Stafford offers insights
into town’s history
p. 21
Celebrating Ben
Franklin’s B-Day!
p. 23-30
A Comedy of Tenors at
Walnut Street Theater
p. 35
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
SCHOOL BOARD DEADLOCKED
Volume 23 • Issue 2
by Franki Rudnesky
G AZETTE S TAFF W RITER
www.hammontongazette.com
No president or vice president as votes end in 5-5 ties
uary 2, 2019, but the outcome was
that neither a board president nor
vice president of the board was
chosen because voting was dead-
Councilmen sworn
in at reorg. meeting
HAMMONTON—The Ham-
monton Board of Education held
its Reorganization Meeting on Jan-
locked in a tie each time the posi-
tions were brought to a vote.
The meeting began with the
swearing in of newly elected Ham-
monton Board members Thomas
Attanasi, Erica Polito and Michael
Pullia, and Folsom Representative
John Thomas.
After each new member took the
oath of office and roll call was
taken, nominations for the position
See SCHOOL, Page 4
by Stephen Pistone
G AZETTE S TAFF W RITER
HAMMONTON—During town council’s 2019 reorganization meeting
on January 7, Atlantic County Surrogate James Curcio swore in Council-
man Michael Torrissi (Republican) for his new term. Recently re-elected
Councilmen Steven Furgione (Republican) and Sam Rodio (Hammonton
First) were sworn in by Hammonton Joint Municipal Court Judge Frank
Raso.
HHS alum Ricco
singing with Navy
See COUNCIL, Page 8
by Stephen Pistone
G AZETTE S TAFF W RITER
HAMMONTON—Folsom na-
tive Vince Ricco’s professional
singing career has taken him
many places around the world
over the past decade.
The versatile falsettist has spent
time living in New York, South
Carolina, Nevada and even spent
three years performing on a Ger-
man cruise ship that toured in Ice-
land, Sweden, Norway, Denmark,
Turkey and more.
Ricco has also studied exten-
sively throughout his global jour-
ney. After earning a Bachelor of
THG/Michael Rizzotte. To purchase photos in The Gazette, call (609) 704-1940.
BOE welcomes new members Josey returns; now
Sooyasst. principal
See RICCO, Page 10
Atlantic County Surrogate James Curcio administered the oath of office to Councilman Michael Torrissi on January 7
during the town council’s reorganization meeting. Torrissi is pictured with his wife Katie and daughter Sophia. Coun-
cilmen Steven Furgione and Sam Rodio also took the oath of office.
by Stephen Pistone
G AZETTE S TAFF W RITER
HAMMONTON—The newest
assistant principal of Warren E.
Sooy Jr. Elementary School is a
familiar face, Damiso Josey—a
former Hammonton High School
(HHS) teacher who pioneered the
school’s TV Media program dur-
ing his decade-plus tenure.
Before becoming an educator,
the Glassboro native and Temple
University graduate worked in the
television production industry,
where he interned at the United
Paramount Network (UPN) and
was later hired as an associate di-
rector and network integrator for
ESPN, followed by him working
Resolutions for 2019
shared with Gazette
G AZETTE S TAFF W RITER
THG/Michael Rizzotte. To purchase photos in The Gazette, call (609) 704-1940.
New Hammonton Board of Education member Erica Polito was administered the oath of office by Hammonton High
School alum New Jersey Superior Court Justice Sarah Beth Johnson. Polito is pictured with her husband Nick and two
children AJ and Gabriella.
SUBSCRIBE TO The
HAMMONTON—A common
theme at the start of each year is
the New Year’s Resolution. The
New Year can mean a fresh start
and new beginning for an
individual, and that is the case for
many locals in 2019.
Gazette • SUBSCRIBE NOW! • CALL 609-704-1939
“My New Year’s Resolution is
to stay positive in all aspects of
my life. I don’t usually make a
New Year’s Resolution, but with
all the negativity going on around
the world, I feel that I have to do
my part to keep things positive,”
Hammonton Police Officer
Charles
Sbarra
III,
of
Hammonton, said.
See RESOLUTIONS, Page 4
by Stephen Pistone
See JOSEY, Page 3