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News Clips
BUENA VISTA -- The township's bars may stay open a few extra hours this New Year's Eve. In a vote supported by area tavern owners, the township committee last week extended the closing time at establishments that serve alcohol. They'll be allowed to stay open until 4 a.m., instead of the regular 2 a.m. closing time, for New Year's Eve only, said Mayor Chuck Chiarello. No one spoke in opposition to the ordinance. But it brought comments of support from Sunday Simmons, owner of the Buena Tavern, who backed the extension of the hours. Although tavern owners also wanted to extend hours on other special occasions, Chiarello said state law allowed action only for the one night. But unless some future township committee chooses to rescind the rule, all future New Year's Eve nights will include the two extra hours of operation for Buena Vista's taverns, bars and other alcohol-serving businesses, Chiarello said. "It's only for the one special holiday," he said. The mayor said additional patrols by area police departments and the New Jersey State Police, as well as public service announcements warning against the dangers of drunken driving, help to keep area roads safe during holidays. Checkpoints by state and local police are used to keep tired and intoxicated drivers off the road all year long, officials said. Although they generally keep tightlipped about future plans, area law enforcement officials said more checkpoints should be expected this holiday season.
In Richland, big, bold plan takes shape 11/27/04 Big things are happening in little, tiny Richland in Buena Vista Township. Earlier this week, the community witnessed the groundbreaking for its downtown revitalization project along Route 40. Richlanders are tired of watching drivers whiz past on their way to Atlantic City, and they hope the effort to liven up and enrich their town center will persuade those bound for the coastal city's gaming tables to stop and take a chance in their historic community. Some may scoff at Richland's plan. But in a township whose economic expansion is greatly restricted by its location in the protected Pinelands, it only makes good business sense to compete for some of the dollars tourists and day-trippers bring to South Jersey. To succeed, such a plan must be well designed and executed, and it must have a foundation. So far, Richlanders are meeting those requirements. The preservation and improvement project includes pedestrian walkways, parks, lighting and other features aimed at underscoring Richland's history as a major railroad stop. It also includes preservation of the Richland General Store -- a worthwhile destination in and of itself -- as well as an extensive model railroad club. The Cape May Seashore Lines train that arrived for the groundbreaking put an exclamation point on what is perhaps the linchpin of this imaginative design: tying Richland's rail stop into the Cape May line itself. Though some track will have to be replaced and/or upgraded to make this happen, we have a feeling that the Richland community will come up with a way to pull it off. As Richlanders follow through on their project, we offer only this advice: Go for it!
Staff photos/Charles Olson
A Cape May Seashore Lines train arrives in Richland Tuesday for ground breaking of the Richland Village project. "For a little town, this is the biggest day in a long, long time," Buena Vista Township Mayor Chuck Chiarello said. Santa Claus waves to passing motorists on Route 40 in Richland.
BUENA VISTA -- The cold, gray skies covered Richland Tuesday with a misty drizzle in an unsuccessful attempt to obscure the warm glow generated by this small, rural railroad village's past, present and future. A bright red locomotive from the Cape May Seashore Lines sat on the tracks that for a century have been this community's tether to the outside world. Residents and guests celebrated the beginning of what they said would be something big. The locomotive and the guests were on hand to help local residents break ground for a revitalization project they hope will draw on the community's past as an attraction for tourists. Those tourists for too long have passed through town bound for the bright lights of Atlantic City, said Quentin McClendon, a lifelong resident of the Newtonville section of Buena Vista Township. "A lot of people go right through this town on their way to the shore without hardly slowing down," McClendon said. "This just might get them to stop and visit for a while." Tuesday's groundbreaking was for a $350,000 phase of the preservation and improvement of downtown Richland. The project is to include pedestrian walkways, parks, lighting and other amenities designed to highlight the community's early history as a major railroad stop, Mayor Chuck Chiarello said. Other features of the Richland Village project will include preservation of the Richland General Store, a central meeting place little changed in over a century. The store still sells oak barrels, along with corks for sealing wine bottles. The project also is expected to become home to a model railroad club, Chiarello said. The club will set up dozens of miniature railroad displays in a warehouse near the general store. If all goes well, Richland's railroad tracks will be tied into the tracks of the Cape May Seashore Lines and will feature short rides for visitors throughout the year, Chiarello said. "This is part history, part imagination and part reality," Chiarello said. "For a little town, this is the biggest day in a long, long time." Yet to be determined is how the Cape May Seashore Lines will tie into the Richland line. A piece of track is missing, long ago ravaged by the lack of attention railroads suffered when asphalt replaced steel rails as the main mode of transportation, officials said. But the township residents, especially those in the Richland and Newtonville areas, are banking on a rich history that need not be revitalized. "We don't need to restore this area because most of it was preserved just like it was a hundred years ago," McClendon said. "This place is a gem in the rough. All this place needs is some polishing. "We're going to polish it and make people take notice when they drive through on their way to the shore," he added. "There's a lot of history right in this small stretch of road."
Buena Vista breaks ground for Richland Village tourist stop 11/24/04
BUENA VISTA
TOWNSHIP - On a cold, gray Tuesday, a commuter train sat idle along a railway
crossing of Route 40.
DOT hears case for returning freight service on county rails WOODBINE - The
borough's biggest industries on Tuesday tried to persuade the state to restore
freight service to Cape May County.
Buena Vista Committee to meet 11/22/04 What's next The Buena Vista Township Committee will hold a caucus
meeting at 7 and a regular meeting at 8 tonight in the Municipal Building, 890
Harding Highway. BUENA VISTA -- As a service to our readers, The Daily Journal publishes highlights of agendas for upcoming public meetings. All agendas are subject to change. Here are some items on tap for tonight's caucus and regular meetings of the Township Committee:
Groundbreaking for village slated 11/15/04BUENA VISTA -- Mayor Chuck Chiarello announced that ground-breaking for the township's Richland Village will take place at 3 p.m. Nov. 23. The Richland Village Project is aimed at turning the area into a tourist destination on Route 40. The ceremony will take place at Route 40 and Main Avenue adjacent to the Richland General Store. When the project is completed, the plan is to offer tourist train service through Cape May Seashore Lines, which is expected to have a train present at the ceremony, courtesy of company president Tony Macrie. The project is being funded through the Urban Enterprise Zone.
Buena Vista breaks ground Nov. 23 for Richland Village 11/13/04 BUENA VISTA
TOWNSHIP - It's a big project for a small town.
Disability is no match for artist's will ~ Local painter adds grace to Easter Seals' fund-raiser 11/12/04
Staff photo/Charles J. Olson
Janice Peroni paints at her home in Buena Vista Township.
BUENA VISTA -- Some of Janice Peroni's favorite paintings are of floral arrangements -- riots of color in a vase, or porch scenes of wicker chairs surrounded by climbing roses that reveal just a hint of a trellis within. Peroni's imagination also takes her on flights of fancy with less traditional scenes, such as a painting of two single strands of flowers that meet amid a black, mottled background. Each of her paintings brings a unique perspective. Her work began when a therapist attached a paintbrush to her hand while she recovered from an automobile accident in 1965 that left her without use of her legs and with extremely limited use of her hands and arms. The 50-something township woman's art has won several awards, as well as a loyal following of customers who purchase her work. Her art hangs in places from the U.S. Embassy in Uruguay to the John F. Kennedy Memorial Library in Boston. Peroni's latest achievement is becoming one of six artists nationwide who have had their artwork selected for the Easter Seals stamp campaign. The organization will sell stamps with a reproduction of one of Peroni's lilies to help support the charitable work it does for the handicapped. Not that Peroni considers herself handicapped by any definition. "I got over that a long time ago," she said. "I just kept on moving." Her first indication of the artist within came in the early 1970s, when she attended a newly opened state college in the pine forests of Atlantic County. The freewheeling atmosphere at Richard Stockton College unleashed something inside Peroni that allowed her to bloom as an artist and as a person, inside a body that just happened to be confined to a wheelchair. Within a few short years, Peroni was recognized as a major talent inside and outside the world of artists with physical challenges. Her work with watercolors, oils and photography put her in demand not only as an artist, but also as a graphic designer and art editor of books and other printed materials. Her fellow students looked past her injuries and saw a woman of talent, personality and grit, helping her form lifelong friendships. "It was total acceptance," she said of Stockton. "It was a really fun time." Recently, Peroni has cut back on editing and graphics work to focus on her first love, painting. It's this focus that led her to paint six variations of the floral theme she submitted to the Easter Seals project. More than 20 million sheets of Easter Seals stamps were distributed last year, raising in excess of $13 million for the charity, according to Kristen Barnsfield, a spokeswoman for the organization. Supporters who purchase the seals, which are not official postage stamps, glue them to letters and other materials as a show of support for the organization, Barnsfield said. "Thousands of homes across the country will contribute millions of dollars for children and adults with disabilities this year -- all because of a little seal," she said. This year, 216 entries were winnowed to 12, then the final six were selected. But Peroni now must look for another project to satisfy her boundless energy. "I have to ask myself 'What's next?'" she said. "I have a hard time just sitting here, so I have to look for something else to do." And while she doesn't like to be considered a physically challenged artist, Peroni can't help but bring that perspective to her work. One collection of photographs features scenes as viewed only by someone looking at the world from a wheelchair. Another painting, of something as ubiquitous as the American flag, indicates just how different Peroni's perspective can be. A full field of stars is surrounded by a circular border of red and white stripes spun by the wind, a view of a flag often only seen from the very bottom of a flagpole. It is a different view of a flag, but one that is unique in Peroni's world. But don't confuse that unique vantage point as one limited by disability. "I can't say I'm limited because I'm not limited in painting," she said.
PATH TO ENVIRONMENTAL PAST, FUTURE: Buena Vista unveils nature trail
Staff photos/Charles Olson
Environmentalist Michael Hogan, of Weymouth Township, (right) leads a tour on the new nature trail at Michael Debbi Park in Buena Vista Township. The trail, less than a half-mile in length, is a haven for native plants and wildlife.
BUENA VISTA -- Without the sign, the entrance to the Buena Vista Nature Trail might easily be overlooked. At the northeast corner of Michael Debbi Park, just off the football field, a pair of white oaks shroud the small opening where the wonders within woods beyond begin. On Thursday, several dozen people stood at the opening to inaugurate what township officials say is a small trail that leads to a wide variety of environmental treasures. Those with the right kind of eyes will see the sublime beauty of the Pinelands ecosystem, one that has been called unique among forest habitats worldwide. Although the trail is less than a half-mile in length, wild orchids, carnivorous plants and birds of every shape and color can be found, said Michael Hogan, a landscape photographer and designer of the trail. Benches offer a resting place for those who prefer to wait for nature to reveal itself, Hogan said. "It's a great place to sit back and look and listen," Hogan said. "It's short enough to be covered quickly and it's extremely easy to access." Moss and lichens cling close to the ground in moist areas, offering a unique opportunity to view one of the world's simplest and oldest forms of life, he said. The trail is prime habitat for warblers, sparrows, tanagers and chickadees for those with the patience to wait for the winged ones to perch on the now barren branches of the trees along the trail, he said. "It's a chance to get back into the woods without going too far," said Buena Vista resident Gail Benson. "Our woods are amazing in the variety of plants and animals you can find there. If you only take the time to look." The trail also features a display of what human intervention meant to the forests, which supplied charcoal to urban markets to the west and north. Charcoal burning piles once were common sights in southern New Jersey, township officials said. The trail will feature a single pile, stripped of its sod cover, so visitors can get an idea of the hard, dirty work southern New Jersey's earliest European residents completed to help build the cities of the region into industrial powerhouses.
Township officials mark opening of nature trail BUENA VISTA -- Since a nature trail was first proposed more than six years ago for a corner of Michael Debbi Park, new businesses and residential developments have sprouted up in Buena Vista Township. But the trail, a mere quarter-mile stretch through pristine pine forests and environmentally sensitive wetlands, has remained untouched by human encroachment. "It's a short walk," said Michael Hogan, a landscape photographer and designer of the trail. "But you go through a variety of environments." The trail has been unofficially open for some time. But township officials will hold a ceremony today to mark the ribbon cutting for the pathway where people can find solace and solitude a few minutes from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, Hogan said. The ceremony will begin at 12:30 p.m. at the Michael Debbi Park in Richland and will continue throughout the afternoon with Hogan leading tours of the site. The trail is marked by a wide diversity of animal and plant life that makes New Jersey's Pinelands such an important ecosystem, Hogan said. Orchids, carnivorous plants and other natural wonders will greet those who venture down the path, which begins in a corner of the Richland park, Hogan said. "A lot of people look at the Pinelands as something you have to pass through on your way to and from the shore," Hogan said. "But this is a place to get away from the hectic pace of modern life." The trail first was conceived about six years ago, said township Mayor Chuck Chiarello. The trail project cost about $10,000, half of which was picked up by the township. The other half was provided by state funding, Chiarello said. "It's not the longest or biggest trail," he said. "But it's a place where for a half an hour everybody can get onto it."
Disabled artist a finalist in Easter Seals competition 11/10/04
BUENA VISTA -- Township resident Joseph Kelly took what appears to be an insurmountable lead in the vote tally from last week's election for a seat on the Atlantic County Board of Freeholders. Kelly said the county on Monday declared him the winner in the race for one of four at-large seats on the nine-member freeholder board. With all but 1,200 absentee and provisional ballots counted, the Buena Vista Democrat was leading Republican John Risley by 1,567 votes. The latest total showed 49,315 votes for Kelly and 47,748 for Risley, a longtime incumbent and the board's vice chairman. Kelly is one of the first -- if not the first -- residents of Buena Vista to take a seat as a freeholder representing the entire county, according to township Mayor Chuck Chiarello. The board's other five seats are elected by district and represent designated areas of the county. Because Buena Vista is in the county's most sparsely populated section, Kelly was given little chance of beating Risley. The fact that it was Kelly's first run for elected office only added to the surprise. "Sure, it was a surprise," said Joseph Silipena, Republican chairman of the freeholder board. "Mr. Risley had way more experience." But Silipena said he will welcome Kelly to the board and put him to work in a field where he can best help the county government and taxpayers. And Kelly is ready to take on the challenge. "Nobody was more surprised than me," Kelly said of his victory. "But I'm going to do what's best for the entire county." Kelly's election changes the makeup of the freeholder board to seven Republicans and two Democrats. Kelly said that makes little difference. "The election's over," he said. "It's no longer Democrats or Republicans. It's just people."
Police Explorers show off skills at conference 11/8/04
Photo/Alma Hunter
Brook Kott, 13, a Millville Police Explorer with Post 117, fires a paintball gun at a fixed target to be scored for time and accuracy at the fifth annual Police Explorers competition held Saturday at the Vineland Police Academy on Mays Landing Road. The stress course also required utilizing cover for protection during the simulated training course. At a glance Winning teams in the fourth annual Police Explorer Conference: Paintball stress course -- Washington Township, first; Mantua, second; Buena, third.
VINELAND -- Most teenagers wouldn't know how to handle a domestic dispute, a drunken driving traffic stop or a hostage negotiation. But that's exactly what the dozens of Police Explorers who gathered here Saturday can do. More than 80 participants from Explorer posts in Vineland, Millville, Buena and other South Jersey communities gathered at the Vineland Police Academy on Mays Landing Road to show off how they've been trained to respond during such real-life law enforcement scenarios. "It's so much fun, and the kids learn so much," said Debbie Schultz, adviser for Buena Police Explorer Post 114, whose members include her 14-year-old son, Danny. "It's supposed to show kids how to approach certain situations. And we've got some pretty sturdy kids that know what they want to do." The event was the fourth annual Police Explorer Conference. About two dozen judges, including students from Cumberland County College's Criminal Justice Society, also role-played during the different scenarios presented to the Explorers. Participants were judged in areas that included negotiation techniques, frame of mind, time, accuracy, and whether they or an "offender" took control over the situation. "I love it," said 17-year-old, Ivelisse Soto, of Millville Explorer Post 117. "It keeps you entertained and teaches you a lot." The twenty teams that competed comprised Explorers ranging in age from 13 to 19. In one of the exercises, they undertook a stress course that required them to shoot a paintball gun at a target while taking cover. The purpose of the Explorers, he said, is to help youth get a behind-the-scenes, real-life experience while they're still in high school so that they can decide whether a career in law enforcement is what they really want to pursue, said Steve Leonardi, the Explorer director for the Southern New Jersey Council for Learning for Life. "It's also an active way of interacting with the community through public service and community service," Leonardi said. "It's a win-win situation, because it provides a learning experience to youth, the community benefits, and it's a great association to have with the college, because it helps students expand their knowledge in their area of study." Sgt. Ken Wolfe of the Vineland police department's Juvenile Division said the city established its Explorers post in 1976. The annual conference gives participants a chance to apply the knowledge and skills they've gained by training throughout the year, he said. "You can train all year long, but they can use that training in simulated real-life situations at the competition and benefit from learning from their hands-on experiences," Wolfe said.
Kelly wins freeholder position 11/6/04 ATLANTIC CITY -
Absentee ballots helped Freeholder John W. Risley cut into Democratic challenger
Joe Kelly's lead, but it wasn't enough.
With more counting to go absentees switch one result 11/5/04 ATLANTIC CITY -
They counted and hours later, they were still counting.
Election a boost for Democrats in county 11/4/04 It was the morning
after a general election, and Atlantic County Democrats were doing something
unusual: They were smiling.
Kelly may make history in Atlantic Co. race 11/4/04 BUENA VISTA -- This rural township, nestled in the pines and farm fields along the border with Cumberland County, is far from the centers of population and power in Atlantic County. But four of the nine freeholders in Atlantic County are at-large freeholders, elected by the entire county. And Buena Vista resident Anthony Kelly is currently clinging to a 1,763-vote lead over three-term incumbent John Risley, a Republican from Egg Harbor City. Those who run for Atlantic County office usually are elected by the district seat in the county's western region, which makes up nearly half of the geographic map of the county. If Kelly hangs onto his lead after the more than 4,000 absentee ballots are counted, he will become one of the first at-large freeholders from the township, according to Buena Vista Mayor Chuck Chiarello. "It's a difficult thing for someone from a less-populated district like this to do," Chiarello said Wednesday morning. "We just hope he hangs on through the absentee ballots." Kelly, the husband of longtime Buena Vista Township Councilwoman Teresa Kelly, has never held political office. During his wife's tenure, Kelly has helped with political campaigns and learned about municipal government, Chiarello said. Kelly, a heating, air conditioning and ventilation technician at an Atlantic City casino, also ran for an at-large seat last year after no one challenged the entrenched incumbent, Chiarello said. It was a heady experience for Kelly, a Democrat who made a better showing than expected in a county dominated by Republicans, he said. Kelly would be one of two Democrats on the nine-member board. "I went door-to-door and campaigned at supermarkets starting in June," Kelly said. "I wanted everyone in Atlantic County to know I will work hard for all of them." Until a victor is officially determined, Kelly declined to talk about what he would want to do as a freeholder. He did say his experience in all aspects of construction and building maintenance may be a help to the county government. Next week, Atlantic County Freeholder Chairman Joseph Silipena said he intends to sit down with Kelly to discuss the best ways a new freeholder could serve the county's taxpayers. Silipena also expressed shock that Kelly could beat the incumbent Risley. "Mr. Kelly has no political experience whatsoever," Silipena said. "Sure it was a surprise that he beat a freeholder with as much experience as Mr. Risley." "He will be welcomed," Silipena added. "And he'll learn that the job of an at-large freeholder will take him from one end of the county to the other in an hour's time." A story in Thursday's Daily Journal about the Atlantic County freeholders election gave an incorrect name for the Buena Vista resident who has a 1,763-vote lead. His name is Joe Kelly.
Risley may be out as freeholder 11/3/04 Atlantic County
Republicans may have pulled a "Dewey Defeats Truman" of their own Tuesday night.
Joe Kelly Wins Atlantic County
Freeholders -
While unofficial, the numbers are as follows: 46,595 for Joe Kelly to
44,446 for incumbent Freeholder John Risley. That's 51.18%
to 48.82% making Joe Kelly the first new Atlantic County Democratic
Freeholder-at-Large in 10 years. More details about Joe can be found
at:
www.electjoekellyfreeholder-at-large.com
For additional info contact: Chuck Chiarello, Campaign Manager at
609-513-0569. Absentee ballots are still unknown but we expect them to trend
the same as Joe's lead did throughout election night.
Joe Kelly said tonight, "I worked hard from the start and never
stopped--but I could not have done it without my wife Teresa who is Deputy
Mayor in Buena Vista and my Campaign Manager Chuck Chiarello who is Mayor in
Buena Vista. I also had strong support from Labor and my Union--Local 68 along
with our County Chairman Jim Carroll."
Joe is also a Freeholder-at-Large candidate that hails from Buena Vista
Township in the Western-end of Atlantic County. Joe further stated: "I'm
prepared to represent ALL Atlantic County residents and I thank my opponent
for running a clean campaign."
Chuck Chiarello
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