Milmay Christian begins construction on Children's Church 7/31/06
BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP — They get antsy.
Which is one reason a local church is building a special facility just for
youths.
Work is under way on a 1,900-square-foot “Children's Church Facility” at the the
Milmay Christian Church in the township's Milmay section.
“We're very blessed to have many young couples,” the Rev. Robert Ponchot said.
“When you have young couples, you have young kids.”
Those youngsters show up for services every Sunday, which is just fine with
Ponchot.
“We like it when kids are in,” he said.
But the aim of the new facility is to “feed them a lesson and program on their
level,” Ponchot said.
When finished, the youths — there are about 35 of them — will go to the facility
for religious instruction that could include things like songs, puppets, crafts
and Bible lessons.
“What 6 or 7 year old wants to sit and listen to me preach when they can go
there,” Ponchot said.
The church's congregation is also growing, and Sunday service bringS about 110
worshippers, he said. Room is getting scarce, he said, and the new facility will
ease that problem.
Ponchot said more and more churches are developing facilities such as the one
being built at his church.
“The major complaint we hear is that we can't keep kids anymore,” Ponchot said.
“They get to a certain age and quit.”
Making Sunday services could keep youths in the church, he said, and also
provide another benefit.
“If you get the kids, you're going to get mom and dad,” Ponchot said.
Work on the new facility has proceeded smoothly so far, he said, with help from
some members of the congregation who are builders.
“The church is actually acting as its own general contractor,” Ponchot said. “It
makes it a lot cheaper.”
So far, it seems to be working.
“We've already made it through two inspections, thank the Lord,” Ponchot said.
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Richland train service
canceled 7/22/06
BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP — Richland Village train service for July
22 has been canceled, Mayor Chuck Chiarello said in a press release Friday.
The train service will begin July 29.
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Township accepts area
amendments 7/22/06
The Township Committee has accepted
Pinelands Commission amendments to the Richland Village revitalization project.
The amendments are designed to protect land during the redevelopment process.
For complete details go to:
www.thedailyjournal.com
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Buena
Twp. woman stable after hitting tractor-trailer 7/16/06
Buena Vista Township - A woman crashed into a tractor-trailer
that was trying to back into a driveway Friday night, according to State Police.
Louis Fripps, 64, of Philadelphia, was traveling southbound on
South Central Avenue near Vine Road at about 10:45 pm, when he stopped the 1999
tractor trailer and began to back into a private driveway, effectively blocking
both sides of the road, police said. Rachael Miletta, 18, was traveling
northbound on South Central Avenue when she struck the trailer. Her car went
underneath the trailer and slid 300 feet before coming to a stop, police said.
Miletta, who lives in Buena Vista Township, was airlifted to
Cooper Health System in Camden, where she is listed in stable condition.
Fripps was not injured, police said. State Police are still investigating.
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Buena Vista is Right 7/13/06
It's not like the state of New Jersey to miss an opportunity to
bring in some extra cash. But it has fallen to little old Buena Vista Township
to lead a call for what should be a no-brainer — a requirement that all-terrain
vehicles be registered with the state.
Mayor Chuck Chiarello says a $50 registration fee along with a requirement for
license plates for ATVs would help his rural township, where the illegal riding
of ATVs has become increasingly popular and increasingly destructive to fragile
trails in the Pine Barrens.
These powerful machines destroy vegetation and tear up trail beds. And riders
are hard to catch. Neither muncipalities, the State Police nor the state
Department of Environmental Protection have the manpower to police the woods.
Buena Vista Township recently increased fines for illegal ATV riding to $1,000
for the first offense and $2,000 for subsequent offenses (another good idea).
But little seems to deter ATV enthusiasts.
At least if ATVs were registered and had license plates, it would be easier to
track down illegal riders. There are believed to be approximately 250,000 ATVs
in the state — but, of course, without a registration requirement, no one knows
for sure. “It's like walking in and buying a lawnmower,” Chiarello has said.
Buena Vista Township, along with several environmental groups, wants local
lawmakers to sponsor a bill requiring ATV registration. They also want
surrounding municipalities to increase their fines for illegal riding. Both
moves should help.
It is true, as ATV enthusiasts like to point out, that there is almost no place
in New Jersey where it is legal to ride these dirt bikes and similar machines.
It's illegal to ride them on public lands. It's illegal to ride them on private
lands without permission.
But if you ask us, this is an argument for not buying an ATV in the first place,
not an excuse for trespassing and damaging public and private property.
There is an 80-acre ATV park in Chatsworth and one or two other smaller approved
facilities. But the Chatsworth facility is set to close in September 2008 when
the lease expires. The DEP has recently purchased a site in Monroe Township, on
the border of Buena Vista, for a possible ATV park. It's no secret that the
possibility of a nearby ATV facility has raised concerns for Chiarello and
others.
We suppose that if the state is collecting registration fees for ATVs, it has
some obligation to provide a legal place to ride them.
But whether that park is built or not, the registration of ATVs is a sound idea.
It will generate some money that could be used for enforcement and it will deter
illegal riding.
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Appreciating everyone in Run4Ricky (The Daily Journal, Opinion, 7/12/06)
For complete details go to:
www.thedailyjournal.com
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Maurice River weighs ATV haven ~ Township master plan revisions call for
protecting bay economy, ecology 7/12/06
MAURICE RIVER TOWNSHIP — The township's new master plan
revisions call for the potential creation of an ATV park on a former sand mine
and preservation of the river and bayside economy and ecology.
A public hearing will be held at 7 p.m. July 19 in the municipal building so the
township's more than 3,000 residents can comment on changes to the 10-page plan.
The master plan remains mostly the same, with several key changes.
Among them are the hope for a recreation area for all-terrain vehicles. ATV use
is huge in Cumberland County, but there are essentially very few legal places
for people to enjoy it. The result is that a large proportion of State Police
calls are in response to ATV riding.
In the past 10 years, there have been four accidents involving ATVs within the
township, two of them fatal.
Township residents and officials pushed for state blessing for an ATV park last
year but lost out to Monroe Township, Gloucester County. ATVs are even more
popular in Maurice River Township, which has huge swaths of open land and is
home to seven-time National Enduro champion Mike Lafferty.
The idea is to turn a closed sand mine into a race park.
“Most of the areas where this could take place are all in Pinelands areas,” said
Barbara Sutton, secretary to the town's Land Use Board. That's why the best
target would be a reclaimed sand mine, which would have no such restrictions.
The plan's revisions also call for preservation of the river and bay economies
along the Maurice River and Delaware Bay. There are several marinas and
boatyards along the waterways. Fears arose recently that they might not always
be there, with Four Star Marina in the township's Leesburg section up for sale.
“What we're hoping not to see is someone coming in there to buy them for
condominiums,” Sutton said.
Beyond that, there are few major changes. The master plan, essentially a vision
for the town's future development, still includes provisions for protecting
wetlands and open spaces. It directs future residential growth toward existing
neighborhoods rather than opening for new developments.
Maurice River is the state's largest municipality geographically, but since most
of it is marsh or preserved forest land, the town is sparsely populated outside
the small villages of Leesburg, Port Elizabeth, Dorchester and Heislerville.
Inmates in two prisons, Southern State Correctional Facility and Bayside State
Prison, make up about half the town's population of more than 7,000.
The master plan must go from the Land Use Board to the Township Committee for
final approval.
To e-mail Daniel Walsh at The Press:
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Revised plans OK'd for
Richland Village 7/11/06
BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP — The Planning Board and Township Council
each approved revised versions of the Richland Village redevelopment plan Monday
night after some changes were made by the Pinelands Commission.
Two required public hearings were also held as part of the voting. More than a
dozen people attended the first hearing, but no one made any comments on the
plans during the second meeting. In past cases, most comments about the project
have been supportive, although there are a number of people who have
persistently opposed any type of development in the area.
Mayor Chuck Chiarello said the township has reviewed the commission's
recommendations.
“We're in support of them,” he said, noting that they shouldn't affect any
businesses the township hoped to attract.
The plans will now be forwarded to a Pinelands Commission subcommittee and
eventually to the commissioner. They could be approved by August, Chiarello
said, and another public hearing will be held.
Two main suggestions from the Pineland Commission involved removing 10 acres
from a 54-acre lot the township owns because of an overlap with wetlands,
according to Melissa Baker, the senior project manager from the Karabashian
Planning Group.
Also affected are any developed areas less than 10 acres, which would have to
conform to much more strict zoning regulations.
“That's the township and Pineland's way of preventing piecemeal properties being
developed,” she said.
During the past few months, more than $2 million in grants have been collected
for the Richland redevelopment project. Streetlights and a new sidewalk also
have been constructed in the heart of the area, which will have a railroad
theme.
Construction began this week for the Patcong model railroad building, which is
in need of renovations that total about $150,000, Chiarello said. And next
month, Saw Mill Park will open, which features a caboose and locomotive-themed
playground.
The Seashore train line will also begin running to Tuckahoe each Saturday
beginning July 22 until the end of the year.
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Officials happy policing
won't cost 7/10/06
Trenton officials found a way to balance the state budget
without imposing big costs for small towns that use state police to keep the
peace.
For complete details go to:
www.thedailyjournal.com
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Model
railroaders add flavor to Richland Village 7/10/06
The Patcong Valley Model Railroaders moved to Richland Village
last July. The entire model, which will hold 12 to 15 trains will require
at least 10 people to operate. The group hopes to get at least half of the
model operational by Christmastime.
For complete details go to:
www.thedailyjournal.com
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No charge for state cops 7/9/06
A plan to charge certain rural towns for state police coverage was removed
from Gov. Jon Corzine's controversial spending plan.
The step eliminates what could have been a $6 million hit for 20
municipalities in Warren and Hunterdon counties.
Mark Perkiss, spokesman for the state treasury, said the proposal would have
handed municipalities statewide $24 million in law enforcement costs.
"As it currently stands, it is not included," Perkiss said Friday afternoon.
Local officials had balked at Corzine's initial proposal to start charging
for the coverage. It was designed to affect wealthy communities without police
departments where taxes are lower than the county average.
While Perkiss couldn't elaborate on the change, he said, "This is an ongoing
collaborative process between the administration and legislature."
Bill Dressel, director of the New Jersey League of Municipalities, was
pleased to hear of the revision Friday.
"What I've heard from the administration and from strong proponents of our
position, is that we've got to come up with a fairer formula," he said.
Under the initial proposal, the charges were determined by a formula charging
each home $280 for full-time police coverage and $200 for part-time coverage.
Fees ranged from $72,000 to $495,000 and affected 73 municipalities statewide
that don't provide their own full-time police coverage.
Twenty municipalities in Warren and Hunterdon counties have ended up paying
26 percent of the $24 million the state wanted to save with the charge.
Now, he wants to work with a "politically and geographically" balanced
committee of mayors to craft an alternate solution, which could mean a more
agreeable fee formula. He foresees it as "something we're going to be working on
through out the new budget year."
State Sen. Leonard Lance, R-Hunterdon/Warren, believes state police coverage
should stay true to its original intent -- to serve and protect municipalities,
especially rural areas, free of charge.
"I'll continue to advocate for that," he said Friday.
Reporter Andrea Eilenberger can be reached at 610-258-7171 or by e-mail at
aeilenberger@express-times.com.
For complete details go to:
www.thedailyjournal.com
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Buena Vista officials want state to require ATV registration 7/7/06
BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP — Municipal and environmental officials
continued their crackdown on all-terrain vehicle riders Thursday, saying they
will ask local legislators to push a bill that would require vehicles to be
registered.
The idea came after the township last week increased the fine for ATV drivers
caught illegally riding in the township, upping a first offense to a $1,000
penalty and subsequent offenses to a $2,000 penalty.
Nine other municipalities statewide have similar fines, said Jaclyn Rhoads,
director of conservation policy at the Pinelands Preservation Alliance.
For local officials and many residents who have spoken out at public meetings,
the concerns are numerous. Some are worried about public-safety hazards, others
about environmental damage, and still others about illegal riders cutting up
their private property.
But many ATV enthusiasts are upset because, they say, there's not enough space
to ride in the state.
Enforcement is the main issue. State Police often can't chase illegal riders who
are tearing down highways and into forested areas, and township officials don't
have any similar jurisdiction.
“There's only so far a Crown Victoria can make it into the woods,” said Mayor
Chuck Chiarello, referring to police cruisers.
The remedy for that, Chiarello said, would be mandating that all vehicles have
to be registered and receive license plates upon purchase.
A proposed $50 registration fee would help pay for the program and would also go
toward cracking down on illegal riding in the state, said Fred Akers,
administrator at the Great Egg Harbor Watershed Association.
Municipal and environmental officials still haven't approached local legislators
about supporting a bill. Chiarello said they would likely hold off until after
the state budget crisis is officially resolved.
The township has become increasingly concerned about ATV riders after the state
Department of Environmental Protection recently purchased a tract of land on the
border of Monroe Township, Gloucester County.
That land, which is the now-defunct Sahara Sand Mine, could become an ATV park
after a similar facility in Chatsworth, known as the New Jersey Off Road Vehicle
Park, is set to close in September 2008 after a lease with the New Jersey
Conservation Founda-tion expires.
The Chatsworth park is one of the rare locations for ATV riders in the state,
according to Dennis Farmer, president of the NJORVP.
“Now, people are trying to block the Monroe Township location,” he said
Thursday. “If no one is willing to provide us the opportunity to ride legally,
then there's no chance of us doing so.”
Farmer said he supports mandated ATV registration and insurance, but he said
that some municipalities, including Buena Vista Township, go too far when trying
to block ATV parks from opening.
“At the Monroe site, environmentalists are already saying there are endangered
species living there,” Farmer said. “The place was only closed in September, and
suddenly these endangered species just sprout up?”
Akers said he already has identified several endangered species in the sand
mine, including tree frogs and a certain kind of water lily.
Several estimates said the number of ATVs in the state is about 250,000. The 80
acres in Chatsworth and the possible 180 acres in Monroe simply aren't enough to
handle all those riders, Farmer said.
That's the point, according to township and environmental officials.
“If people wanted skiing in New Jersey, we wouldn't build mountains and put snow
on them,” she said. “When people want to ski, they go to other states. ATV
riders may have to do the same thing.”
Residents near the mine are worried the park could still attract illegal riders
who take to the back roads and wetlands, possibly hurting the environment and
themselves.
Twelve deaths in New Jersey have been attributed to ATV riding between 2002 and
2004, according to a September 2005 report by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission.
It's those concerns that made township officials block off some dirt paths
around Jackson Road and also propose to outfit the State Police with ATVs to
help apprehend illegal riders.
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Crackdown could
target those who ride illegally 7/7/06
Some officials in Atlantic County are proposing increased
penalties for people who illegally ride ATV's.
For complete details go to:
www.thedailyjournal.com
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Taking action to improve
communities 7/3/06
To the volunteers participating in the Fire Wise program in
Buena Vista Township.
For complete details go to:
www.thedailyjournal.com
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July Fourth
festivities celebrated at park 7/3/06
Buena Vista Township held their 18th Annual Independence Day
Celebration at the Michael Debbi Park in Richland. The event was free and
all money raised was used to pay for the event.
For complete details go to:
www.thedailyjournal.com
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A Ribbeting Event ~ Buena Vista celebration boasts a hopping good time 7/3/06
At the Buena Vista Township Independence Day Celebration a
Frog Jumping contest was held for the kids.
For complete details go to:
www.thedailyjournal.com
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Buena
Vista putting the brakes on illegal ATV riders 7/1/06
BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP — Township officials said they are cracking
down on unruly all-terrain vehicle riders who plague the area with unsafe
driving habits.
Now it could cost more for riders who are caught whizzing by too close to
pedestrians, driving in restricted areas and posing a risk to the environment.
The Township Council unanimously approved an ordinance this week that increases
the fine for illegally using ATVs. First time offenders will now be charged
$1,000 instead of $500, and every other offense will garner a $2,000 fine, up
from $1,000.
“We're trying to stem an ongoing wave of recklessness and damage to property,”
Mayor Chuck Chiarello said. “We were also trying to update our laws to today's
standards.”
The township has been a breeding ground for ATV riders for the past several
years due to numerous back roads and vast stretches of pinelands, township and
State Police officials said.
But it's many of those areas that are naturally vulnerable to tire tracks and
exhaust fumes caused by ATVs, Chiarello said.
“We're just trying to enact responsibility,” he said. “People have to understand
that you can't drive in some areas, and that you could drive on your own land
with the right permits.”
The summer months also attract more riders, said State Police Sgt. Ted Heim from
the Buena Vista barracks. Many of those drivers generally follow the rules, he
said, but there's a handful that can cause some public safety problems like
trying to keep up with cars on main roadways and tearing through public
property.
“It's definitely a big concern here,” he said.
The upgraded fines come less than a week before Chiarello and the Pinelands
Preservation Alliance will call for surrounding municipalities to raise fines
that could deter ATV riders. The meeting will be held Thursday at Quigley Park
on Cains Mill Road.
The township's increased fines also come after Monroe Township, in Gloucester
County, began considering constructing an ATV park in an abandoned sand lot late
last year. The park would be right on the Buena Vista Township boarder, which
has neighbors and officials worried about illegal riding.
Messages left for Monroe Township Mayor Michael Gabbianelli about the status of
the park were not returned on Friday.
“We're not to take any entertainment away,” said Chiarello, “but the way ATV's
are sold, it's like walking in and buying a lawnmower. There's no need for
registration or insurance.”
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