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News Clips 2004
Buena Vista soldier serves at home, then duty in Iraq 12/31/04
BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP -
Christopher Henderson leaves for war in three days and will work through New
Year's Eve rebuilding his stepmother's dilapidated home. When he is not
replacing windows or laying cement, he consoles his mother, stepmother and his
young siblings, still reeling from his father's recent death.
Committee honors teen for video work with new camera 12/30/04
Staff photo/Craig Matthews
Denny Torres of Buena Vista, with his mother, Geraldine, received a video camera earlier this week from the township.
BUENA VISTA -- Like a good amount of 15-year-old boys, Denny Torres is in love with automobiles and is planning for a possible career as an auto mechanic. But Torres found another love when Buena Vista held a class for video production last year, in hopes of training people to record the township's routine meetings and special events. Now Torres is looking into a possible career as a cameraman at a television station or a video production company. And Torres will practice his craft with a new camera, thanks to the Township Committee. On Monday, the committee presented Torres with a new Sony digital video camera for the hours of volunteer recording he has done during the past year. Since Torres took the video production class, he has recorded the groundbreaking of the Richland Village revitalization project, the Christmas celebration, and other public events and meetings using the township's cameras. For his own use, Torres had only an old camera that needed to be plugged into an electrical outlet when in use, said Buena Vista Mayor Chuck Chiarello. The enthusiasm Torres has shown for the job led committee members to buy the camera with money from their own pockets, Chiarello said. "Denny has always been there for us doing such a great job at all of the township's special events," Chiarello said. "He's a special young man who we want to see go on to greater things." The talent Torres showed was evident during the class, taught by township resident Jack Krokos. "He's got the enthusiasm and the desire to go places," said Krokos, who owns and operates a video production company. "He's got the basic talent and he's learning more every time he picks up the camera." For Torres, the gift was unexpected and a boost to his fortunes as a future video cameraman. "Even if I don't go into this as a main job, it's something I can do as a second job," said Torres, a sophomore at Buena Regional High School. "And it's something I really like doing." During the class, Krokos taught him about recording under difficult lighting, using different camera angles and other tricks of the trade. "It looks easy, but if you want a professional product, you have to know what you're doing," Torres said. While the committee's gift came with no strings attached, Chiarello said he hopes Torres will continue to record township events. With or without the new camera, Torres said he is willing to serve as cameraman. "The more I use a camera, the better I'll become," Torres said. "And if it helps the township, that just makes it a great situation for everybody."
From spare parts to prolific art 12/29/04
New historical
facts wanted for Richland Village
12/27/04 BUENA
VISTA -- All aboard for information and historical memorabilia from the
township's Richland area! That was the call made by Mayor Chuck Chiarello at a recent meeting of the
Buena Historical Society. While the society always looks to add to its collection of historical data,
Chiarello said the Richland Village project also should focus special attention
on new information. The township is undergoing a project to develop Richland as a tourist
destination by using its history as a bustling late-19th and early-20th century
railroad village, Chiarello said. The official groundbreaking for the $350,000 first phase of the project was
held earlier this month as part of an ongoing effort to recreate the atmosphere
of the Victorian era, Chiarello said. Aside from public efforts, a model railroad association is expected to use
one of the village's well preserved buildings as its headquarters, township
officials said. The building will become home to the association's elaborate model railroad
displays. While much of Richland's past has been preserved in buildings such as the
Richland General Store, Chiarello said a wealth of information still can be
found in attics and garages of area residents who may not know the historical
value of items they may have in storage. The township's older residents also offer an opportunity to get an oral
history of what Richland was like in its heyday, Chiarello said. "Anything that might help to enhance our knowledge of Richland's past will
help us chart its future as a place of interest for people who may not realize
the rich history of this village," Chiarello said. Display cases will be set up once the Richland Village project is complete
some time in 2006, Chiarello said. The collection of historical material could someday lead to the need for a
museum on the area, Chiarello said. Much of the history of Richland is based on the railroads that ran through
town bringing tourists and settlers, said Harry Benson, president of the Buena
Historical Society. "Buena didn't have very many residents or much of anything except forests
until the railroad came," Benson said. "The railroad brought people and
businesses to Richland and the surrounding areas." Richland has several historical buildings that have changed little in the
past century, said Benson. "The Richland General Store and the building where the Richland Hotel was
have had a few changes, but not many," Benson said. "And we have a lot of houses
and other buildings from the late 1800s that are in remarkable shape."
Extended family in Folsom has five members in military 12/25/04
Stomach flu, numerous call-outs force St. Augustine Prep to close 12/18/04
BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP -
St. Augustine Preparatory School was closed Friday after more than 100 of the
school's 500 students called in sick Thursday with a stomach ailment.
Atlantic County towns get $2.273 million in DOT grants 12/17/04
Sixteen
Atlantic County towns will receive $2.273 million in state Department of
Transportation grants.
Historical groups honors Buena's 'building blocks' ~ Bylone * Rizzo-Bruce* Mattioli-Traserini 12/16/04
DJ file photo
Charles Bylone, 81, is familiar to those involved in farming, firefighting and government service. BUENA VISTA -- The Buena Historical Society honored three residents Wednesday as "the people who are the building blocks of the community." During a ceremony at the Buena Tavern, society members continued the tradition of paying homage to families who settled on the sandy soil of the area along Atlantic County's western border. Charles Bylone, Viola Rizzo-Bruce and Catherine Mattioli--Trasferini all have family ties to Buena dating back to the late 1800s or early 1900s, according to society member Gail Benson. Bylone, 81, is a name familiar to those involved in farming, firefighting or government service in the Buena or Vineland area, said society member Eileen Ruggeri. He served as Buena Vista Township Clerk and was director of the Vineland Produce Auction for more than 40 years. He also was a firefighter, fire captain and president and commissioner of the East Vineland Fire Company. Bylone also ran an agricultural operation that grew from 20 acres in 1950 to more than 200 acres currently. Mattioli-Trasferini, 89, worked in her family's bakery in Richland during the early years of her life when it was one of the largest operations of its kind in the area. After marrying Joseph Trasferini, she worked with her husband to build one of the area's largest fuel oil and gasoline supply businesses in the area. Her husband died several years ago, long after the couple retired from the fuel business about 15 years ago. Viola Rizzo-Bruce is part of the Cavoli family, a pioneer family in the Landisville business community, said society member Debra Casazza. Her father, Ulderico Cavoli, opened a sawmill when he first came to the United States from Italy in 1900. He also ran a basket factory, a power company and two movie theaters. "He took his dreams and made them a reality," Casazza said. The society honors people from families that have been instrumental in the development of the area, said Buena Vista Mayor Chuck Chiarello.
70 St. Augustine students suffer stomach ailment 12/16/04
BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP -
Officials at St. Augustine Preparatory School are working with county and state
health officials to determine the cause of a stomach illness that affected a
large number of students Wednesday.
State funds to benefit road
repairs 12/14/04 TRENTON -- New Jersey
transportation officials announced Monday that 408 municipalities will divide
$60 million in state aid this fiscal year for local road improvements. Included among that aid is a total of $365,000 for area roadways in Vineland,
Millville and Buena Vista. The areas to be targeted for funding are: Department of Transportation Commissioner John F. Lettiere Jr. joined a
handful of mayors at the New Jersey State League of Municipalities building to
unveil the grants, which range from $30,000 to $352,000. Cumberland County
received a total of nearly $1.2 million in grants. Areas in Bridgeton and
Maurice River, Commercial, Deerfield, Downe, Greenwich, Hopewell and Upper
Deerfield townships also received awards. "South Jersey is too often forgotten. We need to make sure we are receiving
the funding that we deserve," said Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew. More than 50 of the communities will also share an additional $5 million in
transportation funding from the Department of Community Affairs. Lettiere noted about 829 applications were filed for the Local Aid grants and
said the funds awarded don't "come close to meeting the needs" of the
municipalities receiving them. But the funding will help towns -- which are responsible for over 25,000
miles of streets, or more than 70 percent of New Jersey roadways -- repave and
reconstruct local streets, or add traffic signals, street lights or sidewalks to
improve safety, he said. "These are the meat and potatoes things that make (residents) quality of life
better," Lettiere said. The funding comes from the state Transportation Trust Fund, and Lettiere
paused to encourage lawmakers to continue to support the fund -- a blend of
borrowing and taxes from gas, petroleum and car sales that funds transit
projects statewide. By spring 2005, transportation officials have warned, debt payments will
exceed the TTF's spending on programs. A year ago, former Gov. James E.
McGreevey chose not to act on the suggestion of his own commission that the gas
tax increase to continue the fund.
Buena baseball/softball treasurer charged with fraud ~ Authorities believe
28-year old volunteer took more than $500
12/14/04
BUENA VISTA -- The treasurer of the Buena Baseball and Softball Association has
been charged with taking money from the association's coffers. Jose Castro, 28, of Collings Lakes was charged with theft and fraud for
taking what state police only would say is more than $500 from the association,
said state police spokesman Sgt. Kevin Rehmann. The Buena Baseball and Softball Association's 25 teams are made up of about
300 boys and girls from Buena Vista Township and Newfield and Buena boroughs.
President William Collins said Monday the association gave its books and bank
statements to state police in November when suspicions about Castro's actions as
treasurer were raised, Collins said. The association's 15-member board of directors relieved Castro of his duties
as treasurer at that time, Collins said. He had held the volunteer position for
about a year and a half, Collins said. Castro was arrested Dec. 6 when he went to the state police barracks in Buena
Vista for questioning, Rehmann said. Castro was released on a summons to appear
in court. No other association officials were suspected in the thefts, Rehmann said.
Collins said he hoped the thefts would not cast a pall on the work of other
volunteers or any of the association's teams. "'I hope people don't forget about the kids just because of the actions of
one person," Collins said. "We have to sit back and let justice take its course.
We just can't forget that the association has always been about the kids."
Desert, anyone? ~ Ancient rocks hint at windy, barren past in S. Jersey 12/13/04
Once, there were no traffic jams in Mount Laurel. There were no houses, either. Or people. Or any vegetation to speak of. In fact, in those days, all of South Jersey was just a really cold, really windy, really empty place. About the time of the last ice age, 15,000 to 18,000 years ago, the theory goes, our little piece of Earth was as inhospitable as Mars during a windstorm. "It was a godforsaken place," archaeologist Jack Cresson said. Cresson and other scientists say evidence found in Pine Barrens sand formations suggests that, back then, South Jersey was a semi-arctic semidesert, not the subarctic forest with lakes or river deltas pictured by earlier theorists. That evidence also has been found in the wind-sculpted rocks that dot the trails and rest in the barnyard at PAWS Farm Nature Center in Mount Laurel. "Conventional wisdom holds that the rocks were rafted down on chunks of ice," said Mark Demitroff, a self-employed landscaper and self-taught natural historian from Vineland, N.J. "We believe the rocks were here." The story of the rocks won't change history, but it could change perspective on the land where we eat, sleep, work and play. The rocks are millions of years old. Witnesses to the last great ice age, they talk about climate and landscape change - at least to Demitroff. They tell him that they were carved by wind howling across a featureless plain. This supercharged wind rushed down from a mile-high ice sheet that stretched from around Exit 10 of the New Jersey Turnpike to the North Pole - "like cold air dropping from an open freezer." The rocks are all over PAWS Farm. One, just off a trail and marked by an informational sign, weighs an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 pounds and measures about a cubic yard. It is polished with a reddish tinge associated with the bog iron that once was the primary element of a Pine Barrens industry and still helps stain the forest's water. "Isn't it beautiful?" Demitroff asked as he ran his hand across the rock's surface. Called silcrete, the rocks are "very, very hard sandstone, and they have been around here a long, long time," he said. "They are time travelers, and they tell us a lot." They are not smooth like rocks polished in the tumbler of fast-moving water. Rather, they are fluted with sharp edges cut by the wind and resemble rocks found in deserts. "They were polished by grains of sand blown by extremely high winds," Demitroff said. "Wind-faceted stones are found all over South Jersey, and wind-faceting only occurs in dry, windy places." It remains unproven that the vast forest of the Pine Barrens, the modern suburb of Mount Laurel, and the little animal and nature refuge of PAWS Farm were once "analogous to polar deserts in Antarctica," Cresson said. "It's a work in progress; it's not gospel," Demitroff said. But, Cresson said, the theory is "not harebrained. It's based in scientific rationale." The mystery of the rocks at PAWS Farm began to unfold in 1999. Cresson, a Moorestown resident who works in Newfield, had studied them while poking around for American Indian artifacts. Demitroff had seen similar rocks and other clues pointing to a cold, dry ancient climate while tracing the history of Pine Barrens ponds. Looking for help in his pond research, Demitroff typed some keywords into an Internet search and came up with the name Hugh M. French. A retired University of Ottawa geography professor, French is a preeminent authority on the ice age. "He got a cold call from me," Demitroff said. On French's first of a dozen visits to the Pine Barrens - he has been to PAWS Farm three times - "we took Jack into the field and asked him to show us interesting places," Demitroff said. "When we saw the rocks, Jack told us he knew where there was an entire quarry of them." That was PAWS Farm. Demitroff said that, geologically, "South Jersey is a pearl. Almost any rock you pick up here, you can go ooh and aah. " Not much other research has been done because, he said, South Jersey is regarded as "about as interesting as a wet Kleenex box." "If I went to Rutgers and asked for $20,000 to study Vineland, I'd be laughed off campus," he said.
By JOHN BRAND Staff Writer, (609) 272-7275
Lessons of lore handed down at tree lighting 12/11/04
Staff photos/Charles J. Olson
Rae Ann Burman and her daughter, Julie Burman, 4, of Mizpah, watch Friday night's Christmas tree lighting at the Buena Vista Township Municipal Building.
BUENA VISTA -- Five-year-old Sarah Matro squeezed through the crowd at Township Hall Friday night with little brother John-John firmly in tow. She had lessons learned during her young life to impart to her brother, not yet a year old, on his first Christmas. "I got to tell him everything about Santa because he doesn't know anything because he's so little," Sarah said during the township's Christmas tree lighting. "There's a lot to tell, but there's some things I don't know because it's magic." The adults drank coffee, talked with neighbors and listened to the Bud Dennis Holiday Band, but it was the children who had the important work to do. First, there was a hearty sing-a-long of Christmas carols to let out a little steam built up in anticipation of Santa's arrival. Then they cheered as area fire companies escorted Santa, Mrs. Claus and Santa's elves to the hall for the lighting of the community's tree. But the real fun began after Santa took his throne in the township hall and waited for the children to give him their lists of gifts they wanted to appear under their tree. Julianna and Andreanna Burman, ages 4 and 8, plan on setting out five cookies for Santa. Abigail Thomas, 5, and her brother, 8-year-old Justin James, are going to set out carrots for Santa's reindeer, the heavy lifters. Justin James also wasn't about to forget that celebrating Christmas was more than receiving gifts. "It's about giving gifts and giving Christmas cheer to other people, especially my parents," he said. Sarah Matro didn't even make a list for Santa. "He knows," Sarah said. "I don't have to make a list." Opinions on how Santa gets into each child's home differed, depending on family tradition. But Justin and Abigail's father knew one thing about Santa. "He's quick," said James Thomas. "He gets in and out before you know it."
WAIT OVER: Richland installs Gallo as Postmaster
BUENA VISTA -- Patti Gallo is no stranger to the people of Richland, but her
installation as Postmaster of the Richland Post Office last week just made the
relationship official. Although she had been in the top position at the post office since July,
delays in getting officials in one place at one time pushed back Gallo's
installation date until November. But after it was made official, it was back to the job of running the
facility that is the hub of several rural delivery routes. On a rainy day a few weeks before Christmas, the 45-year-old Vineland
resident and her staff were busy sorting letters and packages during one of the
U.S. Postal Service's busiest seasons. "It's busy, but everybody is in the Christmas spirit," Gallo said. "So the
additional work goes by easy." Customers who came into the office this past Monday were happy to see the
smiling faces of Gallo and part-time employee Jo-Ellen Arndt. "I've been very happy with the service," said Patricia Kouba, a secretary for
St. Augustine Preparatory School just down the road from the post office. "It's
always nice to see a familiar and friendly face." Gallo acts as general manager for the office, supervising employees, keeping
tabs on mail flow and making sure all paperwork is filled out properly. Dealing
with the public always has been an attraction to the task of running a post
office, a job Gallo previously held at a smaller facility in South Dennis
Township. The Richland facility was run by a series of temporary postmasters until she
took over. Gallo says she's dedicated to improving the range of services. Like many
rural districts, the Richland Post Office still serves a number of customers who
must pick up their mail in person, she said. By next year, she hopes to have
home delivery to all of the district's residents. She added the U.S. Postal Service also has been a leader in appointing women
to mid-level and senior management positions. "My boss and my boss's boss are both women," Gallo said. Gender aside, Gallo and the post office employees have become part of the
Richland community. Outside the office, Gallo spoke with Ed Condon, owner of The Crossings Food
Market, a business that shares a building with the post office. "The employees stop here for lunch and we go over there to mail our letters,"
Condon said. "It's all part of life in a small community like Richland.
Everybody knows everybody else."
Buena Vista, Buena have 'can
do' spirit 12/7/04 It's refreshing when
small municipalities think big. Instead of accepting what is and throwing up their hands in despair, they
look at what could be and work hard to make it a reality. Such is the case in Buena and Buena Vista. Both are seeking state Urban
Enterprise Zone designations, which are designed to encourage growth and
development through lower sales taxes and other incentives. Municipal officials say they're at an economic disadvantage with businesses
in Vineland and Millville already enjoying the benefits of a reduced sales tax
of 3 percent and the cities' ability to dip into UEZ funds for development and
projects. With the growth potential of Buena Vista severely limited by Pinelands
restrictions and Buena's proximity to Vineland, it would only be fair that the
borough and township be given the tools to be more competitive with their more
prosperous neighbors. We don't believe such a designation would adversely affect either Vineland or
Millville. We suspect that most of the summertime traffic that takes Route 40 to
the Shore rarely strays from the corridor, and residents in Cumberland County
will continue to shop at the Cumberland Mall and at stores nearer to home that
already have the UEZ designation. But the designation would help Buena and Buena
Vista grow their economies and create jobs. Buena Mayor Joseph Baruffi and Buena Vista Mayor Chuck Chiarello deserve
credit for pushing for the UEZ designation. Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew, D-1, has
put a lot of effort behind this, too, championing the cause and introducing a
bill in the Assembly. More and more, Buena and Buena Vista are reminding us of the children's
classic story "The Little Engine That Could." They think they can do it -- with
a little help from UEZ status. We think they can, too.
Tree-lighting ceremony debuts
BUENA -- Holiday cheer was in the air here Saturday evening as the borough held
its first-ever tree-lighting ceremony at Borough Hall. Both Santa and Mrs. Claus were on hand for the event, one of several
tree-lighting ceremonies in the region this month. Neighboring Buena Vista Township plans to hold its fifth annual Christmas
tree-lighting ceremony this Friday at 6:30 p.m. outside its Municipal Building
on Route 40. Santa, who is set to arrive with his elves, will light up the tree.
Festivities at the Buena Vista celebration will include a coloring contest,
photos with Santa, and cookies and beverages. The Bud Dennis Holiday Band will
provide music.
Grant aids
safe sidewalk project, Buena Vista bikeway
The sidewalks around four Vineland schools and a bikeway in Buena Vista will be
safer thanks to $180,000 in state transportation grants, officials say. Vineland Business Administrator Paul Trivellini said the $100,000 his city is
getting through the state's "Safe Streets to Schools" program will help
officials build or repair more than a mile of sidewalks near: "We made the list. The Board of Education worked well with us to provide a
list of the most critical areas," Trivellini said. "The sidewalks lead to public schools. The goal here is to make a safer
environment for children, and it's good for the rest of Vineland's residents and
it won't affect taxpayers." Some sidewalks at those schools have sections of pavement missing, and
overgrown tree roots have punctured the pavement in other spots, Trivellini
said. Buena Vista Township will receive $80,000 through the Local Aid Bikeway Grant
Program. The township aims to put the money toward its Cedar Avenue Bikeway.
Constructed in 2002, it extends from Tuckahoe Road to Route 40 and connects to a
walkway in Michael Debbi Park. Cedar Avenue is bordered on either side by wetlands, making it impossible to
widen the road, according to Pinelands guidelines. "By providing the additional funds, the state is partnering with Buena Vista
Township to improve safeguards so that everyone can safely share the road," said
Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew, D-1, who announced the Department of Transportation
grants.
At a glance Among the incentives of Urban Enterprise Zone designation:
TRENTON -- Buena and Buena Vista Township could soon be designated Urban Enterprise Zones under a proposal released by an Assembly panel, state and local officials said. The bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew, D-Cape May, would authorize the creation of joint Urban Enterprise Zones in the two Atlantic County municipalities. The UEZ designation is aimed at attracting businesses and spurring economic growth in zone areas through certain tax exemptions, training programs and other benefits. "We have very limited growth possibilities," said Buena Vista Mayor Chuck Chiarello. "At the same time, we want to keep our businesses competitive with those in neighboring communities." Chiarello and Buena Mayor Joseph Baruffi noted businesses in the towns have suffered somewhat, as customers tend to purchase larger items from UEZ locations in Vineland and Millville, where sales tax is reduced to 3 percent. "We're definitely at a disadvantage," Baruffi said. "Hopefully this would allow us to compete a little more. With the situation as it is now, we can't." The Assembly Housing and Local Government Committee heard testimony Thursday from Chiarello and Buena Borough Council President Joseph Santagata about the proposal. Chiarello said he was "very optimistic" following that meeting. About one-third of each town would be considered in the UEZ zone, Chiarello said, citing the corridor along Route 40 as a main beneficiary. Baruffi added the designation would closely intertwine the two towns, and he noted that it is "a very good time for this to be happening." "The master plan we have right now, this fits right into a zone like this," Baruffi said. "We're in that stage, and this would be a major bonus."
Assembly panel proposes UEZ in Buena Vista, Borough TRENTON - Buena
Borough and Buena Vista Township residents know what a difference a 3 percent
drop in sales tax makes.
Wind wreaks havoc Soggy soil, high winds result in serious damage, power outages across S. Jersey
Staff photos/Charles J. Olson
Jeff Rudolph inspects a large tree after it fell across Oak Road between East and Valley avenues Wednesday in Vineland. Rudolph, who lives nearby, said he was about 50 feet from the tree when it crashed to the ground, just missing passing vehicles.
Giant trees crashed to the ground, power lines snapped and thousands of people lost electricity as a rainy, windy storm blew through the region Wednesday. In Vineland, a large tree fell across both lanes of Oak Road near East Avenue about 2 p.m., narrowly missing traffic on the heavily traveled street, witnesses said. The 3-foot wide oak tree gave way when its root system was ripped out of the soggy soil. "It's a miracle nobody was hit," said Vinelander Jeff Rudolph, who was traveling west on Oak Road when the tree fell. "People saw it was going to go and got out of the way. But it was really close." Another large tree was toppled along Oak Road near West Avenue. That oak, which fell onto a parked car and the front porch of a house, had an interior that showed signs of extensive rot. Weather equipment at Millville Airport recorded winds exceeding 30 mph with gusts as high as 47 mph. The result: More than 20,000 customers in South Jersey were without power during the day and evening, including many homes, businesses and schools throughout hard-hit Buena. Almost all of the outages occurred when wind-buffeted trees and branches downed power lines, Conectiv spokeswoman Betty Kennedy said. "What's happening is we're getting 10,000 people on line and then have 10,000 more going off line," Kennedy said. "As long as we have this wind, we're going to have people without power." More than 6,700 Conectiv customers were without electricity at 7 p.m., including about 2,000 in western Atlantic County. In Vineland, fallen trees caused small pockets of outages, but no major problems for the city's electric utility, officials said. Firefighters throughout the region were busy. In Millville, crews were dispatched to the 500 block of Fulton Street when a tree snapped a power line into a house. In Vineland, firefighters responded to sparking or snapped wires on Howard Street and the intersection of Fava Drive and Allen Avenue. Many trees fell because their shallow roots couldn't hold up in the soil soaked by a morning of heavy rain. Others simply snapped under the strain of the wind gusts, officials said. The biggest outage in the region occurred in Buena, where a 70-foot-tall pine tree snapped shortly before noon and fell on lines along Central Avenue near Vine Street, Police Chief Douglas Adams said. Power was interrupted for hours to about 5,000 people in western Atlantic County, although most was restored by evening, authorities said. Fire and police officials directed motorists until electricity was restored to several traffic signals, and officials from the Buena Regional School District kept schools open throughout the ordeal, Adams said. School officials said they had little choice. "We told teachers to keep blinds open and kept classes in session," Superintendent Diane DeGiacomo said. "We had no way of knowing whether we would be sending children home to an empty house." Keith Arnesen, a Rutgers University meteorologist, said Wednesday's winds were caused by a low-pressure system that passed through the region in the morning hours, dumping about an inch of rain. Air from a high-pressure system in the south then pushed high winds into the area, Arnesen said. "The atmosphere doesn't like an imbalance," he explained. "In this case, a rush of air from the high-pressure system came in to make up for the deficit of air in the region where the low pressure system had just passed through." Damage was worse in other parts of New Jersey. Winds ripped off part of a gymnasium roof at a Middlesex County school and may have contributed to a twin-engine plane sliding off a runway at Teterboro Airport, officials said. Staff writer James P. Quaranta and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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