By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer
TABERNACLE—Natalie Stone, the deputy mayor of Tabernacle Township who has already drawn the ire of residents over her consideration of Tabernacle Town Hall as simply a sentimental building and not a historical one, even though it is classified as historic, and a later vote she cast to demolish it and another to not bring a structural engineer to evaluate the structure (a committee decision that was later reversed by a Pinelands Commission decree), is now facing accusations that her alleged behavior beyond those votes and positions is “unbecoming to an elected official.”
It has led to calls from both residents and stakeholders that Stone “resign” from elected office, with one committee colleague, in pointing to one of her Facebook postings, now questioning what the “procedure” is for the township to address the matter.
A “recall” has been also mentioned, but Stone must serve a full year on the governing body before being eligible for one.
Stone, a Republican who was seated on the governing body in January and was narrowly chosen as township deputy mayor right out of
Injunction Issued to Temporarily Halt Razing of Tabernacle Town Hall Prompts Officials to Rethink Controversial Closure of County Roadway
Philadelphia Media Attention Issue is Now Attracting Draws Expert in Relocating, Moving Structures That Had Been Targeted for Demolition, Who Lists His Saves
By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff WriterTABERNACLE—After
an injunction was obtained late on the afternoon of April 19, putting a temporary halt, for as long as 30 days or more, to a demolition of Tabernacle Town Hall that had been originally scheduled to largely occur on April 24, following some prep work, the Tabernacle Township Committee has now reversed a decision to close Medford Lakes-Tabernacle Road, also known as County Route 532, which had been closed on the purported basis that Town Hall is in “imminent danger” of collapsing into the road.
Now, Republican Mayor Mark Hartman contends, “it was not anticipated the road closure would be for an extended period of time” and the issues the closure has been posing in the community “appear to outweigh the risks the building poses,” adding the “road was closed due to the risk it (Town Hall) presents to motorists.”
The road, as previously reported by this newspaper, was expected to be closed between the entranceway to Holy Eucharist Roman Catholic Church to Carranza Road for a period of only about three weeks.
And since its closure, motorists have reportedly cut through the church parking lot to get around the closed area, and the New Jersey State Police was subsequently notified of the situation, which in turn reportedly issued tickets to motorists over a period of several days.
And the ticketing campaign has apparently strained police community relations (as evidenced in social media postings), as well as the agency’s resources.
Additionally, there have been purported problems with detour signage and concerns raised about motorists having no convenient choice but to utilize uncontrolled intersections to cross Route 206.
Online, the road closure itself has been referred to as “ridiculous,” with those in construction and building trades finding it to be an extreme position that the building would actually collapse into the road. Some have even disputed a previous claim from Township Architect Scott England that the building is leaning to the left, toward the road.
Tension has bubbled up so much that on at least one occasion, an unknown
See INJUNCTION/ Page 10
MAY
MAY 2
Medford Historical Society Program
Location: Medford Township
Details: The Medford Historical Society will meet on Thursday, May 2, at 7 p.m., at Friends Meeting House, 14 Union St., Medford. Dr. Mark Thomas of the Rancocas Conservancy will present a program on the history and importance of the Rancocas Creek and its tributaries, including the S.W. branch that runs through Medford. All are welcome. For more information, call 609-315-6266.
MAY 11
A Country Day at Kirby’s Mill
Location: Medford Township
MAY 4
Events and special promotions happening locally next month!
Derby Day Dinner Party & Fundraiser
Location: Medford Township
Details: The Compassionate Friends Therapeutic Riding Center (CFTRC) is hosting a Derby Day Dinner Party and Fundraiser on Saturday, May 4, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., at Lake Pines Colony Clubhouse, 2 Chestnut Rd., Medford. Guests will have the chance to participate in a variety of engaging activities, including a Kentucky Derby viewing party. Don’t forget to dress to impress! There will be contests for the best-dressed attendee and for the best hat! The derby extravaganza includes a sensational three-course dinner and two drinks. There will be a silent auction showcasing a Flyers jersey signed by Bobby Clarke and a hockey stick signed by Sean Couturier, among other exciting items! CFTRC is an equine assisted therapeutic riding program for individuals with special needs. This hands-on, joyful mission helps strengthen the body, mind and spirit of each person, while fostering independence and socialization in a safe environment. Don’t miss out on this evening of fun, while supporting a worthy cause! TICKETS FOR PURCHASE AVAILABLE NOW AT www.CFTRC.org. For more information, email NRoswell@CFTRC.org .
Details: The Medford Historical Society is having A Country Day at Kirby’s Mill on Saturday, May 11, from 12 noon to 4 p.m., Rt. 616/Church and Fostertown Roads. The historic mill will be grinding cornmeal by water power! The Blacksmith Shop will be in operation and all the museum buildings will be open to visitors. An afternoon of historic craft demonstrations, working antique machinery, and a Civil War encampment will be featured at the Mill Complex. Admission is free. For more information, call 609-531-1825.
MAY WEEKENDS
Train Rides Through the Woods of New Gretna
Location: Bass River Township
Details: The Woods of New Gretna Park and the New Jersey Shore Live Steam Organization provide train rides for all each Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The small steam locomotives, and other trains, wind their way through the beautiful park. The rides are provided by a group of dedicated volunteers who have revitalized the park and laid out the railroad track, based on the historical Tuckerton Railroad. The volunteers maintain the railroad and walking trails, and are constantly expanding them. Riding the trains is free, but donations are very much appreciated. The train rides are outdoors.
To promote your event on this page contact Jayne Cabrilla at 609-801-2392 or email news@pinebarrenstribune.com
MAY 11
Mother’s Day Flower Sale
Location: Medford Township
Details: Don’t forget Mom! There will be a Mother’s Day Flower Sale on Saturday, May 11, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Medford United Methodist Church, 2 Hartford Rd., Medford. Come early for the best selection! Proceeds benefit Ranch Hope, a residential treatment facility in Salem County serving at-risk youth from all over New Jersey.
Woodland Residents Ask Why Landowner Has Been Allowed to Have Conex Containers for Two Years, Disputing That They Are ‘Temporary’
Construction Official Says Summons Was Dismissed in Court After Resident Proved ‘Box Trailer’ Was Towed to His House by F-450, Not Heavy-Duty Rig
By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff WriterWOODLAND—A group of Woodland Township residents have expressed their dissatisfaction with a property owner in town harboring what they describe as more than just “‘temporary’ containers” in his yard.
“Happy second birthday to the ‘temporary’ containers that are still on Old Tuckerton Road,” declared resident Jane Donoghue during a recent Woodland committee meeting.
Township Administrator and Clerk Maryalice Brown described the trailers at issue as “Conex trailers,” but both she and Mayor William “Billy” DeGroff maintained that a violation issued in the matter was ultimately “found to be unfounded.”
Temporary trailers, Donoghue maintained, however, are supposed to be just that, or “temporary,” and she alleged “it has been two years” since the property owner has had them in place.
“I guess you don’t need permits to do this stuff,” the resident charged.
DeGroff retorted that a “violation was not issued” because “it has been determined that the trailer can be moved by something other than a large truck,” with the Woodland official notably using the word “trailer” in singular form.
Resident Terry Sheerin called that determination “intriguing,” contending the trailers (using the plural form) “have no wheels.”
“They were deposited there by a flatbed truck, because I have it on Ring,” asserted Sheerin, a resident of Old Tuckerton Road, along with Donoghue.
Brown contended that in arriving at a determination as to whether or not the property owner in question was in violation of local code, it came down to “what size vehicle put them there” and “what size vehicle is necessary to move the boxes.”
“I think a flatbed is legal,” DeGroff maintained.
At an ensuing committee session, Brown read a letter aloud from Construction Official and Code Enforcement Officer Tom Boyd. Boyd wrote that there was an initial complaint about a “box trailer” on
Main Street, and “after an investigation of the complaint, it was discovered a box trailer was stored on the property.”
Boyd maintained a Notice of Violation was sent to the landowner, and then a followup investigation found that the trailer was still on location and a “second chance was given to the owner to remove the trailer.”
“Another observation occurred, and it was discovered the trailer still remained,” maintained Boyd in the written correspondence. “It was at this point a summons was issued for compliance in municipal court.”
However, during a court hearing, according to Boyd, “the defendant stated the trailer was towed to his house using a Ford F-450.”
“When the next court appearance occurred, the defendant produced a receipt and evidence showing the trailer had in fact been towed to the property with a Ford F-450,” Boyd said. “This was important to the defendant, as that particular truck would fit into a mediumduty truck classification.”
Boyd noted that in Woodland’s codebook, there is only one reference to a box trailer and it stipulates, “The storage of any box trailer or residential trailer of the type commonly required to be hauled by a tractor or heavyduty truck shall be prohibited without a use permit or site-plan approval.”
“Since documentation was provided that the trailer was brought to the house with a medium-duty vehicle, the case was dismissed,” Boyd concluded in his correspondence. “When the complaint was received for the same situation on Old Tuckerton Road, I felt there was no legal recourse and advised the complainant of same.”
Sheerin, in response, contended she felt like “we are playing semantics” and then alleged that the “trailer has electric.”
Later, Resident Ken Bowker brought up the issue again, prompting Brown to respond that “it was just brought to our attention electric is running into it, tonight.”
“Isn’t it part of the ordinance that it has to be moved every six months?” asked Bowker of a temporary trailer, to which he received no immediate answer.
Flashing Tidal Flooding Warning Signs in Washington Township
By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff WriterWASHINGTON—Flashing beacon
signs warning of potential tidal flooding on county roadways in Washington Township, ones that are intended to be activated when sensors connected to them detect rising water, are reportedly “still not working properly,” Mayor C. Leigh Gadd, Jr. and Deputy Mayor Daniel James reported both during the Township Committee’s March and April sessions.
It is an observation that local motorist Bill Nees has also observed, phoning this newspaper last week to describe what he has seen with the unit posted on County Route 542, near the Mullica River.
“Every time the water gets a little high, it comes on,” Nees recounted. “It is on for three, four or five days to a couple weeks at a time. It is a real hazard for people who are driving on the road, looking for road flooding.”
According to Nees, he has called the county to report the faulty signage “numerous times” and asked that they be shut off.
“During the last couple of times that I have passed by them, the road has not been flooded, and there is no sign of the road being flooded,” Nees said. “Why is this sign flashing?”
According to both Gadd and James, the unit is one of at least two problematic ones in the township, with the town’s leadership describing that the one at Crowley’s Landing is not working, in addition to one installed on River Road in Lower Bank.
“Today, one light was flashing, and one wasn’t flashing, but none of them are supposed to be flashing because the sensor is 7 feet away from the water,” said Gadd on April 2 of the one in Lower Bank.
The township has been purportedly told by County Roads and Bridges Supervisor John A. Janis that they are completely separate units that have different manufacturers.
“He has been working with the vendor that the county got them from, and the vendor has been apparently working with the manufacturer to see what is going on,”
said Gadd of the unit in Lower Bank. “One of the things we were going to try and do is add an additional flood sensor on River Road in Lower Bank, but at this point it does not really matter because they (the pair of signs associated with the unit, one placed to face each direction of travel) are not working properly anyway.”
Gadd declared it is the “same thing” with the one at Crowley’s Landing even though it is a “different system.”
“That one is not working, either,” Gadd said. “Again, the county Highway Department is working to do everything they can to get answers to these problems, including involving the manufacturer.”
In describing that the units at issue “are two different systems,” Gadd said he would work with Emergency Management Coordinator David Simpson to “see if we can find a more suitable location for the sensor, for the one on River Road in Lower Bank,” while for the Crowley’s Landing unit, it doesn’t “seem to be as easy to remedy as moving the sensor.”
James, who dealt with this same issue during his tenure as township mayor, in a recent meeting between township officials and the Highway Department, said he made the “suggestion” that “since the flood gauges don’t work, if they can’t fix them, just put a manual switch” in for officials to activate the signs when needed.
“Road maintenance or you (the emergency management coordinator) could go out and turn it on when we have a flood advisory, and at the end of the day, when it is over, you can turn it off manually,” said James of his suggestion.
In the past, local officials have expressed frustration with purported communication breakdowns involving the county Highway Department, but this time officials alluded to there being a lot of communication.
“We had a meeting with the county to address traffic safety issues on some of the roads,” said Dixon in giving a little more detail about the meeting that James had mentioned. “There are some areas of concern. The county is going to get back
Dory’s Mediterranean Goods at Village at Taunton Forge Features
Array of ‘Unique’ Lebanese, Turkish, Greek and Moroccan Offerings
Dory’s is the First and Only Middle Eastern Mediterranean-Style Grocery of Its Kind in Medford, with Clean, Plant-Based, Health-Conscious Choices
By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff WriterMEDFORD—Dory’s Mediterranean
Goods at Village at Taunton Forge in Medford Township has all the ingredients and packaged goods you need to add clean, plant-based, health-conscious choices to your meal plan, as well as to help elevate your meals or gatherings with food that is authentic and real-non-GMO.
These findings, an array of Mediterranean sandwich and specialty market food items that comprise Lebanese, Turkish, Greek and Moroccan goods, can be found at 200 Tuckerton Road, with Dory’s the first and only Middle Eastern Mediterranean-Style sandwich and specialty market of its kind in the Medford area.
And if you’re just looking for a quick health-conscious bite to eat and want to forgo cooking lunch or dinner, but yet seek “an out-of-this-world flavor experience,” Owner Dory Chamoun keeps his grill ovens hot all day to serve your needs, as well as has refrigerators stocked with a variety of fresh grab and go items, including some unique salads.
Chamoun and his wife, Christine, a licensed clinician social worker who is celebrating her 20th year working in education and had the unique experience
of teaching overseas in Lebanon, recently gave the Pine Barrens Tribune a tour of their ethnic grocery store, a small, but fascinating enclave in the Pinelands, that offers true “Lebanese hospitality.”
They started by showing this newspaper what they call the “Grab and Go” fridge with the establishment’s “main staples.”
Among the selections inside the fridge are Mediterranean Mezze, Baba Ganoush Hummus, Stuffed Grape Leaves and authentic Lebanese Spinach Pie.
“A big part of what we do are our Mediterranean salads,” Christine Chamoun said. “We always have three different kinds available for sale.”
On this particular day of the newspaper’s visit, the Chamouns prepared Greek, Fattoush and Beet & Bean salads.
According to Christine Chamoun, the Fattoush Salad topped with sumac and mint aioli makes it “unique,” while the Beet & Bean Salad can be described as “really hardy.”
Their Grab and Go case also contained Tzatziki and Spicy Feta dips to complement the offerings, with Christine Chamoun pointing out to this newspaper that the dressings “are also made fresh in house,” and that customers often tell her husband, ‘“Dory,
See UNIQUE/ Page 11
STEM 4H and FFA Programs Donation 2024
LRHSD Going Right Down to the Wire to Pass 2024-25 School Year Budget in Hopes Restorative Aid Bill That Passed Assembly Will Get Senate OK Legislation Will Require Governor’s Signature, Adding to Uncertainty in District Otherwise Looking at Significant Layoffs, Cuts Should $4.69 Million Aid Loss Hold
By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff WriterSHAMONG—It is coming down to the wire for the Lenape Regional High School District (LRHSD) and the LRHSD Board of Education.
The LRHSD Board of Education canceled a planned school board meeting and public hearing on the 2024-25 school year budget for April 24, moving it to May 7, at 7:30 p.m.
That is because, as explained in a letter authored by Superintendent Dr. Carol Birnbohm, May 7 is the last day state school districts have under current state law to pass their final budgets, and there is pending legislation that may provide restorative aid to 146 districts, including the LRHSD, hit by funding cuts proposed in Democratic Governor Phil Murphy’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget.
The LRHSD is otherwise looking at having to make up for a $4.69 million funding loss over last year, should the legislation not pass, and as previously reported by this newspaper, it is looking at doing so by making potentially significant layoffs and cuts, unable to currently raise taxes beyond a two percent property tax cap.
As Birnbohm noted in her letter, last week the full Assembly put forth Bill A-4161, which was passed by the chamber.
Now, the state Senate has to “act expeditiously to move their version of the bill, S-3081,” the superintendent explained.
Birnbohm urged parents and supporters of the district to call their senators, and provided a letter that they can send to all the “key senators,” which includes a warning to them that “without a sufficient funding solution to obtain the necessary revenue, 146 districts face massive staff layoffs, diminished student support and security, cuts to athletics and increased fees for families already struggling financially.”
The Pine Barrens Tribune, however, was told by a local legislative aide, that as of right now, the state Senate is not scheduled to convene again until May 8 (or one day after the current school budget adoption deadline).
That may change, however.
But then there is still the question of whether Murphy will sign the legislation, and an inquiry in that regard, made a couple weeks ago by this newspaper, remains unanswered, though the governor did sign similar restorative aid legislation last year.
Staff, according to Birnbohm’s letter, must receive notifications about their employment status by May 15.
“Remember, LRHSD Family, this is a legislative issue, and legislative issues require your activism,” Birnbohm concluded.
4H
FFA Programs
receive this donation through Grow Communities. The purpose of the Grow Communities program is to partner with farmers to make a positive impact in farm communities across the country by supporting local nonprofit organizations. Since the America’s Farmers Program began in 2010, nearly $65 million has been directed to organizations across rural America. Readers can learn more by visiting AmericasFarmers.com .
Tabernacle Man, at Forefront of Tabernacle Town Hall Demo Opposition, Charged Over Online Posting Featuring Town Hall, Woman Holding Pistol
Defendant Claims He’s Been ‘Totally Targeted,’ His First Amendment Rights Violated in Arrest Over ‘Meme’ Having Pistol Image Taken from Movie Starring Deputy Mayor, But Trooper Contends Image Had Intent to ‘Terrorize’ Council or Pose ‘Reckless’ Risk
By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff WriterTABERNACLE—A Tabernacle Township man who has been at the forefront of the opposition against demolishing Tabernacle Town Hall, and has attended several Tabernacle Township Committee meetings to voice his opinion that officials engaged in “maladministration,” and who also has led a campaign for residents to serve notice via email to the municipality about those concerns, has been charged by New Jersey State Police following a social media post he made in reference to Tabernacle Town Hall that depicted an image of a woman holding a pistol.
Raymond Ward, 41, according to state police, was charged with two counts of false public alarm, terroristic threats, and two counts of cyber harassment. He was released pending a future court date.
State police maintain, in a press release, that on March 28 detectives from the Troop “C” Criminal Investigation Office were alerted to an individual posting “suspicious images on a community Facebook group thread.”
The images, according to the release, “depicted an individual allegedly pointing a pistol inside and outside of the Tabernacle Township Town Hall.”
The investigation is ongoing, the agency stated, and there is no additional information available.
Ward, however, spoke out to the Pine Barrens Tribune in an April 24 interview. “It is a total joke man, everyone gets to talk about Town Hall, but not me,” he declared. “Some anonymous caller called it in, they did a lot of wrong things to me.”
Ward showed this newspaper a single post, the one that he says state police charged him over. The image contains a photograph of the backside of Town Hall, taken from the windshield of a vehicle sitting on County Route 532, or Medford Lakes-Tabernacle Road, which had been closed after officials contended the facility was in imminent danger of collapsing onto it. And written overtop that Town Hall
photo was “Gateway to the Pines,” or the township slogan.
On the right side of it, another picture was pasted overtop the Town Hall image, showing a woman holding a pistol in a shooting position.
“I didn’t threaten anyone, dude,” Ward contended. “The person with the gun was actually Natalie Stone, that is our deputy mayor, and it is from a movie she is in. I even hash tagged the film that it was from.”
He said the image he used of Stone is from a scene in “Not for Nothing,” a 2022 film in which Stone acts as a “gangster from Philly,” with the film, according to movie site IDMb, about “a young girl, who ends up dead under shady circumstances” and “her father and boyfriend, along with their ragtag South Philly barfly buddies, igniting a dangerous street war with a mysterious drug dealer who might be the culprit.”
Ward described that the image he took from the film is inserted as such that it “looks like she is blocking the traffic,” contending it was put that way “because you know what they did – they blocked the traffic unlawfully.”
“They caused the false public alarm when they lied about that building falling in the street,” asserted Ward, with the decision to close the road now reversed, all as the building still stands and injunction is in place, as of press time.
Ward added that “people are talking on there like it was me in the image,” and he emphasized he would “never” condone violence.
Ward maintained that he checked the rules for the Facebook group he posted the image in, contending the rules state “memes are funny” with it adding, “do not report posts.”
“Somebody reported it and broke the rules doing that,” he charged. “I never started any trouble, and I always stand on … everything I have ever said, I can find it written in the books. It is all facts – the
See OPPOSITION/ Page 14
Tompkins, So Far, Is Not Heeding Pemberton Council’s Call for Him to Resign as Mayor, Declaring ‘Present’ at Planning Board Meeting
Town Clerk Confirms She Has Not Received Any Resignation Letter from Mayor; Governor’s Office Hasn’t Yet Said Whether Murphy Will Also Call for Resignation
By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer PEMBERTON—Republican MayorJack Tompkins, of Pemberton Township, is, so far, not appearing to heed Pemberton Township Council’s unanimous, bi-partisan call for him to tender his resignation, following an investigation’s findings that “since taking office in January 2023, the mayor has consistently engaged in a course of workplace conduct that violates the township’s anti-harassment, antidiscrimination and anti-retaliation policies.”
After missing three consecutive Pemberton Township Council meetings, Tompkins, on April 22, showed for a Pemberton Township Planning Board meeting, answering “present” when a roll call was taken for “Mayor Jack Tompkins.”
Tompkins sat next to Republican Councilman and 2022 running mate Dan Dewey, but the two didn’t appear to exchange a word during the session, with Dewey having made the motion on April 16 to pass a resolution to “censure” the mayor and ask for his resignation.
It was a resolution, as this newspaper previously reported, that passed 5-0, with Dewey and Republican Councilman Joshua Ward, Tompkins’ other 2022 running mate, joining with their Democratic colleagues to also call for a “recall” of the mayor.
Township Clerk Amy Cosnoski was asked by this newspaper on April 24 if her office had received a resignation letter from Tompkins, or a recall petition. It was also asked if a redacted report, the basis for the resolution, was received yet.
“The Township Clerk’s Office has not received any of the items you are inquiring about,” she answered.
The investigation, according to charges made on April 16 in the council resolution, found that Tompkins allegedly committed “serious acts of sexual harassment against a female employee,” purportedly participated in a “disturbing pattern of retaliatory conduct and threats of retaliation against township employees” and allegedly engaged in “inappropriate and flirtatious interactions with minor females employed by the township.”
The matter, according to the resolution, was to be forwarded to the Police Department and/or County Prosecutor. It is unclear if it has been, as of press time.
A question that had been raised at the April 16 council session is whether Tompkins can be removed by Democratic Governor Phil Murphy.
The governor’s press secretary and communications director both did not respond, as of press time, to inquiries about whether the governor planned to, or can remove Tompkins from office, or whether Murphy plans to call for the mayor’s resignation as well.
Tompkins, during the April 22 planning board session, found himself defending Community Development Office officials, after a member of the board, Rick Brown, noted work being done to a former restaurant and another property, and in regard to the former eatery, Brown pointed out he was not aware the property owner had come before the board with an application. He also pointed to recent fill from North Jersey, “about a football field size” worth, dumped on a parcel’s “wetlands” on Magnolia Road, as previously reported by this newspaper.
“This is completely against the township’s own ordinances, and yet the town has not done anything about it!” the board member charged, further alleging “we don’t have any zoning controls,” with the man also tearing into zoning officials who are instead, he charged, “getting upset over people’s grass being too high.”
The board member added he was “concerned” about what he saw as a lack of zoning initiatives “dealing with these larger problems.”
Tompkins responded that in regard to the former restaurant, he had “discussed the issue with our code and zoning officers and I do believe they are looking into that,” and then described a “turnover” with the one construction office position. Zoning, he said, visited the other site Brown mentioned and found an “inappropriate use” of the parcel in question because it is zoned residential.
“All the other issues you mentioned, I do know zoning and code enforcement has been involved with them, documenting them and pursuing them,” Tompkins declared.
DWE
Pemberton Borough Water and Sewer Base Rates to Increase; Official Calls for Planning/Zoning Board Meeting Requirement
Latest Session Also Features Several Road Improvement Updates and Former Official Asking for Safety Improvements to Crosswalk
By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer PEMBERTON BOROUGH—Increasesin the base rates for water and sewer service in Pemberton Borough have been approved by Pemberton Borough Council.
According to an April 15 pronouncement by Mayor Bonnie Haines, the base service charge for water utility customers will rise from $50 to $70 per quarter under an ordinance approved by council that evening.
Additionally, the ordinance implements an increase for sewer utility customers, raising the base service charge from $117 to $136 per quarter.
Officials did not identify any particular reason for the increases, but inflation continues to run rampant locally.
Haines, that same evening, asked council to review the municipality’s “Outdoor Facility Use Policy and Permit Application.” She explained that the documents detail the requirements for the municipality to rent out its gymnasium and recreation fields.
She called the time between now and the next council session in May an “opportunity” for the councilmembers to look over the items “for any changes” they would like to suggest, including to the fees and requirements.
“Write them down and get them to (Township Administrator and Clerk) Kathy (Smick) before the next meeting to have an in-depth discussion,” Haines told the council.
During both the April 15 session, and one preceding it on March 18, a pair of residents posed questions about yard fencing requirements, describing that the current process to obtain approvals to erect one was presenting as somewhat of a burden. It had also been mentioned that they intended to bring their questions to the Planning and Zoning Board, but that it had not met in some time.
Councilman Steven Fenster, on April 15, asked if the council could require the board “to meet more frequently.”
“It is up to the board,” Haines contended. “They meet when they have business to discuss.”
But Fenster maintained that the board recently has gone 7 to 8 months without meeting, and there is “no forum for residents to talk” to the body. Requiring them to meet “quarterly” or “once every three months,” Fenster contended, would “allow the public a forum, if nothing else.”
Councilwoman Diane Fanucci noted she agreed with Fenster’s position.
Fenster’s question brought about a response from Borough Solicitor David Serlin, who maintained that “in the absence of an application, there is no real reason to meet.”
“Our zoning officer is here to answer those questions, or our professionals,” Serlin declared.
Some boards, Serlin noted, do have what is known as a “screening committee,” which will be called to order so that applicants can obtain “comments with how to proceed” with an application that
is before the board.
But requiring such a body to meet without an active application, Serlin emphasized, “becomes a burden for members” who “might just be sitting there with nothing to do.”
He pointed out it is “hard to get volunteers,” as it is, in today’s day and age, and to “impose on people to come out” to a meeting “with nothing to do” could be a turnoff, the solicitor asserted.
Council President Terry Jerome pointed out that there is “also a cost” to the borough if the board decides to bring in its professionals.
Fenster responded that he understands the “tradeoffs,” but at the same time, the body not meeting for as long as eight months “seems to be the opposite extreme.”
Haines, however, in appearing to agree with Serlin, pointed out that borough officials are “available all day” to answer questions one might have about planning and zoning matters.
While Haines added she “doesn’t see that being an issue,” or officials being unable to answer questions, she, at the request of Fenster, decided to place the meeting schedule of the board on the May council agenda, to have a more thorough discussion.
Borough Engineer James Mullan, during a report, shared that “revised plans” for Hearthstone Boulevard improvements have been resubmitted to the New Jersey Department of Transportation and approved, and it is expected the project will be placed out to bid within the next couple weeks.
“The revised plan takes it from Hearthstone to Tommys Meadow Drive,” Mullan said.
In March, council had rejected bids it received for the project because the borough was awarded a $180,000 grant from the NJDOT to resurface Hearthstone Boulevard, and the municipality received two bids, one for $111,000 and another for $131,000.
The engineer, according to previous comments from Haines, suggested that the council reject the bids to “broaden the scope of the project to use more of those funds,” with the engineer adding, “If we don’t use it, we lose it.”
Mullan also reported on April 15 that in regard to the second phase of improvements to Egbert Street, with work also planned for Reeves Street, his firm is “still designing” the plan, but for council to “expect fall construction on that project.”
Meanwhile, Fenster, in noting that a new sinkhole developed on Davis Street, one that has been plagued by sinkholes and has been the subject of recent work to replace what is suspected faulty piping that is underneath the street, asked about the determined cause of the new sinkhole.
The engineer pointed to “a lot of rain” as of late, adding, “It is good to get that settled right now, instead of when it is repaved.”
It had been noted during Mullan’s report that he is hopeful Davis Street will be milled and overlayed “at some point this spring.”
PINEYS
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the gate, wrote in a Facebook group for the development where she now resides, prior to holding elected office, “Is there internet yet? Is there internet yet? Is there internet yet? I don’t even care now that Chris taught me about hot spots and I’m reading a book on the Pine Barrens. There is ACTUAL TRUTH to Pineys being incestuous, illiterate, mentally deficient, inbred imbeciles supposedly responsible for generations of morons and prostitutes. Fascinating, I tell ya.”
The committeewoman, who moved to Tabernacle from Medford a couple years ago, authored the provocative post in August 2020.
But it only came to light recently amid the ongoing tensions over Town Hall, with it somehow being obtained by First Amendment Activist Patrick Duff, who shared it last week throughout social media, attracting a much wider local audience, causing many locals to learn of it for the first time.
“Piney” is a term used to refer to the inhabitants of the Pine Barrens, and while some have viewed it as a derogatory term, it is now considered a cultural demonym, according to how Wikipedia summarizes it, and it is a term that has even been since embraced with PineyPower bumper stickers, for example, which are for sale at the general store in Tabernacle.
Essentially, “Pineys” include the inhabitants of Tabernacle, or in Stone’s case, her constituents.
“This is how the Deputy Mayor of Tabernacle (a Piney town) feels about Pineys,” wrote one woman in sharing the post.
The blowback has been fierce since it has come to light, and carried over to an April 22 Tabernacle Committee meeting, with Stone absent from that meeting, with it later reported that she was instead in attendance at a BMW and Mini, of Mount Laurel, grand opening celebration, which conflicted with the township meeting time. (Stone’s husband, a member of the local Land Development Board, is vice president and general manager of Holman Automotive Group, according to his LinkedIn page.)
“Mr. Burns, I have a question for you as far as township employees who make racial posts,” said Committeeman William Sprague, Jr., during the meeting in which Stone was absent. “What is your recommendation?”
The solicitor responded by also asking
a question, “Has a complaint been filed?”
“Ms. Stone has absolutely made those remarks,” answered Sprague, with the committeeman’s challenge to Stone’s remark causing a crowd of over 100 people to burst into applause, with Committeeman Samuel “Sammy” Moore appearing shocked, while Burns looked down. “Somebody needs to clarify whether or not that employee, or any employee, should be fired for those remarks.”
Burns contended Stone is “not an employee,” but rather a “public official elected by the voters.”
“A public official cannot be removed by a public body,” Burns added. “A public body can censure another member of the body.”
A censure, according to Burns, would notify any governing body member that their colleagues “disapprove of whatever action there was.”
“All that being said, what would be your recommendation for what she has said?” Sprague pressed of the township attorney.
In expressing his disbelief that there was no other vehicle to remove Stone from office, Sprague emphasized to Burns of Stone, “She made racial remarks!”
“Should the township reprimand her?” Sprague put out there, to which Burns responded, “The township can’t reprimand her.”
“Only the committee, which she serves as an equal member, can reprimand her,” Burns said.
It led the crowd to begin shouting out various things, including that the deputy mayor should “resign.”
“There has been talk, as well, about recall,” Burns acknowledged. “But she is not subject to a recall because she hasn’t been here for a year.”
It is “up to the committee,” noted Burns as to whether they want to censure the deputy mayor.
Committeemen Noble McNaughton, Moore and Mayor Mark Hartman said nothing after Sprague’s questioning of the township attorney.
In fact, Hartman, besides making an announcement that the governing body was reversing course on the closure of County Route 532 (see separate story), said nothing else the entire evening of note, not even taking a moment to condemn the remarks.
Duff later contended in a follow-up online posting that the deputy mayor was referring to something that had originally been in an early 1900s book, See PINEYS/ Page 8
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“The Kallikak Family,” which was “then retold in hundreds of other books” and “the story became so popular that it was used by the Nazis in Germany as part of their basis to murder 12 million people in concentration camps” and that it “was also the basis to sterilize over 60,000 Americans, mostly women, because the book claimed they had definitive proof of the inheritance of feeble mindedness, alcoholism, immorality and criminality.”
“What I didn’t know by the way is the whole eugenics movement was started by a woman from the Pinelands,” Duff told the Tabernacle committee on April 22. “It was in a book called ‘The Kallikak Family,’ and that book was written in 1912 by a Harvard-trained professor who studied a woman from the Pine Barrens and her family, and decided that all these people in the family were born hereditary criminals – prostitutes, inbreds and imbeciles.”
“That book … led to 60,000 people in America being sterilized. That book then led to copies being printed in German,
and led to Nazis killing 12 million people in concentration camps.”
Duff then read “the comments from your deputy mayor,” and called on the committee to “ask for this woman to resign.”
“‘There is ACTUAL TRUTH to Pineys being incestuous, illiterate, mentally deficient, inbred imbeciles supposedly responsible for generations of morons and prostitutes. Fascinating, I tell ya,’” said Duff in quoting the posting allegedly from Stone, and in expressing his disbelief, asserted, “That is your deputy mayor!”
The crowd started booing, directing their anger at the deputy mayor.
Duff pointed to another apparent social media post in which Stone allegedly wrote “beware of making deals with the devil, for he will always find a way to collect his debts,” contending that she was “talking about me.” He then noted that he previously warned the governing body that they were getting a lawsuit, and that they now got one, which led to an injunction (see separate story).
After the committee’s public comment policy was challenged by a local “who has attended hundreds of these meetings,” claiming it did not conform to Robert’s Rules of Order, and she had every right to
yield her time to Duff, the First Amendment activist was permitted to return to the microphone, even though Burns didn’t agree with that take of Robert’s Rules.
In again urging the committee to “consider removing Natalie Stone from office,” Duff pointed to Hartman and Moore (who joined with Stone to vote to demolish Town Hall and originally not seek opinions on the condition of the facility from a structural engineer), and declared, “I don’t know what happened to you two, I don’t know if there is some sort of witchcraft or voodoo, but guys come back to your senses man!
“That post was about YOU!” Duff declared.
The crowd burst into applause, with some remarking, “Yep!”
Local Transparency Advocate and Resident Fran Brooks, while not in attendance at the April 22 session, made a statement on the matter as well, as was read aloud by former Medford Township manager Kathy Burger, who is a Tabernacle resident.
After repeating the provocative post Stone is alleged to have written, Brooks, in responding to it, asserted, “What is moronic and imbecilic is that you repeat stories written by outsiders as if there is evidence to support such stories!”
Brooks also took aim at Stone only recently moving to Tabernacle from Medford, asserting, “You move into a community without bothering to understand or learn about it, and you think you unilaterally should decide what is historically significant and isn’t!”
“Your classless comments and behavior are deeply insulting, and unbecoming to an elected official of Tabernacle,” Brooks
said. “You should resign immediately!”
Brooks also excoriated Moore, whose family spans some seven generations in town, declaring (with Burger noting this is not coming from her despite her reading Brook’s statement), “And you Sammy – your roots go back generations in Tabernacle, and you support Natalie Stone and what she says.”
“You should be ashamed of yourself and resign!” Brooks told Moore.
The statement of Brooks also led to some applause.
Stone, in the immediate aftermath of Duff calling attention to what had been written on the development Facebook group, and blowback, appeared to respond to the controversy, in a post obtained by this newspaper, which has since reportedly been deleted.
“Big shout out to the less than 10 friends here who are defending me through this sh** show,” Stone is alleged to have written. “The rest of you ‘friends’ watching me take it up the a** with a sandpaper condom can see your way out now. Please do me a favor .. oh, I get it you don’t wanna put yourself out there, right? Pfft. I always said devout good people like me would die a martyr in the town square.”
Stone, however, following inquiries about the postings from this newspaper and the committee meeting blowback, put a lengthy statement on her Facebook page, that included an apology, and in it, she was far more conciliatory.
“To my friends, neighbors and community. I’ve been asked recently to comment on everything from my past
First Substantial Wildfire of 2024 Breaks Out on Shamong-Waterford Line
B y D ouglas D. M elegari Staff WriterSHAMONG—The first substantial wildfire of the year, locally, broke out on the Burlington and Camden county line on April 24, impacting portions of Shamong Township in Burlington County and Waterford Township in Camden County.
As of press time, the fire had grown to about 510 acres, and with full containment reached, the inferno, dubbed the “County Line Wildfire,” had threatened no structures, authorities reported.
Still, the wildfire posed a number of inconveniences, including closing Jackson Road for a time, and leading to the evacuation and closure of Goshen Campground, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP).
The wildfire also led to the closing of the Burnt Mill, Goshen Pond and Sleeper Creek trails.
The New Jersey Forest Fire Service responded to the wildfire with ground crews and an observation helicopter.
The suspected cause of the fire was not immediately released.
INJUNCTION
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motorist was reported to have driven right through the barricades.
In noting that a traffic control plan has now been submitted to the county by the township, former mayor Joseph Barton, on April 22, excoriated the committee, because he has now purportedly learned that the “county submitted comments” to the municipality in response to the plan “and you never implemented their comments – I talked to (County Engineer) Joe Brickley today.”
“He told me you are totally out of compliance with the way your traffic control plan is,” Barton asserted. He asked the committee people to drive around town and “tell me where the detour takes you!”
“It doesn’t take you anywhere!” he declared. “There is no detour!”
Barton, along with a parent also attending the April 22 meeting, conveyed that their “greatest fear” is that a student attending Seneca High School will get killed trying to cross Route 206 from an uncontrolled intersection.
Now with the Tabernacle committee facing even more pressure to abandon the proposal of demolishing Town Hall after the building dilemma was aired on Philadelphia television stations, Hartman contended that the road closure situation was reviewed by “our administrator and Public Works.”
Still, it appeared to be a tacit admission by municipal officials that the building is not posing as dangerous of a risk to public safety as officials previously indicated, and residents, in recent days, also took note of activity at Town Hall that would appear to conflict with previous claims that the building is in imminent danger of collapse, or poses a danger to the health and welfare of motorists.
“I have 38 years in construction,” said resident Gary Sullivan. “How do you look at yourselves and let people go into a building that you say is falling down? The liability is insane. You are telling everybody here it is falling in the road, and yet you are letting people go in there to work. Explain that to me!”
Officials never offered an explanation, however, for Sullivan’s observations that asbestos removal workers were walking in and out of the building casually, some depicted in photographs not wearing any head protection.
Planning Board Chairman Raymond McCarty contended “old buildings don’t fail catastrophically,” but rather “lean” and “twist,” and as they deteriorate, “pieces fall off.”
He pointed to an old, deteriorated farmhouse in the area that “has been standing.”
It has been reported that a Superior Court Judge who ordered the injunction will pick a structural engineer of his own choosing to provide an independent inspection of the premises, and that it may take at least 30 days for both parties that are part of the lawsuit to agree to the selection.
from Pomona to Historic Smithville, and Wildwood's landmark pizza slice house.
“We probably saved 3 million pounds of debris,” Hauck said. “‘The building can be saved. We can mobilize quickly – anybody can and will repair the foundation.”
Allen Rowles, a local historian and code official of 30 years, declared, “I sent a lot of Unsafe Structure Notices myself over the years,” and in regard to Town Hall, “I look at the outside and the walls are plumb and the ridge beams straight as an arrow.” He contended the building would not fail “unless there is an absolute catastrophe.”
“I just don’t get it,” he told the governing body. “I just don’t understand why you will not put it up on public referendum. To have two to three people make a decision on this just doesn’t make sense, as it is such a monumental change in the community, that is the essential character of the community, and the centerpiece of Tabernacle Township.”
Rowles added that he is “begging the township to reconsider,” and noted that as a building subcode official, he could not comprehend why officials can’t come up with a plan to temporarily shore up the facility until the voters decide.
“To just have a 3-2 vote and tear down a piece of 150 year history makes absolutely no sense,” Rowles said. “Give it to the voters. I think this is much bigger than five people voting on it. Make a decision as a community – this is a community. There is a reason 100 to 150 people are in here right now – it is because the community is upset.”
He said the “review found the following,” including:
• “Motorists are ignoring the barriers and using the road;
• New Jersey State Police resources have been used to enforce the closure;
• The road closure has a direct and significant financial impact, such as (on) the Ware Farm (the owner previously reported her sales have plummeted since the closure);
• The road closure has significantly and negatively impacted farmers (it was previously reported that one who tried to use the church lot because of a hay transport got ticketed, with that person purportedly concerned about making such a transport using the busy state highway);
• Individuals are using alternate routes, placing an undue burden on all traffic infrastructure;
• And most importantly, people are using private driveways and parking lots as cut throughs and jeopardizing the health and welfare of individuals using them.”
The governing body voted 4-0, with Deputy Mayor Natalie Stone absent, to reopen the road, with Township Solicitor William Burns noting that it is contingent on county approval.
“Tabernacle was informed the county has no objection to removing the detour,” a county spokesman later told this newspaper
“I don’t know how the judge is going to decide the citizen’s lawsuit against you,” McCarty noted. “If by chance it is referred to the Land Development Board, you can rest assured it will get the same fair treatment and due process that all our applicants get. We vote on the evidence, not on our personal feelings, and we will give you more than four minutes (a shot at the committee’s four-minute per person public comment policy).”
The Philadelphia television media attention the issue is now receiving appeared on April 22 to attract at least one expert in moving and restoring buildings to the latest committee meeting.
Steve Hauck, of SJ Hauck Construction, a firm that specializes in “raise, relocate and restore” services, said he felt it was his “social obligation” to attend the governing body session and advise the committee of his services.
“My company moves buildings and rebuilds foundations for a living,” he said. “We save buildings from getting demolished. I have come just to provide that solution. Many steps can be taken to save a building from being demolished. We can lift it – I do it a couple hundred times a year, putting them on a crawl space foundation.”
Hauck maintained he is “not here for a job,” but rather he is “here because it is what I do and my passion.”
“Before you take a wrecking ball to it, I think you should explore your options in saving a piece of history,” Hauck declared.
The expert listed endangered structures in New Jersey he recently saved from demolition, including a house in Englewood, a church that he transported
Construction Official Tom Boyd, as included in an agenda packet for the April 22 session, has now issued an Unsafe Structure Notice for Town Hall. Rowles pointed out that the committee has 15 days to appeal it (though the injunction still apparently overrules that notice).
Joe Matarese Jr., who is a mechanic for a local trucking company, whose work also includes excavating, contended the committee members are “losing the picture of the town” and he is “very disappointed in you.”
“If there is deterioration, fix it,” he declared. “It can be repaired.”
Resident Leslie Schmidt declared if “you are concerned it is going to fall down, then brace it up or shore it up.”
“Hear what we are saying and asking,” she further declared. “We voted for you to be our voice, not just to spend our money!”
First Amendment Activist Patrick Duff, who helped to arrange for the lawsuit filed by the Tabernacle Historical Society, Council No. 49 Junior Order of United American Mechanics, and ten township residents, (with former Committeewoman Nancy McGinnis starting a GoFundMe that raised $10,000 to cover the costs) and attended the injunction hearings, at one point turned to Boyd, and declared, “You know what the judge didn’t do – he didn’t believe you, Mr. Boyd!”
Duff then contended that there was also a dispute over whether there was asbestos abatement called for in the original contract given to Ricco Demolition.
Burns later acknowledged the suit that had been filed by Attorney Matthew Litt, also nearby Chesterfield’s mayor, contending it is “pending.”
“There was an interrogatory order, and that litigation is ongoing,” Burns said.
