The Hammonton Gazette 01/22/2014 | Page 6

Page 6 • Wednesday, January 22, 2014 • The Hammonton Gazette The Hammonton Gazette “The Paper of Record” Gabriel J. Donio, Publisher Gina rullo, Editor-in-Chief Dan russoman, Sports Editor Benny Mendez, Staff Artist Marysusan hoffman, Paul J. Macrie iv Michael hozik, Donna Brown, Joseph Bruno, lauren Bucci, lauren crescenzo, Brian Morris, anthony Marella, Staff The Hammonton Gazette is located at 233 Bellevue ave. to reach a staff member, call 704-1940 or fax at 704-1938. the mailing address is P.o. Box 1228, hammonton, NJ 08037. eDitorials The Hammonton Gazette is published Wednesdays, by The Hammonton Gazette, Inc. Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved. ISSN 1093-6181 Movin’ on uptown The continuing resurgence of uptown — the commercial area of Hammonton and portions of neighboring municipalities based on the White Horse Pike (Route 30) and Route 206 is a positive for the entire town of Hammonton. It meshes well with the ongoing revitalization effort that continues to make the downtown area a destination, and the reinvestment in the business park, which features retail outlets, a gym, commercial uses, farms, offices and restaurants. Uptown is the newest member of our town’s three commercial areas to receive attention from private, volunteer and government sources. After witnessing what a committed effort did to turn around the downtown and the business park, it was impossible not to turn the same attention to the uptown district. Today, renovations and business openings are becoming the norm in uptown, as those trends continue downtown and in the business park. Councilman Tom Gribbin said the area would be a primary focus of his next two years on town council. The Greater Hammonton Chamber of Commerce has launched an Uptown Committee to further the effort to fill empty stores and create new opportunities. The effort to beautify the area will be taking a big step forward once the new mural celebrating Hammonton created by arts students who were led by Hammonton High School Art Teacher John Toothman is installed on the side of the Wendy’s restaurant on the White Horse Pike. Wendy’s funded the mural, and is reinvesting in our town, the students at our high school and our local heritage. Things are looking up, we’re movin’ on up — whatever the phrase, people are working hard to make sure all three commercial areas of our town are filled, looking good and contributing everything they can to make Hammonton the best town it can be. a voice for peace “We must come to see that the end we seek is a society of peace. That will be the day not of the black man, not of the white man. That will be the day of man as man.” — The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. When the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. won the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1964, he was working to achieve peace through social justice. He felt it was an extension of his work as a Baptist minister, work he began in racially-segregated Montgomery, Alabama a decade earlier, when he was only 25. We often forget how young King was when he lived and died. He was cut down at the age of 39 by an assassin’s bullet on Apr il 4, 1968, just four years after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. The idea that a man who dedicated his life to serving the cause of peace was in danger of meeting a violent end was not ironic, especially not to a Baptist minister. Too often these days, we have seen the “Reverend” or “Doctor” title dropped from Martin Luther King Jr.’s name. Yet he was a reverend, a man of great Christian faith that informed him and his actions throughout his life. He was a doctor of systematic theology, a doctorate he received at Boston University. While there, he studied under Howard Thurman, the Dean of the Chapel and a member of the faculty of the School of Theology. Thurman’s book Jesus and the Disinherited, was, along with the writings of Gandhi, among King’s major influences regarding nonviolence. King was remembered in Hammonton on January 20, the national holiday that bears his name, by students and staff at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey’s Kramer Hall on Front Street. King earned worldwide fame for his efforts in the cause for peace for all people, as he mentions in the quote above. He knew that peace flows from the individual, the family, the community and into the world. Let us all endeavor to continue his efforts to achieve a society of peace. PersPective/south Jersey While the calendar may have moved forward, several key issues facing South Jersey remain as Congress returns this week. My immediate focus will be on legislation to address the serious financial strain facing a great number of South Jersey residents - particularly those still recovering from Superstorm Sandy - due to extreme increases in their flood insurance premiums. For several months, I’ve been part of a task force supported by the House Republican Leadership charged with finding a common-sense solution in this divided Congress to this national problem. While the current increases will ensure full-risk costs are covered by policyholders – and not taxpayers at large – there is bipartisan agreement that the steep rise of premiums in addition to rebuilding costs and sluggish economic growth locally is too much all at once for many families to manage. I anticipate Congressional action on this issue in the coming weeks. Over the long-term, fostering a pro-business environment that encourages hiring and capital investments remains the top priority. With stubborn double-digit unemployment in much of our region, we must invest in job-creating initiatives that will benefit South Jersey and the nation. Just last week we secured a significant opportunity for our region. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced the New JerseyVirginia partnership was selected as one of six test sites for the integration of commercial, unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace. Leading our state’s Congressional delegation, I highlighted the unique assets of South Jersey – from the expertise of the employees at the FAA Technical Center in Egg Harbor Township and physical facilities at the Atlantic City International Airport to our proximity to restricted airspace - as we created a solid working relationship with Virginia to strengthen our application against 22 other states. In my view, the opportunities from winning this designation for our region cannot be overstated. As FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said, “We have successfully brought new technology into the nation’s aviation system for more than 50 years, and I have no doubt we will do the same with unmanned aircraft.” I wholeheartedly agree and envision the active participation and partnership of the private sector in South Jersey, providing economic growth and potential job opportunities in the aviation field. Residents should be aware that unmanned aircrafts to be tested in our region are not the military “drones” you read about in combat zones or see in movies. These are small-scale, weight-restricted systems that are prohibited from being weaponized. As the test sites are set up over the coming months, data from each site will be sent to the FAA Technical Center, who has been working on unmanned aircraft systems for several years. Furthermore, each site will have specific public regulations to protect the privacy of surrounding residents – from operating restrictions to limits on use. With a future eye towards widespread commercial use and integration into the national airspace, Congress continues to evaluate further legislative options to address civil liberty concerns and I will remain actively engaged. Finally, we cannot lose sight that the greatest drag on our economy is the uncertainty surrounding Obamacare and its disastrous implementation. While President Obama has arbitrarily delayed several provisions in his signature healthcare law, the most egregious parts remain. We need to dismantle Obamacare’s tax penalties and job-crushing mandates. While I support prohibiting the denial of coverage for pre-existing conditions and helping seniors with prescription drug coverage, the destruction of the traditional 40-hour work week, rise in premiums for many small businesses, and loss of existing coverage will stop any momentum of recent economic growth in its tracks. From securing our borders and immigration reform to reducing our $17 trillion debt and extending unemployment benefits for those in greatest need, complicated issues remain for Congress to tackle despite the change in the calendar. One thing that will not change, however, is how I will approach my work on the issues that are important to South Jersey. Whether its additional services for veterans to ensuring our beach replenishment projects continue as scheduled, I have been proud to work with my colleagues on legislation and initiatives that are critical to communities in our state. More importantly, my dedication and accessibility to South Jersey residents will not change. My single greatest focus is serving the residents of New Jersey’s 2nd Congressional district. For constituents navigating bureaucratic red-tape or needing assistance with federal agencies, my office and I remain willing to as sist. Anyone needing assistance should contact my Mays Landing office at 625-5008 or toll-free at [phone]. While 2014 is certainly going to be a challenging year, working together it can also be an exciting time for South Jersey. congressman Frank loBiondo (r-2) Washington, D.c. The Hammonton Gazette welcomes letters to the editor that are no more than 800 words long. All letters must include the name of the author and an address and telephone number for verification. Letters should be mailed to The Hammonton Gazette, Editorial Page, P.O. Box 1228, Hammonton, NJ 08037. Letters also will be accepted via fax. The fax number is 704-1938.  Or by e-mail to [email protected]. Deadline for all submissions is 2 p.m. Monday. The Hammonton Gazette reserves the right to edit any submissions. The opinions expressed in letters, perspectives or in guest columns do not necessarily reflect those of The Hammonton Gazette.  The Gazette is not responsible for factual errors in letters, perspectives or in guest columns. The Gazette retains the right to refuse any submission or advertisement.