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ORIE 'S ST DREN CHIL T GUIDE IF G & 1 PG. S

Vol. 8 – No. 3

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The News Leader of the Pines

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December 9 - December 15, 2023 ENTE

‘A SUPER GUY – SUPER’

FREE

Suspect Is Apprehended in Mugging of Shopper Disabled by Bear Repellent at Medford Retail Complex

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PG. C2

Philadelphia Man Arrested Following Armed Robbery of Convenience Store Also Believed to Have Been Involved in Village at Taunton Forge Incident

By Bill Bonvie

FAREWELL TO DEPUTY MAYOR SEYBOLD 1949-2023

Staff Writer

term to the governing body.

“First and foremost, I would like to

MEDFORD—A suspect in the mugging of a man at a Medford Township shopping complex back in September, in which grizzly bear spray was reportedly used to disable the victim while his wallet and cellphone were stolen, has been arrested in Pennsylvania, according to the Medford Township Police Department.

The bizarre robbery was one that was especially alarming to people who shop after hours in this suburban community.

Jevonte Pressley, of Philadelphia, has

See SEYBOLD/ Page 6

See MUGGING/ Page 9

Washington Township Mourns the Sudden Passing of Five-Year Committeeman and Deputy Mayor, Paul Seybold, Who Just Won Third Term Back in November and Was Also a Nearly Four-Decade Member, Past Chief of Lower Bank Fire Co. Washington Township Deputy Mayor Paul Seybold, who died suddenly Dec. 3, recalled as “just a super guy – super.”

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

WASHINGTON—Just about one

month ago, Paul Seybold, a five-year GOP committeeman and deputy mayor of Washington Township, won a third

Photo By Nick Weissmann

INDEX

Business Directory...................................12 Christmas Countdown/Coloring Contest.... C1 Christmas Stories & Gift Guide............... S1

Local News.................................................2 Marketplace......................................................11 Worship Guide..........................................14

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

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Saturday, December 9, 2023

Construction ‘Substantially Completed’ on Jane and Egbert Streets in Pemberton Borough, with Work Slated for Hearthstone, Reeves

Official: Traffic-Calming Measures Outlined for Hough St. Need Funding Source

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

PEM BE RT ON B OROUGH — Construction on Jane and Egbert streets in Pemberton Borough is “substantially completed,” announced Borough Engineer James Mullan during a Nov. 20 Pemberton Borough Council meeting.

As of the date of the meeting, some striping and restoration work remained outstanding, he added. The borough, a couple years back, was awarded $235,000 from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) for fixing both streets. Work to Egbert Street was ultimately split into phases, with a small portion now remaining to get resurfaced.

Mathis Construction Company, Inc., was awarded a $207,669 contract to conduct drainage improvements to Davis Street, with the borough having previously received, in October 2022, a $264,000 grant for that project from the NJDOT. The firm, based in Little Egg Harbor Township and one that the borough engineer said he has worked with in the past, provided the lowest bid of four companies that submitted bids for the project, according to Mullan, with the bids ranging from $207,000 to $382,000.

Davis Street, it was previously said, has developed sinkholes from reportedly faulty piping underneath the street.

Mu l l a n , o f Pe n n o n i A s s o c i at e s , also announced on Nov. 20 that “our design is complete” for the first phase of i mprove me nt s to He a r t h stone Boulevard, the main thoroughfare for the Hearthstone at Woodfield retirement

community in the municipality.

“We should have final plans within the month,” declared Mullan of Hearthstone Boulevard, with the borough engineer having previously reported in October that the municipality received a $181,000 grant from the NJDOT to put towards the work.

The borough, Mullan noted on Nov. 20, has now also heard back from the NJDOT on its 2023 Municipal Aid Application, and was granted the “full amount” requested, or $195,840, to complete a remaining portion of Egbert Street, as well as part of Reeves Street.

“Jane and Egbert look fabulous,” declared Councilwoman Diane Fanucci. “I can’t wait until the rest of Egbert, and Reeves get done.”

Fanucci inquired whether the borough is also responsible for maintaining a group of alleys in the municipality, pointing out that one is in “really bad” shape next to what used to be Boyd’s Pharmacy in the center of town, and more recently was a thrift store.

While one official responded that Mullan would have to check to see if they fall under borough responsibility, Councilman Steven Fenster, in pointing to his previous position as overseer of Streets & Roads (a position now held by Councilwoman Melissa Tettemer), recounted that there are about four alleys and that “they are borough property, I believe.”

“I don’t know if we can get the funding, but we are doing so well (with making improvements in the borough),” Fanucci

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See CONSTRUCTION/ Page 13

New Dog Park ‘Good Addition for Town,’ Pemberton Mayor Says, But Its Having Taken Place of Little League Ballfield Draws Concern

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

PEMBERTON—A dog park has been established for Pemberton Township, pro cla i me d Republ ic a n Mayor Ja ck Tompkins during a Nov. 8 Pemberton Township Council meeting, though the announcement almost immediately drew some critical questions and comments from Demo c ratic Cou nc i l P re sident Donovan Gardner.

According to Tompkins, the dog park has been set up at what was a ballfield “being used every now and then” in the Country Lakes section of the municipality, by the Country Lakes Firehouse.

“We do have the fencing up,” Tompkins said. “We are waiti ng for a c ouple benches, so you can sit outside, and so when you are watching your dogs do whatever they do in the dog park, you can relax a little bit.”

Business Administrator Daniel Hornickel noted that park benches are also on order for the dog park.

The mayor said he has already “walked the park a little bit” and took notice of two sections for the dog park, “Big Dog, Small Dog.” “It is a lot of area for your pets to enjoy,” Tompkins declared. “There are cleanup stations there already. The rules are on the fence. It looks like it is going to be a really nice addition to the town, and I think Rec and Public Works did a good job on it.”

The “good location,” the mayor maintained, was chosen by the Recreation Department.

“The dog park location – I am not sure if

you are aware, but that park was unofficially used by the Little Leaguers in the spring, for their training,” pointed out Gardner to Tompkins. “They go there and practice.

Dads come out and teach their kids how to pitch and how to hit.”

Robert “Pete” King, a local school board member and Scout leader, noted that the backstop has already been taken down and “you can’t even see the baseball portion of it.”

Gardner, in response, maintained that the ballfield is mostly utilized in the springtime, with Little Leaguers having come to rely on it “so that they are not terrified when they get to the big field.”

A couple minutes later, Gardner, in returning to the topic, asked if any insurance was required to provide coverage for dog bites and fights.

“We have rules posted that govern this, which hold the handlers responsible for what happens,” replied Business Administrator Daniel Hornickel. “So, by entering the park, they are responsible, because they read the rules and agree to abide by the rules to use the dog park.”

Gardner, however, maintained that in the event of a dog biting incident, “the usual thing is to sue the person” who is the dog’s handler, and “hold the township liable, also.”

Hornickel responded that the township has insurance, but that, “Let me put it to you this way: there are other towns in our Burlington County Municipal Joint Insurance Fund (JIF) that have dog parks.”

See PARK/ Page 8

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 3

New $315K Streetsweeper Purchased for Pemberton Public Works After Existing One Suffers Breakdown and New Rules Take Effect

Township Must Clean 190 Miles of Roadway on Tri-Annual Basis and After Snow and Ice Treatments, Official Says; Bond for BMIA Building Repair OK’d

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

PEMBERTON—A Bucher Model ES351 Streetsweeper has been purchased at an expense of $315,575 for the Pemberton Township Department of Public Works.

Officials here contend that they had no choice but to make the purchase, with an existing streetsweeper beyond repair and a new state requirement that municipal streets be cleaned on a tri-annual basis, with there being 190 miles of municipal roadway, making it cost prohibitive to simply rent one.

“The state makes us purchase things, unfortunately, whether or not we don’t n e e d t h e m ,” d e c l a r e d Re p u b l i c a n Councilman Joshua Ward, pointing to a 79-page document issued by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), or recently-implemented revised Stormwater Management Regulations, which are said to require the tri-annual street sweeping.

Having to purchase a streetsweeper is a moment that Ward, a fiscal conservative, maintained is one where you just want to “bite your lip” and ask, “What do you do?”, recognizing that the state “will fine the crap out of you” if you forgo the cleanings.

“Ou r stre etswe ep er is broken, unfortunately, and we need a streetsweeper,” Ward said. “It puts us in a bind – so, what do we do?”

Busi ne ss Ad m i n istrator Dan iel Hornickel, in noting that the township is

responsible for street sweeping 190 miles of roadway, maintained it takes “typically three to four passes to do what you are supposed to do.”

And therefore, as for the possibility of renting one, Ward contended it is “almost like leasing a car” in which you turn it back in four to five years later and see “no return on investment.”

As Ward saw it, the township doesn’t have any choice in the matter.

Hor nickel maintained the director of Public Works provided a “thorough justification” for the purchase, by first obtaining a price on one through a state contract, which came in at $368,000, and then “shopping around” and finding one for $50,000 less “if we bid it.”

“While no one is cheering about having to spend this money,” Hornickel further maintained, it is a necessity “with all the additional requirements,” including that streets must now be swept, in addition to every few months, 72 hours after snow or salting operations.

“If we don’t comply, we get fined until we get into compliance,” the business administrator contended.

Since being sworn into office, in January, Republican Mayor Tompkins said he took note of the township’s existing streetsweeper being “repaired quite often.”

The mayor explained that a streetsweeper has a “huge disc in there that spins around See SWEEPER/ Page 13

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Three-and-a-Half Hour-Long Meeting of Pemberton Council Covers Gamut Topics Include Speeding, Plate Readers, Animal Hospital Vendors, Ambulance Repair, Handicap-Accessible Swings, Lighting Repair, Solar Roofing, and Cannabis Packaging; Agreement Also Renewed with Pemberton Fire Company for Emergency Services

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

PEMBERTON—The posting of a video of a “car flying through someone’s front yard that I believe hit a car or a truck, and then a building,” on Nov. 7, was enough for Pemberton Township Mayor Jack Tompkins, a Republican, to approach the Pemberton Township Police Department to increase speed enforcement in “residential areas” of the municipality.

Tompkins, who spoke out during a Nov. 8 Pemberton Township Council session, did not say whether the incident he watched on tape actually occurred in Pemberton, nor did he say where it happened, but remarked, “I don’t believe anyone was injured, but I did see it, and it is not something I would want in my neighborhood.”

“We have talked to the Police Department about policing in residential areas,” the mayor maintained. “They have been policing in the residential areas as time allows them.

They have been very, very busy. We do take it very seriously, and the chief and command staff know where I stand on it, and they are going to pursue it even more, trying to do more patrolling and speed enforcement within our residential areas.”

Democratic Council President Donovan Gardner, in response, asserted “you’re right” about the “speeding,” but that he has to “check you on this one,” contending that it was Tompkins who had speed humps removed on Split Rock Road in the municipality.

“You took them out, and some people who live on the block say they wish you never touched them – and they were not speed ‘bumps,’ they were speed ‘humps’ – up, across and then down,” Gardner quipped.

“So, if you can put them in as part of your thing – because Split Rock, if you come down that street, and you hit that corner, it is like the Indianapolis 500. That is all I am saying!”

A later request by the Police Department to purchase $7,197 worth of radar, antennas, and installation equipment for three new police cruisers, led to a revelation from Tompkins that “one thing I have been pushing, which you might see in the near future, is License Plate Readers (LPRs).”

He said a quote to obtain four of them came in around $60,000, which he maintained “was kind of pricy.”

W hen Gardner suggested portable devices, Tompkins replied, “It has to be admissible in court,” while Hornickel maintained such technology has to be “calibrated and certified.”

Getting such “technology” is “great,” Gardner acknowledged, because unless an officer “runs a plate, they won’t know” and LPRs are “simple.”

The mayor claimed to be recently “out with some of the guys” and observed “while they were running some numbers, they popped somebody for I think a stolen vehicle, or something.”

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

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Saturday, December 9, 2023

Activist Takes Medford Officials to Task for Contrasting Treatment Given Carns Matriarch, Woman Accused of Trashing MYAA Facility

Charges Were Dismissed Against Resident Allegedly Caught on Video Engaging in Very Behavior She Had Complained About in Previous Comments to Council

By Bill Bonvie Staff Writer

MEDFORD —T he le n ie nc y show n by a prosecutor to a local resident who previously complained about a ballfield adjacent to her home being chronically littered with debris, only to be charged with having trashed the area herself, was contrasted by a First Amendment activist at the Nov. 21 meeting of the Medford Tow nsh ip Cou nc i l w ith the way the matriarch of a family farm was recently hit with a hefty fine for allowing commercial vehicles to be stored on her property.

“You have a person who commits a serious crime, lies to the police about it, comes up here and lies about the police officer, claims he screamed in her face and you don’t challenge her at all,” contended Patr ick Duff, of Haddon Heights, in talking about the disposition of several charges brought earlier this year against Nicole Stouffer in connection with her alleged activities at the Medford Youth Athletic Association (MYAA) ballfield adjacent to her home.

But no such nonchalance was displayed by the council, he asserted, about the charges lodged against 81-year-old Carolyn Carns, the church-going owner of a 30-acre tree farm who was accused some months ago of violating a township ordinance disallowing more than one commercial vehicle on a residentially zoned property.

Not only did local officials “attack her viciously” about that alleged offense, he claimed, but when the $10,000 fine levied against her was overturned by a judge, “you guys never made a statement past that—you just kept your mouths shut.”

Duff had previously come to the defense of the Carns family by challenging the strident manner in which the township gover n ment had re sp onde d to thei r alleged offenses, including by putting out a statement calling the family “persistent and repetitive violators.”

Stouffer, at a recent township council meeting vociferously opposed a proposal, subsequently adopted, to amend a decadeold “memorandum of understanding” the township has maintained with the MYAA that, among other changes, would allow the placement of vending machines at both Hartford Crossing and Bob Bende Parks.

The complex, she complained, was “a gigantic mess” that has gotten worse every year, and adding the vending machines would just “generate more trash,” which those who are supposed to be maintaining the facility have been “unable to clean up.”

She further asserted that simply relying on volunteers to maintain the site wasn’t sufficient to keep the situation under control.

Stouffer, at the same meeting, also claimed she had been held responsible for the material that blew onto her property, causing her to have to “get a lawyer to take care of” citations she was issued for that situation, “because it’s their trash, not my trash.” But she did not elaborate any further on that aspect of her complaint.

What actually occurred, however, Police Chief Arthur Waterman told the Pine Barrens Tribune when queried about the situation cited by Duff, was that following an investigation by his department earlier this year, Stouffer was issued four such citations, including ones for littering, engaging in prohibited dumping and being “disorderly in public.”

Evidence used in that investigation,

he indicated, may have included both eyew itne ss ac c ou nts and a v ideo purportedly depicting Stouffer in the act.

Duff put the video online after obtaining a copy following the council meeting that Stouffer attended. It showed a woman he identified as Stouffer kicking and throwing trash and debris in a road next to the field and placing a trash receptacle in the middle of it, as well as ripping a sign off a wall and depositing it in the road as well, then photographing the results.

“Little did she know we were watching,” Duff remarked in the course of a somewhat sarcastic narration of that video.

Another video posted by Duff, taken from a police body cam (as Waterman acknowledged to this newspaper), includes three exchanges between Stouffer on her front porch and a Medford police officer, who at first tells her that “some woman” had pulled everything out of a shed and deposited it on the road, and asks whether her home v ideo cameras m ig ht have captured it and if she could “just check to see if someone is lingering around in your driveway.”

T he n i n a sub s e qu e nt s eg me nt of the video, the officer returns and asks Stouffer why she herself had deposited that material in the road, informing her that three eyewitnesses, which he goes on to describe as “young adults” playing baseball, said they had watched her do that, to which she replies, “maybe you should ask them, because I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

When the officer then tells Stouffer, “You made a mess, it needs to get cleaned up,” and suggests that she take care of it or is going to be cited, she responds that she “constantly” cleans up the area. “What you did today isn’t cleaning,” he replies, to which her answer is that she “didn’t do anything.” He then says he is “just a little confused why you did that and then you left it there,” going on to say that a surveillance camera on her second floor would likely have provided footage of what occurred.

“Unless you have a warrant for my arrest, this conversation is over,” she replies.

In an apparent fur ther attempt to resolve the situation, the officer maintains that he is just trying to be honest and help her out and again suggests that she walk over and clear the material off the road.

But since “you’re adamant it wasn’t you” who put it there, he tells her, once he sees surveillance footage, “If it is you, you’re going to get charged, OK?” In the third part of the video, the officer returns, with several citations that he hands to Stouffer for “what we tried to talk to you the other day about,” making the point that he has a witness to her having taken trash from next to the shed and throwing it in the middle of the road, as well as having moved the trash can there.

She again denies responsibility, claiming that trash cans are always left there.

At no point in the police video are the officer’s remarks either loud or abusive in tone. However, the version of those c onve r s at ion s St ou f fe r g ave t o t h e council included allegations that she was “disgusted with the way I was treated by the police in this whole situation” and “was screamed at on my front porch like a 12-year-old with a beer.”

See ACTIVIST/ Page 8

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 5

Page 6 ♦

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

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Saturday, December 9, 2023

Photo By Nick Weissmann

Deputy Mayor Paul Seybold’s seat is empty during a Dec. 5 Washington Township Committee meeting, set up with his placard to honor him, after his sudden passing.

SEYBOLD

Seybold has also been a member of the Lower Bank Volunteer Fire Company for almost 40 years, as well as a past chief.

“The fire company regrets to announce the unexpected passing of life member Paul Seybold,” the entity said in a statement.

“During his 39 years with the company, Paul held several positions, including chief, assistant chief, vice president, and trustee, but more importantly, he was a friend, a voice of reason, a teacher and a ‘jack of all trades.’

“But most important... he was family.

There are so many things we will miss, but never forget about Paul. Please keep his family, friends, brothers, and sisters in your prayers.”

T he g r iev i ng fi re c ompany poste d a c c o mp a ny i ng p i c t u r e s of S e yb ol d

(Continued from Page 1) thank everybody who supported me this past Election Day,” said Seybold during a Nov. 14 Washington Township Committee session, the first one to occur after the election. “I intend to carry on in the manner that I have been, serving the community the best that I can.”

But Seybold, who Mayor Daniel James described to this newspaper as “just a super guy – super,” will never get to serve out his third term on the committee after having died very unexpectedly in the early afternoon hours of Dec. 3, according to a published obituary and those who knew him well, with the “tight knit” community of Washington now mourning his passing.

He was 74.

See SEYBOLD/ Page 7

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Children's Stories & Gift Guide

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Page S2 ♦

Children's Stories & Gift Guide

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Pog the Hedgehog’s Surprise Present

BY JOHANNIE DUFOUR AND SARAH BEAUREGARD TRANSLATED BY JASMINE HEESAKER

Pog is a cute hedgehog who lives in Magical Animal Land. One morning, he wakes up feeling great and goes into the kitchen to have breakfast.

He’s very hungry! His dad gives him a big bowl of cereal. Pog gobbles it all up in a few mouthfuls.

When he gets up from the table, his father says to him: “Come and see, Pog, there’s a present for you in the living room.”

“A present for me? But it’s not Christmas yet!”

“I found it on the doorstep when I went to get the newspaper.”

Excited, Pog runs into the living room. He discovers a red box with a green ribbon. He takes the box and gently shakes it. He puts his ear to it.

He sniffs it. What on earth is it?

“Who brought me this present?” asks the young hedgehog.

“Well, I don’t know.

Not Santa, that’s for sure!” answers his father.

“Of course. It’s all yours!”

Pog unwraps the present. What a surprise! It’s The Cuckoo’s Journey, his favorite book! He often borrows it from the library. But this one is brand

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new. And different. The title is written in gold letters, and the pictures are bigger. It’s really beautiful!

“Dad, look! It’s my favorite book!”

“Oh! The person who gave it to you knows you very well!”

Pog flips through the pages of the book.

Suddenly, he finds a pretty bookmark.

There’s something written on it:

Dear Pog, I wanted to thank you for helping me at the used book sale.

I thought you might like a special edition of your favorite book. Merry Christmas!

Bess Mrs. Bess the lioness is the librarian.

Pog loves her! He goes to the library with his dad to say thank you. As soon as he sees her, he jumps into her arms: “Thank you, Mrs. Bess! It’s the best present ever!”

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“And you’re the nicest hedgehog in the world!” she replies, smiling.

The End

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Holiday Gift-Wrapping Tips and Tricks After all the holiday presents have been purchased, the task of wrapping can begin. Although some people find wrapping is relaxing and provides a chance to embrace one’s artistic flair, many others find wrapping gift after gift becomes tedious quite fast.

While there are no statistics on just how many gifts the average person purchases over the course of the holiday season, the National Retail Federation says the average consumer will spend around $800 on all things holiday. That means there will be a lot of gifts to wrap before the big exchange. Those who want to make

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Children's Stories & Gift Guide ♦ Page S3

Page S4 ♦

Children's Stories & Gift Guide

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Tawny and Snowy the Owls’ Christmas Stockings

BY JOHANNIE DUFOUR AND SARAH BEAUREGARD TRANSLATED BY JASMINE HEESAKER

Saturday, December 9, 2023

Every year, Tawny and his daughter Snowy hang Christmas stockings for the holidays. The two owls tie them up in the big tree behind their house in Magical Animal Land. These stockings are very special. They make wishes come true on December 24 at the stroke of midnight.

counts out loud: “Three, four, five…”

Snowy hops up and down impatiently.

“Six, seven, eight…”

This year, the owls have made a wish to see Grandma Dixie, Tawny’s mother. She lives far, far away. They haven’t visited her for a long time because the winters have become too cold to travel.

The little stockings shine brighter.

“Nine, ten, eleven…”

“That’s it!” exclaims Snowy on the twelfth stroke.

Just before midnight on Christmas Eve, Tawny and Snowy put on their hats and scarves.

Without waiting, she looks inside her two stockings. In each, she finds… a sock! Her father makes the same discovery in his.

“Hurry up, Dad,” says Snowy.

“Socks,” says Snowy, astonished.

“The stockings won’t disappear if we’re not there right at midnight!” he replies, smiling.

“Yes, but not just any socks,” replies Tawny. “They’re made of merino wool.”

“I know, but I can’t wait!”

“Uhh…and?” questions Snowy.

Once outside, they quickly make their way to the tree. Snowy giggles excitedly as she twirls around the stockings.

“With these, we’ll be warm enough to travel,” he explains.

“Yippee, we can go and see Grandma Dixie!”

“Come and sit down, Snowy, you’re making me dizzy!” exclaims Tawny after a moment.

After a long flight, they arrive at Grandma Dixie’s house. Finally reunited, the three owls embrace each other and shout with joy. This is the best Christmas ever!

“Oops, sorry, Dad!” she says as she settles down next to him.

At the same time, the first stroke of midnight rings out. The Christmas stockings begin to sparkle. Tawny

The End

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Jess the Tigress and the Snowstorm

BY JOHANNIE DUFOUR AND SARAH BEAUREGARD TRANSLATED BY JASMINE HEESAKER

In winter, it snows a lot in Magical Animal Land. But for the last three days, snow has been falling nonstop! Jess the Tigress wonders if her friends Tess and Agnes are all right.

They live in a small house at the bottom of the valley.

Looking at her sled, Jess has an idea. “I could go and see my friends.

And since Christmas is tomorrow, I’ll bring them some presents,” decides the tigress.

She hurriedly packs up some goodies. She also takes candy canes and cookies. Then, she puts on her hat and scarf.

“Here we go!” shouts Jess as she opens the door.

Outside, the wind is blowing hard.

Jess ties the presents to her sled.

Then, she runs toward the valley.

When she arrives, she looks down.

“There’s so much snow that you can’t see the houses. Just the chimneys,” says the tigress.

To get to her friends more quickly, she sits on her sled and builds up momentum. She glides gently up the chimney to their house. No smoke is coming out.

“Oh no! Maybe Tess and Agnes have run out of wood and are cold,” Jess worries.

Children's Stories & Gift Guide ♦ Page S5

She leans over fireplace and shouts:

the

“Yoo-hoo, it’s Jess! I’m on the roof! Are you alright?”

“Jess?! How did you get up there?” her friends ask.

“Easy, I slid down the valley on a sled!”

“Come on, let’s get you inside!”

“Wait, I’ll throw you my bags first!”

One by one, the tigress drops the presents and scoots down the chimney. Her friends are delighted!

When Jess gets down, they give each other big hugs.

“Thanks for visiting us. We missed you!” admits Tess.

“We were going to make a fire. You’re just in time!” laughs Agnes.

That day and the next, the three tigresses sing, dance and play together. Thanks to the snowstorm and Jess’s courage, the friends have an unforgettable Christmas!

The End

Page S6 ♦

Children's Stories & Gift Guide

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Saturday, December 9, 2023

Gifts that pamper and rejuvenate FACIALS, AROMATHERAPY, CANDLES, AND COMFORTABLE BED LINENS ARE GIFTS THAT CAN PAMPER AND RELAX.

Stress can be bad for the body, contributing to depression, anxiety, hypertension, and even obesity. Unfortunately, more than half of working adults and 47 percent of all Americans say they are concerned with the amount of stress in their lives, according to a survey from the American Psychological Association.

Reducing stress can be especially important during the holiday season, which, thanks in part to its hectic nature, tends to produce extra feelings of stress.

Gifts that pamper, relax and rejuvenate might be the ideal fit for those who need a little rest and relaxation.

Aromatherapy: Studies have shown that aromatherapy, or breathing in certain scents, can trigger reactions in the brain and affect emotions, mood and memory. Specific essential oils can help relieve stress, induce relaxation and even promote better sleep. Scents such as lavender, lemon or yuzu, bergamot, ylang ylang, and jasmine can promote relaxation in many people.

Candles: The combination of subtle, low flickering light and relaxing aromas can make candles soothing gifts. Put together an entire gift package with decorative candle holders or a nice tray on which candles of various heights can be placed.

Plush robe: Sometimes lounging around the house is all that’s necessary to create a soothing atmosphere. A plush robe that is luxurious and comfortable will help that someone special unwind after a long day or after sleeping in on the weekend.

Home aquarium: Stress can melt away watching underwater life flick and flitter through the aquarium. Combined with soothing bubbles and the gentle hum and splash of the filter, it is easy to see how having a fish tank in the home can alleviate stress.

Make sure the gift recipient is able to care for the fish and select lowmaintenance species.

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Children's Stories & Gift Guide ♦ Page S7

Lettie the Teddy’s Giant Mug

In Magical Animal Land, the Ceramic Café is a very popular place.

Lettie the Teddy often goes there with her parents. She loves painting pretty ceramic mugs. She has a whole collection of them at home.

bright red and decorated with handpainted white motifs.

BY JOHANNIE DUFOUR AND SARAH BEAUREGARD TRANSLATED BY JASMINE HEESAKER

What’s more, the owner, Spark the Lark, is very kind. And this year, she really spoiled Lettie. To thank her for visiting all the time, she invited her to take part in Santa’s parade. Lettie was delighted. The Ceramic Café’s float is always breathtaking!

Throughout the parade, the teddy bear makes the crowd laugh. She hides in the cup and sticks her head out to wave. She has so much fun!

Lettie wakes up early on the day of the parade. She can’t wait to see the float she’ll be riding in. With her parents, she goes early to the meeting point for the participants. Mrs. Spark is already there.

“Good morning, Lettie,” she says. “I hope you’re up to it because I’ve got a very special task for you.”

“Oh yes, I’m ready!” she replies.

Lettie says goodbye to her parents and follows the lark to her float.

“Wow!” she exclaims when she sees it.

“I was sure you’d like it,” says Mrs. Spark. “You can sit in the cup and wave to all the animals!”

After the parade, Lettie is still on cloud nine. Then, Spark the Lark gives her another surprise: “The cup is yours if you want!”

“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, Mrs. Spark!”

Back home, Lettie’s parents put the giant cup in her bedroom. Lettie puts blankets and cushions on it. Now, she has the most beautiful place in the world to relax!

The End

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But above all, there’s a magnificent giant mug right in the middle. It’s

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Longtime Lower Bank Volunteer Fire Company Firefighter Paul Seybold, also past chief, demonstrates how a fire hose operates to local youth.

SEYBOLD

(Continued from Page 6) holding a fire hose and doing various firefighting demonstrations, including with local youth, as the entity pointed to his “infectious smile.”

Seybold was expected to be laid to rest on Dec. 9, with a preliminary plan, as announced by local Terry Schmidt, to put “Paul on the new truck,” or a fire engine recently obtained by the company, and have him “brought back to the Lower Bank Firehouse” one last time.

“He was incredibly dedicated to this town,” Committeeman C. Leigh Gadd, Jr., also the township’s Public Safety

Director, told the Pine Barrens Tribune.

“He was almost a 40-year member of the Lower Bank Fire Company, and he has been a committee member for 5 years or so, roughly. He was very involved in the community, and well-liked by everybody I know of.”

Seybold, a resident of Washington Township since 1975, was initially appointed in the summer of 2018 to the township committee, filling a vacancy left behind by James, the latter who would later return to the dais and become the township’s mayor.

Seybold was then elected in November 2018 to fill the rest of James’ unexpired twoyear term (before James returned), and then re-elected again in November 2020 to a full, three-year term.

In an inter v iew at the ti me of h is

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appointment, Seybold said he was “happy to fill James’ shoes” and shared with this newspaper that he was a father of three kids, all of whom went through the Green Bank School before it was shuttered in 2016.

“I’ll be trying to keep the township happy,” he said at the time.

But as was recognized by resident Horace Somes during the Washington Township Committee’s Dec. 5 session, the first to occur since Seybold’s death, while the deputy mayor’s placard was on the dais next to his normal seat – between James and Gadd – his chair was vacant.

“We will all miss Paul,” Somes asserted.

The session began with James calling for a moment of silence in Seybold’s memory.

“Everyone is shocked and saddened about what happened,” Gadd told meeting

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 7

Photo Provided by Lower Bank Fire

attendees. “Paul was a fantastic guy, and I am glad I got to know him. I would like to offer my condolences to his family. He will definitely be greatly missed.”

Ac c ord i ng to Seybold’s publ ishe d obituary, he served in the U.S. Army National Guard Reserve from 1969 to 1975.

He was a member of the Carpenter's Union for many years and was employed as an in-house carpenter and supervisor at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital for 10 years.

Most recently, he was employed by Kevin Cochard “whose friendship and respect he held deeply,” the obituary notes.

“We are really going to miss Paul,” declared James during the Dec. 5 committee See SEYBOLD/ Page 8

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Saturday, December 9, 2023

and gratitude.”

His additional service to the community as both a township committeeman and deputy mayor, it was added, “gave him a great sense of pride and respect.”

Seybold, who was assigned to oversee the Department of Public Works for Washington Township while a committeeman, in one of his final acts, secured a ‘hidden driveway’ sign for resident Ron Hill, so that the

resident could pull out of his driveway more safely due to a 90-degree turn on the approach to it.

“He loved his community and all of the people in it,” Seybold’s loved ones made known through the obituary. “He never missed an opportunity to speak to someone and brighten their day.”

Barry Cavileer, a former Washington committeeman, when Seybold was sworn

into the governing body for the first time, had called Seybold “an excellent chief,” further remarking how everyone in the town, with a population of just over 700 people, is indebted to people like Seybold who are both emergency services volunteers and neighbors.

Seybold, after winning his third term, indicated h is belief in having active participation in the local government by his fellow residents, remarking on Nov. 14, in thanking residents for their confidence in him, “I wish we had more people here.”

Seybold, according to his obituary, also loved riding his motorcycle, especially in rec ent years, r iding alongside h is daughter, Emmy.

“But his true passion and unwavering love was for his children and grandchildren,” it said. “Being with them and looking forward to doing things with them was what gave him the greatest pleasure in his life.”

In addition to Emmy, “left behind to mourn his loss and to carry on his legacy,” the obituary notes, are his wife, Theresa, his three daughters; Brenna, Keegan, and Emmy, and his daughter by choice, Chrissy.

He is also survived by five grandchildren; Rider, Kaya, Traelyn, Luis, and Tink, “whose lives enriched his and gave him endless pride and joy.”

Seybold, described in the obituary as also “a man whose heart was true and full” and who had a “love for life” that was “felt by everyone he knew,” is predeceased by his parents; Ralph and Virginia Seybold, and his three brothers; Ralph, Don, and Jimmy.

A funeral ser v ic e for Seybold was scheduled for 2 p.m. on Dec. 9 at the Wimberg Funeral Home, 400 Liverpool Avenue, Egg Harbor City.

“I can’t say enough about him,” James told this newspaper. “He was truly one of the finest gentlemen I ever met, bar none.”

Photojournalist Nick Weissmann also contributed to this story.

added Hornickel, who is also a lawyer. “I have not seen a case in my four years yet (he has been the business administrator of Pemberton for that length of time) involving a dog bite, at a dog park.”

Who is responsible for any “cleanup”

after a dog goes to the bathroom at the dog park was another question that Gardner posed, with Hornickel answering “it is all part of the responsibilities” of park users, as outlined in the regulations.

“Conceivably, someone could just go in

there and refuse to clean up after a dog,” Hornickel acknowledged. “But then the Recreation Director has the authority to say, ‘OK, you are done. Don’t bring your dog back here. And if you do, we will have the police come.’”

what Duff has claimed in a posting on the Medford 08055 Facebook page, where he also quotes Di Croce as replying, when asked by Judge Peter Lange why the case was being dismissed, “Well, my client was not guilty so, the state after they saw the evidence in this case, and the affidavits provided, realized that they could not overcome their burden of proof.”

Di Croce, however, was not available when called on Dec. 6 by this reporter who noticed that post from five days

before to confirm whether he said that.

Nor did Prosecutor Chris Koutsouris, who reportedly handled the complaint, return a call from this newspaper.

Koutsouris, Duff noted, was the same p ro s e c ut or who h a d r e c o m m e n d e d the large fine against Carolyn Carns, reminding Councilman Frank Czekay that when he said, “‘it wasn’t us who requested the fine,’ actually it was.

“It was your prosecutor, the one that you hire every year, that you rehire in January at

your reorganization meeting,” he declared, adding, “Are you going to hire him again?”

Duff, in concluding his remarks to the council, added, “Think about the difference in the two prosecutions.

“The one woman walks into court, gets her charges dism issed without a problem, the other woman was sent a letter threatening her several times with jail time, with massive fines,” he noted.

No member of the council, however, responded to Duff’s accusations.

File Photo

Paul Seybold (right), pictured with then-committeeman Barry Cavileer (left) and Dudley Lewis (center), when he was first sworn in as a member of the Washington Township Committee back in 2018.

SEYBOLD

(Continued from Page 7) session. “He was a really good guy.”

The obituary, in noting that he was a nearly 40-year member of the Lower Bank Fire Company, pointed out that the “service and friendships he made” during his tenure at the entity “was a source of enduring pride

PARK (Continued from Page 2) “So, as long as you post the regulations, you will have legal defense provided to you,”

ACTIVIST (Continued from Page 4) “We’re all friends here; I’m not really yelling at you,” she added.

As for having to get a lawyer to fight those citations, the one Stouffer reportedly ended up hiring to successfully have the charges dropped was a prominent area politician, Michael Di Croce, the mayor of Shamong Township. At least, that is

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(Continued from Page 3) Gardner suggested that if the township decides to buy and implement LPRs in the future, residents be notified “if your car is parked on the street, and it is not registered or uninsured, it will possibly be towed.”

T he Nov. 8 c ou n c i l s e s s ion a l s o featured a decision by council to change the animal hospital the township has come to rely upon for stray animal cases, from Good Samaritan to North Star Vets Animal Hospital.

T h e e x i s t i n g p r ov i d e r, B u s i n e s s Ad m i n ist rator Da n iel Hor n ickel maintained, was “looking to dramatically increase our rates.”

“Th is al lows us to change an i mal hospitals, to one that will accept our rates,” said the business administrator after council was queried by a resident about the change.

Before the proposed rate increase, Good Samaritan, according to the business administrator, would treat animals taken to the facility for up to $200, and would not bill beyond that price if an animal had to be euthanized.

But the “current provider said they no longer will honor the rates,” Hornickel charged, and “on top of that, they don’t want to be responsible for checking to see where an animal came from.”

The municipality, Hornickel explained, wants an animal hospital that will simply identify that a stray animal was brought in by a resident or gathered from the township, and found that North Star, of Maple Shade, was willing to do this by asking for ID, as well as is “willing to honor the existing rate.”

Also approved by council was a contract with Winner Ford for the installation of a remanufactured motor in an ambulance for the Pemberton Township Volunteer Fire Department.

The 2004 model ambulance “has not been running for a while,” pointed out Republican Councilman Joshua Ward, and he believes by putting a remanufactured motor in the unit as opposed to buying a whole new unit, “we will probably get another 19 years out of it,” or the ambulance.

Hornickel, who at times this year clashed

MUGGING

(Continued from Page 1) been charged with robbery, aggravated assault and theft stemming from the Sept.

19 incident at the Village of Taunton Forge, at 200 Tuckerton Road in Medford, after being taken into custody by Pennsylvania State Police on Nov. 29 following an armed

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 9

with GOP Councilman Dan Dewey, thanked the councilman “because it was his idea to look at doing a remanufactured motor for the ambulance, and I appreciate Councilman Ward’s support on that as well.”

“That is definitely the better solution,” Hornickel declared. “Because we are going to have a two-year warranty on that, and hopefully, we are going to have peace of mind for the little bit more money we were spending to make that repair.”

Council, also on Nov. 8, approved an agreement between the Township of Pemberton and Pemberton Township Volunteer Fire Company, Inc., for the continued provision of fire protection and emergency medical services.

It led to a question about ownership of the buildings and apparatus, however, with Hornickel explaining that the township owns two (Country Lakes and Browns Mills) of three fire stations in town (the exception is Presidential Lakes), and also provides the apparatus to the fire company.

Another item approved by council was an amendment to a redevelopment agreement with Before and After Properties, LLC, for 1 Clubhouse Road, or the former bank building that sits on the lakeshore of Mirror Lake. This newspaper previously highlighted the redeveloper’s plan to turn the facility into an upstairs apartment and downstairs gift shop and beer garden.

The amendment, Hornickel explained, is the result of the redeveloper pursuing smaller apartments on the third floor versus an initial plan for a three-bedroom apartment there.

But the item drew concern from local Debra Skipper about the plans for the building.

“The yellow bank on the corner – I do hope you really, really consider what you are letting in that building,” she told council.

“It is the cornerstone of the town. It really is a beautiful building, and it is on two-anda-half acres. To just make it an apartment complex, what is it going to become? … I don’t want it to become a beer jacuzzi!”

She suggested officials pursue fine dining for the facility, instead.

Other announcements of the Nov. 8 session included one from Hornickel that “we have successfully installed handicapaccessible swings in every neighborhood.” “ We a r e t h r i l l e d t h a t w e h av e

handicap -ac cessible swings in ever y neighborhood now, not just because people in the neighborhoods needed that for kids who have disabilities, but to also give them some variety so they can go to different parks.”

Seven different places throughout town, according to Hornickel, are now equipped with the specialized swings, though the township has not yet achieved the milestone of having installed them in every single park just yet.

Hornickel also proclaimed during the session that Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) completed repairs to its streetlights in town, with the township police, back in late summer, having previously found 194 fixtures that were either completely out or had some sort of issue.

A handful of streetlights were still out in the municipality, he said, but it has been determined they belong to Public Service Enterprise Group (PSE&G), and the utility has since been notified to make repairs.

In yet another announcement from the business administrator, the water storage tank rehabilitation project the municipality has been undertaking has “been going pretty well,” with tanks at Beech Avenue and Lake Valley done and refilled. Now, an elevated tank on Trenton Road is being worked on, he added.

At the Wastewater Treatment Plant, two brand new roofs have been installed and built, and once the sheeting is obtained, “We are going to get quotes from our architect to design solar arrays for the Wastewater Treatment Plant, because that place utilizes a lot of electricity, and if we can put solar arrays there, they are going to pay for themselves.”

Public com ment dur ing the threeand-a-half-hour-long session – besides a series of remarks about development in town as covered in the previous edition of this newspaper, as well as what Skipper had to say about 1 Clubhouse Road – featured a passionate exchange over a cannabis firm’s existing product line, with that firm recently having been given support by council to open a facility on Lakehurst Road in the Browns Mills section of the township.

“Here is the menu of some of Far & Dotter’s products listed on their website:

Brownie Bites, Betty’s Apple Pie Chews, Dixie Dart Chocolate and Strawberry Gummies,” said resident Kevin Gutherie.

“All of their product names are like those found walking through a candy store.

I stand here confused as to what the demographics are that they are selling cannabis products to – are they children, or adults with the mentality of children? …

So, when mommy and daddy are stoned out of their minds, their kids can steal brownies and gummies?”

Gardner, a staunch supporter of the cannabis industry, responded, “What happens when mommy and daddy are drunk, and the kitchen/medicine cabinet is open?”

Gutherie shot back by asking the council president if he thinks kids would like the taste of rum and vodka. He also asked the council president the medicine bottles, with medication in them, obtained at a pharmacy tend to be child proof.

Thomas Inge, a former Republican township councilman from 2007 to 2010, who owns the former eatery where Far & Dotter plans to open a dispensary, responded, “I don’t think any responsible parent would leave any drugs on their kitchen counter or tables, and it is the same with alcohol.”

“I think the township, by approving it, did a really good job bringing revenue into the township, which we really need,” Inge added. “I don’t think it will be a burden at all.”

Gardner would not answer a third inquiry

by Gutherie as to whether the product names were considered and analyzed prior to the council offering support to Far & Dotter.

“Did you look at it?” Gutherie asked.

“You don’t have an answer, do you?!”

However, Democratic Councilman Paul Detrick, one of three Democratic members of the council that voted in favor of extending the support, at the end of the session, declared, “I have to admit, these gummy bears and things – I agree, if they going to exist … they should not be packaging them in a way that is attractive to children.”

“Hopefully, new regulations will come out from the state telling them don’t package it that way,” Detrick declared.

robbery on Nov. 19 at a West Deptford convenience store in which he is believed to have also been involved.

Pressley was reportedly being confined while awaiting court proceedings at a Pennsylvania detention facility.

The victim of the Medford robbery was found by police who were responding to a report of a man experiencing breathing difficulty at the retail complex late in the

evening. He was transported to a hospital and treated for exposure to the chemical irritant, as well as abrasions to his head, elbows and knees.

An initial investigation determined the victim had been assaulted by an unknown male wearing black clothing and a mask and wielding what appeared to be a can of bear repellent.

In the West Deptford robbery, Pressley

is also accused of discharging a shot from a handgun in the direction of a fleeing employee, according to a press release issued by the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office.

Police said their investigation of the i nc ident remai ne d active and u rge d residents with any knowledge of it to contact the department’s Criminal Investigative Bureau at 609-654-7375.

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(Continued from Page 3) and has metal fins on it” and that “we all know what the soil composition is around here – sand, and so when you are blowing all that up in there, into the collection basin, all you are doing is sandblasting that metal disc with the fins, and after a while it just eats the metal away.”

“We had Public Works go in there three times, at least, and weld a new set of fins

CONSTRUCTION (Continued from Page 2)

said. “Everything looks so beautiful, so why not keep the ball rolling on that?”

At a prev ious, but re c ent c ou nc i l session, the gover ning body heard a request for traffic calming on Hough and Saint John streets, with residents c om i ng for ward w ith c omplai nts of reckless driving and speeding. Following those complaints, the borough engineer recommended installation of five speed humps, but also noted other less costly options were available, but would perhaps be less effective.

Councilwoman Andrea Martin, during

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on it, and we just can’t fix it anymore,” Tompkins declared. “So, because of the soil composition, with the sand and stuff, they get beat up pretty badly.”

The mayor maintained of the existing streetsweeper, “We have just fixed it until we can’t fix it anymore, unfortunately.”

Council, also on Nov. 8, ultimately approved a bond ordinance appropriating $202,785 and authorizing the issuance of $193,125 in bonds or notes, enabling the township to move forward with repairs to the Browns Mills Improvement Association

(BMIA) Building.

An earlier version of the measure was supposed to have been up for a vote on Oct. 4, but an overcapacity crowd forced a postponement of the vote to Oct. 18, and then when it finally had come before the governing body, it failed to secure a majority vote, leading to Hornickel announcing the building would close due to safety issue posed by a suspected leak somewhere underneath the flooring.

Following an outcry over the building’s c lo s u r e – wh i c h r e s u lt e d f ro m t h e

cancelation of reservations for renting out the hall – council had scrambled to reintroduce the bond on Oct. 25, which it did.

“We have to do asbestos remediation,” said Hornickel following the Nov. 8 approval of the bond ordinance. “We appreciate council approving the bond ordinance, so we are going to get the BMIA building’s floor removed, the asbestos removed – and we are going to try to find out where it is leaking and have the crack sealed, and then reinstall the flooring there.”

the latest Nov. 20 session, asked, “What do we need to do to install speed measures on Hough Street?”

“Where are we now with this?” she continued. “What should we do to make a decision happen?”

After Mullan pointed out that his office “looked at options and came up with a cost,” but maintained it is “up to council to make that decision,” Council President Terry Jerome, serving as acting mayor for the Nov. 20 meeting as Mayor Harold Griffin continues to contend with health challenges, acknowledged that “the ball is in our court.”

It boils down to a “funding issue,” Jerome added, in which officials “have to figure out where to get the funding from to do a project like that.”

When Martin further inquired what the council could do to begin the process of securing any funding, Jerome advised that it is someth i ng that ne e de d to be discussed during budget planning meetings in preparation for next year’s municipal budget.

“I know there are several options, and several different types of expenditures,” said Jerome of traffic calming for Hough Street, with Mullan offering to put together a letter outlining the different options.

If you want to get into the Christmas spirit, take a drive through Pemberton B o r o u g h a t n i g ht – w i t h Fa nu c c i commenting, “The holiday decorations on the streets and in the park look fabulous,” and Martin declaring that they “look

fantastic.” One resident, Fanucci noted, asked for more, however, with Fanucci requesting a cost estimate for the wreaths and wraps, so she can pass it on to see if the requestor would be interested in making a donation.

Councilman Nick Conner, who oversees the Borough Police Department, announced that this would be the 7th year that a Toy Drive would be conducted for needy families of Emmons Elementary School, in nearby Pemberton Township, which receives students from the borough. His announcement was in hopes to receive continued community support for the effort.

The meeting concluded with Jerome asking for locals to “keep the mayor in your good thoughts and prayers.”

Page 14 ♦

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