Oct 14 2017

SAVINGS COUPONS INSIDE WORTH: $401 INSIDE THIS WEEK

Pinelands Regional Cancels School for Four Days Due to Air Quality Concerns. Page 5

PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE www.pinebarrenstribune.com

Vol. 2 - No. 7

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October 14-20, 2017

Air Pack Emergency PHOTO BY JAKE WASIAK

New Gretna Volunteer Fire Co.’s headquarters.

New Gretna Volunteer Fire Co. Chief Rips Bass River Commissioners Amid Funding Crisis

By Douglas D. Melegari Staff Writer

BASS RIVER—New Gretna Volunteer Fire Co. Chief Tom “Tommy” Wetmore excoriated the Bass River Township Board of Commissioners last week, leading to a rare public spat between him and Mayor Deborah Buzby-Cope and a threat of fire protection services being discontinued.

15 air packs belonging to the company— breathing apparatus for firefighters—will pass their service expiration date and no longer be permissible for use when the clock strikes midnight on Jan. 1, 2018.

Firefighters are required to possess an air pack when responding to an emergency call due to the potential for a smoke or hazardous materials condition which can have an adverse effect on breathing.

The company, which says it can’t afford to pay for more than a handful of air packs due

to strained finances, has continually applied to FEMA for Assistance to Firefighters Grants over the last six years.

However, the company has repeatedly received denial letters from FEMA. Recently, it received another.

With only 78 days left until the New Year and FEMA’s grant allocation for the year now over, the company is relying on the municipality to help provide the necessary funding for the air packs.

However, the municipality in recent weeks has taken a position that it can’t afford to buy more than four air packs between now and January, due to a small operating budget and shrinking tax base.

Wetmore, who urged the board almost five years ago to have a backup plan in case the company couldn’t secure grant funding, finds the municipality’s position bothersome.

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Saturday, October 14, 2017

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LOCAL NEWS

Amendment to Weiss’ Contract Shrouded in Secrecy

By Douglas D. Melegari Staff Writer

WOODLAND—Details of a contract amendment for a Woodland Township School District administrator remain shrouded in secrecy.

PHOTO SUBMITTED Superintendent Misty Weiss Business Administrator George Gahles announced on Aug. 28 that the Woodland Township Board of Education was entertaining an amendment to Superintendent Misty Weiss’ contract.

The announcement was made during a board meeting. An explanation of the amendment being weighed was not provided to members of the public in attendance.

Following the announcement, a public hearing was held on Weiss’ contract, with no action taken. No one from the audience chose to speak during the hearing.

Gahles, when asked why a hearing was held

on Weiss’ contract, said, “Her contract is up next (school) year.”

On Sept. 25, during a 30-minute board meeting, the amendment to Weiss’ contract was approved by a 5-0 vote, contingent upon pending county approval.

An explanation of the amendment was again not offered to the public.

Board Vice President Edward Vincent, when pressed for explanation, said the board could not yet disclose the amendment because it is being reviewed for approval by the Burlington County Interim Superintendent Daryl J. Minus-Vincent.

“It (the amended contract) is up at the county for approval,” he said. “So, we have to wait until they make it official to talk about it.

There is only one change in her contract and that is about money. That is it. Everything else is the same.”

Board President Dennis Cronin said details on the amendment will be provided to the public at the board’s next meeting scheduled for Oct. 23.

“It is signed, sealed and delivered,” he said.

Weiss assured those in attendance that details of the amendment would be made public.

The Pine Barrens Tribune filed an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request seeking a copy of the amended contract.

Custodian of Records and Supervisor of the Chatsworth Elementary School Carolyn Fischl, Ed.S provided this newspaper with a draft of the amended contract on Oct. 6.

Fischl did not highlight the pending change in the contract, which was originally adopted on Feb. 3, 2015, so it remains unclear as of press time what the board has proposed

CONTRACT>>PAGE 20

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INDEX Automotive..................................... 23 Business Directory.......................... 14 Community....................................... 9 Fun and Games............................... 17 Health.............................................. 16 Home, Garden & Farming ............. 22

Local News....................................... 2 Marketplace..................................... 18 Opinion............................................. 8 Scanner.............................................. 7 Spotlight............................................6 Worship Directory............................. 9

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

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Medford Council Weighs Changes to Alcohol Consumption Rules for Township Parks

By Vince DeBlasio

For the Pine Barrens Tribune

MEDFORD—A request from the Medford Youth Athletic Association (MYAA) to amend a township ordinance related to public alcohol consumption and progress on a forthcoming World War I Memorial were the focus of a Medford Council meeting on Oct. 3.

Mayor Charles “Chuck” Watson said council received a letter from a member of the MYAA asking that alcoholic beverages be allowed in all township parks with an approved social affairs permit. Freedom Park is currently the only park in Medford where alcohol can be consumed.

Township Manager Katherine Burger said the individual who wrote the letter wanted to host a corn-hole tournament fundraiser at Hartford Crossing.

Chief of Police Richard J. Meder said approving the request would be a mistake.

“If we keep opening up our public parks to alcohol consumption, what’s our liability?” he said. “How do we control the alcohol intake?

To me, it’s a can of worms we don’t want to open.”

Meder said he was originally against council even allowing consumption at Freedom Park.

He said the MYAA should just hold its tournament there.

The majority of council began to agree on that point, noting indoor locations where the event could be held.

Councilman Chris Buoni, on the other hand, didn’t see an issue with approving the request as long as liability is covered and the event isn’t held during youth activities.

“We’re adults and we have to trust each other to be adults,” he said. “I don’t like to regulate adult behavior.”

The discussion shifted to how other towns navigate the issue of public alcohol consumption and how heavily New Jersey regulates it in general.

Burger reminded council that a decision didn’t have to be made that night.

“Let’s put it (on the agenda) for discussion at the next meeting,” Watson said.

In other news, council discussed pricing for the WWI Memorial’s foundation and lighting.

Burger said the Burlington County WWI Committee will now contribute $2,000 to the foundation cost of $5,200. She added that Medford Township will handle the remaining cost as well as install lighting, which can be done in-house for $200 at the most.

Council gave the OK for the work to move forward.

During a manager’s report, the approval of several volunteer fire and EMS members was shared. They are Bruce Stroud and Beth Clemson for EMS, Station 258, and for fire, John Gajderowicz and Kristina Gajderowicz, Station 251, and Christopher Koellner, Station 252. Kevin Strittmatter was moved from junior firefighter to full member and Stephen Bielec is a new junior fire member, both at Station 251.

A raffle license for Food Bank of South Jersey Inc. on Oct. 6 and 7 at 208 Route 70 East, and Bingo, raffle and 50/50 licenses for YMCA Camp Ockanickon on Nov. 3 were approved.

Council adopted an ordinance on second reading which amended a chapter of the township code titled “Fees and Licenses.” It will increase the fees for water connection to $4,651 from $4,496, and sewer connection, to $8,655 from $8,453.

Eight resolutions were passed unanimously by council.

The first expressed opposition to two

legislative proposals that would amend the Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) and Open Public Records Act (OPRA).

Council believes the proposed legislation, “fails to adequately protect taxpayers, municipalities and, especially, municipal clerks from abusive, harassing, and purposefully confrontational individuals who submit voluminous requests for no legitimate reason.”

They also feel the bills would put an increased workload on municipal clerks and burden municipalities financially.

The resolution passed by council urges legislators to reject the legislation and develop a new draft that would modernize the acts, while better serving municipalities.

“Just for clarity, the OPMA part of it is annoying because of the undue burden they’re putting on us,” Buoni said. “How many of these requirements does that cesspool in Trenton want to apply to themselves? So they don’t want to hold themselves to public scrutiny, they just want to look like they give a damn.”

Another resolution approved a change order to Phase I of a Skeet Road paving project.

This decreases the original contract amount of $196,789.15 to American Asphalt Company by $15,924.24.

The next four resolutions dealt with contracts for township services.

Three awarded contract renewals of one year for the following: collection of leaves, to Adler Excavating and Contracting; chemicals, to three companies; and disposal of brush and tree parts, to Artistic Materials, Inc. The other authorized a contract extension for solid-waste collection with Gold Medal Environmental of N.J., Inc. for the period of Jan. 1 to Jan. 28, following a contract expiration on Dec. 31.

The seventh resolution appointed Dawn Bielec as a registrar of Vital Statistics. She previously served as deputy registrar and will replace Denise Schmied, who is leaving the township.

The final resolution, added during the meeting, supported the Division of Highway Traffic Safety’s “Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day” on Oct. 10. This event puts a focus on smarter driving practices to reduce traffic-crash fatalities.

Council went into executive session to discuss redevelopment, the Burlington County Library system, a dog park, MVE Restaurants LLC and a matter relating to collectivebargaining agreements for the Burlington County Professional Firefighters Association.

Upon return to public session, council executed an addendum to a settlement agreement with MVE Restaurants LLC. MVE Restaurants LLC initially agreed to open a business at the former Izzy’s restaurant location in the Cross Keys Shopping Plaza by June 15. The condition of the premises and construction delays have stalled the opening.

The opening date was extended to Oct. 1, and, with the latest resolution, Nov. 1.

“We’re just extending the agreement for them to open the restaurant up a little bit later and any additional attorney fees will be paid for by them,” Watson said.

Early in the meeting, council recognized Oct. 6 as “Knock Out Opiate Abuse Day” through a proclamation. Several statistics related to the epidemic were read aloud.

“Every day, 44 people in the United States die from a prescription painkiller overdose,” Watson said. “We, the Medford Township

CONSUMPTION>>PAGE 20

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Pinelands Regional Cancels School for Four Days Due to Air Quality Concerns

By Catherine Galioto

For the Pine Barrens Tribune

LITTLE EGG HARBOR—Classes in the Pinelands Regional School District were canceled from Oct. 3-6 following a contentious Pinelands Regional Board of Education meeting on Oct. 2 , filled with parents and district employees complaining about conditions inside the schools.

The concerns evolved around an ongoing roofing project which had previously closed off portions of the Pinelands Regional High School, including the school’s D-wing.

Parents and employees expressed concerns about possible unhealthy particulates, asbestos, air quality, overpowering odors, roofing debris and noise, all of which they said were causing nausea, headache and respiratory problems.

They asked the board and its professionals, contracted as part of the construction process, to provide assurance that students and staff were safe and to share the results of recent asbestos and air-quality testing.

While the most recent asbestos testing came back negative for asbestos, the district’s professionals told attendees that the results from canisters used to test air quality would take up to three more days to come back.

This uncertainty left attendees’ questions unanswered and board members flustered, leading to more than an hour of debate and several heated moments.

Board President Susan Ernst banged her gavel for order several times and reminded the audience that public comments had to be addressed to the board and not to specific professionals. She also limited comments to three minutes per speaker.

“I can assure you the safety of students and

staff is paramount,” said Ernst as she heard passionate pleas to err on the side of caution until it could be determined with certainty that there was no exposure to asbestos or volatile organic compounds.

Public comment included two parents who have private-sector experience in asbestos abatement and remediation. These parents criticized the work of crews who were removing the aging roof of the high school.

The roofing work was approved as part of a multi-million dollar referendum passed by voters last winter. $46.8 million of the $53.6 million approved by voters is being used to replace a deteriorating roof, fix brick structures and install a new HVAC system. Other projects under the referendum include making interior repairs and upgrading electrical, security and communications.

According to school officials, the new roofing was supposed to be complete by the start of the school year. However, work to the school’s D-wing and lobby had to be redone after a boring test, used to test the roof’s quality, found issues in these two areas.

This led to classes scheduled for the D-wing to be relocated elsewhere in the building.

The parents said their children were finding ceiling debris in their classrooms and smelled strong odors in places such as the media center.

Teachers from the D-wing and as far away as the building’s third floor reported an overpowering odor and grit from the ongoing construction. One D-wing teacher said he had developed hoarseness.

District professionals reiterated that tests in late August came back “clean,” and showed no asbestos in the building. They also pointed to a recent contract approved by the board for

environmental consulting services from TTI Environmental of Moorestown.

Business Administrator Stephen Brennan said the additional consulting contract approved by the board on Sept. 12 was needed so that the district could oversee its own interests.

Meeting attendees said they respected TTI’s opinion on conditions during the roofing project, but with the TTI representative coming to the project site for the first time during the last week of September, they felt the results from previous work logs and tests had not yet been thoroughly reviewed by TTI. One of the district’s professionals attributed the odor to the fact that a fresh-air ventilation system was mistakenly left open during the construction when it should have been shut off.

It was explained that this allowed the odor from the roofing project to enter into the rest of the school building.

District officials said the air canister test was performed once the smell was reported.

Several parents suggested to the board that school should be canceled outright until thorough testing was completed. Three parents said during public comment that they would not be sending their children to school until their safety was assured.

One parent asked Ernst directly if, after hearing the comments from professionals and the public, she would send her grandchildren to the high school.

Ernst said she would not. Board Vice President Betti Anne McAvey said she too did not feel confident sending children into the high school.

Thus, the decision was made during the meeting to close schools in the entire district on Oct. 3 and 4.

A few days after the meeting, district officials

decided to close school through Columbus Day. During the closing of school, TTI conducted additional air-quality tests, including asbestos air sampling tests, to confirm the results of previous tests.

On Oct. 4, the district received the results of the asbestos air sampling tests “which were confirmed to be within federal and state standards.”

On Oct. 5, the district received the results from the additional air-quality tests. TTI wanted more time to further analyze the results.

“On Friday (Oct. 6), we met with all of the contractors and at that meeting TTI Environmental, having the appropriate time to fully review the report, gave us verbal confirmation that the high school was safe for occupancy,” said Acting Superintendent Dr. Cheryl Stevenson. “We were also provided with recommendations to use filters to expedite the removal of any transient substances that were producing unfamiliar odors that raised the concerns of staff and students. Moving forward, the district’s consultants will be working together to revise the construction protocols and scheduling to help alleviate many of the issues and concerns received from members of the school community.”

As school reopened on Tuesday, an enhanced cleaning protocol was put into effect by district officials to address any dust and unfamiliar odors associated with the building construction.

At least two snow days built into the school calendar were going to be used to make up for the missed days.

It wasn’t immediately clear why Stevenson was filling in for Interim Superintendent Maryann Banks. Officials said Banks’ absence was scheduled.

Shamong Schools Allot More Time for Language Arts

By Adam Tait III

For the Pine Barrens Tribune

SHAMONG—Despite a 14-page agenda, a Shamong School Board meeting a few weeks ago ended in just one hour.

Most items were routine. Among the highlights: Science Teacher Ryne Davies provided a presentation using a sample lab/experiment from the Next Generation Science curriculum currently being used in the district.

During the public portion of the meeting, the board heard from Jen Megaw, mother of a middle-school student. She questioned a shift in priorities in the area of Science and Social Studies versus Language Arts.

Tim Carroll, Indian Mills Memorial School principal, said there are changes in the 5th grade schedule for the 2017-18 school year so that more time is allotted to language arts to address curricular needs and student achievement.

Carroll also reinforced the “awesome” language program that has been implemented.

Megaw seemed satisfied with the explanation that core values had to be maintained.

School calendar dates were announced.

Here are the most important: Oct. 31, early dismissal; Nov. 9-10, NJEA convention (school closed); Nov. 22: Thanksgiving holiday travel day (early dismissal); Nov. 23-24: Thanksgiving and Black Friday (school closed).

A contract addendum was announced requiring employees to report any arrests or indictments. The district already has a policy in place for contracted staff. This addendum provides for the same requirements for paraprofessionals employed through a contracted agency.

A contract for well-pit repairs, awarded in July to West Bay Construction, Inc. of Absecon, was formally approved.

A student was approved for placement in the Medford Lakes School District through June 30.

Superintendent Christine Vespe took on another role as school safety specialist, while Robyn Klim was named liaison to Child Protective Program Services.

A list of 37 volunteers, almost all of them women, was approved. Most have children in the school system.

Anastasia Hanneken was chosen to serve as a professional development presenter for an after-school program where she will present a Google Classroom series of up to eight hours.

Seven teachers, one each from kindergarten through sixth grade, will serve on a math textbook committee. They are Jennifer Trauger, Mary Barnes, Kara Lafferty, Lisa Abramovitz, Michael Kimmel, Megan Szelc and Diana Haas.

Three of the Committee’s members were named to serve as chairs for Family Education Night: Szelc, Sherry DuBoff and Kerry Haines. Another three will serve as teachers on the same panel for IMMS: Haas, Michele Montrose and Lisa Ryan.

As part of the “Week of Respect,” eighthgraders are scheduled to visit a school in Southampton to hear from the former bodyguard of Nelson Mandela, once president of South Africa.

Requests for the use of various facilities were granted to Boy and Cub Scouts of Pack 47, the Shamong Girl Scouts, the Shamong Volleyball Association and the Indian Mills Athletic Association.

541 Barbershop..................13 Medford Eyewear Center....16 Medford Heating & Air......21 Southampton Auto Center..23

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Saturday, October 14, 2017

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SPOTLIGHT Berry Basket Quilters Welcome Airmen Home

Lt. Melissa Torchon receives a Berry Basket Quilt.

PHOTO BY JAYNE CABRILLA

New State-of-the-Art Dental Center Helps Patients Achieve a Great Smile

PHOTO SUBMITTED Dr. Richard Weber D.M.D. has opened a new dental practice in Tabernacle.

By Judy Cohen Minches

By Janye Cabrilla

For the Pine Barrens Tribune

MEDFORD—It started with a can-do spirit and a request for 30 hand-made quilts. It ended with quilts presented to airmen of the Military Joint Base, McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, who had recently returned from deployment in Afghanistan.

When Marie Sheraden, a friend of the deployed unit’s leader and member of the Berry Basket Quilt Guild, made a quilt request, Sherry Brown, chairwoman of the guild’s outreach committee, remembered one of her grandmother’s favorite poems by Edgar A. Guest: “Somebody said it couldn’t be done.

But he, with a chuckle, replied, ‘That maybe it couldn’t.’ But he would be one who wouldn’t say so till he tried.”

So Sheraden thought, “Let’s try.”

Guild publicist Carol Edwards blasted an email out to guild members asking if they might help. Within moments, affirmative replies started coming in. The project then began in earnest: cutting the fabric; piecing the blocks; sewing the blocks together; long-arm

stitching the layers together; and finally, binding and labeling each bed-size quilt.

Berry Basket Quilters also made seven quilts to give to the children of four airmen.

“Each quilt was stitched with love and gratitude for these men and women who put their lives on the line for us and for our nation,” said Brown of the soldiers, who worked in Afghanistan’s 100-plus degree heat to service and repair airplanes and helicopters.

“God bless them for their dedicated service and God bless America.”

There to accept the quilts on behalf of the returning airmen over the summer, were Lt. Melissa Torchon and Staff Sgt. Jackie VanWagner. In her remarks to guild members, Torchon explained how she had considered the quilts a badge of courage and wondered if she would receive one someday. She was elated to finally receive a quilt.

“I wanted to bring some joy to my team when they returned for all their hard work,” said VanWagner. “We appreciate the support of the Berry Basket Quilters.”

Ask The Expert!

By Dean Mainardi Dean Mainardi is a 3rd generation contractor. He has built everything from new homes to restaurants. He and his company “Only The Best Builder LLC” have been on a mission to hire the “Best” people, use the “Best” products, and give the “Best” service anywhere. You can read more about this company and their mission at www.onlythebestbuilder.com. Make sure you check out the “Page of Shame.”

You are thinking about doing a project in your home, or an issue just will not go away.

Who do you go to for sincere, honest advice?

In recent years, the economic situation that our country is involved in, has brought many people to the “Trades” with little to no experience. We have seen some of the worst workmanship and solutions to problems than ever before. In the end, hard-earned money is spent and bigger problems are created.

That’s why we are here. To help you!

This section is a direct contact to give you the advice and experience you need to help solve any Home Improvement concern or issue you may have.

The best part is it’s for FREE. No strings attached. Just good old-fashioned neighborhood advice on the things you need to know. If I don’t have the answer, I will get it or refer you to the proper expert in our network of quality reliable contractors.

For every issue, I will choose the BEST question that I think will help the most people.

If we publish your question, you will receive a $50 VISA gift card as a thank you from us for helping make this new section a success.

So, “We are what you have been waiting for.”

Get to your computer and send your questions directly to me at AskTheExpert@onlythebestbuilder.com or call directly @ 609-654-1698.

For the Pine Barrens Tribune

TABERNACLE—Born and bred in Tabernacle, Dr. Richard Weber, D.M.D. is here for the long haul —“30 years or more”— with his new “Love Your Smile Dental Center” at 1529 Route 206 in Tabernacle.

Combining appreciation, respect and a deep commitment for his hometown—and its surrounding areas—together, Weber is eager to provide top-notch care to all of his patients, from children to seniors.

I want to give back to the community my family and I love so much,” Weber said.

A former football player at Shawnee High School in Medford, Weber understands firsthand the importance of preventing trauma in the mouth.

Weeks before his dental center opened, Weber donated 47 NFL-quality customized mouth guards to the Seneca High School football team to shield players from tooth and soft tissue injuries.

He organized multiple groups of players to be fitted for the mouth guards and created an impression of each player’s mouth so that they would fit.

That and an afternoon filled with music and pizza made for a productive and somewhat pleasant trip to the dentist. Weber, who can identify with the angst some patients feel at a dental office, sighed with relief.

“I’ve been in your shoes,” he said to the players. “I’ve been a dental patient, and I’ve had negative experiences. They have made me more empathetic.”

Shortly after their visit, Weber presented the students with the finished products. Each player received a mouth guard with their name and number imprinted on it.

Weber said he believes in the importance of preventing problems, in addition to tending to the multitude of issues that do arise.

“Every dollar spent on preventative care saves four dollars on dental treatment,” he said.

For patients with no dental insurance, Weber has created an “in-house discount plan.”

He charges $295 per year for adults; $190 for kids. The arrangement covers two cleanings, exams, X-rays and fluoride treatment.

It also includes a 20 percent discount on services such as fillings, extractions, root canals, crowns, dentures and mouth guards, and a 10 percent savings on dental implants.

Weber is hopeful he will make a difference in the Tabernacle area as he believes it is underserved, with no fluoride in the water and just one other dentist.

Dentistry—and all of its components—is more than a career for Weber. It’s his passion.

“The mouth is a sacred place for eating, smiling and chewing,” he said. “Unfortunately, it can be the source of great discomfort, pain and embarrassment as well.”

Weber, who told his mom after his first dental visit at age 3 that he wanted to be a dentist, and never wavered after that, said he, “wants everyone to love their smile.”

A Rutgers School of Dental Medicine graduate, Weber completed a General Practice Residency at Overlook Hospital in Summit. He has had extensive training in esthetic dentistry, implant placement and restoration, root-canal treatment, emergencies, surgery, crowns, fillings, extractions, TMJ treatment, straightening of teeth, whitening and much more.

Weber is living his dream with the opening of his practice. He gave a great deal of thought as to the layout of his office to insure both comfort and privacy for surgical procedures, consultation for treatment and to discuss financial matters.

Love Your Smile Dental Center is offering morning, evening and weekend hours.

For more information, check out the website at www.loveyoursmiledental.com, call 609-388-1101 or email info@loveyoursmiledental.com.

Saturday, October 14, 2017

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PAGE 7

SCANNER Man Accused of Robbing JCP&L Meter Reader at Gunpoint PEMBERTON—A gun-toting bandit has been arrested and charged with robbery after holding a Jersey Central Power and Light (JCP&L) employee at gunpoint last week.

Police say a 25-year-old female JCP&L worker was reading meters near Larch Ave. in Pemberton on Oct. 6 when she was approached by a man who demanded money from her.

“During the encounter, the suspect allegedly displayed what the victim believed to be a handgun,” said Lt. Jay Watters, Patrol Division commander of the Pemberton Township Police Department. “The victim was able to get away from the suspect and report the incident to police.”

The victim reported the incident at 1:39 p.m. An ensuing investigation resulted in the arrest of Davyn O’Neil, 22, of Browns Mills.

Pemberton Township Police along with the New Jersey State Police TEAMS unit executed a search warrant at O’Neil’s residence and evidence pertaining to the case was recovered.

O’Neil is charged with robbery by force as well as weapons offenses. He was lodged in the Burlington County Detention Center.

Anyone with information of this crime or any other is asked to contact the Pemberton Township Police Department at 609-894-3310 or the Confidential Tip Line at 609-894-3352.

Man Caught on Camera Burglarizing Convenience Store for Cigarettes PEMBERTON—On Oct. 1, Pemberton Township Police officers were dispatched to a Country Farms convenience store located at 59 Pemberton-Browns Mills Road after a burglar alarm sounded around 1:24 a.m.

Upon their arrival, responding officers discovered the glass front door of the business broken.

“A review of the store’s surveillance system showed a subject who entered the business and stole cigarettes while inside,” said Lt. Jay Watters, Patrol Division commander of the Pemberton Township Police Department.

Coffee and Conversation with MLPD Officers

Watters said further investigation revealed that Malek T. Floyd, 21, of Browns Mills, was the subject who entered Country Farms on Oct. 1.

“On Oct. 5, officers found Malek Floyd walking in town wearing clothing items which matched the suspect in the video,” he said.

Floyd was arrested and is charged with burglary by entering a structure, theft by unlawful taking and criminal mischief.

He was lodged in the Burlington County Detention Center.

PHOTO SUBMITTED The Medford Lakes Police Department (MLPD) recently held its first “Coffee With a Cop” event on Oct. 4.

51 Arrested in Child Support Sweep PEMBERTON—Burlington County Sheriff Jean Stanfield announced last week the results of a recent child support raid, saying the sweep—which was part of a statewide effort—resulted in the arrest of 51 individuals in Burlington County who owed $1,209,088 in court-ordered child support.

“With the success of our most recent child, support raid, we are sending a strong message that parents must take responsibility for their kids,” Stanfield said. “Child support isn’t just an issue for the children who rely on it, and the parents who owe it, it’s everyone’s issue. When child support goes unpaid, the cost of care often falls on taxpayer funded state and county agencies.”

Those arrested and ultimately released include: Bryan Hopkins, 50, of Magnolia; Hazel Brandl, 37, of Pemberton; Chante Harris, 25, of Lumberton; Ali Washington, 25, of Willingboro; Michelle Wurcz, 50, of Riverton; Ralph Bubenchik, 42, of Pemberton; Kenneth Bender, 42, of Riverside; Ronald Robinson, 42, of Burlington; Wali Young, 55, of Burlington; Stacy Lee Driscoll, 43, of Egg Harbor; Jonathan Robles, 21, of Pennsauken; Christian Porrata, 39, of Pemberton and Francis Cooper, 50, of Willingboro.

Those arrested and last reported as still being held in the Burlington County Detention Center include: Marcus Hubbard, 44, of Edgewater Park; Dwayne Barnes, 30, of Browns Mills; Tyrone Sharper, 33, of Willingboro; Anthony Cooper, 27, of

Riverside; Christopher Cook, 39, of Beverly; Alex Markovhik, 27, of Evesham; Allen Parker, 38, of Willingboro; Joel Thomas, 28, of Glassboro; Paul Ahrens, 40, of Buena; Daniel Meisner, 52, of Washington Twp.; Robert Anderson, 55, of Pemberton; William Emmons, 28, of Browns Mills; Alamin Crews, 26, of Willingboro; Jahmar Jones, 34, of Pemberton and Robert Vaughn, 29, of Willingboro.

The following individuals surrendered to authorities: Gary Weiner, 53, of Long Beach Township; Darryl Lockley, 54, of Bridgeton; Wayne Byrd, 37, of Willingboro; James Patrick, 39, of North Plainfield; Michael Nesbitt, 38, of Ewing; Deron Trumbette, 46, of Hainesport; Walter Pozniewski, 41, of Riverton; Steven Jaggernauth, 30, of Delran; Wycliffe Reid, 38, of Maplewood; Brian McClaine, 42, of Trenton; Robert Hofflinger, 29, of Browns Mills; Joanne Johnson, 61, of Pemberton; Robert Beebe, 26, of West Berlin; Quadir Davis, 36, of Trenton; Rodney Ganges, 52, of Bordentown; Anthony Bain, 52, of West Berlin; Curtis Moreland, 46, of Long Branch; Karen Lachey, 55, of Northfield; Jonathan Batchelor, 40, of Westampton; Samuel Covington, 34, of Burlington; Eric Rosado, 38, of Delran; Alexander Love, 46, of Browns Mills and Jason Rivera, 30, Newark.

Arrested on fugitive warrants were: Byrd, for forgery; Cooper for theft; and Crews for fugitive of justice from Pennsylvania.

Subject charged with additional crimes during warrant sweep: Parker for resisting

SWEEP>>PAGE 20

PHOTO SUBMITTED The event was hosted by Lakes Coffee at 8 Trading Post Way in Medford Lakes, which is owned

by Jesse Pagliuso.

PHOTO SUBMITTED Residents sat down with MLPD police officers to ask questions, voice concerns and get to know them.

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PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE

OPINION

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

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

Saturday, October 14, 2017

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

Editorial

Letter to the Editor

Assemblywoman Maria Rodriguez-Gregg Should Resign After Disgraceful Tirade

What Have We Learned in Shamong?

8th District Assemblywoman Maria Rodriguez-Gregg’s recent profanity-laced tirade and unruly behavior during a police accident investigation on April 28, caught on camera, is beneath the dignity of her elected office.

We are calling on her to resign from the state legislature immediately.

Rodriguez-Gregg, as we reported last week, hurled obscenities and berated Mount Laurel police officers for over 35 minutes as police conducted the investigation and transported her to police headquaters.

Many of her vulgarities were directed at the men and women in blue—and they were vicious and disgusting. She has not yet publically apologized to the officers.

At times, she illegitimately insinuated that the investigating officers were racists and harassing her, despite the extraordinary patience exercised by the officers who had to listen to her antics.

The officers warned her repeatedly to stop carrying on or she would be arrested, but she

chose to ignore their commands.

Throughout her ranting, she continually said she was a “sitting assemblywoman.”

We find the fact that she kept mentioning her official capacity to be troublesome.

Rodriguez-Gregg should have been a positive role model and provided an example of how to act in such a situation.

Her fight against DWI and obstruction charges is also serving as a huge distraction at a time that Pine Barrens residents need someone representing them in Trenton—and not just anyone—but someone who will contest things such as the burdensome gas tax Rodriguez-Gregg supported.

Burlington County GOP Chairman Bill Layton, in a statement to the press, encouraged Rodriguez-Gregg to keep the door open to running again someday.

We hope he is only kidding.

The Burlington County GOP should disapprove of the appalling behavior of Rodriguez-Gregg. The assemblywomen also owes an apology to the men and women in blue.

Social Media Sound Off (Re: Assemblywoman Launches Tirade Against Cops During DWI Investigation and Obstruction Arrest) Remember, not only did Maria Rodriguez-Gregg vote for the gas tax, but also Assemblyman Joe Howarth and Senator Dawn Marie Addiego. If anyone can tell me something (anything) they did to represent or serve us (their constituents) I would be glad to hear it. As of right now, I can’t vote for this ticket.

Brian Swirbel

Shamong Township School Officials told us in March that the community needed to pass a referendum of more than $5 million and the state would pick up 40 percent of the tab. Suddenly, the township’s schools needed a new well pit, roof repairs, parking lot repairs to include curbing and asphalt, HVAC upgrades with new AC, a replacement generator in both buildings, and new electronic door locks and handles for security in all classrooms. The referendum, which would have resulted in a $385.62 tax increase, failed by a small margin.

On Sept. 26, the Shamong community was asked to return to the polls on a second referendum: $4.9 million that included parking lot reconstruction, generator replacement for both schools and electronic classroom door access controls. Again, $385.62 was needed from each household in the community.

The community voted down the referendum, 584-438. After the defeat, School Business Administrator Laura Archer stated, “Projects that were included in the referendum will now need to be prioritized based on the safety and security needs of the district.”

This leaves one to question: Isn’t it the business administrator’s job to strategically plan years ahead of time through building surplus funds to address these impending issues?

Did a well pit, roofing, electronic door handle safety locks, parking lot curbing and asphalt.... improvements all land this year? Where is the planning and leadership from Superintendent Dr. Christine Vespe and Archer? Isn’t it sensible to save money and prioritize repairs annually? The paid school officials and volunteer Board of Education poorly misread their community, especially with a shrinking

school population and forever-increasing taxes.

Quality leadership is essential to a community’s education and local government system. A fine school system maintains property values in the community. Many can’t afford an almost $400 hit above and beyond the “guaranteed automatic” 2 percent tax we pay automatically in Shamong for our local schools.

By the way, we also pay an “automatic” 2 percent tax to the Lenape Regional High School District resulting in a 4 percent tax increase “automatically” per year. Quality leadership means thinking outside of the box.

Planning ahead and seeing how other small South Jersey districts are running efficiently and effectively is the answer. Shared administrative services for smaller districts such as Stratford, Somerdale and Laurel Springs align with local municipal sharedservices for savings. Contacting Shamong community businesses to donate some labor and materials for parking lot curbing and asphalt, the well pit and other construction can result in huge company tax-deduction incentives and leaves the district to still able to pay for a fraction of the job. It can’t hurt to reach out within the community.

So did we need the referendums? Do we need to prioritize projects now (as in why wasn’t that being done before)? Do we need improved leadership with creative thinkers going forward? All communities are made up of couples, families with children and retirees.

Know all of your community!

Gene J. Miller Shamong, New Jersey

Cartoon

(Re: Children Shaken Following Bus Intrusion by Erratically-Behaving Man) Really? Officials talk about cost instead of the childrens’ safety and bus driver’s safety. This situation could of gone bad from the get go. Shaking my head!

James Lyles (Re: Children Shaken Following Bus Intrusion by Erratically-Behaving Man) That is so unacceptable. Kids need to be safe, cell service is a known issue, and there is no excuse to not have some kind of back-up radio to the bus garage or school in case of an emergency.

Rachel Lutz Pierson (Re: Children Shaken Following Bus Intrusion by Erratically-Behaving Man) This incident scares the hell out of me! It could have ended badly! Is there training for bus drivers or children in a situation like this?

Ruth Rosato-Richardson (Re: Councilman Suggests Creation of Neighborhood Watch Groups in Pemberton) Been there, done that, didn’t work-even in Sunbury Village. It’s only as good as the police response and the police are stretched more thin now then they were at that time.

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

PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE Established 2016

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

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PAGE 9

PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE

COMMUNITY

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

Events

October 14 Event: Open House Location: Lower Bank Details: The Lower Bank Volunteer Fire Company will hold an open house on Saturday, Oct. 14 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Come tour the firehouse, see the firetrucks and equipment inside and learn about fire safety. There will be food, fun and free stuff for kids.

October 15 Event: Woman’s Club of Medford Violet Tea Location: Medford Details: Please join the Woman’s Club of Medford at their 4th Annual Violet Tea, Oct. 15, at the Medford Village Country Club, 28 Golfview Drive, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $35.

Proceeds benefit community programs run by the WCOM. For more information or tickets visit www.medfordwomansclub.com Event: Annual Crop Walk Location: Medford Details: Join the Medford United Methodist Church for their annual Crop Walk, Sunday, Oct. 15, at 2 p.m., registration begins at 1:30 p.m. The walk starts at Freedom Park, on Union Street, in Medford. Walkers can choose the 3-mile or the 1-mile walk through Historic Medford. All ages are welcome! Since 1969, National CROP Hunger Walks have ensured that more people will have access to nutritious food sources. Walkers are encouraged to bring/donate a jar of peanut butter for the Medford Lakes Lions food pantry.

Event: Jane Austen – Her Life and Times Location: Evesham Details: This presentation will cover the realities of English society during the time of Jane Austen’s life and literary career.

The performance will explore how Austen portrayed society in her six major works. Performed in period costume. 2 p.m. Evesham Branch Library, 984 Tuckerton Road. Call 856983-1444 to register.

October 16 Event: Thyroid Support Group Location: Whiting Details: The next meeting of the Thyroid Support Group will be held on Oct. 16, at 10 a.m., at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church,

180 Route 539, Whiting. The purpose is to educate, support and answer questions about thyroids. For more information, contact Stephanie, 732-350-2904.

Event: Medicare Made Clear Location: Evesham Details: Join Bob DeLambily for this critical information that will help you make an informed decision on your healthcare needs. 6:30 p.m., Evesham Branch Library, 984 Tuckerton Road. Call 856-983-1444 to register.

October 17 Event: Wii for Seniors Location: Evesham Details: For ages 55 & over. Video games are not just for kids anymore! See what the buzz is all about. Bowling, golf, puzzle games and more. 11 a.m. to noon. Evesham Branch Library, 984 Tuckerton Road. Call 856-983-1444 to register.

October 18 Event: Cybersecurity Made Easy Location: Evesham Details: October is Cybersecurity Month. Join Joe Calloway of JLC Associates as he covers topics on how to protect yourself.

10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Evesham Branch Library, 984 Tuckerton Road. Call 856-983-1444 to register.

October 20 Event: Medford Arts 8th Annual Juried Fine Arts Exhibition Location: Medford Details: Local artists working in mediums of oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, pen & ink, and mixed media will have their artwork on display at the Medford Arts Center through Nov. 3, 2017. Join ArtWalk on Friday, Oct. 20, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The MAC is located at 18 N. Main Street, in Medford. For more information, call 609-654-6033.

Event: Fall Friday Night Dance Performances Location: Westampton Details: The Burlington County Library is proud to announce their Fall Friday Night dance performances. The performance on Oct. 20, is Philadanco! This electrifying show features 2 performances: “Folded Prism” and “Between the Lines.” Tickets are $25 per person, per show. The shows begin at 7 p.m., doors

Come

Worship With Us

open at 6:30 p.m., at the library’s auditorium, 5 Pioneer Boulevard, Westampton. For more information, call 609-2679660.

October 21 Event: Milers Oktoberfest 5k Location: Medford Details: The Medford Milers running club is having their first official race on Saturday, Oct. 21. The proceeds of this 5k run/ walk will benefit the Medford-Vincentown Rotary Halloween Parade. The race begins and ends at Freedom Park, on Union Street, in Medford. There will be post-race refreshments, high-quality tech shirts, finisher medals, and music provided by a local DJ. Halloween costumes are optional. The cost to participate in the race is $25, until Oct. 19 at 9 p.m.; and $30 to register on race day. For more information and to register, visit https://runsignup.com/Race/NJ/Medford/MILERSOKTOBERFEST5K Event: Understanding OCD in Children and Teens Location: Medford Details: This free workshop will help parents identify symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), develop effective strategies, and understand the latest treatment approaches, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., at the Center for Counseling and Education of Medford, 66 N. Main Street, Medford. Register at info@cfcenj.com or call 609-714-8400.

Event: Gospel Music Concert by Lee Whitaker Location: Shamong Details: Recording artist Lee Whitaker, will be having a concert at Indian Mills United Methodist Church, Saturday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. The church is located at the intersection of Willow Grove and Indian Mills Road in Shamong. Admission is free. Lee’s CD will be available for purchase.

October 22 Event: Annual Trunk or Treat Location: Medford Details: Get your costumes ready for the Medford United Methodist Church annual Trunk or Treat, Oct. 22, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at 2 Hartford Road, Medford. The event is open to the public and was started as a way to provide families a safe alternative for trick or treating. For more information, contact Bethany at Bethany@medfordumc.org, or just show up!

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Saturday, October 14, 2017

PINE KNOTS COLUMN

PEMBERTON TWP. SENIOR CITIZEN COLUMN

BMIA Coordinates Community Cooperation to Landscape the “Triangle”

Busy Days at the Senior Center

By Ebba Liguori

For the Pine Barrens Tribune

PHOTO SUBMITTED Pemberton Township High School Medical Arts students Joceyln Ross, Crystal Karol Faria, Morgan Glovacz, and Ashley Anderson.

By Ebba Liguori

For the Pine Barrens Tribune

PEMBERTON—Those traveling on Clubhouse Road toward the Mirror Lake Beach pass a small “Triangle” on the side of the road.

As the years have passed, weeds and overgrowth have taken a toll on the once attractive spot along the major access to Mirror Lake. Members of the Browns Mills Improvement Association (BMIA) pass this spot every time there is a meeting at their building.

The “Triangle” has been neglected for too many years. The BMIA decided to coordinate efforts to improve the location, joining together with a number of organizations to bring the project to fruition. Last year, the BMIA sponsored a landscape design contest involving Agricultural Science students at Pemberton Township High School. Teacher Dawn Viveiros worked with her students on a landscape module and several then entered the contest. Ideas from the competition were incorporated into the final design concept.

Members of the BMIA, Pemberton Township Public Works Department and community all helped the concept become a reality.

Public Works provided heavy equipment and labor to remove dead trees, level the ground and add mulch and sod. They also installed a water system and placed large rocks on the perimeter to prevent motor vehicles from

disturbing the newly landscaped area. Thanks are owed to Mayor David Patriarca for his support in scheduling the work and the Public Works employees for their dedicated labor.

Some funding was obtained through the Clean Communities work program with the cooperation of the BMIA and the Rotary Club.

Herman’s donated material for the project and helped with the labor. Additional funds were obtained by Jeff Wilson of the Pemberton Rotary Club through a community project monetary grant. Mums were purchased with these funds and used to place the final colorful touches on the landscape. Walker’s Florists provided the mums and Joceyln Ross, Crystal Karol Faria, Morgan Glovacz, and Ashley Anderson, Pemberton Township High School Medical Arts students, completed the plantings, as part of their 60 hours of community service required for the Medical Arts Academy.

This truly has become a lesson in cooperation among many local organizations and businesses. One needs to drive along Clubhouse Road and take the time to observe the landscaping. Approach the intersection of Clubhouse and West Lakeshore roads, and the “Triangle” is there for all to see in its newly completed glory.

Thanks to the leadership and cooperation of so many, there is a gateway to Mirror Lake the

PEMBERTON—The month of October at the Pemberton Senior Center began with a visit by the “couponing ladies.”

This month, Kimberly Tauche brought all sorts of coupons for products seniors usually need to purchase. She spends extra time clipping vitamin and supplement coupons that are always popular. She also had a number of dining out coupons available. Tauche went through all the circulars, pointing out best buys and ways to multiply the coupons and “double up” on some specials. Special thanks to the Coupon Club for thinking of the seniors.

On Oct.3, Jodi Ann Kochie, a representative from Virtua Health, stopped in to talk briefly about the need for cancer screenings. She announced a program to provide free mammograms through the NJCEED Program.

Anyone uninsured or underinsured could be eligible for a free screening. A mobile unit will be at the Pemberton Community Library, 16 Broadway St., Monday Oct. 16 from noon to 6 p.m. This service is available for Medicare, part A only subscribers and those with no insurance.

Those who complete the scanning can receive a $20 Walmart or Wawa gift card. To sign up, contact 856-247-7388. Further information can be offered about your eligibility at that time.

On Tuesday, Oct. 17 at 10 a.m., a state-trained Medicare counselor will present all the available state programs and assist participants in selecting which options fit best for them.

Assistance with the application process will also be available. This will also be just one of the available programs with guest speakers visiting the center to keep seniors well informed. If you have any questions about your Medicare benefits, this is the time to stop in at the center and learn more.

The Burlington County Health Department will be at the center to provide flu immunizations from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 19. Donations will be accepted to help defray costs. If you are unable to visit your own physician, this service provides an easy alternative. Coffee and snacks will be available while you wait. Do not delay in receiving your immunizations as flu season is fast approaching. Complications from the flu are a leading cause of pneumonia and other winter illnesses.

Next Friday, Oct. 20, is the International Festival. To conform to occupancy limits, numbered tickets will be given out for that day.

No one will be admitted without a numbered ticket. Attendance will be taken as one enters the building through the main doors only.

A standard lunch will be served for those not taking part in the festival. Those who are must contribute a dish suitable to share. Most seniors will choose to prepare something from their country of origin. Those who don’t share a dish can purchase a ticket for $10. Members of the Pemberton Board of Education and Pemberton school administration will serve the

BUSY>>PAGE 20

Holocaust Survivor and Author Speaks to Seneca Students

BMIA>>PAGE 20

PHOTO SUBMITTED Fred Behrend (right), accompanied by Helen Kirschbaum, the Director of The Esther Raab Holocaust Museum (left), shared his life story about hope and survival during the Holocaust.

For the Pine Barrens Tribune

BMIA community members helped clean up the “Triangle.”

PHOTO SUBMITTED

TABERNACLE—Holocaust survivor and author Fred Behrend came to speak to Seneca High School’s Literature of the Holocaust class on Tuesday, Oct. 2.

At the Tabernacle school, Behrend recalled his remarkable life, including his escape from Germany during the Holocaust.

Behrend’s new book, “Rebuilt from Broken Glass: A German Jewish Life Remade in America,” contains many of the stories he shared with the students including his memory of Kristallnacht, also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass.

In addition to his story of survival, Behrend left the class with some words of wisdom about the human experience and enduring tragedy.

“Hearing Mr. Behrend’s story made the literature come to life,” said Seneca junior Shannon Conover. “It made me realize that his story was like those of thousands of other that need to be heard and retold.”

Literature of the Holocaust teacher Sean Cassel said having people who witnessed history speak about their experiences to students helps connect them to the things they do in class.

“We were grateful to have Mr. Behrend come to Seneca and give our students this valuable experience,” he said.

The Esther Raab Holocaust Museum & Goodwin Education Center in Cherry Hill helped arranged Behrend’s visit.

Saturday, October 14, 2017

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Saturday, October 14, 2017

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Saturday, October 14, 2017

PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE

HEALTH

Every New Parent Should Take CPR Classes 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.

Las Vegas Shooter Was on Psyche Meds The country was dazed and mortified by the mass killing in Las Vegas in which Stephen Paddock opened fire on the concert crowd from his Mandalay Bay hotel room. I was actually in Mandalay for a conference, and there on the same days he was there. I left before it all went down.

As soon as I heard what happened, I just knew medications were involved. The fastest way to go from normal to insane is with a drug, usually one that alters brain receptors like those prescribed for anxiety, insomnia or severe depression.

Paddock was, in fact, taking a benzodiazepine drug called diazepam (brand Valium) and it was prescribed several months before the massacre.

He was supposed to take one 10mg tablet a day.

Did he stay on the drug?

Did he take more than prescribed?

Did he combine it with other medications or alcohol?

Did he suddenly stop it and plunge into severe withdrawal?

Unfortunately, these are questions for which we might never get answers.

I’m certainly not blaming Valium or any benzo for a gunman gone mad! That would be ludicrous. Millions of people take these types of drugs without becoming psychotic. Some benefit. But the news has thrown the antianxiety medication into the spotlight, with many folks debating the regulation of prescription psyche drugs.

You could certainly make the case that the diazepam was an epic fail, and Paddock’s mental disturbances triggered the crime. But the problem is that it was all intentional and premeditated.

There are many people, especially those in the anti-benzo community, who would make the argument that medications precipitate or induce the rage and insanity that underpins these types of crimes.

A 2015 World Psychiatry study of 960

Finnish adults and teens convicted of homicide found that the odds of them killing someone were 45 percent higher during the time frame they took psychoactive medications.

It’s well documented that benzos cause personality changes and delirium similar to alcohol since both act on the GABA receptor.

GABA is released while you sleep. Both benzos and alcohol bind to GABA receptors and should tranquilize you, but paradoxically, the opposite occurs and you experience just the opposite.

If combined with the “FQ” antibiotic class, or corticosteroids or antidepressants, the brain disturbances become even greater.

As an example, a drunk person gets violent and abusive, instead of dozing off like you might expect with high GABA. While unusual, benzo use does have the same pharmacological potential to alter personality and cause aggression just like alcohol. That said, do not stop any medications abruptly.

Improper discontinuation of psychoactive medications can result in severe neurological consequences, aggression and suicidal ideation.

The reason is because once the GABA is withdrawan, there’s no more calming chemicals to offset the anxiety-producing ones.

For that reason, psychoactive medications must be tapered. For those of you interested, I have a longer article at my website, so sign up for my newsletter at suzycohen.com There is a weird irony that could take place.

Concert survivors or their family members may develop anxiety, nightmares, phobias or PTSD. The irony is that they will most likely be prescribed a benzo similar to the one Paddock took! Benzos are prescribed frequently and without too much thought. Experiencing grief is a natural part of life. There are safe herbal ways to induce tranquility. There are many qualified therapists and professionals who can help, so please consider non-drug interventions before the benzo.

By Sue Hubbard, M.D. I was seeing a newborn the other day and you deliver your baby. But in these cases, you the parents had a great idea. Their baby boy have to take the class on “their schedule.” It had spit up and they were concerned about is such a great idea to host a party with your how to clear his airway. When we discussed friends and hire a certified CPR instructor to how to hold the baby to clear his airway, they come to you! decidied to have “teaching party” for a group of You know I do like to “isolate” my newborn their friends who also had young babies. patients from crowds (for 6 to 8 weeks), but it is I encourage new parents (actually all parents, fun to gather with other parents of newborns to and even grandparents) to take a CPR class. I get some social interaction. If everyone brought am fortunate that we have yearly CPR class in their baby, and a dish for dinner, it could be a our office, which keeps us all up-to-date. mini dinner party followed by CPR training.

It is fairly easy to find local CPR classes, So let’s start planning CPR parties. I may either through the YMCA, the American Heart even do one for my friends who are becoming Association or often through the hospital where grandparents.

Dr. Sue Hubbard is an award-winning pediatrician, medical editor and media host. “The Kid’s Doctor” TV feature can be seen on more than 90 stations across the U.S. Submit questions at http://www.kidsdr.com. The Kid’s Doctor e-book, “Tattoos to Texting: Parenting Today’s Teen,” is now available from Amazon and other e-book vendors.

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PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE

FUN AND GAMES Are We There Yet?

By Lori Clinch

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

Walnuts Not Falling Far From Trees When our four sons were growing up, we had a big yard for them to play in. Best yet, we had a lovely walnut tree in the middle of it and oh, how they loved it.

It provided shade for their clubhouse, shelter for hide-and-seek and its strong branches were perfect for climbing to the top.

Our sons’ favorite thing about the walnut tree was its plethora of produce. I’m sure that in a little boy’s mind, its round and hard-shell nut provided a toy that was not only the perfect shape and convenient, but was mass-produced.

Being boys, they had many uses for those walnuts. They weren’t being malicious as they “bowled” them at cars. They just wanted to see what would happen when the walnuts got smashed. Heaven forbid they bring one inside and use a nutcracker.

They weren’t being mischievous when they hit them with a baseball bat; they just wanted to see if they could knock it out of the park. Was it their fault that the neighbor’s camper just happened to be in its path?

As they aged, golf became a real thing and when one contemplates the price of golf balls, could there have been a better substitute for young learners than the walnuts that were strewn about the yard?

Walnut golf wasn’t a real problem at first because those young sons of ours weren’t real good at hitting the nut off of the tee. I’ll give them one thing, they didn’t give up so easily and soon they were not just connecting, they were successful with giving it a good whack.

What they lacked in aim, they gained with strength and I would have been downright proud if those walnuts hadn’t made a line drive with our bedroom window, a passing car and an unsuspecting brother’s upper torso.

Given all of this, I still loved that old walnut tree even though it caused so much

turmoil in my life. Not to mention that it was the main subject of conversation every time the doorbell rang and that it certainly wasn’t pleasant to come face to face with an angry citizen who was there to report what those boys of ours had done with the walnuts now!

But let’s face it, boys are going to be boys no matter what you do and if it hadn’t been the walnuts, it could have been the alley full of rocks, dirt clods or some of my best china.

We moved out of our old house 12 years ago and left the beloved old walnut tree behind. Now that our four sons are all grown, I hadn’t given it much thought in recent years. Then I received a text this week from our oldest and wise-cracking son, Vernon, who recently purchased his own home.

“Hey,” he wrote, “how did we take care of all of the walnuts at the old house? Did we just run over them with the mower and mulch them up like they weren’t even there?”

I can’t tell you for sure how I sensed that he was following this statement up with a proverbial tsk tsk. I can only tell you that a mother just knows.

“That’s exactly what you do,” I replied at the possible implication that his father and I should have been out on the lawn, plucking the bounty out of the grass with tweezers.

“Or,” I continued, “you could throw them at cars, or hit them at campers with a baseball bat, or practice your swing on your neighbors homes with your favorite golf club. If all else fails, get a friend to put a target on his chest and see how accurate your shot is.”

It’s been several days and I still haven’t heard back from Vernon so I’m not quite sure he appreciates my sense of humor.

One thing is for sure, since Vernon now has his very own walnut tree in his yard, I sincerely hope he, too, will someday have a house full of sons.

C R O S S W O R D Across 1 “Star Wars” High Council member 11 Co. leaders 15 Writing desk 16 Realize 17 Where the Walking Piano scene in “Big” was filmed 18 Toy since ancient times 19 Laughs 20 Text giggle 21 ZzzQuil competitor 23 Military actions 25 Spanish uncle?

26 Action toys since 1964 29 Discombobulated 31 Single dose?

33 It’s often made at parties 35 Part of a suit 37 Unlikely to bite 38 Join for a session 40 Base path?

41 Proper 53-Down 43 Many a single 45 Ds, in the key of C 46 Sum is a form of it 48 Like many salons 49 Chance to hit 51 Country

P U Z Z L E

53 Chemical bases 55 Word with wire or water 56 Gambling initials 59 Once-venerated bird 60 Homeric island dweller 63 Agreement with a refusal 64 Wait follower 65 Kid 66 No longer fashionable Down 1 Buckley who covered Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” 2 Son of Rebecca 3 Anti-rodent brand 4 Return letters 5 Most popular boy’s name in 44 of the last 100 years 6 Foxhole absentees, so it’s said 7 Scattered 8 __ Maria 9 Goes thataway instead of thisaway 10 Do a city planner’s job 11 Absent-minded A.A. Milne title character 12 “The Accidental Tourist” Oscar winner 13 Goes down as planned

14 Informal glasses 22 Extinct birds 23 Seven-time All-Star third baseman Scott __ 24 More thirst-inducing 26 The sun, for one 27 Classic film words of self-revelation 28 TV hero who famously kissed 52-Down 30 Bones’ partner 32 Bygone messager 34 Feels off 36 “__ at End House”: Christie mystery 39 Complex parts 42 Color on San Jose Shark uniforms 44 Evidence provider 47 Circus equipment 50 Musical count 52 See 28-Down 53 Improper 41-Across 54 NYC gallery district 56 Plains tribe 57 Trillion: Pref.

58 Fictional rabbit’s title 61 Address bk. info 62 Pulitzer poet Lowell

© 2017 LORI CLINCH

S U D O K U

ANSWERS ON PAGE 22

PAGE 18

PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE, WWW.PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM

Saturday, October 14, 2017

PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE

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AUTO PARTS & SVCS. SCRATCH AND DENT REPAIR BY AUTO BODY STORE. First-class auto body repairs and painting. Cars, trucks, trailers or tractors. FREE estimate visits in LeisureTowne. 609-859-3670.

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Retractable Awnings, Window Awnings, Retractable and Stationary Canopies, Recovers, Repairs, Rehangs, Take Downs, Washings. Fully insured.

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are 5 11 x12 ft. offices, a 12 x 16 ft. conference room, large bullpen, reception and administrative area, and kitchenette.

Monthly lease price is $2,895. Contact Anne Parker at Berkshire Hathaway, Fox and Roach Realtors. 609-654-1888 or 609-471-2565.

FURNITURE REPAIR Adam’s Furniture Restoration LLC. Twenty (20) years experience. Furniture repair, kitchen cabinet refinishing.

Touch-ups, re-gluing, upholstery, leather repair. 856-979-6210. adamsfurniturerestoration@gmail.com.

GARAGE/YARD SALE Moving Sale 17 Picardy Place– LeasureTowne, Saturday, Oct. 14, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday Oct. 15, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bedroom set, living room furniture, kitchen set, sewing machine, pictures, paintings, mirrors, video eye and more.

Everything priced to sell. All items cash and carry.

LeisureTowne community yard sale Oct. 21. Rain date Oct. 22. 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. No maps available, ride thru and shop.

FOR RENT

HELP WANTED

Commercial rental available in Southampton Township. Professional office suite is move-in ready. Included

Area claims writer. No experience.

PT/FT flex. hours. NJ/PA. Call or text 609-548-3108. Target income. $30k/$80k.

Phillips Heating. Part-time, seasonal position for delivery. Driver/service technician. CDL, tanker air brakes, hazmat endorsements. Good driving record a must. Call Bill 609-859-8654.

Technician/Mechanic Wanted. As a Technician/Mechanic, you will provide accurate and efficient services to customers by trouble shooting, diagnosing, and repairing heavy duty semi-truck trailers in a safe, reasonable and responsible manner. You will be required to have a “whatever needs to be done” work ethic and attitude, be mechanically inclined, and a team player with neat appearance.

You should be a self-motivated, dependable, and work well with others.

Qualified candidates must posses a high school diploma or GED; pass a background check and drug screening and have a valid driver’s license. 401k-benefits and paid training.

Please apply online at www.mypetrojob. com Reporters Needed. Great storytellers with sound news judgment sought. Strong interpersonal, writing, and AP-style skills a must! Call 609-801-2392. Must be available during the evening hours.

Newspaper Delivery Driver Needed.

Dependable person who can work during the daytime on Fridays. Pay is excellent.

Call 609-801-2392.

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 973-222-1920 973-432-8894

Cash paid for vintage saxophones and World War II military items. Email mymilitarytoys@optonline.net or call 609-581-8290.

2 1,500w Amish made room heaters.

Small heater $100, Large heater $150.

Leave message 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. 609-8592158.

REAL ESTATE Open House October 15 1-4 p.m.

1412 Old Indian Mills Road, Shamong Township. This 3,400 sq. ft. home is situated on 3.59 acres. Features include 3 or 4 bedrooms, master bedroom features 2 full baths and dressing room. Other features include family/sunroom, full basement and more. Outdoor features include in-ground pool. Asking $395,000.

For more information, contact Anne Parker at Berkshire Hathaway, Fox and Roach Realtors. 609-654-1888 or 609-471-2565.

Saturday, October 14, 2017

EMERGENCY PAGE 1

“I have been coming in here for five years now,” he said. “It is not like everybody didn’t know what was coming. You guys did nothing about putting money aside towards these air packs for the last five years. That is why I came here long ago to kind of prepare (you for this moment).”

Wetmore said funding the fire company so that it can continue to provide Bass River Township with fire protection services is something that the board has an obligation to do.

“This is life and death next door,” he said.

“Our biggest supporters should be you guys.

I don’t feel that at all as the chief. This (the board) is my biggest hurdle right here. Going out and fighting the fires and (responding) to (accident) scenes—that is easy work for me.”

Buzby-Cope said the municipality purchased four air packs for the company from Witmer Public Safety Group for $15,980. She said the company should receive them in two weeks.

“What does that do for us?” Wetmore said.

“That still doesn’t get us to the number that we need. Do you understand what we need?”

Buzby-Cope said the purchase of four air packs is going to allow four members of the fire company to go out and fight a fire.

Wetmore said 20 firefighters or more may have to respond to an incident.

“So, you are going to tell me I am going to send out four guys,” he said. “It could be 20 at one time. We have certified people. If you go out on a hazardous materials call, you don’t know what it (the material) is and (if it is giving off a harmful odor). You have to have an air pack for those people who are on that truck.”

Wetmore said it isn’t sustainable to have firefighters respond to the firehouse, only to be sent home because there is no apparatus available to them.

“So, when the truck gets ready to leave the firehouse, (I am supposed to say), ‘You four, you can go. The rest of you guys, you can go home,”’ he said. “How long do you think that is going to last? It is not going to last long because people are going to say, ‘Why am I running down here for no reason?”’

Buzby-Cope was silent for a moment and then reiterated that the municipality purchased four air packs for the fire company from Witmer. She also said that Witmer is going to upgrade the fire company’s equipment as a courtesy so that it can refill the new bottles with air.

“You don’t understand,” Wetmore said.

“That doesn’t help us at that point.”

Buzby-Cope asked Wetmore if the township should cancel the order for the air packs.

“If that is what you want to do,” Wetmore said. “What are you going to do, close the firehouse down? Is that your plan?”

Buzby-Cope said the municipality is working within their budget and has limitations.

“At least we are trying here,” she said.

Wetmore said the municipality is in possession of a $400,000 surplus or fund balance.

“The surplus is not ($400,000),” Buzby-Cope said. “When I sat down with Chief Financial Officer Al Stanley—what is left over is like $100,000.”

Wetmore said the fire company reviewed the municipality’s financials two weeks before the meeting and saw a surplus of almost $400,000 listed.

Buzby-Cope said Stanley doesn’t know where the fire company is getting the statistics.

“It is coming off the internet,” he said.

“The tax papers were saying there was almost

PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE, WWW.PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM

$400,000 at the end of last year.”

The Pine Barrens Tribune reviewed the municipality’s financial records posted online after the meeting.

This year’s municipal budget document lists a $345,000 surplus that was “realized in cash” in 2016. A $300,000 surplus is anticipated to be on hand by the end of this year.

Buzby-Cope, during the meeting, offered to have Stanley meet with Wetmore. Wetmore did not agree to the meeting and instead made a veiled threat that he was going to shut down the fire company on Jan. 1.

“It is obvious we are getting four packs and that is what we are getting,” he said. “When it comes to the end of the year, we are going to do what we have to do. I am sorry about that. I am sorry to all you people (residents in attendance).”

Buzby-Cope appeared to be stunned by Wetmore’s veiled threat.

“Okay…so…that is where it is at…I mean… are you guys ordering any?” she said.

Wetmore said he didn’t know yet if the fire company would be ordering any air packs until the company’s board of directors meets later this month.

“I can’t say ‘yes,’ ‘no,’ or ‘indifferent’ until everybody sits down,” he said.

Andrew Anderson, a firefighter with the New Gretna Volunteer Fire Co., said firefighters would not have the stamina to fight a fire without being on air.

“A healthy firefighter will consume the tank in 20 minutes or less,” he said. “Someone a little bit older and a little bit heavier will consume theirs in 12 minutes.”

Anderson said that a large number of air packs are also necessary because firefighters tend to rotate throughout an incident.

“You have to take firemen out of rotation to put other firefighters in there when you are fighting fire,” he said. “You need another fireman with a pack on, ready to go, when a firefighter becomes exhausted. Four won’t do the job.”

Buzby-Cope continued to ask Wetmore about how many air packs the fire company was going to purchase. Wetmore said “at most three.”

Anderson said the fire company recently held two coin tosses and flipped hot dogs and hamburgers at the Tuckerton Decoy and Gunning Show to raise money.

“Our revenues are down,” he said. “We are thinking about additional ways to raise money.

Normally, we might take in $10,000 from coin tosses. This year, we will be lucky if we take in $4,500. The Decoy Show—that is an incredible amount of work. During a good year, we might make more than $1,000. On a relatively average year, we have made $650-$750.”

Silence from the dais resulted in additional veiled threats from the fire company’s personnel.

“The air packs are critical,” Anderson said.

“I don’t think the chief is willing to put people in a truck to respond to a call unless they have adequate packs.”

Wetmore said Anderson was correct about his assumption.

“Ultimately it all falls back on my shoulders and I am not taking on that responsibility,” he said.

Patrick Monaghan, assistant chief of the New Gretna Volunteer Fire Co., said the Burlington County Joint Insurance Fund (JIF), of which Bass River Township is a part of, prohibits a fire company from knowingly violating National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) rules.

“One of those rules say that every truck that rolls out the door has to have a pack for every

PAGE 19

PHOTO SUBMITTED Residents and first responders gathered inside the New Gretna Volunteer Fire Company building last year for an event. occupied seat on the vehicle,” he said. “So our engine alone needs six packs. We can’t run out the door without six.”

He added that the fire company’s tanker and mini-pumper has two seats and their rescue truck holds four or five people.

“God forbid you need another truck,” Wetmore said. “Most of you (residents in the room) can attest to this: I have been coming here (before the board) for many years now, putting this (predicament) out there. Nothing has happened (all this time) and now we are in October and something is happening. It is a little too late.”

Wetmore and his team were asked if the fire company has thought about securing a loan for the air packs.

“We probably don’t have the ability to borrow money,” Anderson said. “Our revenue stream wouldn’t justify any legitimate lender lending us money to buy air packs.”

Most of the people attending the meeting were distressed by the possibility that the fire company may have to close its doors.

“I think somehow, someway—whether you guys run a fundraiser or the town pays for the air packs—it has got to be done or we don’t have a fire department and we are all at risk,” said resident Marian Assur. “If this has been talked about for five years, everybody should have started thinking about getting money together for this and not wait until three months before the end of the year.”

Buzby-Cope, in response to a question asked by a resident, said the fire company receives $29,000 from the municipality on an annual basis.

She added that the municipality’s contribution used to be only $27,000.

Resident William Aaronson said he doesn’t understand why this is even an issue.

“We are talking about public safety here,” he said. “Your primary responsibility as commissioners is public safety. Unless there is something I am missing, it seems like the commission has a direct responsibility to meet this need. This crap about the (limited) budget—I have been hearing that for 10 years.

All you know how to do is cut expenses and you don’t know how to raise revenue, which is at the heart of your problem.”

Aaronson recommended that the fire company consider declaring bankruptcy.

“Unless you see more cooperation up there, I think you only have one option,” he said.

Wetmore said the fire company doesn’t want to go down that route.

“We do this job because we love it,” Monaghan said. “We enjoy protecting the

people of the town. We want to keep all of our neighbors safe. But, nobody wants to go out and try to do their job without the proper equipment.

“At the same time, we don’t want to shut the doors. But, if something goes wrong or somebody gets hurt or somebody gets killed, it falls right on him (Wetmore). Nobody over there is willing to allow that to happen because we respect him too much as the chief of the fire company.”

An emotional Assur began to choke up.

“You guys need to survive because I know that I have called for help for my Dad, when he was still alive, and you guys were there and I really appreciated that,” she said. “I don’t want to see that go away.”

Buzby-Cope, after the meeting concluded, said she was going to wait until she hears back from Wetmore on the company’s contribution towards the air packs before she weighs any additional funding options. She said that a bond ordinance to pay for the air packs is a consideration.

When asked if the town can utilize surplus to fund the air packs, Buzby-Cope reiterated that Stanley told her that municipality’s surplus was around $100,000. She added that Stanley advised the board to not drop the town’s surplus below $100,000 unless an emergency arises.

When pressed if she believed the situation constituted an emergency enabling the town to dip into its surplus, she conceded that it did.

“Yes—I understand it is an emergency,” she said. “It’s life or death.”

Township Solicitor JoAnne O’Connor, sitting next to the mayor during the postmeeting interview, said the safety of citizens is paramount.

Buzby-Cope said she appreciates the fire company being in town.

“I don’t want them to close,” she said. “I would hate to see that happen.”

However, Buzby-Cope noted that there are also two other commissioners that have a say in the fire company’s future.

Commissioner Louis Bourguignon, who was was muted throughout the entire meeting, declined to comment on the matter.

“I am a firefighter,” he said.

Deputy Mayor Nicholas Capriglione was out of town and absent from the meeting.

“I grew up in New Gretna,” Wetmore said.

“I live in Little Egg now. I come here to volunteer. I don’t go to West Tuckerton to volunteer. I drive right past their firehouse to come here. I do it here because this is where I grew up. This is what I love to do.”

PAGE 20

CONTRACT PAGE 2

be amended.

The draft document says Weiss’ starting salary was $90,000 during the 2014-15 school year. It is also says that if she receives a satisfactory performance evaluation, she’ll be entitled to receive a salary of $111,368 during the 2018-19 school year (may still be adjusted if this is the amendment that is pending approval).

Fischl said that if Minus-Vincent approves the amendment, it will still require another board approval for it to take effect.

The contract is due to expire on July 1, 2019.

In other news, the board heard from Dawn Johnson, who is one of many district parents deeply concerned with the district’s transportation operation and communication abilities following an incident on the first day of school.

As this newspaper reported last week, an erratically behaving man in a sub-mental state entered a school bus on Sept. 7 with district children aboard. The man refused to exit the bus, which was in the process of picking up children along Baptist Road.

The bus driver struggled to call for help due to poor cellular service in the township and a lack of two-way radio technology.

“Let’s say an intruder hops on the bus again—for bus driver safety and plus the safety of all our children—are bus drivers allowed to use pepper spray?” Johnson said.

Vincent said the district can’t stop bus drivers from carrying a can of Mace.

“They can carry their own,” he said. “We are not going to start providing it as a district.

There is legal Mace you can buy at Walmart, Target or other places like that. It just can’t be over a certain size bottle.”

Peter Aseltine, a spokesman for the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, said there are exceptions to an “Unlawful Possession of Weapons” state statute that allow citizens to carry pepper spray or Mace.

“State statute N.J.S.A. 2C:39-6 includes the following provision that nothing in in N.J.S.2C:39-5 shall be construed to prevent any person who is 18 years of age or older and who has not been convicted of a felony, from possession for the purpose of personal self-defense of one pocket-sized device which contains and releases not more than threequarters of an ounce of chemical substance not ordinarily capable of lethal use or of inflicting serious bodily injury, but rather, is intended to produce temporary physical discomfort or disability through being vaporized or otherwise dispensed in the air,” he said. “Any person in possession of any device in violation of this subsection shall be deemed and adjudged to be a disorderly person, and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not less than $100.”

There were also complaints from members of the public, for the second consecutive meeting, that they could not hear the proceedings.

This is partially due to a setup in the school’s cafeteria that places the board members at least 20 feet away from the audience.

In August, Gahles told the Pine Barrens Tribune that he would have the meeting setup changed beginning with the September board meeting. That didn’t happen.

Instead, one handheld microphone was seen on a stand placed in front of Weiss.

“I have a microphone here, but it doesn’t work,” Weiss said. “So, we have to look into getting that fixed also.”

Vincent, who said, “You can yell at us to speak up,” at a previous meeting in response to

PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE, WWW.PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM

complaints, said he has never heard complaints before about the board members’ voices.

“I think we can pull you guys closer,” he said. “Don’t be shy. We don’t bite.”

The school board certified that the district had $248,016.48 in their general account, including special revenue. This certification process is now a monthly tradition, after questions were raised about the district’s financial circumstances.

Bills totaling $117,974.55 from July were approved for payment. Bills totaling $71,583.86 from July were also approved for payment.

Gross wages from July 13 to Aug. 19 totaling $75,684.65 were approved.

A contract for a “Six Pillars of Character” presentation in the amount of $595 was awarded to a firm that wasn’t identified by the board.

Another contract for a “Stand Up, Step In, STOP BULLYING!” presentation was awarded to a firm that wasn’t identified by the board.

Weiss, who quickly exited the room after the meeting adjourned, did not want to comment on any district matters according to a secretary reached by phone a week after the meeting occurred.

A corrective action plan was approved based on findings from a 2015-16 school year audit.

“They didn’t like our wording,” said Gahles who explained that the state wanted to see more specific wording in the district’s audit materials that were submitted.

Weiss was approved as the district’s school safety specialist for the 2017-18 school year.

No additional details were provided.

Monica Lee and Jeanine Goodlow were moved on an employee’s salary guide.

The board accepted resignations from paraprofessionals Heather Fetty and Monica Mallinder.

The board also approved the retirement of Rose Parks who served the district for 30 years as a bus driver. She received applause from the board and audience.

“Thank you for everything you have done,” Cronin said.

Valarie Donofrio was hired as a part-time paraprofessional at Step 2 of the employee’s salary guide.

Seven employees were approved to receive stipends of up to $2,500 to serve as activity, club or sport advisers.

Numerous educational programs, staff development programs and field trips were approved by the board.

Weiss provided a five-minute overview of the district’s Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) scores.

She said it is hard to discern a pattern in a district with such small class sizes, but the district has “some work to do.” She said in some areas, students performed well and in other areas, they did not perform so well.

“We’re trying to target the little guys (with enrichment programs),” Weiss said. “If you can’t read, you can’t accelerate at anything.”

The meeting was preceded by a presentation from School Boards Field Service Representative Jesse Adams Jr. He provided board members with training on their roles and responsibilities.

“This is not a tennis match,” Adams said. “A lot of boards get in trouble because they don’t communicate.”

Vincent and Board Member William Dirkin appeared to be most intrigued by the presentation.

“We are going to take additional classes

and training just to make sure that we are doing things the way that they should be done,” Vincent said. “We want to better ourselves, our school community and everything.

“It was very helpful and very useful on things and how they should be done and what we are doing. We are on track. He gave us ideas and different things to start working on.”

Dirkin said he asked Adams during a break to assist the board with a policy review.

“He is willing to help us get a fresh start with our policies and streamline things,” he said.

Proposed policies that would govern service

Saturday, October 14, 2017

of non-public school students, long-range facilities planning, educational adequacy of capital projects, site selection and acquisition, school closings, disposition of property, disposal of instructional property, disposal of land, disposition of personal property and disposition of federal property were introduced.

No details were offered. Board Solicitor Amy Guerin, who showed up for the final 15 minutes of the Adams’ presentation, left before the meeting began.

All action taken was unanimous.

CONSUMPTION PAGE 4

Council, join to help residents better understand the link between opioid

SWEEP PAGE 7

arrest.

“This operation was conducted to remind parents of the importance of making regular child-support payments and hopefully renew their commitment to do the right thing,”

prescription drug abuse and rising heroin abuse.”

Stanfield said. “I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their excellent assistance in this important operation.”

The sweep involved assistance and support from the Burlington County Sheriff’s Department, Pemberton Township and Willingboro Township Police Departments.

BMIA

PAGE 10 community can be proud of. Local Facebook pages have been filled with remarks and photos about the “Triangle” changes. It’s amazing how much of a difference a freshly

BUSY

PAGE 10 buffet and door prizes will be given.

Don’t forget Bingo with Margaret on Thursday, Oct. 26, at Aspen Hills and at the center on Tuesday, Oct. 31. Registration is required for the Thursday date by phoning Aspen Hills. Breakfast will be served. No sign up is required for the Tuesday date. Come and celebrate Halloween with the seniors and win some prizes at Bingo!

The new Senior Gazette was published last week and lists the many coming activities planned for October.

A group will head to Resorts in Atlantic City on Wednesday, Oct. 25. The trip includes $20 food voucher, $20 slot play and a show ticket. “Four by Four” is a tribute to the legendary music of the Beach Boys, Beatles, Bee Gees and Motown with a cast of four entertainers performing the hits of those groups.

A similar show and day of entertainment will

landscaped spot can provide.

BMIA members will continue to maintain the “Triangle” and water the fresh flowers. In the spring, fresh flowers and plantings will be added.

be offered Dec. 6. This was not included in the original calendar because it was announced more recently. It seems to be an incredible bargain at $40 per resident senior, so it was decided to add it to the schedule. The “Jersey Tenors” quartet will perform songs made popular by famous New Jersey vocalists.

Again, a $20 food voucher will be included, as well as coin for gaming. Celebrate the holidays early with a terrific show. Tickets will be available until late November.

Stop at the Pemberton Township Senior Center on Brook Street, across from the Browns Mills Post Office, or check the township web site for information on the many trips and events available for local seniors.

There are many continuing programs and guest speakers throughout the year.

You can reach the center at 609-893-4400.

Check out the many options for seniors provided through township programs.

Nourishing luncheons are served daily with coffee and snacks available as well.

Saturday, October 14, 2017

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Saturday, October 14, 2017

PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE

HOME, GARDEN, AND FARMING Farm and Food File

By Alan Guebert

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

Taking A Knee

If the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) current forecasts are even close to being right and the nation’s politicians continue their year-long blood feud, football players won’t be the only ones on their knees in protest.

Indeed, almost every piece of news out of USDA these days arrives wrapped in black crepe. For example: – U.S. cotton production is up 23 percent over a year ago and global cotton production is up 10 percent. The bumper crop, USDA estimates, will deflate this year’s 83-cents-per-pound average price to 69 cents next year.

– Successful Farming’s just-released, annual Pork Powerhouses report carries this foreboding headline, “Expansion spells trouble,” and this gloomy explanation why: “The last time the Pork Powerhouses list grew by this much was in 2006. That growth led to a market collapse and cutbacks in sow numbers by 2008.”

– On Sept. 29, USDA estimated that 2.3 billion bushels of last year’s corn crop remains in storage even as U.S farmers begin to harvest this year’s forecasted 14.2 billion bushels. That combination will keep corn prices low, around $3.20 per bushel well into next year.

– Likewise, 301 million bushels of 2016’s soybeans remain, a 53 percent increase in carryover from the year before, and a record 2017 soybean crop, about 4.4 billion bushels, is in the offing. The huge supply, says USDA, means the coming year’s price range will drop between a very skinny $8.35 per bushel and a still thin $10.05 per bushel.

– Dairy farmers and cattle ranchers will fare little better. USDA predicts next year’s milk and cattle prices will hover near 2017’s low levels.

All that said, America’s food growers are still having a better year than America’s food policy makers. The only team with a worse passing record than Congressional Republicans in 2017 is the Chicago Bears.

And it’s not going to get any easier.

Congress’s newest Hail Mary—the White House’s broad but incomplete tax reform

plan—contains enough hot potatoes that few GOP members want to handle it anytime soon.

The longer they wait, though, the longer they give Hill Democrats time to pick it apart.

If GOP leaders really want to polish their badly-tarnished, 2017 record, maybe they should go small rather than large. It could serve them, the nation, and—what a coincidence— farmers and ranchers far better.

For example, rather than bring up any form of Obamacare repeal again, experienced trade hands in Congress should give firm, clear direction to the White House on its puffed-chest “renegotiation” of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Everyone in the negotiating room—except the White House, that is—knows direction is badly needed.

Ethanol backers in Congress might do the same on the Trump Administration’s quiet undermining of the nation’s biofuel program.

On Sept. 26, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed “lower obligations” for 2018 and 2019 under the Renewable Fuel Standard program.

EPA is also examining changes to its complex RIN, or Renewable Identification Number, program. That idea, pushed by oil refiners, could hammer already-low corn prices because 5.5 billion bushels, or nearly 40 percent, of 2017/18 corn is ticketed for biofuel production.

If Congress tires of being reactive, here’s something proactive it can do that would have an enormous impact on U.S. farm income in the coming years: its ag committees can work together to significantly expand the Conservation Reserve Program, or CRP. The current, 24-million-acre CRP, its cap under the 2014 Farm Bill, is the lowest amount since 1988.

What’s the right amount? Last spring, South Dakota’s John Thune, the third-ranking Republican in the Senate, suggested 30-million acres while conservation groups have argued that CRP should include 40-million acres of U.S. marginal farmland.

Whatever is agreed upon, everyone first needs to agree that doing nothing is the worst possible route to take.

We are, after all, already doing that.

Toddlers thru 5th graders are invited to

Sunday, October 22, 4 – 6pm JOIN

US FOR AN AFTERNOON OF SAFE TRICK OR TREATING, GAMES, FACE PAINTING & SNACKS! FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT BETHANY@MEDFORDUMC.ORG

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© 2017 AG COMM. The views expressed in this column are the author’s own views and do not reflect the view of the Pine Barrens Tribune.

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AUTOMOTIVE New Vehicle Buying Guide Compiled by Motor Matters

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

2017 Honda Accord The 2017 Accord Sedan and Coupe hit dealer showrooms a new Sport Special Edition.

Retaining many of the popular enhancements introduced last year, the 2017 Accord Sedan and Coupe are available in a variety of trims, with 4-cylinder and V6 powertrains, 6-speed manual and 6-speed automatic transmissions, and a continuously variable transmission.

For 2017 Honda is introducing the Accord Sport Special Edition sedan with premium features consisting of leather seats with red stitching, heated seats and “Special Edition” badge.

The Honda Accord received significant upgrades for the 2016 model year, including dynamic new styling, a more rigid body, upgraded chassis and upsized wheels and tires on select models. The 2017 Accord carries over the expanded LED exterior lighting and premium features and technologies of the 2016 model, including the available 7-inch Display

Audio touchscreen offered with Apple CarPlay) and Android Auto, HD Radio, heated rear seats, and front and rear parking sensors. The Accord also can be equipped with Honda Sensing, among the most comprehensive suites of advanced safety and driver-assistive technologies in its class.

The 2017 Accord Sedan and Coupe, with Honda’s next-generation Advanced Compatibility Engineering body structure, has received the highest available crash safety ratings from the U.S. government—a 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score from the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration— and targets a top rating of TOP SAFETY PICK+ from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety when equipped with Honda Sensing technology.

Base model estimated mpg: 23/32 Estimated starting price: $22,355 Compiled by Motor Matters.

2017 Honda Accord.

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Saturday, October 14, 2017