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dedicated this spring.
Area municipalities reorganize for 2004
Buena Vista Township Mayor Chuck Chiarello is sworn in Monday by Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew. BUENA VISTA Chuck Chiarello and Teresa Kelly commenced their 13th year on Township Committee, he as mayor and she as deputy mayor. Both are posts they previously held. The township meeting room was packed with more than 70 municipal appointees. Chiarello reported that the township is in "sound financial health and able to progress even with limited resources." The year will include improvements to roads and the public works facility, revitalization of the Richland corridor and continued pursuit of shared services with Buena and the Buena Regional School District, he said.
Bar owner cleared of gun charges BUENA VISTA -- Charges have been dropped against a local café owner who fired gunshots outside his Route 40 establishment. Christopher DeCastro, owner of Rumors Sports Café, was charged with unlawful possession and use of a firearm by the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office. The charges were filed after DeCastro fired several shots at 3 a.m. on Aug. 24 in the café's parking lot, according to state police. DeCastro said his intention was to quell a disturbance that broke out between customers and security personnel. There were no injuries. Rumors is currently closed. The prosecutor's office dropped the charges because there was "insufficient evidence that DeCastro had the purpose to use a firearm unlawfully against a person," said spokeswoman Janet Niedosik. A second charge of unlawful possession was dismissed because DeCastro "is permitted to carry a handgun on his place of business," she said. DeCastro, who is eager to reopen the establishment, said justice has been done with the clearing of his name. "I'd like to thank the state police and the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office for their investigation," DeCastro said. "They did it with the idea of making sure justice was done to everybody involved. "I knew I was not guilty of the charges, and they never assumed I was guilty," he added. Problems the café experienced were caused by a small group of unruly patrons who arrived from establishments in towns with earlier closing times, DeCastro said. He would like to reopen the café as soon as possible with safeguards and a dress code in place, he said. The bar will remain open until 3 a.m., but doors will close at 1 a.m. "with no exceptions made for late entry," he said. "We want everybody to have a good time," he said. "But we want to have an atmosphere that's safe and enjoyable to all patrons." In another bit of good news for the local liquor establishment, Rumors has no outstanding violations with the state Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, spokesperson Maureen Sczpanski said. ABC found 36 violations after a joint raid conducted with state police less than one month after the shooting. The raid did not turn up the .45-caliber handgun for which police were searching. Staff Writer Miles Jackson contributed to this report.
Animal officer's trial moves out of Buena
Board, state officials meet on planned middle school - Buena Regional School District BUENA -- Buena Regional school board members and state education officials met for the first time Tuesday to address the state's contribution to the district's planned middle school. The meeting came after the district learned that a 106,000-square-foot design plan submitted to the state might not get the funding local officials expected. If the state doesn't fund two-thirds of the project, it would mean a heavier burden on local taxpayers. Voters will determine the fate of the new middle school in a referendum slated for September. Though the district has not ruled out the possibility of a smaller building, Superintendent Diane DeGiacomo argued that anything substantially smaller would not meet the district's needs. Tuesday's private meeting with state officials was "very productive," DeGiacomo said, but she emphasized that "nothing has been finalized" as to the final size of the building or any funding projections. Bernard E. Piaia Jr., director of the Department of Education's finance division, said a letter detailing the approved schematic drawings and establishing the preliminary costs should arrive at the district's doorstep in the next few weeks. Those items are currently under review, he said. Other attendees included Larry Merighi, the building's architect, and the state School Construction Corp., the entity responsible for building the project and funding the state's share. Merighi, too, said nothing yet is written in stone. "We've not made any decisions one way or the other," he said. "That letter is our decision." After the letter is received, the school board can respond and discussion can resume before final size and costs are determined, he said. · Also included within the referendum will be renovations to JP Cleary Middle School, which will be converted into an elementary school when the new middle school is completed. That includes construction of a new cafeteria as well as renovations and modifications to accommodate students from Edgarton School, which requires state DOE approval.
Brigade's shipment off to late start for troops
VINELAND -- An outpouring of Christmas gifts from this area for troops overseas is at last in the hands of the Air Force. About 5,000 gifts -- already wrapped, boxed, put on pallets and shrink-wrapped -- were delivered Wednesday morning to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for shipment to U.S. troops in Iraq. The gifts are marked specifically for units of the Army's 101st and 82nd airborne divisions. The presents were assembled from donors around South Jersey beginning in late November under auspices of The Reindeer Brigade, a Vineland-based group of volunteers brought together last year for this particular mission. "They (the Air Force) were really thrilled the way we did it," Brigade founder Donnamarie Tarabbio said after returning home to Vineland. Tarabbio's father and brother, who farm on South West Boulevard, did the shrink-wrapping. Tarabbio made the trip to Delaware with Joseph Hampton, president of the Vineland Veterans Council, and his wife. The pallets traveled in a tractor-trailer donated by Bradway Trucking Co. The Vineland-based company is owned by Melvin Bradway, a Marine Corps veteran who has made his fleet available for other efforts to help military service. This time, he assigned a trailer covered with Marine Corps recruiting ads. "We were laughing," Tarabbio said. "We had the big Marine emblem and we're on an Air Force base." The gifts were to have been in Iraq before Christmas. However, a hold was placed on the shipment only days before they were scheduled to be turned over to United Service Organizations officials. The USO has offices at military bases and is the contact point for civilian efforts like the Reindeer Brigade. The Brigade learned Monday that the hold had been lifted. The initial delay came at the same time federal officials put the nation on a heightened security alert last month. "They did apologize for the inconvenience," Tarabbio said. "They were excited to have it." The gifts include cards from donors with return addresses. The hope is to make contact with troops getting the gifts. The donations are routed for Kirkuk and then Baghdad, but it wasn't known Wednesday when the gifts will be shipped. Dover is home to the 512th and 426th airlift wings. Tarabbio said she is meeting with Joan Cody, executive director of USO Delaware, soon to discuss shipping Easter presents.
Crews watch for black ice after minimal snowfall Icy roads cometh! The region didn't receive the several inches of snow that had been forecast, but enough did fall early Thursday morning to make driving conditions potentially perilous over the next few days. Just blame plunging temperatures and a brisk winter wind. "It's almost better to have more snow and then warmer temperatures," said Vineland Public Works Director Joe Bond. "This gives us a couple more days of work." The National Weather Service estimates three-tenths of an inch of snow fell Thursday. Throughout the next two days as below-average temperatures linger like the sniffles from a winter cold, area road crews will be salting and sanding and then salting and sanding some more. It's all to melt the ice and give vehicles more traction, said Joseph Derella Jr., Millville's public works director. "We are working diligently to prevent black ice," stressed Derella, who added Millville's road personnel will be in contact with police throughout the next several days to assess driving conditions. The strategy seemed to be working. Between 7 a.m. and noon Thursday, no accidents were reported in Millville. At least four accidents were reported in Vineland, but none resulted in serious injuries. "It wasn't bad at all, surprisingly," said Vineland police Sgt. Andy Catti. State police based in Port Norris and Bridgeton reported two minor accidents each while the Buena Vista barracks recorded none. And in Franklin, police investigated a single vehicle accident at Route 40 and Porchtown Road around 2:30 a.m. Thursday, but said there were no injuries. "People paid attention to the road conditions and were moving slow," Franklin police Lt. Michael DiGiorgio said. "At 6 a.m. I noticed that traffic was lighter than usual and the state and county crews did a good job with the roads." Nonetheless, Derella and his fellow public works officials around the region remain concerned. The National Weather Service in Westampton was forecasting a scant 5 degrees for Thursday night and temperatures well below normal heading into the weekend. So while Buena Vista Mayor Chuck Chiarello is thanking his lucky stars the snowfall was minimal, he's also cursing the bone-jarring, teeth-chattering cold. "We're going to have the appearance of snow on our roads even though they've been salted some two or three times," Chiarello said, cautioning drivers to reduce speeds and be wary of ice. "It will probably get worse overnight." Staff writer James P. Quaranta contributed to this report.
BUENA VISTA -- John Hill's retirement from Tri-County Animal Control will not jeopardize the company's multi-year contract with the township, Mayor Chuck Chiarello said. Chiarello learned about Hill's retirement in a letter from Tri-County dated Jan. 12. Hill owned the limited liability company with his wife, Joanne. His retirement became effective Jan. 1 and was due to "health and personal reasons," explained Hill's wife, who signed the letter and remains the company president. The couple's two sons are listed as vice presidents. Despite John Hill's departure, "there will be no interruption in services," Joanne Hill wrote. Tri-County is under contract to provide animal-control and animal-cruelty services for Buena Vista until sometime around year's end or the beginning of 2005, Chiarello said. The latter service comes at no additional charge to the township. Tri-County scores high marks in the municipality, where the Hills have demonstrated "great love and care" for the animals, Chiarello said. "Compared to the services we've had prior, (Tri-County) is the best service we've ever had," he added. That wasn't the case in neighboring Buena, where complaints against the animal-control officer had piled up over the past year, Mayor Joseph Baruffi said. "We received several complaints regarding his demeanor and attitude toward the residents who called," Baruffi said. Hill's contract with the borough was not renewed. He also was arrested by Buena police last month on drunken-driving and other charges. Police Chief Doug Adams has temporarily assumed the role of animal-control officer for Buena until the end of the month, when Borough Council is set to decide his replacement. Baruffi is scouting for a user-friendly service; one that demonstrates timely response to animal calls, he said. Baruffi will make his proposal for the new animal-control officer at the next council meeting or will convene a special meeting before month's end to do so.
Track your student online: BRHS has it BUENA -- The nail-biting anticipation that accompanies each Buena Regional High School marking period will become a thing of the past, as parents acquire the capability to track their children's progress throughout the school year. For the first time, using a special password, high-schoolers' parents can access an online service from home to stay abreast of their students' progress, including grades after each test, attendance history and teacher comments. An interactive facet of the program allows parents to communicate with teachers via e-mail. It will also let parents plan class schedules jointly with their children and view upcoming events. The initiative seeks to go past traditional lines of communication limited mainly to report cards and the occasional parent-teacher conference. If the service is well received at the high school, Superintendent Diane DeGiacomo said, it would be phased in at the middle school in September. When it comes to her son, Terri Acilio, 44, says she likes to stay on top of things. But sometimes the reality of being a high school parent is that "they don't tell you everything that's going on," she said. "The kids are more responsible for their own daily activities," the Buena Vista parent said. "They know how to study, they know what they're supposed to do." Still, she said, the new online service would give her the tools to ensure "they're carrying it out." And for parents of students who don't perform well, Acilio said, the online service could raise much-needed red flags if they take the time to access it.
Snow doesn't come cheap for a small town's budget
BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP -
Rich Calareso is no stranger to a 20-hour workday. He takes a break by grabbing
some coffee, then drinking it on the road. It helps him stay awake.
Officials scramble to fix
Five Points light
BUENA VISTA -- It's the worst possible place for a traffic light to
malfunction. But officials expect the Five Points intersection will have a working traffic
signal before the end of this weekend. A mechanical problem caused the light to go dark Tuesday, and state police
were dispatched to help direct traffic, Mayor Chuck Chiarello said. Engineers soon were able to restore the signal so that it could flash red and
yellow caution lights, but haven't been able to work out a permanent fix. Tuckahoe Road, Landis Avenue and Cedar Avenue meet at the intersection. "It's
our busiest intersection in the township," Chiarello said. Plenty of residents have called officials to complain about the broken
signal. Chiarello said he understands their concern and wants them to know local
and county officials are working together to fix the light as quickly as
possible. A special contractor had to be found to address the mechanical trouble that
caused the signal to stop working, the mayor said. That contractor began working
on the light Friday and was expected to have the issue resolved this weekend,
probably sometime today, he said. State police said the problem hasn't caused any accidents, although motorists
have reported trouble turning onto Landis Avenue because of the busy traffic
flow. State troopers are no longer helping direct traffic at the intersection, but
officials have put up a pair of 30-inch stop signs alerting motorists of the
upcoming blinking red lights.
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