Chamber holds Wine &
Beer at Tomasello Winery
p. 35
Getting ready for
Cruisin’ MainStreet
p. 25-28
Prom-tastic movies to
watch this spring
p. 47
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
POLICE: LEAK ‘BUILDING’ ISSUE
Volume 19 • Issue 18
by Gabe Donio
GAZETTE STAFF WRITER
HAMMONTON—Local police, fire and rescue personnel
along with Atlantic County Emergency Management personnel responded to a 911 call from Home
Solutions, an infusion therapy
company located at 1001 Grand
www.hammontongazette.com
32 treated, 8 sent to hospital at Home Solutions on Grand St.
St., regarding a possible leak that
may have caused employees to
feel sick, Hammonton Police Captain Nick Salvatore said. The call
was made at 11:44 a.m. on April
29, Salvatore said.
When speaking with The
Gazette on May 4, Salvatore said
authorities have more information
on what may have caused the leak.
“They believe that a refrigerant
from the HVAC roof internal system, which is commonly known
as Freon or R-22, had leaked into
the ventilation system, causing irritation to the employees. It af-
fected the employees with nausea,
irritated eyes and some people had
a respiratory reaction to the
smell,” Salvatore said.
The leak soon emptied the offices of Home Solutions in the office building, which is less than 30
years old. Home Solutions em-
ploys approximately 80 people.
Of those 80 people, approximately 32 were screened by rescue personnel and eight were
transported to various facilities,
including two people who were
airlifted by helicopter, Salvatore
Liepe sentenced to A day for teens to showcase talents
32 years in prison
by Gina Rullo
GAZETTE STAFF WRITER
MAYS LANDING—On April
30, a Mays Landing man was sentenced to 32 years in prison in connection with a 2011 fatal three-car
collision that left a nine-year-old
Hammonton boy dead, and a father
and son seriously injured, Atlantic
See LEAK, Page 2
County Prosecutor Jim McClain
announced.
On April 10, 2011, at 12:58 p.m.,
the Hamilton Township Police responded to Cologne Avenue, Mays
Landing, for a reported three-car
motor vehicle collision. The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office
Fatal Collision Unit also responded.
Downtown sites
for filmmaking
by Paul J. Macrie IV
GAZETTE STAFF WRITER
HAMMONTON—Hammonton
resident Tracy Petrongolo and two
creative directors from One Trick
Pony, a full-service advertising,
branding and interactive service
agency in downtown Hammon-
See LIEPE, Page 4
ton, are getting set to shoot two
separate film projects in select
town locations within the next few
months.
Petrongolo asked the town of
Hammonton for permission to use
the court room and the third floor
conference room in town hall to
St. Joseph prom held May 1
See FILMING, Page 3
THG/Paul J. Macrie IV. To purchase photos in The Gazette, call (609) 704-1940.
Hammonton High School junior Lia Gangemi displayed her artwork at Stockton University’s Kramer Hall first floor
gallery. For more photos from the event, see Page 38.
career.
It was the fourth consecutive
by Paul J. Macrie IV
year Hammonton was the host for
GAZETTE STAFF WRITER
this particular event, as students
HAMMONTON—On May 1, from Hammonton and St. Joseph
the annual Atlantic County Teen High Schools participated as well.
Arts Festival was once again held St. Joseph High School was one of
in downtown Hammonton and the 16 venues for the festivities as
surrounding venues, as more than it offered visual arts workshops in1,000 middle and high school stu- cluding creating jewelry with
dents throughout the county had beads and wire and origami bookthe opportunity to showcase their marks.
particular artistic talents for proHammonton High School visual
fessionals to critique, learn about arts instructors John Toothman
different types of arts, and obtain and Christine Throckmorton,
valuable experience for those with along with their students, attended
goals to study arts and culture in
college and pursue it as a potential
See TEEN, Page 12
BOE approves budget
with 3-cent increase
by Brittany Mauro
GAZETTE STAFF WRITER
THG/Paul J. Macrie IV. To purchase photos in The Gazette, call (609) 704-1940.
St. Joseph High School held its promenade on May 1 inside the high school gym before heading to Paris Caterers in
Berlin to dance the night away. Above, left: C.J. LaFragola and Gabrielle Bekisz. Above, right: Shane Leyden and
Carley Goshaw. For more photos, see Pages 29 and 32.
SUBSCRIBE TO The
HAMMONTON—The Hammonton School Board met for a
special meeting April 30 to discuss
the 2015-2016 budget which included a three-cent tax increase.
The board approved the 2015-
2016 school district budget with a
general fund tax levy of
$16,506,429 and debt service fund
tax levy of $2,083,577. The total
tax levy budget is $18,590,006.
Board members Barbara Berenato
and Joseph Giralo voted no to the
levy.
The board approved the 2015-
Gazette • $20 FOR 52 WEEKS • CALL 609-704-1939
See BOE, Page 14