|
|
|
LOCAL NEWS CLIPS - NOVEMBER 2007
Village starts tour to attract area shoppers 11/30/07 The Richland Village Merchants Association will be holding their first Richland Village Christmas Shops Tour tonight. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
St. Augustine dedicates new forum: Students, alumni gather for event 11/29/07 On Wednesday the faculty and students of St. Augustine Prep School celebrated the grand opening of the Forum. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
Township may seek new dispatch service 11/29/07 Buena Vista Township is looking at other providers for their emergency service and could strike a deal with Cumberland County's 9-1-1 center. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
Bees keep new inspector buzzing: He says hives provide insight into nature 11/28/07 Tim Schuler of Richland is the new bee inspector. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
Send us nominations for The Daily Journal's People of the Year 11/28/07 The Daily Journal wants your help to select the 2007 People of the Year. Send your nominations by email to thfraser@thedailyjournal.com or fax to 856-563-5308 or by mail to 891 E. Oak Road, Vineland, NJ 08360. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
BUENA VISTA: Judge appointed 11/28/07 Monday night the Township Committee unanimously appointed Municipal Judge William Cappuccio for another term on the bench. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
BUENA VISTA: ATV rules strengthened 11/28/07 A revised ATV ordinance now gives the authorities more control to impound a vehicle. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
ATV parks offer solution to conflicts 11/27/07 Opinion on ATV and the state opening a park. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
BUENA: Emergency dispatch cooperation to continue 11/28/07 Buena Vista is still undecided as to renewing an agreement that gives them access to the borough's emergency dispatch center. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
BUENA VISTA: Tree lighting ceremony set for Dec. 7 11/26/07 BVT will hold their 8th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony and Fire Truck Parade on Friday, December 7th at 6:30 pm. The event will be held in the Buena Vista Township Municipal Building. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
ATV park planned in Pinelands 11/26/07 The Environmental Protection Department has spent $1.2 million to buy the 224-acre tract in Gloucester County. The state plans to turn this former sand and gravel strip into a all-terrain vehicle park. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
Laws get new look as ATV damage persists 11/26/07 The Pinelands Preservation Alliance is taking a national survey of off-road vehicles in Southampton. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
BUENA VISTA: Unexpected problems on Unexpected Road 11/21/07 The Township is in a tough spot on how to fix damage to Unexpected Road. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
BUENA VISTA: Taxman hired 11/21/07 Terry Graff of Vineland will be the township's new tax collector. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
Antiques galore to be auctioned 11/16/07 Gus Mesiano had a collection of more than 60 wood-and-coal burning stoves, clocks, tools and spittoons. The late Richland residents collection will be up for auction on Saturday. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
Bittersweet end to season 11/15/07 The memory of Pat Baldiserra who died in a car accident was the inspiration for four local soccer players who were close friends of his. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
Program helps kids step it up: Class teaches teamwork, discipline 11/14/07 The Dr. Martin Luther King Center's Coordinator Deborah Stalling-Patton teaches the drill team stepping. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
BUENA VISTA: Richland merchants meet tonight 11/13/07 The Richland Merchants Association meet to discuss the Richland Village Shops Christmas Tour. The event will be held on November 30th from 6 pm to 10 pm. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
Buena Vista loses freeholder at-large 11/13/07 Atlantic County Democratic freeholder at-large Joe Kelly served his position for three years and this year was lost the re-election to Republican Joseph McDevitt. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
BUENA: State police looking for silver Saturn involved in hit-and-run with trooper 11/13/07 The driver of a Saturn collided with a trooper car on Monday night, if you have any information please call State Police at 609-51-1800. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
Richland Village merchants unite 11/12/07 The Richland Village Merchants Association is trying to attract more customers to the community. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
BUENA VISTA: Township workers collecting canned goods for holiday baskets for the needy 11/12/07 The Township is collecting food items for Thanksgiving Baskets that will be delivered to families and individuals in need. If you would like to donate please call Diane Morgan at 856-697-2100 then press 9 or drop off items at the Township Municipal Building. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
Progress on track at Richland Village 11/10/07 Main Avenue was closed this week due to a siding track being built along side the existing rail line. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
RICHLAND: Wheels on the bus stop at new shelters 11/8/07 New bus shelters have been installed for NJ Transit riders on either side of Harding Highway. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
Atlantic County Republicans regain a grip on Freeholder board 11/7/07 2:45 p.m. Update -
Unofficial election results show Republicans on Tuesday finally stopped a trend that saw their hold on the Atlantic County Board of Chosen Freeholders dwindle over the past few years.
Republican Joe McDevitt defeated incumbent Democrat Joe Kelly to win an at-large seat on the board that was contested countywide and for which final results weren't available for hours after the polls closed on Tuesday.
Coupled with a victory by another Republican - Galloway Township Councilman Rich Dase - and the party increased its board majority from 5-4 to 6-3. Dase defeated Democrat Jill Foley for the 4th District seat, a traditionally Republican seat which represents Brigantine, Port Republic, Absecon and Galloway Township.
Democrats did win one freeholder contest: Charles Garret defeated Republican John Bettis in the race for the 1st District freeholder seat. The 1st District includes Pleasantville and parts of Atlantic City and Egg Harbor Township, and the seat is usually held by Democrats.
McDevitt said he was "relieved that all the hard work paid off," including things like making 25 events a month for the last two months of the race. He said it was also rewarding that Republicans are again building their freeholder board majority.
"We had a three-year tail spin," he said. "We lost some good, h ardworking Republican freeholders who were swept out of office by candidates bringing massive amounts of money into the county. We can regain a little momentum for 2008."
Kelly's loss was disappointing not only for Democrats, but for Kelly, who was as surprised as anyone when he won the post by upsetting Republican John Risley three years ago.
"Sometimes, I guess, the negative does work," Kelly said. "The negative advertising, and everything they did against me, I guess it does work."
Still, Kelly said he was "proud of what I did for the past three years."
"It was a great learning experience," he said. "They called me a public servant. I didn't ever want to be called a politician."
Despite the toughness of the campaign, Kelly and McDevitt were gracious on Wednesday.
"I wish Joe McDevitt the best of luck on the board," Kelly said.
"I think Joe Kelly is a nice guy, and he served the people well," McDevitt said.
Unofficial results from the Atlantic County Superintendent of Elections office show:
- McDevitt defeated Kelly 24,517 to 23,635.
- Dase defeated Foley 6,446 to 4751.
- Garrett defeated Bettis 3,345 to 1,486.
Democrats had made inroads on the board over the past few years, reducing a Republican majority that stood at 8-1 from 1995 through 2004.
Democrats had hoped this was the year they finally took control of the freeholder board, along with the county executive post.
They failed to win the county executive post, as their candidate - Atlantic County Sheriff James McGettigan - suffered a crushing loss to the incumbent Republican, Dennis Levinson.
The candidates talked a lot about county finances this year: Republicans ran on a record of fiscal integrity brought on by their party, while Democrats alleged wasteful spending and out of control taxation.
BUENA VISTA: Richland fire hall voting location moved 11/6/07 Voters from District No. 1 is located at the St. Augustine Preparatory School on 611 Cedar Avenue due to the construction at the Richland Volunteer Fire Hall. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
BUENA VISTA: Part of Main Ave. to be closed today, Wed. 11/6/07 On Tuesday and Wednesday a one-mile stretch of Main Avenue will be closed so a siding track can be added next to the existing railroad track crossing in the road. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
BUENA: Polling place switched to St. Augustine 11/5/07 Voters from District No. 1 is located at the St. Augustine Preparatory School on 611 Cedar Avenue due to the construction at the Richland Volunteer Fire Hall. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
County Rail System? Adocates: $27 Million Needed. 11/12/04
COLD SPRING — If you sit on a bench at Cold Spring Railroad Station and wait for the next train, a cobweb could grow between your head and a post before the next one arrives. The rails are getting a bit rusty. No longer is the rumble of a diesel locomotive heard or a whistle at a Bennett’s Crossing or in Cape May. No trains were run all summer by Cape May Seashore Lines on the Cape May to Court House section due to poor track condition. The railroad flourishes at the far end of the tracks, operating trains from Tuckahoe to Richland in Atlantic County. The dream of the New Jersey Association of Railroad Passengers (NJARP) and others is for the state to appropriate $27 million to replace railroad ties from Cape May to Tuckahoe, some sections of rail, tighten about 39,000 bolts, upgrade ballast under tracks with 43,000 tons of clean stone and complete repairs on four bridges. A total of $1.8 million would be spent on the movable bridge that crosses the Cape May Canal. A report from NJARP includes input from Mayor Chuck Chiarello of Buena Vista Township, Mayor William Pikolycky of Woodbine and Dennis Township Administrator Jody Alessandrine, according to Paul Mulligan, Cape May Branch liaison for NJARP. The tracks are owned by New Jersey Transit (NJT) and leased to Cape May Seashore Lines from Cape May to Tuckahoe with track rights provided from Richland to Tuckahoe. Interestingly enough, NJT has granted track rights to Cape May Seashore Lines to Winslow Junction, which connects to Philadelphia. The track project would employ 18 to 20 personnel on a daily basis from 16 to 24 months, according to the study. When finished, 42 miles of good track would exist from Cape May to Richland and a trip that could be made one-way in about 90 minutes. A track washout in Dennisville that occurred due to the April 15 nor’easter has kept trains from running on the Cape May branch since all locomotives are currently trapped on the north side of the problem area. In addition, 8.6 miles of track are out of service from the 4H Fairgrounds in Court House to Woodbine, where all 30,000 railroad ties are beyond their service life. From 4H to Cape May, about 15,500 ties have been replaced of a needed 50,000. To repair just the section from Cape May to Court House, 13 miles, would cost $7 million and from Court House to Woodbine, 10 miles, is priced at $14 million. For repairs on the canal bridge and the Woodbine to Tuckahoe section, 5 miles, is estimated at $7 million. Mulligan sees advantages to restoring the entire rail line including possible
park-and-ride service for car-choked Cape May and a station stop in Rio Grande
that could provide transportation for visitors or employees from the Wildwoods
by connecting the train to the Five Mile Trolley. Mulligan said Cape May could benefit from the restored tracks because the train would put visitors in the city for four hours before the return train. Restoration of the full line could bring in more tourists from the Richland
Station, which is only 35 minutes from Philadelphia, 45 to 50 minutes from the
Delaware Memorial Bridge and an hour and 10 minutes from Trenton, said Mulligan. In the world of transportation, $27 million is not a huge sum of money, said
Mulligan He said the project would need a push from our local assemblymen and senator. Motorists pay a gasoline tax, which funds transportation projects.
BUENA VISTA: Veterans Day activities planned for weekend 11/5/07 Annual Veterans Day Services will be on SUNDAY. Saw Mill Park at 11 am and Milmay Volunteer Fire Company at 12. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
BUENA VISTA: Mmmm...Time to order Thanksgiving pies, cakes 11/5/07 The Seniors of Newtonville are holding their annual Thanksgiving Bake Sale. To place an order call 609-561-1488 or 609-561-4107. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
BUENA VISTA: Christians enjoy Halloween alternative this Saturday 11/2/07 Deborah Stalling-Patton, Dr. Martin Luther King Community Center Coordinator announce the center will be celebrating the end of a successful farming season. Their annual Harvest Day Festival will be Saturday from 1 to 6. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
BUENA VISTA: One-mile stretch of Main Avenue will close next week 11/2/07 A one-mile stretch of Main Avenue will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday due to track replacement. The road is scheduled to reopen by Thursday. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
Buena Vista man pleads guilty to weapons charges in Fort Dix plot 11/1/07
In a brief federal court hearing Wednesday morning in Camden, Buena Vista Township resident Agron Abdullahu pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide guns and ammunition to illegal immigrants - the same men facing trial after they allegedly planned an attack on the Fort Dix Army base. Abdullahu, 25, of the Collings Lakes section of the township, will be sentenced Feb 6. He faces a maximum of five years in prison plus an additional three years of probation and a fine of $250,000. Deputy U.S. Attorney William Fitzpatrick also said that Abdullahu, a legal immigrant of Albanian descent whose family had fled Kosovo, is subject to possible deportation. He admitted to the court that in January 2006, he provided the Duka brothers, Eljvir, Dritan and Shain - all illegal immigrants residing in Cherry Hill - with a Beretta 9 mm pistol and a Yugoslavian SKS semi-automatic rifle. He also admitted that in January 2007 he took possession of a Beretta CX4 Storm semi-automatic carbine and a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun from Serdar Tatar of Philadelphia. Abdullahu later provided these weapons to the Dukas for use at a firing range in Gouldsboro, Pa., along with 2,500 rounds of ammunition. The weapons were returned to him in February and were kept at his Collings Lakes home until they were seized by federal agents in May. He was asked by Judge Robert B. Kugler to confirm each detail of the Superseding Information count, answering each question with a restrained, "Yes, sir." He admitted that he knowingly and willfully entered into the weapons conspiracy with the Dukas - but said he didn't know at the time it was against the law for illegal immigrants to use firearms, only that it was illegal for them to possess firearms. In a bail hearing in May, Abdullahu's former public defender Lisa Evans Lewis argued that Abdullahu was simply trying to ensure the Dukas' safety by making sure they knew how to properly use a firearm, adding that he had no knowledge of any plans for an attack on Fort Dix. That alleged plan, which federal officials claim involved the Dukas, their brother-in-law Mohamad Shnewer and Tatar planning to gain access to the compound and kill soldiers, was not mentioned during Wednesday's hearing. The trial for the other five of the so-called "Fort Dix Six" is scheduled to begin January 15. When asked by the judge if there were any misstatements in the government's case, Abdullahu began to respond, but then changed his mind. "In my case," he said, "I'd like to say one thing." As silence fell in the courtroom, Abdullahu turned and exchanged whispered words with his public defender, Richard Coughlin. He turned again to face the judge. "Never mind," he said. "Sorry about that." He did tell the court he was experiencing panic attacks - "a breakdown, you could say" - and was taking daily doses of antidepressants. Back in Collings Lakes, where the houses on each side of Abdullahu's home were fronted by U.S. and Army flags and a "Proud to be an American" sign, his neighbors along Cains Mill Road had little to say about his plea. No one would speak on record, although one woman expressed unfamiliarity with the progress of the case. "Did that even happen?" she said when told of the guilty plea. "I didn't even know what was going on."
|
Buena
Vista
Township
|
