The Hammonton Gazette 01/16/19 Edition | Page 2

Indio vying for Miss NJ, columnist on parenting p. 19 The legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. p. 23-30 DiDonato wants town to buy golf holes, again STORY IN NEXT WEEK’S EDITION DRUG ARREST ON PRATT ST. Wednesday, January 16, 2019 Volume 23 • Issue 3 by Gabe Donio www.hammontongazette.com Police charged man with distributing drugs within 1000 ft. of a school G AZETTE S TAFF W RITER within 1000 feet of a school on the 400 block of Pratt Street at 7:40 p.m. on January 8, Hammonton Police Lt. Kevin Friel said. Expectations change for housing market HAMMONTON—Police charged a man with possession of drugs and distributing drugs A man walking his dog believed he saw juveniles in a dark-colored BMW smoking marijuana, Friel said. Officers responded and found Kyle Foster, 19, of Brigantine, Friel said. Upon arriving, K-9 Of- ficer Robert Zbikowski observed Foster exiting the vehicle, Friel said. “He was advised to get back in See POLICE, Page 2 by Stephen Pistone G AZETTE S TAFF W RITER HAMMONTON—A year ago, many local real estate professionals possessed an optimistic outlook for the housing market heading into 2018. Now, as the calendar turns to 2019, several factors have tempered those expectations for Hammonton’s real estate market. While there are sufficient homes for sale in Hammonton, Re/Max Community Realtor David Birnbaum said the market has flatlined Env. Commission reorganizes for ‘19 See HOUSING, Page 8 by Stephen Pistone G AZETTE S TAFF W RITER HAMMONTON—The Ham- monton Environmental Commis- sion held its 2019 reorganization meeting on January 9. Councilwoman Brooke Sacco commenced the meeting from the commission chairman’s seat and asked the commission for a mo- tion to recommend a chairman for 2019. Commission member Terri Caruso-Cafiso made a motion to nominate incumbent commission chairman Daniel Bachalis for the position, which was seconded by commission member Dr. Michael THG/MarySusan Hoffman. To purchase photos in The Gazette, call (609) 704-1940. Town hires, promotes officers St. Joe marketing Catholic education See COMMISSION, Page 12 AtlantiCare’s expansion became visible from across town last week when a large crane was brought to the White Horse Pike site to aid in the construction of the building that is being added on to the healthcare complex adjacent to Tomasello Winery. by Stephen Pistone G AZETTE S TAFF W RITER HAMMONTON—At St. Joseph Regional Elementary School (SJRES) and St. Joseph High School (SJHS), marketing and advancement are essential to perpetuating a culture of quality Catholic education at an affordable price. St. Mary of Mt. Carmel Parish Marketing Director Susan Davi- dow is also now the Advancement Director at SJRES as of June 2018. Davidow, an Atlantic City native, took on added responsibility when she added the part-time advance- ment director position to her re- sume, which also includes several Library offers timely presentation G AZETTE S TAFF W RITER THG/Michael Rizzotte. To purchase photos in The Gazette, call (609) 704-1940. Councilman Thomas Gribbin administered the oath of office to Hammonton Police Lieutenant Edward Slimm. Slimm was promoted to lieutenant at the January 7 town council reorganization meeting. He is pictured with his wife Linda and son Eddie. For pictures of the two new police hires and the two sergeant promotions, please see the Our Town section. SUBSCRIBE TO The HAMMONTON—The popu- larity of e-cigarette usage, also known as “vaping,” has skyrock- eted over the past couple of years, especially among youth. According to a report published by the American Academy of Pe- Gazette • SUBSCRIBE NOW! • CALL 609-704-1939 diatrics’ Section on Tobacco Con- trol, educators across the country have reported witnessing the fre- quent social use of a brand of e- cigarettes called Juul, whose devices’ small size and sleek, in- conspicuous design make them highly popular among high school and college campuses. On January 10, representatives See LIBRARY, Page 4 by Stephen Pistone See ST. JOE, Page 3