Pine Barrens Tribune May 16, 2020-May 22, 2020

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May 16, 2020 – May 22, 2020

TESTING HIS METTLE

NJDHS Commissioner Discusses New Lisbon Coronavirus Calamity In Interview Arranged

By Governor Murphy State-Run Facility Has Second-Most Cases of Any Long-Term Care Center in State; 8th Legislators Peters and Stanfield Say ‘Issue Has Escalated So Gravely’ in Letter Sent to NJDOH and NJDHS Commissioners

By Douglas D. Melegari

Photo By Ryan Marchese

Staff Writer

Shaun Banin assumed the role, May 5, of Tabernacle School District superintendent; as well as principal of both the Tabernacle Elementary and Kenneth R. Olson Middle schools.

Hired Just 10 Months Ago as Assistant Principal in Tabernacle, Shaun Banin Has Now Been Assigned Joint Leadership Roles, Including That of Superintendent, at the Very Worst of Times

By Douglas D. Melegari Staff Writer

TABERNACLE—Shaun Banin, a 15-year educator who was hired by the Tabernacle Township School District as an assistant principal only last July, has now assumed the role of district superintendent as well as principal of both Tabernacle Elementary and Kenneth R. Olson Middle schools.

Banin’s first day in the newly created joint superintendent/principal position was May 5, after the Tabernacle Board of Education made the appointment during its meeting the night before.

Prior to joining the Tabernacle school system, he served as principal of Pinelands Regional Senior High School in Little Egg Harbor Township from 2016 to 2019, having to preside over a particularly difficult chapter in the history of that institution that has helped prepare him for the troubled times school systems currently face as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Banin told this newspaper that his top priority right now is seeing the Tabernacle district through the challenges posed by COVID-19.

“Obviously, right now, I am trying to make sure that we support our students, staff and families through this current crisis,” Banin said. “We want to make sure our students get the best possible experience through remote learning, and have the best possible experience in the future as well.”

Banin added that there is “so much unknown” about “the future in general” and what the fall will look like when the 2020-21 school year kicks off. Still, he sounded eager

to take on the challenges and uncertainty of the situation.

“I was very pleased with the board’s decision,” Banin told this newspaper. “It is a very exciting thing to be given an opportunity to be in this type of a leadership role, in a district such as this, with such amazing staff and community support.”

Banin described to this newspaper the extensive coordination that has been required to initiate remote instruction and utilize online applications such as Zoom and Flipgrid. The administrator stressed during the interview the importance of choosing online educational tools that “keep everyone engaged.”

“There have been a lot of adaptions, and a lot of learning, through this process, and it takes everyone involved to chip in,” he said.

“Everyone is doing an amazing job, so far, and everyone is doing the best that they can to keep our students learning.”

Thomas P. Christensen, who has served as interim superintendent of Tabernacle Schools since Glenn Robbins departed the district in late January, told this newspaper that his last day with the district has yet to be determined. He said the district is going through a period of transition, and he is staying through at least the end of the month to assist with it.

Christensen said that the impact of COVID-19, and particularly Democratic Governor Phil Murphy’s related directive that schools close for the remainder of the academic school year and conduct virtual instruction instead due to the public health emergency did not have anything to do with

the timing of the decision.

“The board wanted to start planning for the future, and move forward with a superintendent in place,” said Christensen, pointing to a number of “puzzle pieces,” including upcoming retirements and administrative vacancies. “There are all these things and the board just wanted to try to get a jump on it. Once we do get ready to get back to classes and school, we want to be ready to hit the ground running.”

Dr. Lamont Repollet, while serving in the capacity of commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Education before announcing Monday that he will be stepping down to become president of Kean University, said last week that the department will create a steering committee of stakeholders to explore approaches for the safest and most efficient reopening of schools for the 202021 school year.

“We want to give our students the best educational opportunity possible, and meet their needs academically, socially and emotionally at this time, and in the future,” Banin told this newspaper. “Obviously, we already had to make a large number of changes (to comply with Murphy’s directive), including no longer doing inperson instruction and delivering instruction in an online environment.”

At one point during Banin’s time as principal of Pinelands Regional Senior High School, it had to be closed indefinitely due to serious safety issues resulting from a construction project. After it was determined See METTLE / Page 10

WO O D L A N D —T h e N e w L i s b o n Developmental Center, a state-run facility in Woodland Township, is in the top-five tier for the the most Coronavirus cases of any longterm care facility in the state, according to new statistics released May 13 by the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH), having the second-most cases as of press time, and continues to maintain the highest number of COVID-19 resident cases among five state-run developmental facilities.

According to new statistics released on May 12 by the New Jersey Department of Human Services (NJDHS), nearly two-thirds of the facility’s residents have now contracted COVID-19, with 8 deaths reported so far.

However, there was an “encouraging” sign found in the data, which indicated that of the 188 New Lisbon residents who contracted the virus, 75 have since reportedly recovered from the illness, known as “recovered positives.” 87 New Lisbon staffers have now tested positive for COVID-19, with 27 reported to have recovered from the virus.

A “recovered positive,” according to an explanation sheet provided by the NJDHS, is either a resident who has “met the CDC standard to discontinue isolation,” or a staffer who has “met the CDC standard to return to work.”

“Nothing is more important to me than the people who work in the department, the health and safety of the residents who we serve, and the dedicated staff who have been working tirelessly at the developmental centers,” said NJDHS Commissioner Carole Johnson, in a May 12 interview with the Pine Barrens Tribune arranged by Democratic Governor Phil Murphy after this newspaper asked the governor during a May 9 Coronavirus briefing when the commissioner would be made available to respond to the situation that had been described for many weeks at New Lisbon.

“There is nothing more important to us than that.”

NJDOH Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said during a May 12 press briefing that all residents of the state’s developmental centers have now been tested, along with most staffers, and that the remaining staff would be See CALAMITY/ Page 6

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Proposal That Would Ban Jet Skis from Docking at Beach Near Clam House Now Includes Boats

Saturday, May 16, 2020

New Physical Therapy Company Provides In-Home Treatment for Seniors

For home-bound seniors in need of physical therapy services in central and southern New Jersey, there’s a game-changing new option available: the Voorhees-based Physical Therapy Company.

Founded by a board-certified Physical Therapist, The Physical Therapy Company (TPTC) provides one-on-one in-home care for senior patients. The company’s team of practitioners, which has more than 20 years of collective experience in providing excellence in geriatric therapy solutions, provides a wide range of personalized therapy treatments for seniors who either can’t or prefer not to leave their homes. Their combination of therapeutic regimens, strength-training, and exercise programs are helping seniors located both in LeisureTowne and across the state better manage many debilitating age-related illnesses and conditions, including arthritis, injuries from falls, joint replacements, strokes, Parkinson’s disease, and more.

Best of all, the seniors are regaining confidence, increasing their independence, and improving their quality of life for years to come.

Because TPTC’s services are typically covered by Medicare, there is no need for patients to first visit their primary doctor for a referral or pre-approval — and no need to arrange for personal transportation, which is always a challenge for patients in this older demographic group.

Beginning with a thorough evaluation, the center’s therapists work with patients to create a personalized plan of care to address the ailments or limitations they are experiencing.

The TPTC team then apply proven techniques to help seniors set and achieve manageable therapy goals — all while strictly following the current CDC guidelines for using gloves and masks for COVID-19 safety.

In-Home Therapy: A Unique & Personal Approach Because the therapy services don’t take place in a traditional brick-and-mortar treatment center, the TPTC team has some challenges to overcome. How do they handle them? When visiting a patient’s home, the team not only employs their trademark warm and friendly approach, but they also bring the necessary equipment to help patients achieve their prescribed treatment goals based on their individual needs, which might include upper and lower extremity weights, therabands, a stationary floor bike, electrical stimulation machine, ultrasound unit, and more.

Most importantly, they bring a blood pressure cuff and a pulse oximeter to regularly monitor the patient’s blood pressure, pulse, and oxygen levels to ensure their safety throughout the session — which is especially important when working with the senior population.

The TPTC Backstory With dual degrees from Stockton University, TPTC’s founder has spent his career building a specialization in geriatric rehabilitation and outpatient orthopedic rehabilitation, including 10 years working as the Rehabilitation Director at a convalescent center.

He has also maintained a lifelong commitment to strength training and nutrition and takes great pride in building a team of practitioners who share his dedication to serving the senior population with empathetic, goal-oriented care.

Results in Action: What Patients Are Saying For TPTC’s growing patient base, the results already speak for themselves.

Debra M.*, whose father is a TPTC patient, says the progress her father has been able to achieve through treatment is nothing short of incredible. “The care that he has been given has rewound the clock a few years,” Debra explained. “He is walking and moving better than he has done in the last couple of years.”

Likewise, Josephine G.* is the sister of Madeline*, a TPTC patient with Down Syndrome and multiple disabilities who has made similar life-changing strides through her treatment. After a hospital stay in October 2019, Madeline returned home with multiple medical problems: She was unable to work or get out of bed without the assistance of three people, she lost approximately 50 pounds, and was having difficulty eating.

When TPTC took over Madeline’s care, she had already been seen by another agency, and Josephine was told that she was not progressing, and therapy could not continue. But the TPTC therapy team provided the pair with hope.

After a detailed assessment, they listened to Madeline’s entire history, and asked Josephine what her goals were for her sister.

“I explained how she loved to go to her day program at The Arc in Woodbury, and that I would like that to happen,” she said. “I told [them] that we needed to start from square one and gradually build up her muscle strength.”

The TPTC therapists agreed that this was a reasonable plan and also felt that over time, the fear that Madeline was experiencing would decrease, and she would regain her ability to walk again. To that end, the team developed a collection of creative games and activities that used Madeline’s own body resistance to rebuild her strength. They gradually built up to applying weights to her legs while she did activities like kicking a soccer ball, turning the exercises into a game that Madeline could understand and succeed at. After just 9 weeks, she could take 10-15 steps, get out of bed, and transfer from her wheelchair to the toilet with the help of just one person.

“This was truly a miracle,” Josephine said. “[They] did not stop there, but came with Maddie and myself to her Arc meeting that was held to decide when and if Madeline could return.”

After explaining Madeline’s progress in detail to the Arc team, they set up an in-service for the staff to show them how to help her accomplish some of her daily living activities.

After Madeline’s second full week back at the Arc, Josephine reported that her sister was thrilled to be going “to work” and continuing to get stronger each day.

“This is truly not only a success story, but an answer to countless prayers,” she explained.

“We will always be indebted to [TPTC] for not giving up and knowing exactly how to get Madeline to function again.”

Learn more about The Physical Therapy Company at www.theptco.com or 856-3123600. *Last names were withheld to protect patient privacy.

This is a paid advertorial by the Voorheesbased Physical Therapy Company.

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PHYSICAL THER Photo By Douglas D. Melegari

A boat ramp and dock by the public beach for watercraft operators to come ashore and enjoy food at River Road Clam House and LB’s Lunch Box in Washington Township.

By Douglas D. Melegari Staff Writer

WASHINGTON—A proposed ordinance that would disallow jet skis from “coming ashore, docking and staying” at a public beach adjacent to the River Road Clam House and LB’s Lunch Box, off County Route 652 (also known as River Road), has been amended to also prohibit boats from docking or coming ashore at the beach that abuts the Mullica River.

The proposed ordinance, however, with the changes suddenly incorporated into it, was tabled following a resident and member of a local group of jet ski enthusiasts contending during a May 5 Washington Township Committee public hearing that she was unable to obtain the draft’s full-text prior to the meeting.

The proposal also faced opposition and scrutiny during the public hearing, with concern expressed that such a measure could

result in a drop in business for the riverfront eateries; and the co-owner of LB’s Lunch Box contending that she never saw any issues posed by the operators of boats and jet skis in the vicinity of the beach.

Township Solicitor Tom Coleman, when the ordinance was first introduced on April 7, had said that “personalized watercrafts are becoming somewhat of a nuisance” and the ordinance being proposed was an “opportunity to allow people to continue to enjoy the beach without having to share it with jet skis.”

There was some discussion during the April 7 meeting about perhaps further defining the “physical locations,” or area that jet skis would be prohibited from coming ashore, and “further defining” or “expanding” the definition of jet skis, and Coleman said those “very minor See DOCKING/ Page 10

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Medford Man Charged with Fatally Shooting Pemberton Township Man Outside His Home PEMBERTON—A Medford Township man has been charged with fatally shooting a 6 4 -ye a r- ol d Pe m b e r t o n Tow n s h i p resident earlier this year outside of the victim’s home.

Tristan Majeed, 50, of the 300 block of Haynes Run, was served with a warrant on May 7 at the Burlington County Jail in Mount Holly, where he is being held on other charges.

According to Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina, an investigation by detectives from the prosecutor’s office, and the Pemberton Township Police Department, determined that Majeed shot Kenneth Ryan on Jan. 20 outside of Ryan’s Apache Trail residence in the Browns Mills section of Pemberton Township.

“The motive for the shooting continues to be investigated,” Coffina said.

Ryan was taken to Capital Health Regional

Medical Center in Trenton, where he wa s p r onou nc e d dead t wo d ays later. An autopsy perfor med by Burlington County Medical Examiner D r. Ia n Ho o d deter mined that Majeed Ryan died as the result of being shot in the head.

Majeed was charged with murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon and certain persons not to possess firearms.

He was scheduled to have a detention he a r i ng i n Su p e r ior C ou r t , a nd t he case will then be prepared for presentationto a grand jury for possible indictment.

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Washington’s Trash Hauler to Be Replaced, New Web Host and Speed Signs Purchased, and Damage Repairs to Senior Center OK’D WASHINGTON—Garden State Removal Company will be replaced as Washington Township’s trash hauler, according to Township Clerk Kathleen D. Hoffman.

Hoffman, during a May 5 Washington Township Committee meeting, announced that TrashPros of New Jersey proposed a three-year, $2,000 contract to serve as the municipality’s trash hauler.

She contended that the municipality used to utilize TrashPros, before switching to Garden State.

“Three years ago, it was $1,500,” she said.

The township committee had threatened on numerous occasions to cut ties with Garden State, citing “horrendous” trash service in town with “never-ending” troubles that purportedly included “consistent” failure to pick up trash at certain residences, timeliness of collection and trash truck breakdowns.

However, township officials said the municipality had been unable to make a change as Garden State was previously the lone bidder when the town went out to bid for hauling services.

Tow nship of ficials, af ter expressing concer n publicly about Garden St ate, often would announce a month or two later

that the situation had improved, only to rinse, repeat.

Last yea r, Tow nsh ip Solicitor Tom Coleman said that he recently wrote a letter to Garden State Removal to make them aware of the township committee’s concerns about a “failure to pick up bulk and regular trash” on regular basis.

“I did receive a response from their counsel that they thought I was misguided i n my assessment of t hei r breach of contract,” Coleman said. “I think we are in a position to consider a different direction.

The question is, ‘Are we going to be able to be in a position to fill our needs if we cut this trash guy loose?’ That is really the $64,000 question.”

Hoffman told this newspaper on May 5 that a decision had to be made this month to provide Garden State with a required six-months’ notice of termination of services.

Committeeman C. Leigh Gadd Jr. had mentioned during the May 5 meeting that there was “one issue” with Garden State within the past month, but “that problem was rectified.”

Hoffman also said during the latest township

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Two Charged in Fatal Fentanyl Overdose PE M BE RT O N —Two a l l e g e d d r u g dealers have been charged with causing the fatal overdose of a Pemberton Township woman to whom they sold fentanyl last summer.

An investigation into Antoine Crawley, 34, of Lemmon Avenue in Pemberton Township, and Danielle Knight, 41, of WrightstownSykesville Road in North Hanover, began on Aug. 19 of last year after Brittney Wallace, 27, was found unconscious and unresponsive by her parents in a bathroom at the family’s residence.

Wallace was t ranspor ted to Capital Health at Deborah—Emergency Services, where she was later pronounced dead.

An autopsy performed by Burlington County Medical Examiner Dr. Ian Hood determined that Wallace died of fentanyl toxicity.

“The fentanyl level in her system was more than five times the lethal dose,” said Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina.

The investigation revealed that Knight allegedly instructed Crawley to deliver drugs to Wallace at her residence.

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Crawley and Knight were charged late last month with first-degree strict liability for druginduced death.

Knight was taken into custody on April 28 and subsequently Crawley released “over the state’s objection” in Superior Court.

Crawley, who was already in Burlington Count y Jail on a d r ug dist r ibution charge related to the case, remains incarcerated, according to Coffina.

Knight “The case will now be prepared for presentation to a Burlington County Grand Jury for possible indictment,” he said.

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Vehicles Ransacked During Overnight Burglaries Which Also Possibly Targeted Mail in Mailboxes

Photo Provided

A vehicle police believe belongs to suspects involved in overnight vehicle burglaries committed in Medford Township earlier this month.

MEDFOR D —A “nu merous” nu mber of recent motor vehicle burglaries that occurred during the overnight hours in Medford Township are under investigation by police here.

The burglaries occurred between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. on May 1, according to Medford Township Police Chief Richard J. Meder, in the Glen of Medford, Wildflowers and Birchwood neighborhoods.

“The targeted vehicles were unlocked,” he said. “The vehicles’ interiors, and in some instances trunks, were ransacked.”

The items stolen, according to the police chief, consist of loose change, wallets and credit cards.

“It was also noted that at many of the targeted locations, the mailbox door, on mailboxes

located at the street, were open, indicating that the mailboxes were also entered,” Meder said.

The police chief said it is believed that at least three suspects were involved in the incidents.

“A possible suspect vehicle was identified as a white or light color SUV,” Meder said.

Meder is asking that any residents who have exterior video cameras check their recordings to determine if the suspects were captured by them.

“Please report any information, suspicious activity or video recordings that captured the incidents, suspects or suspect vehicle to the Medford Township Police via Burlington C o u nt y C e nt r a l C o m mu n ic a t io n s a t 609-267-8300, or the Confidential Tip Line at 609-714-0302,” Meder said.

CALAMITY

inadequate containment facilities.

That account was followed by many similar ones published last week by this newspaper, in addition to remarks made by Woodland Township Emergency Management Coordinator Shawn A. Viscardi during an April 29 emergency Woodland Township Committee meeting that contended “the way they are going, their population is pretty much…like… decreasing daily here” and “unfortunately, with the way New Lisbon is setup, and the way they work their staff, it is just a vicious cycle—it will keep cycling through the facility until we get a vaccine or something.”

As this newspaper also previously reported, Nicholas Gangemi, a spokesman for Burlington County, on April 30, told this newspaper that the county had elevated its concerns about New Lisbon to “multiple individuals and departments at the state.” Gangemi, in a followup telephone call with this newspaper, when asked for more color about the concerns the county had expressed to the state, said that it involves what this newspaper has already reported: that long-term care facilities around the state are seeing a (more concentrated) outbreak of the virus and oftentimes it is affecting those with pre-existing conditions.

He added that the county had received concerns from surrounding municipalities

(Continued from Page 1)

tested through the following week.

On May 8, the NJDOH released statistics indicating that a total of 333 individuals associated with New Lisbon contracted COVID-19. That number was revised May 11 to 267 individuals.

“There was a data-entry issue over the weekend that led to an incorrect number being put in,” Johnson said. “The 333 number is incorrect.”

Donna Leusner, a spokeswoman for NJDHS, told this newspaper that the data contained in the NJDHS’ online COVID-19 dashboard is “self-reported by facilities.” Johnson told this newspaper that the data posted on the NJDOH’s website is reported directly to the state health department, and “sometimes” data gets reported to the NJDOH “as we post our dashboard.”

The Pine Barrens Tribune reported two weeks ago that an employee of New Lisbon, who requested anonymity, contacted this newspaper to sound the alarm over events unfolding at the facility due to COVID-19, describing a “very dire situation” at the time, contending that it was due to a lack of PPE, staffing shortages, cross contamination, and

See CALAMITY/ Page 7

Saturday, May 16, 2020

REPLACED (Continued from Page 4)

committee meeting that she received a $5,900 proposal from a company to provide the township with two radar speed signs and related data recording.

Additionally, she said that she received a proposal from City Communications stipulating that it would redesign the municipal website for $750, and then charge the municipality $1,500 per year to host it.

As previously reported by this newspaper, the township committee decided earlier this year not to renew its contract with Revize given that the current website has contained a number of outdated postings since its 2017 launch, along with broken links, and has even been reportedly hacked from time-to-time.

Coleman, during the May 5 meeting, after Hoffman discussed the trash hauling, speed signs and website proposals and suggested that the purchases had been already authorized despite no formal action taken by the township committee, asked if the purchases had already been authorized.

“I asked Kristin [Manning] (township’s chief financial officer) to issue a purchase order,” Hoffman replied. “Yes.” The township solicitor then asked Hoffman if the funds were available, to which Hoffman replied, “Yes,” adding that Gadd had talked about some of the items for a while.

“Do we have a not to exceed number?”

Coleman asked.

Hoffman contended that the not to exceed number was $6,000 and that she could authorize any individual purchases below that threshold without the approval of the township committee because she is a Qualified Purchasing Agent (QPA).

“Maybe for Kristin’s files, it may benefit us to adopt a resolution authorizing these purchases,” Coleman said.

Hoffman disagreed with the township solicitor’s position on the matter.

“Well, as a QPA, I have the authorization,” the township clerk quipped.

Manning replied a resolution was not necessar y to author ize the pu rchases, prompting Coleman to reply that he forgot Hoffman was QPA. Hoffman was later asked by this newspaper during the township committee meeting, held by phone through freeconferencecalls.com, to clarify whether she acted on the proposals prior to the meeting.

“Yes, I asked Kristin to issue purchase orders for those three items,” Hoffman said. “Actually, there were four.”

The fourth one authorized installation of a “new Comcast Telephone system” at town hall, and committed the municipality to an internet speed upgrade. The new telephone and internet service will cost the township $550 per month.

It was revealed in February that Washington Township was billed by Verizon $722 for two-

months of landline telephone and internet service and another $224 for cellular service.

The township has a population of less than 600 people and the municipal building is open primarily two evenings per week.

Gadd, during the latest township committee meeting, asked what needed to be done to “get the bids” started on the Washington Township Senior Center.

The senior center was closed in 2018 after its chimney foundation tipped, which caused its fireplace to lean out, and its chimney to break, creating a major structural issue, according to then-mayor Dudley Lewis. He said the building was discovered to be in disrepair in early 2019 after a pipe froze inside of it and caused a flood.

The interior of the building also sustained water damage from the flood. Lewis had revealed that the ground around the facility is also sinking.

Washington Township officials have been indecisive on whether to repair the senior center using municipal monies since the building is leased to the municipality by the NJDEP. Township Engineer Kevin Dixon, of the Galloway firm Dixon Associates, contended last year that if the municipality undertakes all of the necessary repairs, it could cost just over $21,000.

There has been a question as to whether the township can even make substantial repairs to state property without the permission of the state.

Another complicating factor is a clause in the current lease agreement stating that the municipality is responsible for repairing the building to the condition it was in when it was first leased to the township. The township committee has questioned whether that clause would include aspects of the former ranger station that could be considered out of the town’s control, such as chimney repairs (versus repairing a broken light bulb inside).

It was revealed during the township committee’s 2020 reorganization meeting that the township’s insurance policy would at least cover some repairs to fix some of the interior damage in the building.

However, municipal officials have contended all along that the township needs guidance from the state before the township committee can make any decisions beyond possibly some light repairs to the building.

In January, the township committee decided to send along all of its communications and responses to NJDEP Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe and ask for some guidance, after contending no response was received over the course of several months.

Coleman reported two months ago that the township was successf ul since the reorganization meeting in contacting the state to begin some discussions about the condition of the property. He added at the time that the state was amenable to sitting down with representatives of the township to discuss the senior center.

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Saturday, May 16, 2020

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CALAMITY (Continued from Page 6)

about the burn rate (speed at which PPE is being used) of PPE at the New Lisbon Developmental Center due emergency services responding to the facility more frequently, and that the facility isn’t giving PPE to responders responding to the facility.

Woodland Township Mayor William “Billy” DeGroff, who said during the emergency meeting that he would not go near facility and “he holds his breath when he goes by there,” had told this newspaper of the situation at New Lisbon, “we got to fix it.”

Democratic Governor Phil Murphy, when this newspaper read the mayor’s remarks aloud on May 9 during the press briefing in Trenton, and asked if he had contacted the mayor regarding the situation, replied that he had not yet spoken to the mayor.

Mur phy then ordered an aide in the briefing room to “go to” Mike DeLamater, the governor’s Director Intergovernmental Affairs, “right now.”

“We will reach out to him, literally as we are sitting here,” Murphy said.

DeGroff, in a follow-up interview on May 12, told this newspaper that he was contacted

by DeLamater not once, but twice, following the press briefing on May 9.

“I basically told them my concerns, and they talked to the head of DHS, who said now New Lisbon has all the proper PPE (personal protective equipment), testing has begun, and everything should be fine,” DeGroff said.

“They said it was unfortunate an outbreak occurred up there. That is pretty much it.”

DeGroff added he was “satisfied” with that response, “as long as they are supplying all of the proper PPE.” “I don’t know how it broke out up there,” the mayor said. “My concern has always been

Photo By Edwin J. Torres/Governor’s Office

New Jersey Department of Human Services Commissioner Carole Johnson speaks during a Coronavirus briefing in Trenton on March 18, with New Jersey State Police Superintendent Colonel Patrick Callahan listening to the remarks. the safety of the emergency personnel and residents.”

DeGroff, last week, told this newspaper that he hoped that New Lisbon would learn from what happened, and the issues, and that he was concerned that if a member of the Woodland Volunteer Fire and EMS Company happens to get the virus, the township could lose all of its EMS and fire personnel as whoever is in contact with a person with the virus has to be quarantined for 14 days.

“If we lose our EMS, what is going to happen to the residents of Woodland?” the mayor asked on May 5.

He was also concerned that the virus would spread throughout the community since many Woodland residents are employed at New Lisbon.

The mayor, in the May 12 interview with this newspaper, contended that the EMS calls from New Lisbon “have subsided quite a bit,” though he noted that he had not spoken to Viscardi for a couple of days.

“There is nothing more as town we can do,” he said. “They are saying they are doing everything, and they are doing everything.”

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A New Lisbon employee wrote to this newspaper over the weekend that “we got PPE stuff now,” and added “we actually got a lot of it now.” The initial whistleblower had told this newspaper two weeks ago that not only had there been a shortage of PPE at the facility, but that what PPE is actually at the facility had not been accessible to all of its employees.

“At one point, we were actually given greenplastic ponchos, instead of being given proper PPE,” she said. “These were rain ponchos that you can buy at the dollar store. The yellow gowns were only given to nurses and cottage staff in (the) quarantine (cottages).”

As reported last week by this newspaper, Brian Woods, a spokesman for Assemblyman Ryan Peters and Assemblywoman Jean St an field, both Republican legislators representing the 8th District, which includes Woodland, said the legislators reached out to the NJDOH beginning in April to ask if there was anything they could do to help the New Lisbon Developmental Center.

“They also forwarded anonymous complaints made to this office about issues at the center made by multiple people, including lack of

♦ Page 7

PPE,” Woods said.

Johnson told this newspaper May 12 that it was her understanding that a center like New Lisbon “has always had to have PPE on site” because “that is what they are prepared for,” but “like all places across the state,” there is more need for PPE due to the current situation.

“Early on, from my understanding, there were some staff who had some questions about PPE, or had some issues related to PPE, and part of the issue was helping everyone understand which PPE was appropriate in which setting,” the commissioner told this newspaper. “Some of that training went on and there is adequate PPE at the site today.”

Another person, in reference to New Lisbon, wrote to the newspaper over the weekend that “they have PPE,” but “cross contamination amongst buildings, and staff, and residents, is disgraceful and needs emergency attention ASAP.” The initial whistleblower, in her account to the newspaper, had described that New Lisbon did not make quarantine preparations prior to the outbreak at the facility, and that it was only after the COVID-19 outbreak first began at the facility that “six or seven cottages being used for storage” were cleaned and set up to handle quarantined residents.

Another source at the time told this newspaper that initially the New Lisbon Developmental Center had implemented measures in response to the unfolding pandemic globally, even performing temperature checks of employees who came to work, but that as the weeks went by, it became apparent that officials “had no plan for when somebody actually showed up with this (COVID-19)” and that initially, when the first cases appeared, residents with the virus were not quarantined and “sent back into the same cottage.”

Johnson contended May 12 that the NJDHS See CALAMITY/ Page 11

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COVID-19 INFORMATION

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Saturday, May 16, 2020

NEED-TO-KNOW INFORMATION Burlington County Residents and Organizations Provide Emergency Food Help During COVID-19

Evesham Employees Could Be Furloughed As Town Faces Substantial Revenue Loss

By Douglas D. Melegari

By Douglas D. Melegari

WA S H I N G T O N — W i t h r e c o r d unemployment resulting from the Coronavirus pandemic, and a related order that has had nonessential businesses shutdown for weeks to help curb the spread of the virus, many local families have lost their only true source of income and are in dire need of emergency food assistance.

Several Burlington County residents have launched initiatives in recent days to help those who are struggling to put food on the table during the COVID-19 public health emergency, and want you to know that they are here to help during this challenging time.

Kathy Gitto, a resident of Washington Township, has spent the last several weeks creating an emergency food pantry, known as The Hope Food Pantry, in front of the Washington Township Municipal Building.

“I am seeing that it is getting pretty full,” she said. “I have put the word out to a few residents, who are going to give me a few addresses of residents in need.”

Gitto was looking to reach anyone else in the area who may be in need of assistance, or would like to donate. She can be reached at 609338-8946, or by email at townshipfoodpantry@ gmail.com .

“People can place donated food directly in the pantry and pick up foods, if needed,” she said. “We are starting to deliver directly to needy community member’s front porches, for those who can’t come to the pantry.”

Washington Township Committeeman C. Leigh Gadd Jr. said he was also willing to pitch in to help deliver the food.

“A couple weeks ago, I was called by somebody who was in contact with a township resident who was interested in establishing a food pantry in the township for people who may need some extra things that they may or may not be able to afford in the current climate,” Gadd said. “We fast-tracked that, and this food pantry is up and running in front of town hall.

It is fully-stocked. We want to thank Gitto for her efforts.”

Gitto appreciated the gratitude, but said she just hopes people will use the resource.

“It is there for everybody to utilize, whether it is taking items you need, or donating items you want to make available,” Gadd said. “But I want to let everybody know it is fully-stocked.”

I n neighbor ing Shamong Tow nship, Mayor Michael Di Croce sent out an email

EVESHAM—The Township of Evesham municipal government is reportedly seeing a significant amount of lost revenue due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and with the end date of the pandemic currently unknown, township officials want to immediately implement a “proactive” plan that would include furloughing a number of municipal employees “at all levels” for a “period of time.”

Township officials say that if this plan is not implemented soon, the municipality may be forced to implement “historic” layoffs as they want to avoid a tax increase given the impact that the pandemic is also having on its residents, many of whom have either lost their jobs or been furloughed.

Bits and pieces of the plan apparently leaked out before being presented by Township Manager Robert Corrales to the public and council on May 5, drawing the ire of some members of Evesham Township Council, who contended that it resulted in “misinformation” being spread throughout the community, and concern in the community.

Corrales contended during his May 5 presentation, that as of that time, Evesham has experienced an approximately $545,000 loss in revenue over the past one-and-a-half to two months.

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

Photo By Kathy Gitto

The Hope Food Pantry, which has been established in the front of the Washington Township Municipal Building.

asking anyone who is suffering from the inability to put food on the table, and is in an emergency food crisis situation, to reach out to him directly for assistance by emailing mikeDiCroceShamong@comcast.net .

“I will do what I can to get them the help they need,” Di Croce said.

Shamong Township Committeeman Michael Cooney replied “that is a real good thing” the mayor did, adding that “some people are really hurting.”

Holman Enterprises, Food Bank of South Jersey and Farmers Against Hunger partnered with the Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders on May 8 to hold a Drive-up Food Distribution Event.

“The event went very well,” said Nicholas Gangemi, a spokesman for Burlington County.

The Bu rling ton Cou nt y Freeholders are currently scheduling additional food distribution dates for May. “The Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders is dedicated to supporting our residents during this world-wide public health crisis so that they remain safe, have a place to stay, and have enough to eat,” said Burlington County Freeholder Director Felicia Hopson.

“This is an uncertain time, and many of our community members are struggling to pay for basic necessities. It is our hope that the Driveup Food Distribution events will help anyone in need.”

“That $545,000 figure I have up on the screen is just the tip of the iceberg of where we are headed,” the township manager said.

That figure, he said, was compiled based on “unforeseen” circumstances, including no inperson municipal court proceedings, except for extremely limited emergent matters, resulting in fewer court fee payments (down $123,000); the temporary closure and now limited operation of the township’s golf course due to mandatory social distancing (down $150,000); fewer license fee collections (down $8,100), and fewer construction fee collections (down $264,300) due to a temporary state prohibition on most construction that won’t be lifted until Monday.

“It is numbers almost hard to fathom, and almost hard to calculate—and only because it is just the beginning,” Corrales said.

Corrales is also anticipating at least a slight decrease in the collection of tax payments due to the “huge” financial impact COVID-19 is having not just on the township, but businesses and many individuals.

Democratic Governor Phil Murphy has closed many non-essential businesses during the public health emergency, which has in turn led to lost revenue for businesses, and unemployment. Murphy permitted See EVESHAM/ Page 10

‘Inordinate Amount’ of Urine and Feces Left Behind at State Parks Last Weekend As Bathroom Facilities Remained Closed; Decision Now Made to Reopen Restrooms

By Douglas D. Melegari Staff Writer

BATSTO—An “inordinate amount of urine and feces,” as New Jersey State Police Colonel Patrick Callahan put it, was found over the weekend in water bottles left behind at state parks.

This was a consequence of a decision by Democratic Governor Phil Murphy to reopen state parks after closing them temporarily due to the Coronavirus pandemic, but keeping park bathrooms closed.

“We understand that the restrooms and

public restrooms are closed, but people should plan accordingly and should not be urinating in bottles and leaving them behind, because I think that may lead us to take a different approach moving forward, if I could speak for the Governor in that regard,” Callahan said.

The state police superintendent, also the director of the state’s Office of Emergency Ma nage me nt , de cla re d “ t hat t y pe of behavior must not go on” and there “is a zerotolerance policy for that.” Murphy called it See RESTROOMS/ Page 16

Saturday, May 16, 2020

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COVID-19 INFORMATION

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NEED-TO-KNOW INFORMATION Expanded Testing Capacity and Robust Contact Tracing Plan Unveiled; Governor to Permit Curbside Pickup at Non-Essential Retail Businesses, Resumption of Non-Essential Construction and Gatherings in Vehicles

By Douglas D. Melegari Staff Writer

TRENTON—A significant decrease in the daily number of new Coronavirus cases in New Jersey, and substantial drop in new hospitalizations from COVID-19, combined with the implementation May 12 of a “comprehensive strategy” to expand testing capacity and start a robust contact tracing program, has led Democratic Governor Phil Murphy on May 13 to “begin the careful process of restarting our economy and getting our state on the road back.”

Murphy, during a press conference on May 12, said that new hospitalizations from COVID-19 are down 70 percent from the peak, which was in mid-April. Total hospitalizations from the virus, he said, are down nearly half since the peak.

The governor said that the number of patients in ICU and on ventilators are also both down significantly.

“The numbers of new cases are down 60 percent, and the deaths, thank God, have decreased by more than one-quarter from the peak,” he said.

Murphy, on May 13, signed an executive order permitting the resumption of nonessential construction, curbside pickup at nonessential retail businesses, and car gatherings

for the purpose of drive-through and drive-in events.

The construction and non-essential retail provisions will take effect at 6 a.m. on May 18, while the car gatherings provision will take effect immediately.

Murphy had directed the closure of all nonessential retail businesses to the public on March 21, and ordered April 8 that all nonessential construction stop to help curb the spread of the virus. Public gatherings were temporarily prohibited beginning in March as well.

“I have been clear that data will determine dates, and what we are seeing gives us confidence that we can begin the careful restart of our economy,” said Murphy in a statement provided to this newspaper. “Over the past eight weeks, New Jerseyans have taken our stayat-home order seriously and have created the conditions that make this next phase possible.

The steps we are taking allow for important standards of social distancing to continue with the return of safe, responsible business operations.”

Non-essential businesses that choose to offer curbside pickup must limit their operations to employees who are responsible for the operations required for curbside pickup; handle customer transactions in advance by phone,

By Rich Hundley III/State Press Pool—The Trentonian

Democratic Governor Phil Murphy on May 13 announces executive order permitting resumption of non-essential construction, curbside pickup at non-essential retail businesses, and gatherings in vehicles. email, facsimile or other means that avoid person-to-person contact; adopt an operation that brings purchased goods outside of the retail establishment and places them directly in a customer’s vehicle when possible, avoiding person-to-person contact; and follows social

distancing and mitigation practices outlined in previous orders, including requiring workers to wear cloth face coverings when in contact with other workers or customers, and gloves when See TESTING/ Page 11

An Entrepreneur Weighs Which is Worse: Operating His Business in ‘Safe’ Mode or Risking What He’s Witnessed as an EMT

By Bill Bonvie Staff Writer

MEDFORD—In a society torn between those who urge a proceed-with-extremecaution approach to reopening its economy during the still-ongoing onslaught of a deadly Coronavirus pandemic and others who demand that caution be thrown to the winds to regain their freedom and livelihoods, Sean Galie is in a somewhat unique position to know where both sides in this debate are coming from.

As co-owner of Lower Forge Brewery, a popular venue for gatherings and events in the hub of Medford’s commercial district, Galie can personally attest to the disastrous impact that the state-ordered shutdown of many businesses has had on enterprises such as his.

But in his professional capacity as a 20year veteran emergency medical technician, Galie, who currently serves with the Princeton University Fire Department at the head of a platoon of six firemen/EMTs helping to respond to calls from throughout the surrounding area, has witnessed firsthand the horrific effects that COVID-19 can have on those stricken by it—and doesn’t seem especially eager to allow the idea of staying alive financially to take precedence over our ability to simply stay alive.

“I have seen enough, so I understand what is happening and why the shutdown order was necessary,” Galie told the Pine Barrens Tribune in a phone interview this past week. “I want it to end, but I also realize it is going to be a while, and all you can do right now is reduce your risk.”

Galie, since handling his first case of COVID-19 in early March, described his job as an EMT as being in a “crisis mindset” on

a daily basis.

“As a society, we got sucker-punched, and this virus can really mess you up—it can be brutal,” he said. “I can just tell you that we came very close to overwhelming the hospitals in Central Jersey.”

He added that while ultimately, “the system held up, we don’t want to go back to that (being on the edge of a system failure).”

Such acquiescence in the curtailment of normal commercial activity represents a 180-degree turn for a man who just 18 months ago sponsored an online petition in collaboration with other members of his industry against a special ruling by the then-head of the state Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), David Rible, that restricted microbrewery operations to 25 customer-interaction events annually.

The protest achieved a measure of success when the order was put on hold by Democratic Governor Phil Murphy and Rible.

Murphy’s shutdown edict in March, however, prohibited operations like Lower Forge from hosting events of any sort—at least until the present Coronavirus emergency is over, which Galie acknowledges may not be for months.

“It is not going away until they have some sort of medical breakthrough,” he told this newspaper. “I would be surprised if taprooms even open during the summer, and if they do, it will be very different. The ABC won’t be concerned with it at all—it’s all going to be determined by the Department of Health.”

But despite his uneasiness over the prospect of returning to normal commercial activities See BUSINESS/ Page 14

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

METTLE

(Continued from Page 1) that the high school could not be reopened for an extensive period of time, split sessions were held at Pinelands Regional Junior High School, with some reliance on online learning given the shorter days.

“I don’t know if anything truly prepares you to go through the crisis that we are currently going through,” said Banin, pointing to his experience in the Pinelands Regional School District. “But I know that I dealt with things in my previous district where I was preparing students for online learning. However, it was on a much smaller scale then what we are going through right now.”

Banin was raised in Mount Laurel, and graduated from Lenape High School. His mother taught mathematics at Thomas E. Harrington Middle School in Mount Laurel, but always had an interest in English.

“I always enjoyed being in the classroom, as a student, and had great teachers along the way, including when I went to Lenape,” said Banin of what motivated him to become an educator.

“Additionally, my mom was a teacher in Mount Laurel, and seeing what she did as a teacher, and with my parents always instilling in me a love of education and learning, it sounded like a great career choice to pursue and opened me up to becoming an English teacher.”

Banin got his start in education as a high school English and Film teacher at Lacey Township High School in 2005. He then became a Dean of Behavioral Management for Lacey Township High School, before being promoted to a Lacey Township High School assistant principal post.

The issue of school funding, Banin said, is important to him, and is another top priority of his as he assumes his new role in the Tabernacle district. As previously reported by this newspaper, Tabernacle Schools are facing

WWW.PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM state funding cuts, which are anticipated to add up to $2.6 million over a period of seven years, ending with the 2024-25 school year.

The funding cuts have led to most of the recent departures of top school officials.

It is the second crisis that the Tabernacle district currently faces, and Banin said he plans to tackle it by being “flexible” and “creative.”

“We want to be doing our best for students, and making sure they are front and center,” he said. “My mom always showed me the importance of having an education, and how great it is to have one. I try to do the same thing for my two sons. My wife is a teacher as well. I try to make sure our children understand how important education is—how much we love this and how important it is to be a lifelong learner.”

Ch r istensen noted that the board is still searching for a permanent business administrator with Jessica DeWysockie still intending to accept a position in Monmouth County. He said Bruce Benedetti, an interim business administrator for the Springfield Township School District, decided not to join Tabernacle Schools after the board voted March 16 to make him the Tabernacle district’s interim business administrator.

The board, Christensen said, has now decided that Jason Bedell, who will start May 18 as technology coordinator for Tabernacle Schools, will also serve as the district’s interim business administrator until a permanent replacement is named for the business administrator post. Bedell, who previously worked in the Lakehurst School District and currently serves as a business administrator for the Farmingdale School District, holds a business administrator certificate, according to Christensen.

“Once we hire a business administrator, Bedell will go to the tech coordinator position full-time,” Christensen said.

Christensen added that with Banin promoted, the Tabernacle Schools assistant principal position is now vacant, and the board intends to fill it soon.

Saturday, May 16, 2020

REPLACED (Continued from Page 6)

During the latest township committee meeting, Coleman said that he called the state four to six times since giving that report and had not heard back. He said three letters sent to the state also had no effect.

Coleman concluded at the May 5 meeting that he does not believe state approval is needed to carry out the repairs that the township’s insurance policy would at least cover.

“If you look at the lease, we have an affirmative duty as a township to preserve and protect the leaseholder’s premises, other than normal wear and tear, and I don’t think this is normal wear and tear,” Coleman said.

“To put it back the way it was, with the

EVESHAM (Continued from Page 8)

municipalities to extend the grace period for municipal tax payments to June 1, but even still, it is expected that many taxpayers will have difficulty coming up with money.

Corrales said that only a .25 percent decrease in tax collection would result in a $323,000 reduction in the township's revenue from taxes; and that only a 1 percent decrease in tax collection would result in a $1,487,750 reduction in the township’s revenue from taxes.

“Our first and second quarter (collections) may have been OK because of the timing of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the third and fourth quarters are going to be unknown,” he said.

“These are things we need to be prepared for and take into consideration moving forward.

To make up for these losses, the township must either increase revenue streams, or cut spending.”

Corrales added that township officials

DOCKING (Continued from Page 2)

changes,” as Committeeman C. Leigh Gadd Jr. had put it, could be made to the draft prior to second reading in May as he did not “view the changes as material.”

“This ordinance was designed to essentially eliminate jet skis from coming ashore, docking and staying at the public beach,” said Coleman on April 7.

The township solicitor had even told the township committee in April to keep the jet ski definition “as presented” in the draft document the same so that it does not deviate from state statue.

“What that does is it tracks the same language in the state statute, and I don’t want to deviate from the state statute,” said Coleman last month.

Amending the proposed prohibition to include boats was never discussed publicly last month by the township committee.

“You may recall that the mayor at the last meeting asked me to consider adjusting that to include other vessels, including boats,” said Coleman at the beginning of May’s public hearing. “The version that is before the committee tonight is modified slightly to not only include jet skis, but boats as well.”

Washington’s meetings, since April, have been held virtually due to a Coronavirus outbreak in the state. The township committee decided earlier this year to no longer pay its website host of several years due to a number of issues, and therefore notice of the April meeting, and how to access it, was not posted online.

Barbara Cavileer, chief of the Green Bank Volunteer Ambulance Company, went first during the May public hearing, and asked for a summary of the ordinance “so that we know

Photo By Douglas D. Melegari

Faded signs posted in the parking area for the public beach that say “Washington Township residents only, permit required,” and “Parking for non-residents prohibited.” what you are voting on,” contending that there was a “mix-up” last month and that she could not access the April meeting remotely after trying to so for nearly a half-hour.

Coleman’s synopsis of the proposed ordinance differed significantly from the one he offered last month.

“This ordinance is designed to primarily to allow our public beach to be used by the public, and not be used as a boat launch, or a boat stop,” Coleman said. “I think it was the intent of the committee, from past history, to prevent that type of activity moving forward.”

Mayor Daniel James added that the public beach is “for township recreation” and is designed for “non-motorized” access.

Cavileer then asked who would enforce the proposed ban, should it become law, with the mayor replying that it would be the township’s code enforcement officer or New Jersey State Police.

This newspaper asked officials to explain what nuisance was being posed by the watercraft, in light of Michelle Lubaczewski,

owner of River Road Clam House, previously contending that she does not see any problem from the watercraft and that the beach is not used a lot. In that previous interview, Lubaczewski had contended that she doesn’t understand why jet skis are being singled out over boats, which may explain the motive behind the addition of boats to the ordinance.

The mayor, in response to this newspaper’s questions, described that the municipality has received complaints from township residents that they could not launch their kayaks from the beach, which abuts the Mullica River.

Gadd added that on some days there are so many jet skis “in that area,” that “nobody else can access the water from the beach.”

One caller pointed out that there are signs posted in the parking area for the public beach that say “Washington Township residents only, permit required,” and “Parking for non-residents prohibited,” but that they are faded. She added that she has never observed enforcement of those rules, which according

insurance money, I think we can go and do it.

Now, doing other things, like what we talked about before, I would pump the brake on those things.”

Gadd contended that “at a very minimum” the township needs to move forward with the repairs that the insurance company has agreed to cover.

This newspaper later questioned what repairs would be covered by the township’s insurance policy, and Hoffman replied that any damage caused by the pipe that burst, or flooding.

“On the senior center, I will reach out to the insurance company to have them have the contractor start doing the work on the repairs,” Hoffman said.

The township committee passed a $1,457,955 municipal budget during its May 5 meeting.

Washington has no local tax rate, so there is no impact on the average assessed home. “have to do everything in our power” to “align spending with unexpected revenue losses without impacting residents in the way of tax increases.” Corrales acknowledged that Evesham presently enjoys a $10.3 million surplus, but contended that it would be a “careless course of action” to “blow through large portions of the township surplus” to compensate for the current losses.

“Doing so is merely just a Band-Aid approach to stop current bleeding,” he said. “If we use any funds from the surplus, we would have to find new revenues to replace that money next year, and then to balance the 2021 budget.”

Corrales told those watching his presentation during the latest council meeting that he would have “greater detail” during this upcoming Tuesday’s scheduled council meeting, but that the township is in the process of finalizing its 2020 budget, “which, now with the projections, includes a deficit.”

“Two months ago, we had a different outlook,” he said.

See EVESHAM/ Page 11 to the one sign, have been in effect since 1997.

“It is something we will be working on,” James said.

Samantha Silfies, a resident who resides off River Road, and whose husband owns Tigercraft, which specializes in composite jet ski hulls, parts, and accessories and hosts two large gatherings twice yearly to help promote the business, contended that the “part” of the ordinance she was able to obtain prior to the meeting did not provide a definition of what is considered a “nuisance.”

“The ordinance provided to the public does not provide a full description as to what is considered a nuisance,” she said. “And I understand that you just said you were going to modify it to include jet skis and boats.

However, after sitting down with a lawyer, and establishing that there is no full ordinance available to the public yet, for us, we want a written and complete ordinance so that we can review it and respond appropriately.

“If the issue comes down to jet skis being a ‘nuisance ‘just because there are so many parked there, we don’t want to cause a problem; we would like to find a solution.”

Silfies said that one possible solution is for officials to split the beach, designating one side for jet ski docking and the other side for swimming.

“In many ways, we do use that area, but we also bring local business and vendors, and we bring in revenue,” she said. “…We want to respect the residents, and have no problem creating solutions for some things.”

Silfies added that “nobody, in her experience,” has been unable to launch kayaks at the public beach while her group is there, although she noted there are sometimes others with sit-down jet skis in the area.

“If we are being targeted specifically—then yes, that is unconstitutional,” Silfies declared.

See DOCKING/ Page 12

Saturday, May 16, 2020

CALAMITY (Continued from Page 7)

“moved early in February” to begin planning for COVID-19.

She said that in early March, despite recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that only international travelers be screened for the virus, the department asked questions of all staff, both non-travelers and travelers, before they came to work each day.

“We asked both (travelers and non-travelers) questions, but were also temperature taking,” she said. “We continue temperature taking to this day. Staff with any symptoms are sent home. We instituted restrictions on our visitor’s policy.”

Johnson added that New Lisbon “ended congregate dining activities” and “ended community outings,” or “anything that could introduce potential additional concerns.” She also said staffers of the facility were “reeducated” on cleaning procedures, disinfection procedures, and hand hygiene. Also, of note, she said, was that “workflow” in the centers was changed so that there was “less high traffic areas” around where individuals live.

“So, there was a whole host of things done in the preparation, but as with all parts of New Jersey, all communities are seeing COVID-19 cases, and as that occurs, we have been responding and taking mitigation measures, including making sure there is regular monitoring of residents, close monitoring of individuals in the center, and that there is cohorting (imposed grouping of people, such as potentially exposed to designated diseases) of residents based on public health guidance.

We have worked hard at being transparent with the dashboard data—to be clear as possible about the number of residents and staff who have serious COVID-19 positive cases.”

Murphy announced on May 7 that 120

TESTING

(Continued from Page 9) in contact with goods or customers.

Customers who choose to patronize nonessential retail businesses must notify the retailer by text message, email, or phone once they arrive to pick up the goods, or make best efforts to schedule their arrival time in advance.

Any customer, according to the edict, must be asked to remain in their vehicle until store staff delivers the purchase.

“We can get small businesses back up and running in a manner that continues to protect both workers and shoppers,” said Murphy during the May 13 pronouncement. “To be clear, no customers will be allowed back into non-essential retail stores at this time. They will have to continue placing orders in advance.”

Permissible vehicle gatherings include, but are not limited to, ones for drive-in movies, religious services, or drive-through farms or safaris.

“We are stating that gatherings of vehicles, such as for drive-in movies or religious services, are not a violation of my order prohibiting mass gatherings, so long as all participants remain in their cars,” Murphy said. “If vehicles are closer than six feet apart, then all windows, sunroofs, or convertible tops must remain closed, unless the safety of the occupants is endangered. I must reiterate, however, as in other cases, the ban on gatherings still applies and that residents should stay at home as much as possible.”

Murphy said “we can increase our stride” because he and his administration are confident that the expanded and accessible testing program outlined May 12, as well as the robust contact tracing program, “will help us proactively catch and contain future cases of COVID-19 and prevent, please God, a second mass outbreak.”

According to the testing plan that the

WWW.PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM members of the New Jersey National Guard will be deployed to help out at the state’s longterm health care facilities. The governor was asked by this newspaper on May 9 whether the National Guard had been deployed to New Lisbon. The governor did not answer the question, instead arranging for Johnson to speak with this newspaper.

Johnson told this newspaper May 12 “no” when asked if the National Guard had been deployed to New Lisbon, though she did not elaborate as to the basis for not sending in a deployment of soldiers.

The initial whistleblower had told this newspaper that New Lisbon staff are “just stressed to the max, and sick,” and that “there are few of them, not enough of them, and they have not had a break.”

Woods told this newspaper on May 11 that Peters and Stanfield instructed legislative staffers to reach out last Friday, May 8, to the state health department again “regarding the troubling stories” that the legislators “are hearing” at New Lisbon. He added that legislative staffers also reached out to Murphy’s office last Friday.

“The assembly members plan to request National Guard help from the governor’s office, similar to the help the National Guard has provided state-run long-term care facilities,” Woods said. “Our office will also request information on what the state has done to help the situation, and ask what they plan to do in the coming days.”

The Republican legislators, in a May 13 letter obtained by this newspaper, sent to Persichilli, and later copied to Johnson, according to Woods, declared that it would seem the developmental center would be a “prime candidate” for the type of assistance the “great men and women” of the National Guard provide.

“One of the more troubling stories we have heard directly from employees, is untrained employees being required to provide direct care they do not have qualifications to provide governor unveiled on May 12, the state will double its testing capacity and increase to at least 20,000 tests per day by the end of the month. This capacity will be built out moving forward with a minimum of 25,000 tests completed per day by the end of June.

Currently, there are 135 public and privatelyoperated specimen collection sites statewide, according to the governor.

In addition to the recently announced 11 Rite Aid locations, CVS will have swab-and-send testing capabilities at 50 of their stores across New Jersey by the end of the month, according to Murphy.

“The state will prioritize access to testing for v ul nerable populations, i ncludi ng residents in long-term care facilities and developmental centers, individuals in the corrections system, those in homeless shelters, patients in psychiatric hospitals, and seasonal farmworkers,” the governor said. “The state testing program will also ensure readyaccess for frontline health care workers, first responders, and transit workers.”

“The statewide testing plan will also utilize mobile testing units to “directly serve communities of color, which have been disproportionally ravaged by COVID-19.

Testing sites will also open within institutions of faith including churches, synagogues, and mosques.”

The contact tracing plan calls for an additional 1,000 contact tracers to augment the approximately 800 to 900 contact tracers already on the ground, building what the governor called a “robust Community Contact Tracing Corps.” All local, county, and regional health departments must use a CommCare platform to support their contact tracing efforts.

State Epidemiologist Dr. Christina Tan, during a May 12 Coronavirus briefing, said that contacts are defined, “technically,” as either a See TESTING/ Page 16

during staffing shortages,” Stanfield and Peters wrote in the letter.

Tom Hester, communications director for NJDHS, told this newspaper May 13, in response to the letter from the legislators, that residents always receive care from a trained staff.

“At times, additional staffers are asked to assist the trained staffer,” he said.

Johnson, on May 12, when asked if NJDHS needs more help at New Lisbon, replied that we are “always, always recruiting for our development centers.”

“That is always something that we are doing,” she said. “So, we are working with the governor, and the commissioner of health, who have been encouraging individuals to come in to the health professional portal that the state has set up. We are working with them as well. We are continuing to, as we always do, to make sure we are recruiting for these positions because that is something we always work on.”

She added that, currently, NJDHS is “not encouraging volunteers” to assist New Lisbon.

“Although we appreciate the support from the community, we are not encouraging more individuals to be on site than those who need to be,” she said.

Peters and Stanfield, in their letter to the commissioners, asked what can they do as legislators to assist New Lisbon to help provide needed resources to serve and protect all who live and serve at the location.

“Since the issue has escalated so gravely, we are also requesting to know the steps that have been taken by the state to help protect the people at the center and any further steps you believe are required to safeguard the wellbeing of the adults and staff at the center,” the legislators wrote to the commissioners.

The Pine Barrens Tribune published the stories of two women last week who would normally visit their loved ones at New Lisbon on a regular basis, but have been unable to since the start of March due to the visitor restrictions in place.

EVESHAM (Continued from Page 10)

Deputy Mayor Heather Cooper noted that it was her understanding that sometime around August or September, Evesham “stands to lose $2 million in state aid.”

“Could you imagine $2 million lost, plus potent ially a 10 percent loss i n revenue?” she asked. “That is a lot of money. There goes our very healthy surplus out the door. I want us to take whatever mitigation measures to slow down the loss.”

Cooper later told this newspaper that the township is in contact with the governor’s office on a regular basis.

“As explained to us, August and September will be a pain point,” she told this newspaper.

Corrales, on May 5, outlined a number of other “mitigation” measures that the township intends to implement, including freezing discretionary spending, reducing capital projects that are not considered essential, reducing operating expenses, continuing a partnership with the Office of Emergency Management and FEMA to obtain a reimbursement, and identifying grant opportunities. He also said he will work with the municipality’s chief financial officer, auditor and financial advisor to examine utilization of the “immediate and future needs” of the municipal surplus.

C o r r a le s e x p r e s s e d t h a t h e c o u ld implement most of the mitigation measures without delay, except the furloughs, or as he putit, “the temporary reduction of hours to achieve savings,” which he conceded require negotiations with the labor union.

Cor rales, th rough P ublic I nfor mation Officer Zane Clark, told this newspaper on May 12 that there is not yet an agreement.

“I have been working diligently with our labor counsel and union representatives to come up with fair and reasonable approach,”

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

♦ Page 11

90 -year-old Delores Hard man, f rom Manahawkin, one of the women, has a daughter who is an 8-year resident of the facility. She described that the situation “is really hurting me and hurting her,” but added that she understood the reason for the temporary restrictions.

Hardman told this newspaper that the residents really don’t u nderst a nd t he situation, and are bored out of their minds, and that communicating with her daughter is difficult without face-to-face contact. She added that she wanted to bring her daughter her summer clothes, but had not heard back from the facility about that, and had not heard from a facility social worker for over two weeks after being told her daughter contracted COVID-19 and developed a fever.

Johnson told this newspaper May 12 that NJDHS is working on Skype access for families.

“We recognize that not everyone is going to have that,” the commissioner said. “Not all parents and guardians will have access to that, but we are happy to work with family and guardians on that. So, that is something we are providing. Secondly, we have continually communicated with parents and guardians about the health status of their family members.”

Johnson added that families have reached out to NJDHS to express that “they are grateful” that the state’s developmental centers “did their best to reduce the risk in the centers.”

“The individuals who work there are incredibly dedicated to the residents who they serve,” Johnson said. “They are so important in the care and well-being of these individuals.

So, that is why we are so focused on making sure that we were able to get universal testing for all residents and staff because we want to make sure that we have the best available information about everyone as possible. In addition to the Skype option that we are making available, we are also are continuing to strongly support the staff who are so close to the residents who they serve.” said Corrales during the presentation. “In the unlikely event that an agreement cannot be reached with union leadership, the township unfortunately would be required to consider indefinite layoffs. This is something the township is looking to avoid if at all possible.”

Cor rales noted t hat i n response to t he COV I D -19 c r i si s , t he s t at e a nd federal governments have put programs i n pl a c e t o sig n i fic a nt ly le s s e n t h e fi n a n c i a l i m p a c t t o e m ploye e s w h o are affected by a reduction in hou rs.

“They would be eligible for federal aid under the Pandemic Employment Assistance that increases weekly unemployment benefits by $600 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act,” he said.

“Reduction of hours are a favorable approach to mitigate revenue loss, as opposed to tax increases and indefinite layoffs, because they are temporary and for a defined period, and allow employees to remain on the township’s active payroll system, and protects their seniority, medical and other benefits, and maximizes savings for taxpayers.”

The township manager added that given the current health crisis associated with COVID-19, the ability to maintain health benefits for all the township employees and their covered dependents “is a key factor” in considering furloughs over layoffs.

Corrales declared that while the township “values its employees and recognizes the hard work that these dedicated individuals put in day after day,” township officials also have a “fiduciary responsibility” to township residents.

“I don’t feel comfortable imposing a burden (on our taxpayers),” Cooper said. “So, we got to slow the loss, and we got to take hard measures, and trying to do it in a way to support folks who will have some sort of compensation to carry See EVESHAM/ Page 12

Page 12

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

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them through, as opposed to layoffs.”

Corrales contended that there was a “narrow window” for the township to implement the mitigation measures with a “minimal long-term impact on township employees.”

“Failure to act now, at a time when these additional (unemployment) enhancements are in place, may lead us to take additional measures that could permanently create historic reductions in the future,” the township manager said.

Councilwoman Patricia “Pat” Hansen contended that during the recession in 2009, Evesham had to “cut jobs and increase taxes,” and she would rather implement the current plan which calls the temporary reduction in hours and “keeps taxes stable.”

“I believe we need to act now,” she said.

“Every day that we delay costs our taxpayer’s money. We need to do everything we can to save our taxpayers money. First and foremost, our job is to take care of the safety of the residents and be good stewards (of their tax dollars).

We love and respect our employees, and are incredibly grateful for the work they do, but sometimes in order to fulfill our responsibility to the residents, we must make tough decisions.

This is really a very tough decision.”

Mayor Jaclyn “Jackie” Veasy declared that it was important for township residents to receive “clear leadership and honesty.”

“It is our job, as elected officials, to make sure we are doing everything possible to mitigate damages, while preserving services, and critical services of our local government,” she said. “During these challenges, our town’s fiscal health is vital and needs to be maintained.

With consequential losses and liabilities still outstanding, we need to position our township and make hard decisions in order to be prepared for the long-term.”

DOCKING (Continued from Page 10)

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Coleman, at that point, asked Silfies if she offered her opinion, or her attorney’s opinion.

She replied that it was her attorney’s opinion.

Coleman then demanded to know the name of her attorney, to which Stifles replied that “he does not want to be spoken of at this time until there is a written and complete ordinance.”

Coleman contended that there was a written and complete ordinance prior to the meeting, and asked if Silfies had approached Township Clerk Kathleen D. Hoffman for a copy of it.

“I tried emailing, I tried calling and he finally went online and found a paragraph that he showed to me,” she said. “It still does not give enough identification as to what a nuisance is—does it go above the sound barriers…etc.,” Silfies said.

Coleman pressed Silfies as to where she was able to get the paragraph, and tried to get her to agree with his conclusion that she did have time to discuss the proposal “in full” with her attorney.

The paragraph Silfies came across appeared to be a synopsis found in a legal notice that the town was required to publish announcing the proposed ordinance prior to the public hearing.

“It is not a matter of it not being up there, it is a matter of not being a full description for us to review, and reply with any sort of appropriate response,” Silfies said.

Amy Howell, the co-owner of LB’s Lunch Box, told the township committee that she has “full-view of the beach” from her establishment and that Silfies’ group gathers in the area about twice-yearly.

“We have not really seen any issues with that,” she said. “There seems to be plenty of room for everyone.”

Saturday, May 16, 2020 Veteran Councilman Robert “Bob” DiEnna, one of only two Republicans serving on council, contended that “there are a lot more questions than answers,” and proceeded to question many aspects of the plan. He was incensed that he “heard bits and pieces” of the plan “from mostly residents,” before he heard it from “an official source.”

“No one has shared this in detail with me before now,” he declared. “I didn’t know its extent. I didn’t see this until now.”

DiEnna also expressed dismay after learning that council does not have an opportunity to vote on the plan due to a “council-manager form of government.” Operations fall in the purview of the township manager, according to Township Solicitor Primo Cruz.

“Right now, nobody needs me to vote on this?” he asked in an effort to put a sharp point on his dismay.

One of the questions DiEnna asked of Corrales is if there was a “hard number” detailing how much money is projected to be saved through the mitigation measures.

“Is there a dollar amount, an exact amount that this will save weekly, monthly?” DiEnna asked.

Corrales indicated it was a “moving target,” and that the figure would depend on the negotiations with the labor union about how long the reduction in hours would last.

“It could save anywhere between $400,000 and $500,000, depending on how long the reduction hours would last,” Corrales replied.

DiEnna also inquired if the plan would be revisited at the end of July when the additional employment benefits are scheduled to expire.

Corrales said he would provide updates and that he is still in negotiation with the union.

“Is there any thought that there would be the possibility of court costs coming back when maybe the courts run more people through court; and that we could recapture lost revenue with the golf course as there possibly could be See EVESHAM/ Page 13 Howell added that the group patronizes River Road Clam House and LB’s Lunch Box. The clam house owns a ramp in the area that allows those on the water to visit the eateries.

“It is providing a revenue stream,” she said.

“There just hasn’t been a problem. From our perspective, we haven’t seen an issue.”

Howell told the township committee that if there is a way a compromise could be worked out; it should be considered.

Coleman said that he was “not sure how one resident just got a snippet” of the proposed ordinance, but that “he would accept that representation” and it would behoove the township committee “in light of the comments” to carry the public hearing and second reading to the June township committee meeting.

“Alright, we can do that,” James said.

Coleman recommended that “in the interim” Hoffman make available copies of the proposed ordinance, and that the ordinance would be published on the township’s website by May 8.

The committee voted 3-0 to table the second reading of the proposed ordinance to June.

Silfies, in a later interview with this newspaper on May 10, contended that she had not yet received a copy of the proposed ordinance. However, she did say that she believed boats was added to it at the last minute so that it could not be said that the governing body was singling out jet ski operators; and added that whenever there is a jet ski event, the neighboring business owners are notified and that she would be glad to notify the township as well.

“I will be happy to respond to anything once I see what the ordinance says,” she said.

“Without one, what grounds do they have to stand on to do this? We never gotten a ticket, if anything we help people constantly whether by patronizing the businesses, or helping people back their boats in, or who are in distress during low tides. We are helping people more than hurting them.”

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some pent up demand … folks will play a little more golf than before (due to being kept home for so long)?” DiEnna asked.

The governor recently lifted a temporary prohibition due to COVID-19 on golfing.

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Cooper, when later asked by this newspaper about what appeared to be some frustration over DiEnna’s cross-examination of Corrales’ plan, said that wasn’t the case, but rather each council member comes from different perspectives to arrive at a clear message that can be shared with the community. She added that DiEnna is known “to ask the hard questions.”

“Is there any thought to someone asking, ‘Well, council, if the township can continue to provide services with less staff, if this

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continues, can you continue to provide adequate services with a lot less staff?” DiEnna asked.

Veasy replied that it is definitely a question that “has to be weighed all the time” and that she believes Corrales needs to weigh “how efficient are we” and “how are our services compared to what we are providing.” Corrales said it comes down to “feedback.” He added that to answer that, right now, “is unknown.”

“To say we need to reduce right now, I think the mitigation plan before us is the right thing to do,” the township manager said.

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Councilman Ken D’Andrea, the other Republican who serves on council, provided a mostly analytical and technical response to the township manager’s plan. However, he contended that he was “slightly disappointed” that he heard about the plan from a neighbor.

“I can’t agree more with Ken,” Cooper said.

“For people to decide to go out into the public and share misinformation, if leaders shared with their employee’s misinformation that

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

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Saturday, May 16, 2020

BUSINESS

others once thought to be essential, such as dental practices, have also been ordered closed, except to emergency patients or those for whom delaying a procedure, in a dentist’s opinion, might result in “an undue risk of harm.”

Routine dental procedures, which people are ordinarily advised not to put off, are otherwise considered “non-essential” (although revised guidelines from the state may have been issued by the time this article is published).

An idea of how this has affected dental offices in New Jersey was provided to the Pine Barrens Tribune by Dr. Gary Dworkin, whose practice in neighboring Marlton has had to furlough employees for the first time since it first opened in the mid-1970s, making the “situation kind of traumatic from our perspective.”

While not having to make “significant changes” in sterilization procedures and precautions that have been in place since the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, Dworkin noted that both remaining staff members and the patients he does see now have to have their temperature taken and be screened for COVID-19 symptoms, along with being queried as to whether they have been in contact with any known COVID-19 patients, which can be difficult because people often don’t know whether they have or not.

In addition, he said, changes have had to be made to keep patients distanced from each other in the waiting room, and to limit the number who come in at any one time.

“So far, we haven’t had any patients who have tested positive,” he said.

Dworkin, however, noted that if a patient with an appointment should have a fever or any symptoms, “we can’t see them here in our office.”

“We’re doing everything that the CDC and the American Dental Association are recommending because we want to be safe ourselves,” he said.

Dworkin also noted how people are beginning to go stir-crazy due to the stay-athome orders.

“I had somebody come in this morning who said she has been home so long, and so bored, that even coming to the dental office was exciting because it got her out of the house,” he added.

The health of patients, however, isn’t the only cause for concern at the practice, Dworkin said.

“Without any guidance yet from the state (as of this writing) as to when we can reopen, the employees are kind of nervous about when we’ll be able to get everybody back,” he said.

And while he was “pretty sure everybody that was furloughed was able to get unemployment benefits,” he said “it took quite a while.”

But while dental-office staffers are the kind who are apt to be reinstated after the restrictions are lifted, it’s been widely acknowledged that many employees who were laid off or let go, particularly in the retail and restaurant sector,

(Continued from Page 9)

while a micro-monster straight out of a sci-fi scenario continues to lurk wherever people get together, Galie expressed optimism about what a little ingenuity might now accomplish.

“Putting on my business hat, there are a lot of things that I think have come from this (that can have a positive economic effect),” he said. “But we are going to have to adopt a new business model to survive.”

Providing curbside service is one example of a survival strategy that can help businesses navigate the “new normal,” Galie pointed out.

It is something customers seem to like, he said, and it may well be continued even when the present situation ends.

(Whereas the brewery used to be open to the public Thursday through Sunday, it now offers curbside pickup seven days a week, although its doors are closed to customers.)

Home delivery is another option that Galie said Lower Forge is now in the process of considering, depending on his ability to find additional help to facilitate that.

At present, the business is a family affair, operated by Galie, his wife, Abbie, who also runs a local design studio that created a promotional theme for downtown merchants called “Destination Medford,” and his mother, Pola, a member of an alliance of local businesses called the Main Street Merchants that had been meeting monthly to plan events and festivals, some of which have now been called off or postponed.

Finding ways to keep customers happy during the crisis is also something the brewery is focused on —for example, brewing its strawberry beer ahead of time in the spring “because it is a fun brew that is a bit like comfort food.”

Another flavor popular with the public that Galie calls a “special grapefruit radler,” which has only a four percent alcohol content, was one used in a Mother’s Day take-out brunch promotion his brewery came up with for nearby Braddock’s Restaurant and Pub, with whom he often shares “cool ideas.”

In this uncertain new world of unprecedented restraints, however, the sharing of ideas isn’t just limited to clientele.

“We’re no longer really a competitive industry,” Galie explained. “Big and little breweries in New Jersey are helping each other out, so local competition really doesn’t exist anymore. We are just trying to help each other survive.”

To this end, he said, a lot of breweries are teaming up to make sure as many get through the crisis as possible, holding regular meetings via Zoom technology, in which they compare notes.

One shining example of such a mutual support initiative that he cites is Brewery Strong, a nonprofit recently launched by

Photo By Lower Forge Brewery

Lower Forge Brewery in Medford Township Rob Callaghan, sales manager for Tuckahoe Brewing Company in Egg Harbor Township, and John Couchoud, co-founder of South Jersey Beer Scene, to help out brewery employees and bar and restaurant workers who find themselves among the newly unemployed.

But there are other segments of the economy that also benefit when an enterprise such as Lower Forge is able to stay in business.

According to Galie’s mother, Pola, most of the raw materials that go into Lower Forge beers comes from South Jersey growers, with the grain produced by Rabbit Hill Farms in Shiloh, Cumberland County, and blueberries and cranberries from Whalen Farms in Shamong Township.

“When you form those relationships and it is tough like this, you have people you can fall back on,” she said, pointing out that area farms are also supported by businesses like The Honey Post, in Medford Lakes, which not only sells boxes of produce, but delivers them to customers. “It is amazing how creative some of these people are getting about what they can do, and what they can sell, and seeing what is in their inventory.”

One such approach is now being utilized by Alice Breaux, the proprietor of Wonder World Toys, another of downtown Medford’s boutique businesses that has had to close its doors to the public during the pandemic.

W hile toys might not be considered “essential” under the state shutdown mandate, she pointed out when contacted by this newspaper, that parents whose children are now home all day need to buy new ones to help keep them entertained, as well as for their birthdays—and never more so than at a time when they can’t have parties to which their friends are invited.

The realization that the demand for her merchandise is still very much alive, along with the need to continue to bring in revenue, prompted Breaux to launch an Ecommerce platform, something she never had

considered prior to the pandemic, and which she said has now changed her entire business model.

While her orders have so far all been from the area, she added that she can ship to any locale, although she is “not really advertising because it’s still unclear as to what small businesses are allowed to do.” Currently, Breaux said, she is merely posting pictures of the products she has available and sending out thank-you notes to customers.

“Outdoor toys have been the most popular, as well as games and puzzles,” she said.

Still, the mail-order business hasn’t been an economic substitute for having the shop that she runs with her sister-in-law open.

“Right now, we’re just trying to weather the storm,” she maintained. “The bills are piling up, and we have to decide which ones we can pay this month, and who can we pay just the minimum due. Making the juggling act even more difficult is the fact that a lot of the suppliers we generally work with are now asking for payments up front (whereas previously she could wait for from 30 to 60 days before making them).”

Breaux declared that she would “open up tomorrow” if she could do so.

“Absolutely,” she said.

It’s not that Breaux isn’t aware of the very real danger posed by COVID-19, having had two members of her family, one of whom is a health-care worker, become “extremely sick” after testing positive for the virus, although both have since recovered. But she contended that she feels she is capable of running her business in compliance with CDC recommendations, and “If you’re allowed to go to a grocery store and cover your face, you should be allowed to come into my smallbusiness toy store, where we were only getting about 20 customers a day.”

But even as many businesses struggle to find ways to retain patrons and stay solvent while their premises remain off-limits to the public,

See BUSINESS/ Page 16

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

BUSINESS (Continued from Page 14)

will no longer have their jobs waiting for them as owners of those businesses either are forced to cut back on the number of customers they can accommodate, or simply fold up their operations entirely.

Many of the newly unemployed have found the state’s overtaxed, computer-based unemployment system to be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to register with.

“Our office has been swamped with people who have been having difficulties with unemployment,” 8th Legislative District Republican Assemblywoman (and former Burlington County Sheriff) Jean Stanfield told this newspaper this week. “We have had success in helping some, but we’ve heard a lot of frustration from people who can’t get through.”

Stanfield blamed much of the problem on “an antiquated system that relied on COBOL, a very old programming language that required getting people out of retirement who still knew how to use it.

“While the numbers are unprecedented, at the same time, a more robust system would have been better prepared to handle it,” she maintained. “And the timing couldn’t be worse for the families that are suffering right now.”

Adding to the log jam are new benefits

WWW.PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM earmarked for roughly 200,000 applicants who are either self-employed, independent contractors or who haven’t had sufficient earnings to qualify for regular benefits.

“We know that people are anxious to receive these benefits—and we want to get benefits out the door as quickly as possible,” state Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo was quoted as saying in a state news release.

“But we had to build from scratch a process to determine eligibility, protect claimants’ personal information, prevent fraud and distribute these new benefits.”

In an attempt to make the application process easier, the New Jersey Department of Labor at the end of last month posted stepby-step instructions on how to navigate the unemployment claim form so as not to put down an erroneous answer that can delay an applicant’s ability to get those benefits even further.

B u t d e s pit e t h e h ig h e s t le vel s of unemployment since the Great Depression, and having the events and activities that were once so vital to his enterprise and the com munit y it helps suppor t cancelled indefinitely, Sean Galie still can’t dismiss the specter of the all-too real COVID casualties he has seen firsthand in his work as an EMT. “Our sales are way down, but we are making enough to pay the rent,” is how he put it, adding, “We feel pretty confident that we are going make it through to the end of this.”

Photo By Drs. Rosen & Dworkin, PA

Staffers of Drs. Rosen & Dworkin’s dentistry practice in Marlton take COVID-19 precautions to protect themselves, and their patients, from contracting the virus.

RESTROOMS (Continued from Page 8)

“aberrant behavior.”

“The whole idea behind the parks is to give our citizens the ability to go out there and enjoy fresh air, and have time outside,” Callahan said.

“That report from the Park Police was certainly disheartening, to say the least.”

Several state parks in the Pine Barrens are located in very remote areas, with the nearest public bathroom facilities not maintained by the state over five miles away, and in some cases, social distancing mandates and non-essential business closures have led to the closure of these facilities as well.

Murphy was asked by this newspaper on May 12 during a Coronavirus briefing what accommodations might be able to be made for folks who have to go to the restroom while they are at the state parks should they no longer be able to hold their waste.

“Hold that thought,” Murphy said. “I don’t have a crisp answer for you. But obviously, the unintended consequences of people using plastic bottles is not an appetizing outcome.

Bear with us on that.”

Murphy was also asked by this newspaper to explain the reason for opening the state parks,

but keeping its restrooms closed.

“There is a staffing challenge on the bathrooms,” he said. “There is also obviously a hygiene challenge.”

The governor told this newspaper that when he and his team got the report Monday of the inordinate amount of urine and feces being left behind in state parks, they were all “a little bit taken aback,” including Catherine McCabe, commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP).

“You are not going to get a warning if we catch you leaving something like that behind,” the governor said following Callahan’s remarks Monday about the situation. “Folks, please don't do that.”

Still, despite the report and Callahan’s remarks indicating a potential change in park status, the governor said Tuesday that “notwithstanding some aberrant behavior, overwhelmingly folks have done the right thing.”

“By the way, the weather is going to be getting warmer over the next number of days, so we need to remind folks that we are happy the parks are open, but please, please, please do the right thing,” the governor said.

“We are going to continue to have them (the parks) at restricted parking capacities. Please keep distance from each other. Please wear something that looks like this (a blue mask) or

TESTING

(Continued from Page 11) household contact or an intimate contact. She explained that officials seek to learn through the contract tracing process about who a person came in contact with 48 hours before an individual becomes symptomatic.

“We recognize that there might be a window when people are pre-symptomatic, before they develop symptoms of COVID-19, where they might potentially be transmitting the virus,” she said. “We look at 48 hours before, when individuals are symptomatic, to the point of the last time when the case patient actually might have exposed any other individuals. It is pretty intense.”

Tan, in response to a question about how officials would be able to identify everyone a person comes in contact with while grocery shopping, an almost impossible feat, replied that close contact is defined as “individuals within six feet, with at least 10 minutes exposure.”

“The casual, you are jogging by someone, you are at the ShopRite—these very short interactions are not considered close contacts,” she said.

EVESHAM

Saturday, May 16, 2020 Tan was asked by this newspaper how officials would balance HIPAA regulations and privacy rights, or handle someone who isn’t cooperative.

“Whether it is for cases, or whether it is for contacts, the privacy and confidentiality of health information is always of paramount importance for public health professionals in general,” Tan said. “From a public health perspective, we always want to make sure that we ensure the confidentiality of the case patient, as well as their contacts.

“That said, when you actually do contact tracing, you have to realize that contact tracing is a really specialized skill, and it involves a lot of training. It involves also having talents in interpersonal cultural sensitivity, as well as an understanding that when you are doing an inter view with individuals who might have been exposed to a case patient, you must recognize those sensitivities and build the trust that this health information is not going to be revealed.”

She added that in the “course of routine contact tracing,” the “individual who is the case is never revealed to the contact.”

As of press time, there have been 142,704 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New Jersey, and 9,946 deaths.

was given to them, I am disappointed with them as well. We are already in a fear-based environment with a pandemic, and then the fact that anyone would add fear to people is very disconcerting to me. I hope Rob, as the township manager, has addressed that and corrected it. I think it is important to the public, and they deserve to know it was corrected. It was very upsetting.”

Cooper later told this newspaper that there was hearsay that one department was being targeted with the potential furloughs, which was not true.

Veasy said that one of the remarks she heard pointed to other municipalities in the area and that they are not currently instituting such financial measures.

“Is it better to be a leader or follower during a crisis like this…well, we are trying to be a leader,” she said. “Instead of waiting to see what may come down the line, taking it a step forward and being ahead of the curve is

something that sets Evesham apart from other towns.”

“Our largest expense is our workforce and very valued township employees. It is not an easy decision or presentation to make. … We just hope what we do today will help reduce any huge impact for us and our employees in the future.”

Several of the council members agreed to forgo their salaries, or reduce them, during the trying time for the township. Corrales said he and other department heads have also “agreed to take a reduction.”

Corrales later clarified to this newspaper that sworn police officers would not be affected by the furloughs.

“We have to pivot and make adaptable decisions right now,” said Cooper on May 5, adding on May 12, that, “In Evesham, we try to be two-steps ahead on most things. As a large town, you don't want to be caught with surprises. We have 45,000 people as of the last Census, and the township has probably grown since that time, which will probably be reflected on the Census currently taking place, and we need to be mindful of our population.”

some other face covering. I think that puts us in a really better, stronger place as it relates to public health. Thank you.”

Murphy, during a May 14 Coronavirus briefing, announced that he would reopen the bathrooms at state parks.

“I am also directing the reopening of restroom facilities at our parks so long as they undergo frequent and proper cleaning,” Murphy said. “Commissioner of the Department of

Environmental Protection Catherine McCabe, and (Chief Counsel to the Governor) Matt Platkin, would want me to remind everybody that it will take a while for us to roll through with the proper seasonal staffing to get all those restrooms up and running, and open, and properly sanitized. So, at the parks, please bear with us. That will begin, I think, as early as Saturday, but it’s going to take some time.”

(Continued from Page 13)

Photo By Rich Hundley III/State Press Pool—The Trentonian

New Jersey State Police Colonel Patrick Callahan during a Coronavirus briefing this week.

Saturday, May 16, 2020

WWW.PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM

VOTE 2020

♦ Page 17

Bass River Township Board of Commissioners (Vote for Three) Candidate

Vote Tally

Percentage of Vote

Kevin Foder

65

6%

Brenda Percy

46

4%

Nicholas Capriglione

184

17%

Carol Bitzberger

65

6%

Deborah Buzby-Cope

306

28%

Louis H. Bourguignon

236

22%

Karl Swanseen

176

16%

Projected Winner

A winner for the third seat on the board cannot yet be projected as of press time as the race is too close to call.

Medford Lakes Borough Council (Vote for Three) Candidate

Vote Tally

Percentage of Vote

Dave Mason

330

7%

Gail A. Caputo

1,055

24%

Joseph A. Aromando, III

327

7%

Gary Miller

1,099

25%

Bill Fields

1,068

24%

Bethany Holtz

575

13%

Projected Winner

Editor’s Note: Due to results being released right at deadline time, we will have complete coverage of the election outcome in our next issue.

Page 18

♦

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CIRCULATION The Pine Barrens Tribune is published every Saturday. 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, a public health emergency 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. © 2020 Pine Barrens Tribune

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Page 20

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Saturday, May 16, 2020

THANK YOU TO OUR HOSPITAL

HEROES

HEROES WORK HERE. Across every department, thousands of our employees who live in your neighborhoods work to ensure you receive high quality, compassionate care because they are one of you.

During these recent months, CAPITAL HEALTH employees have displayed their heroic strength in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the outstanding work that our patient care team provides and the physical and emotional toll that COVID-19 is taking, our support staff has also been working tirelessly to support their efforts to continue providing you and your loved ones with the region’s most advanced care.

Our heroes don’t wear capes, and their faces are often hidden behind masks. DURING NATIONAL HOSPITAL WEEK, we want you to know who your heroes are. Be on the lookout for lawn signs in your neighborhoods that tell you where our heroes live. When you see one, thank him or her for providing compassionate care and expertise you can count on when you need it most. @capitalhealthnj