Pine Barrens Tribune June 3, 2023-June 9, 2023

TRUSTED TREE CARE AND REMOVAL Summer Summer Discount D iscount on on ree R Removal emoval WITH SIZZILING SUMMER SAVINGS TTree OFFERING: GREATT VALUE • INCREDIBLE DEALS • AMAZING SERVICE NO TREE TOO TALL… NO JOB TOO SMALL! Free Estimates

• Large Tree Removal – It’s What We Do! • Quality Tree Trimming and Tree Cutting • State-of-the-Art Stump Removal

• 24/7 Emergency Storm Damage Service • Efficient Land Clearing and Demolition • Bobcat Services and Dumpster ster Rental

South S h JJersey’s y Most Trusted Tree Removal Company! p y We Get to the ROOT of Your Problem m! Open Op pen 24/7 to Get the Licensed Tree Care Operator #735 - NJ Board of Tree Experts Registration #NJTC768355 8 Job Done!

Contact Us Today to Schedule Service or Request a FREE Estimate!

Call (856) 288-1793 • Visit www.bigtimbertreeservicellc.com C m

Mention M ention T This his Ad Ad ffor or 2 25% 5% OFF! OFF! Offer Expires 8/31/23

A+ BBB Rating PREMIUM ★★★★★ BUSINESS, WITH MANY LOCAL REFERENCES.

FR EE

Memorial Day Celebrations Pages 4, 6 & 8

Vol. 7 – No. 29 ♦

www.pinebarrenstribune.com

The News Leader of the Pines

@PineBarrensNews

♦

June 3 - June 9, 2023

Facebook.com/PineBarrensTribune

SEND NEWS, EVENTS AND LETTERS TO: NEWS@PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM

REACH NEWSPAPER BY PHONE: 609-801-2392

FOR AD INQUIRIES, CONTACT: SALES@PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM

Wildfire Consumes 5,000 Acres of Bass River State Forest Locale That Had Not Burned in 24 Years

By Douglas D. M elegari and Bill Bonvie Team Coverage

BASS RIV ER—A w i ld fi re that is suspected of originating on Allen Road, in Bass River Township, and exhibited “extreme fire behavior” throughout the overnight hours of May 31 into June 1, according to New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) officials, at one point forced the evacuation of 40 seasonal residents from a local campground and threatened six residential structures.

It was the first wildfire to burn in this particular section of the Bass River State Forest in about 24 years, officials said.

See WILDFIRE/ Page 5

AT A CROSSROADS

Chronic Absenteeism Charge Levied Against Councilwoman From Medford Lakes Prompts Mayor to Come to Her Defense

Photo By Andrew King

Longtime Tabernacle resident Bill Ware., Jr., expresses his concern about a proposed group home for physically and mentally challenged adults to the township committee at its May 22 meeting.

The Proposed Conversion of a House Located on the Corner of a Rural Intersection in Tabernacle into a ‘Group Home’ for Four Physically or Mentally Disabled Adults Has Created Considerable Consternation on the Part of Neighborhood Residents —But Their Concerns About Safety and Property Values Are Said to Be Unfounded

By Bill Bonvie Staff Writer

TABERNACLE —The se ction of Taber nacle Tow nsh ip sur rounding the intersection of Brace Lane and Bozarthtown Road is the kind of close-

knit, traditional rural neighborhood where some of the inhabitants have roots going back generations and even more recent arrivals have lived for decades – a place described by 36-year resident Bill Ware, Jr. at a May 22 Township Committee meeting

Former Borough Councilman Also Asks If ‘Referral’ Has Been Made Involving ‘Absentee Member of Planning Board’, Who’s Also Seated on Governing Body

as “a safe little nook” where “we all know one another.”

Or, as Katalin Russek, who originally came from North Jersey, put it, “I love

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

MEDFORD LAKES —Accusations of chronic absenteeism aimed at two members of Medford Lakes Borough Council dominated a pair of May governing body

See CROSSROADS/ Page 3

See ABSENTEE/ Page 12

INDEX

Business Directory...................................14

Memorial Day Celebrations............................4

Local News.................................................2

Worship Guide..........................................12

Marketplace/Job Board................................. 13

CONTACT US: P.O. Box 2402, Vincentown, NJ 08088 | 609-801-2392

****ECRWSS**** LOCAL POSTAL CUSTOMER

Vincentown, NJ Permit 190

PAID Presorted Standard US Postage

Page 2 ♦

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

WWW.PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM

Woodland Fire/EMS Chief Reiterates Longstanding Need for Power Cot, Cardiopulmonary Assist Systems; Pinelands Approval Needed for Well

Saturday, June 3, 2023

Tree Service

Lowest Prices Around!

Specializing in: • • • • • • • •

ket 75 ft. Buc ble a il a v A k c Tru ne 40 Ton Cra le b a il a v A

Free Estimates • Fully Insured Guaranteed Lowest Prices!

Photo By John Dooley

Call or Text Shawn at

Woodland Fire and EMS Chief Shawn Viscardi again requests funding for a power cot and Lund University Cardiopulmonary Assist System device, while giving a brief update on a fire in Chatsworth still under investigation.

B y D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

WOODLAND—Now that the Woodland Volunteer Fire and EMS Company’s new water tender has arrived and is “working out well and as designed,” Fire Chief Shawn Viscardi took to the Woodland Township Committee’s first in-person workshop meeting in almost three-anda-half years on May 24 to reiterate the need for additional municipal funding to obt ai n two other items that have been long on the bucket list and were promised to the company during 202122 contractual negotiations: a power cot system and LUCAS (Lund University Cardiopulmonary Assist System) device.

But the fire chief, who has requested these items since 2019, in observing May 24 that the governing body was again not yet ready to take prompt action to provide for the purchase of the devices for the township ambulance service, but rather deferred to the township solicitor to do additional research on how to go about potentially making the purchases, revealed it is such situations that prompt him to become “aggravated” with the local process, contending that when fire/ EMS leadership in other towns make such equipment requests for their respective agencies, they are often fulfilled without many hurdles.

However, Woodland Mayor William “Bi l ly” DeGrof f u lti mately di re cted Township Solicitor William Burns to look into the matter and see if the municipality can make a purchase “as soon as possible.”

Add itiona l ly, it wa s reve a le d, the township’s desire to have a well installed for the Chatswor th fi rehous e of the company is not as straight-forward and as simple of a process than it seemed just months ago when the idea was first thought of by the chief.

According to various online sources, a powered ambu lanc e cot featu res a battery-powered hydraulic system that raises and lowers the cot at the touch of a button. It helps in that first responders don’t have to manually lift a patient into an ambulance (a task that sometimes can require multiple people).

Stryker, one of the manufacturers of the device, in an online explanation, puts the purpose of the cot this way: “stop lifting patients – start loading patients.”

Ferno, a second leading manufacturer

of power ambulance cots, describes on its website “unassisted lift capacity” as the primary benefit of having one, contending their version is “the ultimate solution for both every day and bariatric transport.”

Viscardi reported that he obtained two quotes for a “power cot and load system” (excluding the LUCAS device) and both quotes are above $60,000. A third vendor acknowledged a request for a quote, the chief noted, but purportedly never provided one to him.

C h i e f F i n a n c i a l O f fi c e r K a t h y Rosmando noted that Woodland officials had previously discussed its intention “to use the COVID money for this.” Woodland received a total of $173,674 from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, according to the New Jersey State AFL-CIO. It was mentioned by both Burns and Viscardi that the power cot model the company would like to obtain is one in which “Stryker is the only manufacturer.”

However, as Township Administrator and Clerk Maryalice Brown maintained on May 24, the dilemma in making the pu rchas e l ie s arou nd a profe ssional opi n ion the tow nsh ip re c eive d from Holman, Frenia, Allison P.C., previously appointed as special auditor for the fire company, who was repor tedly asked about the appropriate ways in which the township could use the COVID funds.

“We weren’t sure about how to spend it (the COVID money) and I asked him about it, and brought that exact point up to him that it was ‘sole sourced,’” Brown said. “He (the auditor) claimed he was able to find it in various places, and he didn’t feel you could do it as a sole sourced (transaction).”

Burns, however, in offering legal counsel to the governing body in response, quipped, “You can find the same thing in various places, but it is made by one person.”

“I wouldn’t buy it from the power cot store or mart,” he added. “I would buy it from Stryker, who makes it.”

A s for t he LUCAS dev ic e, wh ich provides mechanical chest compressions to patients in cardiac arrest, the chief m a i nt a i ne d “you c a n go on l i ne” to different vendors and “they advertise LUCAS devices,” and one can get a variety See WOODLAND/ Page 9

Tree Removal Stump Removal Shaping 24 Hour Storm Damage Land Clearing Deadwood Removal Trimming Insurance Work

609-685-5912 Senior Citizen Discount

Tree Expert “A Name You Know and Trust ” A Full-Ser vice Professional Company

Shawn Smith – Owner 187 Arneys Mount Road • Pemberton, NJ 08068

NJ Lic. 13VH03567000

99

$ SPECIAL

NEW PATIENT

NJTC 784054 Lic#791112

FOR A DENTAL CLEANING, EXAM AND X-RAYS (over $300 value)!

We need to schedule your new patient visit by July 31, 2023.

Caring Quality Convenient

STATE-OF-THE-ART Dental Practice

with the latest technology and amenities to make your dental experience unlike any you have had in the past!

Richard J. Weber, DMD

Dr. Weber has been recognized for excellence in dentistry and has trained nationally and internationally with the most prestigious members of the profession.

CALL TODAY TO SCHEDULE YOUR NEW PATIENT APPOINTMENT.

609-388-1101 www.LoveYourSmileDental.com • info@LoveYourSmileDental.com 1529 Rt. 206, Unit D (Next to Pizza 206), Tabernacle, NJ 08088

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 3

AD HOTLINE: (609) 801-2392 or SALES@PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM

Saturday, June 3, 2023

Photo By Andrew King

Resident Denise Carpenter, who told the committee May 22 that the purported plan to open the group home “Isn’t fair to us,” and that “it is almost like you’re trying to slide them in under the radar before we even find out.”

CROSSROADS (Continued from Page 1)

where we live – it’s the nicest place.”

But what prompted Ware, Russek, her husband Martin and a delegation of their neighbors to show up at the Tabernacle committee session was an unexpected, perceived threat to the pastoral tranquility and seeming security of that environment – one stemming from the then-pending sale of a ranch-style, four-bedroom house located at 135 Brace Lane on a corner property

of that crossroads directly opposite the Russeks’ residence.

The consternation and even alarm they expressed to the committee members was over the proposed use of the property as a “group home” for four individuals c ategor i z e d as either physic al ly or mentally disabled by Friends of Cyrus II, a Piscataway-based service organization whose stated mission is “to create a haven of support” for adults with developmental disabilities, which has converted the old Tabernacle school house at 180 Carranza Rd. into a state-sanctioned training facility.

While there are other group homes maintained by the same organization that are located in various communities, including Tabernacle, where it already operates one, it was the shock of learning (reportedly via a casual remark dropped by the owner at a gathering) that the house in question was about to be sold for that specific purpose without any prior notification to neighborhood residents that reportedly galvanized them to seek the township committee’s help in attempting to block any such transaction from taking place.

Tabernacle Mayor Samuel R. Moore, III, acknowledged that the municipality had not been notified of any pending sale of the property to the organization, which he had first learned about in a phone call. Not only had there been “no information from Friends of Cyrus in regard to this,” he said, but “no documentation, no paperwork, nothing that has been put before us at this time.”

But that didn’t mean there would be anything amiss with such a transaction or, for that matter, anything could be legally done to thwart it, according to Zoning/ Construction Officer Thomas Boyd, to whom the mayor referred the residents’ apprehensions over the situation.

See CROSSROADS/ Page 11

2023

Season is Here!

CREATE YOUR OWN STORY AT STORYBOOK LAND!

Make Lasting Memories

with Dad

FAMILY OWNED AND FAMILY-OWNED OPERATED SINCE 1955

Season Passes S Are Available!

Park Hours are from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Discounted Tickets Available Online!

6415 Black Horse Pike, Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey 08234 Call 609-646-0103 • Visit Us Online www.StorybookLand.com

COME WATCH US HIT A HOME RUN! Don’t Miss Out on the Fun!

HOME GAMES AT PATTY BOWKER FIELD, TABERNACLE Alll games start @ 7:30 p.m.

JUNE 5TH vs Cherry Hill - Pitman JUNE 7TH vs Delran JUNE 8TH vs Grizzlies JUNE 12TH vs Cinnaminson

JUNE 13TH vs Delran JUNE 15TH vs Burlington Townshipp JUNE 22ND vs Burlington Townshipp JUNE 27TH vs Vineland

Check Out Our Starting Line-Up! 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Brian Brown............................2B Connor Arsenault ...................C Jack Gilmer.............................SS John Szwajkowski ...................1B Michael Lapczynski.................3B Mike Follet .............................LF

JULY 5TH vs Grizzlies JULY 18TH vs Cinnaminson

Rest of the Team:

7. Nick Henderson ......................DH

1. Alec Marconi ..........................P

6. Joey Steff................................C/3B

8. Ronnie Krankowski .................P

2. Ethan Early .............................P

7. Justin Figgatt..........................P/INF

9. Ryan Kelley.............................RF

3. Ian Caplan..............................INF/P

8. Nicco Maribo ..........................OF

10. Zach Ellin................................CF

4. Jason Goldberg.......................P

9. Jayden Kerr ............................P

11. Zach Weiner............................EH

5. Jason Brown ...........................P/INF

10. Tim Haverstick ........................C

PINE BARRENS PHANTOMS

Gerryy Lamola - Managger//Coach • Ronnie Krankow wski - Assistant Coach • glhill61@yahoo.com • (609) 668-8679 • tricountybaseball.net

Page 4 ♦

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

WWW.PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM

Saturday, June 3, 2023

A Time to

Remember Medford’s Memorial Day Parade and Observances

Medford Township Council and Medford VFW Post #7677 held Medford’s Annual Memorial Day Parade and Observances on May 29.

This year’s grand marshal was William “Bill” J. Dorman. He served in the U.S. Air Force for 13 years from 1947-1960 as a Platoon Sergeant, management instructor, and management consultant in the U.S. and Okinawa, including for the Air Defense Command/NORAD at Ent AFB in Colorado Springs. Parade participants also included members of Post #7677, the Shawnee High School Marching Band, the Medford Township Police Department, Medford EMS, the Union and Taunton Fire Companies, the Nam Knights, the Civil Air Patrol-Air Victory Museum Composite Squadron, the Medford Masonic Lodge #178 and their Widow’s Sons Motorcycle Club, the Warrior Watch Riders, as well as many other public safety representatives and military re-enactment associations from neighboring communities.

Photos By Andrew King

GRIST MILL ANTIQUES T SERVING BURLINGTON COUNTY AND PEMBERTON BOROUGH WITH THE FINEST OF ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES FOR OVER 28 YEARS!

FLEA MARKET JUNE 11TH 8 A.M. TO 5 P.M.

AT GRIST MILL ANTIQUES CENTER

127 Hanover Street (Route 616) Pemberton, NJ 08068

609-726-1588

Telephone: Email: theplacce@gristmillantiques.com

Visit us on

Let My 26 Years of Real Estate Experience Guide You Through the Selling and Buying Process!

Kirk DeAngelis ABR, SFR Broker Associate # 9700995 o 609.654.8797 c 609.346.6984 kfda@hotmail.com 400 Stokes Road Medford, NJ 08055

FOR SALE

Alliance

LEISURETOWNE AT ITS FINEST 55+ Adult Community

$275,000

76 Kingston Way • Southampton, NJ 08088 Residential • 2 Beds 2 Baths • 1,360 Sq. Ft. • 15 Acres

Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated.

Saturday, June 3, 2023

AD HOTLINE: (609) 801-2392 or SALES@PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 5 Hours: Friday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Traditional Lancaster County Food & Crafts

FRESH FOODS F S

Photo Courtesy of Timberline Lake Camping Resort

Smoke billows from the wildfire that had consumed more than 3,000 acres of woodland in Bass River State Forest by the morning of June 1.

WILDFIRE

(Continued from Page 1) However, by 11 a.m. June 1, NJFFS officials expressed their optimism that they would be able to contain what has been dubbed the Allen Road Wildfire w ith i n an approx i mately 5,950 -acre containment area (as shown on a map), with the conflagration by that point in time having already consumed 3,100 acres and listed as 15 percent contained. By 7 p.m., the size of the blaze reached 5,000 acres and was listed as 50 percent contained.

As officials with NJFFS explained to reporters in a midday press conference, given the fire history of the area – where firefighters have been killed in the past in battling wildfires — as well as its “high dense fuels” and the fact that the blaze “was not accessible to our equipment or vehicles,” crews opted for an indirect attack tactic versus a direct one.

“This is a tricky spot for us,” declared John Cecil, assistant commissioner of State Parks, Forests and Historic Sites for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), which oversees the NJFFS. “Allen and Oswego roads are a location that we have been planning for a management activity for a couple years now, in working with the Pinelands Commission with the intention of getting in and thinning this area, creating a fuel break along 13 miles of road, 1,300 acres.

This fire is impacting some of that area.”

According to Greg McLaughlin, chief of the NJFFS, the fire started along Allen Road at around 4:45 p.m. on May 31. He described Allen Road as being a “sandgravel road,” which runs in a north to south orientation in the Bass River State Forest.

“The particular spot where the fire started has heavy, dense fuels,” he told reporters, noting the forest floor in this location also has a “dense shrub layer of vegetation.”

The nature of the dense vegetation, McLaughlin said, led to “all the ingredients coming together” for the development of a crown fire here, or one where flames “spread treetop -to-treetop and em it burning embers” ahead of the fire line.

The forest fire service chief said the blaze had been first “detected by several of our fire towers,” or the personnel manning them and that shortly after that, “several 911 calls came in.”

“Crews responded to the fire within approximately 15 to 20 minutes,” he said of the time it took after the 4:45 p.m.

initial sighting occurred. “When they arrived on scene, the fire had consumed approximately 15 to 20 acres. The area that the fire started in was along Allen Road, and the fire was spreading in an east direction, being pushed by a light east wind. The fire was not accessible to our equipment or vehicles.”

Six homes were evacuated at the height of the fire, McLaughlin reported, as well as approximately 40 seasonal residents from Timberline Campground.

A s ou r c e t ol d t h e P i n e B a r re n s Tribune that the decision to evacuate the campground was made primarily as a result of very heavy smoke conditions that quickly transpired in that location as the fire spread, as well as from backfires lit in the area.

The campground posted a picture on Facebook showing heavy smoke obscuring visibility on a roadway in Bass River during the early evening hours of May 31.

As of the morning of June 1, Allen Road and Oswego Road were closed to traffic, as well as Stage Road between North Maple Avenue and County Route 679, and County Route 679 between County Route 563 and Leektown Road.

McLaughlin, in noting some roads might be closed for at least two additional days in the vicinity of the wildfire, asserted at one point during the presser, “it is important for people to be aware that this is going on and this is an unsafe area.”

The road closures, he said, “will allow our firefighters to be safe and move around quickly, and efficiently throughout the fire containment area.”

The Batona Trail was also reported as being temporarily closed in the Bass River State Forest.

On the Ti mberline Lake Camping Resort (TLCR) Facebook page, a company official posted around 12:30 p.m. on June 1 that the campground has been advised the “fire is expected to burn up to 6,000 acres,” but that “firefighters do not feel TLCR is in danger at this time.”

“Roads are closed, and campers are asked to stay out to keep roads clear for emergency vehicles,” the campground wrote on June 1, with Timberline initially expected to be closed at least on the following day as well, though a township official later reportedly informed the campground that campers could return by late afternoon June 1.

Trevor Raynor, assistant division fire warden of the NJFFS, in “setting the stage for this wildfire,” pointed to the 1936 See WILDFIRE/ Page 10

• Corner Café • Stoltzf zfus f Bakery •P Pequea Valley Meats • Pretzel Plaace • Dutch Country Salads • Paradise Valley Poultry Come in and experience a little slice of Lancaster County, Pa. right here in Medford, NJ. Among our stands, you’ll find everything from wooden furniture hand crafted by Amish artisans, to delicious handrolled soft pretzels, made fresh before your very eyes. We also feature fresh homemade salads, jams and jellies, mouthwatering baked goods, farm-fresh eggs, bulk candies, a fresh deli and meats, hand-dipped ice cream, homemade mustards, pretzels and chips, the best barbecue chicken and ribs, Corner Café, good food and friendly service. So, come in and treat yourself to a “goodie,” bring the kids and let ‘em play on the wooden swing sets and take a break from the ordinary. See you at the Market!

109 Route 70, Medford, NJ 08055 609-953-7633

at the BEST Prices!

We install Stone Pads!

We Move Sheds!

Email Us Today at info@AmishCountrySheds.com!

609-284-8776• AMISHCOUNTRYSHEDS.COM NJHIC#13VH09843900

Page 6 ♦

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

WWW.PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM

Saturday, June 3, 2023

Lest We

Forget

Southampton’s 144th Memorial Day Celebration

Southampton Township held its 144th Consecutive Annual Memorial Day Celebration on May 29, with it being described as the oldest, if not the oldest continuous Memorial Day Parade in New Jersey. August “Guy” Handt, just shy of 80 and a 12-year resident of LeisureTowne, served as distinguished grand marshal. He served in the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1968, rising to the rank of Specialist Fourth Class. He served in Vietnam in the 25th Division, 27th Infantry of the Army. According to officials, he was drafted just after graduating high school in Gloucester County. His service obligation was said to have been cut short after having stepped on a landmine in Vietnam.

Handt is a Purple Heart recipient, as well has earned medals for good conduct, national defense, Vietnam service, and partaking in the Vietnam campaign. He also holds a combat infantry badge. At an ensuing ceremony at the Veteran’s Monument on Main Street, Col. Mark Preston, Retired U.S. Army, served as guest speaker. Preston retired from the Army in 2016. His last military assignment was as director of Army Aviation and Safety for the New Jersey National Guard. The colonel is also the director of the Fiscal and Administrative Services Division of the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. He has been with the department for 31 years. Preston is a 33-year veteran of the New Jersey National Guard, who enlisted in 1982 as a Private Second Class – supply specialist. After obtaining the rank of Specialist Fourth Class, he became part of the returned forces to Germany (West Germany) in 1985. Following his enlistment in the state National Guard, he became commissioned there as a Second Lieutenant. At one point, he deployed with the 29th Infantry Division in Bosnia for Operation Joint Forge in August 2001. Later, in October 2004, Preston became Battalion Commander of the 150th Aviation Battalion General Support of Fort Dix. That saw him sent to Iraq, supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2004 to 2005. His numerous awards and decorations include the Merit Bronze Star. He is an active-life member of the Medford VFW Post #7677, currently serving as post commander. The LeisureTowne resident is also a district VFW commander for Burlington County.

Photos By John Dooley

Saturday, June 3, 2023

AD HOTLINE: (609) 801-2392 or SALES@PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 7

Page 8 ♦

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

WWW.PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM

Saturday, June 3, 2023

Salute to

Service

Pemberton Township Memorial Day Parade

Scenes from the 2023 Pemberton Township Memorial Day Parade, the first held since the COVID-19 pandemic transpired in 2020. The parade on May 29 was hosted by Pemberton Township, Pemberton VFW Post #10065, and the Pemberton Township Veterans’ Advisory Council. One of the organizers told this newspaper that “it was one of the best attended such ceremonies” held in town that he knows of. The parade distinguished grand marshal was Darryl Wilkins, a past commander of the District 11 New Jersey VFW and Post #10065. Wilkins is also a member of the Buffalo Soldiers’ chapter and Disabled American Veterans (DAV), and that is in addition to his service as a Tuskegee Airmen of the Hannibal M. Cox Chapter at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL). Serving as this year’s keynote speaker was township Mayor Jack Tompkins, also a veteran.

Photos By Nick Weissmann

Protectors Of Public Health & Property

LECK’S

10% OFF

for New Customers, Military, and First Responders

Travis Garage Doors & Repair Broken Springs/ Cables

Operator Remotes

E X T E R M I N AT I N G Pest Control Services & Pest Control Supplies • Pests • Termites

• Carpenter Ants • Mice

• Spiders • Household Bugs

• Bees • Beetles

102 S. Bellevue Ave. | Langhorne, PA | 215-752-0898 Now Serving South Jersey

Since 1971 New Garage Doors + Electric Openers Service & Repair 7 Days a Week for Your Convenience

(609) 859-2992 All Credit Cards Accepted

Saturday, June 3, 2023

WOODLAND (Continued from Page 2)

andof different accessories to fit the device from the vendors, “but when you go to get the device, it refers you right to Stryker.”

Viscardi described a situation in which every time he contacts a different vendor for a quote, his request for pricing is then referred to the regional Str yker representative, and as a result of him being told the request is being made on behalf of Woodland, “this guy is like, ‘Oh, yeah, you are the second or third guy that has called me” on the town’s behalf.

It has come to the point that, according to the chief, the vendors are no longer coming back to him with quotes.

Viscardi, on a couple occasions during the workshop meeting, emphasized “the problem is we talked about this for so long that everything has gone up (in price) about 20 percent total,” with the chief at one point noting “we are up $5,000 since we started this,” or since the chief made the initial request for the items back in 2019.

The ch ief pointed out that the bid threshold is $17,500, and revealed that the LUCAS device itself “with one battery and a soft case” is about $18,000. However, the official suggested a hard case be purchased “because it will be bouncing around the ambulance” as well as the purchase of a second, backup battery, and therefore, “we are probably talking about $19,000 or better.”

“Since seeing how these prices keep increasing,” Viscardi asked if the township committee could just put the power cot and LUCAS device out to bid “separately,” and actually ask for bids (rather than seek quotes) on the LUAS device (going out to bid now would avert an even longer waiting period from developing if the quoted price should end up exceeding the bid threshold as, if it does, the township would have to go out to bid anyhow, which is a process that entails advertising, etc.).

Viscardi explained his fear is “if we don’t do it” now, then we will have to “wait” and “wait again,” to the point “we are talking another 3 to 4 months where we might see another increase” in cost during that time.

It was said the ambulance items at issue are not available through state contract.

Brown, in response to Viscardi’s plea, asked Burns if an item is soul-sourced, “Can we just buy it outright?” from the manufacturer.

T hat led to the tow nsh ip attor ney asking a follow-up question of Viscardi, “Is there any other power load system you are aware of ?”

“Not off the top of my head,” the chief responded. “I can’t think of any, but I can check. Ferno is the other good cot company. The rest are just like ‘you get what you pay for.’ Ferno and Stryker are the best cots for repetitive patient care.”

That led Burns to declare, “Let me do some research to see if there is another comparable power cot with a load system.”

“I can’t imagine why, if there is only one manufacturer who makes it, why you can’t do a contract with the manufacturer as a sole source,” Burns asserted.

After Brown pointed out the lowest quote received thus far is $60,888, which is from Stryker, Viscardi emphasized that is “just for the cot and system to load it in.”

“T h e LUCA S d e v i c e i s not e ve n included in that price,” the chief further emphasized.

Rosmando then asked the chief if he was aware of any other local EMS companies that recently made similar purchases, and how they went about it.

“Well, there are,” Viscardi responded.

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 9

AD HOTLINE: (609) 801-2392 or SALES@PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM “And this is why I get aggravated. You (the fire officials in other towns) bring it up in a meeting – it is approved, and they buy it.”

The Woodland chief added he has “talked to other chiefs” and one told him he merely had “got the quotes to cover my butt,” while another told him “he got one price and the town wants to buy it” after only obtaining the single price.

“We have been dealing with this since COVID, when we started talking about it, and then we got the COVID money and it was like, OK, we can buy this,” said Viscardi in seemingly further venting his frustration with what has become a nearly five-year process, noting someone from the auditor fir m was supposed to touch base on how to go about the purchase, but that he “never heard from them at all.”

DeGrof f, in appear ing to take in the quotes in a township with limited ratables (but that recently received a report it is now financially “very healthy” with a recent gain in surplus), pointed out the total cost of everything could be around $80,000.

“Bill, can you look into that (whether you can soul-source purchase directly from the manufacturer) and see if we can get that as soon as possible?” asked DeGroff of Burns. “If that is the case, we can go right to Stryker.”

The mayor then asked a question of Township Engineer Tom Leisse, “What is going on with the fire hydrant?”

The Pine Barrens Tribune previously reported that at an earlier Woodland committee meeting, DeGroff publicly raised the prospect of installing a hydrant and well at the Chatsworth firehouse for use by the Woodland fire company to obtain water supply to fight fires.

In discussing the idea with Woodland Deputy Mayor Mark Herndon, it was revealed that the hydrant would work off a “separate well and pump,” and that the idea is to “have one somewhere, in a central location.”

DeGroff revealed at that time that Vis c a rd i wa s s a id to have “m a de a suggestion” that the township use some of its “COVID money” to “put a hydrant at the firehouse.” Last month, the mayor noted how a neighboring community’s fire department “recently put in a well outside of their firehouse,” which reportedly proved useful during a recent blaze.

Leisse, on May 24, in response to the mayor’s question on the status of a prospective well for Woodland, replied it has turned out to be “a little bit more involved with permitting.” He confirmed approval is needed from the Pinelands Commission (which, from past history, can be a potentially burdensome, costly long process to obtain).

“It just blows my m ind,” de clared DeGroff in response. “Here is something that would benefit the town! We don’t have a fire hydrant in town!”

Viscardi asked if there is an exception to the Pinelands process in addressing “public safety concerns.”

“I a m not say i ng v iolat e r u le s or regulations,” Viscardi added. “But we have been dealing with a cell tower issue for nine years now, and we know we could have really used an additional water source last week (to fight a blaze in town).”

W h i le the ch ief ’s que stion wasn’t answered, this newspaper previously reported that the mayor of neighboring Washington Township, Daniel James, r e c e nt ly approa c h e d t h e P i n el a nd s Commission about having a cellphone tower erected in his town as a matter of public safety. The agency’s rules currently prohibit a cell tower in the planned location.

See WOODLAND/ Page 13

Nurses Certified Nurses Aides

Generous sign-on bonus Competitive pay package Great work environment Apply today:

609.836.6008 HR@aspenhillshealthcare.com

Short-term rehabilitative care

Fast-track therapy program

Long-term, respite & hospice care

Fine dining & amenities

Exceptional nursing staff

Beautiful grounds & accommodations

OUTSTANDING REHAB CARE IN A SCENIC COUNTRY SET TING

609.836.6010 | aspenhillshealthcare.com 600 Pemberton Browns Mills Road, Pemberton, NJ

Page 10 ♦

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

WWW.PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM

Photo By Bill Bonvie

State fire service officials gather for a press conference at the Bass River Forest Firefighter Memorial to firefighters, who died near the site in 1936 and 1977, to give an update on the latest wildfire in Bass River State Forest on the morning of June 1.

WILDFIRE

(Continued from Page 5) and 1977 Bass River Forest Firefighting Memorial that was behind him at the presser, asser ting, “The reason th is memorial exists is because there were nine firefighters killed here in these woods two miles behind us.”

It was in 1936, he noted, that five Civilian Conservation Corps wildland firefighters were killed approximately nine miles from where he was standing, and in 1977, “four Eagleswood Volunteer Fire Company firefighters were killed on a wildfire just on the other side of the road where this wildfire occurred yesterday.”

“So, what we have learned and what has gone on since then is that we know these woods are very overstocked, with very high dense fuels,” Raynor said. “The fuels are your trees and pine needles and it gives way to extreme fire behavior and accessibility issues. So, we have learned some ser ious lessons from the past, obviously. And we have taken actions to protect life and safety. We bettered our equipment and used different tactics to put people at better safety.”

Discussing those tactics in more detail was John Earlin, Jr., section forest fire warden and incident commander of the Allen Road Wildfire, who made a point that the response to the fire relied, in part, on the “fire history in this area.”

“When we arrived on scene, the fire was exhibiting extreme fire behavior,” Earlin

said. “That plays a role in us not being able to get our equipment in to directly attack the fire. Then we go back to the lessons learned in the past, and like Trevor said, nine firefighters died in the past while combating wildfires here. So, we decided to step back and use indirect tactics to ultimately stop the forward progress of the wildfire.”

As of midday June 1, according to McLaughlin, the fire was listed as only 15

Saturday, June 3, 2023

percent contained. By 7 p.m., while the size of the blaze had reached 5,000 acres and was listed as 50 percent contained, structures were no longer threatened, the state fire service reported.

“We do have fire around the entire perimeter,” the state forest fire service chief reported earlier in the day. “We are at 3,100 acres that the fire has consumed in the forest. We will probably be working on this fire for several days to come with continued warm and dry weather.”

T h o s e a nt e c e d e nt “e x t r e m e d r y conditions we have exhibited continuing from last year into this year,” Earlin noted, resulted in “this fire having exhibited extreme fire behavior throughout the night, even with the higher humidity (typically occurring during the nighttime hours).”

What to expect in the days ahead was highlighted by McLaughlin as he added that “within the fire containment area, there are several wet areas, several streams, and several swampy areas.”

“There is also an area of about 300 acres that earlier this season we conducted prescribed burning in,” McLaughlin told reporters. “So, in a lot of ways here, where this fire occurred, we have been lucky that these things helped us control, manage and contain the fire.

“What we expect to see with this warm weather and dry conditions, is this fire will move around within this containment area. We will see flare ups and smoke. The fire behavior will increase and diminish over time. That is normal. The fire will make runs, go into wet areas, diminish, and then pick back up again.”

It i s a pro c e s s t h at McL aug h l i n

described that “we want to happen” so that “fuels are consumed to the maximum extent possible.”

“That way we are confident the fire not going to reburn,” he said.

According to Raynor, in 1999, there was a “wildfire that occurred in this block of woods that was about 11,000 acres.”

“So, this piece of forest this fire occurred in has not burned in 24 years, which leads to an accumulation of fuels,” he declared.

The cause of the latest fire, McLaughlin reported at midday June 1, is “at this point undetermined,” but “we have a really strong task force out there at the moment conducting an investigation of the fire,” including officials from both the Burlington and Ocean Counties Prosecutor’s Offices.

Art O’Brien, who rents a home adjacent to the campground, told this newspaper that he first became aware of the fire shortly after 5 p.m. on May 31 and saw a “little plume of smoke,” then received a call from the owner of the property about three hours later advising him and his wife to evacuate. By that time, he said the backfires being lit to contain the blaze were causing quite a bit of smoke.

O’Brien said he and his wife took a few necessary items like medicines and clothes, but after leaving the house, the couple realized they “hadn’t grabbed enough stuff” and remembered all the items they had forgotten to take.

By the time of the press conference, however, the couple were advised it was safe for them to return, but O’Brien said that from now on, they’ll be better prepared to leave in a hurry.

Photo By New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

A ground view of the wildfire that began in the Bass River State Forest on the afternoon of May 31.

R.E.T. C onTRaCToRs

GARDEN STATE PUBLIC ADJUSTERS, INC.

Dump Truck Service

Mulch, S Sand d & Topsoil il Installation ll i Available We Also Do Brush Hog Mowing, Lawn Mowing and Cleanups!

Call or Text 609-410-1008 Email Us @ Tubertini193@hotmail.com NJ Lic. 13VH11599500

JOHN R. MOORE Public Adjuster

NJ • PA State Licensed & Bonded Fire • Smoke • Wind • Water • Hail • Van ndalism Office: (856) 983-7086 • Cell: (609) 923-3200 0

Saturday, June 3, 2023

CROSSROADS (Continued from Page 3)

Typical of such concerns were those expressed by a number of Bozarthtown Road residents.

Michael Wilk, for example, whose property adjoins the one at issue, expressed apprehension about any “mental challenges” that the potential occupants might have and inquired whether those living nearby would “be informed of any violence these folks have engaged in in the past,” further asking, “Is our safety at stake?”

Resident Thomas Williams indicated he was especially worried about the safety of children who wait for the school bus at that corner.

“I’m hoping you guys will do everything you can to discourage them from buying this land or direct them to a property that’s more appropriate, because it is absolutely going to have a horrible impact,” declared Williams, adding that “no responsible parent would ever buy a home to raise children next to a group home with mentally challenged people” with what he claimed were unknown backgrounds and minimal supervision.

“It is absolutely dangerous, and it is going to hurt all of our property values,” contended Williams, adding that while he thought it was important “how mentally challenged adults get rehabilitated, there is a right place to do it, and impacting our children and our neighborhood like that is the wrong way to do it.”

Also voicing concern about the safety of any youngsters who might be in the vicinity, as well as whether any occupants of the house might possibly be “off their medication” or administered the wrong one was Lisa Kotzker, who said that while she was “very open” to disabled people that definitely need a place to go” and didn’t think there was “anything wrong with their being in Tabernacle,” they should be situated on a site of at least five acres, rather than the much smaller one where the house at issue is located.

Then there was Denise Carpenter, who told the committee that the purported plan to open the group home “Isn’t fair to us,” and that “it is almost like you’re trying to slide them in under the radar before we even find out.”

Boyd, however, sounding more at times like the legal counsel for Friends of Cyrus than a zoning official, dismissed the fears voiced by the residents about anyone who might end up living in the house posing a potential threat to the safety of neighborhood families as unfounded, emphasizing that all candidates for occupancy would be carefully screened in advance. To that end, he read the relevant language of the New Jersey code that governs who is and isn’t allowed to live in such a facility.

In the inadmissible category, Boyd noted,

AD HOTLINE: (609) 801-2392 or SALES@PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM is any individual who has been convicted of an offense that includes murder, manslaughter, death by auto, robbery, simple, aggravated or sexual assault, recklessly endangering another person, making terroristic threats, kidnapping, interfering with the custody of children, lewdness or endangering the welfare of a child or incompetent person, as well as any violation involving a controlled dangerous substance or a financial crime.

Such exclusions, he added, should answer the question of whether any “drug addicts” or “violent people” would be permitted to reside in a group home of this type, the occupants of which “are not considered to be dangerous folks.”

By contrast, Chris Tretola, the attorney temporarily filling in for Township Solicitor William Burns, pointed out that there is little such assurance provided to neighbors when someone who isn’t in a program of this sort takes possession of a home.

“One thing I can certainly tell you is that a private person with numerous convictions can buy that house and be more dangerous than any of these other people,” Tretola told the attendees.

As for people living in the neighborhood not having been notified of the pending sale (which was reportedly scheduled for June 1), Boyd explained that “the state does not require any notice to be made until such time that they apply for a license,” at which time the state Department of Community Affairs (DCA) would provide official notification to the township.

The zoning officer also addressed the idea that the presence of this type of group home would tend to lower the values of surrounding properties, as Williams and other nearby homeowners had suggested.

Instead, he maintained, statistics show that real-estate prices “are higher in areas that have group homes” meeting the uniform construction code requirements for R-3 and R-5 Occupancy Classifications (the house at issue being in the former category).

“The state mandates they have a certain level of maintenance on their house” that the township otherwise doesn’t require, he said.

Boyd also attempted to debunk another claim put forth by opponents of the group home: that it was actually not a residence, but a business misrepresenting itself as one.

“This is not classified as a business,” he assured them.

In response to a charge that state oversight of the facility was likely to be inadequate, Boyd said he k nows from p ersonal experience that state inspectors come out and periodically check on conditions in group homes, and that in any event, as the township fire official, “I guarantee you it will be inspected once a year, either by myself or a licensed fire inspector.”

He also denied an allegation that Friends of Cyrus would be “renting out” rooms in the house, likening the group-home

WANTED!ALL FIREARMS Gun Collections * Military/Hunting An Antique n Arr * Military Artifacts Swords/Bayonets We pay CASH on the spot!

Call John & Stephanie

609-478 8-2 2839 • 610-7116-55353 email: antiqueandrareguns@gmail.com Federal Firearms License Holder

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 11

Photo By Andrew King

Construction and Code Enforcement Official Tom Boyd, of Tabernacle Township, responds May 22 to resident concerns. arrangement to that involving a family with foster children, each of whom is given his or her own bedroom, only “that can be more troublesome,” he quipped.

When asked by one resident, “Are we taking care of our own folks, then?” Boyd replied, “We are absolutely taking care of our own folks, and these people will be our own folks as well, no different than any other individual who lives in this town.”

As long as they are assigned living quarters in the facility, he added, “This is their home, and they have every right to live in their home.”

As for Friends of Cyrus not having sent a representative to attend the meeting, as a resident made a point of noting (which the organization had reportedly attempted to do, according to founder and CEO Kamelia Kameli, by going to the old township offices, but wasn’t informed the address for the meetings had changed to the Tabernacle firehouse), the mayor read a statement the organization emailed to town officials.

“Thank you again for reaching out to us,” it said, before describing how the organization had been founded 10 years ago, named after Kameli’s son whose disability inspired it, and currently operates some 25 community residences and three day programs through the state Division of Developmental Disabilities, with all of its activities licensed and regulated by the state Department of Human Services.

“Friends of Cyrus provides a safe and nurturing environment for people who choose to exercise (their) right to live in the community,” it continued, noting that the

organization offers a 24/7 on-site staff that provides support to the residents in areas of daily living, community integration, socialization, etc.

The message also noted that “we hope to continue to build strong relationships within Tabernacle, to provide opportunities for our residents to reach their fullest potential.” It also invited local residents to reach out to the organization with any further questions they might have.

Contacted by the Pine Barrens Tribune, Kameli responded with an email further elucidating how the organization currently provides “structured, person-centered services to 140 adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities,” and that its “Day Habilitation Programs create opportunities for each individual to explore and develop skills in horticulture, technology, culinary arts, painting and music, just to name a few.”

Kameli concluded the message by pointing out that, according to 2021 data from the New Jersey Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs, there are 1,402 students with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities in Burlington County alone and that “these children are growing up and aging out of the school system and will all need services.”

She added that she would also like to bring to everyone’s attention that the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 clearly states that “People with disabilities have the same rights as all people to non-discrimination, access, equality of opportunity, inclusion and full access and full participation in society.”

PPine Grove Tenants

Pine Grove Plaza Shopping Center

18 BROADWAY, 5 BROWNS MILLS, NEW JERSEY 08015 RETAIL SPACE AVAILABLE! FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL:

856-218-8677 7

ALBA PIZZA

TOP NAIL SALON

PINE GROVE DRY CLEANERS

Page 12 ♦

WORSHIP GUIDE

WWW.PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM

Saturday, June 3, 2023

First Baptist Church

Please join us for Worship

COME VISIT! We would love to meet you!

Rev. Vernl E. Mattson, Pastor 39 Main Street Vincentown, NJ 08088

9:00 am Contemporary In-Person or Facebook Live

Sunday School����������������������������������9:45 a�m�

10:30 am Traditional

follow usa�m� on Sunday Worship Service �����������������������11

facebook.com/MedfordUMC Cross Roads Youth Group - Sundays �������5 p�m�

In-Person or Facebook Live

Bible Study - Wednesdays �����������������6:30 p�m� File Photo

Councilwoman Gail Caputo during a 2021 Medford Lakes Borough Council appearance, who is described as having missed several meetings since that time as a result of having an “ill mother that she has to care for” and “a young child she can’t leave alone.”

ABSENTEE

(Continued from Page 1) sessions, to the point that the borough mayor came to the defense of one of the members in reading a prepared statement into the record.

The accusations, levied by Former Borough Councilman Joseph A. Aromando III, a frequent council critic and challenger, apparently against Councilwoman Gail Caputo and Councilman Thomas Cranston (the latter under fire for his having reportedly missed numerous borough Planning Board meetings as also a sitting member of that public body) are not necessarily new ones, but Aromando has significantly stepped up his public criticisms of the pair since April as both Caputo and Cranston have missed additional meetings since the start of the year.

According to public official attendance records later provided by the borough to the Pine Barrens Tribune in response to an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request, there were 10 borough council meetings held last year and Caputo was marked absent for four of them.

There have been seven borough council meetings held so far this year. Caputo is recorded as having missed three, including two consecutive meetings held April 26 and May 10, respectively.

“Is she absent of her own volition?” asked Aromando during a May 10 council session, with the former councilman apparently referring to Caputo, with her having been absent from that session and the only woman currently serving on council (Aromando, in the past, has called her out by name when challenging the councilwoman’s attendance record). “Are you guys picking on her? Are you guys upsetting her? Is there some reason why she can’t make the meetings?”

Medford Lakes Mayor Dr. Gary Miller initially responded that he “doesn’t know” if the former borough councilman is being “facetious or not.”

“Rest assured, for the record, nobody is picking on her,” Miller declared.

Aromando first raised the borough councilwoman’s attendance record last year.

At that time, Caputo had been recorded as having missed the four council meetings for 2022. And for some of the sessions that Caputo did attend, she did so remotely, at times setting herself apart from the rest of her colleagues.

“What is going to happen here?” pressed Aromando of council on May 10.

File Photo

Councilman Thomas Cranston, whose recent purported spate of absences from the local planning board have been said to be the result of “a professional commitment.”

After not receiving an immediate answer to that question, Aromando walked away from the microphone, but in the process of doing so, shouted, “Does she want to be here?”

Medford Lakes provides two public comment periods at its meetings, one at the very beginning and one at the conclusion of regular business having been conducted.

Aromando returned to the microphone for a second time on May 10, declaring, “With regard to the state statute, it says for people who ‘vacate’ their seat, the council has an obligation to act, and their remedy is to either ‘remove’ or ‘excuse.’”

“I am not the solicitor here,” the former borough councilman added. “I don’t know whether you have gone to him. But is there any action happening in the near future to address this?”

Aromando, after not receiving a reply to that question, pressed the council as to whether “something” is going to be done. He further demanded to know whether it will take action to either “excuse” or “remove” the councilwoman. He contended there is a “violation here” that is “clear to the statute.”

“Some action needs to be done,” Aromando quipped. “It can’t just be ignored.”

Aromando then seemingly turned his attention to Cranston’s planning board attendance record, though for the May 10 council meeting he simply referred to him as “that person,” instead of by name. (In April, however, he mentioned Cranston by name in criticizing the councilman’s planning board attendance record.)

According to the public official attendance records obtained by this newspaper, there were a total of 10 local planning board meetings in 2022. Cranston missed seven of them.

So far, this year, according to the records, there have been a total of five local planning board meetings. Cranston has only been marked present for one of them, having missed four of the five sessions.

“The other thing is, the planning board administrator, in his role, is to make a ‘referral’ to council in regard to an absentee member of the planning board,” said Aromando during the May 10 council session. “That person (Cranston) also met the threshold. His (Borough Clerk Mark McIntosh’s) obligation was to do that. Did you do that?”

McIntosh responded, “I have not referred anything,” which led Aromando to ask, “Is there any reason?”

“Our solicitor said that was your responsibility and obligation,” Aromando See ABSENTEE/ Page 13

Prayer Fellowship - Wednesdays ��������7:15 p�m� Adult Choir Practice - Wednesdays ����7:30 p�m�

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

www.fbcvnj.org • 609-859-8967

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

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

www.iamthatiamministriesinnc.com

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

Trinity Episcopal Church 18 Mill St. Vincentown, NJ 08088 Worship: Sundays 10 a.m.

609-859-2299 Transportation Available Call 609-859-2883

Riephoff Sawmill 609-259-7265

www.riephoffsawmill.com

We are a family-owned business for over 50 years supplying top-quality lumber products.

• Oak Fence Boards & Posts • Custom Cut Hardwood Lumber • Tree Stakes - Trailer Decking • Crane Mats

WE BUY STANDING TIMBER 763 Route 524, Allentown, NJ 08501

Saturday, June 3, 2023

AD HOTLINE: (609) 801-2392 or SALES@PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM

AUTOMOBILES/TRUCKS

HELP WANTED

Cash Paid for Your Car. Looking to buy better than junk cars.

Call 1-866-261-5277. We come to you.

Tabernacle Township is seeking a full-time Deputy Clerk. Possession of a Registered Municipal Clerk Certification (RMC) is preferred. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, all of the statutory duties pursuant to NJSA 40A:9-133 et.seq., preparing Township Committee agendas, and meeting minutes, noticing, attending meetings of the Township Committee, processing OPRA requests, issuing licenses and permits, assisting with the administration of elections, record management duties, process mail daily, and perform other assigned duties in accordance with state and local laws. Applicant must have excellent communication skills and the ability to work cooperatively with elected officials, department heads, employees, volunteers, and the public. Microsoft Word proficiency is required. Tabernacle Township is an EOE. Salary commensurate with experience. This is not a remote position, the employee will be required to be in the office. Submit resume, with a cover letter of interest, reference letters, and copies of their NJ certifications (if received) to mbrown@townshipoftabernacle-nj.gov.

The Township reserves the right to interview candidates as applications are received.

CA$H

PAID FOR YOUR CAR

DENTAL INSURANCE *Physicians Mutual Insurance Company.

Covers 350 procedures. Real insurance - not a dis-count plan. Get your free dental info kit!

1-855-526-1060 www.dental50plus.com/ads #6258.

FURNITURE REPAIR Adam’s Furniture Restoration, LLC. Fully insured. Furniture repair, kitchen cabinet refinishing, touch-ups, and in-home services.

Call 1-856-979-6210. Visit www.facebook. com/adamsfurnres .

GARAGE SALE Garage sale on June 10 and 11, 2023. Jewelry boxes, cameras, hot wheels, leather jackets, 2015 Road Glide windshield, comic books, posters, toys, flatware, 20-ton jack and four stands, and shed tools. 4 Isleta Lane, Browns Mills. Call 609-893-3104 for more information.

HAULING ANYTHING, WE HAUL IT. ATTICS, BASEMENTS, DEMOLITIONS, SHEDS REMOVED, POOLS REMOVED, SPACEPLACES CLEANED OUT, ETC. CALL 609-694-9356.

Household appliances.

Televisions, furniture, etc. for disposal or transport.

Garage and yard cleanups along with lawn cutting and gutter cleaning. Free estimates.

Call or Text Bob at 1-609-880-3789.

WOODLAND (Continued from Page 9)

“We do have emergency authorizations in the CMP,” replied Susan R. Grogan, acting executive director of the Pinelands Commission, with “CMP” an acronym for the com m ission’s Comprehensive Management Plan, which contains the rules that guide land-use, development and natural resource protection programs in the state Pinelands Area, the original version of which was adopted on Nov. 21, 1980, and last updated on May 16, 2022.

G rog a n , h ow e ve r, d i d n’t r e m a rk a ny f u r t her ab out whet her su ch a n authorization would be considered for the proposed cell tower.

Woodland’s cell tower project has also been stymied, in part, by the CMP regulations.

DeGroff, on May 24, agreed with the chief that having a well in place at the Chatsworth firehouse of the Woodland

LAWYERS Erwin Apell Attorney, Browns Mills. All legal matters - free hotline 24/7. Visa, Mastercard. Call 609-220-3059 or email Erwinapell@gmail.com .

today. 20% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-833-610-1936.

*Diagnosed with lung cancer? You may qualify for a substantial cash award - even with smoking history. No obligation! We’ve recovered millions. Let us help!! Call 24/7, 1-877-648-2503.

*Free high speed internet if qualified. Govt. pgm for recipients of select pgms incl.

Medicaid, SNAP, Housing Assistance, WIC, Veterans Pension, Survivor Benefits, Lifeline, Tribal. 15 GB internet. Android tablet free w/one-time $20 copay. Free shipping. Call Maxsip Telecom! 1-833-758-3892.

*DIRECTV Stream - Carries the most local MLB Games! Choice Package $89.99/mo for 12 mos Stream on 20 devices at once. HBO Max included for 3 mos (w/Choice Package or higher.) No contract or hidden fees! Some restrictions apply. Call IVS 1-866-859-0405. *DISH TV $64.99 For 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply. Promo Expires 1/31/24.

1-866-479-1516. *Donate Your Car to Veterans Today! Help and Support our Veterans. Fast - FREE pick up.

100% tax deductible. Call 1-800-245-0398. *Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule free LeafFilter estimate

Volunteer Fire and EMS company “would have come in handy last week” for a blaze on Second Street, which Viscardi reported du r i ng the late st reg u lar com m itte e meeting is “still under investigation” as to its cause.

The blaze destroyed a home, displacing a military family. The home was reportedly once owned and occupied by Woodland’s former mayor, Matt Henrich.

“Basically, with Pinelands, we have got to get their blessing before we move for ward at al l (w ith the wel l),” said DeG rof f, b efore d i re cti ng tow nsh ip officials to “stress” to the commission that the “money we have” has “a time limit on using,” with Rosmando confirming that in order to use CARES Act funds for a purchase, the township “has to encumber it by December of next year.”

“It would greatly benefit the town,” DeGroff declared. “Not only can the trucks fill up (with water) for (battling) forest fires, but right now we have no place to fill the trucks.”

*HughesNet - Finally, super-fast internet no matter where you live. 25 Mbps just $59.99/ mo! Unlimited Data is Here. Stream Video.

Bundle TV & Internet. Free Installation. Call 866-499-0141. *Inflation is at 40 year highs. Interest rates are way up. Credit Cards. Medical Bills. Car Loans. Do you have $10k or more in debt?

Call National Debt Relief to find out how to pay off your debt for significantly less than what you owe! Free quote: 1-877-592-3616.

SPRING CLEANUPS Spring cleanups, lawn cutting, and gutter cleaning. Shrub pruning and some tree work, along with hauling. Free estimates=reasonable rates. Call or Text Bob at 1-609-880-3789.

READER ADVISORY * Reader Advisory: The National Trade Association we belong to has purchased the above classifieds with an asterisk. Determining the value of their service or product is advised by this publication. In order to avoid misunderstandings, some advertisers do not offer employment but rather supply the readers with manuals, directories and other materials designed to help their clients establish mail order selling and other businesses at home.

Under NO circumstance should you send any money in advance or give the client your checking, license ID, or credit card numbers. Also beware of ads that claim to guarantee loans regardless of credit and note that if a credit repair company does business only over the phone it is illegal to request any money before delivering its service. All funds are based in U.S. dollars. Toll free numbers may or may not reach Canada.

WANTED

*Are you a pet owner? Do you want to get up to 100% back on vet bills? Physicians Mutual In-surance Company has pet coverage that can help! Call 1-844-774-0206 to get a free quote or visit insurebarkmeow.com/ads.

*Become a published author. We want to read your book! Dorrance Publishing trusted since 1920. Consultation, production, promotion &

♦ Page 13

distribution. Call for free author’s guide 1-877729-4998 or visit dorranceinfo.com/ads.

MISCELLANEOUS

*BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available.

Call: 855-761-1725.

MARKETPLACE/JOB BOARD

MIG Welder

Triple D has an immediate opening for a skilled full time MIG Welder. In this position, daily responsibilities will include laying out metal components, cutting, fabricating, and welding with GMAW (Gas Metal Arc Welding) parts. Our ideal candidate should have at least one year of welding experience and a working knowledge of standard welding tools, techniques, and consistently work to improve performance with strong teamwork mentality. Wage range is based on experience. Benefit package includes paid major holidays, vacation, sick-time, healthcare, and pension plan.

Interested individuals should contact Triple D Enterprises, Inc. at 609-859-3000 or send resume to sales@triplednj.com

ABSENTEE

(Continued from Page 12) added.

Before McIntosh could respond, Miller interceded, contending he would not allow the meeting to turn into a cross examination of a public official.

“Bring it up offline with the clerk,” Miller advised Aromando.

But that led the for mer boroug h councilman to assert, “I don’t understand why these things aren’t done,” further maintaining “out of respect for a citizen” an “answer” should be given for something as “simple as this.”

“I don’t want to go home with these mysteries,” Aromando declared. “It keeps me up at night.”

Aromando, after raising a number of other issues, including quipping that council meetings are a “place where ideas go to die, sadly,” returned to what he saw as chronic absenteeism by the pair of elected officials, declaring, “When people are doing things wrong like not attending meetings, it would be good to know they are held accountable.”

“The way things are now, they are totally not acceptable,” added Aromando, a statement that also covered his concerns about a purported continued lack of routine updates to the borough website (where minutes haven’t been posted in months), as well as departmental reports not being submitted by a required deadline. “I just hope, and believe, you all know that, and know you can do better. And the only way we can do that is by the leadership of the See ABSENTEE/ Page 15

Page 14 ♦

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

WWW.PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM

Saturday, June 3, 2023

Local BUSINESS & SERVICE DIRECTORY ATTORNEY

ASPHALT PAVING

AUTOMOTIVE

LAW OFFICE OF KIT APPLEGATE VINCENTOWN, NJ

CALL NOW

for No Money Down Financing Options!

609-457-3959

• Roofing • Siding • Gutters • Paving

(609) 228-5750 GENERAL PRACTICE ATTORNEY SERVING THE RESIDENTS OF LEISURETOWNE SERVING THE SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESSES OF SOUTH JERSEY HOME AND OFFICE VISITS AVAILABLE FREE IN-HOME CONSULTATION ESTATE PLANNING PACKAGES STARTING AT $500 Please don’t hesitate to call for more information: (609) 228-5750 or www.kitapplegatelaw.com

Proud to be Local Women Owned Small Business NM-00497209

HIC# 13VH11412400

BATHTUB REFINISHING

Making Old Tubs Look New! Tub and Tile Tii Glazing • • Countert rtop t Refinishing

Quiles Quality Tubs

CONCRETE FLOOR COATINGS

• • •

Garage Floors and More!

Decorative Concrete Floor Coatings Concrete Grinding and Surface Preparation

SINCE 1989

COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL Whole House Generators Backhoe & Bucket Truck Service

Want to talk now? ...Call me at

Free Estimates • Fully Insured Commercial/Residential • 10% Senior and Veteran Discouunt

Over 10 Years Experience

NJ Lic. #0450332322

Call Jorge 609-752-2308 • Email quilesqualitytubs@yahoo.com

ELECTRICAL/SOLAR

ELECTRICAL

866.654.4800

A+ BBB Rating • FREE Estimates

609-894-9014

RUSS HUBSCHMAN

www.bearelectricco.com

OWNER • LIC# 9924

www.wecoatconcrete.com

ELECTRICAL Phone (609) 859-2424 License HIC 13VH00274200 NJ State License #8759

LANDSCAPING

Fax (609) 859-0941 Cell (609) 820-0292

Lawn Cutting, Fertilization & Bed Maintenance Landscape, Shrub & Tree Installation In Business Over 25 Years

•Sales •Service •Installation NJ ELEC LIC. #17352 NJ HIC LIC. #13VH06386900 PA HIC LIC. # PA103855

JEFF PEREZ Owner/Operator

2127 Suite D, Route 206, Southampton, NJ 08088

SHAMROCK Heating & Air Conditioning

INC.

Email: jperez@paradise-solar-energy.com

www.paradisesolarllc.com

MASONRY

Joseph Scialabbo Sr. Licensed Master Electrician Joseph.S@Shamrock-Inc.com www.shamrock-inc.com

143 Red Lion Rd. P.O. Box 2537 Vincentown, NJ 08088

“We Provide a View for You to Come Home To” Credit C reditt C Cards ards Accepted Acceepted NJ Lic. 13VHO1135600

PAINTING

MASONRY AND CONCRETE REPAIRS

Pest Lic. 98445A

PAINTING Fully Insured

MATT

NOBLE

• Brick • Block • Stucco • Stone • Concrete Since 1975

NJ Lic 13VH08130600

NOBLE PAINTING

LLC

P i i Painting &S Staining i i Residential - Commercial Interior - Exterior

PAINTING

Power Washing

45 Years’ Experience

Call 856-268-7013

609-859-1633 609-654-7651 609-868-1178 (Cell) Serving All Areas

No Job Too Small!

PEST CONTROL

Office: 609-268-1211 • Text: 856-297-5200 Email: classic@mygogreen.com • www.MyGoGreen.com

tel: 609 • 801 • 2420

POWER WASHING

PET SERVICES Fullyy Insured

NJ Lic 13VH08130600

POWER WASHING

MATT

1603 Route 206, Tabernacle, NJ 08088

NOBLE

Phone: (609) 535-5201 • Fax: (609) 535-5202 Email: bbpetsalon@yahoo.com 125 Red Lion Road Southampton, NJ 08088

POWER WASHING 47 Years’ Experience

609-859-1633

Wash Away the Pollen Remove mold, grime, dust and dirt from houses, buildings, decks and concrete surfaces.

CALL NOW TO SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT!

609-654-7651

Serving All Areas

609-868-1178

(Cell)

BUSINESS DIRECTORY ♦ Page 15

AD HOTLINE: (609) 801-2392 or SALES@ PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM

Saturday, June 3, 2023

Local BUSINESS & SERVICE DIRECTORY POWER WASHING

PUBLIC ADJUSTERS

ROOFING

PROPERT Y DAMAGE?

WE BEAT EVERY WRITTEN OFFER...

Call Joe First!

Joseph R. Moore Jr. Public Adjusters, LLC

609-330-2292

609-424-6292 609 424 6292

Licensed and Insured

royalpowerwash.net

royalpowerwashingllc@yahoo.com

P.O. Box 326 Medford, NJ 08055

email: joe@joemoorepublicadjusters.com JoeMoorePublicAdjusters.com

Personalized service for homeowners claims: FIRE • SMOKE E • WIND IND • WATER WATE ER • FLOOD FL OD • ETC. ET TC.

DIAMOND ROOFING

Has Been in Business For Over 35 Years

Guaranteed Return Phone Call Within 24 Hours!

Owned & Operated By Dave Mikulski Lic.#13H01716900

Call 609-268-9200

Operates in All of South Jersey Specializing in Roofing and Gutters FREE Estimates • Fully Insured Operates from Sunrise to Sunset

OFFERING FREE ESTIMATES

TOWING

TREE SERVICES

N.J. Lic. #NJTC768133

TREE SERVICES

TREE SERVICES

Reynolds & Sons Tree Service

Land Clearing

Removals

WELL SERVICES Firewood

“Professional Quality Service is a Family Tradition”

Serving Burlington County for 33 Years Fully Insured

Expert Tree Care Landscaping

Free Estimates

Firewood

Medford Area 609-654-1900

Mt. Laurel 856-234-3453

ABSENTEE

(Continued from Page 13) people elected.”

Miller acknowledged “Aromando raised a few issues” and asked “if there is anyone who wishes to address them,” but only one about another item was addressed May 10.

Caputo attended council’s subsequent May 24 session, and in person.

And during the session in which she appeared, Miller referred to Aromando’s May 10 remarks about the “attendance of one of our councilpersons,” before declaring, “I think it needs to be clearly presented as to what our position is on this.”

“The individual in question has an ill mother that she has to care for,” explained Miller in reading from a prepared statement.

“She has got a young child she can’t leave alone, and she can’t leave the mother, either.

This puts real constraints on her to be free and to do certain things. She makes every effort to make the meetings, and when she doesn’t, she is in contact with me and the borough manager to find out what is going on.”

Miller maintained that both he and Borough Manager Dr. Robert Burton, in the event of knowing that Caputo is going to be absent from a council session, “ask for her input at that point in time so we can consider it.”

“Council understands these constraints

Pemberton 609-893-9329

P.O. Box 311 Medford, N.J. 08055 Robert H. Griscom Fully Insured NJTC768766

she has got, and is alright with this,” Miller said. “The law provides for us to make exceptions to allow for a certain amount of absenteeism that is acceptable, and we are simply going to continue on and hope the councilwoman can make the meetings when she can, and if she can’t, she will be in touch with us. We will leave it at that – I think that is a reasonable accommodation. It works for us. It hasn’t impeded us in any way shape or form, and we are able to get our work done as a council.”

Caputo, in her only comments of the evening, remarked, “Thank-you, mayor.”

Several municipalities in the state have a codified absentee policy along the lines of, “In the event that an elected official or member of a board, committee, or authority established fails to attend and participate at meetings of such body for a period of six consecutive weeks, or three consecutive meetings, whichever shall be of a longer duration, without being excused for just cause, the municipal clerk or secretary of said body shall notify the governing body, in writing, of that determination. Said council, board, committee or authority may refuse to excuse said absences only with respect to those failures to attend or participate which are not due to just cause.”

As for Cranstons’ absences from the local planning board, it remained an issue that had largely not been publicly addressed by the councilman – that is until this newspaper emailed him an inquiry for this story.

(609) 654-6602

NJ Lic. 13VH06395500 “Due to a professional commitment, I have missed a number of planning board meetings recently,” the councilman told this newspaper. “However, I do not anticipate this being a long-term time conflict.”

Cranston, who has missed only one of the seven council meetings so far this year, pointed out he did attend the planning board meeting held in May. A LinkedIn profile page for Cranston identifies him as the owner of Scafidi, Cranston & Associates, LLC, since 2004, a certified public accountants’ group. He is a co-founding partner, according to the firm’s website.

Cranston, in the response to th is newspaper’s query, did not address a question posed to him about whether he was at all concerned that there could be a resulting lack of scrutiny, from a councilperson’s vantage point, being given to any of the recent applications heard by the planning board.

However, the councilman did maintain in his response that, “I have been a member of the planning board for approximately 16 years, and overall, my attendance has been good.”

Aromando, during an April 26 Medford Lakes Borough Council meeting, also declared, “the attendance on the planning board has really been bad” overall.

Ac c ord i ng t o t h e publ i c of fi c i a l attendance records, 11 people serve on the borough planning board. Not one member is recorded as having attended all

Keith Abrams Lic# 1283

10 sessions held last year.

While about half of the members missed only one or two meetings last year, there was one individual who attended only half of the sessions held, while two other appointees missed approximately 43 percent of the sessions.

“They have barely been getting people to show up,” said Aromando on April 26.

“Your one appointment here – I made a point at the last meeting, and now he is here – the state law says that when you miss an ‘X’ number of consecutive meetings, that is grounds for you to be removed. … I would ask Mr. Cranston to just step down and let somebody else be appointed, because I understand you have responsibilities, jobs and a life – but not attending is an insult to the residents of Medford Lakes.

“And missing three consecutive meetings, along with the number of meetings that you have missed, is just wrong. I don’t know why you would let somebody get away with this. Anybody who had a job here, who missed that much time, wouldn’t have a job anymore! And it is really upsetting!”

Aromando, when he raised the attendance record of both Caputo and Cranston last year, had called on both of them at that time to resign from their positions.

The overall attendance of the planning board has been somewhat better so far this year, according to the public records provided to this newspaper.

Page 16 ♦

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

WWW.PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM

Saturday, June 3, 2023

CANCER PREVENTION: Current Screening and Diet Recommendations Monday, June 5, 2023 | 6 p.m.

Location: Zoom Meeting and Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell NJ PURE Conference Center | One Capital Way, Pennington, NJ 08534 Early detection and prevention are important weapons in the fight against cancer. Join DR. CATALDO DORIA, medical director of Capital Health Cancer Center, and medical oncologist DR. ARTURO LOAIZA-BONILLA to learn about the latest cancer screening recommendations. Melissa Phelps, a registered dietitian and boardcertified specialist in oncology nutrition at Capital Health Cancer Center, will also share tips for healthy eating to prevent cancer.

This event will be taking place in person at Capital Heath Medical Center – Hopewell, with the option of attending virtually using Zoom. Register by calling 609.394.4153 or register online at capitalhealth.org/events, and be sure to include your email address.

For those attending virtually, Zoom meeting details will be provided via email 2 – 3 days before the program date. For those that plan to attend in-person, class size is limited, so please register early.

if he had cancer, you would go to the ends of the earth to get him the best treatment.

Welcome to Capital Health.

Welcome to the first facility in the region to offer a robotic-assisted Whipple procedure to treat pancreatic cancer.

Where a multi-disciplinary team of surgeons, radiologists, oncologists, and rehabilitation services collaborate to provide the best care and the care that’s best for him. And all under one roof.

Because you’d go to the ends of the earth to make sure he got care like that.

And so do we.

Become a part of it today at capitalhealthcancer.org

@capitalhealthnj