Pine Barrens Tribune Nov. 26 Issue

PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE www.pinebarrenstribune.com Bass River

Medford

Medford Lakes

Pemberton

@PineBarrensNews

Pemberton Borough

Shamong

Southampton

Southeastern Burlington County's News Leader

Vol. 1- No. 13

facebook.com/pinebarrenstribune Tabernacle

Washington

Woodland

November 26- December 2, 2016

LRHSD Board Votes To Community Worries About Fate of Historic Telephone Museum Uphold Controversial Homeschooler Policy

By Douglas D. Melegari Staff Writer

SHAMONG–The Lenape Regional High School District (LRHSD) Board of Education voted unanimously on Wednesday (Nov. 16) to uphold Lenape District Board Policy #2630.

“Students who are educated elsewhere than at school are not eligible to participate in LRHSD curricular, extra-curricular, or athletic programs or activities,” the policy reads in part.

Joseph W. Borucki, a board member who represents Evesham Township, angrily read from a prepared statement as he made a motion to uphold the policy.

Nobody else on the eleven-member board choose to speak. The motion was seconded and then the room filled with “ayes.”

Audience members had no prior indication that a vote on the homeschooler policy was going to take place as the resolution was not advertised on the provided meeting agenda. The board added the resolution only after the public comment period had concluded.

John Paff, who serves on the New Jersey Foundation for Open Government Board of Directors, found the way in which the agenda item was added to be against the spirit of local government.

“The Meetings Act seeks to guarantee the public with a meaningful ability to observe and participate in public meetings,” Paff said. “What the board did here is fairly characterized as a manipulation of the agenda to silence the public as such runs counter to the ideals of transparency that the Meetings Act seeks to foster.”

Paff said that the current law allows public bodies to add items to their agendas. However, he said sometimes government bodies take advantage of this ability to the detriment of citizen involvement and transparency.

Paff would like to see reform passed in the New Jersey legislature which would address this problem. He pointed to New Jersey Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg’s (D-Bergen) pending legislation.

“Fixing the agenda prior to the meeting and allowing additions only in cases of true emergencies is one of the things that Senator Weinberg's Open Public Meetings Act reform legislation would do,” Paff said. “Unless and until such reform is enacted,

POLICY>>>PAGE 4

PHOTO BY TOM WALKER The Vincentown and Tabernacle Telephone Company building has served as the home to the Southampton Historical Society since 1976.

By Douglas D. Melegari Staff Writer

SOUTHAMPTON–An invaluable piece of the township’s history could wash away into the Rancocas Creek at any moment.

That is the real fear that some have publicly expressed about the Vincentown and Tabernacle Telephone Company building which has also served as the home to the Southampton Historical Society since 1976. The society has maintained the interior and operated it as a telephone museum ever since. The building also houses almost all of the township’s historical records.

The building, located in the Vincentown section of the township, is on the New Jersey and National Historical Registries.

However, it has been closed for over four months after a code enforcement officer condemned the building for use. A fluorescent orange “Unsafe Structure Notice” has been pasted on the building’s window.

Township officials took the unusual precaution of closing the building due to the possibility that further erosion of the embankment next to the building will cause the

bulkhead protecting it to fail with little or no advance notice.

“The telephone building is not being used right now because our code enforcement officer had condemned it for use because the bank next to the river is washing away to some degree,” said Committeeman William Rafferty.

While the structure itself has recently been determined to be sound by a structural engineer, the erosion of the embankment is creating a precarious situation. Officials have theorized that the building could collapse into the creek should the bulkhead, which holds back the creek’s water, fail.

“The building is structurally sound,” said Township Administrator Kathleen D. Hoffman. “It is the bulkhead that is in jeopardy.”

The deterioration of the embankment began several years ago after unhealthy trees were removed on the other side of the creek, across from the telephone museum.

Normally, tree removal on the other side of the creek would cause no harm.

However, wisteria vines grew very

heavily in the area and formed a connection between the trees on both sides of the creek.

As the trees were knocked down on the one side of the creek, the vines were pulled in a way that uprooted several trees along the telephone museum side of the creek. It was these roots which helped to hold the soil into place. The absence of the tree roots has led to the erosion.

The closing of the building has been met with anxiety and headaches. The township committee is exploring several possibilities to rectify the problem.

“I guess the question is, should you spend money to improve the bank and leave the building where it is, recognizing that it is in a flood-plane zone and it has been flooded a couple times in the last decade?” Rafferty said. “Or, do you move the building and if you move the building, where do you move the building?”

The township committee has discussed two possibilities for relocation of the building should they collectively decide to

TELEPHONE>>>PAGE 5

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LOCAL NEWS

Pilot Killed In Bass River State Forest Plane Crash

By Douglas D. Melegari Staff Writer

BASS RIVER–New Jersey State Police have identified a pilot who was killed after a two-passenger plane crashed in the Bass River State Forest.

The pilot has been identified as William Lindley, 75, of Beachwood, N.J. Lindley was the only victim involved in the crash. State Police said there were no passengers.

The aircraft departed Salisbury, Md on Saturday Night (Nov. 19) enroute to Ocean County Airport. The plane did not arrive as scheduled and attempts to communicate with the pilot were unsuccessful.

Authorities had been searching for the plane since the New Jersey State Police received a call about a possible downed aircraft at 10:56 a.m. on Sunday Nov. 20.

Troopers from Tuckerton Station immediately responded to the area to help conduct the search. The pilot's cellphone was tracked and Tuckerton Station personnel were advised of the possible location of the plane.

A United States Coast Guard helicopter later located the downed plane in the Bass River State Forest on Sunday afternoon.

New Jersey State Police ground personnel were dispatched to the crash site and secured

the scene. The New Jersey State Police Aviation and Urban Search and Rescue Units were called in to search the area.

The medical examiner was also called to the scene.

The search area at one point ranged from Warren Grove in Ocean County to Bass River in Burlington County.

The rural nature of the area made it difficult for authorities to provide an address of the crash site. It was also described as difficult to access. Authorities appeared to focus their resources on an area near Prince Place Road.

Radio communications revealed that a New Jersey Forest Fire Service bulldozer was on standby to possibly clear a path so that authorities could better access the crash site.

However, the New Jersey State Police could not confirm what assets were provided or used by other assisting agencies.

Weather conditions were very poor in the area at the time of the crash. Burlington County experienced strong winds along with a mixture of sleet, rain and wet snow. There is no word on whether authorities believe the inclement weather played a role in the crash.

The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration have taken over the investigation.

Coffee With Assemblyman Howarth Lasts Over Three Hours

By Adam Tait III

For the Pine Barrens Tribune

SOUTHAMPTON – A dozen voters attended the latest Coffee With Your Assemblyman last Saturday with 8th District Assemblyman Joe Howarth. Unlike previous meetings, this one was not held in a roundtable format.

Those waiting to meet Howarth sat together in a front table, then were escorted to another in the rear of the diner to meet him, which gave all those involved a greater degree of privacy. Questioned near the end of the coffee meeting, which lasted just over three hours, rather than the scheduled 90 minutes, the Republican legislator summed up the some of his constituents’ concerns.

Howarth said his coffee hours gives voters the chance to air their concerns to a public official, while, at the same time, allows him to keep tabs on the needs of his constituents.

Among the most consistent themes of those attending, Howarth said, were services for seniors, transportation, concerns over the economy, and where to go for help.

In one specific incident, he said he was told of a four-way stop sign being erected, but without the accompanying signs saying “fourway.” This, in turn, could cause confusion.

Howarth felt this was no more than an oversight, which would soon be corrected.

Nevertheless, he planned to look into it.

The next “coffee” will be held on the third Saturday of the month, Dec. 17, beginning at 8 a.m. The meetings will continue in 2017, but the times and dates have not been finalized. If you live in the 8th legislative district and have any legislative concerns, why not visit Howarth at the Vincentown Diner at Rts. 206 and 38. You’ll get some needed help, and the coffee’s really good.

INDEX Local News . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Fun and Games . . . . . . . . . . 11

Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Community. . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Business Directory . . . . . . . . 13 Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Holiday Supplement . . . . . . . H1

Home, Garden & Farming. . . . 15

The Pine Barrens Tribune is published weekly by Pine Barrens Media, LLC. The newspaper is distributed free at select locations in Bass River, Medford, Medford Lakes, Pemberton, Pemberton Borough, Shamong, Southampton, Tabernacle, Washington, and Woodland Townships. 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 a shortage of material, failure of transportation, flood, fire, severe weather, winter weather, riots, strikes, acts of God, or other causes beyond his or her control. It is our policy to promptly correct errors. If you believe that you see a mistake, please call (609)-801-2392.

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Saturday, November 26, 2016

POLICY FROM PAGE 1 public bodies will continue to play these types of agenda games with the public.”

Several public commenters had voiced their opposition to the board policy prior to the surprise vote to uphold it.

There were no public commenters who wished to express their support for the policy.

Several public commenters also pleaded for open dialogue and discussion on the homeschooler participation issue.

Despite the pleas for open dialogue, the board and administration refused to discuss the matter.

At one point during the public comment portion of the meeting, Marni Cunard, whose son has been prohibited from playing football at Seneca High School due to the policy, directed a question to one of the board members. Cunard was respectful and never raised her voice.

“I would like to know what your individual opinion is since you are our elected representatives,” Marni Cunard said. “So Mr. Lee,” Several members of the administrative staff and board shouted at Cunard which prevented her from finishing the question.

Linda M. Eckenhoff, president of the school board, said that public comment is not an opportunity for citizens to ask questions.

“This is an opportunity for public comment,

PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE, WWW.PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM PAGE 4 not questions,” Eckenhoff said.

R. Taylor Ruilova, a solicitor who represents the board, said the public comment period was not a forum for citizens to ask questions.

“This is not an opportunity to engage with board members,” Ruilova said.

Cunard expressed her concern with the fact that she can’t speak to elected representatives.

“I don’t understand this procedure since they are elected officials and I am a taxpaying person,” Cunard said. “I have a very hard time getting in touch with these individuals and I thought if I could ask them a question in public, that would be allowed.”

Cunard concluded her public comments by repeating a phrase from the movie “1776.”

"I never heard, seen, nor smelled an issue that was so dangerous it couldn't be talked about,” Cunard said.

Shamong resident Roberta Fitzgerald, who is a former assistant director at Rowan University, said that it doesn’t matter if the kid is educated in the classroom, school building, or in another environment. She said the key is education and learning.

Fitzgerald added that she was also alarmed by the lack of dialogue.

“I think if the family, any of these people, and the public was given the rationale; maybe it can be understood better,” Fitzgerald said. “I find it alarming that the rationale behind the decision is not being disseminated.”

Paff agreed that the public should be

concerned with these latest developments.

He said that the public is permitted to ask questions during the public portion of the meeting. While there is no legal obligation for the board to provide answers to questions, he warned that there could be consequences for not doing so.

“There is no legal requirement, but there may be political or electoral consequences for board members who refuse to answer questions.” Paff said.

There was also another attempt by a district employee to censor the press.

Tom Walker, a photographer for the Pine Barrens Tribune, was asked by Dr. Carol Birnbohm, superintendent of schools, to sit down when he went to take photographs of the members of the board of education and administration who were listening to the public commenters.

Walker sat in the front row and continued to snap photographs, exercising his right to photograph a public meeting.

Last month, a photographer for the Burlington

County Times was also stopped by district employees from taking photographs at a board meeting.

The actions to prevent photography of a public meeting last month were met with outrage in the journalism community.

The First Amendment protects the right to gather information about what public officials do on public property, and specifically, a right to record matters of public interest.

“Any erosion of the public's right to observe and participate in the decision-making process is of significant public concern,” Paff said.

After the meeting concluded, Cunard said that she feels like her voice no longer counts.

“As a taxpayer, it makes me feel like my voice doesn’t count,” Cunard said. “I can have a dialogue with my senator and congressman, but not my local board of education.”

Cunard walked away disappointed and disheartened.

“I feel like I was squashed like a bug,” she said.

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TELEPHONE FROM PAGE 1 move it.

The first is to move the building behind the library. However, officials are cognizant of the fact that doing so might impede the view of the lake from the surrounding houses. This is not the committee’s current preference.

The second is to move the building to the east side of the existing lot by approximately 20 feet. This would place the building away from the unstable embankment. However, in this case, the building would remain in a flood plain and officials would then have to consider elevating the structure.

Not all of the committee members are convinced that moving the building will save the township from having to make expensive repairs to the embankment and bulkhead.

“The bulkhead has got to be repaired before the building can be moved,” said Mayor James F. Young, Sr. “If you are going to move the building, you have to repair the bulkhead.”

Young has proposed leaving the building in its current spot. He would like to bring in contractors to stabilize the embankment and shore up the headwall.

However, some members of the committee don’t find that to be a viable option in the long run because the township no longer has flood insurance on the building. The Joint Insurance Fund wrote to the township and said that they will no longer insure it. The building experienced devastating damage in June 2004 and April 2007 from significant creek flooding.

“If we decide to leave the building where it is and not raise it, raise as in move it up, we are not going to have flood insurance,” Rafferty said. “So what are we doing? Are we just waiting for the next storm? We had two in the last decade which essentially wiped that building right out.”

Young said the township might be eligible to purchase flood insurance on the building from the federal government. However, the cost and logistics of federal flood insurance have some of his colleagues concerned.

“Under the federal flood insurance program, it is not cheap either,” said Committeeman Michael Mikulski. “But whether or not we can buy it just on one building as a municipality, I don’t know.”

Rafferty said that he believes it is important for the township to determine the flood elevation before proceeding further.

“The flood elevation needs to be determined because if the building is moved in that particular location, we need to find out the height that it is going to be raised to.”

Committeeman Ronald Heston is interested in finding a solution that also addresses the building’s handicap accessibility.

“The one point of moving the building on the existing lot is you could put a taller crawl space under the building to elevate it up which should elevate it above the historic flood level,” said Heston. “But it would also give you the opportunity to build a ramp coming off of Mill Street for handicap accessibility to the first floor of that building.”

PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE, WWW.PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM PAGE 5 Heston said that historically the ideal thing is to keep the building on the existing lot.

“That is where it was and that is where it should be,” Heston said.

He also said that handicap accessibility seems to be a win-win for the historical society and the township if indeed they can insure and elevate the building. However, he believes elevation is the key to that site working.

Young said that he received some preliminary estimates as to what the different ideas may cost the township. The figures do not include professional expertise, such as engineering fees.

If the township decides to only shore up the embankment and fix the bulkhead, it would cost at least $51,000. Stabilizing the bank would cost approximately $31,000 and the township would also have to obtain wetlands permits which can cost up to $20,000.

If the township decides to move and raise the building, it would cost at least $150,000. Moving the building would cost approximately $50,000; shoring up the foundation would cost approximately $30,000; and re-installing utilities and adding a handicap ramp would cost approximately $50,000.

“The issue is where do we get the money?”

Rafferty said. “In terms of the priorities of the things that we have to do in the township, where does it rank? Is it one, two, three, four, or five? I don’t know.”

Rafferty encouraged the rest of the committee to commit to searching for possible grant funding.

“We ought to aggressively seek and find funding,” Rafferty said. “Even if we have to hire an engineering firm or someone that is familiar with the process to do it, I think we ought to do it.”

Hoffman said that if the committee decides to move the building, there is a likelihood that the township would not rate as high on the grantapplication process. Heston agreed with her.

“It is in a historic district which adds to the complication of the grants,” Heston said. “Plus, you are moving it off its original foundation and this could be an impediment to getting a grant because it has been relocated even though it is in the same lot and it is basically the same building.

So, there are a lot of things that have to be answered.”

In addition to searching for possible grant funding, the township decided to file an insurance claim against the policy belonging to the person who removed the trees. Officials revealed this information on Nov. 9.

“If there is a potential insurance claim or property claim against the house that brought the tree down, that kind of started this whole thing rolling, if we went in there and fixed it, as someone who does insurance work, we could be prejudicing ourselves against an insurance claim,” Mikulski said. “So we have provided this to our insurance broker and said make a claim against the insurance policy.”

Township Solicitor George M. Morris wrote a letter to the homeowner’s insurance carrier.

Hoffman confirmed that Morris did hear back from them. However, she was unsure of the outcome because he was unable to attend the November committee meeting.

“I can tell you George wrote a letter to the homeowner’s insurance carrier and he heard back from them today, but unfortunately George

wasn’t able to be here tonight,” Hoffman said.

“So I am not sure what the progress or status of that was.”

Several residents believe the township is moving too slowly to come up with a solution and that the lack of substantial progress could lead to a catastrophe should there be a harsh winter.

“I just want to be sure each and every one of you know the importance of this building and what is in the building and what it stands for in the community,” said Carolyn Budd, a resident, who is also a member of the Historical Society. “I feel very strongly about it as one of the longtime members. I’m very involved in the activities of the society and hope to be able to continue for a long time. In that building are the records of this town, Vincentown and Southampton. They are stored on the second floor of the building and to my knowledge this is the place where almost all of the records of this town are kept.

In addition to that, it is our headquarters. It is known by other towns that this is where we are. This is our headquarters. They look to see what we are doing and wonder why is the building closed. I had people ask me at a garden club meeting in LeisureTowne last night ‘What is happening with your building?

Why is it not open?’. I just hope this is not going to be a long, drawn out process with first this one has to do this and that one has to do that. Let’s say the worst scenario is we have a very bad winter storm and it goes. So then are you saying the building is sound enough that it is going to stand there, okay, if that goes completely into the stream? Are you saying it will stand there perfectly okay?

Because the people you are dealing with, insurance companies, you are at their mercy.

You are probably one of many claims. But if there is any way you can get priority; I hope that you’ll do it because this is an important part of this township. This is a very important organization in this township. We are very longstanding. We have people that are very dedicated and always will be and always have been and this is where our records are. This is an important place in the township. So please, do everything you can. Put the pressure on.”

Resident Colleen Hall, who is also a member of the Historical Society, urged the committee to get results in the next two months. She said that the building is part of a historical places stamp book and that the committee is jeopardizing the building from being part of that program.

“When it comes to this building, the county, Burlington County, has this passbook of old history places and people go around having them stamped and that is one of them and the people are very, very discouraged about our township being too slow in doing things,” Hall said. “You are really slow and when it comes to insurance companies, I had damage done with a wind storm on my property from two trees from our neighbors. I dealt with two insurance companies. You

know what the results were? It was my problem. It was their trees. I had to pay to have my damage done. Not the person that owned the trees. So, the trees that are on the property of the building is the township’s problem, not the person across the road.”

Hall asked officials to provide the date when the claim was first made.

“I have to get the file out,” Hoffman said.

Mikulski said that the claim was filed months ago.

Hall found the timeframe to be unacceptable.

“Months, months, months,” Hall said. “You know what? I had two results within the same day from two different insurance companies.

They were out there the same day and gave the results. So, your insurance company is really, really slow and you are not pushing it enough and that building is very valuable and with winter coming, the ground is going to deteriorate more, so something has to be done ASAP, as soon as possible. So, the next two months, you better get some results. Really, you are going too slow. I am really serious.

You are too slow. We don’t want that. You don’t want the county to come back here and say we can’t do that building because the township is not doing their jobs. You got to get on it. You can’t just let it go.”

Bob Ritter, president of the Historical Society spoke about the significance of the building. He said Southampton Township bought the building in December 1976 and leased it to the Southampton Historical Society for 50 years.

“I’d like to keep this in front of your attention and emphasize the importance of maintaining a history of our community so people in our community have a connection with the township roots and a pride in the area they live in,” Ritter said. “The building is on the state and national historical registries. It was built in 1896 and in 1907 the Vincentown-Tabernacle telephone company opened there. The company was the last small, independent company in the State of New Jersey when Bell Telephone bought it out some 30 years later. Since 1976, the Historical Society has been maintaining the interior operation of the museum.”

Ritter added that the building has been part of an annual tour for third graders in Southampton and Tabernacle. He said well over 200 students each year from the two school districts visit the building. He also said that because of the closure of the building, it has recently come off the county’s “Discover Burlington County” program.

Officials have assured the Historical Society that they are working to re-open and preserve the building.

“How soon we get there is the rough part,” Mikulski said. “We are going to get there. I can assure you of one thing. We all want the building open. That I can guarantee you, five out of five. Promise.”

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PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE

OPINION

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

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

Guest Commentary submitted to the Pine Barrens Tribune can be submitted by an appointed or elected official, political candidate, organization leader, or community leader.

Guest commentary submitted to the Pine Barrens Tribune must include the name, photo, address, affiliation, title, and phone number of the writer. Commentary may be edited for length, clarity, and taste. Because of space limitations, commentary should be about 450 words or less.

Editorial: LRHSD School Board and Administration: Do Your Job the Right Way or Resign In October, we wrote that we were “deeply troubled” by the actions of the Lenape Regional High School District (LRHSD) school board members and administration at recent board meetings.

We are now “alarmed” based on what transpired at the board’s latest meeting. You should be too. This is a call to action for every taxpayer and resident who helps to fund this district.

Marni Cunard, a resident of Tabernacle, tried to call and e-mail the board members since April to express her concerns with the district’s homeschooler policy.

However, the administration served as gatekeepers and prevented her from having any two-way communication with the individual board members.

Cunard spoke at the April and October board meetings. She was stonewalled at both meetings as her pleas for dialogue went unanswered. She requested a written response from the board.

She never received one.

When Cunard respectfully began asking questions of the board members at the Nov. 16 meeting, she was shouted down by the administration and board members.

Linda M. Eckenhoff, president of the school board, said that public comment is not an opportunity for citizens to ask questions. ​ ​ “This is an opportunity for public comment, not questions,” Eckenhoff said. ​ ​ R. Taylor Ruilova, a solicitor who represents the board, said that the public comment period was not a forum for citizens to ask questions.

“This is not an opportunity to engage with

board members,” Ruilova said.

We find the comments and shouting that was directed at Cunard to be particularly disturbing.

Citizens are permitted by law to ask questions. While the board members are not obligated to answer questions, such irrational policies are often met with public outcry and rightfully so.

There is absolutely no excuse for officials censoring free speech. It’s immoral in a democracy and violates an individual’s civil liberties.

It’s inappropriate to shout at people in the classroom and workplace. Why should officials be allowed to shout at obedient citizens at an open forum? We suggest they review their own rules of conduct.

The board’s failure to maintain a dialogue with their constituents and outright refusal to answer their questions defeats the purpose of holding a “public” meeting.

The superintendent providing talking points and answers for board members to use also defeats the whole purpose of electing a school board.

We are also dismayed that audience members had no prior indication that a vote on the homeschooler policy was going to take place as the resolution was not advertised on the provided meeting agenda.

The board added the resolution only after the public comment period had concluded.

While the current law allows public bodies to add items to their agendas, the board clearly took advantage of this ability

Social Media Sound Off

to the detriment of citizen involvement and transparency.

We also can’t look past the fact that for two months in a row, district employees sought to censor members of the press, including a photographer representing our organization, at board meetings.

District officials also refused to return several requests for information and comment.

One of the purposes of the press is to keep in public spotlight every deliberation and decision that the government makes, since everything the government does is to be done on the people’s behalf.

The board is afraid the press will shine light on their hunger for power. The board doesn’t want the public to find out that they aren’t there to represent them and their interests. They want to control the message. The board would rather perform self-evaluations rather than be held accountable by the public and independent monitors of powers.

It doesn’t work like that in the United States of America. For a democracy to be a true democracy, the people must be active participants in political discourse, and for this to happen, the press itself must be an active agent that brings this about.

If members of the LRHSD school board and administration feel that they can’t live with a

democratic process, they should step down immediately. It’s time that they examine their positions.

After all, the whole purpose of government is to improve the lives of citizens.

It’s possible that you may not have a personal stake in the homeschooler issue or agree with the policy that prohibits their participation. But think about what this all means when you go to a board meeting with your needs and want to ask questions about curriculum, taxes, policies or programs.

A resident of LeisureTowne who serves on our editorial board summed it up best.

“60 percent of my taxes go towards the schools. They better damn sure let me speak.”

John Paff, a transparency advocate said in an interview, “Unfortunately, town councils, school boards and other public bodies often devolve into fiefdoms where brokering power is of primary concern and responding to citizens' needs is not a priority. When such a fiefdom is in power, citizens need to call out those in power and defeat them in the polls. If and when a more responsive body is installed, it ought to codify a set of enforceable, best practices to guarantee future transparency to guard against the body again devolving into a fiefdom.”

We couldn’t agree more.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? Email us : letters@pinebarrenstribune.com

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(Re: Website) I finally figured out why articles from this site don't open for me. I have to hold my iPad vertical not landscape.

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(Re: Letters Offer New Revelations) Suspicions confirmed. We're not being treated fairly, and there's bullying and intimidation going on behind the scenes. All because a few homeschooled children want to join a club or play ball like they do in other districts. Very discouraging. Let Them Play!

Marni, Tabernacle, New Jersey (Re: Concern) I heard from a credible source, that they are going to do some expensive work on the new Pemberton intersection because tractor trailers are having a problem making the right turn onto Magnolia.

Bob, Pemberton, New Jersey

Saturday, November 26, 2016

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Scanner Bicyclist Killed In Hit-and-Run Crash on Route 532 TABERNACLE– The New Jersey State Police have made an arrest in connection with a hit-and-run incident on County Route 532 also known as Chatsworth-Tabernacle Road.

Police say that Ronald Filepp, 64, of Roosevelt was riding his bicycle when he was struck by a vehicle at around 3:23 p.m. on Nov. 11. The incident occurred around mile marker 10.

When police arrived at the scene, they found Filepp laying on the side of the road. He was unresponsive. Filepp was pronounced dead at 3:53 p.m.

The observation of debris revealed that a motor vehicle was involved in the incident.

The New Jersey State Police Fatal Accident

NJSP Division Awards Ceremony

Unit responded to the scene to conduct an investigation.

The investigation led police to an address where they found a 2008 black Toyota Corolla parked in a driveway. Police conducted an interview with Anna Dow, 20, of Forked River. Dow revealed that she been involved in the incident.

The Burlington County Prosecutors Office was contacted. The prosecutor charged Dow with knowingly leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in death, which is a 2nd Degree crime.

Dow was lodged in Burlington County Jail.

A Superior Court judge set bail at $50,000 with a 10% option.

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Pedestrian Struck and Killed on Route 206 SOUTHAMPTON–A female pedestrian was struck and killed on Nov. 8 near mile marker 23 on Route 206 in Southampton.

Police say that Patricia Hamilton, 53, of Southampton entered the roadway from the west shoulder at around 5:31 p.m.

Hamilton was struck by a 2007 Jeep Wrangler traveling north on Route 206. The

Troopers from across the State were recently honored at the historic log cabin at State Police Headquarters in West Trenton.

Jeep came to rest in the right lane.

Police initially characterized the incident as a hit-and-run. However, the New Jersey State Police later determined that the driver of the Jeep stayed at the scene of the crash.

Hamilton was pronounced dead. The driver of the Jeep was uninjured.

Mount Misery Road Crash Leaves One Dead PEMBERTON–On Nov. 11 at 10:42 p.m., Pemberton Township Police officers were dispatched to the area of 295 Mount Misery Road for a motor-vehicle collision with injuries.

Upon arrival, patrols located a 2005 BMW 325i, driven by Peter A. Burnett, 44, of Browns Mills on its side in the eastbound lane of travel on Mount Misery Road.

A preliminary investigation revealed that the BMW was traveling west on Junction Road when it entered the curve, crossed over the center line of the roadway, and traveled through the eastbound lane before colliding with a tree. After colliding with the tree, the BMW overturned onto its side before striking another tree, sending it into a spin before coming to rest in the eastbound lane.

Burnett sustained serious injuries as a result of the collision and was transported to Lourdes Emergency Room at Deborah. He was later pronounced dead.

A front-seat passenger, later identified as Ashley Potts, 27, fled the scene of the crash.

Potts was later transported by a third party to Deborah Hospital for minor injuries.

The collision is still under investigation and no summonses have been issued at this time.

Anyone with any additional information or who may have witnessed this collision is urged to contact the Pemberton Township Police Department at 609-894-3308 or the Police Confidential Tip Line at 609-8943352.

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The troopers received recognition for their heroic actions and investigative efforts both on and off-duty.

Crash on Route 70 and Skeet Road MEDFORD – Medford Police are investigating a motor-vehicle crash that occurred at the intersection of Route 70 and Skeet Road on Friday afternoon.

A preliminary police investigation revealed that Lizanne Christopher-Frawl, 49, of Oaklyn was operating a 2005 Nissan Altima in the eastbound lane of Route 70 when Robert L. Lundberg, 78, of Medford turned left in front of her at around 12:51 p.m. The two vehicles collided.

Lundberg was operating a 1987 Chevy pick-up in the westbound lane of Route 70 when he attempted to turn left onto Skeet Road.

Christopher-Frawl was transported by Medford EMS to Virtua Voorhees for a complaint of back pain. Lundberg was transported by Medford EMS to Virtua Marlton for complaint of neck pain. The accident is still under investigation by the Medford Police Department.

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Colonel Clinton Pagano, the oldest NJSP Trooper-US Marine, cuts a Marine Corps. birthday cake with a sword.

Saturday, November 26, 2016

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COMMUNITY Events

November 26 Location: Medford Event: Gingerbread Village Display Contest Details: This family fun contest is hosted by the Women’s Club of Medford. Displays must be made of non-edible materials and measure no larger than 5’x5’x5’. Winners will be announced at noon in the Gazebo. For more information visit: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ MedfordNJGingerbreadVillage/. Registration will be at 9 a.m. at the Gazebo, $20.

November 30 Location: Shamong Event: Free Community CPR Program Details: The Indian Mills Volunteer Fire Company & the Shamong EMS are hosting a free CPR program for its residents at the Squad Building, 48 Willow Grove Road, Shamong, on Wednesday, November 30, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The program will cover adult, child and pediatric CPR, including AED use, rescue breathing and what to do for a choking or cardiac emergency. The course is free for residents, however, if you want to obtain a course completion card, there is a $25 charge – we have to pay the AHA for them. For more details, go to http://indianmillsfire.com/shamong-ems or call 609-2682665 to register.

December 2 Location: Pemberton Borough Event: Stories, Photos, Milk & Cookies with Santa Details: Grace Church welcomes children and families for a visit with Santa; from 6:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Children will be invited to make a Christmas craft. Photos will be ID-sized; one photo per child/family, but additional photos may be taken by participants. For more information call 609-894-8001. There is no charge but free-will donations are accepted.

Location: Vincentown Event: Annual Tree Lighting & Visit with Santa Details: Friday night, December 2, from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., Vincentown will have its annual tree-lighting ceremony on Main Street. After the tree lighting, children and families are invited to the old Town Hall on Plum Street to visit Santa.

December 3 Location: Medford Event: Dickens Festival, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Details: Downtown Main Street closes to traffic for this

family fun evening as Historic Medford is transformed into a Christmas-time village as Charles Dickens would have witnessed. Santa arrives in a horse-drawn carriage at 6 p.m.

Music, entertainment, food, crafts and the lighting of the holiday tree.

Location: Pemberton Event: Pemberton Township Winter Festival Details: At the Browns Mills Firehouse #12, Trenton Road, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pictures with Santa, live entertainment, face painter, Santa’s mailbox, and more! Activities at participating businesses and churches.

December 9 Location: Tabernacle Event: 19th Annual Cookie Walk Details: The Tabernacle United Methodist Church, 166 Carranza Road, will be holding their 19th Annual Cookie Walk, Friday, Dec. 9, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

December 10 Location: Tabernacle Event: 19th Annual Cookie Walk Details: The Tabernacle United Methodist Church, 166 Carranza Road, will be holding their 19th Annual Cookie Walk, Saturday, Dec. 10, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Location: Pemberton Event: Grace Church’s Annual Fundraiser Details: Come join us for Grace Church’s Annual Fundraiser, with wonderful donated items and services in time for Christmas. Doors open at 5 p.m.; auction begins at 7 p.m.

Tickets, $15, sold after Sunday services and also at https://graceepiscopalchurchnj.org and may not be available at the door. Tickets include a beverage and dessert. Pulled pork sandwiches will be available for purchase. Donations of new items and services ($25 minimum value) are gratefully received. For more information, call 609-894-8001, graceepiscopalnj@comcast.net. 43 Elizabeth St. Pemberton, NJ.

Location: Southampton Event: Holiday House Tour Details: Once again, LeisureTowne residents will open their homes for their annual Holiday House Tour, Saturday, Dec. 10, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. It’s the perfect way to share the season with the community and raise funds for TOUCH. You can get into the holiday spirit, walk off some of that turkey dinner and enjoy the lights and holiday decorations. Purchase tickets, $5, at Friendship Hall. You’re invited to stop by Friendship Hall for some wonderful cider and cookies.

Location: Medford Event: Medford VFW Cookie Walk Details: Come join us at the Medford VFW, 317 Church Road, for our annual Cookie Walk! We open the doors at 10 a.m. and keep them open until 3 p.m. Many different kinds of cookies will be available – let us help you with your holiday cookies, only $8 per pound. Hosted by the Medford Auxiliary, 609-654-9823.

December 17 Location: Tabernacle Event: Breakfast with Santa Details: Tabernacle Fire Company is hosting “Breakfast with Santa”, Dec. 17, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. $4 for adults and $2 for kids. You can eat breakfast, get a picture taken with Santa and get a gift!

January 28 Location: Little Egg Harbor Event: Sunshine Foundation Fishing Flea Market Details: The Southern Ocean County Chapter of the Sunshine Foundation will hold its 2nd Annual Fishing Flea Market on Jan. 28, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Little Egg Harbor Community Center, 319 W. Calabreeze Drive, Little Egg Harbor. The Sunshine Foundation helps fulfill the dreams and wishes of terminally ill, chronically ill, and abused children. For additional information call Tom Siciliano 732267-6451, or Frank Muinos 908-380-8491.

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HOLIDAY SUPPLEMENT 4th Annual Santa Claus Rally and Winter Festival To Be Held In Pemberton

By Judy Cohen Minches For the Pine Barrens Tribune

BROWNS MILLS – A fun-filled day is in store for the whole family on Saturday, Dec. 3 at Pemberton Township’s Winter Festival.

Starting at 11 a.m. at the Deborah Heart and Lung Center, High Octane South Jersey (HOSJ)—a group of philanthropic collector car enthusiasts—will kick off the festivities with their 4th Annual Santa Claus Rally.

They will unload a 24-foot trailer filled with toys for Deborah’s pediatric patients and their siblings and will also showcase their exotic and classic car display, which will be located on Trenton Road.

Pictures with Santa, a tree decorating contest, judging of pre-registered Gingerbread Houses, live performances and music featuring Pemberton Township High School (PTHS) Choraliers, crafts, food vendors, face painting, amusements and more will be featured. The day will come to a close with the 78th Army Band free holiday concert at the Pemberton Township High School auditorium at 7 p.m.

The Winter Festival is a joint production between the Pemberton Township Recreation Department and Deborah Heart and Lung Center, with support from HOSJ and the festival’s corporate sponsor, Jersey Central Power & Light.

Chris Scafario, founder of HOSJ, said that while its club shares “the common love of the automobile,” everyone is “charitable in nature and takes pride in sharing our time and resources with the sick or needy in the community-at-large.”

HOSJ’s large group of members—1,700 and counting, including men and women of all ages—has created a “unique tapestry of people with vision, focus and passion,” Scafario said, noting that the strong bonds that have developed further strengthen the group’s efforts.

This year will mark the fifth toy drive the HOSJ has orchestrated for Deborah. In 2012, they presented some 300 toys; last year’s efforts produced a whopping 3,500 toys.

Scafario said that “every pediatric patient at

PHOTO BY MIKE CASHEN

A group of philanthropic collector car enthusiasts will kick off the festivities with their 4th Annual Santa Claus Rally.

Deborah will get access to a special toy room with thousands of toys. The kids can pick something to take their mind off of a stressful and terrible situation. A new toy can do wonders when kids are having medical testing, and it does a lot for parents who are under stress.”

So many toys were collected last year that Scafario was asked if the HOSJ would also share the holiday joy with others in need. This year, children from Pemberton Township, Pinelands Family Success Center, Pemberton Head Start program, and Legacy Treatment Services in Mt. Holly will be additional recipients of HOSJ’s work.

Donna McArdle, Deborah’s Public Relations liaison, said that HOSJ’s efforts have greatly inspired the widespread spirit of giving throughout the township and that everyone is

working together to “make maximum impact” to brighten the holiday season. Deborah also provides gifts and holiday meals to families and nursing-home residents it adopts and works in conjunction with the Christian Caring Center in Browns Mills for their holiday food drive.

While HOSJ has the momentum to make this year’s Santa Claus Rally the most successful yet, they need assistance. Scafario is requesting donations of new and unwrapped toys for boys and girls ages six months old through their teenage years. Please drop off toys on Saturday,

Nov. 26 at Starbucks, 550 Fellowship Road, Mt. Laurel, during HOSJ’s weekly Cars & Coffee gathering, starting at 8:30 a.m. For more information about the HOSJ, please check out their website: www.highoctanesj.com.

Event parking will be available at Browns Mills United Methodist Church and Old Sun Bank. For more information about the Winter Festival, please check out www.pembertontwp.com/recreation.html.

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Saturday, November 26, 2016

By Ebba Liguori For the Pine Barrens Tribune

PEMBERTON–Holidays are a busy time for most families. However, with more expensive travel options, many seniors are not able to visit far-away relatives. One solution to this is holding our own celebration here at the Senior Center. Paula Kosko and her staff Maria Martinez, Heidi Blankenship, and Melissa Cuevas have been busy planning a special Thanksgiving dinner for the seniors.

Attendance is limited because of the space available, but those who eat lunch daily were assured an invitation. If any additional spaces were available, those who eat on Tuesdays were included, as they had already signed up for that day. Then those who eat multiple times were added to the list. At this point, nearly all the seats were filled because there are more than 120 seniors who participate in the lunch program and the capacity of the dining room is close to 120.

The popular daily nutrition program is provided by the County to ensure that seniors are eating well-balanced meals.

The tables were set with colorful runners and large decorated pumpkins, donated by “Farmer Jack”, which were used as centerpieces. The dining room had a festive look. The Bingo room was transformed into a buffet with lots of delicious choices.

Included was fresh tossed salad with a vinaigrette dressing, eggplant parmesan, pasta primavera, ham, turkey, chicken Marsala, macaroni and cheese, green bean almandine, and sweet potatoes. Dessert was pumpkin pie or frosted cupcakes. Beverages included various sodas, coffee and tea. The meal was catered by Christopher’s in Mt. Holly and

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Senior Center Celebrates Thanksgiving served by the staff. The sodas were provided by the Senior Council and the NJEA. There was plenty of food available and no one left hungry.

Dominic Muscella was the DJ and he provided a wide variety of music non-stop from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.. Many seniors participate in line dancing every Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, so of course the first request was for some line dances. Dominic was impressed as most of the seniors were up and dancing and doing the dances correctly. Even the seniors who just sat and observed had a good time watching those who danced.

Willie Holmes had a great time at the party, he loves to sing and dance. He was dancing “Jive” whenever the music was right. He found several different women as partners and it was amazing to watch him go. He might have been the best entertainment of the day as he received many rounds of applause and cheers. It is amazing how much energy the older seniors have.

Hope your Thanksgiving was enjoyable.

The center was closed for a long weekend and the staff had a chance to be with their families.

The Dec. 5 trip to the Tropicana has a few seats available, but one must reserve before Dec.1 to be sure of a ticket. The buses will leave at 9:30 a.m. from the Acme parking lot and the trip will include a meal at the Fiesta Buffet, a ticket to the Holiday Jubilee, and a coin return. The buses are expected to return to Browns Mills by 7 p.m. The Christmas dinner at Garden State is sold out. There is a wait list for the Dec. 28 trip to the Wilmington and Western Railroad to see the holiday lights.

The December Senior Gazette will be available on Dec. 1 and the 2017 schedule will

be included. Tickets for some events in 2017 will be on sale beginning Dec. 6.

Most events and trips sell out quickly, so if you see a trip you are interested in, best to stop in at the center beginning on the sixth.

The Council has kept the costs for most

activities at the 2016 prices. Careful planning and township support have contributed to the effort to maintain costs. Enjoy these trips now because as the economy improves, many vendors will be raising their prices to make up for these stagnant years.

PINE KNOTS COLUMN Pemberton Superintendent Provides Comprehensive School District Update

By Ebba Liguori For the Pine Barrens Tribune

PEMBERTON–The November BMIA meeting featured Pemberton Township School Superintendent Tony Trongone, as the guest speaker. Each year Trongone prepares a report on the “State of the Schools” to inform the residents about progress. This is an important topic as all residents have much at stake in the education of our youth.

Trongone prepared a 32-page handout with numerous charts and graphs to illustrate the many topics he covered. Pemberton is facing some problems in future funding and this will depend on which plan the state endorses. He will prepare some information to assist community members in writing to state lawmakers to encourage better funding for this community.

Our enrollment includes many special needs and foster children who require a higher level of services. Trongone said that the state must recognize these problems and work on ways to help keep funding levels adequate.

Chronic absenteeism has been a problem throughout the state, but Pemberton is working on solutions and some improvement has already been seen. More attention will be given to correct this situation and early interventions are being worked on.

With Advance Placement courses and testing, Pemberton students are showing increased participation. Between 2012 and 2016, participation has increased threefold and passing test scores have increased from 50% to more than 68%. The total number of AP Exams administered has risen from 33 to 126.

The overall test scores are improving.

New policies and procedures are assisting compliance with the many regulations the schools are facing. Trongone has named new principals to several of the schools and moved some current principals to different schools. Results of this alignment are proving to be positive.

Reading scores need improvement and a new program has been instituted called "Fundations," with a new emphasis on reading comprehension and phonics. New scheduling with mandated time blocks for each subject has been instituted. Now all extra help and one-on-one remedial assistance is given outside the regular instruction times. Reading levels have been at 50% of expected grade level and the goal of these programs is to improve reading scores by at least 5% per year.

The Early Childhood Center has been

recognized by “Grow NJ Kids” as a 5-star program and is the first school in the state to receive this honor. We can all be proud of this achievement and the school plans to continue building on this program as these students progress through the system. In technology, each student in the upper grades has their own personal Ipad to use for their daily lessons. A complete program has been instituted in the middle schools to improve writing, reading and comprehension skills. A math skills program should be instituted within the next year. Both these efforts should boost test scores within the next few years. All these efforts are ongoing and will take time to produce results.

All residents are concerned with the issue of safe buildings. Final approvals have been secured to proceed with the demolition of Crichton School and a totally new building erected on that site. Students will move to Haines School temporarily. Upon completion, students in both Denbo and Crichton will be combined in the new building. Denbo will then be demolished and the ground turned into a large parking lot. This $60-million plan has been approved and will be totally funded by the state. Emmons School will have new heating, air conditioning, lighting, and windows installed beginning in March with completion planned for September. The watertreatment plant behind the Helen Fort School needs a complete upgrade. This work will begin in 2018.

Trongone and his team have made great strides in improving our educational system.

He stressed that problems are being successfully addressed whenever any should arise.

Teachers are receiving additional assistance to help each reach their potential in the classroom. It was a very positive report and great things seem to be happening for our students.

There is more work to do in securing funding for our schools and all need to remain aware of the financial arrangements with state funding. The township schools are highly dependent on the current funding formula.

Refreshments were enjoyed while residents discussed the many topics covered.

The Browns Mills Improvement Association, known as the BMIA, is the oldest local civic organization in Pemberton Township. Meetings are held on the fourth Sunday monthly, September through June, at 2 p.m. at the BMIA Building on Arbutus Street, near the Mirror Lake Beach. The building is handicapped accessible and there is ample parking. Annual dues are only $15 per family.

Checks may be sent to: BMIA, PO Box 395, Browns Mills, NJ 08015.

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FUN AND GAMES Are We There Yet? By: Lori Clinch

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

They're The Perfect Eating Machines If there is one thing I’ve learned from our four sons, it is the amount of food it takes to keep them going.

In one sitting, they can put away a pound of meat (each), a plethora of vegetables and are all about pasta, potatoes and “Whoa! Is that garlic bread?!”

When our sons plan to return from their campus homes for the weekend, I stock up big time. I purchase cereal in bulk, produce by the bushel and milk by the barrel.

Before serving their favorite meals, (which I cook in abundance), I take my own measly portion out, carefully wrap it and then I hide it. It’s a trick I learned from my dearly beloved mother-in-law who advised me to button-hole something for myself as a form of self-preservation.

This advice came on the Sunday morning when I sat down to the breakfast table, only to learn that our sons had consumed the three pounds of sausage I had just cooked, before the meal was even served.

Button-hole. Word to the wise!

During a recent visit from our hungry children, my husband, Pat, and I decided to take the family out for dinner.

Talk about taking a hit to the ol’ wallet!

Our sons ordered enough appetizers to feed a football team, salads all around the house and the family’s all-time favorite, cheeseburgers and French fries.

One would think they would have been full long before the meal arrived, but it just wasn’t so. “What are these?” they asked as they looked at their average size cheeseburger, “Sliders?”

As they gobbled their meal down, I sat and truly enjoyed my Cobb salad. The chicken was wonderful, the sunflower seeds plentiful, and the chef wasn’t shy about piling on the bacon.

I had only eaten half of my meal when I decided I was full and asked for a “to-go” container.

“Dibs!” one of my darling off-spring called out as if he was on a game show.

“No way!” exclaimed another, “you got her salad last time!”

I looked up and across the table at what appeared to be a pack of hungry wolves salivating at my leftovers. Loving all of our sons the same, as I do, and unable to choose between them, I did the only thing I could—I gave the salad to Pat. He gratefully gobbled it down and promised to share the remainders of “Mom’s” meal the next time we dined.

Sadly enough for Jeannie, a darling little lady who has a space at our antique shop, was unaware of a young male’s ability to put away food. Loving sweets, as she does, Jeannie brought out a bag of peanut clusters and cookies just last week.

Jeannie is a generous person, but is used to sharing with the female gender and people who indulge on sweets in moderation.

Therefore, she was taken aback when she offered her bounty to one of our sons. “Here, Huey,” she said with all the sweetness that ignorance would allow, “help yourself!”

“Girl,” I called out as I looked up from a chafing dish.

"Nooooo!" exclaimed Terrie, who works in our antique shop and is quite aware of the ferocious appetite of the young male gender.

From that point on, everything happened in slow motion. I hurdled over the counter, Terrie sprung from her chair and like defensive players in a football game trying to prevent a hand-off, we did our personal best.

Unfortunately for Jeannie, she never knew what hit her until it was too late.

“Why, thank you!” Huey politely said as he happily took the entire bag from her. “You are really a nice person.” With that he walked off quite content and most likely polished off the contents of the snack bag long before he rounded the corner.

“Honey,” I said to Jeannie as I repeated the words of my all-too-wise and precious mother-in-law. “Never serve the children until you’ve button-holed some for yourself.”

It’s just too bad I didn’t put that advice to use last night before I sat four pounds of wings on the kitchen counter and ignorantly walked away.

© 2016 LORI CLINCH

C R O S S W O R D Across 1 Peru's __ Picchu 6 Angle iron 10 Highest point 14 Kindle download 15 SeaWorld performer 16 Ellington's "Take __ Train" 17 Older name for a passenger bus 19 Glass darkener 20 Responded in court 21 Cape NNW of Cod 22 Saguaros, e.g.

23 Covered up 24 Wedding gown follower 27 Place in quarantine 29 Legal thing 30 Came down with 31 Kate, before Petruchio's "taming" 32 Bit of legislation 33 U2 lead singer 34 Like one resisting innovation 38 Die dots 41 Thumbs-up 42 Best man's offering 46 Santa __ winds 47 Fellows 48 Stir-fry vegetable 50 Pirate Blackbeard's real name

P U Z Z L E

53 Rank below cpl.

54 Believer in the Great Pumpkin 55 NYC airport 56 Narrow opening 57 Installed, as carpet 58 Hole-making tool 61 Years, to Nero 62 Wows, and how 63 Stone marker 64 Droops over time 65 Peel in a cocktail 66 Filled with cargo Down 1 Tennessee home of the NBA's Grizzlies 2 Do away with 3 French department that translates to "golden slope" 4 Robin __ 5 Kiev is its cap.

6 Canadian coin nicknamed for the bird on it 7 Lego or Eggo, for example 8 Duke Univ. conference 9 Stadium shout 10 Rose essence 11 Lake Michigan metropolis 12 Bring up 13 Chip away at

S U D O K U

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18 Golfer's ride 22 Dollar divs.

24 Cry out loud 25 Curved foot part 26 "Dallas Buyers Club" actor Jared 28 Some summer babies, astrologically 32 Summer coolers, for short 33 What winds do 35 Like Easter eggs 36 Emailed 37 Texter's "From a different angle ..."

38 Spanish rice dishes 39 Gary's home 40 Hocking 43 Answered a help-wanted ad, say 44 Whence Rossini's barber 45 Spilled the beans 47 Dalloway's title 48 Most judicious 49 Virg. neighbor 51 German cars 52 Actor Cary 56 Latina lass: Abbr.

58 Peace, in Acapulco 59 Be indebted to 60 High-speed www option

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

Announcements New store in town! Curiosity Consignments, 567A Lakehurst Rd, Browns Mills NJ. We carry gently used clothing, furniture, and housewares.

Stop in and ask about consigning, check out our Amazing Bargains, and bring home Your New Treasures Today!

Automobiles/Trucks 1995 Ford F-250 automatic maintained 4 wheel. Very low, 29K miles. 8 foot Meyers plow. Price $6,977. 609-7604220.

1996 BMW Z3 convertible. New top, tires and brakes. 5 speed transmission. $6,000. Call Bill at 609-351-3896.

Auto Parts and Svcs Maintenance person able to do all types of housing repair, painting, spackling, etc. Call 609-893-7721 Automotive technician class. A tech busy automotive repair center. All makes and models. All computer diagnostics done on site. Top pay offered. 609-893-8285

driver to work in the Burlington County area. This is a great part-time income opportunity for a motivated individual. A personal vehicle is necessary and a large van, cargo van, large SUV, or extended cab pickup truck is preferred. Working Boats and Canoes hours may vary depending upon delivery arrival time. The ideal candidate should 2004 20ft angler center consul 150hp be available Thursday through Saturday.

Mercury outboard, tandem axle, aluminum Responsibilities include lifting up to 25 trailer, porta-potty, winter cover. $11,000. pounds and delivering newspapers to Call Bill at 609-351-3895. racks and local businesses. Excellent reading, comprehension, organizational, Caregiver and written and verbal communication skills are required. A valid driver’s Christian Preschool looking for part-time license, insurance card, and reliable caregiver. If interested, apply in person at transportation is a must! Please contact Little Lambs Preschool. 2 Pemberton 609-801-2392 and ask for George. The Browns Mills Rd, Browns Mills. pay rate is competitive for new hires.

Autobody repair technician, experienced professional, collision technician, busy shop, with insurance DRPS valid drivers license a must. Top salary offered. Call 609-893-8285

General Merchandise Alpaca Farm Store open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through December, great prices, unique products, Springfield Township, near Columbus Market, 609-694-3410, www.stormwindalpacas.com

Help Wanted Phillips Heat Inc. – Part-time/ full-time/ seasonal home oil delivery, CDL/ tanker/ air breaks/ hazmat, good driving record, Call 609-859-8654, ask for Bill.

Pine Barrens Media LLC – Accepting applications for a newspaper delivery

Pine Barrens Media LLC -– Searching for an advertising sales representative. The right candidate will be a highly organized, collaborative, and creative closer who thrives in a deadline driven sales environment and demonstrates a passion for both print and digital advertising sales.

This job includes prospecting leads, making calls, daily territory travel, setting up appointments, and the use of technology. Previous newspaper and/or sales experience is a plus, but not necessary. Strong face-to-face, written, and verbal communication skills with an eye for detail are a must. Candidates must

possess a valid driver’s license and a reliable vehicle. Please include your resume, cover letter, and professional references and send to letters@pinebarrenstribune.com.

Competitive salary plus commission with opportunity for advancement.

Pine Barrens Media LLC – Searching for a freelance journalist/reporter with strong reporting skills and great storytelling abilities to join the Pine Barrens Tribune news team! The ideal candidate will have excellent news judgment and be able to develop sources to allow them to break major stories both in-print and online. We are seeking a motivated, energetic, creative, and aggressive reporter who can think and perform outside the box. The candidate should be able to develop story ideas and gather information for the newspaper and website, have sound writing skills, a great work ethic, strong interpersonal skills, and a can-do attitude. The best person for this job will have excellent writing skills and thrive on breaking stories. Video editing, photograph editing, and graphic artwork experience is a huge plus, but not

required. A college degree in Journalism / Mass Communications or related field of study is required. The average work schedule will include evenings and weekends. Please include your resume, cover letter, three writing samples, and professional references and send to letters@pinebarrenstribune.com.

Miscellaneous Brotherton Indian Tribal Offices Brotherton Indian Reservation, Tribal Lands Office of the Chief Brotherton Indian Reservation Indian Mills, New Jersey 08088 Attention Dr. Sam Beeler, Chief

Motorcycles/ATVs For Sale: 2016 Yamaha YXZ 1000R UTV. 60th edition special. Only has 40 hours ride time. It is great for mudding and speed (does 95 MPH). Call Brian.

609-405-6543.

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PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

Saturday, November 26, 2016

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PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE

HEALTH Dear Pharmacist By: Suzy Cohen, R. Ph.

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

How To Make Your Immune System Fight for You I’m willing to bet you have been sick in the past and experienced a runny nose and congestion, sneezing, fever/chills or body aches. All you can do is treat the symptoms and hope your immune system fights for you.

FYI, taking antibiotics won’t help. Your immune system strength (not the germ itself) directly influences how bad you feel and how long you suffer.

Vitamin D levels are lower during the winter months so it’s no coincidence that cold and flu outbreaks happen during wintertime.

Shockingly, even spending our summer days in a big city where tall buildings block the sun’s rays and lead to deficiencies of the sunshine vitamin.

Vitamin D is a media darling. Time Magazine even lists D among its ‘Top Ten Medical Breakthroughs.’ Despite the name, “vitamin D” behaves more like a hormone than a vitamin. In an American study of 198 healthy adults, researchers found that individuals with blood concentrations of 38 ng/ml or more of vitamin D enjoyed a two-fold reduction in the risk of catching cold, and were able to get back to work faster. I recommend even higher levels, closer to 60 ng/ml.

Allow me to brief you on what may very well be vitamin D’s most exciting role yet. We all have both an adaptive and an innate immune system. The branch of our immune system that ‘remembers’ specific attackers so that it can mount a faster defense next time an encounter is made, is called the “adaptive”

immune system.

Vitamin D helps our adaptive immune system by boosting our T cells, a type of white blood cell that patrols around our bodies like soldiers, ready to destroy any infected or cancerous cells they come across. Researchers in Denmark made a truly incredible connection. For T cells to be able to activate themselves and mount an attack, vitamin D must be present. Without adequate vitamin D, our T cells are like sleeping soldiers, virtually incapable of defending us.

This research suggests that perhaps we can retrain your immune system to prevent it from being so reactive and hyper, translating to a lower risk for cold and flu, and obviously fewer auto-immune assaults.

Adequate Vitamin D helps your immune cells manufacture your own natural antibiotic-like substance called cathelicidin, which destroys all sorts of "bugs" as they’re encountered. This activity supports your innate immune system.

By the way, your innate system is your first line of defense against pathogens of all sorts so if you get sick a lot, this is the part of your immune system that you should focus on.

Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency may lead to fatigue, weakness, bone or muscle pain, fractures, cracked teeth, arrhythmias, wintertime depression and autoimmune flare ups. Certain cancers are also associated with low D. In my humble opinion, Vitamin D3 is an affordable way to keep your immune system in tip-top shape, it’s easy to test levels and the supplement is sold pretty much everywhere.

This information is not intended to treat, cure, or diagnose your condition. For more information, please visit www.SuzyCohen.com. © 2016 SUZY COHEN, RPH. DISTRIBUTED BY DEAR PHARMACIST, INC.

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CALMs Make Parents Anxious

By Sue Hubbard, M.D .

I was examining a 4-month-old baby the puberty, and most will present by 6 to 8 years other day when I noticed that she had several of age.

For children who present for a routine exam light brown spots on her skin. When I asked the mother how long they had been there, she noted with several CALMs (like this infant), the that she had started seeing them in the last recommendation is simply to follow and look month or so, or maybe a couple even before for the development of more cafe au lait that. She then started to point a few out to me macules. "Watch and wait" is a hard prescription for parents, but unfortunately that on her infant's arm, leg and back.

These "caramel colored" flat spots are called is often what parenting is about.

NF-1 is an autosomal disorder which cafe au lait macules (CALMs) and are relatively common. They occur in up to 3 involves a mutation on chromosome 17 and percent of infants and about 25 percent of may affect numerous organ systems including children, in both males and females, and are not only skin, but eyes, bones, blood vessels more common in children of color. While and the nervous system. Half of patients children may have a few CALMs, more than inherit the mutation while another half has no three CALMs are found in only 0.2 to 0.3 known family history. NF-1 may also be percent of children who otherwise do not have associated with neurocognitive deficits; of course, this causes a great deal of parental any evidence of an underlying disorder.

Of course this mother had Googled "brown concern. About 40 percent of children with spots in a baby" and was worried that her baby NF-1 will have a learning disability (some had neurofibromatosis (NF). She started minor, others more severe).

For a child who has multiple CALMs it is pointing out every little speckle or spot on her precious blue-eyed daughter's skin, some of recommended that the child be seen by an which I couldn't even see with my glasses on. I ophthalmologist and a dermatologist yearly, knew she was concerned, and I had to quickly as well as being followed by his or her pediatrician. If criteria for NF-1 is not met by remember some of the findings of NF type 1.

Cafe au lait spots in NF-1 occur randomly on the time a child is 10 years of age, it is less the body and are anywhere from 5mm to 30 likely that child will be affected, despite mm in diameter. They are brown in color and having more than six CALMs. The biggest issue is truly the parental have a smooth border, referred to as "the coast of California." In order for a doctor to make the anxiety of watching for more cafe au lait spots suspected diagnosis of NF-1, a child needs to and trying to remain calm. It's easier said than have six or more cafe au lait spots before done for anyone who is a parent.

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PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE

HOME, GARDEN, AND FARMING Farm and Food File By: Alan Guebert

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

Here We Are To more than a few Americans, the phrase “President-elect Donald Trump” is as incomprehensible as “World Champion Chicago Cubs.”

Worse, these deniers only deepen their denial on being told (and retold) that, yes, the Cubs won the Series and, in fact, Donald Trump was elected president on Nov. 8. These inconsolables continue to take Trump’s victory as a personal defeat; "Donald Trump is not my president, they shout."

OK, but he will be the nation’s president come noon Jan. 20, 2017. Until then, he and his “make America great again” cohorts will be engaged 24/7 in planning how to change government as “bigly” and “yugely” as possible on Jan. 21.

Even before he’s inaugurated though, the president-elect will play a role in negotiating the not-yet-passed 2017 federal budget. Recall Congress and President Barack Obama punted that work to Dec. 9 by agreeing to a temporary patch, a “continuing resolution,” last September. Now that patch needs to be patched.

Does the new president-elect want another short-term budget deal—say, until Jan. 21—or will the current president play it tough and threaten to muscle Congress into funding the government, and his signature programs, through next Oct. 1?

Either way, no one in Congress or the current and future White House will sit out the divvying up of this $4.3-trillion pie. Current odds favor a deal that delivers a spending plan through Oct. 1.

After that’s out of the way, another fiscal deadline looms. By March 15, Congress and the White House must act to raise the national debt limit. Currently, that limit is “suspended,” a neat trick Congress and the White House agreed to a year ago to permit uncapped spending until after the 2016 election.

Estimates now put today’s total debt at $19.5 trillion.

What will the Trump administration do on the debt ceiling?

No one knows but many tight-fisted Congressional Republicans will not be tight-

lipped if he argues for a big boost to fulfill campaign promises of infrastructure spending and tax cuts. If enacted, those two promises alone will add an estimated $5 trillion to the national debt.

Unlike campaign rhetoric, however, that $5 trillion isn’t smoke and mirrors; it’s baked in as soon as President Trump signs either idea into law. Saying you’re for tax cuts is easy; paying for tax cuts is hard.

The smart money on Wall Street, however, is already banking on heavy deficit spending.

That, say wary economists, is the key reason every U.S. stock index climbed—some to near-record highs—shortly after the Trump victory: big government spending will fuel big corporate growth and Wall Street loves corporate growth.

No, you didn’t hear that on the campaign trail. It, however, is the odds-on coming reality. In fact, here’s how the Wall Street Journal, no bastion of economic liberalism, characterized this new reality in the opening paragraph of a Nov. 14 front-page story: “The presidency of Donald Trump is poised to usher in a new era for the U.S. economy that forecasters say could boost economic growth, bring higher interest rates and inflation, and a new set of potential risks, including international trade wars.”

It’s very doubtful that any of the 61,166,063 Americans who voted for Donald Trump also voted for “higher interest rates and inflation.”

It’s equally doubtful that anyone voted for “international trade wars.” (“Wars,” as in more than one, according to the Journal.)

And yet, here we are—“we” as in rural America because we’re the ones experts agree gave Donald Trump the unforeseen victory.

Here we are staring at exactly what no farmer, rancher, or American needs: higher interest rates, more inflation, and multiple trade wars.

Even worse, while that sky is falling on rural America, it’s a very safe bet that Mexico won’t be paying for a wall and Hillary won’t be in prison.

An even safer bet is that Donald will still be Tweeting.

© 2016 AG COMM.

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CROSSWORD

SOLUTIONS

SUDOKU

Saturday, November 26, 2016

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