The Hammonton Gazette 031820 Gazette Digital Edition | Page 2

Fenway’s picks:
Ready to walk down New Spenser
the aisle? See inside flick on Netflix
Pepperoni bread Italiano shares
contest postponed Maplewood story
p. 14
p. 37
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Wednesday, March 18, 2020
STATE, TOWN TAKE PRECAUTIONS
Volume 24 • Issue 12
www.hammontongazette.com
Gazette Interview: AtlantiCare infectious diseases doctor Trivedi
by Gabe Donio
G AZETTE S TAFF W RITER
TRENTON—On March 16, New Jersey
Governor Phil Murphy, New York Governor
Andrew M. Cuomo and Connecticut Gover-
nor Ned Lamont announced a regional ap-
proach to combatting the novel coronavirus
(COVID-19) throughout the tri-state area.
Mayor Stephen DiDonato also issued com-
ments regarding the municipality combatting
the virus on March 19. On March 10, The
Gazette spoke with Dr. Manish Trivedi, an
infectious diseases specialist who is the Di-
rector of the AtlantiCare Infectious Diseases
Cronquist visits Macrie Brothers
Clinic based in Atlantic City about what peo-
ple should know about COVID-19, how to
combat it and AtlantiCare’s readiness as a
health care system to deal with the virus.
Schools outline
their virus plans
See COVID-19, Page 2
by Franki Rudnesky
G AZETTE S TAFF W RITER
HAMMONTON—On March
12, the Hammonton Board of
Education held its monthly
meeting which included updates
on the district’s reaction to the
coronavirus pandemic, the public
hearing on the refunding bond
ordinance and a presentation on
the Early Childhood Education
Center (ECEC).
Before calling the meeting to
order, board president Sam Mento
III gave the following statement
Presentation on
St. Pat at Stockton
by Joseph F. Berenato
G AZETTE S TAFF W RITER
Courtesy Photo
The North American Blueberry Council President Kasey Cronquist met with members of Macrie Brothers Blue-
berry Farm and Atlantic Blueberry Co. last week at Macrie’s farm. Above: Left to Right: Nicholas Macrie Jr,
Nicholas Macrie Sr, Michael Macrie, Jr, NABC President Kasey Cronquist, Paul Macrie, III, Matthew Macrie, and
Michael Macrie, Sr of Macrie Brothers Blueberry Farm and Art Galletta of Atlantic Blueberry Co.
by Joseph F. Berenato
G AZETTE S TAFF W RITER
HAMMONTON—In 1920, the
American Automobile Associa-
tion (AAA) began the School
Safety Patrol. Now in its 100th
year, the AAA School Safety Pa-
trol continues to be a long-stand-
ing tradition in Hammonton.
Sandy Silipino, a fifth-grade
teacher at Warren E. Sooy Jr. Ele-
mentary School, is the advisor for
Hammonton’s Safety Patrol.
“I remember Safeties serving
both the Hammonton and Saint
Joseph Elementary Schools in the
1960s. In fact, my mother even re-
G AZETTE S TAFF W RITER
HAMMONTON—The Ham-
monton Environmental Commis-
sion held its monthly meeting at 7
p.m. on March 11 in town hall.
Kaitlin Barakat of the New Jer-
sey League of Conservation Vot-
G AZETTE S TAFF W RITER
See SAFETY, Page 16
ers (New Jersey LCV) appeared at
the meeting to discuss a stormwa-
ter grant program.
“This is a new request for pro-
posals that we just put out. I’m
going around, talking to towns,
talking to council people, talking
to their environmental commis-
sions, green teams and letting
See COMMISSION, Page 12
SUBSCRIBE TO The
Effinger
now head
of dept.
See SCOSA, Page 3
by Joseph F. Berenato
Comm. hears about
storm water program
by Joseph F. Berenato
presented by Stockton Center on
Successful Aging (SCOSA).
Baruffi noted that March 17
marks the anniversary of the death
of the saint, who died on that day
in A.D. 461.
“After his death, the people of
Ireland began small, unorganized
celebrations for him. The holiday
THG/Joseph F. Berenato. To purchase photos in The Gazette, call [phone].
Andrea Effinger was recently named the head of the town of Ham-
monton’s Construction Department.
HAMMONTON—Andrea Effinger,
who was recently promoted to Depart-
ment Head of the Construction Depart-
ment, is certainly no stranger to the job.
Effinger, a 1983 graduate of Ham-
monton High School, has been with the
department since 1985.
“I started here when I was 20 ... I
started out as the Planning and Zoning
Board secretary. For eight years I was
doing that. Then the woman that did
my job now retired, and I just kind of
moved over,” Effinger told The
Gazette.
Effinger’s previous title was techni-
cal assistant, which she said was a title
indicating an assistant to the construc-
Gazette • SUBSCRIBE NOW! • CALL 609-704-1939
See TOWN, Page 10
AAA Safety Patrol
celebrates 100 yrs.
HAMMONTON—Leslie
Baruffi gave a presentation about
St. Patrick’s Day on March 11 at
Stockton University’s Kramer
Hall, 30 Front St., as part of the
“Second Wednesdays” program
See SCHOOLS, Page 8