Pine Barrens Tribune July 1-July 14, 2023

Marketed, Scenic Trail Along Southwest Branch of Rancocas Creek in Medford Township, Said to Be Vital to Both Local Commerce and Tourism, Reportedly Blocked by Fallen Trees with Manager Telling Kayaker Funding Is Needed to Clear After Grants Weren’t Awarded, in Addition to NJDEP Permit; Mayor Initially Said He Was Not Aware of Creek’s Condition

By D ouglas D. M elegari

Staff Writer MEDFORD—A “two-mile Medford Canoe Trail” along the Southwest Branch of the “scenic Rancocas Creek” is something that Medford Township has “marketed” for years both through its

website and in a brochure(s) reportedly available at the Medford Library.

According to an “Explore Medford’s Canoe Trail” May 2021 blog post that was linked through the municipality’s website, the trail, which runs from Medford Park (near Gill Road) to Kirby’s Mill, offers

Solar Company Investigating a Few ‘Potential Alternatives’ for Relocating Electrical Unit, Source of LeisureTowne Upset

As Firm’s Attorney Vows His Client ‘Intends to Run This Issue to Ground’ in Seeking Pinelands, Utility Approvals, HOA’s Counsel Reports Any Relocation ‘Far from Done Deal’, Will Be Scrutinized

By D ouglas D. M elegari

Staff Writer

SOUTHAMPTON—CEP Renewables, LLC, and its affiliate, BEMS Southampton

See UNIT/ Page 15

Repairs for Kirby’s Mill Dam, Damaged in 2019 Flash Flood, Awarded to Cherry Hill Firm; Fix ‘Presumed to Start Soon’ Bids for Project That Had Been Ordered by State to be Completed by June 2020 Came in Under Prior Cost Expectations

By D ouglas D. M elegari

Staff

“superb scenery with lush vegetation and tranquil waters,” and serves as an important connection to Medford Village “for kayakers and canoeists.”

But right now, according to Medford Leas retirement community resident

See TRAIL/ Page 13

Writer

MEDFORD—A $33,536 contract has been recently awarded by Medford Township Council to a Cherry Hill-based firm to fix Kirby’s Mill Dam in Medford Township, the Pine Barrens Tribune has learned, a dam that in 2022 Medford Manager Kathy Burger described as

See DAM/ Page 13

Photo By Douglas D. Melegari

A tree blocking canoe and kayak access for the Rancocas Creek in Medford Township.

‘Medford’s $23.9M Budget Calls for Tax Increase Under Half of a Penny as Township Faces Substantial Increase in Healthcare and Pension Costs

This Year’s $3.4M Capital Improvement Program Includes Purchase of Ambulance, Air Packs, Various

Vehicles and Police Programs, and Rt. 70

By D ouglas D. M elegari

Staff Writer

MEDFORD—A $23.9 million budget unanimously approved by Medford Township Council for 2023 calls for a “slight increase” in the local tax levy of “less than half a penny,” according to Medford Mayor Charles “Chuck” Watson, who contended “some major increases in pension and healthcare costs are the main reasons we had to do a slight increase in taxes,” with Councilman Frank Czekay also pointing to the impact of inflation and supply and demand issues.

However, with Czekay discussing council’s methodology in crafting the budget to “keep that increase to a minimum – to take exactly what we needed and not a dime more,” requests for funding remain outstanding.

Rising Pension and Healthcare Costs

Details of this year’s municipal budget slowly trickled out over the course of the last eight council sessions.

Czekay, at one session, pointed to an over $400,000 increase in healthcare costs for township employees, with “inflation on top of it running rampant.”

Watson maintained the township “left the state health benefits to try and realize a little savings,” but that it still “doesn’t look like a whole lot” of savings are being realized “because there are still increases.”

Between healthcare and pension costs, the mayor added, the township is seeing “hundreds of thousands” of dollars in increases, which Township Manager Kathy Burger confirmed is “correct.”

Police and Public Safety Spending Up

According to Burger, “there are a couple new positions” reflected in the budget, with nearly all of them for the Medford Township Police Department and Medford Fire and EMS agency.

The township manager noted that she is anticipating several retirements in the police department, and pointed out the department is already down two police officers, one who passed away suddenly earlier this year, and another who reportedly sustained an injury and will be out for a “significant amount of time” as a result of it.

When asked how many officers there are on the township police force, Burger responded, “38 total, if we were full board.”

“But we never seem to be at full board,”

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System, But Officials ‘Push Off’ Requests for Ladder Truck, Pickleball Court Study, Sunshades

Burger declared.

The “goal,” as Burger put it, is to have somewhere between 35 and 38 officers on the force at any given time, as had been relayed to her by former chief Richard J. Meder, but Watson countered “that is higher than our goal,” instead putting it between 35 and 36 officers.

Burger responded to the mayor that “it shows in overtime that it is working.”

“We are able to do a Traffic Unit, which we weren’t able to do before,” Burger revealed. “Traffic is a huge issue throughout the township right now.”

Having a dedicated Traffic Unit, she asserted, allows the township to address speeding complaints and perform traffic studies, in addition to having extra patrols for road issues.

“With less numbers, we are unable to do that,” Burger declared.

She also noted that the Detective Bureau has been “working like crazy” on “various things I can’t talk about.”

According to Watson, the police department has also had “a lot” of requests of late for firearm permits (as a result of a recent Supreme Court ruling that essentially broadened eligibility for conceal carry permits). As a result, the township and council has felt it is best to hire a “civilian” to help process applications, or as Watson put it, “we need someone other than a fulltime police officer managing that.”

Current Police Chief Arthur Waterman, who attended council’s initial budget workshop of the year, noted that also driving up costs is that the department has been “denying some people firearms permits,” and in turn legal challenges have been filed, which “requires fighting them in Superior Court.”

The police department is now using body cameras, it was explained during this year’s budget discussions, but additional storage space is now needed to archive all the recorded video. Burger reported that the department is “needing to go to an unlimited storage plan” for its data, but believes the plan “gives us more flexibility” and is “more cost efficient” in the long run.

Funding is also being allocated this year towards a program that will allow the police department to search the intakes of pawn shops and jewelry stores during the course of investigations. As Waterman explained, pawnshops and jewelry stores are required to both check ID when someone makes an

See BUDGET/ Page 12

Tips for hosting a fun 4th of July party

The Fourth of July is a day to celebrate in the United States. Much about July makes the fourth day of the month the ideal time to celebrate. School is out, the weather is warm and the generally relaxed attitude of summer has typically set in by the first week of July.

People tasked with hosting Fourth of July festivities may not feel the same pressure when hosting such gatherings that they would when hosting more formal affairs. The relaxed nature of summer often pervades Fourth of July festivities, but hosts can still take a crash course in summer hosting to ensure everyone has a good time.

Don’t try to break the mold. Some hosts may be tempted to think outside the box in regard to the foods and beverages they’ll serve at their Fourth of July parties. While hosts can still experiment and serve new foods and creative cocktails at their parties, many guests will be anticipating some Fourth of July staples, such as grilled hot dogs and hamburgers and cold beer and lemonade. Making sure such foods and beverages are served alongside more experimental fare won’t disappoint traditionalists, and those looking for something beyond the norm won’t be disappointed, either.

Embrace the red, white and blue. When decorating, opt for red, white and blue decorations. This gives the party a distinctly Fourth of July feel. Red, white and blue napkins and tablecloths are readily available come July, and hosts with a gift for crafts can even create their own decorations to use year after year.

Prepare to entertain. Unlike holiday season gatherings that typically begin in the evening, Fourth of July parties tend to begin in the afternoon and extend into the night. That means hosts must not just feed their guests, but entertain them as well. Since Fourth of July parties tend to take place outdoors, plan lots of backyard games, such as badminton, bocce, Wiffle ball, horseshoes, and more. Hosts with swimming pools should have pool games readily available as well.

Leave the fireworks to the professionals. Hosts should not succumb to pressure, real or perceived, to supply fireworks at their Fourth of July parties. Fireworks can lead to injuries and accidents, and are best left to the professionals who put on community fireworks shows. Discourage guests from bringing their own fireworks by making it known they will be asked to leave the party if they bring any along.

Arrange transportation home for guests. To make sure everyone gets home safe and sound, arrange in advance for some guests to serve as designated drivers. Hosts also should abstain from consuming alcohol during the party so they can get people home safe if necessary. Keep a list of local taxi company phone numbers on hand and encourage guests who plan to consume alcohol to use ridesharing apps to get to and from the party.

To Our Loyal Readers and Advertisers:

By D ouglas D. M elegari

Staff Writer

SOUTHAMPTON—“Very, very preliminary discussions,” as it has been described to this newspaper, have been had at the Southampton Township Committee level to consolidate both the Hampton Lakes and Vincent volunteer fire companies into, as Deputy Mayor Bill Raftery described it during this year’s budget discussions, “one entity.”

However, when later asked for more details about those discussions, Mayor Michael Mikulski emphasized to the Pine Barrens Tribune on June 27 that “there is no immediate plan to consolidate the fire companies.”

“When we think of long-term planning and difficulty in enrolling and training volunteers, it is something we have had very, very preliminary discussions with the chiefs about – more along the lines of it being inevitable at some point in the future,” Mikulski added.

How to Handle Replacing Aging Fire Engines?

T he revelation that consolidating Southampton’s two volunteer fire companies is something that at least some of the Southampton committee members are giving thought to came during a lengthy, but ill-attended Southampton Committee Budget Workshop meeting back in March (leading up to the June 20 introduction of the municipal budget) when the governing body and officials grappled with how they might

fund future fire truck needs amid rising costs elsewhere in the township’s other line items.

“We should also talk about fire trucks,” Mikulski declared. “I went back and looked at the report (referencing a recent study of both township fire companies and their apparatuses, said to have been performed by former firefighters), and we are already behind on the next truck. And it is just going to be a never-ending cycle.”

Through a process of elimination of sorts, the governing body and Township Administrator and Clerk Kathleen D. Hoffman arrived at the conclusion that outside of the new engine recently delivered to the Hampton Lakes Volunteer Fire Company, the township’s (second) newest piece of fire apparatus is a fire engine that was purchased back around 2013.

“So, that is the newest equipment we have in the entire township, right now,” said Mikulski, with the Hampton Lakes engine having yet to be delivered when the initial budget meeting was held. “I think that is the only piece of equipment not 20 or 25 years old.”

“I think we have to get the fire department on board with some of those changes, which have to include the reduction of the total number of trucks in the township,” replied Mikulski, with Raftery adding, “and coordination of their efforts across the divisions … one entity.”

The mayor said the issue could be discussed in more detail at a second budget workshop meeting, which ultimately was scheduled for June 6, but fire truck funding or consolidation of the fire companies was not a topic of discussion that evening.

Mikulski, when later asked about what is envisioned with a possible reduction in the number of fire trucks in town, responded, “as you know, we just bought a new tender for Hampton Lakes and we are looking at modernizing the ‘fleet,’ which also enables us to reduce the total number of trucks.”

Whether money is included in the regular portion of the budget or capital program for purchasing another fire truck, is something that remained unclear as of press time.

Mikulski told this newspaper that he couldn’t “recall if any money is specifically in this year’s budget without looking,” but that “money is set aside” for one, potentially from a capital improvement program established in a prior year.

An inquiry asking for details on what is included in this year’s capital improvement program, placed with Hoffman and the township’s new chief financial officer, Kinjal Patel, was not returned as of press time.

The thought that the township may have to look at replacing multiple fire trucks shortly (with costs of just a single, new engine now approaching or exceeding $1 million and a National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) requirement that fire trucks must be retired after 20 years, no matter the mileage on them), led Raftery to assert that it might be time to “finally make the changes alluded to by Michael over the years.” 18-22

Continue with Notes, or Refinance into Bond?

What did unfold during the committee’s second June 6 budget workshop meeting was a detailed, technical discussion of the township’s debt and options to finance and refinance same, in an effort to see if any “savings” could be achieved.

Sherry Tracey, managing director at

Phoenix Advisors, pointed out to the governing body that while the “township has been, and has a history of making very aggressive paydowns to pay off in 10 years,” the “interest rate environment has shifted a little” with the Fed raising “short-term level rates for notes,” and therefore, interest rates for notes at present are higher than for bonds.

The interest rate for a one-year note is around 4 percent, Tracey said, while a long-term bond is at a fixed rate of around 3 percent. By choosing a long-term bond, “you are locking in that three percent” interest rate. Tracey seemingly encouraged the governing body to pursue a long-term bond. But bonds have a long-term call provision of at least five years, and Raftery, who comes from a financial background, pointed out “borrowers want their return on investment,” and “so, you can’t pay early.”

“We don’t have to put ourselves in that position yet,” the deputy mayor declared. “I strongly suggest we don’t, as it sort of handicaps future committees. The folks that will sit here in these seats in five years will say, ‘What did they do?’”

However, Tracey alluded to a savings on an annual basis of around a half million dollars by bonding, as Mikulski would point out to Raftery, but the deputy mayor contended there are other ways to achieve the same thing through notes, with Raftery also struggling to look past a $50,000 professional service charge for preparing and instituting the bond.

Tracey, however, pointed out there would be a $5,000 to $10,000 service charge accrued each year in doing a note, and that over a 10-year period (the period of a long-term bond), it would total as much as $100,000.

“If we keep (on the) same (trajectory), it will come due in 2027, if we move into a

‘Very, Very Preliminary Discussions’ Had by Southampton Committee to Merge Township Fire Companies, But ‘No Immediate Plan’ to Do So

Possible Consolidation of Vincent, Hampton Lakes Fire Co.’s into ‘One Entity’ Raised During Budget Discourse, Which Also Included Evaluation of Whether to Long-term Bond Versus Continuing with Notes, But for Now, No Changes

Washington Twp. Mayor Calls for Creation of Traffic Plan by State Police in Event Parkway is Shut Again Like It Was During June Bass River Wildfire Mayor Recounts Lack of Detour Signage, Resulting ‘Phenomenal Traffic’ on Roads That Are Not ‘Designed to Handle’ It During What Was ‘One in Every 10-Year Event’

By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer WASHINGTON—The

mayor of Washington Township is calling on the New Jersey State Police to develop a traffic plan in case the Garden State Parkway has to be closed again in the event of an emergency throughout Burlington and Ocean counties, as it was in early June when a rare combination of a wildfire and atmospheric inversion led to very smoky conditions at ground level, or what one resident described as a “fog on steroids.”

The Pine Barrens Tribune previously reported that among the exit and entry points closed on a 30-mile stretch of the Parkway last month for approximately three hours was an interchange in Bass River Township.

And the decision to close the Parkway, as neighboring Bass River Township Mayor Deborah Buzby-Cope described during a June governing body meeting in her town, was not communicated to local officials, state police and the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, something she said she informed Democratic Governor Phil Murphy of in a phone call he placed to the town to see if there were any needs during the wildfire.

According to James, the impact of the Parkway’s closure led to “phenomenal” amounts of traffic in rural and otherwise sparsely traveled Washington Township.

“The issue was that when you got to the end of County Routes 563 and 652, which is Lower Bank Road, the traffic was backed up almost to the bridge in Lower Bank, around the curve,” James recounted. “It probably could have gone smoother if someone directed traffic.”

The Tuckerton barracks of the state police, which is responsible for providing law enforcement services in Washington, had sent a State Trooper to the June 13 Washington committee meeting, with James asking the officer to relay to his commanders that “people did not know where to go” because there were no detour signs that had been put up.

Additionally, he pointed out to the State Trooper, there was an “amount of traffic” on the roads in town that they are “not designed to handle.”

“Had the Parkway been closed any longer, we would have had traffic backed up all the way to County Route 542,” James declared. “… I realize this was probably a once in every 10-year situation, but you might want to put a plan in action.”

The Washington mayor said that if the township’s volunteer ambulance service

had to run a patient to the hospital in an ambulance, “we would have been in real trouble because you could not go on the Parkway” with the other area roads jammed with traffic and no traffic control.

“It probably could have gone smoother if someone directed traffic,” emphasized James, noting he also called the barracks the day of the closure.

His fear, he expressed, is what would happen in town in the event of a six or seven hour or longer closure of the Parkway.

“It is going to happen again,” said James of dense smoke forcing the closure of the Parkway. “It is more of an ‘if’ than ‘when.’ In this case, the parkway was closed two to three hours. If it would have been closed for six or seven hours, we would have had cars backed up to the bar (Lower Bank Tavern).”

Horace Somes, a local historian and tree farm owner, who has also been active in the fire service, noted that this is the “third time” he could recall in his years of service that such a combination of conditions occurred, or as he put it, “that I have seen a smoke column dump out like that.” The last time Somes said he could remember something like that happening was many years ago when a forest fire occurred in the Atsion area of the Wharton State Forest (which closed Route 206).

In such circumstances, “smoke doesn’t go out to the ocean,” Somes explained, but rather “you get an inversion and it dumps down.” On the morning of the Parkway closure, he noted, one could not make out the Wading River Bridge, with the smoke condition one that he has maybe seen once every 10 to 20 years.

“It is like a fog on steroids when it comes,” declared Somes of such situations, including the one that unfolded in early June.

Prior to the discussion on the Parkway closure, the township gave scrutiny to campground permit renewal applications for Belhaven Lake RV Resort, Turtle Run and Wading Pines campgrounds.

Officials described there being a conflict involving some older sheds at the Belhaven Lake and Turtle Run. But because the annual permits have been approved for years since the sheds were originally placed at these two campgrounds, officials ultimately decided to approve this year’s permits given there are “no new issues.”

But it was noted by Committeeman C. Leigh Gadd, Jr., that the governing body is waiting for a “determination from (Township Solicitor) Mr. (Tom) Coleman

See MAYOR/ Page 16

HAINES BERRY FARM

Animal Control Ordinance Compared to ‘Leash Law’ Proposed in Woodland, Acting on ‘Flying Bird’ and ‘Feral Cat’ Complaints

Upcoming Code Enforcement Campaign Planned for Lebanon Lakes in Response to Complaints, Paving Grant Secured for Neighborhood

By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

WOODLAND—Recent complaints aired at Woodland Township Committee meetings about purported “flying birds” and “feral cats” have apparently prompted the governing body to propose an animal control ordinance for the municipality.

The proposed ordinance, introduced during a June 14 committee meeting, would “establish criteria for housing domestic animals,” according to a copy of the draft measure posted to the township website, with “animals” defined in the prospective law as including “all species that can be divided into five distinct groups: mammals, fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians,” with it added that animals, for the sake of the Woodland ordinance, “include domesticated animals and animals not normally domesticated,” with it added “for the purposes of this ordinance, homo sapiens are specifically excluded from the definition of animal.”

Woodland Mayor William “Billy”

DeGroff acknowledged during a February committee meeting, when it was pointed out to the governing body that the township didn’t have an ordinance “concerning flying birds, unlike other townships,” that “this came up several years ago and the majority of residents, I believe, were against any additional ordinances in the town.”

DeGroff, in later announcing on May 26 that the governing body is “going to adopt an ordinance” regarding animal control, compared it to the “Leash Law.”

“We are not telling anybody you can’t have animals in your yard, or pets,” said DeGroff of what is being proposed. “But if you have animals in your yard, you must have control of them, and they must be kept on your property, or else you will be fined.”

The mayor recognized in making the announcement that he “knows people get mad” when such ordinances are considered, but “we are not telling people you can’t have animals.”

“But if you have them, you must keep control of them and keep them on your property,” the mayor emphasized.

It was Chatsworth resident Deborah Bowker who pointed out to the committee back in February that a law concerning flying birds is not on the Woodland books. At the time, in raising the issue, Bowker declared “it has become a problem” and alleged a “person has been attacked by the certain birds.”

When Bowker asked the governing

body to consider a law addressing “these particular birds,” the mayor responded that he “believed it is being dealt with” and the “proper authority has been notified.” Bowker retorted that it “was that proper authority who advised me, unlike other townships, we don’t have a flying bird ordinance, so their hands are tied.”

The mayor, in response, said he would talk to that authority and “go from there,” with Bowker emphasizing “a person was attacked.”

“It was an adult, but I am also thinking what if kids were there,” said Bowker in regard to the purported incident. “That is the concern.”

Township Administrator Maryalice Brown, in recently describing that the township’s animal control officer “has been great,” further praised him, among other things, for his recently handling of “the peacock issue.”

However, no further details about the incident at hand have been revealed, and an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request for complaints pertaining to the peacock issue was answered by Brown that there are “no responsive documents.”

Bowker’s husband, Ken, reiterated to DeGroff that he would “like the township to consider adopting an ordinance pertaining to the management of people’s pets in people’s yards,” and that is when the mayor made the May 26 announcement.

Additionally, during the months preceding the mayor’s announcement, a couple of residents complained about feral cats originating from an abandoned gun club in the vicinity of Old Tuckerton and Baptist roads. The township ultimately recognized a feral cat problem in that area, though they have maintained there have been conflicting reports about where the cats originated. The governing body subsequently ordered a title search be performed on what was described to this newspaper as a “deteriorated” property.

The committee introduced the animal control ordinance, 3-0, during its June 14 session.

Among the proposed regulations contained in the proposed ordinance:

• All premises on which animals are kept or maintained shall be kept clean from filth, garbage and any substances which attract rodents;

• The premises and property on which animals are kept, as well as their surroundings, must be cleaned frequently enough to control odor;

See LEASH/ Page 11

2022 Blueberry Grower of the Year

By Douglas D. Melegari Staff Writer

SHAMONG—Officials in Shamong Township have experienced a setback in getting Grassy Lake Road fully repaved from end to end after having missed a state-imposed deadline for awarding Phase III of the project to a contractor, though the municipal engineer is optimistic they can quickly overcome it.

As it was explained during a June 13 Shamong committee meeting by Municipal Engineer Joseph Hirsh, of Environmental Resolutions, Inc. (ERI), the governing body previously awarded both Phases III and IV of project to Paving Plus, LLC, but then received a letter from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), the agency which provided the township grant funds for the project, “saying the funds are being rescinded for Phase III” because the township “made an award prior to receiving an extension.”

Hirsh maintained that the township was then told to file an extension, and that once it did, “it was then rejected and then they said the funding is going to be revoked.”

While “we did everything we could to have to avoid rescinding the awarding of the contract,” according to Hirsh, the state came back to the township and said, “they cannot award an extension if an award on the project was already made.”

The Shamong committee on June 13 rescinded the March 7 award of a bid for Phase III of the improvement project, with Hirsh noting Phase IV is not affected (because a grant for Phase III was awarded to the township prior to the Phase IV award, with the township ultimately having decided to go out to bid for both phases at the same time).

Hirsh chalked up the township having

missed the deadline to award on time Phase III of the project to the transition between his firm and former township engineer Dante Guzzi, who reportedly somewhat abruptly retired, as well as to some back-and-forth with the project at that time.

The municipal engineer expressed his optimism on June 13 that once the committee rescinded the belated project award, the township would be able to apply for and obtain the necessary extension, with the governing body authorizing him by resolution June 13 to again seek an extension.

“The contractor wasn’t happy, but I guess he understood,” Hirsh remarked. “He will have an opportunity to bid again.”

As for Phase IV, Paving Plus, according to Hirsh, “does have the option to proceed” with it, but he also has the option “to wait.”

“He seems content to wait, if we do everything quickly,” Hirsh said. “There is no reason not to as we just have to change the date of the specs.”

However, under state public contracts law, the township is required to award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder, with limited exceptions. Committeeman Neil Wilkinson asked, “What stops a contractor from knowing what the (previous) bids are from undercutting (Paving Plus)?”

Township Solicitor Doug Heinold replied, “absolutely nothing” and “that is the problem” when there are issues “with the funding source” which are “outside of our control,” with officials pointing out Paving Plus’ bid price for Phase III has already been published in online documents and Hirsh adding that one has “access to the bid summaries” previously submitted by them having been already posted on the town’s website.

“The good news is, absent any changes in

the market, we should see good competition and a benefit to our residents, and we will see how the bids play out,” declared Heinold, with Committeeman Chris Zehnder asserting the situation at hand serves as an “incentive to keep that number tight.”

When Zehnder inquired what kind of delay this ordeal could bring about in getting the entire road finished (with Phases I and II having already been completed), Hirsh said “about two months,” even though the request for an extension appeared to remain a fluid situation.

Another infrastructure issue raised during the meeting was what to do with a pedestrian bridge over Dellett Lake. The bridge, according to Shamong Township Administrator and Clerk Susan Onorato, was constructed back when the Dellett subdivision, off of Atsion Road, was constructed. The bridge, she declared, is “in pretty sad shape,” with it located on the “far end of the lake, furthest away from Willow Grove Road where the lake narrows.”

Planning board records, Onorato explained, indicate the bridge “sits on private property within an easement the township does not own,” but that it “does go over a lake which the township owns.”

“We felt the best recommendation, considering its condition, is to seek permission from residents who own property on either side of the lake to just remove it, rather than have the liability of the bridge that is not in great condition,” Onorato said.

Heinold noted that when the bridge was studied by the township, it “does seem” to not be in use and that one of its access points has actually already been blocked off by a resident.

“The best course of action to take is if it is not in use, and it is not clear who would be required to maintain it, and because it is covering our lakebed, is that we probably should offer to take it out,” Heinold declared.

The resolutions of approval for the bridge, Heinold noted, is “very thin,” but what is clear is that it was installed by the developer with the

idea behind it to serve as a “walking connection between two communities.” However, Heinold contended the trail there “cuts through the backyards of people” and “I don’t get a sense of it being used.”

That being said, however, the solicitor added he “thinks we should reach out to residents to see what they have to say,” before emphasizing, “I do think the best thing to do is to get it out of there.”

The committee subsequently passed a motion “to look into township workers removing the bridge,” as Deputy Mayor Martin Mozitis put it. All committee members voted in the affirmative, with Mayor Michael Di Croce absent.

However, despite the mayor being absent from the meeting, a conversation he reportedly had with a resident in the days leading up to the meeting led to the committee’s passage of a resolution “to stand up against racism and confirm Shamong Township as a community open to all backgrounds.”

“The mayor directly received some information from a resident that there was some harassment upon race in the township, and within the schools,” said Onorato just prior to the resolution being passed. “It is not something that the township wants to see happen, especially to our children. The township understands the school administration has dealt with this, in accordance with their guidelines, but we just wanted to make sure everyone realizes the township strongly condemns racism, prejudice and any acts of harassment.”

No further details were released as of press time about the nature of the incident at issue.

“I will say the committee responded quickly, and asked that this be done immediately,” Heinold said. “I hope this will convey to the resident impacted by this, that although it is an unfortunate situation, this shows, I think, that the community is standing up and supporting people being harassed.

Medford Receives $1.4M Grant to Make Improvements to Main Street; Rejects Lone Bid ‘Over the Engineer’s Estimate’ for Lighting Project There

By Douglas D. Melegari

Staff Writer

MEDFORD—A $1.4 million New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Alternative Program (TAP) grant has been awarded to Medford Township to “make improvements to Main Street,” Township Manager Kathy Burger announced during a June 7 Medford Township Council meeting.

The grant funds, she said, are to be used for the “Main Street – North/South Bike and/or Pedestrian Connector” which passes through portions of Church Road, Wilkins Station Road, Route 70, and Main Street.

“The project will consist of bike lanes, sidewalks, crosswalks, shade trees, benches, signage, as well as litter and recycle receptacles,” Burger reported.

A total of $1,486,000 was awarded to the township by the NJDOT, according to a letter Burger said that she received from the state agency.

The township held its latest Food Truck Night of the year on June 15. Typically, on the third Thursday of every month, food trucks are located throughout Medford Village (or the downtown section of Medford) from 45 S. Main Street to 57 N. Main Street.

“Food Truck Night was really successful last week on Main Street,” contended Medford Mayor Charles “Chuck” Watson. “There are a couple new businesses on Main Street. Make sure you visit downtown! There are some interesting things happening!”

Meanwhile, during a June 20 council session, council rejected a lone bid for a long-promised Main Street lighting improvement project. While the reason for the rejection was not stated publicly by officials, a resolution passed by council

taking the action noted it was because the bid is “over the engineer’s estimate.”

Some additional details also emerged last month on what council intends to do with an $82,000 Local Recreational Improvement Grant recently awarded by the state Department of Community Affairs (DCA).

According to Burger, “the funds will be used for sealing cracks in the surface of the skatepark and for improvements to the parking area at the skatepark and pickleball courts.”

Sealing of the cracks “has not been done in years,” Burger reported, and as for the parking element of the project, “it won’t take care of all the parking,” she declared, “but it will do something with the parking.”

Burger also reported June 20 there is finally a resolution to the dynamic speed signs council had funded to be installed on Taunton Boulevard, following many meetings of resident complaints about motorists traveling at a high rate of speed there, in addition to truck traffic.

For the better part of a year, Burger had reported that the township was waiting for county installation of the signs, given Taunton Boulevard is a county road, and then, she had reported on delays in getting electricity to them.

“The county has informed the township that the dynamic speed signs are operational and the (Medford Township) Police Department has confirmed same,” Burger declared.

Another long-awaited development has also come about – the Jackson Road Bridge is fully re-opened with the utilities having

from Front of Popular Warren Grove Luncheonette

Owner of Ohio Waste Management Firm Named as Suspect in Brazen Theft of ‘Jersey Devil’

By Bill B onvie Staff Writer WARREN GROVE—Lucille’s

Luncheonette is not only a familiar landmark to anyone driving on Ocean County Route 539 between Tuckerton and Route 72, but one that signifies their having arrived in the village of Warren Grove, a tiny hamlet that straddles the line separating Barnegat and Stafford townships.

The nearly half-century-old café, which specializes in “country cooking” and is one of the 10 eateries on the “food trail” made famous by the late celebrity chef and gourmet Anthony Bourdain, is also the kind of place that draws customers for breakfast and lunch from all over the state — and within

the week just passed, has become known to people from far and wide for another reason as well: the theft of a hand-crafted six-foottall, rather demonic-looking horned wooden image of the legendary Jersey Devil from in front of its exterior sign display shortly after 10 p.m. on the evening of June 23. With the help of a video taken by a security camera and posted to Facebook and some helpful residents who wished to remain anonymous, however, the Stafford Police Department was able to identify and charge — albeit not immediately locate — a suspect in the disappearance of the statue, which appeared to have been hoisted onto

PEMBERTON BOROUGH—A 23-year-old

Burlington Township man was sentenced June 5 to 22 years in state prison for starting a fire at a Pemberton Borough apartment complex last year that killed a man who lived there.

Newlin Evans IV, who pled guilty in January to first-degree aggravated manslaughter, must serve 85 percent of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole, the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office announced in a press release.

The sentence was handed down in Superior Court in Mount Holly by Judge Terrence R. Cook, in accordance with a plea agreement between Evans and the prosecutor’s office.

The arson investigation began after emergency officials were dispatched to a fire at the Tara Hall Apartment Complex in the first block of Egbert Street during the early morning hours of April 20, 2022.

The investigation revealed that Evans cut the screen of a ground floor apartment, broke the window and threw material soaked in gasoline that he had lit on fire into the unit. The blaze killed 22-year-old Camryn Powell.

Evans, who suffered burns, fled the scene and ultimately was transported to Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia for treatment. He was arrested upon being discharged in May 2022.

SOUTHAMPTON

bond, it is going to become 2030,” Mikulski summarized. “So, we would be adding six years of payments, but reducing payments by some number of hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

Hoffman, who appeared to side with Raftery, at one point remarked we have “been aggressive at paying down” and “next year we will get back to paying down,” and a discussion then ensued about paying the minimum, but Tracey “cautioned” that “paying the minimum breaks you out of a cycle of paying them off over 10 years,” and if you “go one year just doing the minimum, then you really have to be committed to getting back on track.” She indicated that there have been cases where towns have broken the cycle and never got back on track.

As the committee went back and forth on different scenarios, Mikulski declared that the “whole point” of considering its options is “we are trying to avoid a large tax increase” until expected construction of ratables begins generating some revenue for the town, which officials surmised may not happen at the earliest until 2025 or 2026.

“The real crux of this comes down to do we wish to spend $50,000 upfront to have a 10-year bond, or go out 10 years at a 3.5 percent interest rate, not knowing what the future holds, or do we spend $10,000 a year on the notes, which, after 10 years, that is $100,000 that you spent in renewing as you go along –and I know it can be less than $10,000, but I am quoting at the maximum,” said Committeeman Ron Heston, also the committee’s budget liaison.

Heston then asserted “I kind of agree with Bill,” with Raftery having pointed out the committee could bond at any time, including next year if it wanted to do that. Tracey, however, emphasized the “interest rate is locked in on a bond.”

“We can do that at any time in the future,” said Heston in agreeing with Raftery. “We don’t have to do it right now.”

Hoffman indicated that she was in agreement with both Heston and Raftery, and Mikulski ultimately yielded to the two committeemen, noting they have far more expertise in the area of finance, whereas his focal point is on legal matters being an attorney in his day job.

Committeeman James F. Young, Sr., the township’s former mayor of 25 years, remarked he also “agrees” with staying the course, for now, noting, “you can bond at any time.”

“To Jim’s point, you are going to bond sooner or later, anyhow, because you have another road project coming,” Raftery said. “So, if you don’t bond this year, you’ll bond next year.”

Healthcare, Pension Costs Rise Substantially

Increased healthcare and pension benefit program costs are said to be some of the largest impacts on this year’s budget, as well as increased fuel costs of nearly $20,000.

It was reported the township has recently realized a 22 percent increase in its healthcare costs, with Hoffman putting the increase at around $122,000, necessitating the town to raise its line item for employee group insurance to around $800,000. There has been about a $51,000 increase in pension costs, she said.

Mikulski reported that the township, in light of the increase in healthcare costs, “sought two additional sources of quotes” but that the requests were “denied because we don’t have enough people.” The mayor said the township also reached out to the local teamsters and were “told ‘no.’”

Health insurance funds, the township administrator contended, also turned the

township down.

While “some bigger cities have ‘opted out’ for private insurance,” Mikulski pointed out they have “a lot more people” and that the count needed for Southampton to do that would probably be that of seven or eight area municipalities joined together.

Heston wondered if the township could join with Mount Laurel, for example, or some of the other area towns and form a group of its own to reach the needed criteria. Young suggested Southampton take the initiative and “send a letter out to everybody.”

Mikulski responded that he would ask Township Solicitor George Morris, who also serves as solicitor for Mount Laurel and Eastampton townships, to “put them in touch” with Mount Laurel, if not both of those townships.

Slight Increase in Tax Levy of 1.7 Cents Proposed

All of this led to a discussion about whether the township should raise taxes for the year. Southampton’s surplus is over $1 million, Raftery and Hoffman noted.

Heston pointed out that by raising the tax levy by a penny, it would bring in just about $98,000. He questioned whether the tax levy would have to rise a bit more, closer to two cents, to account for the health insurance costs alone, in addition to the rise in pension and fuel costs.

But when Young pointed out that on a home assessed at $100,000, the impact of a 2-cent increase on the tax levy is about $20, Mikulski pointed out Southampton got hit the hardest recently with an increase in the regional school district tax levy.

“I am not against tax increases when we need them,” the current mayor said. “I am against raising them when we don’t.”

While Raftery noted he was “haunted” by Mikulski’s statement of “‘why increase taxes if we don’t have to,’” and further asserted if the governing body keeps the tax levy flat nobody is going to notice a budget impact, Heston declared he is “afraid of the impact on next year’s budget, because the monies we have been using, are out of our surplus, which is good to use, but we are at about 20 percent less buying power on that money.”

“And you throw in another year of some of these outrageous inflation costs we are running into, and our buying power is even less than it was, and that effects what we can do in the budget,” Heston said.

As Raftery expressed hesitation in raising taxes, Heston declared he is “afraid” township taxpayers could get “hit with a nickel or 7 cents” increase in the tax levy next year or in 2024 “if we are not careful.” Or, another possibility, he said, is “we are not going to have enough money for doing projects at the end of next year.”

Upon further resistance from Raftery, Heston contended he talked to about 20 people and “not one person thinks a zero increase can be a continuation,” and that “although they appreciated it, they ask, ‘What is that going to do for us?’”

Hoffman was asked to weigh in, and she replied, in part, “I would do 1.7 cents,” and “if I could make more of a payment to that one note, instead of paying the minimum, I will pay more,” noting her recommendation also takes into account a planned salary increase of two percent for township employees.

Heston, after proclaiming he believed the committee could make no further changes to the budget, having already spent hours cutting about $250,000 in spending from what was originally drafted, further asserted, “I think Kathy is right – 1.7 cents will protect us next year, and we might only do a two-cent increase and not a nickel.”

“It is better to do increases in little increments,” he added.

On June 20, as the budget was introduced, Heston announced it reflects an increase in the tax levy of 1.88 cents.

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Tabernacle Man Killed in Violent Multi-Impact Collision on Route 206

Motorcyclist Dies After Bike Strikes Tree in Bass River Township

By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

BASS RIVER—A motorcyclist was killed in Bass River Township on June 25 after his motorcycle reportedly left the roadway and struck a tree.

The crash, according to Trooper Charles Marchan, a spokesman for the New Jersey State Police, occurred at around 7:36 p.m. on County Route 653, near the 0.5-mile marker.

Based on a preliminary investigation,

Marchan said, Christopher Golden, a 50-year-old man from Tuckerton, was operating a Harley Davidson motorcycle in the eastbound lane of the county roadway when the bike “ran off the roadway to the left and impacted a tree.”

Golden, according to Marchan, was ejected from the motorcycle and died from injuries sustained in the crash.

The State Trooper said the crash remains under investigation and there is no additional information available.

‘Rash of Vandalism’ on Colony Property Probed in Medford Lakes

By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

MEDFORD LAKES—Police in Medford Lakes Borough are investigating what has been described by the Medford Lakes Colony Club as a “rash of vandalism.”

According to the colony club, a bathroom at the Medford Lakes Colony Craft Shop Pavilion “was broken into and vandalized,” with police reporting that they were dispatched to the scene on June 19 and suspect the incident occurred during the overnight hours in which an individual(s) “caused various damage.”

Additionally, according to the colony club, “two bicycles were stolen from separate Colonists” with the bicycles later found “tossed into the lakes.”

By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

TABERNACLE—A driver making a left turn from Route 206 onto a property in Tabernacle Township was killed June 26 after his vehicle was struck in the rear by a freightliner, which then caused the vehicle to go into the northbound lanes of the state highway where a head-on collision occurred with a tractor trailer, before that impact sent the vehicle back into the southbound lanes where it was struck again in the rear by a box truck.

According to New Jersey State Police Spokesman Trooper Charles Marchan, Rafael Colin Salinas, 35 of Tabernacle, was making the left turn near milepost 15.4 of the state highway at around 8:52 a.m. when the crash occurred.

Salinas, who was operating a Nissan Titan in the southbound lane of Route 206, according to Marchan, stopped to make a left turn onto a property when a Freightliner M2 being operated behind the Nissan Titan struck the rear of the Nissan, forcing the Nissan into the northbound lane, where a Kentworth W90 traveling northbound struck the Nissan head-on causing the Nissan to go back into the southbound lanes.

The Nissan, Marchan said, was then struck again in the rear by a Hino truck

traveling southbound on Route 206.

“As a result of the crash, Rafael Colin Salinas sustained fatal injuries,” Marchan said.

The crash remains under investigation and there is no additional information available, according to Marchan.

Route 206 was reportedly closed for several hours as investigators combed through the crash scene.

According to a published obituary for Salinas, he was born in Mexico before relocating to the U.S. and is survived by his “spouse, Olga Gonzales, as well as his children Jersey, Christopher, and Tyler, and his stepson Adrian Gonzales,” among others. The obituary described the later father as a “devoted family man, always putting his family first” and that he “loved to spend time with them, and playing soccer with his sons.”

More than $26,000, as of press time, has been raised for the family through the GoFundMe fundraising site to cover funeral expenses. The individual organizing the fundraiser noted that Salinas was “on his way back home after picking up milk from the grocery store” and that his vehicle was struck as he was “waiting to turn left into his driveway.”

Trash, the colony reported, was also found thrown around Beach 3 in Medford Lakes.

“We are asking that all Colonists

beware,” the colony club said in a bulletin. “Please report suspicious activity to the police, but do not engage with the culprits.”

Medford Lakes Police, in a separate release, reminded the public that “per colony rules, no one is to be on colony beaches or property after 10 p.m.,” adding that the Medford Lakes Colony advised the agency that it will “support the prosecution of individuals who trespass on colony property.”

“Medford Lakes Police are working with the colony to ensure all property is cleared after 10 p.m.,” police said.

If anyone has any information pertaining to this case, police are asking that they contact Det. Ryan Collins at rcollins@ medfordlakespolice.org or call nonemergency dispatch at 609-267-8300.

Police noted Medford Lakes Colony beaches and parks are “PRIVATE property and posted accordingly.”

Photo Courtesy CBS Philadelphia Aerial view of the June 26 multi-impact, violent crash in Tabernacle Township, as captured by KYWTV-Philadelphia’s Chopper 3.

Photos By Craig Matthews

By Bill B onvie Staff Writer

LITTLE EGG HARBOR—The many ways that the Pinelands Regional School District teaching, guidance and administrative staffs helped the members of its current graduating class to navigate through some rough currents and prepare for whatever challenges or uncertainties might await them were touched on by class representatives in commencement addresses that preceded the awarding of diplomas to some 240 Pinelands Regional High graduates on the evening of June 22.

“As a class, whatever you are choosing to do with your limitless potential and powerful minds beyond the safety and familiarity of high school, I hope we always remember the trials gone through and lessons learned within these walls,” Salutatorian Katherine Almond told the graduates and their families who had crowded together in the school gymnasium for the occasion due to the vicissitudes of the weather. “Through our memorable, albeit rocky, years as Wildcats we learned the importance of patience, grace, and being able to see beyond what’s directly in front of you.”

Almond also pointed out the key role that mutual support mechanisms has played in the process of making the most of trying situations.

“It has been proven time and time again that it is okay to lean on others and to allow others to lean on you; and above all, this group of individuals – students and staff alike – know how to make any time a good time,” she maintained.

Class Valedictorian Melissa Myslinski also urged her fellow graduates to “don’t ever

forget your roots and where you came from.”

“… For one second, look around you, at your parents, your friends, your former teachers and administration. These people have been by your side, guiding you, pushing you, providing you with what you need to be a successful high school student and human being,” she said.

Myslinksi also reflected on how “for the past 13 years, from preschool to this very moment, we have been in a constant countdown.”

“A countdown that began the day we realized that school isn't just about coloring, crafts, playing kickball during recess and having what felt like the most amazing class parties,” she continued. “It started the day we dreaded waking up before the sun rose, the day homework began to pile up, classes became full of lectures and notes, tests became tougher, and every second of class that passed by felt like eternity.”

Student Body President Olivia Benson also emphasized how the graduates’ shared experiences of the past few years had helped them forge a resiliency that will serve them well in the coming years.

“No matter what you do or where you go, know that you will always be prepared for the change that comes your way because of the years you have had at Pinelands,” Benson told them while offering some advice on leaving the comfort zone of their familiar school routines and environment and dealing with the accompanying fears of graduating and becoming adults or of losing friends that she had heard many express. “The fear we feel today means we have made high school worthwhile. Instead of letting this fear consume you, reflect on

all of the amazing moments in our highschool careers and be excited for the future memories that we will make. Hold onto your lifelong friends, but look forward to making new ones, too.”

Myslinski, who said her life “has never been anywhere near perfect, nor has it ever been easy” and that she had “already been through a lot,” credited the support she received at Pinelands with having helped her to overcome those rough patches to achieve the distinction of being the top student in her class.

“But if there is one thing I have learned from my experiences, it is to never give up,” she declared. “Every day is a new day, so wake up smiling. Make someone laugh. Cry tears of joy. Help someone out. Do what you can to make the most of the time that you have. And most importantly, surround yourselves with those who love you and want the best for you because they are the people that will help you grow as a person.

Myslinski further asserted, “Today, I can confidently tell you all that without my close friends, family, teachers and coaches, I would have never become who I am today, and I definitely would not be standing here as class valedictorian.”

Almond briefly chronicled the various ordeals this particular group of graduates had experienced, particularly those who had been in the district from the time they entered junior high.

“We started seventh grade in 2017, and in a few short months we started split sessions because of construction at the high school,” she noted, and eighth grade “was spent sharing the junior high with the students and staff of the building across the street, which was once again closed, but this time for more long-term construction.”

No sooner had those interruptions been dealt with, Almond recalled, than the

pandemic-related shutdown of March 13, 2020, “brought our expectations for that year to a screeching halt,” resulting in a hybrid of virtual schedules, frequent school closures, and virtual Wednesdays, with masks still required in school buildings as of last year.

The school year just passed was the first one for this graduating class that has gone according to plan, Almond pointed out, “and we undoubtedly made the most of it.”

“I don’t say all of this to dwell on the maybe, less than ideal events of the past,” she added. “But I use these memories to help guide us into our future, which is now closer than it has ever been.”

Benson reminded those who were transitioning from students to alumnae that “although it may seem like time has passed so quickly, we cannot forget everything it took to get here,” citing “the late-night crams to complete an assignment, the inner battles to get up every morning, and the time management that it took to balance work, school, sports, and clubs.”

And while it may have been stressful, she acknowledged, “it was also so much fun.”

“We had dances, pep rallies, football games, our senior trip, and all of the little wonderful moments that make high school so special,” Benson recounted. “Although I cannot believe the times of crying and laughing while trying to not disturb a class are over, I hope it is these memories that we never forget and look back on as some of the best times of our lives.”

At the same time, the student body president encouraged her soon-to-beformer classmates to “embrace the inevitable change we are about to face” with “a positive mindset toward our future.” But she also cautioned them to “not be afraid to make mistakes, because this is what this time is for.

“And when we do,” she added, “I cannot wait to hear all about it at our class reunion.”

LEASH

(Continued from Page 5)

• Manure shall not be allowed to accumulate in a way that causes an unsanitary condition or causes odor detectable on another property;

• All grain and food stored for the use of animals shall be kept in rodent-proof containers;

• Animals shall not be kept in such a manner as to constitute a nuisance to the occupants of adjacent, adjoining, and/or primarily located property;

• No owner of any animal shall permit any animal to be upon any public or private property other than the premises of the owner of said animal;

• No person owning, harboring, keeping or in charge of any animal shall allow it to graze or run at large, whether attended or not upon any public or private property other than that of the owner.

Failure to comply with certain provisions of the ordinance, it is noted, can result in “seizure and impoundment” of an animal with it mentioned it could even be “disposed of in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey.”

Violators would also be subject to a fine of up to $250 “for each and every violation.” Continual violations, it is noted, could result in an owner “being prohibited from keeping animals.”

The “purpose” behind the proposal, it is noted, is to “protect residents, taxpayers, visitors and tourists alike from harassment, inconvenience, and annoyance by loose and unrestrained animals.”

“It is recognized that keeping animals can be a rewarding pastime,” it is further stated in the proposed law. “Therefore, it is the intent of this to permit the keeping and maintenance of animals in a clean and sanitary manner that is not a nuisance to, or detrimental to, public health, safety and welfare of the community.”

Following introduction of the animal control law, it was announced that the township administration has now taken some action in response to complaints aired since the fall by Resident Lisa Sabatini entailing purported numerous either neglected, abandoned, or dilapidated properties in the Lebanon Lakes section of the township, where Sabatini resides. The announcement follows a tense exchange between Sabatini and the committee on May 26, in which the resident at one point pointedly asked of the committee, “Why is Woodland Township so dismissive?”, repeating an earlier meeting claim that she “brought things to the clerk’s attention and nothing gets done” and “code enforcement doesn’t want to do what is required.” She then

provided the governing body with pictures of properties that she described as “in need of code enforcement.”

“Letters have gone out to all properties in Lebanon Lakes advising them of complaints we received … and that in 30 days code enforcement will be going through the neighborhood and issuing violations if their property is not up to the ordinance,” said Brown of the action that has been taken.

Additionally, Sabatini has inquired multiple times about 115 Maple Drive, or what Brown recognized as an abandoned duplex. Officials ultimately sent out notices of violation, and then, in March, as Sabatini continued to inquire about the parcel, the committee met behind closed doors, according to executive session meeting minutes, and asked township staff to “send out a final violation letter” with it reportedly decided “if there is no response, take the owner to Superior Court and obtain a court order to demo.”

Brown said during the June 14 meeting that Township Solicitor William Burns “will be filing the paperwork for Superior Court.” When Sabatini asked what that means, Brown replied, “we are taking him to court to order him to demolish the property.” It is noted in the March closed session minutes that after any demolition, the township would be placing a lien on the property, but a substitute solicitor at the June committee meeting noted that before getting to that point, “it will be a judge’s decision” whether to order the demolition.

Sabatini, during the latest committee meeting, expressed her gratitude towards the progress being made, but asserted it is not just Lebanon Lakes that has code enforcement issues.

A third announcement during the June 14 meeting pertaining to Lebanon Lakes came from Township Engineer Tom Leisse, who revealed that the township received a grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) to resurface a portion of the main street into the development. He said crews would start resurfacing the road by the entrance and go as far as the money will allow, with the township intending to pursue a second grant this fall. Paving for the first phase of the project might be able to start as soon as this fall, Leisse said.

Another Lebanon Lakes resident attending the June 14 meeting, Devin Marchut, expressed concern that improved roads in the development could lead to increased speeding, particularly those who use the state tract and lake there for recreational purposes. DeGroff replied that the township has an obligation to improve the roads, but that the governing body can look into installing speed bumps. Marchut also pointed out that the

See LEASH/ Page 16

CARVING

(Continued from Page 7)

a trailer, leaving behind a broken wooden wing that indicated it was likely to have been damaged beyond repair.

Only the individual sought might not exactly sound like one of the usual suspects in a case like this. Rather than some youthful prankster, the alleged perpetrator, who was charged in absentia with fourth-degree criminal mischief and third-degree theft, turned out to be the 52-year-old owner of another business, a licensed, bonded and insured septic tank and waste management service located hundreds of miles away in Zanesville, Ohio, many if not most of whose residents are probably unfamiliar with the 18th Century legend of Mrs. Leeds and her grotesque amalgam of a 13th child, believed by some to haunt the South Jersey Pine Barrens to this very day.

The question thus left unanswered in all the resulting publicity in print and broadcast media is: what would have compelled a contractor to have gone to all the trouble and risk involved in making off with an iconographic sculpture that was the private property of an enterprise in another part of the country where, “for all intents and purposes it appears he was visiting,” according to Capt. James Haldenwang, the

media liaison for the Stafford Township Police Department.

Without yet having had the opportunity to question the suspect, Thomas L. Bintz, of Chandlersville, Ohio, investigators really aren’t in a position to speculate on a possible motive, Haldenwang told the Pine Barrens Tribune

While this newspaper was likewise unsuccessful in reaching Bintz at either his cell phone number or that of his business, listed as Ace Septic, it was able to access the Facebook page for that enterprise, whose most recent entry is one from a religious Facebook site called “Story Time,” with a rendering of one of those old Peanuts comic strips in which the character of Lucy is portrayed as saying, “I hear they’re going to create hundreds of new laws this year,” to which her brother Linus replies, “Until we learn to follow the ‘10’ God gave us, nothing will ever change.”

And below that image is a comment from a reader with a “Jersey girl” logo:

“One new law should be that you don't go to another state and steal statues. Oh wait.....there is a law. NJ wants to speak to you Mr. Bintz.”

But such a conversation, Haldenwang indicated, would have to be voluntary on his part, since the offenses involved aren’t of a serious enough nature to result in his being extradited to the Garden State should he be picked up for any reason in another jurisdiction – although he could be taken into custody until

See CARVING/ Page 17

Photo Courtesy Lucille’s Luncheonette

The Jersey Devil carving that graced the exterior of Lucille’s Luncheonette in Warren Grove before it was unceremoniously stolen on June 23, allegedly by a visiting septic tank contractor from Ohio.

exchange, and enter in the goods they take in. While it will “cost a few grand for the software,” according to Burger, “it will save in the long run,” as currently detectives have to mostly travel to such stores, some of which are quite a distance from Medford, when performing robbery investigations.

Waterman explained that officers will now be able to turn to the database when they “know stuff has been stolen” to conduct a search, and making the program especially advantageous is that the database just doesn’t pertain to the region, but allows detectives to search entries on the entire East Coast.

“If they move it (the stolen goods) out of the area, we will actually be able to pick that up,” Waterman said.

The township’s total 2023 budget, as approved by council on May 16, according to Watson, is $23,972,471.90. During a June 7 council session, the governing body subsequently approved its capital portion of the budget, or an ordinance “providing for various general capital improvements and related expenses in and for the township, appropriating $3,462,446.”

Included in the capital budget are items and programs for the police department, with funding being provided for two, new police vehicles, as well as a “stalker radar annual replacement program” and “in-car mobile video recording system,” according to an overview provided by Watson.

Burger reported that it has been discussed that Medford Fire and EMS “needs another EMT,” and that as a result, it has been decided to hire a firefighter/EMT (also known as a dual-position EMT) to provide for “flexibility.”

Items for Medford Fire and EMS to be funded through the township’s capital budget include PPE gear replacement, new hose, nozzles, high-rise packs, Positive Pressure Ventilation (PPV) fans, a new ambulance, in addition to a new radio for the EMS chief’s vehicle. Rob Dovi, chief of Medford Fire and EMS, is also slated to receive a new “command vehicle” through the capital budget.

Dovi, during an initial budget meeting, provided some detail on the agency’s need for air packs, contending air pack bottles funded through last year’s capital program are still on backorder, and that 20 bottles are out of service currently as “they have seen their life expectancy.” This year’s funding will be replacing “ones at or near life expectancy,” with the chief pointing out the township requires 48 total air packs and that each air pack must have two bottles. Additionally, the capital budget has funding earmarked for installing security cameras at

Jackson Road), and a new fire alarm system at both Station 251 (Union Fire Station) and the police administration building.

Burger, during the initial budget workshop meeting, pointed out that the various township departments provided her office with various requests, before asserting that it “would be irresponsible to do all the requests.”

“We have had very large capital programs the last few years,” the township manager added. “We have to start reigning it in until the debt drops off.”

After Watson acknowledged the township’s debt has “been growing,” Burger replied that council, through its capital budgets of the past few years, has “bought numerous apparatuses for the fire department,” bought an ambulance and built the combination library-municipal building, in addition to purchasing Station 252 (or the Taunton Fire Station).

This newspaper reported last year that council decided to put off renovations to Station 252 in an attempt to slow its capital spending, with Burger recently noting “construction money” is still set aside for the prospective project through another prior capital budget.

Councilman Erik Rebstock, in recognizing the governing body “pulled out renovations” to the fire station last year from the 2022 capital program, caused Burger to detail that the plan now is to have an architect “do a feasibility study” to “see what they think is needed there.”

Back on April 4, council awarded a $17,700 contract to IEI Group IEI Architects to perform the feasibility study for “Phase I” of the intended project, with Watson noting that this is just a study and “not the actual designing.”

“This will tell us what we are looking for in a design, within the current building,” Burger said. “We want to know what we can do with the current building to meet the needs. We are not anywhere near knowing what we want to do there to know if we need extra money or not.”

She noted council had previously approved $2.7 million for the purchase of the building, as well as renovations.

Another need given some thought during the initial budget workshop meeting is for there to be a total of “two ladder trucks in town.”

Dovi, also in attendance at the initial budget workshop meeting, revealed what a news tipster had previously described to this newspaper, that the fire department needs a ladder truck that reaches high enough to reach “some of the newer dwellings” recently built in town through a housing boom. The agency’s reportedly only ladder truck reaches up to 75 feet. The one the department is looking at reaches a height of at least 100 feet, based on the discourse that occurred during recent budget discussions.

The fire chief pointed to a recent church fire in the county in which “ladder trucks

just a one-story building.”

“With our new buildings” and “the way they are set back,” Dovi contended, the township needs a ladder truck capable of reaching them. It was revealed that only Evesham and Mount Laurel, locally, have ladder trucks on hand that reach higher than the one the one currently belonging to the Medford agency, with Dovi pointing out, it is getting “harder and harder to rely on other towns” because “they are busy.” And one mutual aid partner, he reported, has had their ladder truck “out of service multiple times.”

Burger pointed out she has seen ladder trucks go for $1.8 million currently.

“How often is a 100-foot ladder truck needed?” Rebstock asked.

Dovi answered that the current ladder truck “went out 83 times last year,” and during the first three months of this year, it responded to calls more than 30 times.

This year’s capital program provides Medford Fire and EMS $454,000 for procuring new vehicles and equipment, with another $400,000 made available for the police department’s vehicles and equipment.

The capital program, however, apparently doesn’t provide anywhere close to the $1.8 million needed to purchase a ladder truck, with Burger later confirming to this newspaper “a ladder truck was not approved in this year’s capital program.”

Council could, however, in theory, bond separately for a second ladder truck at a later date, or find another funding source, such as a grant, but Burger told this newspaper on June 26, “There is no plan to purchase a ladder truck in 2023,” and emphasized the following day there is no current plan to do those things.

While the capital program consists of a few other needs, the next major portion of funding set aside is for the township’s latest road improvement program, or $1,962,500. Burger explained that the township engineer just completed a second five-year review of all township roads, rated them and that the municipality is undertaking a “whole other, new five-year program” with officials “starting from a new, five-year list.” Details about which roads are being prioritized with the capital funding wasn’t immediately available.

Pickleball Study, Sunshades Reluctance

Medford, on May 8, opened four new pickleball courts in Freedom Park, located at 86 Union Street. Reservations can be made via the “Team Reach© app,” according to the township.

Open Space Coordinator Beth Portocalis, also executive assistant to the township manager, according to Burger, asked for a feasibility study to investigate whether it would be feasible to also add some at Bob Meyer Park.

But council, in conjunction with Burger, took it out of the budget. The study, according to the township manager, was to specifically look at “how many could we fit” and “where could we fit them, if we put

them in” at the park.

Burger described that Portocalis is anticipating that the new pickleball courts “will be full” and that locals will begin asking for more courts.

“Beth thought to start planning now,” Burger told council.

Another request from Portocalis to provide for funding to install perimeter fencing around the Fort Medford playground, however, was ultimately granted.

In talking with the open space coordinator, Burger said she learned it is “something that is really needed,” with the slabs for existing fencing in the area having deteriorated, some of it due to suspected vandalism.

The plan, according to the township manager, is to install 800 linear feet of “commercialized aluminum fencing,” which she maintained should withstand “the rough and tumble.”

Three quotes were received for the project, with the lowest quote around $35,000, according to Burger.

“It is going to go around the perimeter of the playground, which encompasses the gaga (ball) pits, too,” the township manager told council.

A third request from Portocalis, which was entertained by council during this year’s budget discussions, is to install specialized sunshades for playground equipment at Bob Meyer Park, similar to those at Freedom Park.

This particular request, of all those entertained this year by council, seemed to draw the most scrutiny.

“Twenty-five thousand dollars for sunshades?” Rebstock asked. “As a dad with four kids, I can appreciate having the sun blocked. But $25,000 … I feel like that is (money that could support) a part-time job in the township, and other resources. I feel like there are other opportunities where we can use that money.”

When Czekay asked Burger to repeat the cost for four umbrellas to make sure he understood the figure correctly, the township manager contended that they are “custom made by the manufacturer of the (playground) equipment.”

“They block the entire sun,” said Rebstock in trying to get the councilman, typically known for his fiscal conservatism, to understand the purpose behind the sunshades. “The sun is big.”

Czekay, however, quipped, “That is a lot of money for four umbrellas,” before asking for details on their size, to which Deputy Mayor Lauren Kochan estimated they are either 8 ft.-by 8-ft. or 9-ft. by 9 ft.

“They must be some umbrellas that cost $5,000 a piece,” Czekay quipped. “I can go to Costco and get a box of 9-foot umbrellas for a couple hundred bucks.”

Burger pointed out, in response, that they are “made of the same material” that the “equipment is made of” and that they are

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and local kayaker Kathleen Roberts, “we cannot go downstream” as the trail has become reportedly blocked over the last couple of years from fallen trees.

Roberts has spent the last two Medford Township Council meetings, held June 7 and 20, trying to convince the town fathers to prioritize reopening the trail.

“We don’t need the whole creek cleared,” she declared on June 7. “We just need a

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“definitely

undermining.”

The dam was also the subject of a report in this newspaper last year, detailing how it was first damaged in a June 19-20, 2019, flash flood, with the township then apparently missing a state-imposed deadline of June 30, 2020, to fix it.

A municipal engineer, following an August 2022 required site inspection of the dam, wrote to officials that “significant erosion is continuing to occur at the dam near the electrical box, which is beginning to undermine the adjacent walkway to the platform used to operate the dam and significantly impact the electrical box

pathway through the creek for our kayaks. It used to be done, and you could cut a trail through the fallen trees.”

Medford Mayor Charles “Chuck” Watson responded on June 7 to Roberts that “I know, in my time on council, we have cleared that out several times” and that he “wasn’t aware, at the moment, it was that way.”

“But I will ask the manager to have Public Works do some clearing so we can get a pathway through,” he initially vowed.

Roberts, who noted on June 7 that she is 81 years old “and my friends and I want to use the waterway now,” returned to council chambers two weeks later, on June

concrete base” and “in order to minimize the need for more costly improvements to the dam in the future, increase site safety and stabilize the eroded areas, the recommendations made within our Jan. 22, 2020, repair design narrative should be implemented as soon as practicable.”

It was also learned through public records obtained by this newspaper that an item was “supposed” to have been filed with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) previously, following the flood, to obtain reimbursement for the repairs, however, “a formal declaration was never issued.”

Council has been reluctant to raise taxes over the past decade, and for the past two years, has only permitted a very slight increase in the tax levy (see separate story). Both Burger and Watson have also, during

20, pressing officials for any updates on the situation, observing that the waterway had not yet been at least partially cleared.

“We have to get funding and a contractor that can do it,” Burger replied. “It has to have NJDEP (New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection) approval.”

When Roberts further pressed as to “what does that mean,” Burger responded, “It means we are looking into who we can get to actually go out there and do it,” and when Roberts, in response, turned to the councilmembers, asserting, “I feel like you are the ultimate people who are responsible for it,” Township Solicitor Timothy Prime retorted, “State permitting is required – it

the last two budget cycles, described a need to slow down capital spending given an increase in municipal debt, with the township manager acknowledging during recent budget discussions that there are departmental requests that remain unfunded with the hope that they could somehow be phased in during future budget cycles.

However, in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, the township was awarded federal dollars through the American Rescue Plan (ARP), with $1,224,308.09 provided to the municipality in a second round of funding.

Congress, when passing the ARP, allowed the funding to be used for certain infrastructure projects. When a discussion came about last year about how to use the funds, Medford Mayor Charles “Chuck” Watson acknowledged the dam is one of

is not just a question of sending us in to clean up the stream.”

“Do you understand that?” he asked. “It is not just something (in which) these people (the councilmembers) can say, ‘Go do it.’ We need to get permits.”

When Roberts recounted from the June 7 meeting that Watson committed to having Public Works clear a pathway, the mayor retorted June 20, “I asked her (Burger) to look into it, I didn’t say that maintenance would take care of it.”

Burger, in responding further to Roberts, contended on June 20 that the township

See TRAIL/ Page 17

a couple items that are “literally hazards to our residents,” with council ultimately deciding to use ARP funds to fix the dam.

“A bid just came in on that,” said Burger during recent budget discussions of the dam repair project. “It came in at significantly less than what we thought. Thirty-three thousand dollars in change – total. We were quite pleased when that bid was opened the other day.”

Burger, when she made that statement, noted officials had expected the repairs could cost as much as $100,000. Officials had anticipated using up to $350,000 in ARP funding to repair a township road, as well as to fix the dam.

Public records obtained by this newspaper show that the township first advertised the project on Feb. 24 of this

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Photo By Douglas D. Melegari

A tree blocking the Rancocas Creek near a canoe launch in Medford Township.

Photo By Douglas D. Melegari Canoes on an otherwise ideal summer recreational day shelved at a Medford Township canoe launch point, the result of the Rancocas Creek being blocked by fallen trees.

BUDGET

designed to keep the equipment covered, including so that it doesn’t turn hot during the daytime. She also noted that their design is intended to “hold up to the wind” as Public Works is “not going to take them down” every time there is a storm.

“I am sure they have a substantial base,” Czekay responded. “They probably have all kinds of safety standards and are beefed up to where they have to be … unlike the one at my house where I don’t expect my 22-yearold daughter to climb it.”

Kochan, seemingly the least skeptical of the councilmembers, said she was “not shocked by it at all,” or the cost, “because commercial playground equipment is known to be expensive.”

When Burger emphasized the “structures go over the playground equipment to keep kids out of direct sunlight,” Watson quipped, “it seems like we are trying to make the outside, inside.”

At another point, the mayor quipped, “you can buy an awful lot of sunscreen” for the amount of money requested for the sunshades.

Burger ultimately pulled the request from the capital budget for this year, adding, “We can see what is left in the open space operating budget this year, and if there is enough money, we can buy with cash.”

Of the other requests that didn’t make the cut this year, Burger said, “they are not going to go away, but we can phase it in” in future years, before declaring of the township’s debt, “it is time to come back to what I call a ‘more norm.’”

Long-awaited Intersection Left Turn Arrows

Every now and then, a resident will come to council and ask about installing a left turn arrow system at the intersection of Route 70

and Jones Road. This intersection provides access to a medical office building, Sharps Run Plaza (which includes the Medford Acme) and police administration building.

Particularly during rush hour, however, while there are left turn lanes at this intersection, making a lefthand turn can be very difficult due to substantial amounts of oncoming traffic.

Watson announced a left turn signal system will be funded through the township’s capital program for the intersection.

“This project is to add a traffic signal with left turn arrows from Jones Road to Route 70,” Burger later told this newspaper.

A couple of other items said by Watson to be funded through the capital budget include a mini dump truck with a spreader and plow, tools for the Public Works shop, portable staging and engineering for an Allen Avenue and Union Street barrier removal project, which Burger explained involves more sidewalk work in the area.

As for the portable staging, Watson explained it will be used for “some events we have around town” as organizers, many of whom are volunteers, are finding it costly to arrange and sometimes it is not available.

There are six different areas, according to Burger, where employees are unionized, and the contracts call for annual raises. But one area, the township manager asserted “I would hope you don’t look at” cutting, is the “non-union employees.”

“They have been through this before,” she contended. “They went four or five years without a raise. They make very little compared to other municipalities.”

Council appeared to spare the non-unionized employees in the 2023 municipal budget.

Another new hire briefly spoken of as to being accounted for in the new budget is for Public Works, to conduct stormwater management activities, with Burger maintaining the position has become necessary in light of new stormwater management regulations placed on

Pemberton Threatens to Close Mirror Lake Beach for Summer in Crackdown on Kids Who Have Harassed Employees, Patrons Parents of Misbehaving Youths Warned They Could End Up Facing Fines, Court Costs

By Bill B onvie Staff Writer

PEMBERTON—A crackdown has been ordered by Pemberton Township officials on juveniles behaving badly at Mirror Lake Beach following Incidents in which groups of youngsters have reportedly harassed patrons, engaged in threats against seasonal employees and even in one case started a fire under a picnic table.

A press release issued by the township on June 22 noted that the Police Department would begin issuing summonses to “the

parents of those juveniles who committed criminal activities, including setting the illegal fire,” and that if the parents of those responsible “fail to correct their kids’ actions,” officials will be forced to cancel the remainder of the 2023 season for Mirror Lake, depriving Browns Mills and the entire township of the enjoyment of its natural beauty and recreational opportunities.

Thus, in the event that the youthful offenders, whose ages were reported to range from 11 to 16, aren’t reined in,

municipalities by the state.

The township, she said early on in budget discussions, after using some surplus monies toward this budget, is left with around $1 million in surplus.

However, a check of the final municipal budget by this newspaper found that the township had $3,950,946.35 in surplus on hand as of Dec. 31, 2022, and that the current surplus anticipated in the budget is $3,285,600, with surplus balance remaining of $665,346.35.

In addition to the capital budget, Medford maintains a utility capital budget. Council, on June 7, approved an ordinance “providing for various utility capital improvements and related expenses in and for the township, appropriating $2,070,900.”

The projects to be funded through the utility capital budget, according to Watson, include a Lakewood Avenue water main replacement, enhancing security at the Sewer Treatment Plant, as well as at various wells and towers, to include cameras and fencing. Pump station generators will also be purchased, the mayor said, in addition to improvements being made to sewer mains, laterals, manholes and pump stations.

The township’s wellhouse for Well #7 will be replaced entirely, while Well #6 will undergo rehabilitation.

Wanting to Hold the Line on Taxes

As certain requests have been allowed to loom, council directed the township manager to shy away from a two-cent tax increase, and try for a one cent tax increase. At a final budget workshop session, Czekay pushed for there to be only an increase under half a penny, wanting any tax impact to be similar to last year’s budget.

“I want it to be around $20,” he declared.

By relying on the township’s tax collection rate (above 99 percent), and including a school tax deferment on the downpayment of capital items, “that would give us a total of around a

despite the best efforts of the police, the release notes that “ultimately, all the good kids who use Mirror Lake Beach will be the victims of the bad behavior of their peers.”

Nor is this the first time that local officials have had to take measures aimed at addressing disorderly conduct by young miscreants.

“Last year,” the release points out, “the township confronted similar behavior on the part of … juveniles riding bicycles who were harassing patrons and employees.”

“In response, the township banned bicycles and skateboards from portions of parks and beaches and updated its Parental Responsibility Ordinance” to expand the type of conduct for which parents of those found to have engaged in illegal conduct can be fined.

While Township Business Administrator Daniel Hornickel told the Pine Barrens Tribune he didn’t believe that ordinance had yet been invoked against parents of kids who harass others at municipal recreational facilities, it may well begin to do so if such misbehavior isn’t curtailed.

“We do have video footage of potential suspects,” he said, adding that the police department is aware of the identities of some of those involved and is in the process of determining which of them may have been violating the law.

$245,000 decrease to go against that one cent.”

What would have been around a $56.52 tax impact on residents, by using the deferment, was ultimately brought down to $22.16, with the final tax rate “under a half cent,” according to Burger, to which Watson emphasized, “again, a slight tax increase,” and “again, we try to not raise taxes.”

“I think this is twice in 11 years that we have had to raise taxes right at this amount,” Watson added.

Czekay, in also noting, “it is the second year in a row that we had to increase taxes,” attributed it to the “inflationary pressures that we have had to encounter over the last three years.”

“I mean everybody is feeling it,” the councilman declared. “We had a substantial increase in the healthcare costs, but it is also important to remember we worked very hard, and the manager and her staff worked very hard, to keep that increase to a minimum – to take exactly what we needed and not a dime more.

“And that is why it is $22. It was $20 last year. I mean we could take a lot more in taxes, because we have cap bank and all types of other things where we could exceed the actual 2 percent cap that the state limits us to because we haven’t raised taxes in so many years. But, again, we look at the budget and try to squeeze every dollar that we can, so we just take what we need. That is exactly what we are doing this year. We are only taking the minimal amount that we need in order to continue to provide the services that the township provides to provide 24/7 police, fire and EMS protection for our citizens and everybody who comes through our town.

“… I don’t like increasing taxes, none of us do up here, $1 more is too much in my mind. Twenty-two dollars doesn’t seem like a lot, but it is still $20 and has to come out of somebody’s pocket to pay it.”

further threats,” as well as setting that fire beneath the picnic table.

If the perpetrators do end up in court, Hornickel maintained, the penalties would likely be more related to the severity of the offense than their age, as “a twelveyear-old can cause serious bodily injury,” and could conceivably go as high as $1,000 plus court costs.

Last year, he noted, “these kids would also come to Mirror Lake and ride their bikes all over,” including areas where people would walk, and interfere with patrons’ use and enjoyment of the beach and adjacent park.

“It appears to be the same group that was involved in both sets of situations,” said Hornickel, who claimed that their harassment of members of the seasonal staff, which also consists of young people and high-schoolers, has included following them home and threatening to beat them up. He further maintained that families visiting the beach have also complained of rowdy behavior there by youths who have impeded them from patronizing the concession stand.

However, should it be deemed necessary to close the beach on account of further harassment from the group, the business administrator said, “we’ll look for different ways to keep our seasonal staff working.”

Advertising Deadline: Tuesday, July 25

Publication Date: Saturday, July 29

The offenses alleged to have been committed, according to the press release, include having “flagrantly violated reasonable park rules and regulations by threatening and harassing seasonal staff, entering and occupying restrooms and the concession stand, preventing employees from doing their jobs or patrons from safely using the facilities, and even following some staff home, spewing

Mayor Jack Tompkins, in a phone interview, concurred, noting that “there are other beaches we can transfer our employees to” and that his top priority “is maintaining a safe work environment for our employees.”

Tompkins added that things like threatening behavior should no more be tolerated today than they were when he was growing up.

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Solar Farm, LLC, is reportedly now investigating the feasibility of relocating its massive, highly-controversial electrical unit, or what is a “switch gear connection” electrical cabinet, built this past spring in the middle of a LeisureTowne retirement community neighborhood on Saint Davids Place in Southampton Township.

The switch gear connection is essentially designed to connect a recently built solar farm on the BEMS landfill, which is adjacent to LeisureTowne, to Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G)’s grid.

Word that the solar firm is considering moving the unit that has been described by residents as “atrocious,” “a gray beast” and a “monstrosity,” given it is taking up an area of about 30 feet long and 27.5 feet wide on a Southampton Township-owned Street Island, once comprising of trees and a park bench, was first conveyed publicly through the LeisureTowne Association website, with a pronouncement there stating, “We have been advised as an HOA, that the solar company has communicated with the St. David’s homeowners directly that they are exploring the possibility to relocate the island switchgear and the HOA is fully cooperative. As future information is available, we will keep you informed.”

A couple of days later, 74 Saint Davids Place resident Phyllis Peak, who has since been designated the point person for residents of the street in expressing concerns about the unit, posted on social media that it was indeed true that the residents of the street had been told by the solar company that it is investigating whether the unit can be moved, but that any decision would come at least a fair number of weeks after electricity to the box is turned on.

Then came the Southampton Township Committee meeting of June 20, with Southampton Mayor Michael Mikulski declaring that he “remains very optimistic that the box will get moved” and that “it will get moved before it is turned on.”

“Discussions are ongoing,” Mikulski maintained. “As I promised, the investigation/pressing … it will go on and is going on. As recently as this afternoon, in fact, there were ongoing discussions.”

The mayor added that he “doesn’t want to say too much,” as he has learned through this ordeal that “unless I have it in writing,” it doesn’t count, and that he needs to follow the “trust but verify” process.

“But I am optimistic that by next month I will have some more concrete information to share,” said Mikulski, adding that he was not currently in a position to share a lot of specifics.

Online, Peak initially expressed some elation in hearing that the unit would not be turned on until it is actually moved, but at the same time expressed she was taken aback that the mayor did not call her before making the public announcement, adding, “my only regret is that they couldn’t let us know since we are the ones who fought to have this moved!”

However, a bit later on, Peak reported, one of the residents of the street talked to Steven Gouin, an attorney representing the solar company, who reportedly claimed it was not exactly true what had been said at the township committee meeting and that “they are still looking for places to move it.”

While Gouin did not return this newspaper’s messages seeking comment on this story as of press time, Peak described that she was told Gouin was reportedly “very upset” with the June 20 pronouncement given that the solar firm being able to move the unit is something that is not set in stone.

Following the June 20 township

committee meeting, according to Peak, residents of the street were sent a letter from Gouin. In providing a copy of the June 23 letter to this newspaper, Peak described that Gouin had ceased personally communicating with her and the resident group that she leads, which is currently pushing for the unit to be moved.

Gouin’s letter appears to reflect that claim, with the attorney beginning his letter to the residents by pointing out there has “understandably been a lot of speculation and dialogue about this process” and that “given the sensitivity of the issues and everyone’s concerns regarding the process, my client has decided that it will be best to keep our communications in writing for the time being.”

“We are trying to be straightforward with information and not have any further misunderstandings,” he added.

Prior to the issuance of the letter, Peak described Gouin as being truthful and forthcoming with information.

Gouin, Peak told this newspaper, privately met with the residents back on May 25. The solar company attorney, in referencing that meeting in his letter, memorializes that “we discussed at our meeting that, as an initial first step, my client would investigate the relocation of the switchgear presently located on the island at St. David’s Place.”

“Over the past month, we have been diligently pursuing the investigations and due diligence related to the proposed relocation,” Gouin continued. “I understand that there was some discussion about my client’s efforts in this regard at the township council meeting last night.

“In terms of our investigative efforts, on May 31, 2023, I visited the site with my client and our engineering team, environmental consultants, and wetlands consultants. We reviewed the existing switchgear as located on the St. David’s Island. We also preliminarily investigated Big Hill Road to determine if it would be feasible to relocate the switchgear to somewhere along that road. We identified what we believed would be three potential new locations.”

While the solar company attorney did not reveal specifics about those three potential locations, he reported that during an onsite meeting, “my client commissioned Colliers Engineering to conduct a wetlands delineation along Big Hill Road” and that “the results of that investigation confirmed that there may be up to three potential locations for relocating the switchgear.”

“The next step is for Colliers to prepare a concept plan that we can submit to the New Jersey Pinelands Commission,” Gouin wrote. “Colliers was at the site earlier this week doing further investigations and taking measurements. We are currently reviewing a draft of that concept plan that was just made available to us today.

“Once the concept plan is available to us, we will take the plan to Pinelands and get feedback from that agency whether it will permit us to relocate the switchgear to a location along Big Hill Road. Very likely, any such relocation would require a permit to locate the switchgear either in wetlands or a wetlands buffer area. We will need Pinelands approval for that. We want to present Pinelands with several options in terms of locations to see whether any of those will be acceptable and approvable.”

Previously, at a Southampton committee meeting, it was told to residents that the Saint David’s Place Island was selected for the electrical unit because it is the only place that the Pinelands Commission would allow such a unit given wetlands in the area. But residents questioned that point, and inquired why it couldn’t be located in the nearby woods, along Big Hill Road (where the point of interconnection is to take place).

“We have already reached out to Pinelands and anticipate that we will

meet with them soon after submitting the concept plan,” Gouin told the residents. “I will be out of the state for several days next week, so the meeting may be during the first two weeks of July. Following that meeting, we will take the approved alternate location (assuming Pinelands indicates a possibility of approving one of our selected locations) to Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) for PSEG’s approval.”

The solar company attorney further noted that the firm will also need to obtain “outside agency approvals,” in the event the unit can be moved, including from Southampton Township, the Burlington County Soil Erosion and Sediment Control District and Burlington County Planning Board.

“At this point, my client is pursuing these investigations pertaining to the relocation of the switchgear in good faith and utilizing commercially reasonable efforts,” Gouin declared. “My client intends to run this issue to ground; and will continue to work in good faith to do so. You can consider this letter as my client’s commitment to continue in these efforts. We have also made the same commitment to Southampton Township.”

However, Gouin advised, “the process of evaluating the alternative location and actually permitting and accomplishing a relocation will take time.”

The latest LeisureTowne Board of Trustees meeting occurred on June 26, and during that session, Gregg Shivers, the board’s attorney, as he later relayed to this newspaper, “revealed that the solar company has advised me and the mayor that they are exploring the possibility of moving the switch and they are optimistic that they will be able to do so.”

“However, it is far from a done deal,” said Shivers of what he relayed to LeisureTowne residents and the board.

In pointing out to this newspaper that the solar company has “never purchased land from the association” and that they have only been granted an “easement under a 20’ x 20” piece of common property,” Shivers said that the firm “may seek an

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year. Nine bids were received and opened on March 23, according to the records.

Council awarded the project to Decker’s Inc. on April 4 for $33,536.

While details about the repairs have not been discussed publicly by Medford officials, it is noted in the bid specifications that the “project generally includes” the “replacement of crushed stone in the parking area, backfilling of eroded and

additional easement to place the switch if the Pinelands designates an acceptable location on association property.”

“I made clear to the members, as well as the solar company, that the association would not grant any easements until we are given ALL of the details of where the switch will be located, how it will be shielded from view, what work it is going to entail and when that work will be done,” Shivers told this newspaper. “I will also recommend to the board that they not sign any easement without an open board meeting where residents can ask questions of the solar people.”

Gouin, in his letter to Saint Davids Place residents, emphasized that the solar firm “does not have a good estimate of the time that it will take at this point” for any relocation of the electrical unit “because we have only started the effort inside of 30 days ago.”

But what “I can tell you,” he advised the residents, is “that my team is working as expeditiously as possible to analyze a possible relocation and determine a realistic plan and schedule” and that “I and my client will keep you apprised as we progress.”

“In the interim, I would ask that you please give us the time necessary to properly explore potential solutions,” Gouin added. “We really need to finish the investigation and evaluation of potential alternatives before we can commit to a definitive path forward, or (to) a schedule for accomplishing any remedial action. There are a number of stakeholders with an interest in this matter and we are doing our best to coordinate with everyone and address everyone’s concerns as quickly and efficiently as possible.

“… I understand that you are frustrated with this process. All I can offer you at this time is that your concerns are being taken very seriously, my client is evaluating the best possible solution to create an outcome that is beneficial to all parties involved, and I will keep you well-informed with any updates.”

Gouin’s June 23 letter was copied to both Shivers and Township Solicitor George Morris.

depressed areas, installation of erosion control matting, sealing of the misaligned joint of dam wall, installation of an extension of asphalt curb, fence replacement and topsoil and seed restoration.”

Burger told this newspaper on June 26 that “we are waiting on a schedule from the contractor” and repairs to the dam are “presumed to start soon.”

Orange safety fencing, previously described by the township engineer as having been installed to “try to limit access to this area” given the situation, remained in place as of press time.

Photo By Phyllis Peak

The electrical unit on Saint David’s Place in LeisureTowne.

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about material.”

“The sheds have been there for years and years, some of them, and we are going to have to either adjust our ordinance or bring some other change,” said Gadd of getting those two campgrounds technically in compliance with township code.

A permit, however, for Wading Pines was “tabled” because of what Gadd described as a “zoning issue,” though no additional details were provided.

“We are not going to approve their license at this time,” said Gadd, noting that the issue at hand will require further discussion. “… Until they are in compliance with the current zoning issue.”

Wading Pines, however, appeared to still be operational as of press time, with plans for Independence Day weekend celebrations posted on the campground’s Facebook page.

Washington Township Engineer Kevin Dixon announced that the township did circle back to obtain a new set of bids for a planned parking lot improvement/ expansion project and “everyone was not in the ballpark” with the bids only a little bit less than before.

The Washington committee, previously, rejected just the few bids it had received, with James describing on June 14 the prior bids as “three times more than what the job should have been.”

“The prices have just been astronomical, and off the charts,” Dixon declared. “It is a small job, and you can expect some

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development has “a lot of oak trees” that drop leaves and inquired whether the township could arrange for a “one-day cleanup,” contending that it might also help to address some of the code issues in the neighborhood.

“There are 64 houses combined, a lot of elderly residents and we can’t do anything with leaves in the fall,” Marchut said.

DeGroff called it a “good point,” agreeing it could help encourage residents to maintain their yard, but the township doesn’t have its own leaf collection equipment, Brown pointed out, with officials settling on potentially exploring a shared service, though Brown noted neighboring Tabernacle got rid of its leaf equipment “because of liability and expense,” with another official pointing out there are now a lot of requirements imposed by the state with respect to stormwater management.

Sabatini noted her observations that despite a recent wildfire nearby, she saw residents still doing “recreational bonfires in their backyard.” Officials pointed out the New Jersey Forest Fire Service

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reportedly completed their work. The bridge was re-opened May 2, but then, there were periodic closures during the daytime hours due to utility work, which Burger reported had concluded in late May.

Officials, since late winter, have been working on additional improvements to Bunning Field, including construction of the grandstands. However, at the last several council sessions, Burger has vaguely described meetings that have been taking

difficulties, but what we want to do is seek individual contractors for negotiation.”

Dixon said he would confer with Coleman to make sure “we are covering all the bases” before “pursuing the other track,” or negotiating with the various firms.

Committeeman Paul Seybold reported there was a “small amount of graffiti” placed on Turtle Creek Road (a recurring problem here), but it was quickly removed “within 24 hours.”

An item listed for consideration to support the Washington Township School Board in its quest for additional state aid to fill an over $900,000 budget gap was among three that were tabled June 14, with James contending the reason the measures were tabled (the other two involving a treatment works approval for Wading Pines , and pay to play requirements) is that they were “incomplete” and “we are not just shuffling these through.”

gotten a proposed lease agreement returned finally from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) for a former ranger station, or what is now the township’s Senior Center, and expressed his optimism that the municipality will be able to move on repairing the center shortly, in hopes to reopen the facility, closed more

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State Forest office. However, Brown noted that the township’s supervisor of Public Works has been making a “weekly trip over there, cleaning it,” revealing that during Memorial Day weekend, park users

“He cleaned it up, picked up all the trash and emptied the cans,” Brown said. “The township actually used some of our recycling money to buy trash cans to put out there because there weren’t any out there.” Sabatini described learning that many of the recent visitors are “out-of-towners,” who are coming from as far away as Camden County.

place over the project and material list.

“The contractor and architect are exploring ways to reduce the amount of materials needed for the project,” Burger reported to council on June 20.

During a preceding May 16 council meeting, Burger had remarked that the “material list is very large compared to what was originally in the project.”

Traditionally, council meets on the first and third Tuesday of every month, except when there is a holiday or an election. Because of July 4, council scheduled a meeting for July 5. However, council has canceled scheduled meetings for July 5 and Aug. 2, citing the summertime being a slower time.

SOUTHAMPTON

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“After five years without a tax increase, here are some of the reasons why we had to have a tax increase,” declared Heston, listing the aforementioned reasons, in addition to “less property ratables” (with the township having seen a purported decrease of $800,000, mostly due to Blue Acres, or a property flood buyout program that became popular in town following a 2019 flash flood along the Rancocas Creek) and a $20,000 increase in fire hydrant costs, the latter the result of a recent state granted increase in water rates to Pinelands Water.

But if there is any “good news” in all of this “for taxpayers,” according to Heston, it is that the township cap amount is $5,724,355, and the township committee and

administrator have found a way to use the local property portion of $4,230,562, “which is a savings to the residents of Southampton of $1,493,793 that we are not charging the taxpayers, because we are controlling through our committee and administration the amount of money we are spending.”

“So even though the state says you can raise the taxes to get more money, we are not doing it,” Heston concluded. “We are only doing what we have to do to cover the necessary increases. With that Mr. Mayor, taxes are going up just under two cents.”

Mikulski added, “Nobody dislikes the idea of raising taxes more than I do, but the increases in healthcare and pensions passed on to municipalities is the largest I have seen since I paid attention to that in New Jersey,” before pointing out that a new Dollar General is due to open anytime “and that will help next year” with the loss in ratables “but it doesn’t help this year.”

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TRAIL

(Continued from Page 13)

has “applied for grants several times and has not received any grant funds for that,” adding that the municipality has also “tried to work alongside other townships, who are connected to us” in both clearing the creek and to “get funding” for that purpose.

But it is unclear why then, on June 7, Watson didn’t know the trail was blocked, and why, given the township’s marketing of the trail – something that Roberts pointed

out on a number of occasions this past month, the municipality didn’t prioritize the funding through the municipal budget using municipal tax dollars.

As Roberts recounted what Watson told her “two weeks ago,” that “you didn’t know it wasn’t being done (the clearing) and you wanted it to be done,” she pressed the mayor as to, “Are you in agreement it needs to be done?”

Initially, the mayor indicated he didn’t hear or understand the question.

“I think it should be looked into to find out what the costs are, to find out whether

See TRAIL/ Page 19

(Continued from Page 11)

that determination had been made.

“These charges would probably not meet the criteria (for extradition proceedings) at this time,” he contended.

When the apparent reference Bintz had posted to the Ten Commandments was pointed out to Haldenwang, the captain said he hoped that if Bintz “truly believes in them, he does the right thing and turns himself in.”

Diane Brown, the co-owner of Lucille’s, which she and her sister Karen Flynn-Bates, inherited from their late mother, Lucille Bates, who opened the eatery with her husband Jim in 1975, wants that to happen for another reason – to make the individual responsible for removing (and presumably destroying) the Jersey Devil statue cover the cost of a replacement, which she said its creator, Joe Wenal, an award-winning chainsaw artist and professional carver who lives and works in Colorado, began crafting out of a “huge log of wood” as soon as he got the news.

“While we are thrilled, to hear that,” she asserted, at the same time the sisters “personally feel very violated” by the brazen breach of their property.

The awarding of damages to the owners, Haldenwang maintained, is something that could eventually “be worked out in a court of law, “although any criminal case against the suspect would first have to be pursued.

Brown said the original carving, which Wenal, who grew up in Stafford Township, had done a few years ago as part of a local competition, was sold to the eatery for $2,000. Since the theft was reported on social media, the story has elicited several hundred thousand responses, she said, including offers to finance the restoration via a GoFundMe page. But Brown said she’s not looking for that; what she wants is restitution.

“The guy who damaged it should be held accountable to pay for it,” she declared.

Brown also noted that she anticipates that the completed replacement carving will be delivered by Wenal when he drives back to this area in the fall for another competition.

“We plan to make an announcement of it on our Facebook page,” she said. “The unveiling of the new devil.”

Photo Courtesy Lucille’s Luncheonette Colorado-based carver Joe Wenal stands beside the log he plans to turn into a New Jersey devil rendering for the owners of Lucille’s.

Photo Provided

A web-based map of the Medford Canoe Trail (available on the township website), which the municipality describes as having been created by Don Morrison, a Geospatial Information Systems major at Rowan College at Burlington County.

TRAIL

(Continued from Page 17)

we have the funding, and to find out whether we can even get a permit to do it,” Watson ultimately responded. “That is my personal opinion.”

But “what we need is an open path just wide enough for our canoes or kayaks to get through, not only for us seniors, but for all the people in surrounding towns who would like to enjoy going downtown to Medford, going down to Kirby’s Mill and back and maybe staying in town for a beer and sandwich,” said Roberts of the Medford Canoe Trail matter.

The online blog post, authored by Medford resident Kevin Sparkman, in also pointing to the importance of the trail for local commerce and tourism, notes the “upper end of the trail is adjacent to the historic Medford village with its shops, restaurants and grand old homes.”

It is explained in the blog post that the “trail head in Medford Park is accessible from Gill Road off Allen Avenue” and that the “most convenient access point is in the park, at the foot of Coates Street, where a playground, picnic facilities and parking close to the launch site are available.”

The trail, according to Sparkman’s post, ends at a landing at Kirby’s Mill on

Church Road, with it noted in the piece that “township staff will attempt to remove or report obstacles when they exist,” but to “please consider the potential of obstacles when planning your trip.”

A brochure that has been available for taking at the Medford Library, according to Roberts, provides residents with similar information, including that it “tells about the 2-½ mile stream, accessible at the bottom of the park at Coates Street” and it “tells how you can take the stream to meander down to Kirby’s Mill.”

It “even says you have a new dock to launch, but we cannot go downstream,” she told the council, pointing out there has been a tab for the Medford Canoe Trail “on the website, so I know it is important.”

“We need to have those obstacles removed, now,” Roberts declared. “So, I am bringing this problem to you, the ultimate decision makers, to find a solution now. And I am looking for what can be done with this incremental change, while others look for long-range changes. I know things take a long time, but just with the volunteers that were used before, and your staff, just take a kayak down and start cutting through.”

Councilman Erik Rebstock, on June 7, stated that maybe the brochure should be removed “if it is inaccurate,” to which Burger contended it has “been pulled” (though Roberts said another version has since appeared).

When Roberts looked at Prime on June

20 and asked when she should follow up again, the township attorney told her, “I would appreciate it if you go through the manager; she will keep you posted, and if she needs any legal assistance I would be happy to help her,” contending that if he deals with Roberts directly, there would be a charge incurred to the township. Roberts’ response, in part, is that the fact that she has now seen a second brochure, “it says to me this is important to Medford” and “this is how you market it.” She was told she is allowed to call Burger every two weeks to find out if the township applied to the NJDEP for the necessary permit.

“Do you think you could put it in your budget next year?” asked Roberts after walking away June 20 from the microphone to which Watson responded, “It is something that can be considered.”

Now appearing on the township website, under the tab for the Medford Canoe Trail, is a message with a number of asterisks: “***Please be advised that certain parts of the Canoe Trail may be inaccessible due to fallen tree(s) over the creek. Please report any issues to the Open Space Office at 609654-2608 x 330. ***”

Depending on the nature of the fallen trees over the creek, such situations can exacerbate any flooding, and sometimes such trees are also known to act like a lowhead dam. Such risks weren’t mentioned, however, at the pair of council meetings.

Photo By Douglas D. Melegari Sign for Coates Street canoe launch site.

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