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BRINGING BACK ‘MEDFORD FIRST’

Promising Measures to Help ‘Interact with Community More,’ Watson Re-elected as Mayor by Medford Township Council, Symons Is Elected New Deputy Mayor; New Council Members Czyzyk and Milk Are Sworn in by Retiring Sen. Stanfield By Bill Bonvie Staff Writer

Photo By Tom Valentino

Councilman Michael Czyzyk (center left) and Councilwoman Bethany Milk (center right), after being sworn into Medford Township Council on Jan. 3, pose together with their family members for a group photo.

MEDFORD—Following a swearingin ceremony for its two newest members, Medford Township Council, during its 2024 reorganization meeting Jan. 3, voted unanimously to retain Charles “Chuck” Watson, a 12-year Republican councilman, as township mayor, while it also chose Republican Donna Symons, who has been on the governing body

since 2022, as a replacement for outgoing Deputy Mayor Lauren Kochan. The two newly elected council members, Republicans Michael Czyzyk and Bethany Milk, who replaced Kochan and Frank Czekay, both of whom declined to run for another term on the council, were sworn in by retiring GOP Senator Jean Stanfield of the 8th Legislative District. See MEDFORD/ Page 6

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

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Saturday, January 13, 2024

Tabernacle Weighs Charging Usage Fee for Town Field Use, Tighter Commercial Vehicle Standards for Agricultural Zones ‘Significantly More Stringent Standards’ Adopted for Individuals Who Open Township Roads; Scoreboard Install Issue Explained

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

T A B E R N A C L E — O f fi c i a l s i n Tab e r n a c l e Tow n s h ip h ave g i ve n indications that they want to assess a usage fee for use of township fields by groups, as well as tighten commercial vehicle standards. Township Administrator and Clerk Maryalice Brown revealed that as of “right now,” the municipality only charges an escrow fee to outside groups that use township fields. “Our fields are very nice, and a lot of outside groups use them,” Brown noted. But as of right now, if “everything is in order” when the outside groups conclude using

township facilities, “we return that money.” “There are a lot of expenses we are not covering,” she revealed. “Maybe we need to retire the ordinance to charge a usage fee that we don’t return, to cover our expenses.” It was a revelation that seemed to shock local resident and transparency advocate Fran Brooks. “This should have been decided years ago!” declared Fran Brooks during a subsequent meeting that followed the revelation. “Taxpayers should not be subsidizing private individuals and organizations!” I m m e d i at e ly fol low i ng Brow n’s revelation, Chief Financial Officer Rodney See FEE/ Page 9

New Standards, More Thorough Procedures for Log-Cabin Demos That Solicitor Says Could Be Model Law Adopted in Medford Lakes

Former Councilman, However, Says Historic Preservation Commission’s Required Application Review Poses Issues Due to Recordkeeping Need By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

MEDFORD LAKES—After months of rewriting and fine tuning, Medford Lakes Borough Council has adopted a demolition ordinance that adopts tougher standards and more thorough procedures for borough log cabin owners wishing to raze such structures. What was a one sentence requirement is now a full-blown procedure that includes residents having to seek a recommendation from the borough’s Historic Preservation Commission, before that recommendation is either approved or overturned by the borough Planning Board. The fine details of the procedure were previously reported by the Pine Barrens Tribune last month. “I think it is for the benefit of the town,” declared Borough Solicitor Doug Heinold, also a borough resident, as the law was adopted by council on Dec. 13. “We are a unique town, and some of these cabins are getting to be 100 years old and protecting them is important.” It was around early 2023 when the Planning Board had heard an application to demolish a log cabin at 140 Chippewa Trail, or what was described as one of the town’s “original cabins.” Borough Clerk Mark J. McIntosh previously told this newspaper that the “planning board felt the current ordinance doesn't support the kind of questions they wanted to have answered.” It was also previously noted by Heinold that the issue of home demolitions in general has become a “hot button” issue in Burlington County with “a couple issues” occurring, though he didn’t expand on what those issues entail. “A lot of hard work went into the demolition ordinance – probably more

on this one than on any other one that I can remember,” Heinold maintained. “We took our time with it, and I feel like this ordinance is as good as it can be. What we had previously was basically one sentence in the code, and that really didn’t provide a good process or direction to the Historic Commission and Planning Board on how to handle that process.” The borough solicitor added that “this council has achieved something where I think other towns are going to b e look i ng to Me d ford Lake s,” with Borough Mayor Dr. Gary Miller praising Heinold for a “yeoman’s job” in helping to craft the measure. However, wh i le frequent counci l challenger Joseph A. Aromando, III, a one-time councilman, maintained the “good part about the ordinance is that the procedures that were put in place are much clearer and will help the public who owns cabins and the people in charge as to what the road map is to make a legit claim for demolition,” he declared the measure will ultimately create both “unforeseen” and “big” legal problems that will present a “nightmare” for the borough. “All the formal structure and decisionmaking for those demolitions should have remained with the Planning Board – all the notifications and that kind of stuff,” Aromando said. “You are going to have to keep much better minutes (for the Historic Preservation Commission), and probably record those meetings, as those decisions probably will be included in court proceedings. Now, it is additional work taken on, and I believe it is a problem we didn’t need.” But the “procedure correction,” as Aromando put it, was the “necessary part of it,” or creating the new ordinance.

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 3

Recipients of LeisureTowne Lawyer’s Letter Warning Them to Dismantle Docks and Quit Using Old Forge Lake Say They Have No Plans to Comply

Southampton Mayor Calls HOA Dispute with Hampton Lakes Residents Over Water Rights a ‘Private’ One, Then Drops Hint That Township Might Intercede, Only Behind the Scenes

By Bill Bonvie Staff Writer

SOU T H A M P TON —W h i l e t h e question remains up in the air of whether Southampton Township might make any attempt to intervene in what is shaping up to be a simmering feud between the LeisureTowne Homeowners Association and Hampton Lakes residents whose properties border Old Forge Lake, which the retirement community’s HOA purports to own, several of those residents have stated they have no plans to comply with demands made by an attorney representing LeisureTowne that they cease and desist from using the lake “for any reason.” “Not really,” came a typical response from one of those property owners, Michael D. Briscoe of Lakeview Lane, when asked by this newspaper if he had any intention of going along with an ultimatum delivered in a certified letter he got from the retirement community’s lawyer, Gregg Shivers, of the Cherry Hill firm of Hill Wallack. Noting that “we have been here since 1956 and have always had access to the lake,” Briscoe said he intended to go on using the lake to fish as he always has, despite being advised by Shivers that if either he or anyone else from his property enters the lake for any reason, “it will be as a trespasser.” As for another demand included in the letter that any docks Hampton Lakes homeowners maintained on the lake be immediately dismantled, Briscoe said his family had “one or two docks” there at one time, but they were the floating variety and had since been removed. Reacting in a similar vein were two other recipients of the letter Eric Graf, of Holly Boulevard, who was interviewed for the initial story that appeared last month, and another neighbor of his on Lakeview Lane, Joseph Olson, whose wife, Christine, previously expressed no small amount of indignation about the issue when contacted for that story. “I haven’t done anything with the dock,” declared Graf, and after thinking about it, he was contemplating moving the posts “about a foot to where they are always on my property and still at the edge of the lake, just above the water line.” In the meantime, he said, he still plans to go on using the lake for recreational purposes, and had emailed the LeisureTowne board and threatened them with a lawsuit. Olson said that he had done nothing to remove his dock, and that while “they can come and take it down, they are not allowed on my property.” He added that he would not stop using the lake “until they prove that we can’t use it.” “We may have to get an attorney to fight for us,” he added. The rationale for the edict, as Shivers attempte d to explai n it somewhat apologetically to recipients of the letter, had to do with insurance companies www.pinebarrenstribune.com

“raising premiums and limiting coverage” and LeisureTowne’s being “the latest victim of this trend.” When contacted on Jan. 9, told of the residents’ response to his letter and asked what his next course of action would be, Shivers replied that he would not comment on what kind of advice he gives his clients, by which he meant the homeowners association. The letter at issue, which was sent before the holidays to waterfront property owners with docks extending into the lake and may or may not have been received by other lakefront residents, became a subject of discussion at the last Southampton Township Committee regular meeting on Dec. 19. The discussion at that meeting was a result of the letter having been brought to the attention of the Pine Barrens Tribune, which made it the subject of a front-page story. When LeisureTowne resident Thomas Haluszczak, a lawyer who once served on LeisureTowne’s Board of Trustees and had been interviewed for that story, asked the committee how the municipality could “countenance or condone one part of the township bullying another part,” Mayor Michael Mikulski responded that no one on the committee had condoned anything and that what was involved was “a private property dispute that has civil remedies.” It was his understanding, Mikulski maintained, that the township committee “was not looking to step into” such a conflict. Noting that Haluszczak, being an attor ney, was “well versed in these things,” the mayor then pointed out that “there are public meetings where you can address these issues and maybe nip some of it in the bud because it is going to potentially cost the HOA money in legal fees, if you’re right.” Haluszczak replied that he had “only brought it up because the optics are really bad” and that he thought “people expect some sort of mediation involvement, some sort of hands-on guidance” from community leaders, prompting Mikulski to suggest that any such intervention would likely take place in private. If he were the township counsel, the mayor asked, would Haluszczak advise that it be talked about in a public forum or handled “behind the scenes as opposed to dragging it out or getting yourself into it?” “Whatever my strategy would be,” Haluszczak shot back, “at least the issue would be out there, and I suspect that the idea would be in the head of the powers that be to get ahead of the issue so that it doesn’t spin out of control.” After pointing out that only one resident at the meeting had asked about it and that he therefore didn’t think the issue had spun out of control, the mayor then hinted that See DOCKS/ Page 8 @PineBarrensNews

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

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Two-Way-Stop Intersection in Tabernacle to be Made Four-Way Stop in Bid to Curb Speeding on Hawkins Road After Several Complaints Township Also Holds Meeting with NJDOT to Address Route 206 Safety

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

TABERNACLE—An intersection in Tabernacle Township will reportedly be turned into a four-way stop intersection in an attempt to curb purported speeding on Hawkins Road. The Tabernacle Township Committee, during a recent session, voted unanimously to make the intersection of Hawkins and Old Indian Mills roads into a four-way stop intersection. O n l y t r a f fi c a p p r o a c h i n g t h e intersection from either side of Old Indian Mills Road has been mandated to stop at the intersection. Township Administrator and Clerk Maryalice Brown said that the suggestion came out of a conversation with Township Engineer Tom Leisse, and that turning the intersection into a four-way stop is the township’s way to “try to slow down” traffic on Hawkins Road. Brow n said officials were acti ng on complaints about speeding on the thoroughfare. Com mitteeman Samuel “Sam my” Moore said he was all for turning the intersection into a four-way stop “if it helps with some of our problems.” Steve Decker, of Hawkins Road, had made a plea to the committee in October “to help us out with speeding, please.” “It is really getting out of control,” he said at the time. “It is getting to the point that I am afraid to pull out of my driveway.” Decker recounted motorists purportedly doing speeds “in some cases” of between 60 and 70 mph, and had suggested installation of both speed bumps and stop signs. He noted that since Southampton Township had raised the speed limit on its stretch of the road, traffic seems to have increased, with Hawkins Road, serving as a short cut between Medford Township’s Skeet Road and Route 206, allowing motorists to bypass Route 70 and the often-congested Red Lion Circle. The speed limit used to be 25 mph on the entire stretch of Hawkins Road, but that limit had faced a challenge from a local attorney, who had maintained the lack of a residential area on a large stretch of the

road did not justify such a speed limit on the entire length of the roadway. The 25-mph speed limit has been maintained only in the residential part, which primarily comprises the Tabernacle stretch, from Old Indian Mills Road to Carranza Road. It was pointed out to officials that there is limited speed limit signage approaching the 25-mph zone in Tabernacle, and it was something that the township engineer was tasked to review. Brown also noted that Hawkins Road is on the rotation list for the temporary posting of portable radar speed notification signs that inform motorists of the speed that they are traveling. Concerns similar to that of Decker’s

Saturday, January 13, 2024

were expressed earlier in the fall by Hawkins Road residents Brian and Kim Serafine, with those residents also reporting motorists traveling between 60 and 80 mph on the stretch of road between Carranza Road and Route 206. At the time, the Serafines called for the road to also be resurfaced, reporting rough road conditions following a drainage project. Leisse recently reported that the township is now the recipient of a New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) grant for improving Hawkins Road. Another road in Tabernacle that has been the source of recent concern is Route 206, from Old Indian Mills Road to County Route 532/Medford LakesTabernacle Road, or what comprises the municipality’s business district. Following a violent fatal collision over the summer, officials moved to have the speed limit reduced on this stretch of state highway from 50 mph, and had Leisse’s firm perform a traffic study. However, after some blowback about

reducing the speed limit, officials instead pursued meeting with the NJDOT, which ultimately has jurisdiction over the state highway, anyhow. T he me et i ng o c cu r re d v i r t u a l ly, according to Leisse and Brown, back on Nov. 1. “The NJDOT was very receptive of the township’s concerns,” Leisse reported. “We described issues with the speed limit signs (according to officials, there is only one along the stretch of concern), and provided them with a copy of the speed study my office prepared.” As a result of the concerns relayed to the NJDOT, the agency reportedly promised the township that it would conduct an “internal review” of the Route 206 stretch of concern and then “give feedback,” as well as, “if needed, put signage up.” The Pine Barrens Tribune, in investigating the area on Dec. 31, found only one speed See SPEEDING/ Page 8

The intersection of Old Indian Mills and Hawkins roads, which as of Dec. 31, was still a two-way stop.

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 5

Medford Anytime Fitness Club Members Attest to Being in ‘Healthier Place’ Amid Gym’s No. 1 Membership Ranking By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

MEDFORD—Anytime Fitness, as it says in the name, is open at any time of the day or night, but in talking to the clients of the new location in the Village at Taunton Forge in Medford Township, it is when proprietor “Sue” Holton Gallagher, and her son, Sean Heins, are present, that they are in a “healthier place” – literally. The personalized wellness experiences the g y m’s clients descr ibed to th is newspaper perhaps explain why the gym, on a number of occasions in its short history, has ranked Number One in memberships out of almost 5,000 Anytime Fitness locations in the U.S. and beyond. Betty Vaughn, of Southampton, today a participant in one of the Medford club’s group training classes, described to this newspaper having suffered a back and shoulder injury around 2016 to the point that she was “hunched over.” “I always said I was ‘broken’ because everything hurt,” she said. “Sue always said, ‘No, you are not broken. You just have not been given a chance.’” Vaughn detailed that “I couldn’t walk straight, nor could I stand up straight,” but that after training with Sue, “it didn’t take long – within a couple of months, I was standing up straight.” “I just absolutely love her and Sean – I

love them both,” Vaughn declared. In a later interview, Sue attributed her having gained a sense of appreciation for client medical conditions, and how to personalize training around them, to her having used to own the National Personal Training Institute, where she often encountered such cases. Vaughn said that prior to finding Sue, she trained with others, but Sue and her son, “who is a close follow to his mother,” are the “only ones who knew how to train to get rid of pain.” “There is very little they tell me not to do,” she noted. “They basically told me everything to do. They worked me through pain, and now I don’t have pain.” People can come to a gym and think they have a trainer, Vaughn said, but the right trainer “needs to know you” and have a full understanding of any injuries. Tish DeSilva, another client, described that she mostly works out with Sue because she knows how to “adjust the workout environment,” while also making it “such a fun environment” for all. She now comes to the gym regularly not just because Sue is the “nicest person,” but also because of the “fitness knowledge” she brings to the establishment. Among the reasons Annmarie Tatum said she makes the trip from Tabernacle is that the gym is “very clean, is always open, See FITNESS/ Page 11

Members of a training group exercise together at Anytime Fitness in Medford.

Medford Anytime Fitness proprietor, “Sue” (right center), and her son, Sean Heins (left center), with members of a group training class known as the “Suepies.”

Photos By Douglas D. Melegari

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

MEDFORD

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Saturday, January 13, 2024

(Continued from Page 1) Watson, a lifelong Medford resident, was first elected to the mayor’s job in 2015 and then re-elected in 2017 and has held the post ever since. In thanking his council colleagues for the opportunity to be mayor again, Watson maintained that there were a lot of things that had come up in conversations during the last few months that “we all want to accomplish, including some new subcommittees, one specifically to meet with the schools, and others we want to try to put together to interact with the community more,” drawing applause from those in attendance. Noting that Czekay had first run for the council “under the Medford First banner back in the day,” Watson contended that the no-longer-used catchphrase should still “be part of our goal as well” and that the council should “focus on Medford, make it first, make its residents first, and its businesses first.” “And I think if we all work together to do that, we can accomplish great things this year,” he declared. Symons told the gathering she wanted “to thank all my fellow council people for placing your confidence in me.” In his report to the council, Interim Township Manager Tom Czerniecki offered his congratulations to Tax Collector Rachel Warrington for “having achieved the outstanding tax collection rate of 99.09 percent for 2023.” On other topics, Czerniecki said leaf collection in the township should be done by the end of the month, and that the tax office was expected to be able to do online permitting and inspections after the first quarter of the year, with some two-thirds of properties in town having been visited thus far “pursuant to the assessment maintenance program.” At council’s previous meeting, held on Dec. 19, a proclamation was presented to retiring Recycling and Clean Communities Coordinator Judy Scherf, who had worked for the township since April 1998, for her “exemplary service” and the “honor, integrity, efficiency and dedications” she had displayed, including in her roles of managing the township’s Planning and Zoning Office and working with the Boy and Girl Scouts to coordinate clean-up days in municipal parks and other areas.

Republican Michael Czyzyk is joined by his family as he is sworn in on Jan. 3 to a seat on Medford Township Council by retiring GOP Senator Jean Stanfield.

Photos By Tom Valentino

Bethany Milk, a Republican, surrounded by family, takes the oath of office, administered by retiring GOP Senator Jean Stanfield, for a seat on Medford Township Council.

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Latest Evesham Reorganization Meeting Free of Outward Controversy, But Echoes Remain of Discord that Divided Council at Session in 2023

Mayor Veasy, Councilwoman Cooper Abstain from Voting on Deputy Mayor, Law Firm By Bill Bonvie Staff Writer

EV ESH A M —W h i l e Eve sh a m Township Council’s 2024 reorganization me et i ng of Ja n. 3, u n l i ke t he one conducted at the start of the previous year, was an ostensibly placid and uneventful affair, it was not without echoes of the dissension that openly and unexpectedly divided the ranks of the all-Democratic municipal governing body at the 2023 memorable session. That some level of disunity among the councilmembers still existed just beneath the su r fac e was ev ident i n s everal respects, the first being the refusal of Mayor Jack ly n “Jack ie” Veasy and Councilwoman Heather Cooper to vote on the appointment of Councilwoman Ginamarie Espinoza, who also serves as chair of the local Farmers Market, to the post of deputy mayor. The appointment of Espinoza just managed to squeak through as a result. Veasy and Cooper also abstained from voti ng on the re appoi nt ment of the Mount Laurel fir m of Parker McCay as the township solicitor, bond counsel and affordable housing (COAH) attorney for 2024. During the prior 2023 reorganization s e s s i o n , b o t h Ve a s y a n d C o o p e r vociferously objected to the idea of that firm – one used by Evesham during the years it was u nder Republ ican control – being brought back on board to replace Malamut & Associates of Cherry Hill, which had been handling the township’s legal affairs since its Democratic takeover, via a series of last-minute amendments introduced by then-newly appointed Deputy Mayor Eddie Freeman III. (Espinoza, one of the three counci l members who voted for the change, according to her bio at the Eve sham website, works as a st af f member for 1st District Congressman Donald Norcross, one of whose brothers, Philip Norcross, is managing shareholder of Parker-McCay.) W hen the mayor prev iously m a i nt a i n e d a t t h a t m e e t i n g t h a t Malamut & Associates had “done a good job” during its four years of serving the community and said she wasn’t sure “why my colleagues feel Parker McCay should be the attorney/solicitor,” the only response she got from Freeman was that he believed Parker McCay was “the right choice at this current time in order to move our town forward.” Cooper, who had herself served as deputy mayor the year before, then sought even more explicit answers, raisi ng conc er ns about the cost of changing solicitors and questioning then-Township Manager Rob Corrales whether there wou ld b e “fi nanc ial impact to the taxpayer,” to which he replied that any such transition would have “some sort of cost associated with it” and acknowledging that there were a couple of high-level projects in which the township’s legal counsel was involved

at the time. In response to a further query from Veasy at that 2023 meeting, Corrales also conceded that both he and then-Chief Financial Officer Alex Davidson, both of whom have since left their positions, had recommended that Malamut Associates be retained as township solicitor. In the votes that followed at the time, however, both Espinoza (who h a d g o t t e n Ve a s y a n d C o o p e r ’s endorsement as deputy mayor in 2023) and Councilwoman Patricia Hansen proceeded to go along with that choice, dealing the mayor an unaccustomed rejection by her council colleagues. While Hansen said she believed Malamut had done “a very good job,” there had also been “some problems and some misunderstandings” that indicated that a new start was needed, and Espinoza concurred, referring to “recent situations that have occurred.” This time around, however, beyond their abstentions, neither Veasy nor Cooper commented on the majority’s continued support for Parker-McCay. But a resident who has been a persistent critic of the switch in legal firms did take the opportunity to get in another dig at the councilmembers who voted in favor of retaining the law firm for 2024. Stephen Kovalkovich, a natural healer and lecturer on addiction-related issues, referred to an invocation that had been delivered by Rabbi Lizzie Horne Mozes, of Cong regation B eth Ti k vah, the meaning of which, he noted, was “pay attention.” Kovalkovich said he had been doing just that “for quite a while, in the last few years, especially with what has been going on in our town.” Kovalkovich then contended that ever since the reorganization meeting a year ago, “when three of the councilmembers, including one who was voted as deputy mayor tonight, managed to completely flip things around, our town has suffered quite a bit.” He then noted how the municipality had lost “a lot of long-term employees, senior leadership employees … which has come at a larger financial cost to the township,” something he contended was “dire ctly related to decisions that were made last January,” and about which he had received “really little answers on.” He also claimed that when he had encountered Espinoza at the Gibson House following the 2023 reorganization meeting and attempted to question the trio’s decision to change the township’s law firms, Espinoza had told him that she “worked for the federal government and your ethics were above board.” “I say that statement was untrue then and it still remains untrue,” he asserted. “No title will ever give you integrity, or an understanding of how to ethically and responsibly make decisions that affect 50,000 people.” Kov a l kov i c h a d d e d t h a t w h i l e Espinoza might attempt to deny having s a id s u c h a t h i ng, “a not he r wel lknown and respected member of our

community” was standing right next to him at the time, “and we both walked away in shock that those words came out of your mouth.” He added that he prayed that somehow “the three of you will have some type of awa ke n i ng t hat w i l l op e n you r eyes to what you have done, the great responsibility that you hold and what you will do in the future,” and that he also hoped they would dispense with the practice of offering “something that was written for you.” Espinoza, who in accepting her new position, thanked “all our professionals for their hard work” and said she looked forward “to working with you again,” also abstained from voting on one of the items on the reorganization agenda—the appointment of the firm of Millenium Strategies, whose regional office is in Mount Holly, as township grant writer. For her part, Veasy, putting aside any persistent bones of contention that may have remained from the dispute, addressed the factors she believes make Evesham such a great town in which to live and work, reminding those in attendance how it had “started out as a small farming community, often known as Marlton, and over many years, (had) grown into the largest town in Burlington County and a place so many people want to call home.” While acknowledging that “the daily details can seem routine or unexciting” and “our town council meetings and public hearings can seem redundant,” the mayor maintained that “the reason people are willing, for example, to

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 7 serve on an economic advisory board or environmental commission for three years, four years or more is that we all know that it is part of something much larger” and that “week after week, and year after year, those details add up to the life and quality of our community.” “W hen we expand our parks, we invest in bike paths and trails, we are investing in the health and happiness of ou r c om mu n it y,” she re m i nde d those in attendance, citing a number of examples of such benefits that have now become available to the residents of Evesham. “And when we invest in economic development, whether it is through r ibb on c ut t i ng s or r e d evelop m e nt plans, we are really investing in human capital. Economic activity means jobs and careers. It means that people are willing to open their dream business here in Evesham, or perhaps move their company here, because they like what they see is happening.” The mayor further declared that, “Our growth must also continue to reflect a commitment to civic engagement and public processes.” “We have shown that we can make tough decisions as a community through civil dialogue,” she continued. “Every advance we have made in recent years has reflected a willingness to listen, to be flexible and to be open to ideas. “It is our job as leaders, to set the stage, to make sure the right processes are in place, to make sure the right issues are before us and to make sure the right discussions are engaged.”

Page 8

♦

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SPEEDING

Saturday, January 13, 2024

(Continued from Page 4) limit sign near the Tabernacle firehouse, but that the sign was falling down with one of its posts damaged. The lone sign was for traffic heading northbound. Committeeman Noble McNaughton had recalled there being only one speed limit sign for the stretch of concern. The NJDOT, Leisse noted, “asked us not to proceed with speed lim it studies,” however. At a committee session preceding the virtual NJDOT meeting, Tow nsh ip Sol ic itor Wi l l ia m Bu r ns cautioned that such a study might be “counterintuitive” because if it is found the “standard flow of traffic is higher, then there would be justification to increase the speed limit.” “There has to be a validation and rationale as to why the speed limit has to be changed,” Burns said. “Having been on Route 206, I venture the speed limit is 50 mph. If we do (a study), the speed limit might go up, not down.” Moore, who later said he partook in the Nov. 1 meeting with the NJDOT (at

DOCKS

(Continued from Page 3) maybe there was a plan for dealing with it. “I think you would agree with me that it would not only be improper, it wouldn’t be prudent to speak about that plan while it may be being discussed, right?” Mikulski asked Haluszczak. He added that “the good news, Tom, is we don’t worry about what a newspaper article is going to say, but what we believe is best for the township,” which includes not making comments about township business publicly. Earlier in the meeting, replying to a query from resident Annamae Raio, Mikulski revealed that the attempt to exclude non-LeisureTowne residents from using Old Forge Lake would not

Photo By Douglas D. Melegari

The beginning of the Route 206 business district in Tabernacle Township, where officials are trying to address speeding. the time, he was the township mayor), maintained that the township’s concerns were “well heard.”

“They took it very serious – all our concerns, and will try to do what they can to save lives out there,” Moore said.

“Anything we can do to save a life is most important to me, even if it takes a little elbow grease to get there.”

apply to emergency and cold-weather training exercises conducted by local firefighters. He also said, in reply to another of her questions, that he had “no idea’” if anyone would be allowed to canoe on the lake. Also debated between the mayor and Haluszczak were the somewhat esoteric legal implications of an appellate court opi n ion d ati ng ba ck to a 15 -ye arold case between the LeisureTowne Association and the township over the status of the lake at that time, when the 55-and-over community’s board had previously attempted to bar “all public use” of the lake. Haluszczak contended that the court had denied the application without prejudice, meaning that a separate appeal would have to have been filed, which he claimed was never done.

Noting that “Old Forge Lake has been used for swimming, fishing, boating and kayaking for 100 years,” he asked Mikulski whether the township was “turning a blind eye to LeisureTowne’s legally questionable move” against other residents and why its lawyer was charging individuals $350 (referring to an alleged fee some had reportedly paid the law firm following a meeting with Shivers) and then representing the homeowners association against residents of the Hampton lakes community. “That is not what the cour t r ule said,” Mikulski responded. “The court said … plaintiff withdrew its original claim seeking an order compelling the township to accept Old Forge Lake and accept the alternate relief barring public relief despite the township’s initial failure to reject the alternative relief because

plaintiff never for mally sought this relief, the court was within its right to not rule on an issue not properly raised. So, therefore, it has not been ruled upon by the appellate division and it may get to the appellate division if Hampton Lakes and the HOA can’t work something out.” Township Administrator Kathleen D. Hoffman, when asked whether the township had followed through on closing the public beach on the lake, which she had said in a previous interview that the municipality planned to do, said all such queries had to be referred to Mikulski. But the mayor failed to respond to several attempts to contact him by this newspaper’s deadline. Several attempts by the Pine Barrens Tribune to reach LeisureTowne HOA President Evie Doherty were also unsuccessful.

JANUARY

JAN. 15

To promote your event on this page contact Jayne Cabrilla at 609-801-2392 or email news@pinebarrenstribune.com

Open Mic

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Details: In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., the Mt. Holly Friends are hosting an Open-Mic day, Monday, Jan. 15, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Mt. Holly Friends Meetinghouse, 81 High St., Mt. Holly. All are welcome to come share your thoughts, writings, poetry and music at this free event! Light refreshments will be served. For more information, please contact mthollyfriends@gmail.com, or call 609-670-7625.

JAN. 23

Events and special promotions happening locally this month!

Rutgers Master Gardeners Course Location: Burlington County

Details: Interested in becoming a Rutgers Master Gardener and learning more about horticulture? There is still time to sign up for the Rutgers Master Gardeners Course in Burlington County. The mostly online class starts on Tuesday, January 23, 2024. Please email your interest to burlingtonmg@njaes.rutgers.edu . Information will be emailed back to you. This course is limited to Burlington County residents only.

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(Continued from Page 2) Haines pointed out that the township does charge the Rancocas Valley Baseball League $75 per evening of play, which is money put towards lighting. Meanwhile, Committeeman William J. Sprague, Jr. raised the issue of a “scoreboard,” explaining that it was told to him that someone wanted to have it put in a township youth field. “Ms. Brown are you aware of this?” asked Sprague, as he turned his chair to directly face the township administrator. “I am told someone donated a very expensive scoreboard, and the request was to have internet put there. Am I correct, or not correct?” Brown answered that, “The problem is it runs on Wi-Fi.” “I have been in touch with our IT department, and they were kind enough to work with Comcast to see about

getting Wi-Fi out there. At the time, the estimates we were getting is that it will cost thousands of dollars. We are still working with IT to come up with some sort of plan to get the scoreboard to work.” Sprague responded that “these are people who take care of our kids” and “that is really important.” “Whatever the township can do,” he added, to which Brown responded, “Sure.” Meanwh i le, at the b ehe st of Committeeman Noble McNaughton, the governing body passed, 5-0, new procedures for obtaining road opening permits, following a debacle last year on Oakshade Road with an area gas company. “These are significantly more stringent standards for individuals wanting to open roads, and ensuring that when they do open roads, they do have higher standards to follow, and have to consult with our engineer when they rebuild the road back once they complete construction,” said Township Solicitor William Burns.

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But once that measure was passed, McNaughton said there is a “new issue” he would like to work on: “commercial vehicles in agricultural zones.” He maintained that “there is at least one” situation that arises to a “very serious” one. “He has been a violation, and been to court a few times, but the gentleman is very smart and knows how to … it has been going on for about two years,” said McNaughton in giving an apparent clue as to why he is interested in establishing such an edict. “If we have an ordinance that deals with it ….” McNaughton maintained he has been in talks with a “number of farmers” in Tabernacle about what he would like to see adopted to “see how they feel” as well as gathered “what kind of exceptions they need to continue their operations.” He pointed to the “Medford” ordinance (one that generat e d a plethora of controversy after it was enforced on the Carns Family Farm) and said he would

work with Tabernacle’s solicitor to create a local ordinance. Burns asked if McNaughton sought a “restriction on commercial vehicles in an agricultural zone, as defined by the zone.” Samuel “Sammy” Moore, a blueberry and cranberry farmer who is on the township governing body, responded that it would not be a “total” ban, but rather the governing body seeks to limit commercial vehicles to a “certain number.” McNaughton suggested that “one or two” commercial vehicles be allowed “because some farmers have commercial dump trucks that they make money on, so you don’t want to harm that.” Bur ns pondered whether such an ordinance should be based on “commercial registration or gross vehicle weight,” with McNaughton responding, “commercial registration and/or operating a commercial business in an agricultural zone.” Officials did not identify the apparent business of concern.

Page 10 ♦

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BUSINESS DIRECTORY ♦ Page 11

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(Continued from Page 5) and the equipment is brand new” – and, of course, the “people here.” In fact, it was told this newspaper that it is the “camaraderie, fun and laughter”

Lic# 1283

that can happen at the Medford Anytime Fitness location “while still getting fit,” along with the “best of the best” trainers, that is believed to have propelled this particular location to the number one spot. Gary Noecker, a former vice principal at Lenape High School, among those in a Friday group training session with Sue during the

time of this newspaper’s visit to Anytime Fitness, referred to the group of trainees as “Suepies” (or short for Sue’s groupies).” Sue, and her son, discussed with this reporter having “always hated not being acknowledged” that had led them to their philosophy of giving customers “the attention we would like to get,” and making sure to exchange a smile with everyone who comes into their gym. Anytime Fitness’ Medford location now has 10 trainers on staff, training every day from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Individual and partner training is offered, as well as group classes. For individuals, pricing starts at $40 for 30 minutes of training, and goes up to $75 for an hour of training, with most deciding to train once per week. Both Sue and her son recognize that, when first starting to work out at a gym, it can feel intimidating, but in actuality, “it is not one bit intimidating” with the gym not only attracting a lot of people of different workout levels, but more importantly, being “supportive for everybody.”

“They are coming for the same goal,” Heins pointed out of the various members. A gym membership, for a 12 month commitment, starts at around $25 biweekly, and goes down to $22 bi-weekly for a 24 month commitment. The club began with 400 members when it opened in late 2022, and had over 1,200 people sign up 10 months later. Heins says there are “too many” attributes to name that have led to this success by his mother, but at the top of the list: “listening skills for her clients.” “I had few doubts,” said the Seneca graduate and former varsity soccer player of the local Anytime Fitness ranking. “I always told her it would work out because of her name in this town, and because of who she is.” His mother, in response, described “how amazing it is to work with my son and see how incredible he is as a trainer and a person.” “Everyone also loves him and I am very proud of him,” she said.

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Family Owned & Operated

Worship Guide First Baptist Church

371 Lakehurst Rd., Browns Mills, NJ 609-893-4800 • www.MooreFuneralHome.com

Grace Episcopal Church 43 Elizabeth St, Pemberton, NJ 08068 9 a.m. Sunday Service (609) 894-8001

COME VISIT! We would love to meet you! Rev. Vernl E. Mattson, Pastor 39 Main Street Vincentown, NJ 08088 Sunday School��9:45 a�m� Sunday Worship Service ��11 a�m� Cross Roads Youth Group - Sundays ��5 p�m� Bible Study - Wednesdays ��6:30 p�m�

All are welcome here to grow closer to God through scripture, prayer, music, fellowship, and service to others.

Prayer Fellowship - Wednesdays ��7:15 p�m�

(609) 893-7348 Please join us for Worship 9:00 am Contemporary In-Person or Facebook Live

10:30 am Traditional

Adult Choir Practice - Wednesdays ��7:30 p�m�

www.fbcvnj.org • 609-859-8967

St. Andrew’s Church 121 High St., Mt. Holly MASS: 5 PM Sat. 10 AM Sun. Morning Prayer (M-F) 9 AM on Facebook Office: (M-Th, 8 AM-Noon) 609-267-0225 E-Mail: STANDREWSCHURCHMH@gmail.com Website: WWW.STANDREWSCHURCH-MH.ORG

In-Person or Facebook Live

graceepiscopalchurchnj.com graceepiscopalnj@comcast.com https://www.facebook.com/graceepiscopalpemberton/

Trinity Episcopal Church 18 Mill St. Vincentown, NJ 08088 Worship: Sundays 10 a.m. 609-859-2299 Transportation Available Call 609-859-2883

2 Hartford Road | Medford NJ 08055 medfordumc.org | 609/654-8111 info@medfordumc.org

Facebook: STANDREWSCHURCHMOUNTHOLLYNJ All are invited to join in worship and fellowship!

I Am That I Am Ministries, Inc. All Are Welcome!

Sunday Worship Seervice at 11:30 a.m. Pastors Florence and Russell Webberr 50 Burrs Mill Roadd, Southampton, NJ 08088 609 - 847- 4848