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BUENA VISTA: Township to celebrate July 4, Barbie's 50th birthday on Sunday 6/30/09 Buena Vista Township will celebrate their 21st Annual Independence Day Celebration on Sunday, July 5, 2009 at the Michael Debbi Park in Richland with a parade starting at 2:00 pm in Collings Lakes and arriving at the park around 3:00 pm. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
Pricey Pinelands proposals anger municipal officials 6/30/09 The Pinelands Commission is striving for conservation and preservation, but in the communities it oversees, the concern is money. The regulatory agency for the state's largest national land reserve held a special session Monday night with the Pinelands Municipal Council and residents of the Pinelands to hear concerns about a number of programs the commission has proposed over the past couple of years. The issues ranged from property preservation changes to septic-system management to the recently passed clustering mandates. One unifying issue was the effect proposed changes to the Pinelands would have on their wallets. "Between all of the different elements out there, I think most municipalities are concerned about how this is going to impact them financially," said Chuck Chiarello, mayor of Buena Vista Township and chairman of the municipal council. The issues have been raised at prior individual municipal council meetings, but this is one of the first times that several different concerns were brought to light in front of the majority of the Pinelands Commission. "You've responded by having more meetings, but we keep bringing up the same issues," Galloway Township Councilwoman Meg Worthington said. Changes to septic-system management programs were proposed earlier this year. Under the proposed program, residents would be required to have their septic tanks inspected every three years and have them cleaned periodically as needed, likely an average of every three years as well, according to Pinelands Commission estimates. Chiarello said that would be a cost that residents simply cannot afford, but he also asked how municipalities would go about certifying inspectors and whether frequent septic-tank replacements would be needed. In Buena Vista Township, all homes have septic tanks. Of about 2,700 homes in the township, Chiarello said, only 17 needed replacing in 2008. Other towns outside the Pinelands have developed successful septic-management programs, according to Ed Wengrowski, wastewater management coordinator for the Pinelands Commission. The commission claims that unchecked septic systems are a source of nonpoint pollution, or pollution that has no readily identifiable source. Wengrowski said three-year certifications for septic inspectors vary in cost by town from $15 to $60. He also said a $50 inspection would be far less than the approximately $15,000 it could cost to replace a damaged septic tank. "By ignoring that septic system, you're setting yourself up for trouble," Wengrowski said. The septic program likely would not go into effect until 2011, according to John Stokes, executive director of the commission. Potential changes to the Land Capability Map - a map that classifies which areas of the Pinelands can be developed and which cannot - continue to be a hot-button issue. The commission has made several changes to their original proposals from last fall. Still, some residents are concerned that they would lose the ability to develop their properties if the land were reclassified as an area that must be preserved because of ecological integrity, or a high degree of land quality and species habitat. The matter is of particular concern to residents who have owned property in the region prior to 1979, when the Pinelands map designations first took effect. "There's no compensation for a property owner who had had the rug pulled from under them," Chiarello said. The municipal council and residents also raised issues regarding affordable housing and Pinelands fees, all of which came back to the financial impact on Pinelands residents. The commission did not make any decisions regarding any of the issues raised Monday night, instead listening to the concerns and taking them into account for when the final decisions are rendered. The commission also has held a series of meetings throughout the Pinelands to address issues within individual counties and townships. "To the extent that we're able to, we're willing to help the towns sort through these unknowns," Stokes said.
BUENA: Summer concert series scheduled at Michael Debbi Park 6/20/09
Buena Vista Township Special Events Committee will
sponsor a free summer concert series at 7 p.m. Wednesdays, rain or shine, at
Michael Debbi Park, Cedar Avenue, Richland.
This Saturday it's all about summer in Vineland, Richland 6/12/09 This Saturday, two events will draws tens of thousands of people to two towns separated by only a few short miles. Richland Village in Buena Vista Township is hosting its first Summer Saturday, which includes the popular memorial race Run 4 Ricky, and Vineland will host its most popular summertime event, the Cruise Down Memory Lane. It's only a few minutes' drive between Richland and Landis Avenue in Vineland, the site of the car cruise, but the two events are not competing directly - Summer Saturday begins in the morning and wraps up in the afternoon, while Vineland's downtown event is a nighttime affair. Todd Noon, executive director of the Vineland Downtown Improvement District, said the cruise down the avenue could attract anywhere between 25,000 and 30,000 people, based on past years and predictions of good weather. Another several thousand will likely attend Summer Saturday in Richland. "It's a great thing," Noon said. "There are lots of downtowns that would kill to have 25-, 30,000 people in their downtown over the course of a whole year. We are going to get that in just about four hours." The Cruise Down Memory Lane is a throwback to decades past, when county residents would cruise down the avenue. Noon, a Millville native, said the practice was still active when he was in high school. The downtown's revitalization lead to the resurrection of the cruise, which features mostly classic cars. They cruise in and park for display along Landis Avenue until the end of the event. "It's a great family atmosphere," Noon said. "You will see three or four generations of families there, usually." The Cape May Seashore Line will resume service to Buena Vista Township, and Richland Village will have displays celebrating local history. The biggest draw, however, is the Run 4 Ricky event, which is in its sixth year. Run 4 Ricky is named for Ricky Wilcox, a Buena Regional High School senior who died in a car accident 2004 shortly before graduating. The event includes a 5K run, a 1-mile walk and a kids fun run. The event raises money for the Ricky Wilcox Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships to Buena graduates. E-mail Edward Van Embden: If you want to go Summer Saturday: Registration for the sixth annual Run 4 Ricky begins at 8 a.m. at 274 Friendship Road, Buena, behind the high school. Entry fee for the 5K run and 1-mile walk is $25 and includes a T-shit, refreshments and a ticket to an all-you-can-eat barbeque. Those not participating in the run can visit Richland Village's attractions anytime during the day. Vineland Cruise: The Cruise Down Memory Lane begins at about 5 p.m. on Landis Avenue in Vineland. The event features classic cars as well as food and other vendors. The event lasts until about 10 p.m. and is free.
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Address: Buena Vista Township
Copyright © 1999 [Buena Vista Township]. All rights reserved.
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