The Hammonton Gazette 01/29/14 | Page 6

Page 6 • Wednesday, January 29, 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 honoring camorata Former Hammonton Municipal Court Administrator Debra “Debbie” Camorata, one of the most well-known and well-liked employees in Hammonton, retired on December 1, 2013 after 27 years of serving the town. At the regular meeting of the town council, the town publicly honored Camorata by naming December 1, 2013 “Debra Camorata Day” in the town of Hammonton. Camorata received a proclamation from Mayor Stephen DiDonato at the meeting. She thanked mayor and council and previous mayors and councils, Judge Frank Raso and previous judges and Hammonton Police Chief Robert Jones and previous police chiefs. “I’m very thrilled to have this honor, and I’m very humbled to have had this job,” Camorata said. Following the presentation, Camorata was embraced by Raso, whom she said she has known since sixth grade. The judge presented her with flowers. She then shook hands with each person on the council dais, thanking them for the honor and the ability to serve the town for so many years. Camorata did her work year in and year out, without fail. She was dedicated and maintained a sense of kindness and humor in a job that often dealt with people who had found themselves in trouble with the law. She will be missed in town hall and by the public. Time moves forward, and immediately after the ceremony honoring Camorata, the town council voted unanimously to name her successor. Kim Torres will be the new court administrator. She follows Camorata, who set a fine example. Torres was in attendance during the council meeting, and the new era began. Camorata is deserving of the honor. We wish her well in her retirement and Torres well in her new position. Super Bowl section This week, The Gazette brings readers our exclusive Super Bowl section, beginning on page 23. Brought to you by our Sports department, it’s the first in what will be an annual series of special sections on the Super Bowl each year. While the big game is always surrounded by a lot of hype, interest is higher than usual in Hammonton this year because it marks the first time it has been held in New Jersey (the NFL made the decision following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, which brought down the World Trade Center in New York City). It also looks like it’s going to be a great game, pitting the league’s best offense (the Denver Broncos) against the league’s best defense (the Seattle Seahawks). The personalities on each side are also Super Bowl-sized: Peyton Manning for Denver and Richard Sherman for Seattle each personify their team’s strengths. The Gazette’s Super Bowl section features all the inside coverage from Sports Editor Dan Russoman and sports writer Paul Macrie IV, both of whom received press credentials for Super Bowl Media Day at the Prudential Arena in Newark on January 28. Read their insights about the game — along with all their other Super Bowl coverage (and great professional and high school coverage in our regular Sports section every week). As an added bonus, make sure to check out all the advertising promotions for the big game from local restaurants and businesses in this section. Whether you’re getting together with friends at a party or watching it at your favorite bar or restaurant — read The Gazette’s Super Bowl section and you’ll know everything you need to know about the game. Enjoy the Super Bowl! PERSPEcTivE/MayoR’S viEw When my two brothers and I were growing up, my father always said, “Success is achieved after years of hard work” and, “The cream always comes to the top.” The same goes true for our small town in the 1960s. The Hammonton Chamber of Commerce put out a brochure to attract business to our town, touting that Hammonton was the hub of South Jersey and all roads lead to Hammonton. The brochure, which was very professionally done, and the leaders of the Chamber, put Hammonton on the map. Fast-forward to today, and Hammonton is receiving a great deal of positive press. Companies such as NJM, Stockton College and AtlantiCare have chosen to locate their businesses in town. They like Hammonton because of the geographic location and strong, work-force talent in a 30minute radius. In addition to the larger businesses coming to Hammonton, many small businesse s have decided to put their faith in our To the Editor: town. Private investment is the backbone of this great country, and we have seen resurgence in our great town. We see tremendous investment on Main Street, and the White Horse Pike has found success with many new stores and renovations. The quality of life in our town is a major reason we have had financial success. Hammonton has heart, and our heart and small-town charm keep our town alive. Our parades, the tree lighting, festivals, civic associations and volunteer organizations in our town are second to none. We have great schools and hard working professionals that staff them, who are dedicated to educating and molding our youth. Our school board has invested millions of dollars in our schools to improve the learning environment. Hundreds of volunteer coaches donate their precious time to teach different sports and act as role models to our youth. Thanks to these individuals, our sports teams and organizations thrive. We have a close-knit community filled with family and friends. As Hammontonians, we always reach out to help those in need. This is something special you do not see in other towns. We truly are lucky to live in this special place, this Norman Rockwell painting, as I like to compare Hammonton to. Our town is truly the jewel of South Jersey. When you travel out of town and mention you are from Hammonton the response is, “Love that town…Main Street looks great...Mount Carmel festival was fun…You live in the Blueberry capital of the World.” My heart smiles, and I am lucky to live in this great town. We are proud, hardworking, loving people that never give up. We continuously over achieve and stay in control of our own destiny. We continually climb though the rocks may be rugged. That is the Hammonton spirit and the Hammonton way. LETTER To ThE EdiToR I wanted to take an opportunity to highlight some of the endeavors undertaken by the Town’s Environmental Commission. Many times when I tell people I am on the commission I get a response centered around tree removal permits. Although handling these permits is a duty we are required to perform by town ordinance, there is much more in which we are involved. The Commission also serves in an advisory capacity to the Town’s Planning Board, reviewing proposed construction projects and making recommendations on ways to lessen the impact of development on the natural, and lived in, environments. These recommendations can pertain to the impact of storm water runoff, light pollution, noise pollution, tree replacement and enhanced soil testing. For the past several years we have partnered with Mayor Stephen didonato hammonton Hammonton Public Schools and St. Joseph’s to provide an Arbor Day assembly to every fourth grader in Hammonton. The assembly has consisted of a presentation made by a certified arborist on the aesthetic, environmental and commercial value of trees in the community. The last two years we have purchased tree seedlings to give to each of these students to plant. This year we will install four educational signs at Hammonton Lake Park which were funded in part by a grant from the New Jersey Association of Environmental Commissions (ANJEC). Three interpretive signs will educate park visitors about the various plants, wildlife and eco-systems they will encounter as they travel through the park. The fourth sign will outline the pathways within the adjacent Smith Conservation Area. Our goal is to provide enhanced recreation within these open See LETTER, Page 7 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.