The Hammonton Gazette 03/25/20 Digital Edition | Page 2

Fenway’s picks:
Pics from students
working at home
p. 36-38, 40
News from
uptown
p. 18-19
Get your home and The Hunt is an
yard ready for spring OK B movie
p. 23-34
p. 43
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
RESIDENTS REACT TO CHANGES
Volume 24 • Issue 13
www.hammontongazette.com
People from town, region share thoughts on precautions for COVID-19
by Joseph F. Berenato
G AZETTE S TAFF W RITER
HAMMONTON—As news spread of the
effects of the novel coronavirus (COVID-
19), residents from in and around the region
spoke with The Gazette with their thoughts
on the matter.
Hammonton resident Valerie Duncan
noted that she had been reading about
COVID-19 for some time.
“I was really freaked out in the beginning,
but then I just calmed down; you can’t really
do anything. I think the media’s blowing it
out of proportion. I know it is something se-
rious, but you get a cold, you get a cold. The
flu is deadly. Thousands of people are dying
from the flu. Our kids go to school, and the
flu’s out there, and there’s all different kinds
Taking a look at
state’s actions
by Joseph F. Berenato
G AZETTE S TAFF W RITER
HAMMONTON—On March
21, Governor Phil Murphy signed
Executive Order No. 107 (2020),
which superseded expanded re-
strictions originally enumerated in
See COVID-19, Page 2
Executive Order No. 104 (2020) on
March 16 in an effort to stem the
spread of the novel coronavirus
(COVID-19).
Those contained in Executive
Order No. 104 (2020) included the
institution of a state-wide curfew
from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., as well as the
Chief: Some social
distancing at home
by Gabe Donio
G AZETTE S TAFF W RITER
HAMMONTON—Due to a re-
cent uptick in local domestic vio-
lence calls seen by the
Hammonton Police Department in
the days since Governor Phil Mur-
phy instituted executive orders that
See BUSINESS, Page 8
asked residents to stay at home,
Hammonton Police Chief Kevin
Friel offered suggestions about
people maintaining some social
distance from each other at times
while in the house.
“We want to remind people that
while we are in the ‘stay at home’
under the New Jersey Governor’s
Local officials Home on Bellevue Ave. torn down
discuss COVID-19
File Photo
Many local restaurants are offering takeout including uptown’s Brother’s Pizza. Ianthe Privitera, Alexis Tomasello,
Mario Velazquez, Julio Solis, Alfredo Barbarano and owner George Scotto di Vetta of Brother’s Pizza.
by Joseph F. Berenato
G AZETTE S TAFF W RITER
HAMMONTON—Executive
Order No. 107 (2020) was signed
by Governor Phil Murphy on
March 21 in an attempt to limit
the spread of the novel coron-
avirus (COVID-19).
See FRIEL, Page 20
The order included a continu-
ance of a state-wide curfew from
8 p.m. to 5 a.m., enacted in Exec-
utive Order No. 104 (2020) on
March 16, as well as bans on gath-
erings, limitations on travel except
in cases of necessity and an order
for residents to stay at home un-
less it is essential to leave—and,
Schools close, students
now distance learning
G AZETTE S TAFF W RITER
HAMMONTON—On March
15, Hammonton Board of Educa-
tion president Sam Mento III an-
nounced that, beginning March 17,
schools would be closed for a min-
imum of two weeks but that classes
would be continuing via in-home
instruction.
This came ahead of Executive
Order No. 104 (2020), issued by
Governor Phil Murphy on March
16 that closed all public and private
schools, as well as colleges, begin-
ning March 18. On March 21, Mur-
phy issued Executive Order No.
SUBSCRIBE TO The
See MENTO, Page 10
THG/Gabe Donio. To purchase photos in The Gazette, call [phone].
Demolition of the former Dominick Pitera home on the 300 block of Bellevue Avenue was completed last week.
Gazette • SUBSCRIBE NOW! • CALL 609-704-1939
by Joseph F. Berenato
See TOWN, Page 12