The Hammonton Gazette 05/20/15 | Page 6

Page 6 • Wednesday, May 20, 2015 • The Hammonton Gazette The Hammonton Gazette “The Paper of Record” Gabriel J. Donio, Publisher Gina rullo, Editor-in-Chief Dan russoman, Sports Editor Benny mendez, Staff Artist marysusan hoffman, paul J. macrie iv, michael hozik, Donna Brown, Joseph Bruno, Brittany mauro, lauren Bucci, lauren crescenzo, Staff The Hammonton Gazette is located at 233 Bellevue Ave. to reach a staff member, call 704-1940 or fax at 704-1938. the mailing address is p.o. Box 1228, hammonton, nJ 08037. eDitoriAls Forward progress The Hammonton Gazette is published Wednesdays, by The Hammonton Gazette, Inc. Copyright © 2015. All rights reserved. ISSN 1093-6181 Discussions in Public Works/Transportation and Water and Sewer Committee and the town council about a variety of local projects show that forward progress is being made on several fronts. Some of that progress is visible to local residents, like the base coat being applied to Pratt Street, signaling that the end of that project is nearing. So is the imminent end of the infrastructure and paving project for Grape, Packard and Second Streets, as Mayor Stephen DiDonato told The Gazette the final coat of asphalt for those streets would be coming soon as well. These projects have been significant in every aspect: cost, time and aggravation to local residents. However, as has been said before in this space, no other local government administration would lift a finger to improve these streets in the past. Have there been problems? Yes. Residents have pointed many of them out to elected and appointed officials, both privately and in meetings. The Gazette believes that whenever taxpayer money is spent on public projects, great care and oversight must be taken when those projects are being completed. The taxpayers of Hammonton deserve nothing less than the best job their money can buy. Other projects are moving ahead — drip irrigation on Boyer Avenue, another significant sewer and water infrastructure and paving project on Valley Avenue and repaving 14th Street — and the town continues to benefit from the reinvestment in its public utilities, roadways and airport. The balance that must be struck is to complete these projects in a timely manner, at a reasonable cost and with maximum oversight by the elected and appointed officials to ensure the quality job the taxpayers — who are funding all of the work — deserve. more progress On the commercial real estate front, there are increasing signs of a positive outlook for the town across all four of the town’s main commercial districts: downtown, uptown, Little Italy and the business park are all seeing reinvestment, enhancements, new businesses and proposals for new businesses and construction. These are promising signs, particularly as Hammonton is located in Atlantic County, which has seen its economy devastated by the trifecta of negative effects of the lagging national economy, the remaining effects of Hurricane Sandy and the effects of the closure of four casinos in the past year, resulting in a loss of more than 8,000 jobs. Hammonton has done far more than survive in the face of the difficulties facing the county — it has thrived. Its four main business districts have seen businesses opening and a stable, consistent business community. Thanks to the tireless efforts of all business owners and employees, the Greater Hammonton Chamber of Commerce, its board and its Executive Director John Runfolo, and MainStreet Hammonton, the board of its parent entity, the Hammonton Revitalization Corporation, and its Executive Director Cassie Iacovelli, the Hammonton Town Council and town employees and an army of volunteers, Hammonton continues to see business success, in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Longtime businesses continue to expand, and new businesses are being proposed. If a business does unfortunately not succeed for some reason, the storefront or building does not, in most cases, stay empty for long. That shows the high level of interest people have in doing business in Hammonton. That kind of interest is good for our town. The Gazette continues to be impressed and inspired by the courage and tenacity of everyone involved in the local business community. The Chamber of Commerce celebrated that community — and the entire community of Hammonton — at the Chamber’s annual awards and installation dinner. We join them in toasting to the town’s continued success on all fronts, and to all the people who continue to foster its forward progress. perspective/memoriAl DAy On Friday, May 22 Atlantic County will honor the memories of our fallen military veterans with the observance of our 31st Annual Veterans Memorial Program. It has been our tradition to begin the Memorial Day holiday weekend with a solemn tribute to the men and women who sacrificed their lives. New Jersey Superior Court Judge Bernard E. DeLury who served 25 years of active and reserve military duty and retired with the grade of Captain will be our guest speaker. Judge DeLury is a former appellate military judge of the U.S. Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals in Washington, D.C. He was previously appointed as a tribunal president and member to determine the combatant status of Taliban and al Qaida detainees held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. If you have never attended this moving ceremony, I strongly encourage you to do so. It is held at the Atlantic County Veterans Cemetery in Estell Manor. Each of the more than 4,000 gravesites is adorned with a single American flag. Several local boy scout and girl scout troops assist us in placing the flags prior to the ceremony. It is a wonderful experience for them and helps to enhance their understanding of the true meaning of Memorial Day, or Decoration Day as it was once called. Decoration Day was established shortly after the end of the Civil War as an opportunity to pay tribute to the war dead each May 30th by decorating their gravesites with flowers. After World War I the observance included fallen veterans of all American wars. In 1971 Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday to be celebrated on the last Monday in May. In more recent years, Memorial Day weekend has been widely recognized as the unofficial start of summer, observed with long weekends to beach destinations, barbecues and retail sales. While we certainly don’t want to discourage visitors to Atlantic County for those reasons, we also don’t want anyone to lose sight of the real purpose for marking this occasion. Veterans are revered in Atlantic County and shall never be forgotten. Later this year we anticipate the opening of the Atlantic County Veterans Museum located adjacent to the Veterans Cemetery in the historic Daniel Estell Manor House. Daniel Estell’s grandfather led a company of local militiamen during the Revolutionary War and his maternal grandfather, James Knowles, also served in the Continental Army. Daniel’s granddaughter, Rebecca Estell Bourgeois Winston, convinced the State Legislature to carve out Estell Manor as its own municipality and served as its first mayor and the first female mayor in New Jersey. The Veterans Museum Committee continues to seek and accept donations of military artifacts and memorabilia from all eras and theaters of war which will be used for exhibit and display to share the impact of our local veterans on our nation’s history. For more information visit www.aclink.org/vetsmuseum. Wishing you all the best this Memorial Day. Dennis levinson Atlantic county executive mays landing Quote of the Week: “AmericA is hope. it is compAssion. it is excellence. it is vAlor.” — Paul Tsongas The Hammonton Gazette welcomes letters to the editor that are no more than 800 words long. All letters must include the name of the author and an address and telephone number for verification. Letters should be mailed to The Hammonton Gazette, Editorial Page, P.O. Box 1228, Hammonton, NJ 08037. Letters also will be accepted via fax. The fax number is 704—1938.  Or by email to [email protected]. Deadline for all submissions is 2 p.m. Monday. The Hammonton Gazette reserves the right to edit any submissions. The opinions expressed in letters, perspectives or in guest columns do not necessarily reflect those of The Hammonton Gazette.  The Gazette is not responsible for factual errors in letters, perspectives or in guest columns. The Gazette retains the right to refuse any submission or advertisement.