Page 2 • Wednesday, April 19, 2017 • The Hammonton Gazette
TAB L E O F CO N T E N TS
The Hammonton Gazette
OPINION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
BUSINESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
OUR TOWN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
FAITH FOCUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
CIVIC NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
HAMMONTON’S HISTORY . . . . . . 23
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT . . . . . . 43
HAMMONTON
FAMILY EYECARE
WHAT’S HOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
MIND GAMES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
HOROSCOPES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
REAL ESTATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
SCORECARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
SPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Complete Eye Care For All Ages
www.hammontonfamilyeyecare.com
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Stephen Joseph Lalka
Stephen Joseph Lalka, 96, formerly of Atco and Hammonton,
died on Friday, April 7, 2017, in Chatham, New York, surrounded
by loving family.
Born July 17, 1920, in Brehy, Slovakia, he was one of five sons
of Anna (Slavka) and Kalman Lalka. He came to America at age
16 and lived and worked in New York City.
He resided in New York City, Brooklyn, NY, Atco and Elm, and
in his later years, Chatham NY.
Stephen enlisted in the US Navy in 1943, using his critical skills
as Aviation Metalsmith First Class in the production of Navy war-
ships in New Jersey and California. He was a fighter pilot in train-
ing at the end of World War II. Following the war, Stephen earned
a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Fordham University in
New York, with graduate education at the Graduate School at New York University Grad-
uate School of Business. Stephen and Anna raised five beautiful children, and his most
productive years came after moving to South Jersey in 1959. He used his skills and
knowledge again in the shipbuilding industry working for New York Shipbuilding of
Camden and the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. In mid-career and to retirement in 1988,
he was employed as an auditor for the State of New Jersey assigned to Camden County.
He was proud of his Slovak and Catholic heritage and loved his adopted country, the
United States, which had given him many opportunities. In New Jersey, Stephen was a
member of St. Joseph Church, Hammonton and Assumption Church in Atco, and the St.
James Church in Chatham, NY. Stephen loved gardening, mechanical work, and general
tinkering and inventing. He gloried in his numerous grandchildren and great-grandchil-
dren and their accomplishments. He will be missed by many.
He was predeceased by his beloved wife of 60 years, Anna (Selep) Lalka; son, George
Lalka; great-granddaughter, Eva Longo, and his four brothers.
He is survived by his children, Stephen (Carol), Joseph (Teresa Ribadaneyra), Victoria
Tauer (Charles), Nancy Longo (Jeff); his 11 grandchildren, Carolyn (Dan) Waidelich,
Brian (Marylee) Tauer, Linda Tauer Menne, Jeff (Kelly) Longo, Susan Lalka, Matthew
(Laura) Longo, Kevin Longo, Emily (Ben) Almich, Michael (Emily) Lalka, Kelsey Lalka
and Nicole Lalka, and his 14 great-grandchildren, whom he called his “grand-grands”.
Family and friends attended a Mass of Christian Burial on Wednesday, April 12 at St.
Mary of Mt. Carmel Parish - St. Joseph Church, Third and French Streets,
Hammonton. Burial was in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, 124 S. First Rd, Hammonton.
Donations
may
be
made
to
Joyful
Noise
Chorus,
(http://www.joyfulnoisechorus.org/support_contribute.html), Joyful Noise, 17 Spring-
brook Road, Morristown, NJ 07960; First Catholic Slovak Union - FCSU Scholarship
Fund, 6611 Rockside Rd., Suite 300, Independence, OH 44131; or American Joint Care
Foundation Van Fund at Whittier Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center, 1 Whittier
Way, Ghent, NY 12075.
Arrangements made by the Marinella Funeral Home.
Mary V. Kostic
Mary V. (nee Gundersen) Kostic, 95, of the Cecil section of Williamstown, died on
April 15, 2017.
Mrs. Kostic formerly volunteered for the Catholic Charities and was a member of the
Cecil Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary. She enjoyed crocheting and spending time with
her grandchildren.
She was predeceased by her husband Michael Kostic Sr.; devoted mother of Michael
Kostic, the late Robert Kostic, Jeanette Kostic and Mary McDevitt (William); dear sister
of the late George Gundersen, the late Olivia Saro, the late Sydney Consalvi, the late
Anna Mortellite, the late Margaret Gundersen and the late Georgia Gundersen; loving
grandmother of five grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren; dear aunt of Marie Ward
(the late John); dear aunt and godmother of Angelina DiMeglio (Anthony).
Relatives and friends are invited to her viewing on Thursday, April 20 from 9 – 10:30
a.m. at the Farnelli Funeral Home, 504 N. Main Street, Williamstown. A Mass of Chris-
tian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. at St. Mary’s Church / Our Lady of Peace Parish,
S. Main Street, Williamstown. Burial will follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Williamstown.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Bayada Hospice, 603 N. Broad Street
#301, Woodbury, NJ 08096.
Arrangements made by the Farnelli Funeral Home.
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Council members give reports
Chicks at Tractor Supply Co. on Route 206.
Thursday, April 13, 10:19 a.m.
by Stephen Pistone
G AZETTE S TAFF W RITER
HAMMONTON—During the
April 10 council meeting, council
members and the public works
manager/business administrator
gave committee reports. The fol-
lowing items were reported during
the council’s respective reports:
• Administration Committee
(Councilman Michael Torrissi):
There were no action items to re-
port. An administration committee
meeting is scheduled for Wednes-
day, April 26 at 9 a.m.
• Business and Industry Com-
mittee (Councilman Thomas
Gribbin): No action items. Grib-
bin said On the Town Food Tours
would start food tours in Hammon-
ton beginning in May. He added
that work was being done with
three development groups that
could lead to a 100-room hotel
being built in town. On Thursday,
April 20, MainStreet Hammonton
will host Third Thursday with a
Garden Party theme. Downtown
stores, eateries, art venues and
businesses will be open 6 p.m. to 9
p.m. MainStreet Hammonton, The
Hammonton Green Committee
and the Atlantic County Utilities
Authority (ACUA) will collabora-
tively host the Hammonton Com-
munity Cleanup and Downtown
Planting on Saturday, April 29
from 9 a.m. to noon,
•Education Committee (Coun-
cilman Joseph Giralo): There
were no action items to report.
During the April 6 board of educa-
tion meeting, Hammonton Middle
School (HMS) Principal Michael
Nolan gave a presentation high-
lighting various positive things
going on at the school. The board
announced it is going to renovate
the cafeteria and an additional
bathroom, for which a bid will be
selected next month. Also during
the meeting, Robin Chieco was an-
nounced as the district’s next su-
perintendent, beginning in July.
Lastly, no date has been set for the
board’s budget hearing.
• Quality of Life Committee
(Councilman Michael Pullia):
There were no action items to re-
port. Pullia thanked all those who
made the grand opening of the
Hammonton dog park a success
and reminded the public that a dog
license and the keyfob it is linked
to are required to get into the park.
•Public Works and Trans-
portation Committee (Counciil-
man Sam Rodio): Deferred one
action item to the engineer’s re-
port.
•Water and Sewer Committee
(Councilman Steven Furgione):
If the weather permits, final paving
on Valley Avenue will take place
“sometime in May.” Construction
of the three-bay garage on Pleasant
Mills Road has begun. Footings
and foundation wall have been
poured by TKT Construction Co.
Inc., with a concrete floor sched-
uled to be poured this week and the
erection of the building itself to
take place the following week. The
town received approval to begin
repairing Well 4 at the town’s
water department. Furgione said
the contractor’s projected window
of completion is between the last
week of April to the beginning of
May.
Furgione said Anthony DeCicco
told him Wells 5 and 7 can be used
Inferrera’s
Market
EVERYBODY’S STORE.
436 N. 3RD STREET - HAMMONTON 561-1061
SPECIALS FOR THE WEEK. . . .pg11
11 THE WEEK...
FEATURED PAGE
ITEM OF
BABY BACK RIBS: $ 3.99
LB.
to supply water to the town until
Well 4 is back online. Work crews
at the Lincoln Street remediation
site will lay a basecoat of pave-
ment “in the next week or so,” ac-
cording to Furgione. The water and
sewer committee had an on-site
meeting discussing where to install
a fence on the site. Locations for
three additional test monitoring
wells at the portion of the remedi-
ation site near the town’s water
tower have been selected. They
will be installed within the next six
weeks, according to Furgione.
In other news, Barberio’s Public
Works Manager/Business Admin-
istrator Report addressed the fol-
lowing items:
• Barberio said he spoke with
Pullia about potentially applying
for community stewardship incen-
See TOWN, Page 12
Hammonton
USA fundraiser
Sat., April 22
HAMMONTON—Hammonton
USA (Hammonton United Service
Associations) has proven in the
past that it has what it takes to
raise significant funds for major
projects that help the community.
After a 10 year hiatus, Hammon-
ton USA is working together
again.
This year the fundraiser is for
the Hammonton Hawks to help
with for the relocation costs of
moving from Hammonton Lake
Park to William T. Capella Field
on the grounds of the Hammonton
Middle School.
The Hammonton USA Charity
Event will be held on Saturday,
April 22. It will be a Pork ‘n’ Beer
with music, dancing, chance auc-
tion and a 50/50. The event will
be at Kerri Brooke Caterers from
6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Doors will open
at 6 p.m. for auction preview of
prizes and gifts. Dinner will begin
at 7:30 p.m. with music and danc-
ing to follow. Tickets are $35 per
person and are on sale now. You
must be 21 years old to attend.
For more information or tickets,
call Joe Brown at 743-5649. The
Hammonton USA website is
www.hammontonusa.org