Page 4 • Wednesday , March 31 , 2021 • The Hammonton Gazette
Gazette interview with Mayor Paul Hodson of Egg Harbor Twp
HODSON , from Page 1 the sports teams , and he was a volunteer fireman . My parents were always doing something for the community , and i think that ’ s what makes a great community : the ability for a lot of people to contribute to the community ,” Hodson told The Gazette .
Hodson , a 1971 graduate of Mainland regional High School , has had a long career in law enforcement and security .
“ i went to work in Washington , D . C . right after high school — i was a clerk with the fBi for five months — then the army saw fit to give me a draft number . i ended up doing active duty , then the reserves , and i completed a two-year degree at atlantic Community College ( now atlantic Cape Community College ) in criminal justice in 1981 ,” Hodson said . after his stint in the armed forces , Hodson was hired by the Somers Point Police Department , where he stayed for approximately 15 years .
“ i left and went to the atlantic County prosecutor ’ s office , where i retired on april 1 , 1998 after 25
years or more of police and fire . then i was fortunate enough to get a job with a security contractor ; i was a project manager at the faa tech center for about 20-plus years with the armed guard contractor at the tech center . it ’ s a 45-plus years in the law enforcement and security background from the start ,” Hodson said .
Hodson , now retired , has two children with his wife Patricia : Maria , who also has three children , and William , who has one child .
Hodson said that he has long had an interest in local politics , but could not run because of his employment , though he did serve as president of the Policemen ’ s Benevolent association Local 77 for a number of years and was a member of their executive board .
“ Once i retired , i had some idea to run for the school board and got elected . i spent like 22 months on the egg Harbor twp . school board , and there was a position open on township committee — that was in 2005 — and i ran , was successful , and i ’ ve been successful ever since ,” Hodson said .
Hodson explained egg Harbor twp .’ s committee form of government .
“ We have five committee people , and we ’ re all basically the same ; we run two , one , two , and we elect who ’ s going to be the chairman of the board , which i have taken that role for the last three years . it ’ s considered mayor . the term starts every year when we reorganize among ourselves . We decide who ’ s going to be the mayor and deputy mayor , and the other three are committee people ,” Hodson said .
Hodson said that , since starting as mayor , egg Harbor twp . has been finding ways to thrive during the novel coronavirus ( COViD-19 ) pandemic .
“ the last couple years have been challenging in a lot of respects with local government . Hopefully we ’ re coming out of this thing pretty well ... i try to make sure our community is cared for , especially with public safety — police , fire and rescue . Not everybody needs police , fire and rescue , but , when they do , they certainly want the best we can provide , and make sure there ’ s plenty of things recreation-wise and community events that allows our community to flourish , and people enjoy living in egg Harbor twp .,” Hodson said .
Hodson also expressed his appreciation for his township ’ s volunteer fire departments .
“ We have five of them in this township that do a pretty good job for us . they ’ re all volunteers ; fire services are needed all days and nights , and we seem to be able to provide that , and make sure we have a good quality of life in the township , and make it attractive for families to move into egg Harbor twp .,” Hodson said .
Hodson said that the township does its best to attract businesses to provide ratables , but noted that “ it ’ s going to be a tough time this year with budgeting because of the lost revenue that we experienced .”
“ it ’ s an interesting dynamic ; a lot of workplaces are now going to go where their people are working from home . i think you ’ re going to see some of these office buildings and open spaces be available , because they ’ re not going to come back to a brick-and-mortar place to operate their business when they can do it virtually through the computer . the maintenance and upkeep and leases and so forth on commercial properties , they ’ re where they have to be in this economy but they ’ re expenses that they won ’ t have to incur if they can log onto their computer and take care of business from wherever they ’ re at ,” Hodson said . that paradigm shift holds true , Hodson said , for malls and some shopping centers .
“ the amazon trucks run up and down my street all the time . it ’ s a whole different way of life ; it ’ s amazing how it changes , and it probably will never go back to where it was before the change ,” Hodson said . recreation , however , has been thriving in egg Harbor twp ., Hodson said .
“ We ’ re lucky ; we have what we call a nature reserve , which we developed from an old pit , that people have used throughout this pandemic . a lot of people were out there every day , walking the dogs and walking the trails ,” Hodson said .
Good recreation contributes to a good quality of life , which is one aspect among many that Hodson wants to see continue in egg Harbor twp .
“ the hopes are that we can maintain the quality of life , a good education for the kids and people who have children in our schools , recreation , and make it a safe place to live and enjoy ... We want to make sure that , if there ’ s a way that we can enhance our township , to make it attractive , and that the residents have something to do right here in our hometown ,” Hodson said .
Hodson did note a hint of jealousy over an aspect which Hammonton has but egg Harbor twp . does not .
“ i think the one thing about Hammonton is that you still have the old downtown section , where egg Harbor twp .— with our area and space and roads — we don ’ t have a center city ; we don ’ t have a downtown . everybody will say , ‘ where ’ s the center of town ?’ that ’ s a difficult thing to have , because we could call it Bargaintown , Cardiff , it could be Scullville , and you ’ re not sure where it is . You guys have a center city , a main road that goes through town . You have some old buildings that i think are attractive if they ’ re maintained , and we don ’ t really have that . We still have some old farms and so forth out here , but we don ’ t really have a center of town ,” Hodson said .
Despite that minor drawback , Hodson was effusive in his affection for his hometown .
“ i ’ m just an older guy who enjoys my community ,” Hodson said .
OBITUARIES Omar Vega
Omar Vega , 41 , of atco , N . J . died on Monday , March 22 , 2021 .
Born in arecibo , Puerto rico he lived in this area for many years . Omar was a barber with fresh Cutz in Hammonton . He was a member of the Hammonton Spanish Pentecostal assembly of God Church . He is predeceased by his father , reyes Vega . Surviving are his wife , Jessica Vega ( nee Cordero ); his children , Milleanie Vega , Kailani Vega and anjelica Carrion all of atco ; his mother , Delia e . rios of Hammonton ; his brother , reynaldo Vega of Hammonton ; and his sister , Yadira Vega of florida . funeral Services were held on March 27 , 2021 , 11 a . m . at the Spanish
Pentecostal assembly of God Church , 100 french Street , Hammonton , N . J ., where a visitation was held from 10 a . m . to 11 a . m . Burial followed in Greenmount Cemetery , Hammonton . in lieu of flowers donations to the family would be greatly appreciated . arrangements made by Carnesale funeral Home .