Fun at Hammonton
Skating Center
p. 53
A WEEK OF THE FEAST:
28-page special section
p. 25-52
See the art of Dr. Seuss
in Stone Harbor
p. 61
Wednesday, July 18, 2018
JOSEY NEW ASST. PRINCIPAL
Volume 22 • Issue 29
by Lauren Bucci
G azette S taff W riter
HaMMONtON—the Ham-
monton Board of education took
action on several personnel items
including the hiring of a new ele-
www.hammontongazette.com
at Warren e. Sooy Jr. elem. School
mentary school assistant principal
and high school student assistance
coordinator at its meeting on July
12.
the board approved the hiring of
the following personnel pending
receipt of all necessary paperwork:
• Damiso Josey: elementary
school assistant principal effective
on or before Sept. 12, 2018.
• Luisa Carvalho: student assis-
tance coordinator effective for the
2018-2019 school year.
Board members Lyons, attanasi,
Berenato and Sacco abstained on
the measure due to conflicts.
Josey, who previously taught in
the district, and several other new
hires were present at the meeting
and went before the board to intro-
duce themselves and express their
gratitude for the opportunity to
Customs old, new Stunning show of faithfulness
observed at Feast
by Stephen Pistone
G azette S taff W riter
HaMMONtON—every July
16, a hush falls over the town to-
ward the end of the annual feast of
Our of Lady of Mt. Carmel.
While the majority of the 143rd
feast Week was laden with nearly
See SCHOOL, Page 8
uninterrupted tempting sounds,
sights and smells—such as fried
dough and sausage and peppers—
the final day, which is simply re-
ferred to as “the 16th” by many
Hammontonians, was a time de-
voted to religious observation, giv-
ing thanks to God and honoring
the ancestors who sowed the seeds
Ag. Sect’y Fisher
visits Macrie Bros.
See FEAST, Page 16
by Stephen Pistone
G azette S taff W riter
HaMMONtON—New Jersey Department of agriculture (NJDa)
Secretary Douglas fisher and various local dignitaries visited Macrie
Brothers Blueberry farm on July 12 for a tour of 500 harvested acres,
as well as the packing and processing facilities at the state’s third-largest
blueberry farm in observance of “National Blueberry Month,” which
has been proclaimed by the North american Blueberry Council and the
See MACRIE, Page 12
THG/Kelly Hunt. To purchase photos in The Gazette, call (609) 704-1940.
Sgt. Grasso writes
comic book for son
The Blessed Mother coming down Third Street on the way back to St. Joseph Church with crowds lining the street on
July 16. Thousands attended the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Hundreds walked in the annual procession. For
complete coverage of this week-long event, please see Pages 25-52.
by Stephen Pistone
G azette S taff W riter
HaMMONtON—While most
view autism as a developmental
disorder, Hammonton resident and
Hammonton Police Sgt. Sean
Grasso considers his son’s condi-
tion to be a superpower.
about six years ago, Grasso’s
son, Seany, began showing symp-
toms of autism spectrum disorder
(aSD) and, at just 18 months old,
he was diagnosed with a “pro-
found” form of the disorder and
will likely never be able to learn
how to read or use verbal commu-
nication, or independently perform
State gives district
17.48% more aid
by Gabe Donio
G azette S taff W riter
THG/Stephen Pistone. To purchase photos in The Gazette, call (609) 704-1940.
Hammonton resident Sean Grasso holds a copy of his recently-published comic book Seany Shoe Hands: Ready Set
Go , whose story was inspired by his and his wife’s experiences associated with their son, Seany, being diagnosed with
autism spectrum disorder in 2012.
SUBSCRIBE TO The
HaMMONtON—according
to Hammonton Board of
education President Sam Mento
iii and the New Jersey
Department of education, the
state has given the Hammonton
See GRASSO, Page 3
School District $2,873,871 in state
funding beyond last year’s level of
funding, or an increase of 17.48
percent in state aid, Mento
confirmed during an interview
with The Gazette on July 15.
“it feels like the weight of the
world has been lifted off our
shoulders. as an elected official it
Gazette • $20 FOR 52 WEEKS • CALL 609-704-1939
See AID, Page 14