Pine Barrens Tribune February 5, 2022-February 11, 2022

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Vol. 6 – No. 16 ♦

The News Leader of the Pines

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February 5 - February 11, 2022

Pemberton Teachers Implore School Board to Drop Grading Policy in Which Students Can Score No Lower Than 55

‘SUPERMARKET SWEEP’ A design rendering of a supermarket building renovation and expansion at the Village of Taunton Forge.

Outraged Veteran Educators Call It ‘Horrible,’ ‘Poisonous,’ Saying Students Have Quit Doing Assignments, While Others in Honors Classes Are ‘Angry’

Photo Provided

By Douglas D. Melegari

Medford Planning Board Unanimously Approves Long-Awaited Renovation and Expansion of Vacant Supermarket Building at Village of Taunton Forge Shopping Center, with Applicant Receiving ‘Appreciation’ for ‘Commitment to Keeping Trees’ and ‘Taking Discussion to Heart’

By Douglas D. Melegari Staff Writer

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MEDFORD—A long-awaited project to renovate and expand an “existing supermarket building,” last occupied in 2014 at the Village of Taunton Forge Shopping Center, at the corner of Tuckerton Road and Taunton Boulevard in Medford Township, received final major site-plan approval, as well as amended preliminary/ final phasing-plan approvals, from the municipal Planning Board on Jan. 26, representing a major step forward toward further redevelopment of the intersection.

And while an initial plan for the project presented to the board last November had called for the removal of additional trees, primarily in a roadside buffer alongside Tuckerton Road, as well as tree pruning in the buffer, all in a bid to increase visibility of the shopping center, the DePetris family, which owns the plaza and is the project applicant, received appreciation for coming back to board last week “with

a commitment to keep the trees” there (that aren’t dead or hazardous) and also “addressing the township’s concerns” by dropping the plans for tree pruning, among other conditions it agreed to.

The applicant, as part of the approvals, can also now proceed with improving and possibly expanding the exterior of an attached coffee shop, Roast Coffee, as long as it conforms to the same standards that were applied to other recently renovated storefronts in the shopping center, and there is a commitment to work closely with the board’s professionals on the particulars of a final design.

“Since 2014, when my brothers (Michael, Steven and David) and I undertook redevelopment of the shopping center that our father (Joseph DePetris) built in 1978, we have made some solid progress in that effort, bringing in new stores and making renovations, but we have some more work to do in the future and that includes expanding the supermarket,” said James DePetris,

Staff Writer

PEMBERTON —Inc ens e d, veteran Pemberton Township High School educators are imploring the Pemberton Township Board of Education to “immediately end” what had been, up until this point, a little-known policy, that reportedly began at the start of the school year, which prevents Pemberton Township School District teachers from assigning district students a score lower than a 55 on any assignment, even if the pupils decide not to do them, cheat, plagiarize or skip class.

The outspoken veteran educators – in sounding the alarm over the policy and urging parents to take notice of it – did not mince words at a Jan. 27 board meeting, referring to the policy as both a “horrible” and “poisonous” one, as well as pointing out it was resu lti ng i n “u n i ntended consequences,” resulting in a “desperate situation” in a school system that has already been said over the last several months to be facing multiple crises, many of which have seemingly gone unresolved.

Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Havers, in defending the policy at issue, remarked that students had been graded on a 100-point scale, all while educators are graded on a four-point scale, with teachers unable to score below a one, adding, “I could do nothing, or

representing the applicant, to the board on Jan. 26. “That supermarket will be a huge help – a positive to the whole project (to renovate and expand the shopping center, thereby further eliminating its vacancies).”

James DePetris added that the renovation of the supermarket building – the last dated one in the shopping center with the others having since been renovated – will serve as a “good signal” of “further development” to come at the intersection of Taunton and Tuckerton roads, one that the family has been making a “continuing effort to improve” with hopes of filling other vacant retail spaces it owns, which are separate from the shopping center there.

The co-landlord previously detailed to the board that the shopping center was 60 percent vacant in 2014, but already decreased to 30 percent in the wake of the initial phases of renovation that have been completed.

The supermarket building, the single largest retail unit in the shopping center, See SUPERMARKET/ Page 6

See GRADING/ Page 7

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Saturday, February 5, 2022

Woman Charged in Collision that Killed Pemberton High Senior Was Allegedly Traveling at 90 MPH Before It, Had BAC of .188%

By Douglas D. Melegari Staff Writer

PEMBERTON—A Pemberton Township woman has been charged with reckless manslaughter and vehicular homicide after a law enforcement investigation determined that she was allegedly driving while impaired when her vehicle had crossed the centerline of Lakehurst Road in the municipality, on Dec. 16, and crashed head-on into a Nissan Sentra being driven by a Pemberton Township High School senior, killing the teenager.

Wanda Sprague, 54, of the 200 block of Pemberton-Browns Mills Road, was charged Jan. 20 with first-degree reckless manslaughter and second-degree vehicular homicide in the Dec. 16 evening crash, according to a joint press release from the Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Pemberton Township Police Chief Jay Watters.

The Pine Barrens Tribune previously reported that a 2015 Nissan Sentra being operated by 17-year-old Kayla Estrella Bowen was traveling east on Lakehurst Road, near Rancocas Lane, around 9:19 p.m. on Dec. 16 when a 2010 Chrysler 300 being driven in the westbound lane by Sprague, “crossed the centerline of the roadway, entered the eastbound lanes of travel, and crashed head-on” into the teenager’s Nissan.

Bowen was pronounced dead at the scene

by Virtua Health paramedics.

According to the two top law enforcement officials, the ensuing investigation into the crash determined that the headlights on Sprague’s Chrysler were not turned on when she crashed head-on into the Nissan (which was confirmed by investigators through video surveillance, according to a copy of a criminal complaint against Sprague, obtained by this newspaper).

The investigation further determined that Sprague had been consuming alcohol prior to the crash at a local bar, later identified

by Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Joel Bewley as Country Lakes Pub & Grill, which is located in Browns Mills.

Sprague also reportedly reached a speed exceeding 90 mph prior to the collision, which was confirmed through a New Jersey State Police examination of an Electronic Data Recorder (EDR) taken from the Chrysler, according to the criminal complaint, which noted that the posted speed limit in the area was only 35 mph.

Sprague, the authorities said, suffered extensive injuries in the crash, from which she is still recovering.

In New Jersey, the legal limit for Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) is .08 percent.

According to the criminal complaint, a blood sample collected from Sprague, ordered by a judge at 11:33 p.m. the evening of the collision, revealed Sprague’s BAC was

Photo Provided

Wanda Sprague, of Pemberton, charged with reckless manslaughter and vehicular homicide following a fatal collision in December that killed a Pemberton teenager. “of 0.188 percent or above.”

The criminal complaint notes that prior to the blood sample being ordered by the judge, police officers had detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from Sprague’s “vehicle and person” at the scene of the crash, and that she reportedly “stated to paramedics she drank whiskey at a bar that evening.” Additionally, police had obtained “Sprague’s receipt from the Country Lakes Pub & Grill, which showed four alcoholic drinks purchased prior to the crash,” it is noted in the criminal complaint.

Eyewitnesses interviewed by police, according to the criminal complaint, maintained that Sprague was not only traveling at a high rate of speed on Lakehurst Road, and without her headlights on, but also “weaving into opposite lanes of traffic and struck a trash can before colliding headon with the victim.”

In addition to the criminal charges, Sprague was issued multiple traffic citations, including operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Sprag ue, i n a fi rst app e aranc e i n Burlington County Superior Court on Jan. 20, was ordered by a judge to not have any contact with the victim’s family, which Bewley later told this newspaper was a standard procedure in such cases.

The case will now be prepared for presentation to a grand jury for possible indictment.

Bowen, according to an obituary, was born in Hoboken on April 12, 2004, and grew up in the Browns Mills section of Pemberton. As a Pemberton high senior, she was enrolled in the school’s Medical Arts Program.

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Gym Owner Who Defied Gov. Murphy’s COVID Shutdown Edict Now Seeking to Challenge Andy Kim for 3rd District House Seat Ian Smith First Must Face Viking Co-chair Robert Healey, Jr. in GOP Primary

By Bill Bonvie Staff Writer

BELLMAWR—To some voters, Ian Smith might seem like a rather unlikely GOP prospect to keep Democratic 3rd District Rep. Andy Kim from winning a third term in Congress.

Sporting a chest-length beard and tattoos, the co-owner of the Atilis Gym in Bellmawr, Camden County, who openly defied Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy’s pandemic lockdown of non-essential businesses, recently receiving a year’s probation after pleading guilty to contempt of court, and who has served five years in prison for killing a teenager in a drunk-driving accident while in college, may not fit the conventional image one would expect of a candidate in a congressional race.

But these are anything but typical times, as last November’s election proved when a political novice, trucker Edward R. Durr, who also ran as a Republican, unseated powerful former Democratic state Senate President Steve Sweeney in the latter’s own bailiwick. And Smith, a legal resident of the 3rd District, where he still lives in the Delanco Township home his mother purchased during his boyhood, has now hired the same GOP political consultant who helped Durr manage that upset victory, Steve Kush, to guide his “100 percent unconventional” campaign as well.

“I’m absolutely in this race to win,” he declared in a phone interview with the Pine Barrens Tribune on Feb. 2, the day before the scheduled official launching of his entry into the Republican primary, in which he will have to first take on a previously announced candidate, Robert Healey, Jr., co-chairman of the Viking Group, a manufacturer of

Photo Provided

Ian Smith, who has told this newspaper he intends to run for a 3rd Congressional District seat. luxury yachts based in Bass River Township.

The main driving force that Smith will be counting on both to win that June 7 primary and to help him do to Kim what the latter did to two-term incumbent Republican Tom MacArthur in 2018 is a backlash against the way the COVID-19 pandemic has been handled at both a state and national level that he believes is rapidly gaining momentum.

But tapping into that sense of outrage and frustration isn’t just a political strategy – it is a response to having personally become enmeshed in a legal and economic morass as a result of his decision to try to keep his business operating rather than comply with the governor’s lockdown orders back in 2020, he said in the phone interview.

Since then, Smith said, he has been offering the public free memberships to his gym, which he and his business partner, Frank See DISTRICT/ Page 4

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Stanfield Slams Murphy’s Ordering Healthcare Worker Boosters, Claiming It Will Exacerbate Staff Shortages Without Any Benefit

By Bill Bonvie Staff Writer

MOUNT HOLLY—Republican state Senator Jean Stanfield, who recently took her seat representing the 8th Legislative District after beating Democratic incumbent Dawn Marie Addiego last November, has accused Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy of recently issuing a “heavy-handed” vaccine mandate that will only serve to exacerbate existing staff shortages in hospitals.

The edict, which requires that healthcare workers receive COVID-19 booster shots or be fired, “will have the exact opposite effect of health and safety,” declared Stanfield in a Jan. 27 press release, pointing out that only 41 percent of eligible New Jersey residents had gotten the booster.

The order, according to Stanfield, who was joined by newly-sworn-in 8th District Assemblymen Michael Torrissi and Brandon Umba, “comes in spite of the fact boosters have shown to be largely ineffective at preventing new infections in the face of an unprecedented Omicron spike that has already subsided.”

“But while the data is iffy on the benefits of a COVID booster in controlling the spread of the virus, its negative impact on staffing and quality of life on healthcare workers is clear,” Stanfield added.

Stanfield, a longtime Burlington County sher i f f, fur ther contended that “for two years now, we’ve been told by this governor that if we follow the science and act conscientiously, our state will return to normal” and “now it is his turn to listen to the experts and relieve our frontline workers of this harmful mandate before more small care providers (independent physician groups), assisted living facilities and group

homes are forced to close.”

The state’s high taxes and assessments, she asserted, “already make it difficult for owners of a small business to survive in a good year, let alone in one of the worst business years any of us can remember.”

Now, she further declared, “this mandate adds insult to injury for the caregivers who have diligently served those most disparately impacted by this pandemic – the elderly and the disabled.”

The remainder of the press release was devoted to the testimony of one of Stanfield’s constituents, Marjorie Mushinski, owner of Home Choice Health Care, LLC, described as a Mount Holly-based business that provides compassionate and personalized at-home care, allowing elderly clients to age in place.

Mushinski maintained that the mandate would cause her firm to lose nearly a third of its workforce and to turn away many requests for care as a result.

“Our patients, who depend on home care services to remain independent in their later years, are the ones hurt most by this,” she said. “We had no outreach from the governor’s office, or the Department of Health, prior to this policy shift, which would require our agency to terminate employees who have worked the entire pandemic to provide care to our clients.”

Mushinski also claimed that the problem could be three-fold in that patients will not be receiving care, family members will have to adjust work schedules or quit their jobs, and caregivers will be out of work and unable to provide for their families.”

Murphy’s Deputy Press Secretary Michael See BOOSTERS/ Page 9

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Pemberton Man Charged with Distributing Child Pornography PEMBERTON—A 19-year-old man from the Browns Mills section of Pemberton Township has been charged with possessing and distributing child sex abuse material.

Dawson Simons, of Seminole Trail, was charged Jan. 21 with two second-degree counts and one third-degree count of endangering the welfare of a child. He was taken into custody that morning, at his residence, following the execution of a search warrant.

An investigation into Simons, according to a press release from the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, began in September after the agency’s High-Tech Crimes Unit received information regarding his online activities from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The investigation revealed that Simons

was using social media and an online file storage system to collect and distribute child sexual abuse material, the release stated.

Simons was lodged in Burlington County Jail pending an appearance in Superior Court. The case will be prepared for presentation to a grand jury for possible indictment.

Electronic devices that were seized from Simons will be examined by detectives from the High-Tech Crimes Unit, according to the prosecutor’s office.

The prosecutor’s office has been assisted thus far in the investigation by the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations – Cherry Hill Office, the Pemberton Township Police Department and the Evesham Township Police Department.

Blizzard of 2022 Drops Over Foot of Snow Along Coast WASHI NGTON —T he Bl i z z a rd of 2022 on Jan. 28 and 29 buried the coastal Pinelands communities with nearly a footand-a-half of snow, with around a foot of snow falling in the interior parts of the area.

According to the National Weather Service, 17 inches of snow was reported in Tuckerton Borough and 15.3 inches of snow fell in Little Egg Harbor Township, while 10 inches of snow was reported in Evesham Township.

The main impact in our region was on the roads, which remained snow covered in most of the Pinelands through the morning of Jan.

31. New Jersey State Police reported that they responded to 283 motor vehicle crashes and 641 motorist aids in their patrolled areas, statewide, during the confirmed blizzard.

In Washington Township, Deputy Mayor Paul Seybold said that township plow crews “got stuck four times,” but managed to continue operations.

“I have gotten some complements from a couple residents already on the job that they did,” he said. “It is like painting the bridge out there, you go up one end of town and you have to start all over again.”

DISTRICT

at risk,” Smith stated. “Instead, they made a debacle out of the nursing homes by putting people who were sick in with those who weren’t.”

In addition, he charged, “there was an abundance of research put out very early on about the effectiveness of every single form of early treatment possible.” Such options not only involved repurposed drugs, he said, but things like supplements, food and a healthy lifestyle, and even nasal flushing that he claimed had been shown in a study “to eliminate the virus from your nose 90 percent of the time to prevent infection.”

But health officials, he charged, had endeavored to discredit the merits of such doit-yourself preventives, because “they want everybody dependent on the government,” and thus their only solution was to impose lockdowns and vaccines and “undermine the individual’s ability to be self-reliant.”

The idea of liberty being to empower individuals to make good choices on their own, he added, is one he feels shouldn’t just apply to the pandemic, but to “every aspect of American life and politics.”

As for his potential Democratic rival, Kim, whose district gained more registered Democrats when it was gerrymandered in December, Smith charged that the congressman has “been Phil Murphy’s biggest cheerleader during all of the COVID response measures that the governor put into effect.”

“This is a man who says he advocates for small business, but where there was no support given by him to small businesses during the lockdowns at a time when we needed it most,” Smith declared.

When asked about the fatal accident that put him in prison, Smith said it was something he had “been very open about” and given lectures on at about 20 different high schools – a result of his not realizing he was still impaired the morning after drinking.

“I certainly understand the resentment and the anger and the hostility that some people will hold for me and I don’t blame anybody for that,” he asserted. “The only thing that I can do is to try to do as much good as I possibly can moving forward.”

Contacted for a response to Smith’s candidacy, Kim spokesman Forrest Rilling replied, “Thanks for reaching out, but we’re going to pass on this one.” Healey did not return either a call or email by press time.

(Continued from Page 3) Trumbetti, have managed to keep open seven days a week, 365 days a year through donations and the sale of tee-shirts, which have also enabled him to pay his legal fees.

Smith said that he has felt an “obligation” to take a stand politically ever since the restrictions intended to stop the spread of COVID-19 went into effect. He described his political philosophy as one aimed at preserving rights that are guaranteed in the Constitution, which he believes have been subject to “the biggest infringement on personal liberty that we have seen in this country” and will continue to be threatened even after the pandemic itself ends.

“It started with business lockdowns and it has evolved into medical freedom,” he contended. “First, we were told we could not work, and we were told that we had to depend on the government to feed our families. Now we’re being told that we have to be coerced or forced into medical treatments that many of us don’t need and that have been proven to be largely ineffective. It’s ‘get this shot’ that no one really knows anything about long-term or lose everything – jobs, scholarships – you name it. I don’t think there is enough data for ‘medical professionals’ to be recommending it with the confidence that they currently are.”

To illustrate how ill-advised he believes all these measures have been, Smith pointed to a just-released study done by a team of Johns Hopkins University researchers, which concluded that lockdowns have done little to reduce COVID deaths, but have had “devastating effects” on economies and produced numerous social ills.

And shutting dow n businesses, he maintained, hasn’t been the only ill-advised move based on unproven assumptions.

“They said COVID was transmitted on surfaces, and that proved to be incorrect,” Smith pointed out. “And there is absolutely nothing that shows that masks and cloth face coverings do anything.”

But it is not that Smith doesn’t believe steps cannot be taken to protect people from contracting or dying of the virus.

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VALENTINE’S DAY GUIDE

♦ Page V1

How To Plan a Hassle-Free Valentine’s Day Meal Do you and your sweetheart want to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a romantic dinner?

If so, consider keeping things simple by choosing one of the following options.

Cater the Meal

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Order a Meal Kit

Go to a Restaurant Take a break from cooking by enjoying your Valentine’s Day dinner at a restaurant. If you prefer not to go out, order a meal for pick up or

You can choose a ready-made meal that simply needs to be reheated or have fun cooking a recipe that comes in a kit.

Since other couples will likely have the same idea as you, make sure you reserve your table or order your meal in advance.

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VALENTINE’S DAY GUIDE

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5 Reasons Jewelry Makes the Perfect Valentine’s Day Gift

4 Unique Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day

Do you want to spoil your sweetheart for Valentine’s Day? If so, here are five great reasons to do so with jewelry.

Do you want your sweetheart to have an unforgettable Valentine’s Day? If you’d like to plan a memorable one, here are four unique ideas to consider.

1. It’s Durable Jewelry lasts much longer than flowers or chocolates. Make sure you choose a metal that doesn’t tarnish, such as gold, to ensure the piece will look beautiful for years to come.

2. It’s Compact The best gifts come in small packages, and your sweetheart is sure to be excited to open their present. In addition, the compact size of jewelry makes it a gift that’s easy to hide until the big day so it can be a surprise.

3. It Can Be Personalized Jewelry is easy to customize.

For example, you can choose a gold locket, bracelet or ring and have a meaningful word or date engraved on the inside.

4. It’s Wearable If you carefully select the piece of jewelry, your partner is likely wear

it every day. This can help them feel connected to you even when the two of you are apart.

5. It’s Symbolic The shape and color of the jewelry you choose can hold a deeper meaning. For example, heart-shaped earrings and classic infinity necklaces are timeless symbols of love.

To find the perfect gift for your valentine, visit the jewelry stores in your area.

1. Rock Climbing Get your valentine’s blood racing by taking them rock climbing.

This activity requires trust and communication, so it can be the perfect way to bond. Follow up with a smoothie or casual lunch.

2. Roller or Ice Skating Enjoy gliding along hand in hand

at your local ice or roller rink. Some places allow you to rent skates if you don’t have your own. Consider finishing your date with an ice cream sundae or a cup of hot cocoa.

3. Axe Throwing Awaken your sweetheart’s inner lumberjack by taking them axe throwing. Learn different techniques from a coach and set high scores while having fun together.

4. Simulation Experience Do you dream of flying a plane or driving a race car? Are you and your valentine adrenaline junkies?

If so, you may want to book a ride in a simulation machine. You can experience what it’s like to fly a plane or drive a car in a Formula 1 race.

To find a unique activity for Valentine’s Day, look into the options available in your area.

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VALENTINE’S DAY GUIDE

♦ Page V3

Say It With Flowers

N

Flowers are a popular Valentine’s Day gift for your sweetie.

early $2 billion is spent on Valentine’s flowers every year, in fact. But did you know that those flowers have specific meanings? Keep reading to learn the sentiments behind each kind of bloom in your bouquet according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Love It shouldn’t be surprising that love is a common theme in flower meanings. Aloe is one plant that can signal affection, as can aster, pink camellias (in terms of longing), red camellias (flaming love), white camellias (you’re adorable), carnations except for striped or yellow ones, red chrysanthemums, white clover, daffodils, daisies, forgetme-nots (of course), ferns (secret bonds of love), gardenias, heliotrope, honeysuckle, white hyacinth, ivy, white jasmine, myrtles, red roses, blue salvia, sorrel, red tulips, and yarrow.

Happiness Other blossoms signal joy or happiness. These include, the

almanac says, basil for good wishes, bay tree for glory, ferns for fascination, white jasmine for affection, coreopsis, lilacs for joy, lily-of-thevalley for sweetness, marjoram, morning glories for affection, parsley, peonies to signal a happy life, pink roses, sorrel for affection, spearmint for warm sentiments, sweet pea as a thank you for a lovely time, yellow tulips for a sunny smile, and zinnias for lasting affection.

Beauty Still other flowers signal that the giver things you’re easy on the eyes, the almanac says. Blooms for beauty include aster for daintiness, bay tree for glory, clematis for mental beauty, gardenias, hibiscus, yellow jasmine for grace and elegance, and dwarf sunflowers for adoration.

Spurning Stems Flowers can also meet the opposite of love, happiness and beauty. The almanac also lists some flowers that mean, well, go away.

Those include the anemone as a

symbol of the forsaken, begonias as a warning, butterfly weed as a sign to let someone go, striped carnations to signal refusal, yellow carnations for disdain or rejection, evergreen clematis for poverty, columbine for foolishness and red columbine for anxiety. Crab blossoms can signal an ill nature while cyclamen

means goodbye. Geraniums signify stupidity, purple hyacinth sorrow and yellow hyacinth jealousy. Lavender can be a sign of distrust while orange lilies mean outright hatred. Tall sunflowers signify haughtiness while the almanac says a gift of tansy is tantamount to a declaration of war.

Willows, meanwhile, means sadness.

Page V4 ♦

VALENTINE’S DAY GUIDE

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Long-Distance Valentine’s Day: 3 Ways to Celebrate If you want to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a sweetheart who lives faraway, you’ll need to do a little planning. Here are three ideas to help you organize a memorable date.

1. Share a Virtual Meal Choose a meal you both love and cook it together over your preferred video chat application.

Decorate your tables the same way, then sit down to enjoy a romantic dinner for two.

2. Watch a Movie Together Curl up on the couch and enjoy some snacks while you and your valentine download or stream the same movie. You can experience it

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3. Give a Wearable Gift Send your valentine a gift they can wear such as jewelry, a watch, a sweater or a scarf. When your sweetheart wears the item, they’re likely to think of you.

Keep in mind, Valentine’s Day is the perfect occasion to show your love interest who lives far away how much you care. To find the perfect gift, visit the shops in your area.

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Avoid These Party Mistakes

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Party-Proof Your Home

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Be Sure to Order Enough Food

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Avoid These Party Mistakes

Saturday, February 5, 2022

On one level, Big Game parties are a breeze. After all, whether your guests are there for the football or the commercials, the entertainment is already taken care of.

N

o one has to worry about a dress code and silverware is not required. But that doesn’t mean issues can’t arise along the way. Here’s a look at common party mistakes and how to avoid them.

Timing Don’t put all of the food out at one time. Spacing helps keep things new and exciting, and you can also save the dessert (and coffee) until last — in order to signal when the party should be winding down. Start with a tailgate mentality, meaning a couple of hours early while the pre-game analysis is still on television. Then move onto the main courses as you near kickoff. Continue with other food and drink options in waves, with a wide enough variety that anyone can find something to love.

The Food Don’t serve anything that’s hard to eat. If it requires a knife and fork,

it’s not ideal for a Big Game party.

Finger-friendly foods allow everyone to keep their eyes on the TV, so they won’t miss a single snap or hilarious commercial. Avoid new recipes. Even if you have the culinary skills to pull it off, most guests will gravitate toward simple foods that they know and love.

Save the interesting stuff for smaller, more intimate dinner parties.

someone overdoes it.

Drinks

Seating

Be sure to stock up on ice. If you think you have enough, you probably need more. Buy plenty of non-alcoholic beverages, making it easy for someone to play the role of designated driver. Juices, tonic water and sodas also make great mixers for anyone who wants something a little stronger. Encourage everyone to bring whatever additional drinks they want, and keep the contact information for local taxi companies and ride shares handy in case

This is always a very long game, thanks to all of the added entertainment and commercial content. No one wants to stand that long, including the host.

Make sure there is plenty of seating, even if you need to bring chairs in from other rooms — or borrow furniture from a neighbor or friends. If someone loans you something, remember to make sure they are on the guest list.

Prepping The best parties require advance

planning, and this one is no exception. You can’t get it all done on the morning of the Big Game. There are simply too many moving parts.

You’ll forget something or — worse — be too tired after frantically running errands through the morning to enjoy the big game. All that should be left by the time Sunday rolls around is arranging the food and drinks, then switching on the set. Make one last sweep of the house to make sure everything is presentable, and then begin welcoming friends, family and neighbors.

Saturday, February 5, 2022

Be a Great Party Guest

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BIG GAME Party Planning GUIDE

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Being invited to a Big Game party seems easy enough: You can watch the big game without any of the stress and worry associated with hosting a huge get together.

V

isitors have responsibilities too, however. You shouldn’t simply show up, eat and drink until you’re content, then vanish after the winner raises the Lombardi Trophy during the post-game celebration. Instead, here are a few tips on how to be a great party guest.

Arrive on Time Showing up fashionably late may be acceptable or even encouraged in other situations, but Big Game parties have a pre-announced kickoff time. Arrive afterward, and you’ll disrupt a group that’s now intently watching for the next big play or the next can’t-miss ad. In fact, the best guests ask about arriving early, in case help is needed with prep. And if, for some reason you can’t make it, let the host know as soon as you can.

Don’t Be Empty Handed Great party guests make contributions to the event, even if it’s just an additional bottle of liquid refreshment or extra paper plates.

Better still, bring a side dish. Big Game parties aren’t designed to show off five-star skills. Simple appetizers and finger foods are the order of the day. Make sure it’s something that can be served at room temp, or with a quick spin in the microwave, since the host’s kitchen will be packed with other guests.

Be Ready to Talk Don’t be a dud. Come prepared to hold conversations with fellow guests and not just about whatever’s happening on the field. Think of a few suitable topics on the way over. Consider the people who are hosting and who they’ll invite, then formulate some questions about

what’s happening in their lives. Avoid controversial topics like religion and politics. And don’t leave before saying this: “We’ve had a wonderful time; thanks for inviting us.”

Show Some Manners Don’t eat while filling your own plate. If you touch something while deciding, it’s yours. Don’t put it back. Be respectful of others who are

watching by staying away from the TV screen, and making sure to pause conversations when something notable is happening — whether it’s a key replay or a trailer for that highly anticipated new movie. Don’t double dip from the main bowl. Instead, put some extra salsa on your own plate.

Help clean up while the game is still in progress, and be sure not to overstay your welcome. Offer to help clean up before you leave.

BIG GAME Party Planning GUIDE

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Party-Proof Your Home

Let’s face it, accidents happen — especially at parties, and even more, perhaps, at Big Game parties.

T

hey’re lengthy affairs, with lots of guests watching something that can get very exciting. Next thing you know, drinks are spilling, pizza is falling to the floor, and home decor might get bumped off a shelf.

Here’s how to party-proof your home for the big game this year.

Make More Room The first step with party-proofing is maximizing the space you have for the event. Start by clearing walkways of excess clutter, then rearrange furniture to create a space to gather in the center of the room. Provide as many different options for seating as is possible, including sofas, recliners, loveseats, bar stools and even folding chairs if needed.

Bean bags are a great option for kids, too. Store any items that are particularly treasured or easily broken. Finally, clear away every-day clutter like mail, laundry, newspapers and magazines so there’s plenty of counter space for more important things — like wings!

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from dirt, excess wear and tear, and spills. Table cloths placed under your appetizers and drinks can shield your hard surfaces from stains, dings or condensation rings. The disposable versions make cleaning up a breeze.

Use plastic cups rather than breakable glass. If and when someone manages to create a mess anyway, remember to blot carpet spills with cold water first.

You’ll be back to the game in no time.

Don’t Forget The Pets Parties can get pretty loud. Big Game parties are even louder. Guests become engrossed in the action, or find the commercials and conversation hilarious, and they forget to use their inside voices. This can become particularly stressful for pets who may be nervous around that level of noise or simply timid with strangers — and then they might create their own messes.

Consider limiting your furry friend’s access to areas where people aren’t congregating, and make frequent visits together outside. Check on them frequently, providing their favorite treats during the game. Then get them something special afterward.

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Don’t Forget Younger Guests

BIG GAME Party Planning GUIDE

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Invitees might ask a friend or babysitter to watch their children before going to more upscale gatherings, but Big Game parties are informal affairs where children are a regular presence.

S

ome younger guests might not remain engaged with the action on the field, especially with a contest as long as the average NFL championship. Best to have some alternate activities, so you and your other guests don’t miss a snap.

Outdoor Activities The Big Game typically starts in the early evening, but there’s still plenty of time during pre-game programming to have some outdoor fun. And what better day to organize a touch or flag football game? This will provide an outlet for the extra energy every kid has, while allowing everyone to enjoy some fresh air before crowding inside for the pro action. Invite them to wear their favorite team’s jersey for an added sense of rivalry. Scavenger hunts, hopscotch and cornhole contests are great options for those who aren’t

into gridiron games.

Football-Themed Fun Hang a hula hoop or lay it on the ground, then have the kids take turns trying to toss a football into it.

Update the old Pin the Tail on the Donkey game with helmets from the participating teams. Create a papiermâché version of the same helmets and fill them with treats for a cool twist on the classic piñata. Buy or print out football-themed coloringbook pages, or copy the activities on this page. Get Big Game stickers for use in bingo games. Do a little pregame research and play Big Game trivia; older children can be in charge of asking the questions and keeping score. Then there’s a classic: Flick football, where kids create triangles out of folded paper and try to make field goals between one another upright fingers.

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Saturday, February 5, 2022

Be Sure to Order Enough Food To Throw a Great Party, Don’t Leave Guests Hungry

F

or many people, a great Big Game party involves piles of pizza and chicken wings. How much do you need to order, though?

It depends on who’s coming.

Part of the Fun Having more food than you need is a longstanding Big Game party tradition in America. It’s part of the fun.

Even health nuts often splurge for one day while they cheer on their favorite team, then get back on the healthy, veggie-and-workout bandwagon the next day.

Making sure your party includes ample amounts of good food — the most classic being pizza and chicken wings — should be at the heart of everyone’s Big Game party plans.

Rules of Thumb A good rule of thumb when ordering pizza is to buy three slices per adult and two slices per child.

Some people will eat more; some

will eat less. That guideline results in a good workable average for a meal, though.

Most large pizzas have eight slices, so you can do the math to see how much to order. For 10 adults and five children, you’d need at least four pizzas. If you’re expecting 20 adults, you’d need eight pizzas to feed them all.

If you want to get extra nerdy, look for online calculators that tell you how much to order. You can enter details about the size of the pizza and how many people you’re expecting, and the website will tell you how many pizzas are recommended.

For chicken wings, it’s a good idea to order 10 wings for adults and 6 for children. If they’re boneless wings, though — which come with more meat on them and less waste — you can probably drop that down to seven wings per adult and four per child.

Keep in mind that the Big Game lasts longer than a meal, and your guests may come hungrier than average.

The typical Big Game broadcast lasts three to four hours, or even longer if you watch all the pre- and post-game content with your friends.

You may want to order quite a bit more than these guidelines.

Order Early Because of the widely publicized supply-chain disruptions this year as the economy continues to recover

from pandemic conditions, it’s a good idea to place your order well ahead of time.

Many restaurants report being short on staff recently, too, and Big Game Sunday is one of the busiest days of the year for pizza and wing establishments.

To make sure you don’t end up empty-handed on game day, call ahead to place your order. You’ll want to make sure your favorite restaurant is ready and able to keep your party guests happy on the big day.

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The Big Cleanup

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If it’s a close game, the Big Game can become so engrossing that food and drink mishaps become almost inevitable.

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ou’re not safe from a spill when the game is a blowout either, since everyone will be up and about enjoying various distracting conversations. Either way, you’ll have to deal with the usual remains from a huge gathering once the game ends. Here’s how to prepare for and execute the big clean up that inevitably follows.

Prepare Beforehand Buy extra all-purpose cleaner, of course, but also air fresheners and stain-remover pens. Stash paper towels in every room with a TV, then you’ll be prepared for any spills. Stock up on trash bags. Keep one eye on the score and the other on the garbage bin so you’re always ready to replace the filled bag with a new one as needed. If possible, place smaller trash receptacles throughout the house, for convenience. Serving your party favors in waves keeps things interesting, but it also allows time for cleaning up as you go.

Use disposable chafing dishes and recyclable plates and flatware,

since they’re so much easier to deal afterward.

Don’t Wait Check for spills, empty classes, abandoned plates or other issues once a quarter. That will cut down on postgame cleaning — and it also might help you get to stains soon enough to keep them from setting. Five or 10 minutes spent straightening up during a commercial you’ve already seen, or one of those endless replay timeouts, really adds up by the time the final whistle blows. Prepare a handy bucket with emergency supplies that can be quickly carried to any room.

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The Aftermath Collect and dispose of everything that can be thrown away or recycled.

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Making the Right Invitations

Saturday, February 5, 2022

Before the party planning, before party-proofing your home, before buying chips and drinks and ice, you’ll need to determine who should attend.

T

his decision-making process isn’t as easy as it sounds.

There are issues of space, and whether different work or friend groups will get along. You might also have to consider which teams are on the field. Here’s a quick guide to making the right invitations to your big-game party.

How Many?

Even if you’d like to invite all of your friends, family and neighbors, they might not be able to cram into the available space. You also have to consider noise and parking issues for those who live nearby. If you’re an apartment or condo dweller, the guest list should probably be restricted to no more than 10. Those who live in single-family homes could host twice as many guests, but might want to limit it to fewer — depending on your square footage, and the size or number of televisions.

Who’s In? Close friends, family and coworkers are always the safest bet.

Invitations can get trickier after that, however. Significant others are usually a great idea, but an unknown plus-one might become isolated from the rest of your guests. As host, you could end up having to cater to a self-conscious stranger rather than enjoying the game with your buddies. Avoid inviting supervisors, since your relationship with them is typically limited to your job — and this is supposed to be fun. (Your friends might also inadvertently embarrass you, which could have workplace implications.) Be aware of any lingering personal issues among your guests, and invite around them.

Who’s Playing?

With lots of food and drinks, a boisterous crowd and those

celebrated commercials, the Big Game can be about everything but the game. But that doesn’t apply if your team is playing, or if one of your guests is a childhood fan of the opposing squad. Suddenly, this isn’t a place to network or chit chat, but instead a serious watch party that happens to have cool appetizers. You might not want to invite people who are only there for the commercials,

and you might want to limit the number of significant others and children to those who are actually interested in the final score. Actually, you might not want to invite that buddy who’s pulling for the other team, either. It’s one thing to watch him hoover up all of your free hors d’oeuvres; having to endure his victory dance after a crushing loss is quite another.

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

SUPERMARKET (Continued from Page 1)

was last occupied by Murphy’s Marketplace in 2014. Prior to that, the building was the site of a Shop N Bag. The approvals will allow the supermarket building to be expanded to 21,159 square feet to both attract and better accommodate a future tenant.

“What we have been able to do with this design is enhance it by diversifying the design that presently exists in the rest of center,” said David Crawford, the project’s architect, to the board on Jan. 26. “By that I mean, taking elements, such as the gables, gateways, colorations and materials, and applying them to the existing supermarket to achieve a similar look to what is out there.”

Crawford, who pointed out that he helped design a 107,000 square-foot ShopRite, as well as other supermarkets such as Giant and Stop & Shop, encouraged the board to adopt a design for the supermarket at the Village of Taunton Forge that includes a “shop from home” concept, something he pointed out has become popular since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic.

“Especially during COVID, people are now shopping on their phones or computers, and want groceries brought out to their cars,” maintained Crawford, pointing out that one of the design renderings submitted to the board contained an entrance solely for a shop at home program.

While Crawford sought a “distinguished” appearance to demarcate the shop from home area of the future supermarket, the board suggested having less emphasis to match the other renovated exteriors in the shopping center, though the “technical issues” were ultimately left in the hands of the board’s professionals to work out with the applicant,

WWW.PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM so long as there isn’t a “disagreement” between the parties or “dramatic, uncomfortable changes” from “what the board wants.”

Township Planner Scott Taylor indicated both he and the board were in favor of “a little more muted” façade consisting of a “warm palette,” and that simply a “sign or canopy might help punctuate that (shop from home) entrance.”

“We want to give you what you want,” declared James DePetris in response. “I think we can finesse this to make the most sense.”

The final design iterations, according to Crawford, will also “depend upon leasing conditions with the tenant.”

While the DePetris family has not yet revealed which supermarket chain it is in negotiations with (the approval of the supermarket expansion and renovations now allows the family to negotiate a lease with a prospective tenant), Scott Baumer, a Medford resident who is the “supermarket operator’s representative,” declared at the Jan. 26 hearing that it is “going to take six months to build the supermarket.”

A lot of the Jan. 26 hearing didn’t focus on the architectural design, however, but rather on the tree removal and pruning that had been planned.

Just hours earlier, Kevin Sparkman, a Medford resident, posted in a local Facebook group that he was concerned with the prospect of removing additional trees, which resulted in several others agreeing with him. Dozens of trees in a buffer area fronting the shopping center were already removed to improve the shopping center’s visibility as part of redevelopment approvals given in 2014.

Greg Elko, a project engineer retained by the DePetris family, said in November that the applicant intended, as part of the supermarket phase of the renovations, to clear “the underbrush” as well as conduct “selective clearing” along the frontside of the shopping center on Tuckerton Road,

as had previously been OK’d in the 2014 preliminary approval.

The selective clearing, said Elko at the time, would occur between a height of only “3 and 7 feet above the ground,” in select areas along Tuckerton Road, to increase visibility for the supermarket and other tenants.

Elko added at the time he found that request to be “more reasonable” than what had been previously approved for vegetation clearing in the next phase, and that it still “gives some consideration to give some views into the site, but maintains trees.”

Elko, in reappearing before the board on Jan. 26, said that “our professionals actually walked the site with the board’s professionals, literally marking each and every tree to indicate which one was going to stay, which one was going be cut, and which one was going to be removed.”

“We went through the whole site,” Elko noted. “Several trees slated to be removed are now going to remain.”

Additionally, he said, the design of the supermarket, parking lot, stormwater basins and a sidewalk have all been modified “to save more trees” because “we know that is important to the township.”

The “new agreement,” as described by Elko, Taylor, Watson and Planning Board Chairman Jack Hartwig, is that only a handful of dead trees would be removed in the roadside buffer, as well as one blocking the view of a sign for the shopping center (to be replaced by six large Red Oaks along the shopping center’s driveway), another that Taylor “agreed was a hazard to the street,” and possibly a few in the islands of the shopping center’s parking lot (which would be replaced by new landscaping).

If any additional trees are to come down in the future, according to a condition that Hartwig had the board successfully impose, they must be “linked to future construction of pad sites,” or two that were approved in 2014 for

Saturday, February 5, 2022 the shopping center, but have not yet been built.

However, while Elko said the plan to clear underbrush had also been dropped, the project engineer still sought “permission” from the board, on behalf of the applicant, “to do limited pruning in the area of the existing driveway,” to Tuckerton Road, or 100 feet east of it and 50 feet west of it, “just to get visibility of the building that is going to be renovated from the road.”

Hartwig, however, in response, declared “our buffer ordinance and buffer are there to be a buffer.”

“As I drive down Tuckerton Road, I actually don’t actually see a need to do 3 to 7 feet worth of pruning,” the planning board chairman added. “…I just can’t see waiving our buffer ordinance, as one of my concerns is if you cut something, and it looks bad, or something dies, (what would replace it)? I am also concerned the board has no way of protecting itself in the future (if it allows a waiver to the buffer ordinance).

“I just don’t see the hardship on the applicant if we just said, “Just don’t trim!’

I am not convinced we should allow that kind of intrusive pruning. I don’t see a real reason for it.”

Another planning board member, in agreeing with Hartwig, pointed out that when trees die, “normally trees come up to replace them,” but if you “constantly cut trees, there will be nothing below to replace them.”

“My concern is that 20 to 30 years from now, there won’t be anything to replace them,” asserted the planning board member.

After both Peter Chacanias, an attorney representing the applicant, and Elko, conferred with their client, Chacanias announced that “to the extent that the board was uncomfortable with the idea of the 3 to 7-foot pruning … that is something we are willing to forego,” though he noted that by See SUPERMARKET/ Page 9

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WORSHIP GUIDE

♦ Page 7

Man Arrested After Smashing Glass of Browns Mills Dollar Tree with Large Rock in Early Morning Burglary, Taking Merchandise PEMBERTON—A Pemberton Township man has been charged with burglary, theft and criminal mischief after reportedly using a large rock to smash the front glass door of a Dollar Tree in the Browns Mills section of the municipality, and subsequently stealing merchandise from the store.

The incident at the Dollar Tree, located in Pine Grove Shopping Plaza, was first reported to police on Feb. 1 around 7:31 a.m., according to Pemberton Township Police Chief Jay Watters, but occurred a couple hours prior to that.

When responding police officers arrived at the store, according to Watters, they found that “someone had used a large rock to break through the glass on the front door of the business” and then “entered the business,” and took merchandise before leaving the scene.

A review of store’s surveillance footage, according to the police chief, showed that the burglary occurred at approximately 5:48 a.m. that day.

“Further, officers were able to immediately identify the suspect as Dylan Meisner, as they had previously conducted a well-being check on Meisner, on Juliustown Road, at approximately 7:03 a.m., when he was reported as a suspicious person in the area,” Watters said. “Officers went to Meisner’s residence where they made contact with him, recovered the stolen merchandise from the Dollar Tree and arrested Meisner.”

Meisner, 20, of Browns Mills, was charged follow us on with burglary by entering a structure, theft facebook.com/MedfordUMC by unlawful taking and criminal mischief with damage.

GRADING

not in attendance since the board’s Jan. 6 reorganization meeting, when she lost, in a nonunanimous vote, to Wanda Knox, for the position of board vice president, a post that Maldonado previously held.

Bauer, when it came time for a report from the policy committee during the January meetings, said that Maldonado “could not be here with us this evening,” asking other board members to instead update the board as to the policy committee’s activities.

The new grading policy was not mentioned in those January updates, however.

Bill Gurden, a 16-year English teacher at Pemberton Township High School, pointed out that he has never had to address the board publicly during his tenure, but was doing so on Jan. 26 because the “situation is that desperate, and will only continue to worsen if See GRADING/ Page 11

(Continued from Page 1) I could hit a kid in class, and still get a one.”

The board gave no indication whether it would act to reverse the policy or break ranks with the superintendent, rather it was announced by Board President Tom Bauer that there would be “no board comments tonight,” a departure from tradition in which the board members are usually given the opportunity at the end of a meeting to individually address the public. Bauer would only later speak offthe-record to this newspaper about why that decision was made.

Meanwhile, the chair of the board’s policy com mittee, Terry Maldonado, was absent from both the board’s Jan. 20 work session and Jan. 27 regular meeting,

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(Continued from Page 3)

Zhadanovsky, when contacted by the Pine Barrens Tribune this week and asked for a response to Stanfield’s charge, sent a statement via email, which he said could be attributed to Alex Altman, a spokeswoman for the governor’s office.

“COVID-19 vaccinations, inclusive of booster doses, continue to be extremely effective in preventing both COVIDrelated hospitalizations and deaths,” it said. “Governor Murphy is grateful to every frontline healthcare worker for their tireless dedication and believes we cannot let our healthcare system reach its breaking point.”

Murphy, it added, “remains concerned” about the “high” ICU and ventilator-use numbers, as well as the “significant number” of new deaths recorded each day.

“G ive n t h e ex t r e m e ly v u l n e r abl e populations dependent on care in these settings, it is critical for staff to receive booster doses to best protect themselves, their colleag ues, and those they are responsible for caring for each day,” the statement concluded.

When asked by this newspaper whether that reply was crafted specifically in response

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to Stanfield’s criticism or was a general statement in regard to the governor’s policy where healthcare settings are concerned, Zhadanovsky answered, “The latter, but it also is applicable to her criticism.”

Read a copy of Zhadanovsky’s statement and comment, Stanfield’s chief of staff, Brian Woods, responded that “it seems to be answering a different question.”

“I don’t think that Senator Stanfield is denying that COVID vaccines are very beneficial in keeping people out of the hospital or from dying, but we feel that with the Omicron variant that it is not doing much to stop the spread of the virus, whether you are vaccinated or not vaccinated,” Woods said. “The main point of her argument is only 41 percent of eligible New Jersey residents have chosen to get the booster.

“So, if you mandate that healthcare professionals have to get the booster, you could be looking at half the workforce being out. At this point everybody has had a chance to choose what they want to get, and if the vaccine is protecting your own safety, we haven’t seen as much proof recently that it stops the spread.”

He then compared it to a cost-benefit analysis, asking, “What is the benefit of mandating boosters as opposed to losing half the workforce in a field where we need to care for the most vulnerable?”

Robert H. Griscom Fully Insured NJTC768766

SUPERMARKET (Continued from Page 6)

foregoing the pruning, it doesn’t mean “it still isn’t necessarily a concern for the client.”

Watson reiterated that “under this new agreement” the applicant is “not trimming anything at all, at this moment” and “for the most part, all the trees in the buffer stay.”

The DePetris family also asked the board to consider on Jan. 26, so that it doesn’t have to keep reappearing before it, the Roast Coffee “element” of the overall renovation plan.

Three different plans for the coffee shop element were presented to the board, including one that would provide for “interim” maintenance and upgrades of sorts until negotiations are completed with the tenant on a possible expansion of the coffee shop to 650 square-feet.

The other plans detailed more sophisticated upgrades that would happen in the event that an expansion of the coffee shop was to be undertaken, or that no expansion happens (it would still need to be renovated to be in line with the rest of the shopping center per the 2014 preliminary approval).

“Just to summarize, you’re asking board to consider, as it relates to coffee shop, three options, one being, if the board were to approve supermarket, fixing the roof, painting it and bringing it up to standards commensurate with what you are doing with the supermarket,” Hartwig summarized.

“If the decision is made to expand, then the board would be considering an expansion. If there is no expansion in three years, then the board will be asked to consider approving upgrades to upgrade the coffee shop at its current square-footage.”

Deputy Mayor Frank Czekay, also a planning board member, said he didn’t like the idea of the board “approving options,” concerned it would be hard to memorialize them all into a resolution.

James DePetris replied that his family recognizes the building is in need of an upgrade and is “committed to dressing it up,” and such options should serve as evidence of that commitment.

“We want to make this expansion happen,”

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he reiterated. “It is a very small space, very complicated, and we have two contractors reviewing it right now. We are making an effort to get it done. But we are here now and want to keep the momentum going, and get it approved.

But we will bite the bullet if we have to so that we can upgrade the store (supermarket).”

Ultimately, in addition to giving unanimous approval for the supermarket expansion and renovation, the board, as part of its action taken last week, also agreed “to approve the expansion” of Roast Coffee with a condition that “the same siding materials” have to be put on the coffee shop, as the rest of the shopping center’s renovated units, should it expand, and if there is no expansion, “you have to put the same siding on it (as if it was expanded) in three years’ time.”

Despite earlier calls on social media for locals to attend to the hearing over the trees, and at least a dozen people ultimately watching on Zoom, with a few also attending the nearly three-hour session in-person, Sparkman ended up offering the lone public testimony on the application, which really was more of a comment – or complement.

“I appreciate the fact that the applicant came back with a commitment to keep the trees; and I appreciate the fact that the planning board has paid such careful attention to this,” Sparkman said. “There was discussion the applicant took to heart, and it sounds like most of the trees along Tuckerton and Taunton will remain.”

Watson, in turning to the DePetris family and their professionals, asserted that he “appreciates you guys having us out on site” and “appreciates all your efforts to address our concerns with the trees and buffers, as well as architecture.”

“Thank-you for working hard on these issues,” the mayor added.

Joseph DePetris, the visionary who built the Village of Taunton Forge, who always wanted a supermarket there to serve as its anchor store, will turn 102 years-old on March 15 “God willing,” noted James DePetris, who plans to visit him, along with the rest of his family, at his winter home in Florida to celebrate the occasion.

“We are going down to celebrate and this (approval) will be a great reason to celebrate even more!” James DePetris declared.

Page 10 ♦

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GRADING

(Continued from Page 7) the school board does not take quick action.”

“I first address the parents of Pemberton Township – do you know that your sons and daughters, from the tender age of 4 years old through the age of adulthood at 17 or 18, are being rewarded for doing nothing; rewarded for cheating; and rewarded for plagiarism?” Gurden asked. “For all of those things, students in virtually every other school district throughout New Jersey, throughout the United States of America, and throughout the world, receive a zero for doing nothing; a zero for cheating; and a zero for plagiarism.

“In addition to the deserved zero for cheating, or for plagiarizing someone else’s work, schools universally enact punishment to the offenders, but no longer does this school district! They reward it with a 55!”

According to Gurden, while “dedicated teachers across this school district” are trying to “instill” in students “the power of education, working hard and developing selfworth,” by pointing to what can be achieved “when they set high goals for themselves and work hard toward making those goals and dreams come true,” the new “55 policy” is now “sadly poisoning the minds and futures of your children.”

“It is destroying them!” he declared.

“Students in Pemberton know they hardly need to do anything to pass their classes, and it is disgraceful!”

Gurden contended that a senior English student of his earned a 65, or what he called “barely a passing grade,” in the first half of the semester, then submitted a “very nice

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AD HOTLINE: (609) 801-2392 research paper” at the start of the second half of the semester, earning an 88 on that assignment, but then “proceeded to not do anything for 15 of the next 19 activities and assessments to finish with a 64.”

Another student, Gurden said, earned a 75 for the first half of the semester, “then refused to do anything for the last two weeks of November, and the entire month of December, because she said she would pass with a 55 without doing anything.” Although that student “did get back on task here and there in January,” she ultimately only earned a 66 for the first semester, according to Gurden.

Gurden pointed out that a “colleague” of his also described that a pupil in her freshman English class earned an 81 for the first half of the semester, “and much like my students, stopped doing any work.”

“And, when my colleague asked him why he wasn’t doing anything, he told him, ‘I’ll pass anyway getting a 55.’ He did one assignment the last 45 days of the semester to magically pass without learning a single thing.”

Gurden, in pointing out that the second semester begins in the district on Jan. 31, asserted, “Parents of this community, and members of this school board, I implore you to end this horrible policy immediately.”

“If they score a 75 in the first half of the semester, this horrendous policy permits them to do absolutely nothing for the last 10 weeks of the semester!” Gurden maintained.

“They don’t have to take part in a single lesson, don’t have to do a single piece of work, and don’t need to learn a single skill or single piece of knowledge for the final 45 days of school because this poisonous 55 policy tells them they don’t need to, and they know it!”

Gurden said that while one “might not think” this isn’t happening in the district’s

honors classes, “you’d be wrong,” contending “a colleague today gave me proof” that it actually is occurring.

“A student in her honors History class completed only four out of 20 assessments for this entire marking period, but magically passed because she scored an 81 in the first marking period,” Gurden contended. “In the second marking period, this student only attended school for 14 days out of 45, but this poisonous policy allows her to get away with doing nothing and passing an honors class!”

Lisa Sanchez-Rosenthal, an AP honors Psychology, Humanities and Social studies teacher at Pemberton Township High School, pointed out that not only are her honors students “beginning to cherry pick what assignments they will do,” something that “she has never seen” throughout her 33-year teaching career, but they are also becoming “demoralized.”

“I am watching my students get angry that other people are getting credit for doing nothing, while they are killing themselves to maintain the highest vigor available,” Sanchez-Rosenthal asserted.

Sanchez-Rosenthal added that while she “gets it” that “philosophically” the district “wants to try to level the playing field” for all students, “this policy being broadly applied to students at all levels in our district, in all our buildings, has had some unintended consequences.”

“One policy does not fit all!” declared Sanchez-Rosenthal, who pointed out that she has now tendered her resignation and will be retiring from the school district at the end of the school year.

Havers, in response, said, “Yes, this is really philosophical.”

“I understand there are people who want to give a zero on a scale from zero to 100,”

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said the superintendent, before notably sighing. “But I would also say – as educators – our scale is not zero to 100. No matter what I do as a teacher, or as an educator, I can’t get a zero! It is impossible! We as educators have a different scoring system than our kids do.”

Instead, Havers maintained, educators are “on a four point scale that starts with a one,” or a scale in which, “I could do nothing, or I could hit a kid in class, and still get a one.”

The superintendent pointed out “there are many books” that have been published with “a lot of different philosophies,” indicating that one of them discusses what is known nationally as “no-zero policy” to provide for a fail-safe for struggling students, so that if they score a zero on an assignment(s) during a marking period, they still have a chance at passing their class.

“I will also say there are plenty of stories, of students who got zeroes, and subsequently shutdown because they are thinking it is impossible for them to ever pass,” Havers said.

“And they are going to sit in the classroom for the rest of the semester knowing they can’t succeed. So, it is philosophy.”

Havers contended that the district had such a policy already “in practice” at the elementary level “for years,” and that he “does not look at failing (earning the minimum of 55) as a reward.”

“I also think if a student is not working, that is a challenge,” he said. “We are going to have to talk about that. What are we going to do with those students who do that? That is not acceptable to me. We need to work with those parents, bring those parents in and get the parents involved. I am sure it is not acceptable to them. And we need to address those behaviors.”

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♦ Page 11

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

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Saturday, February 5, 2022

COVID-19 and Children: An Update on Vaccines and the Disease Tuesday, February 15, 2022 | 6 p.m.

Location: Zoom Meeting While fewer children have been sick with COVID-19 compared to adults, there is a rising number of children contracting COVID-19 in the U.S. Join DR. PUTHENMADAM RADHAKRISHNAN, a board certified pediatrician in the Pediatric Services Department at Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell, to get the facts on how best to protect your children. Dr. Radhakrishnan will share information about vaccine advances, approvals, safety and information on incidence of COVID-19 in children including increasing hospitalizations.

This event will be taking place virtually using Zoom. Register online at capitalhealth.org/events and be sure to include your email address.

Zoom meeting details will be provided via email 2 – 3 days before the program date. Registration ends 24 hours before the program date.

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Women’s Heart Health Thursday, February 24, 2022 | 6 p.m.

Location: Zoom Meeting If you’re like most women, you’re probably busy taking care of everyone else. You and your heart health need equal time and attention.

DR. SATVIK SHAH, fellowship trained cardiologist (and Lawrence Township native) from Capital Health Heart Care Specialists, will review gender differences in heart conditions and symptoms of heart disease.

Become your own heart hero!

This event will be taking place virtually using Zoom. Register online at capitalhealth.org/events and be sure to include your email address.

Zoom meeting details will be provided via email 2 – 3 days before the program date. Registration ends 24 hours before the program date.

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