Pine Barrens Tribune April 10, 2021-April 16, 2021

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This project was supported, in part by grants from the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions.

This project was supported, in part by grants from the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL or CMS policy.

Department of was Health and Human Grantees projects under government sponsorship to express freely(CMS) their of findings conclusions.

This project supported, in partServices. by grants from the U.S.undertaking Administration for Community Living (ACL) and the Centersare for encouraged Medicare & Medicaid Services the U.S.and Department Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL or CMS policy.

of Health and Human Services. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL or CMS policy.

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Vol. 5 – No. Accommodations 27 ♦ The News Leader of the Pines April 10of - April 16, 2021

Hearing on Proposal to Sell Atco Dragway Again Postponed

by Technical Glitch

‘HELP IS HERE’

This project was supported, in part by grants from the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department This project was supported, in part by grants from the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or of Health and Human Services. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL or CMS policy. opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL or CMS policy.

Latest Delay in Plan to Convert Iconic Track into Auction Car Lot Called ‘Good’ by One Opponent

By Bill Bonvie 9731 CS_PBT_Full Page.indd 1

9731 CS_PBT_Full Page.indd 1

Staff Writer 1/22/20

1/22/20 12:04 PM

Photo By Andrew King

Governor Phil Murphy does an “elbow bump” with Joanne Damadio, longtime proprietor of the Fond Memories boutique in the Village of Taunton Forge.

Governor Signs Bill Providing $25 Million in Direct Grant Money to ‘Micro-Businesses’ at Ceremony Outside Fond Memories Boutique in Medford’s Village of Taunton Forge

By Bill Bonvie Staff Writer

MEDFORD—To emphasize the intent of the bill he signed into law around Noon on April 1, which will provide muchneeded financial relief in the form of direct grants to micro-businesses throughout New Jersey, Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy chose a setting that epitomizes the very type of enterprise this new “lifeline” is intended to help save during the ongoing, pandemic-engendered economic crisis.

The official signing ceremony took place underneath a tent set up in front of a jewelry, accessories, baby gift and women’s clothing boutique that has been in business for 32 years called Fond Memories (something we all now have of pre-pandemic days) at the Village of Taunton Forge, a decades-old shopping plaza in Medford Township that consists of a variety of trendy shops and eateries interspersed amid greenery to create a relaxing and aesthetically pleasing

commercial environment.

Also speaking at the somewhat casually orchestrated and low-key event were two other elected Democratic officials from the immediate area, 3rd District Congressman Andy Kim, who grew up in neighboring Marlton, and state Senator Dawn Marie Addiego of the 8th Legislative District, one of the bill’s primary sponsors and a former Republican whom the governor See HELP/ Page 10

12:04 PM

WATERFORD—An already delayed public hearing on the proposed sale of the six-decade old Atco Dragway to an auto auction firm that wants to use the site to store damaged and disabled cars was dragged out yet again on March 29 when another technical glitch caused the Waterford Township Land Use Board to have to postpone it for another three weeks.

D u e to t he ongoi ng C oronav i r u s pandemic, the hearing (and meetings of the board) are being held via Zoom.

This time, according to board secretary Deb Simone, the problem came about when a Zoom participant limit that was supposed to have been capped at 1,000 callers somehow got reduced to 100 for the initial 20 minutes or so of the latest land use board meeting, in which a hearing on the raceway was to have taken place, resulting in concerns being expressed by board members that many of those who wished to participate may have hung up after being inadvertently denied access to the proceedings.

As a result, the board reluctantly decided to adjourn the Zoom session until the evening of April 19 after being informed that the engineer for the applicant, Insurance Auto Auctions (IAA) of Westchester, Ill., would be out of the country and unavailable for a regular board meeting scheduled for the following week.

See DRAGWAY/ Page 9

INDEX Business Directory... 12

Marketplace/Job Board...14

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

Worship Guide...........11

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Committee Gives Resident Approval to Place Gates, Fencing at Site of Controversial Clear-Cut to ‘Further Restrict Access’

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A cleared section of forest in Woodland Township that remained accessible as of April 5.

By Douglas D. Melegari Staff Writer

WOODLAND—Officials in Woodland Township have given formal approval to a resident’s plan to further restrict access to land he controversially ordered cleared nearly two years ago, which is now reportedly serving as a haven for off-roaders, dirt bikers, ATV enthusiasts, motorcyclists, and now even horseback riders – despite recently installed dirt mounds.

The land, which was clear-cut at the direction of longtime Chatsworth section resident Stanley Worrell, is also the subject of a development application that he filed with the Pinelands Commission, as previously reported by this newspaper.

And the portions he had cleared follow along what were previously deemed township paper streets.

However, the resident, since the clearcut came to light, has insisted that he only created a firebreak, with the latter not requiring commission approval, unlike clearing for a development or new street.

The Woodland Township Committee voted unanimously during its March 24 meeting to approve of Worrell installing a gate at two access points to the site, with woven wire secured with wooden posts on either side of the gates.

In addition, the approved plan calls for fallen trees to be placed in the vicinity of the access points to “further restrict vehicular access,” according to Township Clerk Maryalice Brown. Initially, the resident had placed dirt mounds at the access points to discourage traffic, officials said. But this newspaper on April 5 found at least one of the two entrances still relatively wide open to traffic.

The question was asked by Darlene Hatfield, a resident who lives near where the clear-cut took place and has been angered by it, “What happens if someone gets hurt on these so-called firebreaks, and who is responsible – is it the township?”

Since the controversy began, local officials have struggled to answer similar questions, including about whether the township would now be responsible for maintenance given the clearings follow along the mapped streets, and a previous admission by Mayor William “Billy” DeGroff. At this latest committee session, DeGroff contended that he doesn’t

think the township is responsible “because it is private property.”

“Whoever owns the property would be responsible,” added Township Solicitor William Burns said.

But Hatfield pointed out that Worrell opened “three or four township streets,” further raising the question if they are theoretically no longer just paper streets, but now actual public streets.

“We’re not just talking about private property,” Hatfield maintained. “13th Street, 12th Street, and Kossuth Avenue – they are all township roads.”

The Pinelands Commission, in previous correspondence sent to the parties involved in the matter, noted that “approximately 3 acres were cleared of forest vegetation within the rights-of-way of 12th Street, 13th Street, Prince Avenue and Kossuth Avenue.”

“Well, they haven’t been dedicated yet, right?” asked Deputy Mayor Mark Herdon in reply to what Hatfield had pointed out.

But Herndon’s question went unanswered, and instead, DeGroff stated, “they shouldn’t be on that property with illegal vehicles.”

“Yeah, OK, well you come out here on a good weather day and see the amount of not just quads, but motorcyclists, and all kinds of people who are coming down around here,” Hatfield said.

Worrell, in 2019, was issued the stop work order by the municipal code enforcement officer at the direction of the Pinelands Commission shortly after the clear-cut had been observed by officials and residents.

The township then issued a citation against Worrell so that he be mandated to appear in court and file an application with the Pinelands Commission.

The township committee, claiming to be following the advice of Pinelands Commission staff on how to rectify the issue, had unanimously authorized Worrell to file a retroactive “clearing” application with the commission, on behalf of the township.

Brown said in 2019 that the court date was negated because Worrell filed the application. Paul Leakan, a spokesman for the commission, then told this newspaper that Worrell filed an application for dwelling units.

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Gunshots Heard in Woodland Prompt Poaching Concerns, Lighting of U.S. Flag at Town Hall Faces Renewed Criticism

By Douglas D. Melegari Staff Writer

WOODLAND—Officials in Woodland Township have apparently received several recent complaints regarding gunshots heard in the municipality.

Mayor William “Billy” DeGroff confirmed at a March township committee meeting that both he and Township Clerk Maryalice Brown had discussed the complaints during a recent meeting with the commander of the local New Jersey State Police barracks.

The township, he said, is unable to dispatch its code enforcement officer to investigate the complaints given the nature of them, and urged residents to instead call 911 to have the state police dispatched to further investigate the source. He said residents also can also contact the Division of Fish and Game Conservation Police with such complaints.

“Last night, I was sitting on my deck, and there had to be 30 to 35 gunshots throughout a period between 8:45 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., or for an hour,” said one woman attending the March committee meeting.

The woman added that she suspected that individuals are poaching in the woods.

“I don’t know what these people are doing out at nighttime,” she said. “I (think) they might be truck loading deer.”

DeGroff noted that under township law, individuals can shoot their guns (for approved hunting activities or practicing purposes) until 9 p.m. each day.

The committee also heard a complaint, for the third time in less than a year, about the municipal building’s U.S. Flag being not properly displayed during the nighttime hours.

“I have been by township building several

nights and the flag is still not lit properly, and you are still not taking it down in the evening and putting it back up in the morning,” said resident and veteran Ken Bowker. “When can you get proper lighting?”

DeGroff replied that he had a discussion with Brown about getting a big solar light and installing it at the top of the flagpole, and hoped that when in combination with two ground solar lights shining up on the flag, it will soon be lit efficiently.

“How lit up does flag need to be?” the mayor asked in response to the complaint.

According to the American Legion, the U.S. Flag Code states it is the universal custom to display the American flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings, and on stationary flag staffs in the open.

However, “when a patriotic effect is desired,” the code stipulates that an American flag may be displayed 24-hours a day “if properly illuminated” during the hours of darkness, according to the legion.

Given the proximity of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, the township is home to many veterans and their families.

“It needs to be illuminated, Billy, so people can see it properly, or you need to take it down before sunset,” Bowker said.

DeGroff noted that the township was “going green,” but Bowker responded that solar doesn’t work too well in the wintertime due to less daylight.

“If this doesn’t work, we will have to try to put a light on the building (pointed at the flagpole),” the mayor said.

The township flagpole was still mostly unlit on the night of April 7, and Brown did not return an inquiry seeking an update on See GUNSHOTS/ Page 5

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

♦ Page 3

Evesham Council Unanimously Approves Acquisition of 166 Acres of Open Space on Township’s North End Residents Praise Passage of Ordinance Authorizing Land Purchase from Beagle Club in Anticipation of Green Acres, County Funding

By Bill Bonvie Staff Writer

EVESHAM—The Township of Evesham will move forward to appropriate $5,250,000 to purchase a 166-acre tract of nearly pristine land at 477 Elmwood Road North from the Garden State Beagle Club for use as a community park following Evesham Township Council’s unanimous passage of an ordinance authorizing it to do so, along with the issuance of $4,987,500 in general improvement bonds to finance the transaction.

The measure giving a green light to the acquisition, which township officials anticipate will eventually be about half paid for by state Green Acres funding, with a hoped-for county open-space grant covering another quarter of the cost, was applauded by several residents who attended the March 24 council meeting, as well as by Ila Vassallo, chairperson of the Evesham Township Environmental Commission.

“I think this is a wonderful acquisition,” ass er te d another re sident, Stephen Sobocinski, in thanking the mayor and council for going through with it. “God bless you guys for making this happen.”

Another attendee, Gene Friedman, a member of the board of trustees of nearby Village Greenes adult community, came forward on behalf of both the trustees and residents to thank the council and Township Manager Robert Corrales for “doing all the hard work to make this ordinance come to fruition,” and spoke of prior objections that members of the community had expressed to further development of the area along

Elmwood Road.

The only note of concern was one voiced by resident Andrew Wilson, who, while indicating he is personally in favor of the acquisition of more open space, said he had “concerns about the methods being used” to finance the purchase.

“In the current economic climate, borrowing nearly $5 million dollars to purchase land seems risky,” Wilson declared.

Although there may be “mitigation methods” in the works “which are going to be great if you can get that money,” he maintained, “there are very likely to be significant funding challenges moving forward” and that “while it appears to be well intentioned, this type of borrowing could come back to haunt us.”

However, both Mayor Jacklyn Veasy and Deputy Mayor Heather Cooper, who in remarks following the public comment period attested to having received a great deal of community support for the measure, especially from people residing on the northern end of the township where the new park will be located, attempted to allay any such misgivings.

Cooper maintained that the township had been advised by its bond counsel that now is “the optimal time with the rates extremely low to be able to move forward” with this particular acquisition, which both the current council and councils of the past have considered for quite a while, going back to an open space and recreational plan conceived in 2012.

“For folks who do not know, government agencies may not be able to raise funds See EVESHAM/ Page 5

Some $21 Million Medford Municipal Budget Introduced, Includes Funds for Camera Systems, Utility Infrastructure It Contains No Municipal Tax Increase for Ninth Year in a Row, Cost to Dispose Leaves and Trash, However, Increases Its Size

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MEDFORD—A Medford Township fiscal year 2021 budget of $21,561,044.15 has been introduced by the municipal governing body, which currently calls for no increase in municipal tax rate for the ninth year in a row, according to Mayor Charles “Chuck” Watson.

“We will do our best to continue down that road as best we can, but expenses do go up,” Watson said.

The introduced budget, compared to the one adopted for the previous fiscal year, has increased in size by about $408,000. A public hearing and final adoption of the budget is scheduled for April 20.

One of the drivers of the increased size of the budget, according to Township Manager Kathy Burger during recent council meetings held to discuss it, is the township budgeting for the disposal of leaves.

The township, she said, collects about 30,000 cubic yards of leaves annually and stores them at a municipal facility. However, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) only permits the township to store so many leaves before requiring that they be disposed.

“Every four to five years we have to get rid of the leaves,” Burger said. “We can only store so many leaves at our facility per NJDEP rules, and in the past, we had a farmer take them, and we had some places where we could put them, but, right now, we don’t have anyone willing to take the leaves. So, we have to pay to dispose of them.”

She contended that the township will probably have to pay somewhere between

$40,000 and $50,000 to dispose of the leaves.

“We usually (when having to pay for disposal) go to different landscapers around the area that will use them for mulch and make their own product,” Burger said.

Although it was pointed out by a councilman that the township would essentially be paying a landscaper to take raw material, Burger described the process to convert that raw material into a usable mulch as “very labor intensive” and said that the machinery used to do so also “costs a lot.”

Burger said that if a local farmer becomes interested in wanting the leaves, the township would be willing to “explore the opportunity.”

“We will still stockpile leaves, but we are getting it down to what NJDEP will allow at site,” the township manager noted.

According to Burger, the township has collected an abnormally high amount of leaves during the past year, along with trash.

She attributed it to residents staying home and doing large amounts of yard and clean-out work during the Coronavirus pandemic.

She maintained that it was prudent to budget for higher disposal costs given that the pandemic is continuing, and a number of people are still staying home.

“There are some increases to landfill and trash disposal expenses,” Watson said.

“Everyone was home during COVID cleaning out their garages and basements.”

Burger and Watson pointed out that the township also went out to bid late last year for trash hauling services, and the bids were all higher than what the township had paid in See MEDFORD/ Page 13

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Saturday, April 10, 2021

Medford, County Officials Implored to ‘Do Something’ About Chronic Speeding Issue on Taunton Boulevard

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Traffic, including a pedestrian, moves along Taunton Boulevard on April 5.

By Douglas D. Melegari Staff Writer

MEDFORD —At least 92 residents of Medford Township and neighboring communities have signed a petition calling on both municipal and Burlington County officials to “immediately address the excessive speeding that occurs every day, all day, on Taunton Boulevard.”

The petition was created by Taunton Boulevard resident James Shiffer, who previously called for a “long-term solution” to address what he contends is a chronic speeding problem posed by motorists traveling the county-maintained roadway, from about 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week.

Another resident, Jonathan Reuther, has publicly backed Shiffer’s efforts, and recommended to council during one its March meetings that the public body create a comprehensive “complete streets” policy that addresses both pedestrian and bicyclist traffic. He contended the need for such a policy is increasing as development in Medford is on the rise.

“It is really unfortunate people have to drive to get somewhere that is only a few miles away from their house,” he said of some of the Medford neighborhoods, particularly in the vicinity of Lake Pine and Lake Centennial. “Everyone is born with their two feet, no one is born in a car. People should have the ability to walk, and to ride their bikes to places. I think it is a major quality of life issue and we can do a lot better.”

As for Taunton Boulevard itself, Shiffer, who returned to council’s chambers last month after speaking in January to the governing body about the speeding concerns, maintained that a cellphone app that allows him to track the speed of vehicles found that in a span of 13 days, during an hour and half period each day, some 1,000 cars were recorded exceeding the speed limit “in only one direction” and that figure does not include trucks, since the app was only set to record the speed of cars.

“That is what we are up against,” he said.

“There is a complete disregard for that 30mph speed limit.”

Shiffer contended that “he did his part” in documenting the speeding problem, and now it is incumbent on both municipal and county officials to create a “long-term solution.”

However, Deputy Mayor Erik Rebstock

pointed out that the Medford Township Police Department, in response to Shiffer’s concerns first relayed to officials last year, conducted a traffic study “in two different locations, which is in conflict with your own app that you used on your phone.”

Shiffer contended that the traffic study was conducted at a curve in the road, suggesting it resulted in the data having a slower speed bias. Mayor Charles “Chuck” Watson, who previously promised Shiffer that he would have a cup of coffee with him on his front porch while watching traffic, noted that he disagreed with that suggestion.

“I am not going to believe any kind of (government produced) results until you see for yourself what goes on,” Shiffer said. “It is a straight-a-way and I have only provided results from one direction. 34 mph was the average told to me last year by the police chief (from the traffic study), and it was done around a curve. You know what, I don’t really care about ‘average.’ I care about people exceeding the average, doing 40 to 50 mph.”

Shiffer copied this newspaper on an email he received from Police Chief Richard J. Meder, informing him of the results of the traffic study, with the data collected through a “traffic counter.” The traffic study, according to the chief, found that the average motorist speed was 32 mph in the area of Beech Road and 34 mph in the area of Maple Road.

The “85th percentile speed,” the chief maintained, was determined to be 36 mph in the area of Beech Road, and 38 mph in the area of Maple Road.

W h i le the mun icipal ity’s top law enforcement officer didn’t say whether that was good or bad, he wrote that, “Now that we have collected the data from the traffic counter, over the course of the next several weeks, the police department will deploy variable message boards (VMBs) to the roadway directing motorists to slow down in an attempt to educate motorists.”

Additionally, the police chief wrote that “traffic/radar details will be directed on the roadway throughout the day with a concentration during both the morning and evening ‘rush hours.’”

“I feel it is important for you to know that radar posts are conducted on that roadway throughout the year and summonses are, in fact, issued,” continued Meder in his See SPEEDING/ Page 8

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GUNSHOTS (Continued from Page 3)

the status of the lighting project.

Also, during the March meeting, the committee awarded $149,875 to Township Engineer Thomas Leisse’s firm, Pennoni Associates, Inc., to update its tax maps.

Chief Financial Officer Kathleen Rosmando said that the township will spread the cost out over five years.

In January, officials had said they planned to “take two easy tax maps, and two that are a little more complex,” and “just do those four for right now,” and had decided to give Pennoni $10,000 for the work.

Brown said that based on the time it takes Leisse to update the four maps, he could then come up with a “price per sheet” to do the rest.

Leisse, on March 24, said that the “pilot” map work “has been going good,” and contended that the “recommendation was made keep going with program.”

“For the sake of efficiency and productivity,

EVESHAM (Continued from Page 3)

in an adequate amount of time (for such purchases), and if an owner decides to sell the property (to someone else), we could miss an opportunity,” she said.

Veasy, while acknowledging that “taking on debt can be challenging” and could give rise to concerns, said that the decision to make this investment in the township with

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♦ Page 5

it is best to keep moving to get maps done,” Leisse told the committee, noting it is in the best interest of the residents to move forward with the entire project now, instead of doing it in piecemeal, because the township tax accessor will need the updates for an upcoming county-mandated tax evaluation.

The Pine Barrens Tribune filed an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request seeking the bid advertisement and proposals that were subsequentially received to perform the additional $149,875 tax map work. In response, Brown wrote, “The contract was awarded under professional services and therefore no other bids were received.

“The engineer contract that was awarded on Jan. 5, 2021 included tax map maintenance,” she added, providing Pennoni’s bid/contract for annual municipal engineering services.

The governing body also approved during the meeting a permit for the Chatsworth Cranberry Festival committee to hold the festival on the weekend of Oct. 16 and 17.

The approval apparently caught one member of the festival committee by surprise, who following the approval, contended that no final decision had been made to host the

event this year, and that the full festival committee still needed to meet to make one. The woman further indicated that she believed the approval, given some six months ahead of the event, was issued prematurely given the uncertainty surrounding the Coronavirus pandemic.

Mike Huber, the township emergency management coordinator, replied that “in the end” the event would still be subject to county health department approval, and the “state approving outdoor gatherings of that size.”

The woman replied, “Exactly,” indicating that Huber’s remarks only gave further credence to her concerns. Currently, outdoor gathering capacity is limited by Democratic Governor Phil Murphy to 200 people. Historically, there have been crowds numbering about 80,000 people on both days of the event.

DeGroff maintained that the woman needed to take her concer ns to the chairperson of the festival committee, adding that once a permit application is filed, the township committee has to either approve or deny it.

The township committee, also during the

meeting, passed an ordinance with no public opposition that would require township landlords to register with the township no later than Jan. 15 of every year for $50. For this calendar year, township landlords would need to register with the township by June 30. Floor plans for the rentals have to be submitted with any registration.

“We really don’t know who the landlords are,” Brown said. “That is why we are trying to get this into place.”

the expectation of obtaining Green Acres and county funding to cover most of the cost was in “the best interest of everyone at this time.”

The mayor added that she had spoken with “many residents who said we love Black Run Preserve, but it is on the south end of town” and who “really would love to have something that is more available” to them on the north side where they could take walks, go exploring and engage in passive recreation.

Another potential benefit of the township taking possession of the property was pointed out by resident Gary Warga, who

said he formerly lived near the tract in question and recalled being awakened on Saturday mornings by the “very unique and distinctive bark” of the beagles being given their field trials at the site, and hoped they would “like their new home,” adding he was glad the land would be put to good use.

Concern that people living in the densely developed neighborhood might be disturbed by the noise of the dogs was one reason a club official previously told this newspaper that the group was amenable to selling the land to the township and finding a more isolated

tract to put them through their paces.

Evesham Public Information Officer Zane Clark, when contacted by this newspaper, said he didn’t see any issues arising in regard to the transfer of the property now that the ordinance had been passed.

Clark, in answer to a question about the boundary of the area, said that some 2.2 of the tract’s wooded acres were actually in neighboring Mount Laurel Township, but that made no difference in the township’s ability to include the small area in the acquisition and open it to the public.

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PEMBERTON—A “two-prong” parks improvement plan that calls for the establishment of a massive trail system to “connect all neighborhoods” in Pemberton Township together, and also outlines major updates to at least 17 of 19 Pemberton Township parks has been unveiled by the municipality’s Recreation Department.

The plan, according to Joseph Marrolli, director of the Recreation Department, will take approximately five to 10 years to fully implement, with the trail system portion reportedly having received the support of Burlington County officials.

“This plan is a two-prong plan,” Marrolli told Pemberton Township Council last month. “Number one, many of our parks have been upgraded over time, but the majority of them are currently in need of attention, and certainly in need of upgrades due to normal wear and tear, and just age. It is all normal things, but there are certainly many parks that need a lot of attention.

“The second part of this plan is the desire to connect all neighborhoods. This place we call Pemberton Township is 64 square miles – it is huge – and getting around town is a major challenge. I started here back in May 2017 and I certainly heard about that as soon as I started. We are going to try to look to help that.”

Marrolli explained that Burlington County is planning “to run county trails through Pemberton” with a northern branch and southern branch. Pemberton Township, he said, would then work to add spurs to the northern and southern branches “to create our own trail network between neighborhoods.”

The northern branch, when fully built out with all its spurs, would run through Pemberton Borough and behind the Nesbit Center (Sunbury Village), and include additional connections to the Pemberton Tow nsh ip Mun icipal Complex, and Imagination Kingdom, Marrolli said. It would include access to existing roads that lead into Browns Mills, the recreation director added.

Ultimately, according to Marrolli, the northern branch would connect to the southern branch, which “would run down to the Lake Valley neighborhood.” He said the southern branch would not only enable a trail alongside the Country Lakes

community, but “also provide access” to that neighborhood’s Spring Lake Beach and Jean Ammerman Park. The southern trail network would continue from there toward Route 70, including to provide access to the Presidential Lakes community (including Orian Branch and Bianchini Beach parks).

The county, he said, intends to have the main extension of the southern branch eventually connect to Ocean County.

“One of the biggest benefits for the public is that trail networks have shown an increase in home values of 7 percent for homes located within a quarter mile of being near a trail,” Marrolli said. “So that plays right into increasing the value of properties in town.”

Marrolli added that the trail system would make it “easier to get around town” and “get to businesses,” and therefore “improve the economy in that aspect.”

Currently, according to the recreation director, a “limited amount of our 19 parks” offer “outstanding amenities and updated park equipment,” or in other words, “most do not.” Several, he said, have playgrounds that are “outdated” and “certainly don’t look anywhere near inviting.”

His plan to fix that includes adding a new fishing dock to Reflections Park; installing new playgrounds at Pole Bridge, Orian Branch, Blueberry Manor and West End parks; adding new picnic tables and benches to Pole Bridge, Jean Ammerman, Orian Branch, Blueberry Manor, Rottau and Veterans’s parks, in addition to Spring Lake and Chippewa Trail beaches/parks; and repairing and resurfacing basketball and/or tennis courts at Jean Ammerman, Bianchini Beach, Orian Branch, Nesbit, Mirror Lake, West End and American Legion parks.

“We have only recently resurfaced one court, which was at West End Park, where we converted a tennis court into a basketball court,” Marrolli said. “Currently, we are converting one also at the Nesbit Center. But, really, every other court in town is all cracked up and really in disrepair. We need to repair them to get them back into working order.

A mong other additional park improvements included in the plan are adding “upgraded playground safety surfacing” to Tensaw Drive, Nesbit, Mirror Lake and Bayberry parks; installing new grills to Tensaw Drive, Orian Branch, West End, and Rottau parks in addition to Spring Lake and Chippewa Trail beaches/parks; See PEMBERTON/ Page 11

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♦ Page 7

Page 8 ♦

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

SPEEDING (Continued from Page 4)

correspondence.

Meder noted in his email to Shiffer that the traffic study determined that average daily volume on Taunton Boulevard was some 8,800 vehicles, and that peak daily volume surpassed 10,000 vehicles.

Shiffer maintained during one of council’s March meetings that Taunton Boulevard has turned into a “highway,” in part, with heavy traffic from the Kings Grant development in nearby Marlton (Evesham Township) using the roadway as a way to access Route 70.

Sh i f fe r a d d e d t h at s i n c e r e c e nt construction began on an affordable housing project in the vicinity of Route 70 and Hartford Road, truck traffic has only increased further.

“Now we have dump trucks fully loaded at 6 a.m., coming from Berlin, flying down Taunton Boulevard that I have been told by even neighbors living across the lake that they can hear in the morning,” Shiffer said.

Some of the solutions Shiffer had presented to council in January included potentially limiting the allowable truck size and weight on Taunton Boulevard, putting a bypass in for trucks to use off Tomlinson Mill Road, adding speed bumps to Taunton Boulevard and installing additional crosswalks in the area.

Martin C. Livingston, a traffic engineer for Burlington County, in an email he sent to Shiffer that was also forwarded to municipal officials, later obtained by this newspaper through Shiffer, wrote that the county requires “a formal request from a municipality” to install speed humps on a county road “with a posted speed limit at or below 30 MPH.” “The municipality is requested to notify all of the affected residents along the section

WWW.PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM of road where the speed humps are proposed to confirm that all are in concurrence with the proposed traffic calming,” Livingston wrote. “If the municipality wishes to pursue the installation, they are required to sign a shared services agreement with the county.

There is no cost to the municipality for the installation of the speed hump(s). However, once the speed hump(s) are installed, the municipality will be responsible for the initial construction costs and the cost of removal and restoration if they request their removal.”

While Meder advised Shiffer in another email that he “will ensure that our manager and engineer are kept abreast of the data we collect to make a determination on whether speed humps/bumps will be installed,” he added that with a few exceptions, “speed humps/bumps are not normally utilized.”

Following the traffic study, the police chief maintained that he would inform the township manager and township engineer of the collected data, but that, “I don’t believe (they) will be installed.”

“I will also discuss with the township engineer whether he has suggestions regarding signage or other traffic calming measures that may address you concerns,” the police chief added.

Watson, during the March council meeting, noted that the township’s traffic engineer has since suggested adding additional speed limit signs to Taunton Boulevard, as well as adding dynamic feedback signs (or ones that tell motorists what their speed is). The township engineer, the mayor said, also recommended added striping.

“We sent that feedback to the county,” Watson said. “So, we are requesting that the county do some stuff on Taunton Boulevard to help with the issue.”

Watson maintained, however, that speed bumps are a “county issue.”

“I don’t think they will allow speed bumps because of amount of cars,” he contended.

Saturday, April 10, 2021

“There is too much traffic to have speed bumps is what the problem is, but you can certainly petition the county. We can do nothing about putting speed bumps on that road.”

Shiffer contended, in reply, that “we can’t” is “not a valid answer when there is a safety concern on that road.”

“We certainly care about the residents of Lake Pine area, absolutely,” Rebstock said.

“I have friends who live in that general area.

I have friends who live there and I would hate to see something happen to them.”

Shiffer maintained that the speed limit on Taunton Boulevard, at one time, was 40 mph, then lowered to 35 mph after a child was hit on a bicycle. He said that several years later, the speed limit was decreased again to 30 mph after another child was hit on a bicycle and now, as a result, “uses a wheelchair.” He contended that the speeding concern has been a topic of concern for at least two decades and it has now evolved into a “tremendous concern.”

“I did not purchase my home on a highway, and I don’t think my property taxes reflect me living on a highway either,” he added.

“They reflect I live in a ‘Hamlet.’”

A Feb. 26 memo sent by the township traffic engineer, also obtained by this newspaper through Shiffer, addressed the resident’s requests to council, contending the New Jersey Department of Transportation previously denied county requests for weight limit restrictions on Taunton Boulevard “due to excessive miles needed to circumvent” the road, the traffic volume on Taunton Boulevard exceeds “the maximum daily volumes permitted for installing speed humps” and a great number would be needed to the point that it would produce excessive noise and vibration, and that a bypass is highly unlikely given nearby wetlands and “extensive permitting” from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection that would then be needed to cross such

Photo By Douglas D. Melegari

A tractor trailer attempts April 5 to navigate a curve on Taunton Boulevard.

lands, along with several waterways.

The county, the township engineer added, is in the process of conducting its own traffic study of Taunton Boulevard.

Shiffer, since his meeting appearance, has sent multiple emails to local and county officials, “imploring” them to do something about the speeding problem, providing them with this newspaper’s recent coverage, and adding, “We will continue to employ the local print media until a permanent solution is in place.”

“We need permanent solutions and no lip service!” Shiffer wrote. “Divert the trucks off of this road. I’m sorry if it is inconvenient.

Too bad! Either get over it or decrease our property taxes to reflect highway property values. From speaking with neighbors, and according to (an engineering) memo, this has been going on for 20 years! Seriously? And you still don’t have a solution? If this were Medford Lakes, or Main Street in Medford, this would not be tolerated. Do something!”

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DRAGWAY (Continued from Page 1)

A previous malfunction that somehow caused a recording of a Feb. 17 meeting, at which testimony and answers to board members’ queries was offered by various experts, to be deleted resulted in that session having to be more or less recreated at another nearly four-hour-long session on March 15.

In the meantime, many Pine Barrens area fans or participants in the sport have signed a petition to be sent to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy entitled, “Don’t Let Atco Raceway Die,” which had garnered nearly 9,350 signatures by April 7. Additionally, a Facebook group named “Save Atco Raceway” claimed to have approximately 1,700 members as of the same date. It is many of these individuals who have been waiting to make known their indignation over the dragway’s prospective demise should the proposed sale to IAA get the approval of the local board, as well as the Camden County Planning Board and the Pinelands Commission.

But the latest continuance, in the view of Harry E. West, a vocal member of that Facebook group who was interviewed March 31 by the Pine Barrens Tribune, could actually work to the advantage of the sale’s opponents.

“Any delay is a good delay as far as I am concerned,” contended West, who said he once raced at the dragway and had been going there since his youth. “I think a postponement helps the people who want to save it because it gives them additional time to prepare for the fight.”

Like many other drag-racing fans in the area, West bemoaned the potential loss of what has come to be regarded as a family tradition for many South Jerseyans.

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

AD HOTLINE: (609) 801-2392 Watching these matches, he maintained, is “something that families pass down to their kids, their grandchildren.”

“It is something I want my grandson to experience,” West added. “And if they close it down, he is never going to.”

He also worries, as do others in the Facebook group, about the effect it would have on young people who are drawn to car racing and may well resort to doing it on the streets in a dangerous manner once they no longer have a viable venue for the sport where safety precautions, such as requirements for helmets and fire extinguishers, are observed.

“Hot rods have been around since cars began,” West noted.

Both West and another Facebook group member, Louis Burgese, who used to work at the dragway as a starter and in various other capacities and still occasionally races there, noted that once it is gone from the area scene, the nearest facilities where people will still be able to watch or take part in racing competitions are located in Cecil County, Maryland and Berks County, Pennsylvania.

Beyond being deprived of a favorite pastime, however, West is concerned about what would be replacing it under the terms of the pending sale, which he believes will be both an eyesore and a source of potential pollution. He recounted having once visited a similar facility in the area and found that the vehicles stored there were “old and beat up” with cars that had been involved in accidents “often leaking antifreeze or oil.”

“Now mind you, this was 10 years ago, but I can’t imagine it has gotten any better,” West said.

Burgese, in the phone interview with this newspaper, also expressed concern about the impact of the track being turned into an IAA site.

“I can’t even fathom the environmental impact this would have being a storage yard over the years,” he declared. “I feel worse

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for the residents who do not want to see this go through for environmental reasons especially. I would not want this thing in my backyard, especially when you’re talking about the location being near the headwaters of the Mullica River and everyone in the area, as well as downstream from the river, is on well water.”

By contrast, Burgese said, “any oil spills on the track are immediately cleaned up” by the crew there.

“If not, it creates an unsafe racing surface,” he added.

West and Burgese also acknowledged that while it is the right of the current owner, Leonard Capone Jr., to sell the property, what they are against is, as Burgese puts it, “the process of trying to turn the raceway into something that it hasn’t been in the past 60 years.”

“If selling the track is either a business decision or a necessity (for him), of course I would rather see it be sold to someone who wants to keep it a racetrack,” Burgese noted.

West, who is a professional accountant, recalling how as a teenager, he and his friends used to place small wagers on the outcome of races there (not so much on particular

♦ Page 9

drivers as on makes of cars involved), said he thought turning the track into a remote, legal gambling site could greatly enhance its profitability for a buyer.

“If you owned the place, would you turn down an opportunity to make more money on something you’re already doing?” he asked.

While there have been rumors, according to the members of the Facebook group, of one or more other offers having been made for the property, Simone told this newspaper none have come to her attention. She also said that she couldn’t say whether the land use board was inclined to approve the sale or not.

She did say, however, that if the board should decide to allow the sale to proceed, it would have up to 45 days to put that in the form of a resolution and that there would be another 45-day period in which whatever decision it makes could be appealed by any interested party. It will then require further approvals by both the Camden County Planning Board and the Pinelands Commission.

So, it appears that the battle over the fate of Atco dragway may drag on well beyond the three weeks it was recently delayed.

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Governor Phil Murphy holds up legislation he signed at the Village of Taunton Forge in Medford that will provide enterprises having five or fewer employees with direct federal COVID-19 relief aid.

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(Continued from Page 1) described as “a champion for Burlington County and for South Jersey,” as well as “a friend and a great leader.”

Weighing in as well were New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) CEO Tim Sullivan and Charles Breslin, a businessman representing the Main Street Alliance of New Jersey.

The legislation, S-3523, which will provide enterprises having five or fewer employees with direct grants from a $25 million COVID-19 relief fund, is described as part of a five-bill, $100 million relief effort aimed at helping the New Jersey business community recover from the economic effects of the pandemic that began over a year ago. The funds will be administered by the NJEDA, which has so far reportedly provided more than $250 million in various forms of aid to 55,000 businesses throughout the state.

According to the website Legiscan (which notably still identifies Addiego as a Republican) the bill and its companion measure in the Assembly seem to have sailed through the Legislature with no dissenting votes from either party (although a posting about it on the Facebook page maintained by the governor, who is in a re-election battle this year, has drawn critical responses from some members of the public who feel the amount involved is too little, too late and others who believe the governor’s temporary shutdown of many such businesses last year was unnecessary or prolonged, or that it is hypocritical to now be offering them relief).

Murphy, after being introduced shortly before the bill signing by Fond Memories owner Joanne Damadio, called the boutique “a great example of the backbone of our economy,” adding that he hoped the signing of the law will itself be a fond memory for years to come.

“When people think of small businesses, they think of places just like this, they think of the stores along Main Street that are owned by their neighbors and friends and cater to the needs of the community and hire within the community, if they are big enough to hire at all,” he said. “These aren’t nameless, faceless corporations, and these are not monolithic institutions. These are the names and faces that breathe life into a town and turn it into a community—names like Fond Memories.

“We know that these funds are needed now by our small businesses, and we know that more is needed beyond this to ensure

that our main streets remain healthy and viable as we look to recover from the pandemic, and we will be ready to assist them in any way possible.”

Noting how “President (Joseph R.) Biden has become fond of saying ‘help is on the way;” Murphy asserted that “we can say definitely help is here.”

Before sitting down to make the bill “the law of the land,” Murphy also made a point of the fact that the economic relief it will make available to such enterprises is “all grant money … so when the money goes out the door, it’s not coming back, there’s not an obligation for it to return.

“That is the best kind of money, the oneway money,” he quipped.

Addiego pointed out how the economic impact of COVID-19 “has been incredibly difficult for our small business community, and that micro-businesses in particular “are facing unprecedented challenges through no fault of their own.“ These “valuable enterprises,” she asserted, not only employ local residents, but “also provide unique products and services that are tailor-made for us.”

Blaming “the limited relief” made available to state residents and businesses for New Jersey’s never having fully recovered from the great recession of 2008, Addiego said the bill that Murphy was about to sign would provide “the assistance needed to prevent more business closures in our community” due to the pandemic, which she noted had reduced business revenue in Burlington County alone by nearly 25 percent during the year that ended this past January.

T h e s e n at or, who fa c e s a t ou g h challenge for her seat this year from GOP Assemblywoman and former Burlington County Sheriff Jean Stanfield, is also the primary sponsor of legislation allocating $15 million in federal funds to the NJEDA so that it can issue grants to struggling arts and culture organizations, according to her communications director, Carolyn Singer.

That bill, she said, has now passed both houses of the Legislature and is expected to be be signed into law by the governor as well.

Artistic and cultural enterprises, which contribute $23 billion to New Jersey’s e conomy, Addiego poi nted out i n a subsequent email to this newspaper, have lost over $3.9 billion in revenue due to the pandemic.

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and replacing fencing at Bianchini and Rottau parks, in addition to Spring Lake Beach.

A “big-ticket item” included in the proposed improvements, according to Marrolli, is to install a Musco Field Lighting System at both the Nesbit Park Complex and Pemberton Sports Complex (there is currently only one field at the sports complex that has lights).

“We have two major sports complexes in town, one at Nesbit and one right across road from the township building, home to baseball and football fields,” Marrolli said. “We really only have one lighted baseball field, and adding lights, while it is a big-ticket money item, it would open up a host of opportunities for the town in terms of bringing in night games for these local sports organizations, and you could also consider renting out the fields to residents and non-residents. So, it could be seen as a revenue source.”

In addition to making for inviting opportunities for active and passive recreation, Marrolli said the goal of the park improvements is to “increase accessibility for those with disabilities and decrease laborintensive tasks.”

Mulch surfaces at many of the park playgrounds, he said, will be replaced with Port in Place Rubber to make it “a lot easier to take care of and a lot easier to repair,” while also increasing the ability “for anyone in a wheelchair, as well as mother with a stroller,” to get on them. He added the new material will also eliminate tripping hazards posed by the mulch due to its uneven surface.

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Funding sources for the projects, according to the recreation director, include the Burlington County Municipal Park Development Program, New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Acres Program, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission and private charitable organizations such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and United Way. As far as cur rently k now n costs, improvements to Spring Lake Beach along with Jean Ammerman and Mirror Lake parks are estimated to cost $177,100 (and are scheduled for this year [with some having already occurred]); while improvements to Reflections, Bianchini Beach, Blueberry Manor, Rottau, American Legion and Veteran’s parks are estimated to cost $205,500 (and are scheduled for 2022).

In 2023, Pole Bridge and West End parks are anticipated to be upgraded for about $285,100, while Tensaw Drive and Orian Branch parks are scheduled for improvements in 2025 for about $224,500. The “sports complex” improvements, expected to cost around $245,750, are scheduled for 2024.

Financial figures were not yet presented during the council meeting on the trail system installation. Marrolli later told this newspaper that it was a work in progress.

“This plan is only going to help everyone in the community feel better about life in general,” Marrolli said. “In doing this over the next five to 10 years, I don’t see any reason why Pemberton can’t be one of the best places to live in New Jersey.”

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FENCING (Continued from Page 2)

allowing Worrell to file the retroactive application, DeGroff said he had not been aware Worrell was opening the property, the resident gave the committee no timeline and that he was afraid Worrell would say he gave him the OK to proceed with the clear-cut.

The mayor, however, then altered his story during that same meeting, contending that the township has no control over what Worrell does and that the then-township attorney sent the resident a letter saying that the committeemen had no objections to the installation of a firebreak, as long as he received the appropriate approvals.

Additionally, the committee voted on Aug. 26, 2020 to approve a plan submitted by Worrell to revegetate the area with 600 pitch pine trees per acre, while maintaining a firebreak along the paper street known as 13th Street. Brown noted at the time that the firebreak could be maintained as long as Worrell places barriers on “13th Street” at both Kossuth Avenue and Lebanon Road to “prohibit vehicular traffic passing through 13th Street.”

The committee approvals, and DeGroff’s admission, has made for a not-so-clear-cut answer as to legal responsibilities for the cleared area.

Resident Terry Sheerin, in February, also voiced concern to the governing body that officials may get into further trouble by making recommendations to Worrell on how to close off the clearings, after it was revealed by the mayor that officials were planning to meet with Worrell and make them.

“The township is not involved in putting up the barricades,” replied Burns at the time.

“The township is not involved in doing any of the work. The town is not doing anything with the respect to the barriers.”

At this latest session, however, the committee formally approved a motion, 3-0, approving of Worrell to install two 10foot gates, along with “fence of woven wire secured with wooden posts, and adding that to the side of either gate.”

“The fencing can be placed either in front of the dirt mound for the remaining width of the firebreak, and additional fallen trees can be placed for further restriction of vehicular traffic,” noted Brown of the additional details that were part of the approval.

Additionally, the committee made the approval with a letter-in-hand from Township Engineer Thomas Leisse, which stated that the engineer has “no objection to the use of the utility gate on both ends of the firebreak,” and was making several “recommendations.”

“At 13th Street and Kossuth, the gate should be installed to the entire width of the firebreak with the dirt mounds removed,” wrote Leisse of those recommendations. “It is suggested to place any downed trees that might be available in the areas beyond the width of the firebreak as there appears to be

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only light vegetation that would not restrict vehicular traffic.

“At 13th Street and Lebanon Road, the gate only needs to be installed to the width of the entrance as there appears to be sufficient brush on either side of the entrance to restrict some access. Additional trees could be added on either side of the gate to further restrict access.”

Leisse maintained in the letter that “these observations and recommendations” were “made in coordination with the township” and “does not eliminate or change any of the other Pinelands and/or township requirements.”

DeGroff noted during the latest governing body meeting that he and Leisse had since conducted the site visit with Worrell. A letter regarding the committee approval, according to Brown, will now be sent to the Pinelands Commission, a body that must give the final OK before Worrell can proceed with any kind of barriers.

Previously, it was stated that Worrell had until March 31 to install the barriers. But Brown said during the latest committee meeting that she wasn’t sure it was a “legal date,” and that Worrell told her it would likely not happen by that point because he needed commission approval before taking further action. DeGroff, after Hatfield tried to pin officials down on a deadline, urged the township clerk to contact the commission, contending, “we definitely need to get a deadline.”

“You guys just don’t know how much traffic we deal with on the weekends,” Hatfield said.

“Not just quads, but motorcycles with tags on them. They think this is a freeway. And horses are now riding on it. I have had so much traffic during the past two years since he did all that than I have had the whole 26 years that I have lived here.”

The mayor replied that the off-road traffic wasn’t just exclusive to this site, but was happening all around town because of the nature of the area, and that “unfortunately there is nothing we can do,” as he contended the New Jersey State Police will not chase quad riders for fear that they might get hurt.

He added that he believed, ultimately, riders would find another way to access the site in question, but that he feels Worrell’s plan “meets all the requirements and is sufficient.”

The mayor added that he would also have officials work with Worrell to post the area with no trespassing signs.

This newspaper, upon an April 5 visit to the Savoy Boulevard entranceway part of the site, still found it open with no such signage.

“When did this around here turn into Atco (Dragway) number two?” asked resident Deborah Bowker, of the situation throughout the entire town, during the March committee meeting. “Something has got to be done. It is getting ridiculous. You can’t hear the TV. Things are falling off the wall and things like that. You got to do something; it has got to be addressed in this township.”

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MEDFORD (Continued from Page 3)

previous years, and that its longtime vendor, Gold Medal, wanted even more money than Republic Services, its new vendor (as previously reported by this newspaper).

Other primary contributors to the introduced budget size expanding, according to the mayor, include increased pension payment appropriations, and greater funding for police salaries “to address retirements with the hiring of new officers and promotions.”

Another approximately $2 million road program would be funded through the budget should it pass. A final change order for the 2018 municipal road program, according to Burger, was just completed, and the 2019 and 2020 road programs remain in progress.

“We did hit the worst of the worst I think, but there are still some people who deserve to have better roads,” Watson said.

It has been about five years, Burger noted, since the township engineer put together a “long-range road program,” or list of roads with their condition noted, along with a recommended level of priority for improvements. Some $19,500 has been incorporated into this year’s introduced budget to allow the township engineer to put together another long-range road program.

“It will allow him to do a new one to update roads that have been done, and see what roads deteriorated a little more,” Burger said.

Councilman Frank Czekay pointed out that some roads in town are maintained by the county, and recommended that the municipality request improvements to several, including Stokes Road as “right across from Cow Point, it is in horrid shape already,” contending that it had only been about ten years since it was last repaved.

The township’s introduced 2021 capital budget not only would fund the 2021 road program, but also two police vehicle replacements, new camera systems for three

emergency service buildings, a grapple truck for brush pickup and two new turf fields for the Medford Youth Athletic Association (MYAA).

Also included in the capital budget is sidewalk and curb work alongside Union Street and Allen Avenue, or “around the new municipal building and library.” The over $8 million building, and over $10 million total project, is nearing completion with the building expected to open to the public soon.

Council has been discussing the “Burlington County Library” for a longtime during its executive sessions.

Burger noted at one point during the budget discussions that there was $625,000 she initially “plugged into revenue based on an agreement we are hoping to do with a contribution from the county,” but that “because we do not have an executed agreement in place, and I am not sure by the time the budget document has to go (get approved), we will,” she thought it was best to “move that out.” Other sources of revenue and methods of maneuvering funds were then discussed to help keep the tax rate flat.

Watson noted that he “had confidence that we will come to an agreement,” but that he didn’t want the ongoing negotiations and the lack of an agreement to “hold us up in finishing our budget.”

The township manager later told this newspaper she had no further information to add at this time. The county, however, currently operates the Pinelands Branch Library on Allen Avenue.

“Libraries are important cornerstones of communities and for the last 49 years the Pinelands Library has served as a key branch in the Burlington County Library System serving customers in the Greater Medford area and surrounding Pinelands region,” said Jonathan Chebra, chairman of the Burlington County Library Commission, in a statement provided to this newspaper. “We are thrilled that the library is moving into the new Medford Township building. This new location will See MEDFORD/ Page 15

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allow for additional programming space, a new tech center, dedicated teen zone, improved customer parking and more. The county is working closely with the Township of Medford to finalize the agreement to continue this longstanding partnership.”

The township’s introduced 2021 utility capital budget would include making improvements to a water main serving White Pine Drive and Evergreen Trail.

“There are continual breaks and it also affects Taunton Forge School when it happens,” the township manager said. “It is not a cheap fix – we are budgeting $750,000 for that.”

A sewage pump station on Golfview Drive is also scheduled to be eliminated in favor of a gravity system, with nearly $800,000 budgeted in the utility capital budget for the project.

“This is something on their radar for several years,” Burger said. “It needs to be improved, but there is no room for improvement space-wise where it is at.

They are, instead, going to go with a gravity system, and there will be less maintenance in the future using the gravity system versus what is there now.”

“Very old pipes” in Medford Village are also scheduled to be fitted with slip lining, she said, due to recent breaks to “get several more years out of them,” while permanent generators would be installed at township pump stations to phase out the current system of staff bringing and connecting temporary generators to them every time the power goes out.

Overall, said Burger of the utility projects in the introduced 2021 budget, “We are trying to be more proactive with repairs as it saves us money in the long run.”

parents to the Village of Taunton Forge as a small child.

“We didn’t have a lot of money, but whenever they could, my parents would take me out to eat and bring me to some of the stores,” said the 38-year-old congressman, describing that experience as being “so special to us” and recalling how he had “wandered in and out of every one of these stores.”

His reason for relating that, he said, was to emphasize that it “is not an act of charity” to provide relief of this sort to small business owners as in, “here you go because these are tough times.” The recipients, he said, are rather “our small businesses” representing “such a vital part our communities.”

“This is for all of us,” Kim declared.

By doing so, he maintained, “we are keeping our communities vibrant” and investing in “what we love about New Jersey and raising our families here.”

Breslin, who owns Howard Charles, Inc., which offers retail and wholesale solutions to the houseware and giftware industries, after observing that “very few of us included ‘global pandemic’ in our small business plans,” contended that one reason the new micro-business relief bill was so important was that “COVID-19 has not impacted all businesses equally.

“While a handful of well-positioned corporations have seen their revenues skyrocket, and the net worth of America’s billionaires has grown by a trillion dollars, I am sad to say that more small businesses have closed than ever,” he said. “The pandemic has exacerbated inequalities and small businesses have been hit the hardest, especially those owned by people of color, women and other historically marginalized

(Continued from Page 13)

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

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(Continued from Page 10)

groups which already have difficulty in accessing capital.”

Noting that his own enterprise had “barely survived” the 2008 financial crisis, Breslin maintained that the bill about to get Murphy’s signature “draws an important lesson from that recovery and puts resources where they are needed.”

Without the bill, he contended, the state would “risk compounding the pre-existing inequalities with even new inequalities” and it “will directly address that very problem by targeting the smallest of New Jersey’s businesses,” such as the local mom and pop stores “who deserve the chance to weather this storm.”

Sullivan pointed out that micro-businesses “face some of the most significant challenges in our state in good times,” and when a pandemic happens, “it’s all the more challenging.”

Referring to the new relief bill as part of the governor’s “commitment to equity and economic justice,” he, too, characterized it as being especially helpful to minority-owned businesses, 90 percent of which he said “are microbusinesses in some form or fashion.”

“So, when we talk about targeting microbusinesses, we are talking about businesses that have historically been left out of programs like this,” Sullivan said.

The NJEDA head also promised his agency would “be hard at work to get this money out with an application process that will open the second half of this month.” A board meeting April 14, he added, will come up with the specifics of doing so in a judicious, thoughtful, careful, but also quick manner.

“But this isn’t over yet,” he added. “We know there is more recovery to come and more funds needed.”

In his initial remarks, the governor noted that assistance programs overseen by the NJEDA have so far provided more than 35,000 grants, amounting to approximately $137 million, to more than 29,000 small

♦ Page 15

businesses throughout the state, as well as creating a small and micro-business personal protective equipment (PPE) access program that gave them the ability to purchase such gear for themselves, their employees and customers at discounts of up to 70 percent, saving over 10,000 small businesses more than $10 million.

“These partnerships have allowed businesses statewide to pay their rent or mortgages, to stay current on their utilities, to move their commercial presences online, and to continue serving their customers and to keep their employees on their payrolls,” Murphy said.

In addition, the governor noted that his current budget proposal calls for “a total of $200 million in direct grants, loans, loan guarantees and other tools” to be made available to the state’s small businesses and that his administration has also worked to ensure that the federal Paycheck Protection Program support small businesses had received would be exempt from all state taxes and that the expenses those funds went to pay would further be tax-deductible.

“Together with these actions, New Jersey’s small business community can look forward to a brighter and more prosperous day dawning on the horizon,” the governor contended.

“Yes, we have much more work to do to end this pandemic, we have millions more vaccine shots to deliver and many more lives to protect and save. But make no mistake, we are in this fight together for the long haul. … Just as no life has been expendable, no small business needs to be expendable.”

Damadio, in introducing the governor, described how invaluable two previous grants had been to her in keeping her boutique afloat.

“I can’t express the importance of these two grants,” she said. “That money enabled us to keep our staff and to pay bills that continue to come in. So, for us, that money was a Godsend.”

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