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November 20 - November 26, 2021
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Officials in BurlCo Town Say County, State Police Were ‘Not Prepared’ for Oct. 29 Coastal Flooding
‘IT’S A LOT TO SWALLOW’
Washington Public Safety Officials Describe ‘Completely Unacceptable’ Situation with Poor Communication, Lack of Help to Close Flooded Roads; County Says It Got No Complaints By Douglas D. Melegari Staff Writer
WASHINGTON —De spite weather predictions that called for moderate to major coastal flooding along the bayfronts and coastal areas of New Jersey on Oct. 29, Washington Township officials are contending that both the New Jersey State Police and Burlington County were “not prepared” for the flooding that transpired, resulting in a “completely unacceptable” and “bad situation” that jeopardized public safety in parts of the municipality, and now local officials are calling on the entities to take steps to make sure what occurred never happens again. At least three vehicles that apparently became stuck in floodwaters were located the next day, according to Washington Emergency Management Coordinator David Simpson during a Nov. 9 Washington Township Committee meeting, all as most affected county roads lacked any signage, highway crews or law enforcement presence to warn motorists of impending danger, added Committeeman C. Leigh Gadd Jr. “They are not prepared for stuff like this often,” said Gadd, also the township’s public safety director. “… Things definitely have to be changed before the next one (storm), because it was unacceptable – completely unacceptable.” T he Mu l l ic a R iver for m s par t of See FLOODING/ Page 12
Photo By Douglas D. Melegari
Tabernacle Town Hall.
‘Significant Deterioration’ of Tabernacle Town Hall’s Foundation, Along with Several Other Deficiencies, Found Through Structural Analysis, Forcing Municipal Offices to be Moved into Trailers by Jan. 13; Committee, Facing ‘Costly’ Repairs, Once Again Discusses Idea of Constructing a New Municipal Building By Douglas D. Melegari Staff Writer
TABERNACLE—A recent structural analysis of Taber nacle Tow n Hall, sitting at the corner of Medford LakesChatsworth (also known as County Route 532) and Carranza roads, has found that the “building needs significant help to the point it is a structural concern to keep
using the building,” according to Architect Scott England, a principal at Regan Young England Butera, an architectural firm retained by the municipality to help perform the study. Michael A. Beach, a structural engineer who owns Michael A. Beach & Associates, a consulting firm specializing in structural engineering, design, investigation and analysis, and worked in conjunction with
England in performing the Tabernacle study, was said by the latter to have found such “significant deterioration” of tow n hall’s foundation, that he instructed municipal officials to conduct “immediate, temporary stabilization” of the building to “buy time.” And while that has since been done, See HALL/ Page 11
CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN
SEE PAGES C1-C2
INDEX Business Directory.......... 16
Job Board........................ 19
Thanksgiving Guide.........T1
Christmas Countdown.... C1
Local News........................ 2
Worship Guide................. 17
Holiday Gift Guide...........S1
Marketplace........................ 18
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