LOCAL NEWS CLIPS - DECEMBER 2005

Richland Village continues property acquisitions 12/30/05

Richland Village is planning to renovate an historic feed mill and purchase an old church.  The feed mill will be repainted a much lighter color and will be lit up at night.  Once renovated, it will house several new shops geared to the tourist trade.

For complete details go to:  www.thedailyjournal.com 

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Officials work to protect kids ~ Legislation marks turning point in keeping residents safe 12/29/05

Communities across the region decided to get tough on convicted sex offenders.  Many municipalities passed laws or made plans to enact rules that restrict where offenders can live. 

Buena Vista Township so far has chosen not to for fear the township could be sued.

For complete details go to:  www.thedailyjournal.com 

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Can drive a success at Cleary Middle School 12/29/05

BUENA BOROUGH-It took less than a week for Cleary Middle School in Minotola to look like a disorganized Acme - much to the delight of teachers and students.

The 540 students at the school collected more than 3,800 canned goods last week to help residents in the region who need food.

The Atlantic County Food Bank told the school that more than 2,000 pounds of goods were donated.

It started out as a competition between the sixth- to eighth-grade classes for rights to a "movie day" at the school.

But as students started to bring in backpacks and cardboard boxes full of canned corn, peas and carrots, they found a greater purpose for the food drive.

"They learned something," said Kim Albert, a teaching assistant at the school and one of several faculty members who thought of the idea. "They learned to think of others, especially during the holiday season. They learned about how good it feels to give to those who are in need."

Chelsi Visalli had the first of two enormous donations. Last Wednesday, she and her father packed more than 200 cans into their truck and delivered them to the school the next day.

"My father was cleaning out the cupboard, and I think we just realized that those cans could have been put to better use," she said.

Visalli's donation also helped boost her eighth-grade class to victory, collecting 1,648 cans total. Their movie days came Thursday, when they watched "Madagascar" before the holiday break.

The Cleary faculty also were involved in the donation drive, Albert said They gathered more than $1,200 to help pay for Christmas presents for several families in the area.

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Property taxes top complaint RESIDENTS SPEAK OUT ON PROPERTY TAXES 12/29/05

For complete details go to:  www.thedailyjournal.com 

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Don't toss away your holiday tree: Let public works turn it to mulch 12/29/05

Buena Vista Township Administrator Ron Trebing said the public works department will collect trees on January 13 and 27.  The smaller trees are ground into wood chips, larger are taken to the ACUA in Galloway for disposal.

For complete details go to:  www.thedailyjournal.com 

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Township Committee fed up with trailer abuse 12/28/05

Buena Vista Township is cracking down on people who put temporary trailers on their properties and then leave them longer then they said they would.

For complete details go to:  www.thedailyjournal.com 

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'I love this store and I love the people' Ambitious couple take over Richland General Store  12/26/05

The Richland General Store on US Route 40 has new owners Gary and Tracey Brookland.  In January, the store will become an Ace Hardware franchise. 

For complete details go to:  www.thedailyjournal.com 

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Post office: Get your holiday packages sent now 12/19/05

Richland postmaster Patti Gallo said this is the busiest day of the year.

For complete details go to:  www.thedailyjournal.com 

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Buena Reg. officials: Construction set to begin 12/19/05

Buena Regional School District officials say construction on the long-awaited middle school will be started next summer.  In May there will be a groundbreaking ceremony.

For complete details go to:  www.thedailyjournal.com 

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Local counties take slices of $1.8M insurance pie 12/19/05

Communities in Cumberland, Atlantic Gloucester and Salem counties will divvy up $1.8 million thanks to their decision to work together to keep down insurance costs.

For complete details go to:  www.thedailyjournal.com 

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Region Brief - Santa Express adds ride 12/16/05

The Santa Express has scheduled an extra trip out of Richland on Saturday, December 17, 2005.

For complete details go to:  www.thedailyjournal.com 

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Casino redevelopment agency short on cash 12/14/05

The state agency that directs casino taxes to economic development projects in towns throughout New Jersey has spent all its grant money.  It has depleted its future loan money by spending revenues it has yet to receive.

For complete details go to:  www.thedailyjournal.com 

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Estell Manor, Buena Vista consider sharing court costs 12/13/05

Lead-footed Estell Manor, Atlantic County, residents could soon find themselves defending speeding and other tickets two towns over, in Buena Vista Township.

Both municipalities have recently passed resolutions that agreed to discuss sharing municipal court services.

According to Estell Manor City Council President Creed Pogue, their court system is losing $18,000 each year.

"It's not fair to the taxpayers," he said.

It's a problem with many rural municipalities, said Buena Vista Township Mayor Chuck Chiarello. Since many similar courts receive much of their revenue from tickets, sparsely populated areas could sometimes lose money.

Buena Vista Township will likely keep its entire staff, Chiarello said.

It's too early to determine whether any part-time or appointed employees in Estell Manor's system would lose their jobs, Pogue said.

This kind of service sharing is not uncommon, said Atlantic County Municipal Courts Division Manager Howard Berchtold. He noted a long-standing court-sharing agreement between Atlantic County municipalities Corbin City, Weymouth Township and Estell Manor, where the services are based.

Pogue said the town decided to consider sharing court costs with Buena Vista Township after the other two municipalities in the current arrangement wanted to change the central location to Weymouth Township.

If the courts were shared, separate expenses - like postage - for each municipality would be offset by the number of tickets written in that municipality, Chiarello said.

Any action wouldn't be taken until early next year, said both municipal officials.

Solicitors would have to prepare and submit an interlocal services agreement that outlines all the details first, Chiarello said.

Estell Manor is also interested in sharing municipal court services with Hamilton Township, Pogue said, but there hasn't been any discussion or formal action yet.

"All the details are still being explored," Chiarello said.

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Pot seizure leads to windfall for Buena police 12/13/05

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Vineland police keep ATV riders in check 12/13/05

VINELAND-Residents in a tucked-away corner at the Vineland-Millville border are beginning to see fewer ATV riders. The change came after an 18-year-old Franklinville resident was recently arrested for trespassing on the now-defunct Morie Sand Plant property.

"Last week I saw a bunch of police cars zoom back there," said South Lincoln Avenue resident Anthony Massari, 81, who has lived in his home for 44 years.

"After that," he said, "I haven't seen any riders tearing around the front of my house and I don't hear them in the mine."

For the past year, police were receiving calls from people about motor noise and riders doing wheelies on residents' property, Vineland police Sgt. William Dare said. Now that the area has now become a routine check, the number of ATV riders that trespass on the pit and disturb neighbors has declined.

Last week, police arrested Joseph Stickel, 18, for riding his new Honda 450 4-wheeler at the sand mine. Since its closing, a large yellow warning bar was placed across the main entrance to the sand plant.

Stickel was arrested for defiant trespassing and was released pending a court appearance.

According to a police report, officers were performing a foot patrol check of the area when they found Stickel.

"It was just good observation on the part of the officers," Dare said. "They probably saw the equipment used to transport the vehicles at the entrance."

Stickel said that even though the police crackdown is noticeable, the sand plant is still a weekend favorite for many riders, some of whom are in their early teens. They ride there because there isn't anywhere nearby to go, he said.

Al Eisler hopes they find another place soon. He's the general manager of Route 55 Self Storage, located on South Lincoln Avenue, and lives next door to the business. He said the riders pull dangerous tricks on the road that leads to the storage houses, "and that they leave trash everywhere."

Stickel's wish may soon come true. There's a proposed ATV park that the state Department of Environmental Protection could build in Monroe Township in Gloucester County, near the border of Buena Vista Township.

The project is strongly opposed by most residents, who submitted a petition signed by more than 370 people at the last township meeting. No formal action was taken.

"That'd be great," Stickel said of the possible park, even with the membership fees possibly reaching into the low-hundreds. "I'd definitely ride there."

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Special postcards, stamps mark revival 12/12/05

On Saturday, about 200 people showed up at the Richland Post Office for a special stamp cancellation event. 

For complete details go to:  www.thedailyjournal.com 

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Train puts stamp on Richland 12/11/05

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Exchange students love Buena Reg.  12/10/05

Foreign exchange students at Buena Regional High School have suffered bouts of homesickness, but the warmth and friendliness of the people they've met have more then made up for that.

For complete details go to:  www.thedailyjournal.com 

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Richland remembered on postmark 12/9/05

A special postmark depicting the Richland Village logo- will be available for a limited time at the Richland post office on Route 40. 

For complete details go to:  www.thedailyjournal.com 

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Why would DEP pollute Pinelands? 12/6/05

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School community reaches out to hurricane victims with toy drive 12/3/05

Anita Nicolo decided to launch a toy drive for children left destitute by Hurrican Rita. 

For complete details go to:  www.thedailyjournal.com 

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Reading leads to the Polar Express  12/2/05

Students and parents gathered at Milanesi School for a party inspired by "The Polar Express."

For complete details go to:  www.thedailyjournal.com 

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        Address:    Buena Vista Township
                         890 Harding Highway, PO Box 605
                         Buena NJ, 08310

        Phone:      (856) 697-2100  or  (609) 561-5650
        Fax:          (856) 697-8651
        E-mail:       buenavistatwp@comcast.net

Copyright © 1999 [Buena Vista Township]. All rights reserved.