The Hammonton Gazette 02/25/15 Edition | Page 6

Page 6 • Wednesday, February 25, 2015 • 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, Brittany Mauro, Lauren Bucci, Lauren crescenzo 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 © 2015. All rights reserved. ISSN 1093-6181 Ready. Set. eat! Deliciousness can be found on the pages of this week’s Dining Guide, as The Gazette celebrates our 12th Annual Restaurant Week. This year, The Gazette’s Restaurant Week will be held from February 27 through March 8. Page through this special section and you will find a comprehensive listing of the restaurants of Hammonton and surrounding communities, with their addresses and phone numbers. In addition, the special section provides readers with advertisements for all your favorite restaurants — and maybe some future favorites. Several restaurants feature partial or complete menus in their ads. Make sure you save this section at your home or office so you have ideas the next time you want to order out or dine out from a local or area restaurant. Make sure to look all of the restaurants in our Dining Guide up online for more information about these excellent establishments. Our restaurant community has done so much for Hammonton, and The Gazette’s Restaurant Week is a wonderful way to support that community, while enjoying some outstanding food and having a great time with family and friends. Remember, the Hammonton Education Foundation’s Taste of the Town will be held on March 15 at Hammonton High School. It’s another great way to sample all of the delicious offerings of the restaurants in and around Hammonton. In the words of The Gazette Gourmet Rocco DeLaurentis: Happy Eating! Stockton university On February 18, The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey formally announced its new name and status as Stockton University. Recent major moves by Stockton include the acquisition of the former Showboat hotel and casino for the school’s new Island Campus. The Atlantic City campus of Stockton University also includes the Carnegie Center. In recent years, the university’s expansion has included new and renovated facilities on its main campus and the acquisition of the Seaview Hotel and Golf Club in Galloway Twp. The university also has instructional sites in Manahawkin and Woodbine. Today, many communities would like to be a part of the Stockton University success story. Hammonton was ahead of many other communities when it made the decision to have Stockton come to town, with the municipality working with the then-college on a project that saw Stockton spend $5 million to renovate the former Bertino clothing factory into the Kramer Hall Instructional Site on Front Street. The building opened in January of 2013. Today, that building is a jewel of the downtown area and the entire town, bringing students to the community who shop in stores and restaurants located within walking distance of Kramer Hall. As of last week, it is also part of a growing Stockton University, the first of what could be many university buildings in Hammonton. We are very fortunate to have Stockton University in Hammonton. It was a good idea that is turning into a great idea. To the editor: LeTTeRS To The ediToR It is said South Jersey puts the ‘garden’ in the “Garden State.” Drive through many of our communities – from Hammonton to Vineland to Mannington among others – and there is no doubt. Our agricultural heritage of family farms and nurseries, passed on from generation to generation, is the foundation for which our region’s cultural identity is built. Like so many long-time residents, my family came to this country from Italy and joined South Jersey’s proud farming tradition. For more than 80 years the Future Farmers of America has encouraged that tradition by fostering interest and understanding of agricultural sciences in the nation’s youth. Today, with more than 600,000 members via 7,665 local chapters, the FFA continues to engage our students, teaching them leadership and practical skills necessary to succeed. Each year I look forward to meeting with local FFA members, discussing their interest to contribute to our state’s billion dollar industry. Their passion always impresses me. So whether your preference is for Jersey-fresh blueberries or cranberries, tomatoes or sweet corn, we should all support our students interested in growing South Jersey’s agricultural future. Our region’s heritage can, and will, flourish in their hands. congressman Frank LoBiondo R-2 Washington, d.c. PeRSPecTive/ReLigiouS ThoughTS This year I celebrate another birthday. The only thing I am wrestling with is which birthday am I going to celebrate? I have so many from which to choose, it is hard to pick out the birthday I want to celebrate. I believe, since it is my birthday, I have the option and right to pick which birthday I am going to celebrate. In thinking this matter over, I have been tempted to celebrate my first birthday because I have no memories of that birthday whatsoever. To celebrate my first birthday would be a rather awesome thing. The first birthday is celebrating the beginning of your life. However, the thing that makes it somewhat crazy is, at that time in life you do not know what to think about as far as life is concerned. As I think about celebrating my first birthday, I thought about sitting on the floor in diapers, drooling, while everybody is singing happy birthday to me. That picture kinda cancels any desire I have to celebrate my first birthday. Then I thought about celebrating my 100th birthday. That would be awesome. I may not be around when I am 100 years old and even if I was around at that time, I may not know what is going on around me. Then another disturbing thought entered my head. Just like my first birthday on my 100th birthday, I could be sitting on the floor in diapers, drooling, while everybody around me is singing happy birthday. I do not think we want to go there. Before I can make any real decisions along this line, I think I am going to have to take a little nap. As I was taking my nap and just before I slipped off into la-la land, I thought about how old I really am. I am old enough so that I can take a nap in the afternoon without anyone thinking anything negative about it. If that is not something to celebrate, I don’t know what is. I am not quite sure how old I was when my parents taught me a little prayer for when you go to bed. It began, “Now I lay me down to sleep.” If only I could remember how old I was when I learned that, I would celebrate that birthday. I have not come to any conclusion about which birthday to celebrate this year, but I do plan to celebrate this whole idea concerning sleep. When I was very young, I would fall asleep whenever and not think anything of it. As I got older, it became embarrassing for someone to catch me napping. Then, I passed a certain milestone in life; I do not know which milestone it was, where I am not embarrassed anymore for anybody catching me asleep. I think that is what I am celebrating this year. At my birthday party, right after the cake, everyone will join me in taking a nap. David understood the importance of sleep when he wrote, “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep” (Psalm 127:2). What puts you to sleep is a good indication of what kind of person you are. The Rev. James L. Snyder Silver Springs Shores, Fla. The Rev. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of God Fellowship in Ocala, Fla. He lives with his wife, Martha, in Silver Springs Shores, Fla. 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 email 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.