Hall (Adults $12, Children $5). Tickets on sale the day of the parade at the Grange. There will be a Memorial Day Concert at noon at the Grange parking lot, featuring “The Freedom Brass.” Finally, there will be a baseball game at 7 p.m., at Memorial Field, Red Lion Road. If interested in participating in the parade, call Sandy, 609-859-2736.

May 30 Event: Trip to Grounds for Sculpture Location: Whiting Details: A trip is planned to the Grounds for Sculpture.

Seating is limited. The cost is $44 per person. Contact Stephanie for details at 732-350-2904.

May 31 Event: Women in Sustainable Energy (WISE) Location: Willingboro Details: The WISE Program is a comprehensive, 32-hour career exploration and workplace skills development program for women, including: an introduction to the utility, energy and construction industries; and hands-on educational experiences focused on getting ready for a career in utility, energy or construction industries. To learn more about this free program, please attend a 45-minute information session, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., RCBC Willingboro Campus, 200 Campbell Drive, Room 225, Willingboro.

June 3 Event: Migrant Workers Outreach Clothing Drive

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Location: Evesham Details: Help welcome migrant workers and their families to South Jersey during the blueberry harvest in June & July.

Donate clothing and more to the Migrant Worker Outreach clothing drive. Visit www.MigrantWorkerOutreach.org to see a list of requested items. Call Dory Dickson at 609-969-2480 to set up an appointment to meet the MWO vehicle on Saturday, June 3, at the Evesham Library, 984 Tuckerton Road, Marlton.

Donations accepted by appointment only.

Event: Volunteer Work Day at Whitesbog Location: Browns Mills Details: Have fun with friends working in the gardens, the General Store, repairing trails, or working around the Village.

Lunch is provided. 120 W. Whites Bogs Road, Browns Mills, 609-893-4646.

Event: Quilt Show at Kirby’s Mill Location: Medford Details: The Medford Historical Society is hosting the Annual Betty Malloy Quilt Show at Kirby’s Mill, June 3 & 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free, however donations gladly accepted. 275 Church Road, Medford.

June 4 Event: Rabies and Microchip Clinic Location: Mt. Holly Details: The Burlington County SPCA is having a Rabies and Microchip Clinic on Sunday, June 4, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Microchips are $25; Rabies, distemper and Bordatella $10. No appointment necessary and open to anyone with a pet they want to protect. The clinic will be at Barney’s Kennels & Grooming, 2214 Monmouth Rd., Mt. Holly.

June 10 Event: Annual Fishing Derby Location: Medford Details: The Medford-Vincentown Rotary Club is sponsoring “Take a Kid Fishing Day” in Medford. The event will be Saturday, June 10, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Medford Park, located across from Pinelands Branch Library (Main Street & Allen Avenue). All area children are invited to this free event. www.mvrotaryclub.com.

Event: Moonlight Walk at Whitesbog Location: Browns Mills Details: Come out to Whitesbog Village for a Moonlight

Walk, June 10, 7:00 p.m. 120 W. Whites Bogs Road, Browns Mills, 609-893-4646.

June 11

Event: Kids Blueberry Painting Party at Whitesbog Location: Browns Mills Details: The kids painting party will be held in the Whitesbog General Store at 1 p.m. Local children’s librarian, Miss Theresa, will be teaching the kids to paint a still life of blueberries. $8 per participant. For reservations, call 609-893-4646.

June 12 Event: Charity Golf Tournament Location: Medford Details: St. Mary’s of the Lakes Knights of Columbus, Council 6520, is hosting its 10th Annual Charity Golf Tournament, June 12, at Medford Lakes Country Club, 70 Oaks Drive, Medford Lakes. Proceeds benefit Medford’s Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Golf registration is $150 and includes greens fee, golf cart, lunch, and dinner. Shotgun start 12 p.m.

Dinner only tickets, $45. For more information contact Don Bouchard, bouchdm@aol.com or 609-654-8853, 609-760-8932.

June 16 Event: Designer Bag Bingo Location: Manahawkin Details: Designer Bag Bingo, Friday, June 16, at St. Mary’s of the Pines Parish Center, Bishop Way, Manahawkin, NJ. Doors open 5:30 p.m., Bingo starts at 7 p.m. Tickets $35 advanced, $40 at the door. Includes 12 games of Bingo, 3 cards for each game.

Coffee, tea and desserts. Pick up tickets at 56 Nautilus Drive, Manahawkin on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Proceeds benefit Interfaith Health & Support Services of Southern Ocean County.

June 17 Event: Buzby’s General Store Going Out of Business Sale Location: Chatsworth Details: The Historic, Buzby’s General Store is having its Going Out of Business Sale Saturday, June 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 3949 County Road 563, Chatsworth. Gift items, Buzby souvenirs, candles, books, walking sticks and small antiques.

Cash only. All sales are final. Hot dogs and beverages will be available.

PEMBERTON TWP. SENIOR CITIZEN COLUMN The Beauty Castle Visits the Senior Center

By Ebba Liguori

For the Pine Barrens Tribune

PEMBERTON—Each month, usually on the third Tuesday, beauticians from the Beauty Castle visit the senior center. These generous beauticians were looking to volunteer in the local community and one of their thoughts was “I bet the seniors would love to have free haircuts!”

Well, they were correct in their assumption.

Each month, since January, they have been arriving at the center and announcing they are “open for business.” Usually up to 20 seniors quickly sign up and join the line. For at least 2 hours, these ladies toil to make our seniors look classier. We need to thank Nery Abercrombie and Karen McClain for taking the time and effort to visit the center; bringing all their tools of the trade and their great spirit of helpfulness.

These same beauticians have been volunteering locally at the Christian Caring Center. They have generous hearts and care deeply for their fellow residents. They ask for nothing in return, but volunteer willingly to

help others. Seniors have a difficult time financially and this outreach certainly helps many of them make ends meet. Their shop is located at 305 C Lakehurst Road, near the Junction Road traffic light. If you are looking for a stylist, perhaps you would like to stop in and visit them. Mention you heard about them helping the seniors. Their phone number is 609-893-5545, they have a website: https:// www.vagaro.com/thebeautycastle and are open seven days a week, so it is not difficult to schedule appointments. The seniors are most appreciative of the services they offer at the center, very convenient especially for those who depend on others for transportation.

Many thanks to the beauticians.

This week the “Movie of the Month” was “Hidden Figures,” the incredible story of three brilliant African American women working at NASA. They served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history, the launch of John Glenn into orbit. This visionary trio crossed all gender and racial lines to inspire generations to dream big.

Each month, on the third Thursday, Melissa Cuevas selects a movie she thinks the seniors will enjoy. There is a large-screen television available and plenty of seating. The movie usually begins at noon, following lunch. Mark your calendars for the third Thursday if you would enjoy viewing a movie. The movie title is announced monthly in the Senior Gazette, or check the Pemberton Township website under the “Senior Department” tab.

Monday, May 29, is Memorial Day. Annually, Pemberton Township holds a Memorial Day parade beginning at 10 a.m., forming at the Stackhouse School parking lot, across from Deborah Hospital. The parade marches south on Trenton Road to the Pemberton Township War Memorial. A ceremony will be held there following the parade. The Senior Citizens Community Choir will sing “God Bless America” during the ceremony. All seniors and residents who would like to join the choir are invited to arrive at the memorial between 9:30 a.m. and 10 a.m.

Please dress in combinations of red, white and

blue. Assigned seating will be available for the singers. This is the day we honor those who have given their lives to serve our country. The senior center will be closed on Memorial Day to honor our veterans and give the staff a day to be with their families.

The most recent senior trip on May 23 was to Atlantic City and Gardner’s Basin for a one hour cruise on the “Cruisin’ 2.” This was followed by a visit to Resorts with a $20 meal voucher and $25 coin voucher. The next trip will be on June 21 to Hunterdon Hills Dinner Theatre for the “Nashville to Memphis” musical. A sit-down meal will be served and there will be a delicious dessert buffet.

Tickets are sold out, but a wait list is always maintained.

Joe Marrolli, the new Director of Senior Services, made several visits to the Senior Center since taking charge just a couple of weeks ago. He has been working to familiarize himself with the operations and programs offered at the center. He has a lot

SENIORS>>PAGE 16

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Saturday, May 27, 2017

PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE

SPOTLIGHT Local Man Embarks on a New Business Venture That Rewards Loyalty

PHOTO SUBMITTED Scott Spruill, owner of Fabrix Dry Cleaning, discusses how he choose to embark on a new business opportunity in Medford.

PHOTO SUBMITTED Fabrix Dry Cleaning, says owner Scott Spruill, provides customer service that is second to none with a company mantra: “cleaning with class.”

By Judy Cohen Minches For the Pine Barrens Tribune

MEDFORD—Fabrix Dry Cleaning owner Scott Spruill’s ties to the Medford area run deep.

The father of three, whose teenage kids attend Seneca High School, said he loves the town, the schools and the people.

Medford offers something for everyone, “whether it’s Binkley’s 5 & 10 for school stuff, Dunkin’ Donuts [for me], Vincent’s for best sushi, the local news agency for lottery tickets, or a good car wash…this town is the best to live, play and work in.”

It was a natural decision, therefore, for Spruill to set up shop here in Medford—in the Junction Center on Rt. 70, across from Medford Ford and next to Verizon and Medford Medical Supply—when he was ready to embark on a

new business opportunity.

For 25 years, he had worked in the mail business, the last 15 of which were in Staten Island, servicing the five boroughs of New York City, until he saw the decline in volume due to the advances in technology.

He had always had a passion for wardrobes and was hoping that, this time around, he would hit upon an industry that was recession-proof.

Thus, Fabrix Dry Cleaning was born.

“To have a business here that can become part of the community is very inspiring,” said Spruill, who believes that people who live and/ or shop in Medford should be supported by the very businesses they patronize.

“If customers are loyal to me, then I’m loyal to them,” he said. “Giving back is the reward for their loyalty.”

Spruill said the customer service that Fabrix provides is second to none—its mantra being “cleaning with class”—and is topped off with “an industrial chic look that is totally unlike any dry cleaner you have ever used.”

He provides access to the store seven days a week, optional pick-up service, assistance upon exiting the store if needed and text messages when garments are ready for pick up. He is also planning to offer a retail line which may include organic products.

Spruill has taken some cues from his delight at sipping—and having earned—his one free cup of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee each week as the result of stopping there on his way to work each morning.

“It’s the little things in life that matter as we get older,” he said.

It is in the vein of showing appreciation to loyal customers that he has initiated his Rewards Program, which will offer a variety of savings opportunities: $10 store credit once customers have accumulated 100 points; 10 percent off with every drop-off and access to exclusive monthly specials; a free lint brush at the time of sign up; a free garment bag for quick and easy drop off; and pick-up service available for no extra charge.

Spruill said he is hopeful that his daughter Brooke, who will enter Widener University as a freshman in a few months, will mind the store on Sundays. She will study business and finance so that one of these days—in due time—dad will begin to groom her to oversee the Fabrix enterprise.

Longtime Browns Mills Veterinarian Closing His Doors

By Judy Cohen Minches For the Pine Barrens Tribune

BROWNS MILLS—Longtime veterinarian Dr. Karl Hartsock will be closing his doors at the Browns Mills Animal Clinic on June 30, 2017.

The neighborhood go-to guy for dogs and cats has served local residents from Pemberton Township and surrounding communities for over three decades.

“It’s time to retire,” said the Pemberton Borough resident, although he admitted the transition is somewhat scary to think about.

After 36 years of having a structured daily routine, not setting his alarm will take some getting used to, but he is looking forward to the challenge.

He is eager to spend more time with his favorite animal—his 10-year-old horse—which he boards close by.

Beyond that, he is open to what comes his way.

At one point, he owned a home in Florida.

However, he said he learned the lifestyle of

being a snowbird is not for him.

He said maybe he will travel and reflected on how when he was younger, he traveled extensively. He added that perhaps he will cook more, although his preference is for simple meals.

For now, Hartsock is feeling sentimental about the clinic, experiencing reluctance and sadness, but knowing it is time to move on.

“The people of this community have been supportive since this business opened in 1981,” he said. “Many of my clients have become friends, for which I am most grateful.”

In preparation for the closing, Hartsock is referring his clients to the Pinelands Veterinary Clinic in Southampton, for service after June 30.

Requests to pick up records should be made as soon as possible with questions directed to the clinic no later than mid- to late June.

His equipment and inventory will be donated to the Burlington County Animal Shelter in Westampton.

PHOTO SUBMITTED Longtime veterinarian Dr. Karl Hartsock will be closing his doors at the Browns Mills Animal Clinic on June 30.

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ROCKET PAGE 7

a third-place award. This is the only award that Seneca has ever won in a rocket competition.

“We started as a bunch of students who knew very little about rockets, and we came out with a third-place trophy,” said Seneca junior Ryan Eno. “This is only the beginning for the Seneca Aeronautics Club.”

Technology teacher and Aeronautics adviser Jason Pitner said the event is a perfect

example of students enriching their problem solving skills through hands-on, STEM-based design challenges.

“It was amazing to watch the growth of the students from receiving the initial design specifications, to simulating flights on the computer, to building and tweaking their design and then to the actual launch,” he said.

“Students encountered countless challenges throughout the entire process, so it was great to see that all of their hard work paid off. I’m extremely proud of them.”

Saturday, May 27, 2017

PROGRAM PAGE 6

from July 6 through August 3 only.

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SENIORS PAGE 11

to learn with more than 100 active seniors and multiple programs and activities on the schedule. The center’s staff is working closely with Marrolli to assure the center is looking out for all seniors who participate.

All seniors are invited to stop in at the senior center, located across from the Browns Mills

Post Office, and register. The registration costs nothing and is simple to complete. Nourishing meals are available daily at a minimal cost and there are always activities going on. Stop in and meet the many seniors who gather and enjoy the friendship shared by all. A caring staff is on duty to provide assistance.

but not before sustaining injuries. Their pets were less fortunate.

“The bad news is two dogs perished in the fire,” Augustoni said. “The two residents were brought to Cooper University Hospital. They were treated and released.”

The nature of the victims’ injuries was not immediately available. Both victims are now living with their son as their home

milk will be served for breakfast. Lunch will consist of an entree, vegetable, fruit and milk.

The Summer Food Service Program is a federal program of the Food and Nutrition Services, United States Department of Agriculture. This program provides all children 18 years of age and under with the same free meal in accordance with a menu approved by the state Department of Agriculture. was heavily damaged.

The American Red Cross did respond to the scene as well.

Investigators were able to quickly determine that the cause of the blaze was accidental. The home did not have working smoke detectors.

Firefighting and EMS agencies from Burlington and Ocean Counties assisted township first responders.

There have now been a total of 11 structure fires since the year began in Pemberton Township.

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Saturday, May 27, 2017

PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE

HEALTH

Dear Pharmacist

By Suzy Cohen, R.Ph.

Suzy Cohen is the author of “The 24-Hour Pharmacist” and “Real Solutions.” For more information, visit www.SuzyCohen.com.

Burn Fat with 5 Thermogenic Foods The fastest way to lose weight is to exercise more, and shrink your portions at each meal.

But there are some shortcuts you can take. One of them is thyroid hormone, because it turns on your fat-burning pathways. Another shortcut is to eat and drink more of the foods (and beverages) that increase calorie-burning, termed thermogenesis. Here are the specific items I think can help, so try integrating what you like here, and do it on a daily basis: Green Tea: Drinking green tea, even once or twice daily (iced or hot) can be integrated very easily.

Make sure it’s organic, the flavor doesn’t matter but if you put sugar in it, you’re defeating the purpose.

Even if you keep your regular diet steady, you could lose as much as 2.9 pounds over 12 weeks, according to a 2013 article I read in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The researchers theorize that it’s a combination of the caffeine content and the polyphenols present in green tea that produce a thermogenic effect.

Hot Peppers: Mmm, I love spicy food! It helps you burn calories due to the heat-forming compound called capsaicin. Taken internally in the form of spice, it can turn on thermogenesis. So next time you eat hot chili or salsa, or green curry… and feel yourself starting to get hot under the collar, remind yourself that you’re not being socially awkward, you’re being metabolically upregulated!

Cinnamon: Cinnamon is thought to help balance blood sugar, which, by the way, is a short-cut to losing weight, discussed fully in my book, Diabetes Without Drugs. Cinnamon is also thermogenic.

Sprinkle it over a bowl of fresh berries with a splash of your favorite milk or cream, put some on top of your morning oatmeal, or into a protein shake or smoothie. Cinnamon is great on top of coffee too.

Apple Cider Vinegar: In 2009, researchers found that acetic acid, the main ingredient in apple cider vinegar, promotes the production of fat-burning enzymes in the livers of mice. Don’t drink it straight because it is very acidic and can damage your tooth enamel and esophagus. It always has to be diluted in something so use it to make salad dressing, or dilute a teaspoon in a cup of water and boom… down the hatch!

My ‘bookface’ mom drinks it that exact way, to this day.

Coconut Oil: Coconut oil’s molecular structure makes it uniquely able to bypass the digestive process (where its calories could be stored as fat) and sent straight to the liver where it can be used for fuel. So coconut oil isn’t thermogenic because it increases calorie-burning, per se, but rather because it doesn’t contribute to fat, and it could replace bad fats in your diet.

In addition to being thermogenic, these five foods are extremely healthy for you in so many ways, so integrating them in to your healthy diet is a wonderful idea just for the health of it.

This information is not intended to treat, cure, or diagnose your condition.

For more information, please visit www.SuzyCohen.com. © 2017 SUZY COHEN, RPH. DISTRIBUTED BY DEAR PHARMACIST, INC.

24/7 UPDATES : PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM

What’s the Best Treatment For Conjunctivitis?

By Sue Hubbard, M.D. Any time the eye is pink, you have “pink eye.” Mothers seem to be quite confused by this, often commenting, “This is pink eye?” to which I respond, “Well, the child’s eye (conjunctiva) is pink (red); so, yes, this is pink eye.” The term is just a description of the eye, but then you need to determine why the eye is “pink.”

Conjunctivitis is one of the most common causes of a pink eye, and there are many different types of conjunctivitis. As with any condition, the history is really important in helping to determine why a child’s eye is inflamed. Several of the most common causes of “pink eye” are bacterial, viral and allergic conjunctivitis.

Bacterial conjunctivitis often shows up in younger children, and they have lots of matting of the eye lids and lashes and a mucopurulent discharge (gooey eyes). Some moms say that the “goo of gunk” comes as quickly as they can wipe it. The child often has a lot of tearing and will rub the eyes as they feel that something is in their eye and it is irritated.

Bacterial conjunctivitis will typically resolve in eight to 10 days on its own, but antibiotic eye drops are used to shorten the course of the pink eye and also reduce the contagiousness. It seems as if every child in a daycare class room will get conjunctivitis as they constantly rub their eyes and touch toys. Hand washing helps, but you can’t wash a child’s hands every time they touch their eyes.

Viral conjunctivitis usually occurs in combination with a systemic viral illness. Sore

throat, fever and a bright red eye are often seen in older children and teens, and it is due to adenovirus. While the eye is red, the discharge is typically watery and matting is much less common. These patients are contagious for up to 12 days, so it is important to practice good eye/hand hygiene, especially in the household.

Artificial tears may help the feeling of eye irritation, but antibacterial eye drops rarely help except in cases of a secondary infection. I get many phone calls from parents saying, “We tried prescription eye drops, and they are not working.” I make sure to tell my older patients to take out their contacts and wear glasses for seven to 10 days.

At this time of year, I am also seeing a lot of seasonal allergic conjunctivitis. These children have intensely itchy and watery eyes, as well as swelling of the eyelids and area surrounding the eyes. They look like they have been crying for days, as they are so swollen and miserable.

Many also have a very watery nasal discharge.

They do not have fever. Using over-the-counter medications for allergy control, such as nasal steroids and antihistamines, will help some of the allergic symptoms. There are also over-thecounter eye drops (Zaditor, Patanol) that help when used daily.

During the worst of the season, I make sure that the child has daily hair wash and eyelash and eyebrow wash with dilute soapy water to make sure the pollen is removed after they have been playing outside. It is nearly impossible to keep a child indoors for the six or more weeks of allergy season!

Saturday, May 27, 2017

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PAGE 19

PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE

FUN AND GAMES Are We There Yet?

By Lori Clinch

Lori Clinch was born and raised in North Platte, Nebraska, a hotbed of material for writers whose passion it is to make people laugh. Lori Clinch is the mother of four sons and the author of the book “Are We There Yet?”

He’s Coming Around On Credit Cards When I first married my husband, Pat, we were on the same page regarding finances.

For the most part, that is. We were both a fan of saving money for a rainy day, frugal with our spending and were both debt free. (If you didn’t count that root canal that I had to have. Those are painful more ways than one.)

What we didn’t agree upon was the use of credit cards. Although I didn’t believe in racking up huge balances, I wasn’t opposed to the concept. Pat, however, didn’t see any reason to charge what could just as easily be paid for with a check.

I didn’t argue with him too much, until I took over his books and realized that with his business, there were a lot of checks and lots of checks meant lots of reconciliation and when one is NOT a mathematical genius, she doesn’t want to spend two hours of her busy day trying to find what that $5 discrepancy is all about.

Much to Pat’s dismay, I applied for a credit card account for us. I assured him that we could charge for our needs, and we would pay the balance off each and every month and the whole concept wouldn’t cost a dime.

“Oh, they’ll get ‘cha!” he argued with me as he quoted his favorite financial guru.

I came back at him with one-percent discounts and cash-back bonus awards. Not to mention that I’d spend time doing things more productive than pulling my hair out as I balanced the aforementioned checkbook.

After many years of credit card use and marital bliss, Pat still isn’t quite comfortable with using plastic, but he uses it and I couldn’t be happier.

It’s because of those bonuses that I charge everything. (Trust me, it’s OK if you pay off the balance). And I truly enjoy watching the little nest egg grow every month.

“Would you like to apply your bonus to your balance?” the website often asks.

“No!” I always respond. If one is going to

have a bonus balance, she wants to use it for something fun. A weekend away, cushions for the patio set or, dare we dream, a lovely antique.

Every month when I pay the balance online, I look at the bonus and think; There you are little buddy. You just keep growing and we’ll apply you when the time is right.

Now, our four sons are grown and together we share an account on a website. I trust them, they trust me and we all respect and know that our credit cards are our own and that it’s never OK to cross that line.

That being said, you can imagine my dismay when I went to pay our credit card balance and noticed that our lovely cash-back bonus was down to a mere $1.79.

Talk about a one hot mama!

With a fist firmly planted on my hip and a stern finger outwardly pointed, I demanded of my family when we gathered the next day, “Where is my $512 cash-back bonus?”

I fully expected wailing, gnashing of teeth and begging of forgiveness. Instead I was met with blank stares from three sons and then there was the fourth, who filled his mouth with pizza before he nonchalantly answered, “Dad used it.”

“What do you mean he used it?” I asked in exasperation.

“I was ordering him a new miter saw and noticed the bonus and asked him if he wanted to apply it to his purchase and he said, ‘$512 free dollars?! You dang betcha!’”

So let’s just do a nice little recap. First there’s me. The nice little gal who uses credit cards for everything so that she can build a nice little nest egg and then apply it towards something as fun as patio cushions.

Then we have a man who despises credit cards, has to be forced to use them and then scoops up the bonus for something practical that he would have purchased anyway.

The whole deal is almost as painful as a root canal.

C R O S S W O R D

Across 1 Pricey 6 Place for a chicken 10 Herring prized for its roe 14 Use a lectern 15 A fan of 16 Tortilla snack 17 With 59-Across, words from a fictional mariner ... and a hint to both parts of 26-, 31-, 42- and 47-Across 19 Any minute now, to a bard 20 Tampa-to-Jacksonville dir.

21 Frosty coat 22 Fern-to-be 23 Criticize sneakily 26 Oil conduit 28 Chef’s tool 30 Fire, or fire-fighting tool 31 Electricity source 34 Astronaut Grissom 37 Incriminate with false evidence 38 __-Locka, Florida 39 Emaciated 41 Messy spot 42 Reaganomics term 44 __ Kan: Alpo rival 46 Fit as a fiddle and tough as nails 47 Primary entrance 52 Exams for would-be attys.

P U Z Z L E

53 Shore eagles 54 Object of worship 56 Dick’s wife, twice 58 __-Seltzer 59 See 17-Across 62 Safe document 63 Left 64 Conundrum 65 They may be split or tight 66 __ buco: veal dish 67 Make a mess of Down 1 Seeded 2 Convey 3 Completely eroded 4 Nice season?

5 Part of 60-Down 6 “Ta-ta” 7 Coming up next 8 Ferrell’s “SNL” cheerleading partner 9 __ favor: Pedro’s “please” 10 Paper clip alternative 11 Onetime capital of French Indochina 12 Oak nut 13 Charity, say 18 Puppy 22 Masters and Johnson subject 24 Agenda line

25 Partner of simple 27 First lady after Lady Bird 28 Suntan lotion numbers, briefly 29 Baseball’s Matty or Felipe 32 Droid download 33 Snoozes 34 Free from blame 35 Not wanted 36 Fr. holy women 39 Places with rings and horses 40 Massive land mass 42 Gp. that kidnapped Patty Hearst 43 Big name in pharmaceuticals 44 Works on, as dough 45 Top prosecutors: Abbr.

47 Maryland’s Fort __ 48 “Over the Rainbow” composer Harold 49 Signed in pen 50 DVR devices 51 Blissful places 55 Treat often split 57 Nothing 59 __ trip 60 Typing meas.

61 __ polloi

© 2017 LORI CLINCH

S U D O K U

ANSWERS ON PAGE 26

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Saturday, May 27, 2017

PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE

CLASSIFIEDS Submit a Classified! E-mail sales@pinebarrenstribune.com to receive a form and pricing.

Community Activities Medford area seniors offer a regular schedule of events running Monday through Friday. Included are bridge, pinochole, knitting, investing, writing, painting, genealogy, yoga, healthy bones and more. Go to Medfordtownship.com for more information or visit us at Cranberry Hall behind the municipal building at 17 North Main St.

Garage/Yard Sale Collectibles, antiques, tools, unique one of a kind power equipment, construction materials. Garden items, patentable items, fishing, artwork. S-S 8 a.m.-12 p.m. 137 Stowaway Rd. Manahawkin.

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Help Wanted Area claims writers. No experience PT/ FT flex hours. NJ/PA. Call or text 470-2389510. Target income $30k/$80k.

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Competitive salary plus commission with opportunity for advancement.

Pine Barrens Media, LLC– Searching for a freelance journalist/reporter with

strong reporting skills and great storytelling abilities to join the Pine Barrens Tribune news team! The ideal candidate will have excellent news judgment and be able to develop sources to allow them to break major stories both in print and online.

We are seeking a motivated, energetic, creative and aggressive reporter who can think and perform outside the box. The candidate should be able to develop story ideas and gather information for the newspaper and website, have sound writing skills, a great work ethic, strong interpersonal skills, and a can-do attitude.

The best person for this job will have excellent writing skills and thrive on breaking stories.

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Saturday, May 27, 2017

VOLUNTEERISM PAGE 1

great energy to continue.”

At Cherokee, Avi is president of the Community Service Club and a member of the Leo Club and Renaissance. He also worked to create and organize a Model Congress Club at the school after participating last summer in the New Jersey Model Congress. Charlesworth said he wanted his peers to have the same learning experience.

Glatz has logged more than 148 hours of service through March 1 of this year. She has traveled three times to Give Kids the World Village, volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in Baltimore, and supported the Special Olympics in New Jersey. At Shawnee, Glatz has helped other students through peer tutoring. She currently serves as vice president of the Kids Wish for Kids Club and is a peer mentor.

“Helping others has given her perspective, which inspires her to create a positive impact on the world,” said Matthew Campbell, principal of Shawnee High School. “She’s a great student.”

Seneca’s Zink is a member of the Willingboro Fire Department and Hampton Lakes Volunteer Fire Company in Southampton. He has also participated in the Evesham Township Police Department Explorer Program and accumulated more than 200 volunteer hours over the summer as a counselor for a camp that caters to children of deployed soldiers. At Seneca, Zink has worked alongside special-needs students in the Buddies Club and is in the Air Force Junior ROTC. Jeff Spector, principal of Seneca High School, read aloud a letter from one of Zink’s teachers.

“Many words could define Cole, but the one that stands out to me is passion,” said Spector as he read the letter. “Cole has a passion for everything he does, whether he’s in school or out of school or on the soccer field. He is not afraid to make a leap of passion in order to succeed. In class, he is able to express himself honestly through a paper by connecting with what he is writing about. On the soccer field, his teammates look to him as a leader because he is vocal and dedicated.

“Cole is the type of kid that always says hello. He is the type of kid that always has a smile on his face. Cole is the type of kid that you want in your class because he makes everyone around him better. He will be a student that I will never forget because he was genuine and sincere. He always cared. Many student athletes fall victim to putting much priority on athletics and not enough on academics, but Cole has not. Even though he’s captain of the soccer team, he takes school very seriously and it’s apparent in the work that he hands in. His academic growth during these past four years has been impressive and recognizable. Cole has a passion that will not let him fail.”

Zink was not in attendance at the meeting to accept the award. He instead choose to go to a class to earn an engine company operations certification. His brother, Ian, accepted the award on his behalf.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carol Birnbohm said she is proud to serve as superintendent of a district where the board, students, faculty and parents value the importance of acting as a community, and think of others before themselves.

“I have great pride in this school district and I always say I’m super proud to be the superintendent of this school district,” she said.

“I think it has all the ingredients of what makes

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a wonderful school district; a supportive board of education, enthusiastic students who want to get involved, faculty who work really hard at creating positive learning experiences for our students, and last, but not least, parents who are involved in their children’s education.”

Birnbohm also said “community” is a big theme in the LRHSD. “When I have a captive audience of teachers in August, right before the school year starts, I talk about the word community and I talk about it in three ways,” she said. “It’s important for teachers to build a sense of community within their classroom. Children will feel safe if they can learn and grow if they feel like there is a community in the classroom. The second thing I talk about is it’s important to build a community within the school building; stressing to kids to get involved in activities, community service, sports, clubs, the band, and what have you. The last one, which is the hardest one, is stressing the importance for teenagers to think about the community beyond the four walls of a high school. It’s important for teenagers to think about somebody other than themselves.”

The parent volunteers who were recognized by the board are John Doulong, vice president of the Lenape Baseball Booster Club; Michelle McCarty, member of the Seneca Band Parents Association; Lisa Michaud, president of the Cherokee High School Foundation for Education; and Dori Ziomek, member of Parents of Performers at Shawnee High School.

Doulong has spent countless hours assisting the Lenape football and baseball programs.

From raising funds for field improvements to grabbing a shovel to help those projects along, he has proven that no job is too big or too small. His main priority is in providing the best experience possible for Lenape’s student-athletes.

McCarty has been a selfless and tireless servant of Seneca’s marching band. In one year alone, she led the SEBPA to raise almost the full amount needed to purchase a trailer for the band. She continually looks for ways to enrich the experience for Seneca students who participate in marching band.

Michaud has led the Cherokee Foundation for Education since 2011, helping to raise thousands of dollars to promote the academic success of all students. The foundation’s contributions range from offsetting field trip costs to purchasing calculators and iPads. The foundation also has provided College Funding Seminars as a service to Cherokee parents and partnered with Project Graduation on different ventures. In addition, it has partnered with local businesses to maximize the mobilization of resources.

Ziomek has been instrumental in keeping the musical productions running smoothly at Shawnee. She organizes all parent volunteers, oversees all of the food donations and the concessions at the shows, and runs the potluck dinner to feed about 150 people between the matinee and evening performances. A full-time pilot, Ziomek arranges her work schedule around the musicals to help ensure the shows go off without a hitch.

Birnbohm praised the parent honorees for leading by example.

“Our parent volunteers help us with many activities in our school building,” she said. “You demonstrate by giving your time and your efforts to something other than your job. ‘You are your child’s first teacher.’ is what we always say. You’re showing them the importance of volunteering. Not only do we want to thank you for helping us with this mission, but of course all the tangible things

PAGE 21

PHOTO SUBMITTED The Lenape Regional High School District Board of Education honored parent volunteers from all four district high schools. Pictured from left to right are Lisa Michaud, Michelle McCarty, Lisa Doulong accepting for her husband John Doulong, and Dori Ziomek. that you do for us; the countless hours you spend emailing parents in parent groups, building sets, hauling equipment on and off the band field, making meals and securing donations.”

In addition to the board hosting its annual Volunteer Appreciation Night, there was a lot of other district news to emerge from the meeting.

The LRHSD, during the 2016-2017 school year, evaluated its summer reading program, formerly titled “One Book, One School,” to see how it could benefit students even more as part of the district’s academic programming and overall emphasis on reading across all subject areas.

“It had been about seven years since we started the program and after so many years, we felt it was worthwhile to dig a little deeper and take a look at what we currently do and evaluate that,” said Director of Curriculum and Instruction Heather Xenakis.

The outcome of this effort is that all students and staff of the LRHSD will have the opportunity to read the same book as one community.

“Instead of having a book chosen for each of the different schools, there will be one book chosen for the district,” Xenakis said.

A committee with representation from all schools, under the direction of Cherokee Assistant Principal Dave New, identified successes and opportunities for growth under the former approach and recommended the step forward to offer all students the opportunity for learning and service through reading the same book. The committee’s recommendation was founded on the belief that “One Book” should focus on building community and encouraging reading.

New said after the board meeting that “One Book, One School” is now “One Book” and the redesigned initiative has increased the connection between all of the district’s schools and the community.

“Our district is always looking for ways to improve in all areas, including supporting dialogue among students and staff about a book they have all read, and across all subject areas,” he said.

Students and staff voted this spring for their summer reading selection from among the two finalists: “The Crossover” by Kwame Alexander and “Hidden Figures” by

Margot Lee Shetterly.

“This is the first formal announcement of the winner, which is ‘Hidden Figures,’” Xenakis said. “75 percent of the votes went to ‘Hidden Figures.’ We are excited about that.

It’s currently a major motion picture. You’re the first to hear. We’re going to share it with our students and staff in the coming days, as well as our municipalities. We’ve had some sending schools call us and ask if we had chosen a book yet.”

The resignations and retirements of six teachers were announced; an athletic trainer, a Health and Physical Education teacher, nurse, utility worker, special education teacher, and a school counselor.

Two employee transfers were approved.

Two interpreters were hired for Cherokee High School at annual salaries of $47,000.

Six teachers were hired to fill various positions throughout the district. Each teacher will receive a starting salary between $55,869 and $61,669.

The board approved May’s payroll of $7,667,902.50. The board also approved the writing of checks totaling $4,217,043.37.

A cafeteria payment of $186,706.79 and $228,332.13 improvement authorization disbursement was also approved by the board.

One new club at Seneca High School also won the board’s approval: S.N.A.P. or Seneca Future Nursing and Allied Health Professionals Club.

Multiple activities and athletic stipends were also OK’d by the board.

It was also announced that the Konstantinos Scholarship Foundation, a non-profit organization named after former district superintendent K. Kiki Konstantinos, is in need of money. The organization’s website says that the non-profit is dedicated to continuing to foster excellence in education in the entire LRHSD through the awarding of individual scholarships to outstanding students for higher education.

Foundation Chairperson Steve Zeuli pitched an upcoming golf outing on July 18. The outing’s proceeds will benefit the foundation.

The event will be held at the Little Mill Country Club in Marlton.

Numerous other requests for approval of student activities and education items were approved by the board. The next board meeting is scheduled for June 21 at 7:30 p.m.

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ROADS PAGE 1

Committeewoman Elizabeth Rossell and Committeeman Michael Mikulski put in motion the introduction of the ordinance.

Heston voted to introduce the measure, but withdrew his vote after Raftery raised concerns about the impact it would have on the agricultural community.

“Does this prohibit the use of these vehicles on farms where they sometimes provide temporary housing for laborers?” Raftery said.

Township Solicitor George M. Morris said it would.

“Is that our intent?” Raftery said. “I believe farms are allowed to have temporary housing for their workers.”

Mikulski said fifth-wheel campers, travel trailers, tent trailers, horse trailers, utility trailers, boat trailers and campers fall under the township’s definition of “motorized recreational vehicles” and pickup camper shells fall under the township’s definition of “temporary recreational vehicles.”

Mayor James F. Young Sr. said township residents in the past have sought permission to temporarily live in recreational vehicles after a fire and their requests had been granted.

After the recreational vehicle measure was deliberated, the committee moved on to pass a number of resolutions unanimously.

This included one which authorized Young and Hoffman to execute an agreement for the procurement of federal aid to support the Safe Routes to School program. The program encourages more students to walk and bike to school safely. It also urges municipalities and school districts to work together to improve the areas where it is not safe.

The municipality plans to use the federal aid dollars along with special revenue to install speed humps on Pleasant and Plum Streets, carry out sidewalk improvements in Vincentown and improve a turnaround for school buses at the Southampton Township Schools.

Other resolutions released performance bonds for Pinelands Gymnastics Academy, LLC; D’Amico Construction; and J&B Liquors.

Nearly a dozen LeisureTowne residents attended the meeting. Most of the active adult living community’s residents in attendance live on Maidstone Place. Most properties on the road abut Big Hill Road, which falls just outside of the community. A small buffer of trees and bushes separate the road from LeisureTowne.

Several of the residents described how an increasing number of large vehicles; including tractor trailers, dump trucks and school buses have used Big Hill Road recently.

“It’s like somebody told them it is a shortcut to go from Route 70 to Route 206,” said Terry Armstrong, a 17-year resident of Maidstone Place. “One day, I was sitting in the back of my property and there must have been seven school buses that went down the road.

The whole house shakes and our pictures are tilted.”

Heston, who lives on Big Hill Road, said that the school buses are using the road to get to and from the Avenues section of the township.

He also said the bus drivers transporting kids to the Southampton Township Schools are doing double duty because of their Seneca High School runs.

He added that there are three “slop trucks” going frequently up and down the road, a veiled reference to trucks transporting pig waste from a pig farm located on the road.

Armstrong said that vehicles were also

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speeding on Big Hill Road.

Young said the township would contact the New Jersey State Police.

“We will call the state police and ask if they can patrol the road more and see if any trucks are overloaded even though there is not a weight limit,” he said.

Armstrong said the safety problems aren’t limited to vehicular traffic.

She said people are gaining access to the guarded retirement community through the buffer and creating problems.

“It’s an open invitation,” Armstrong said. “We have no protection on the back of our houses.

It is like ‘Come on in. It is party time.’ They walk right in. One of my neighbors bought blueberry bushes last summer. She stepped out to do some shopping and came back to find that her blueberry bushes were gone.”

She also said that individuals are using Big Hill Road to gain access to LeisureTowne to occupy unoccupied homes.

“We have had squatters destroy two of the homes,” Armstrong said. “The squatters were living in them for months and no one knew that they were there.”

She asked if the township would consider putting up a fence to separate LeisureTowne from Big Hill Road.

Heston said the LeisureTowne Homeowners Association owns the buffer.

“Many years ago, they refused to fence that area because of the miles and cost,” he said.

“We even had somebody put a driveway in and they were parking their car off of Big Hill Road and that had to be stopped and LeisureTowne stopped that.”

Resident Debbie Murray asked if the committee could have speed humps installed on Big Hill Road.

“They are speeding really badly,” she said.

“My bedroom is in the rear of the house and I think sometimes they are going to come through the yard. I am afraid.”

Young said that he, Hoffman and Mikulski would raise these issues with the LeisureTowne Board of Trustees.

“We are vulnerable,” Murray said. “We don’t feel comfortable. It is a speeding issue. It is a safety issue. We need somebody to help us.

There are times at night where I am sitting and watching television…you hear a car because you hear a motor and then it stops. So you sit there and you say ‘Who is out there? What are they doing?’ and then you hear them take off again.”

Dennis Gallagher, another resident of Maidstone Place, said he saw three people trespassing on a person’s lawn so that they could fish. He said the individuals had a cooler and beer cans.

“The biggest problem I have is that people are coming off of Big Hill Road to go to a pond that is on our street,” he said. “Somebody is going to get hurt.”

Officials in the past have told the Pine Barrens Tribune that the streets in LeisureTowne are maintained by the municipality and are therefore open to the general public. This has limited their ability to keep non-residents out of the community, despite guardhouses at both entrances. This issue also came up a few weeks ago at a township meeting when there was concern over solicitations.

A few days after the township meeting, there was a violent crash on Big Hill Road.

However, no serious injuries occurred.

Details on the crash are located in our Scanner section of the newspaper.

In other news, the Boy Scout Car Show has been rescheduled to June 24 at the township building. The show has been postponed twice

due to inclement weather.

The township’s 4th of July Fireworks celebration is scheduled for July 8. Young worked with local businesses and raised just enough money to hold the celebration.

Young also announced that the Vincentown and Tabernacle Telephone Company building has been reopened. The building has served as the home to the Southampton Historical Society since 1976. The society has maintained the interior and operated it as a telephone museum ever since. The building also houses almost all of township’s historical records.

The building was shuttered more than seven

LAYOFFS PAGE 8

the approval of Insight, the firm providing the temporary worker replacements. Two agents of the firm replied they could “start tomorrow” with the replacements, if needed. It was also reinforced that the laid off Shamong school workers could apply for posts with Insight.

Whether any will remains to be seen.

Jennifer Babbitt, president of the Shamong teachers’ union, asked if any alternatives to the 13 layoffs had been considered. The answer wasn’t too clear.

Two women, both with children in Shamong schools, argued forcefully that the shift to an outside agency was a mistake. They are Diane Tallaksen and Pat Durelli.

Tallaksen spoke first. She spoke at length about the dedication and caring among the staffers that have been laid off, citing their efforts and closeness to the children they cared for.

Tallaksen was once a member of the school board. She came up with a specific area of savings: two long-time teachers who are retiring. She said their seniority and high rank among the teachers meant their salaries and benefits could be close to $100,000 each. With their replacement by lower-paid teachers, she cited a huge savings there.

Durelli was equally eloquent on behalf of those to be cut from the payroll. She said many of the children had developed close relationships with their mentors, which would be lost. She cited their dedication, their hard work for the children they work for and with, and wondered if new staffers from outside the district would have that rapport. She also questioned the savings the school expects from outsourcing the positions.

Reports were made by Principals Nicole Moore and Tim Carroll.

Among the Indian Mills School highlights were a visit from Ronald McDonald, part of an anti-bullying program. Moore said it was a huge success. Moore also cited an art show, managed by Kimberly Shaw-Hartman, citing the teacher’s year-around “diligence,” keeping

RACING PAGE 9

began to roll clockwise on its longitudinal axis as it left the paved portion of the roadway.

Anderson’s vehicle came to rest on its left side at an estimated 116 feet from the point of impact. Anderson had to be extricated from his vehicle by emergency responders and later died.

Festa’s vehicle, after making contact with Anderson’s vehicle, continued east on Route 322 and came to rest in the left westbound lane of travel, approximately 163 feet from the point of impact.

Police say Festa’s rear seat passenger,

Saturday, May 27, 2017

months ago after the township’s code enforcement officer condemned it for usage after observing that the embankment next to the building is washing away to some degree.

The structure itself was determined to be sound by a structural engineer in November, but the erosion of the embankment is creating a precarious situation.

Officials have theorized that the building could collapse into the creek should the bulkhead, which holds back the creek’s water, fail.

No explanation was given on how the building was able to be reopened.

the walls covered with student art.

Carroll mentioned several activities at Indian Mills Memorial School. Among them were an art show facilitated by new teacher Luke Bowe, retiring music teacher Tony Scardino conducting his final concert after 38 years and a choir and strings concert led by Susan Styers.

Carroll added that two student musicians played brilliantly: Marina Olazcuaga-Chen on the cello, accompanied by her mother and Lara Narkiewicz on the violin, a performance Carroll said brought the house down.

He also cited both the boys and girls lacrosse teams for their phenomenal successes. Both teams finished the season undefeated. The girls, coached by Megan Szelc, now have a three-year winning streak, while the boys, coached by Steve Shultz, have lost just three times on five years.

A monthly bill list was approved without dissent. Small price increases were OKd for school lunches.

Three school employees were approved for unpaid leaves of absence, with one worker taking three, totaling five months. The others were for two months and three days (six halfdays, respectively).

Six teachers transferred, either between schools or grades. Another seven were approved for an Extended School Year (ESY) this summer. A further 27 were approved for an Individualized Education Program (IEP) this summer.

Three subject areas are being expanded for the next school year: Art and Music, grades K-8 and Technology, grades 5-8.

Nineteen special programs and events will be held between now and the end of the school year on June 16. Some of the most important are a Battle of the Books, 7th and 8th grades vs.

Doane Academy, May 24; Camp Ockanickon trip, 6th grade, May 24-26; Seneca Spring Concert, May 26; Kindergarten Orientation, IMS, June 1; Fun Day, IMS, June 2; Board of Education Meeting, June 13; end-of-year parties at IMS and eighth-grade graduation at Seneca H.S., both June 15.

Joshua A. Martinelli, 26, of Hammonton was not wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash and died four days later at a local hospital.

Another passenger in Festa’s car sustained a lower leg injury.

Investigators are actively trying to identify the driver of the vehicle alleged to be racing Festa’s vehicle. Kelly said police have been unable to get in touch with the witness.

Charges against Festa are pending upon completion of the investigation.

“It will be a couple of weeks—minimum,” Kelly said.

A follow-up call to police on May 24 revealed that charges, if any, will be announced by the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office.

Saturday, May 27, 2017

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BAN

POSITIONS

PAGE 8

PAGE 6

mandated to provide all our special education students their services per their Individual Education Plan (IEP). With that in mind, we need to hire five new special education teachers and one LDTC.” Dr. Gail Ferraro, Educational Support Services supervisor, said that while hiring special education teachers does increase costs, the district would have incurred a higher cost if they sent students out of district for special education. Hiring new special education teachers will continue to allow the district to serve those with special needs.

“There is an increase not only in the number of (special education) students, but in the needs that we’re seeing,” she said. “We’ve tried to put in several programs to keep our students in-district. I’m very strong in the belief that we can provide a program here in most cases, as opposed to sending them to out-of-district schools where the cost can be twice or three times as much as having them in-district.”

Ferraro added that the LDTC position, part of a child study team, has been vacant for some time. The district has been paying a consultant to complete student evaluations. However, she said the number of evaluations required has increased and due to the number now required, having a full-time LDTC costs the district less than the cost of paying an outside consultant.

Goodwin said there is a need to replace five buses, as the state requires a school bus to be retired after 12 years. $75,000 has been budgeted for a lease purchase agreement which will finance the procurement of the buses.

Goodwin said the new buses will have added security features, such as cameras.

Del Rossi said the district’s one-to-one Chromebook project, where each student is given a laptop to use for their school work, will continue. The budget includes $50,000 to be used towards another lease-purchase agreement so that the district can procure a total 920 laptops to help fulfill the initiative.

Additionally, Goodwin said required science materials add $70,000 to the budget.

One of the largest line items, salaries, is

RIBBON PAGE 6

Department for their part in making the park become a reality.

He also acknowledged those who paid for bricks and others who helped lay them down as part of the walkway. Residents could purchase a brick engraved with their name which would then be placed around the garden area.

Young later explained that the process of setting up the park had been in the works for a while.

“We started our plans about eight months ago to demolish the (former post office) building,” said Young in an interview. “When we (the township) were knocking it down, we found asbestos in there. We then had to call in another company to remove it. We ran into all kinds of snags and then we finally got it done.”

The site of the park has a history of different buildings and owners dating back almost 150 years. A sign fixed at the green illustrates these stories.

During the late 19th century, the Main

PAGE 23

growing by $652,655 due to contractual salary obligations. Employee benefits alone; which includes health, dental, tuition and pensions; makes up $8.5 million of the budget.

The district will take $215,000 out of their capital reserve fund to complete a district-wide APC project which will protect the district’s network. Reserve dollars will also be used for the installation of a bell clock and alarm system at the Cranberry Pines School.

Goodwin further explained budgeted revenues: state aid was reduced by $100,000 to $4.9 million; miscellaneous revenue was budgeted flat at $601,000; Medicaid reimbursement was budgeted at $30,010; and the use of surplus was budgeted at $3 million, which is down by $200,000 as there are fewer surplus dollars available.

Regarding the new half-time STEM teacher, Education Support Supervisor Tom Olson said the positon is being added to help fill a changed schedule for the upper grades, where new science and art program classes will be offered.

“We are adding 20 minutes of instructional time,” Olson said. “We are looking to have a schedule change. In order to do that, we are looking to have some new offerings and that includes the half-time STEM teacher.”

Here is a synopsis of budget appropriations: Regular instruction will cost $14.9 million; special education instruction will cost $7.5 million; maintenance and custodial operations will cost $4 million; student transportation services will cost $2.87 million; administration and technology will cost $4.3 million; guidance, library, and staff development will cost $3.63 million; the health program, including nurses, will cost $1.53 million; and out-of-district tuition will cost $1.27 million.

Goodwin said the new costs for the year, compared to the growth of the total budget, shows that the district continues to do more while still keeping the budget within the state mandated cap of 2 percent.

“You can see with all that’s said and done and all we have to do, we are only increasing our operational budget by 1.07 percent,” she said. “We are doing a lot with what we have.”

Street location was home to a pharmacy, first maintained by Jacob Heisler in 1868. It was then sold to Albert Dobbins three years later and a year after that to Civil War veteran Franklin Stockton Hilliard.

By 1950, the property served as a drug store for eight years under the ownership of Samuel P. Alloway, Jr., who lived on the third floor with his family. A U.S. post office stood at the site from 1960-81, with apartments following from 1982-2014.

During her speech, McCardell recognized individuals involved with the work on the village green, including Joe Cugliotta, whose plans “gave inspiration to the garden.”

“Grassroots efforts like this happen when folks work together,” McCardell said. “We look forward to continued growth with future projects.”

The dedication wrapped up with attendees flocking to the Vincent Fire Company’s firehouse for the 2nd Annual Arts in the Village Market Day. The event was moved inside due to the rain.

PHOTO SUBMITTED Eagle Scout Bradford Devlin from Troop 20 was honored for his project to relocate a memorial stone and landscape to beautify an area of Freedom Park. a memorial stone from an unsafe spot to one more in line with the design of the park and then landscaped around it to further enhance the area.

The mayor said the stone was very heavy, but Devlin managed the logistics of moving it to its new spot.

Watson emphasized as he read the proclamation that Eagle Scout projects are not just about completing a task, but also furthering the scout’s understanding of

FIRE

PAGE 2 Saturday afternoon.

“Please take any necessary precautions to secure your property and avoid traveling in this area to permit the forestry and volunteer firemen to focus on fighting the fire,” said Shamong Township Administrator and Clerk Sue Onorato, as the fire broke out.

The Dingletown Recreational Complex along Forked Neck Road served as the command post for the forest fire and was closed to the public. All games and practices were canceled for Saturday.

The fire has been coined the “Bard’s Bridge Fire” by the NJFFS. Smith said the fire started on state grounds and spread to private land. Bard’s Bridge Swamp was affected along with the periphery of the Wharton State Forest.

Charred ground and smoldering brush was all that was left of the forest fire as heavy rain fell on Monday.

DRIVER PAGE 5

on second reading, approved appropriation of $320,000 from the township’s capital improvement fund to pay for the acquisition of the modular building. It also appropriated funding for the acquisition of property located in the Browns Mills Redevelopment Area.

The second was introduced. It would amend the township code to permit raising several construction permit fees.

There were four purchases authorized of over $2,000.

Public Works is renting a Rubblemaster and hammer attachment to aid in the demolition of a building at 42 Juliustown Road. The contract of $9,750 went to Groff Tractor in Vineland.

community and building leadership skills.

“This is scouting’s highest honor,” he said.

The council also approved two volunteers: Patrick Barrea as a new member of the township’s EMS and Kevin Strittmatter as a new junior firefighting member of Station 251.

In addition to the proclamation and the introduction of a left-hand turn ordinance, the council approved a variety of special-event permits.

“The Shamong Township Committee would like to extend its appreciation to the many emergency response men and women whose efforts were instrumental in containing the forest fire on Saturday, near the Dingletown Recreational Complex,” Onorato said. “We are pleased to announce as a result of their efforts, no houses were damaged. It was amazing to see so many volunteers give of their time not only for their own community but for a neighboring community as well.”

She said everything worked seamlessly and she was grateful for the volunteers who came out to assist the township.

The cause of the fire is under investigation and unknown at this time.

Smith said NJFFS personnel are investigating the possibility that a lightning strike from a thunderstorm sparked the blaze.

An isolated thunderstorm developed near the fire location just before 4 p.m. on Friday afternoon.

Pemberton Township police will spend $2,113 for giveaways on National Night Out from Formost Promotions in Moorestown and $4,362 for shotguns from Lawmen Supply of Pennsauken.

Finally, the Recreation and Senior Services Department will expend $5,868 for referee services, trophies, and other expenses relating to the 2017 basketball program through Westampton Recreation.

At the end of the meeting, Mayor David Patriarca said that additional police hiring was anticipated. A follow up call revealed that nine hirings were anticipated.

The 32 minute meeting drew about a dozen residents. Council will meet next on Wednesday, June 7, at the usual 6:30 p.m.

PAGE 24

BUDGET PAGE 4

a tax rate increase of 2.98 cents, resulting in an increase in regional school taxes of $68.64 on a home assessed at the township average of $259,700.

For the current school year; Evesham Township saw a tax rate increase of 1.50 cents, Medford Lakes Borough saw a tax rate decrease of .37 cents, Medford Township saw a tax rate increase of 1.89 cents, Mount Laurel Township saw a tax rate increase of .15 cents, Shamong Township saw a tax rate increase of 2.07 cents, Southampton saw a tax rate increase of 3.59 cents, Tabernacle Township saw a tax rate decrease of 2.49 cents, and Woodland Township saw a tax rate increase of 4.70 cents.

“Welcome to Groundhog Day 2017,” Stow said. “I say that because nothing has really changed. We received flat funding again from the State of NJ which means we get a zero increase. We didn’t even get a dollar like some townships did. Yet our budget remains under the 2 percent cap.”

Despite flat state aid, health benefit costs continue to rise in the district.

“Our health benefits increased by 8.9 percent or $1,599,511 for the coming year,” Stow said.

“Our employees contribute $4,546,860 towards their own health coverage. When you are getting a 0 percent increase in funding from the state, still have to deal with an 8.9 percent health-benefits increase, still continue to stay underneath the 2 percent cap and still remain at the top level in the State of NJ as far as regional school districts; somebody in Trenton should wake up and take notice.”

The state is providing the district with $29,207,977 in aid for the upcoming school year. The aid is $1,777,551 less than the 2009-2010 school year.

“We are still below where we were seven years ago in state funding,” Stow said. “Our current state aid is $1.7 million less than where we were in 2009-2010. For the first time I recall, we are below 20 percent of support from the State of NJ, which means our tax levy at 75.1% has to be spread out among our constituents and families in the LRHSD.” Stow also provided some insight on the district’s administrative costs. The state mandated regional limit per pupil is $2,032.

The LRHSD administrative cost per pupil is $1,488.

The district currently employs 26 assistant principals, five principals (including two at Cherokee) and one program director. There are also numerous district-level administrative positions.

“The LRHSD is 26.7% below the regional limit,” Stow said. “According to the NJDOE’s Taxpayers’ Guide to Education, we rank Number 1 for students to administration and Number 9 for total administration.”

Actual district enrollment as of Oct. 15, 2016 is 6,765 pupils. The district has budgeted $1,949,735 for general administration and $3,860,741 for school administration for the upcoming school year.

Stow said community support or donations

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remain at an all-time high.

However, the community support figures provided at the public hearing show a significant decrease in donations over the past nine years.

During the 2008-09 school year, the district received $603,752 in donations. During the 2009-10 school year, the district received $902,238 in donations. Two years ago, the district received $87,932 in donations. Last year, the district received $116,562 in donations. As of March, donations for this school year totaled $175,086.

Stow spent several minutes during the hearing touting district initiatives and achievements and avoided discussing the challenges the district is currently facing.

He said the district had an average graduation rate of 96.4 percent among its four high schools and nearly 93 percent of the Class of 2016 continued their education at more than 286 different four—and two—year colleges and universities. He added that during the current school year, 1,291 LRHSD students took College Acceleration Program (CAP) courses; earning nearly 9,000 college credits at no additional cost to taxpayers.

He also plugged the district’s mission statement.

“Our mission of the Lenape Regional High School District is to be a leader in progressive education and develop physically and emotionally healthy students who excel in an ever-changing world,” Stow said.

After the hearing concluded, the board voted 9-0 to adopt the budget. Board members Bonnie Olt (Evesham) and Dr. William Bisignano (Medford) were absent.

Upon final adoption, the district sent out an email with additional comment from members of board and administrators.

President Linda Eckenhoff (Southampton) echoed Stow’s gratitude to the communities for their generous support.

“The Lenape Regional district, our staff and, most important, our students benefit from the generosity of the residents and businesses in the communities we serve,” she said. “We are thankful to everyone who has given so generously of their time, talent or treasure over the years. Although we can measure treasure, which is more than $175,000 this year alone, the donations of time and talent are priceless.”

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carol Birnbohm said that as the percentage of state aid diminishes each year for our school district, the burden to taxpayers becomes greater. She also said LRHSD students’ academic success tells only part of the story.

“Accepting financial support from our community has helped make it possible for us to bridge the gap to improve athletic facilities, purchase new equipment and bolster innovative programs to benefit students at all of our schools,” she said. “Our staff and students are regional, state and national award winners and champions. They’ve won awards for Television Broadcasting, Special Education Programs, Marching Band, Robotics, Fine Arts, Community Service and JROTC, not to mention athletics!”

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beating it after a long struggle.

Spirit’s mother and father attended the service.

Her mother, Andrea Strain, said that Spirit was a Delaware Valley college graduate. She added that her daughter always loved children,

which led her to become a teacher.

Her father, Joe Strain, said both were doing as well as can be expected but said twice, “It’s very hard.”

Donna Palma, an administrative assistant at the school, also presented a poem during the moving memorial service.

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agreement in December 2015 and resigned as the district’s superintendent on June 30, 2016.

President Susan Ernst (Little Egg Harbor) said the board must replace Banks next year and cannot appoint her as a permanent superintendent because she is a retired superintendent.

“By law, she is only permitted to act as an interim superintendent for two years in the same district,” Ernst said. “Her allowable service ends on June 30, 2018.”

The board enlisted the help of the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA) in April to attract the best possible superintendent candidates for the district.

“They presented the various options for services to the board in April,” Ernst said.

“The board then agreed upon the service that best suited the needs of our district.”

The NJSBA will coordinate the search for the district’s next superintendent by surveying staff, students and community members.

“They will rank candidates and present a pool of candidates to the board based on the results of the surveys,” Ernst said. “They will complete the first round of interviews along with the board, and will assist us through round two and even three, if it is necessary.”

The board convened a special meeting on May 16 with Jane Kershner, director of NJSBA’s Field Services, to discuss the qualities and credentials needed for the position at Pinelands and to develop a timeframe for the search process.

Kershner gave detailed advice to the board on how to construct the messaging in any help wanted advertisements and surveys initiated by the district during their search process.

After conferring with Kershner, the board verbally agreed to start help-wanted advertisements in September and provide a November application deadline.

The board did not settle on a start date for the interviewing process. However, Board Member Thomas D. Williams, Jr. (Bass River) said he would like for the board to begin interviewing for the position no later

than January.

He said he felt two, if not three interviews per candidate is necessary.

Ernst said that the board must find a candidate who has secondary education experience and is engaged in the creation of a budget.

Other board members agreed with Ernst and thought that central administration office experience was also pivotal.

Banks said that she must leave on June 30, 2018 and that in order to ensure a smooth transition, the board has to hire someone for the top spot by April 2018.

“If you are able to find a superintendent prior to June 30 and that person is able to start right away, I will gladly step out before that time,” Banks said. “If you find someone you want to grab right away, I say do it.”

Williams said that he felt the board would need to ensure Banks had time to work with whoever the new superintendent is to enable a smooth transition.

“If you are going to hire somebody who is currently a sitting superintendent, he or she is really going to want to wrap up or close out their year, generally, where they are and then start here with a new contact on July 1, 2018,” Banks said. “When I said the absolute latest is April, it is really because of the contract requirements for giving notice, that is the first thing, and the second thing is I cannot stay past June 30, 2018. That is my second year here. I couldn’t even stay on as a consultant.”

Blake’s resignation last year has been somewhat of a mystery to the school community. The personnel matter has never been publicly discussed.

However, the former superintendent told the Pine Barrens Tribune in an interview that his resignation was the result of a change in the makeup of the board since he first came to Pinelands in 2011.

“My philosophy and the philosophy of the board had changed and we decided it was best to part ways,” Blake said.

However, he would not elaborate on what the differences of opinion entailed.

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Among them are Individualized Education Programs, a 2017 21st Century summer program, a tutor at Ft. Dix as well as a summer Theater Arts program at the same school and a reading and math camp.

Dozens of teachers received approval to work over the summer in a multitude of programs including a technology coordinator, substitute, Safety Patrol adviser, Student Council adviser, master teacher, interventionist, speech/language specialist, nurse, job coach, home-instruction tutor and bilingual interpreter.

Seventeen hospitals and agencies were approved to provide bedside instruction to pupils at rates varying from $30 to $60 hourly.

Some are local, most are located in-state, with a few in Pennsylvania.

Virtua Health was approved to test students with drug or alcohol problems, while Quest Diagnostics will do follow-up screenings when needed.

A summer band camp was announced and parade and football game dates were announced, too.

Three long-term employees are retiring as of

July 1. Teacher Richard DiVia is leaving the high school after 25 years. Also leaving the high school is classroom aide Carroll Smelson with 23 years of service. Helper aide Irene Thompson will leave Ft. Dix school after 25 years. Retirement dates for all three are July 1.

Four new employees have joined the staff.

Two will be secondary principals. They are Tami Strege and Melissa Smith.

Two bus aides were also hired: Nichole Rafferty and Donald Pride.

A school physician was named. He is Dr. Anthony Bonnett of Woodbury.

In a move that’s expected to both save money and provide better coverage, the district is withdrawing from the state prescription program to join Horizon Blue Cross.

The board also approved use of two school buses to transport students from the Tabernacle Lighthouse Church to Camp Melody Church Camp in Sexton, Pa. at no charge.

The meeting adjourned two minutes after a closed session ended. No one would discuss what took place during the closed session.

The meeting lasted 40 minutes and drew about 20 residents.

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Saturday, May 27, 2017

PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE

HOME, GARDEN, AND FARMING Farm and Food File

By Alan Guebert

Alan Guebert is an award-winning agriculture journalist and expert who was raised on a 720-acre, 100-cow southern Illinois dairy farm.

The Artlessness of the Deal What Trump Administration appointees lack in reticence they make up for in certitude. Take Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.

Just two weeks after being shown his stately office at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) South Building, Perdue announced a major makeover of it: he invoked a 2014 Farm Bill directive to create a new USDA post, undersecretary of trade, by eliminating an existing post, undersecretary of rural development.

Administration officials described this “demotion of Rural Development as an ‘elevation,’” explained the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), because the new trade salesperson “would report directly to the Secretary…”

But that’s selling baloney as steak, commented the NSAC, because “All undersecretaries, including the undersecretary of rural development, already report directly to the Secretary” so “the assertion…is misleading...”

Not to Secretary Perdue who mentions daily that his main goal as USDA boss is “to be American agriculture’s unapologetic advocate and chief salesman around the world.”

As such, creating an Undersecretary for Global Ag—even if you have to strip American rural communities of, first, their megaphone inside USDA and, later, their funding—is, well, apparently the way it’s going to be. Besides, this is America’s destiny, explained Perdue when announcing the undersecretary swap May 11.

“The men and women of American agriculture are hardy people,” he said, “many of whom were born into the calling of feeding America and the world.”

Sonny the Salesman knows you have to sell the sizzle to sell the steak.

The USDA redo fits perfectly with the Administration’s broader goal to revamp key U.S. trade agreements like the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, and the hope to negotiate more bilateral deals like the just-announced, 10-point deal with China that will reopen the nation to American beef exports.

Typical of this White House’s announcements, though, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, went overboard in his brag-

ging about the China deal. It was a “herculean accomplishment,” claimed Ross, that amounted to “more than has been done in the whole history of U.S.-China relations on trade.”

That was too much even for the never-indoubt editorialists at the Wall Street Journal who noted May 15 that the “deal was modest” and the move to open its beef markets was mostly a restatement of a “promise” made by the Chinese premier last September.

But the agreement does signal “Mr. Trump has pulled back from protectionism,” added the Journal—much to the relief of American farmers and ranchers. U.S. ag exports, after all, have averaged about $140 billion per year since 2010.

Still, if the White House is now in a “trade-is-good” phase—which easily could change the next time our mercurial president hops on Twitter—bigger trade deals, like the renegotiation of NAFTA, pose enormous challenges that won’t be sorted out over the dessert course.

For example, American dairy groups want Canada to dismantle its milk quota system so U.S. fluid milk and dairy products can, literally, flood north. What would American negotiators have to give the Canadian prime minister and his Liberal colleagues for them to agree to that deal?

Hint: The moon and stars would be the starting point, not the end point.

So, too, with Mexico where negotiators now are at an impasse on a standing U.S. deal that allots Mexico 53 percent of all U.S. refined sugar imports. The U.S. wants that promised access cut to 15 percent. Mexico’s reply, understandably, is “Hey, pal, we had a deal.”

Moreover, its ag minister defiantly noted May 16, that if the U.S. imposes import duties on any of the now-in-limbo Mexican sugar, he would “be willing to react in-kind with duties… possibly targeting U.S. fructose.”

That would slap U.S. corn growers silly because Mexico buys 79 percent of all American high fructose corn syrup exports (1.1 million metric tons out of a total 1.4 MMT in calendar year 2015).

Artfully, however, the Mexican ag minister never mentioned any wall.

© 2017 AG COMM.

CROSSWORD

SOLUTIONS

SUDOKU

Saturday, May 27, 2017

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PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE

AUTOMOTIVE New Vehicle Buying Guide Compiled by Motor Matters

E-mail Questions To: info@motormatters.com Mail Questions To: PO Box 3305, Wilmington, DE 19804

2017 FORD FOCUS RS Ford Focus RS is a high-performance road car the likes of which has never been offered

by Ford in the U.S. From the tires up, Ford engineers composed a masterpiece of moving pieces -- the result is more than the sum of its parts, as the 2017 Focus RS is a machine intended to elicit pure exhilaration behind the wheel.

Focus RS is equipped with a unique 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine producing an astounding 350 horsepower and 350 lb.-ft. of torque, mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Featuring new Ford Performance All-Wheel Drive with Dynamic Torque Vectoring, Focus RS offers the next level in handling capability.

This unique driveline can route up to 70 percent engine power to the rear wheels, and of that, 100 percent to either side depending on the driving situation. Two-mode dampers combined with expertly tuned electric power-assisted steering and a rigid front knuckle suspension design give Focus RS outstanding cornering stability, turn-in,

handling and chassis responsiveness. The car’s unique drift mode feature enables controlled oversteer in track conditions.

Styling includes an aggressive front-end appearance with a bold upper trapezoidal grille above a deep splitter incorporating the largest possible openings for engine cooling.

The car’s wide, muscular stance is emphasized by brake cooling ducts and vertically mounted fog lamps.

The high-performance character of the 2017 Focus RS is reflected inside, with heavily bolstered RECARO sport seats, a chunky, flat-bottom steering wheel with soft-feel leather-covered rim, metal pedals and unique instrument graphics. Throughout the cabin, the distinctive blue RS theme includes stitching on the seats, steering wheel, floor mats and interior trim, as well as RS logo on gear shifter, seats, steering wheel and door scuff plates Base model estimated mpg: 19/25 Estimated starting price: $36,120

Compiled by Motor Matters.

2017 Ford Focus RS.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

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Saturday, May 27, 2017