Buena Vista Township

News Clips 2004

Vineland YMCA may operate Buena Vista community center 8/31/04

BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP - quote: 'You have to remember that Buena Vista is in a remote location. Sometimes it's not always the focus of many agencies. So we're very happy that the YMCA is talking with us.' - Buena Vista Mayor Chuck Chiarello

Vineland's YMCA might take over the operation of the township's Martin Luther King Jr. Community Complex sometime this fall.

The organization was the only one of more than 30 organizations to respond to letters township officials sent out July 16 offering the opportunity to operate the 10,000-square-foot center. The deadline to submit a proposal was Aug. 9.

The Atlantic Rural Development Coalition has run the community center since it opened in 1998.

But township officials, citing a lack of programs offered by the ARDC, are terminating that organization's services Oct. 1.

Mayor Chuck Chiarello said Monday that the Vineland YMCA, which is located on East Landis Avenue, is still considering whether to accept responsibility for operating the center.

Vineland YMCA officials could not be reached for comment Monday. Chiarello said the YMCA was looking at other ways to get involved in the Buena Vista community.

"We're not interested in rushing their decision," he said.

Chiarello added he wasn't surprised that only one social-service organization responded to the township's offer.

"You have to remember that Buena Vista is in a remote location," Chiarello said. "Sometimes it's not always the focus of many agencies. So we're very happy that the YMCA is talking with us."

While a lack of programs has been given as the primary reason for terminating ARDC's services, other problems have been cited in the past.

Poor documentation of the center's finances, irregular hours and a lack of community outreach also were part of the township's decision, Chiarello said in an earlier interview.

"We haven't been impressed with what they've been bringing to the center," he said Monday.

The mayor said the ARDC was welcome to apply for the use of the center to run its own programs, but would have to vacate the center's operations office by the end of September.

ARDC Executive Director Robert Hadley could not be reached for comment.

If the YMCA decides not to operate the center, or does not make a decision by Oct. 1, the township would take over as an interim operator, Chiarello said.

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Muzzarelli, former Buena Vista mayor, dies 8/30/04

BUENA VISTA -- Fernando "Fred" Muzzarelli, a longtime political leader among township Democrats and a former mayor, died Saturday. He was 84.

Muzzarelli was a township committeeman from 1966 to 1982, including a stint as Buena Vista's mayor in 1972-74. But he continued to play an important role in the township's political community for many years after stepping down from office, passing along wisdom and advice to other Democrats.

Current Mayor Chuck Chiarello remembers when he got involved in local politics during the early 1990s and met Muzzarelli and other Buena Vista Democratic Club members.

"Fred, like many of these other gentlemen, were the guiding lights to get you involved in your community. They'd take you around, introduce you to people," Chiarello said.

"He was just a person who had insight to share with you -- who to see, who not to see."

The longtime East Vineland resident seemed to know just about everybody in Buena Vista, recalls Chiarello.

Whenever it was time to seek re-election, Chiarello said, Muzzarelli was one of the people he always visited to seek renewed support. And when new political leaders emerged, he said, they always stopped by to get advice from Muzzarelli.

"He always had an opinion on whatever the topic of the day was," Chiarello said. A framed portrait of Muzzarelli hangs in the Municipal Building along with the six other past mayors who led the township since it split from Buena Borough in 1949.

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Fernando Muzzarelli, 84 Former irrigation salesman for Lee Rain and Barton Supply 8/30/04

Fernando "Fred" Muzzarelli, 84, of Buena Vista Township passed away on Saturday, Aug. 28, 2004, at his residence.

Fred was born in Italy before moving to Buena Vista Township, where he was a longtime resident, from Illinois. He attended Vineland schools and was employed as an irrigation salesman for Lee Rain and Barton Supply for more than 25 years. He was a member of the Buena Vista Exchange Club, the Landisville Social Club, the American Legion of Minotola and the Buena Vista Democratic Club. Fred served as a Buena Vista Township committeeman from 1966 to 1982, and as Buena Vista Township mayor from 1972 to 1974. Fred also served as township treasurer and sat on its planning board. He also was a member of the League of Municipalities. He was a United States Army veteran serving during World War II holding the rank of corporal. He received the distinguished Unit Badge, Purple Heart, Combat Infantry Badge and the American Defense Service Ribbon. He especially enjoyed his family, friends, watching sports and taking care of his yard.

He is survived by his daughter, Linda (Muzzarelli) Sikking of Vineland; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Edna and Edward Leonelli and Irene and Al Cioni, all of Vineland; a sister-in-law, Elizabeth Muzzarelli of Vineland; his grandson and wife, Daniel and Beth Sikking of Dorothy; a granddaughter and husband, Janice and Jim Stadtmueller of Egg Harbor City; five great-grandsons; one great great-grandson; a special friend, Marge Ruggeri; and many nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his wife, Cesira (Giacomelli) Muzzarelli; his son, Fred Muzzarelli Jr.; and his brother, Egidio Delmo Muzzarelli.

A funeral Liturgy will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday from the St. Padre Pio Parish at St. Mary's Church, 736 Union Road, Vineland. Interment will follow in the Sacred Heart Cemetery, Vineland. Visitation will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday and from 8:15 to 9:15 a.m. Wednesday at the Rone Funeral Home, 1110 E. Chestnut Ave., Vineland.

Donations may be made to Compassionate Care Hospice, 516 High St., No. 11, Mount Holly, NJ 08260.

Arrangements were made by Rone Funeral Service.

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A new taste for South Jersey 8/30/04

BUENA VISTA -- With row upon row of wine-making kits stocking the shelves

 alongside wine bottles of many different sizes and hues, the Richland General Store fits nicely into the Atlantic County landscape, where a half-dozen wineries make their homes.

The county's common thread has prompted some to toy with the idea of promoting the region's unique assets, including its heavy concentration of wineries.

Still in the early discussion stages, the marketing campaign concept would encompass the greater South Jersey region's hidden treasures like hotels, restaurants, golf courses and, of course, wineries. The stepped-up publicity -- possibly consisting of brochures, signage and the establishment of a wine district -- would make the area not just a stop on the way to the shore but also a tourist destination, proponents say.

Highlighting the local attractions would lure visitors to stop in the region and lead to longer stays, Buena Vista Mayor Chuck Chiarello said.

He and other township officials have already begun their parts in the overall effort. Buena Vista has secured $410,000 in grant funding to pay for the "Richland Village" project, which will include new sidewalks, ornamental trees, decorative benches and lighting along a stretch of Route 40 between Cedar and Holly avenues.

Part of the money was used to purchase a parcel on Main Avenue and Route 40 next to the Richland General Store, which will serve as a visitors' parking lot for about 20 cars. A railroad-themed bus station will front the parking area along Route 40.

From its own pool of economic development funds, the township has purchased additional land parcels that will form part of the revitalization project. The latest is a $34,500 purchase for a 1-acre site adjacent to the railroad tracks crossing Route 40 that Buena Vista officialsare considering developing for a train-related use.

The township is also "absolutely interested" in attracting the county's seventh winery into Richland, the mayor said.

The region already has much to offer, said Jim Quarella, owner of Bellview Winery in Landisville. Especially in the last 20 years, since farmers began planting European- and California-style grapes, the local wine industry has thrived.

"Now we're making wine the whole world enjoys," Quarella said. "It's an up-and-coming wine region."

In a microcosm of the region's success, Bellview Winery this summer built a 3,500-square-foot addition.

But the success stories aren't limited to the sale of prepared wines.

At Richland General Store, wine-making and homebrew supplies account for about one-third of the store's total sales, owner Thomas Gill said.

That's a far cry from the store's initial forays into wine-making supplies, which began with the sale of a few corks and other disposable items that supplied the older generation of local Italians who produced and bottled their own wines from scratch, Gill explained.

Attempting to be much more than just a hardware store, Richland General Store has launched a Web site, which is still under construction, that it plans to devote exclusively to the sale of wine-making equipment and home-brewery supplies in an attempt to broaden its customer base.

Such individual efforts show there's room to grow in promoting the region's wine offerings, and proponents say the best way to do that is through a coordinated effort.

Quarella would like to see signs, indicating tourist attractions, that are uniform among municipalities. He also sees the possibility of using tourism and municipal Web sites as ways to market the wineries.

"South Jersey is its own area -- it's flat, sandy and there's no reason that all the different people that make wine shouldn't have some little connection to each other," said Evan Shea, 33, of Millville. He was introduced to wine-making five years ago after a stop at Richland General Store, where he still buys wine-making kits.

"South Jersey is a region," Shea said, "and there's nothing wrong with making it notable."

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Highlighting some of the good and bad 8/23/04

Thumbs up:

For the decision to continue televising Vineland school board work sessions.

These work sessions are a public service, they help foster communication between the board and the public, and enable residents to learn what issues the board is debating and what is up for consideration at its regular meetings.

Board members who grandstand will just have to control their theatrics. Those who are afraid to speak their minds because of the camera may want to consider another line of work.

A more open government is always better for the people, especially when you consider it's our tax dollars they're spending and our children they're educating.

For Third Friday celebrations, which seem to be luring the crowds to the Arts District in downtown Millville.

According to city officials, this year's summer gatherings are attracting about 2,000 people, about double the number who came to last year's once-a-month celebrations that include live music.
The news has city officials, and those who come to the event, dancing with joy - and well they should be. The event provides a pleasant atmosphere for shoppers in the downtown area.

Thumbs down:

To the trash dumpers and litterbugs who turn some of our roadsides and backwoods areas into unsightly pigsties.

We're tired of these people who don't have enough sense to dump the garbage in their own trash bin at home. No area is immune from this pestilence that plagues our communities from Buena Vista Township off Route 54 to the Route 55 exit ramps.

We need an aggressive program to catch these garbage dumpers, and when caught have them pay the cost of the cleanup and do community service time picking up their own and other people's trash to teach them how disgusting it is.

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NEW SIGNS, NEW IMAGE IN BUENA VISTA: Initiative emphasizes township's sections 8/25/04

BUENA VISTA -- There soon won't be any question about which section of Buena

 Vista you're entering.

The township recently began installing 26 welcome signs to mark entry points for the municipality and its six major sections -- Richland, East Vineland, Milmay, Collings Lakes, Newtonville and Buena.

Although the signs welcome people to individual parts of the township, they also feature Buena Vista's trademarked eagle and pine tree logo, serving as a constant reminder to residents that they make up part of the larger township community, Mayor Chuck Chiarello said.

The new signs are part of a larger effort by officials to give the township a "fresh, new image," he said.

The overall initiative includes an image-boosting project to revitalize Richland with improvements including a new streetscape. It also involves an appeal seeking residents' help to curb illegal trash dumping.

The new signs complement those efforts.

"If you're going through someplace nice, you're less apt to dump your trash here," Chiarello explained, adding he takes pride in the signs' appearance and design.

The $6,000 cost of the signs comes from this year's state Clean Communities funding. Chiarello described the spending as a "lasting investment."

He noted the signs replace the old green-and-white fixtures that have welcomed people to Buena Vista Township for the last 15 years. Many of those signs didn't tell passing motorists what sections of the township they were entering.

The reason the new signs emphasize Buena Vista's individual sections, Chiarello said, is that many residents identify most with the immediate vicinity in which they live and their mailing address.

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Buena Vista Twp. Committee to meet tonight 8/23/04

The public is invited to attend the following meeting:

·  Buena Vista Township Committee meets at 7 tonight for a caucus meeting and 8 p.m. for a regular meeting in the Municipal Building, 890 Harding Highway.

·  Proposed ordinance for planting and improvement of trees and shrubs along public highways.

·  Application to permit Buena Vista Emergency Medical Service to hold a coin drop Aug. 27 and 28 on Landis Avenue, Cedar Avenue and Tuckahoe Road

·  Request for a street light at 5496 Chestnut Ave.

·  Appointing an alternate deputy registrar.

·  Application for a six-month temporary trailer permit at 123 Collins Road in Newtonville.

·  Resolution authorizing the chief finance officer to establish a bank account for the parks and recreation trust account.

·  Resolution amending the township's personnel policies prohibiting discrimination and harassment.

·  Resolution authorizing payment of bills totaling $662,730.87.

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Virtual landfills prompt call for help Residents asked to pitch ideas for dealing with litter epidemic 8/19/04

BUENA VISTA -- Rich Calareso surveys the rotten scene before him with a confounded expression on his face.

"There's no reason for this," the township public works director observes, standing at the perimeter of a fly-infested trash heap ensconced along a railroad bed off Jackson Road in Collings Lakes.

Mixed among the sprawling heap are cardboard packing materials, upended chairs, an empty Comet container, beer bottles, latex paint cans and potato chip bags.

Except for a single concrete slab, "there's nothing here you can't put in your recycling or trash," Calareso says.

The seemingly senseless dumping is an issue the rural township grapples with often, and it has prompted officials to challenge residents to come up with new ideas on how to deal with the problem.

Buena Vista has been tireless in its creative trash-tackling measures but may have exhausted them, officials say.

"I've always had an active stance about it," said Mayor Chuck Chiarello, noting in particular the township's implementation of a state-funded Clean Communities program.

The township is getting $17,367 this year in Clean Communities funding that it distributes in the form of minigrants to nonprofit organizations hosting cleanups. The money also pays to supply equipment for those groups and to purchase garbage containers.

The township also participates in the Adopt A Highway program, which allows groups to sponsor roads in exchange for a pledge to keep them litter-free.

Officials have long urged residents to report instances of illegal dumping, promising to follow through on the matter and signing complaints against violators. "We go after the people that do that stuff," Calareso said.

About six to eight months ago, one person was fined more than $1,000 for dumping a truckload of assorted garbage into the woods, he noted.

Part of the overall problem lies in the township's rural character, where numerous finger roads lead into desolate spots in woods once destined to be housing developments that were never built.

In the early 1990s, Buena Vista started blocking access to those roads, which brought the problem largely under control.

But it still continues.

For the public works department, the ongoing problem ranges from scattered litter -- the type that's thrown out of a car window -- to the dumping of abandoned building materials, asbestos and tires, which seem to be the most common items, Calareso said.

Litter is especially prevalent along portions of heavily traveled roads connecting the township to surrounding towns, such as Landis Avenue and Oak Road. Other problem areas are Millville Road in Milmay and Jackson Road.

Public works crews retrieve the carelessly discarded items because "we want our town looking nice," said Calareso. But time spent doing that diverts them from other important tasks.

"We'd rather be fixing a pothole than picking up litter," Calareso said.

The latest mess off Jackson Road will require the public works department to devote at least a day for cleanup. It can't be done with a dump truck because the dirt road, which is wedged between a railroad bed and overgrowth, is so narrow.

Instead, crews will have to use a backhoe and pickup trucks to haul out the trash.

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Taboo Helps Fill Void in Owner's Life 8/17/04

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Race assures memory of Ricky Wilcox still running strong 8/16/04

BUENA -- It became clear in the hours leading up to a 5K race honoring the

 memory of high school wrestling star Ricky Wilcox that the community planned to show its support in full force.

"We were expecting 75 to 100 runners," event organizer Nicole Kemanash said Saturday, the day the first annual Run4Ricky was held. "Last night we had nearly 200 last-minute entrants. This morning we brought extra forms just in case -- and by 9:30 a.m. they were all gone."

In all, more than 400 runners and walkers lined the Wilcox family's driveway on Friendship Road for the 10 a.m. whistle that signaled the start of the race that raised money for the Ricky Wilcox Scholarship Fund. About 200 more supporters turned out to cheer on family and friends as they ran to honor Wilcox along a route that took them past his gravesite.

Wilcox, 18, died in a one-car accident June 14 in Folsom, just a day before he would have graduated from Buena Regional High School. The scholarship in his name will honor students who show the same athletic prowess and collegiate ambitions that he had.

"Today was all that I had expected," said Ricky's younger brother Michael, 17, who will be a BRHS senior. "I think the most memorable part of today was after we all finished the race and shared a moment of silence. Just knowing that everybody there was taking time to remember Ricky, to think about who brought all of us together in the community."

Michael, who was drawn into wrestling when he was 5 and Ricky was 6, hopes to lead his school in a charge for a state title this coming year.

The race preceded a barbecue picnic fund-raiser at Michael Debbi Park in Richland.

Kemanash, as she surveyed the crowd of 600-plus people eating and playing at the park, said she felt an overwhelming sense of the impact Ricky made in the community.

"What amazes me most is how this was made possible," she said as she gestured to numerous booths stocked with donated food and those who made sure everyone was given their fill of chicken, roast beef, pasta salad and Jersey Fresh corn. "Because of the many donations, we raised well over our goal of $5,000 for our first event, perhaps even hit our true goal of $10,000."

A disc jockey at the picnic thanked the crowd on behalf of the Wilcox family for their support and donations -- and told them he looked forward to seeing them at the second annual Run4Ricky.

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Towns set to settle discovery-fee dispute 8/14/04

The recent settlement of a lawsuit that claimed people were overcharged for documents needed for court means that more than 350 municipalities in the state will likely pay $1,700 and amend their township ordinances.

And if the settlement gets final approval at the end of this month, people who were charged for discovery by these towns in recent years may be entitled to a refund of some of their money.

The list includes 20 communities in Atlantic, 16 in Cape May, 13 in southern Ocean and 6 in Cumberland counties.

Some towns have already begun to amend their ordinances. Somers Point passed a resolution earlier this summer approving the payment, which will go to covering the legal costs of the people who filed suit.

Other towns are amending their ordinances to change their fees from a flat-fee to a per-page standard.

The state is moving toward clarifying the fee structure and allowing the state Attorney General to set the allowable costs, said William John Kearns, Jr., who was the lead attorney for the defendant towns.

The class-action lawsuit began last year and includes towns that are both insured by the Municipal Excess Liability Joint Insurance Fund and charged a flat fee for municipal court discovery as of January 2000. Overall, it includes more than half of the state's 566 municipalities.

The settlement resolves a class-action suit that consolidated a half-dozen other suits, including one that named Hamilton Township in Atlantic County. The series of lawsuits challenged fees charged for discovery. The suits said the cost of discovery, the research done before a court case, unjustly enriched the towns and constituted a civil-rights violation.

The towns named in these suits will have to pay an additional $10,000 in the suit, but the cost will be paid by the joint insurance fund, which acts as an insurance agency for municipalities.

Towns had until early July to opt out of the proposed settlement. Only six of the 358 towns, including the city of Cape May, opted out.

Calls to Cape May were transferred to Administrator Luciano V. Corea, who was not in the office Friday afternoon. Township solicitor Anthony Monzo did not return a call seeking comment.

In Atlantic County, the affected towns include: Brigantine, Buena Borough, Buena Vista Township, Corbin City, Egg Harbor City, Egg Harbor Township, Estell Manor, Folsom Borough, Galloway Township, Hamilton Township, Hammonton, Linwood, Longport, Margate, Mullica Township, Northfield, Pleasantville, Somers Point, Ventnor and Weymouth Township.

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YMCA puts in bid to run MLK Center 8/13/04

BUENA VISTA--The Cumberland Cape Atlantic YMCA has submitted the sole bid to become the new operator of the Martin Luther King Center.

The nonprofit organization is negotiating with township officials about the possibility of running the Newtonville center and occupying its 1,450 square feet of office space, with access to outdoor areas and 5,000 additional square feet that includes a large community room and public areas. Officials hope the arrangement leads to better community programs.

Last month, Buena Vista solicited proposals from various organizations in hopes of finding one willing to offer community programs at the township-owned center. Only the YMCA expressed interest.

"I'm very, very pleased," said Mayor Chuck Chiarello, adding he'll meet with the organization to hammer out details. "I'm optimistic for the center and its future and having a relationship with an organization that goes back 78 years in this area."

The Cumberland Cape Atlantic YMCA submitted the bid recognizing that, despite its name, it has no facilities in Atlantic or Cape May counties, said Lisa Scheetz, its director of operations.

Its services are concentrated primarily in the Cumberland County area:

·  It has a main branch on East Landis Avenue in Vineland.

·  It manages the Holly City Family Center in Millville.

·  It operates an 80-acre campground, called Camp Merrywood, in Pittsgrove near the Cumberland County border.

"In our strategic plan, we're looking to partner with other communities to bring resources" into the western end of Atlantic County, said Scheetz.

"There is an obvious need in that community, so we are looking at all the options we have," she said.

The opportunity to set up shop in Newtonville "looked like a good match," given the YMCA's success at the Holly City Family Center, said Scheetz. The organization boasts 2,900 members.

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Portraits honor troopers killed in line of duty8/7/04

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"Thank you from Wilcox family" 8/7/04

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Buena Vista Township Congratulates SJ Healthcare 8/6/04

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Run4Ricky Scholarship Fund event August 14, 2004

Family BBQ
Remembering Ricky Wilcox

Join us August 14, 2004 for the 1st Annual “Run4Ricky” followed by a Family BBQ. We are all saddened by the loss of Ricky and will be doing everything we can to keep his memory alive.

Runners/Walkers will participate in an approximate 3 mile course that will start at Ricky’s house, through the cemetery where Ricky is laid to rest, and around Buena Regional High School. All tickets purchased by participants will include a free t-shirt and BBQ.

All tickets can be purchased in advance by phone M-F 9-5 at 856-205-9032, evenings at 856-207-7452; tickets can also be purchased the day of the event at the race or park entrance.

∙ Runners/walkers meet at 10:00 a.m. at Ricky’s house-
Friendship Rd., behind Buena High School
∙ BBQ follows at Michael Debbi Park; Cedar Ave. Richland,
NJ at 2:00 p.m.
∙ Tickets: Runners $15.00 in advance ($20 at the gate)
includes t-shirt, BBQ & fun
∙ BBQ tickets $15.00 in advance ($20 at the gate) includes
all u can eat food (including hamburgers, hot dogs &
much more) non-alcoholic beverages, lots of activities &
fun
∙ School age children $8.00
∙ Children 6 and under are free
∙ Door Prizes will be awarded
∙ All proceeds to: Ricky Wilcox Scholarship Fund
∙ Visit our website for more updated info @
www.rickywilcox.org

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Beatlemania Again gets Richland to twist and shout 8/5/04

BUENA VISTA -- They loved it, yeah, yeah, yeah.

The crowd of 200-plus gathered Wednesday night at Michael Debbi Park in Richland to twist and shout to the famed music of the Fab Four.

Like the Beatles' first arrival in the United States, fans at the park welcomed their younger carbon-copy alter egos -- collectively known as Beatlemania Again -- with resounding cheers and applause.

Residents at the township's fifth annual summer concert marveled at the group's uncanny resemblance to the real thing.

"I want to tell you one thing," began Bruce Sawn, 47, of Milmay as the foursome rocked on stage, sporting dark suits and the Beatles trademark shaggy dos characteristic of the band's early years. "I think they sound like the band, they really do, with the guitars. It's the whole nine yards. That's the Beatles."

During the two-hour concert, the group played music from three stages in the band's career: the early years, the Sgt. Pepper era and the later years, swapping costumes before each set to fit the part.

But Peggie Canale, 51, a self-proclaimed "Beatle nut" from Vineland, noticed something was amiss about the Paul McCartney lookalike.

He thrummed his bass with his right hand. The real McCoy was left-handed, she said.

Canale's 15-year-old son Alex tagged along.

"I feel it's important for kids to hear it and not just what they see on TV, or hear on the radio or MTV," Canale said.

Alex says kids his age who are unfamiliar with the Beatles may be missing out on something.

"It's good music, they miss out on the music," he said.

Mayor Chuck Chiarello noted the turnout Wednesday was three times larger than typical attendance for the township's weekly summer concerts.

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Securing The Future: Parents get lesson in child safety seats 8/2/04

BUENA VISTA -- More than a dozen parents decided to play it safe Saturday afternoon and stop by the Newtonville Fire Department.

The Route 54 fire hall was the site of a special public awareness event held by state police troopers from the Buena Vista barracks to make sure local children are buckled up properly.

The troopers checked out 26 child safety seats, making sure they were in working condition and installed properly. They also handed out 13 new, free safety seats to parents who needed them and demonstrated the correct way to install them, Trooper Tighe Rocap said.

Fines of as much as $100 can be imposed for failure to use a child safety seat in New Jersey. Children 18 months old or younger must be in a rear-facing restraint seat. Children 5 years old and younger must be in approved child safety seats.

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Route 40 initiative to expand 8/3/04

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Tenant sought for Martin Luther King Center 8/3/04

BUENA VISTA -- With thousands of square feet of space available at the Martin Luther King Community Center, township officials are courting organizations that could manage the Newtonville center and offer services to the local community.

Earlier this month, they mailed out requests for proposals to about 38 nonprofit organizations, mostly in Atlantic County, that might want to make their niche at the Jackson Road center.

The new tenant would occupy 1,450 square feet of office space and have access to outdoor areas and an additional 5,000 square feet that includes a large community room and public areas.

A minimum $15,000 bid for the first year will serve as a "good faith sign that someone is committed to operating the center" and has the financial wherewithal to do so, Mayor Chuck Chiarello said. That money also will help offset the township's $30,000 annual cost to operate and maintain the building. Bids are due Monday.

The financial budget and history of any incoming tenant are issues of primary concern for the township following months of unsuccessful attempts to secure financial information and a management plan from the center's current operator, Atlantic Rural Development Coalition Inc.

ARDC, a community-based organization that provides such services as emergency food and clothing, operates the center at no cost. For the past nine months, despite the township's repeated requests., ARDC had failed to supply adequate information on the center's management and financial operations, officials said.

"The Township Committee regrets having to terminate the agreement with ARDC but had no other choice in light of ARDC's failure to provide the necessary financial information and management plan," township Solicitor Joseph Gindhart wrote to the group earlier this summer.

Township Administrator Ron Trebing is optimistic about prospects for the center's future occupancy.

"There are enough organizations looking for space and looking to expand, and if you ask me it's a good opportunity for somebody to locate there," he said. Because most organizations serve the eastern end of the county, the space is an ideal setting for those who want to expand into the western side, he said.

The community center also houses Rural Opportunities, which operates a migrant farm day care facility, and the African American Museum of Southern New Jersey. The township also runs evening programs at the center, such as story and movie nights.

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Buena Vista Twp. wants new rec center operator 8/3/04

BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP - Township officials are looking to replace the operators of their community center, saying their programs offer little to the community.

But the operator of the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Complex said the move to oust his organization is more about politics than community programming.

"I don't know what more they want," said Robert Hadley, executive director of the Atlantic Rural Development Coalition, which has operated the MLK center in Newtonville since it opened in 1998.

Hadley said his organization has provided a myriad of services since opening.

While not all the programs listed in his agency's brochure - senior hot lunches and computer classes, to name a few - are currently available, they had been offered in the past, he said.

Hadley said township officials soured on his group last year after he refused to provide them with all of the documentation they requested.

I gave them some information, but what was none of their business, I didn't give them, " he said.

Hadley said the fight with the township is over ownership of the community center.

Mayor Chuck Chiarello remembers things differently.

The mayor said the township has waited patiently for ARDC to get its act together.

The community center was built in 1998 through grants the township obtained, Chiarello said.

In 1999, ARDC began operating the center as part of a 5-year grant. But that grant was "suspended" after two years because of the agency's poor performance, Chiarello said.

Last May, the township asked to see financial records for the non-profit group.

Chiarello said the township had trouble getting the documents, and those that were provided painted a poor financial picture.

Chiarello said the ARDC's lengthy list of services - from hot meals to homeless prevention - "sounded good on paper, but that's about it."

Chiarello said the center operated on irregular hours with few activities.

Despite the fact that ARDC was running the center, the township had to hire its own part-time employee to support its youth programming, Chiarello said.

Chiarello said the ARDC's lack of connection to the community became evident one Christmas: A holiday party held at the center drew six children.

"We had a Christmas party at township hall that same year and we had 200 children," he said. "So we knew there wasn't the outreach going on."

On July 16, the township sent a letter to 30 area social service organizations offering the opportunity to run programs from the 10,000-square-foot center.

"A special opportunity is enclosed for a professional organization to manage and provide community services in the western end of Atlantic County," Chiarello wrote potential operators.

The deadline to submit a proposal is 4 p.m. Aug. 9.

The township is looking for more from its next community center operator. Besides more programming, the successful bidder must also agree to a $15,000-a-year lease.

The center doesn't sit unused. Senior citizens meet there and roughly one-third of the community center houses a children's day-care facility for migrant farmworkers.

Neither the day-care program nor other operations will be affected, Chiarello said.

The township has set Oct. 1 as the date for a new operator.

Hadley said his organization is not going without a fight; he plans to submit his own proposal by Monday's deadline.

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Encouraging fans to 'Come Together' 'Beatlemania Again' brings Fab 4 to the stage in Buena Vista 8/2/04

"Ladies and gentlemen, The Beatles!"

With those words, Ed Sullivan introduced America to Beatlemania, a sensation that still is going strong after 40 years.

Current and future fans can catch "Beatlemania Again" from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Michael Debbi Park in Buena Vista.

The show covers three eras of Beatles music: The band's early years, the Sgt. Pepper era and later years.

The band dresses in costumes and plays instruments favored by the band during each period, according to "Beatlemania Again" manager Rich Morello of Stratford.

"Using the original equipment adds to the show," said Morello, who also plays the drums as Ringo Starr. "It really lets us get the sounds and the tones that they did."

The band is made up by Morello, Lucien Nocelli as John Lennon, Alan LeBoeuf as Paul McCartney and Tom Godsman as George Harrison. Each is an accomplished musician in his own right, but continues the Beatles tradition "for love of the music," according to Morello.

"It's pretty satisfying. It relates to all age groups," he said.

Morello's favorite portion of the show is the Sgt. Pepper material.

"It's very complex, musically," he said.

He said he especially enjoys performing songs like "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," and "Yellow Submarine," songs that The Beatles never played before an audience because they stopped touring in 1966.

Even if The Beatles did continue touring, Morello said they could not have performed the songs without pre-recorded background tracks.

"Then, they didn't have keyboards, but now, technology allows us to perform those songs," he said.

According to Morello, the biggest reactions come from the audience when the band strikes up "Twist and Shout," which they often use as an encore.

Buena Vista Mayor Chuck Chiarello said that he couldn't wait to see the performance spanning The Beatles' early years.

'"I Want to Hold Your Hand,' 'She Loves You,' those are my favorites. I'm mostly an early-Beatles fan," he said.

Chiarello is such a Beatles fanatic that he asked for the concert to be rescheduled around his trip to the Democratic National Convention.

The show originally was scheduled for July 28, but the mayor asked that it be moved to Wednesday.

'"Beatlemania (Again) is kind of a first," he said. "They had the date open and we could do it, so we switched things around a bit."

Admission to Beatlemania Again is $5 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under.

Some seating is available, but Chiarello suggested bringing chairs or a blanket, especially if residents hope to "really get up close."

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