MAN KILLED BY TRAIN
Coverage on pages 2, 6, 7, 20 and 59
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Volume 22 • Issue 6
by Gabe Donio
G AZETTE S TAFF W RITER
HAMMONTON—According to
NJ Transit Spokesperson Nancy
Snyder, a local man identified as
59-year-old Victoriano Diaz-
www.hammontongazette.com
At Passmore Ave. railroad crossing
Sanchez was struck and killed by
an Atlantic City Rail Line train at
the Passmore Avenue Gate Cross-
ing at 5:55 p.m. on January 31.
“At 5:55 p.m. on Wednesday af-
ternoon [ January 31], an Atlantic
City Rail Line traveling west
struck and fatally injured an adult
male trespasser at the Passmore
Gate Crossing, west of the Ham-
monton station,” Snyder said.
According to Snyder, there were
no injuries to the crew and passen-
gers. Snyder said service was tem-
porarily suspended and substitute
bus service was offered.
“The trespasser has been identi-
fied as 59-year-old Victoriano
Diaz-Sanchez,” Snyder said.
Diaz-Sanchez was struck by the
train while trespassing on the rail-
Realtors optimistic EaglEs win supEr bowl
about local market
by Stephen Pistone
G AZETTE S TAFF W RITER
HAMMONTON—The real es-
tate market has seen its share of
ups and downs since the recession
in 2008 caused the housing mar-
ket to crash and foreclosures to
mount. The nation has seen grad-
ual recovery over the past nine
See POLICE, Page 4
years, but many communities are
still feeling the effects, especially
locally in Atlantic County, which
was named the foreclosure capital
of America in years’ past. Despite
recent uncertainty in the wake of
a significant economic downtown,
Hammonton is home to several
seasoned real estate professionals
Virtua Primary Care
moves to Route 30
by Gina Rullo
G AZETTE S TAFF W RITER
HAMMONTON—Virtua Pri-
mary Care has moved from its
12th Street location to its new,
high-tech location on the White
Horse Pike, next door to Planet
Fitness.
See REALTOR, Page 10
Btwn Walmart,
Planet Fitness
Now located at 75 White Horse
Pike, the primary care practice led
by Dr. Dennis Piccone was once
owned by Dr. Alexander Rodi.
See VIRTUA, Page 8
Courtesy Photo
Galletta speaks to
historical society
Mento family cousins and Hammonton residents (Anthony and his son, AJ Jr., and Sam Mento III and his son, Sam
Mento IV), went to Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on February 4. They witnessed the Philadelphia Eagles
triumphant win over the New England Patriots 41-33. More locals went to the game, see pictures Page 20.
by Stephen Pistone
G AZETTE S TAFF W RITER
HAMMONTON—Resident and
New Jersey Pinelands Commission
Vice Chairman Paul E. Galletta
was the guest speaker during the
Historical Society of Hammon-
ton’s (HSH) community program
at the Hammonton Canoe Club on
February 1. Galletta gave a presen-
tation on the culture and history of
the New Jersey Pinelands, a 1.1
million-acre biosphere (the largest
body of open space between
Boston, Mass. and Richmond, Va.)
that is home to enormous forests,
sprawling farmland and 850
species of life, including wild or-
St. Joseph High
fundraisers coming
by Stephen Pistone
G AZETTE S TAFF W RITER
THG/Stephen Pistone. To purchase photos in The Gazette, call (609) 704-1940.
Paul Galletta (left) with Bill Parkhurst (right) at the Historical Society of Hammonton meeting on February 1. Galletta
was the guest speaker for the evening.
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HAMMONTON—St. Joseph
High School (SJHS) will continue
its steady effort to raise money
while engaging the community
and bringing alumni together with
two key spring events, its second
See GALLETTA, Page 4
annual Fashion Show and Glam-
our Expo on Sunday, March 11
and the fifth annual Red and
White Celebration on Saturday,
April 21.
The SJHS Fashion Show and
Glamour Expo will return to
Kathedral Event Center to show-
case the top clothing from Macy’s
Gazette • $20 FOR 52 WEEKS • CALL 609-704-1939
See ST. JOE, Page 3