The Hammonton Gazette 08/13/14 Edition | Page 6

Page 6 • Wednesday, August 13, 2014 • 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, lauren Bucci, lauren crescenzo, Zack Brown, 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 The Hammonton Gazette is published Wednesdays, by The Hammonton Gazette, Inc. Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved. ISSN 1093-6181 Baseball tradition The Hammonton Hot Shots of the Atlantic County Baseball League play in the five-game (if necessary) championship series against the Margate Hurricanes this week. If the series goes five games, they will be played during a two-week period, with the first three games this week, and the next two played next week if they are needed. Hammonton has been associated with the Atlantic County Baseball League throughout the league’s history, which spans more than 125 years. They play their games at Frank “Moose” LaSasso Field at Hammonton Lake Park, under the lights on summer evenings. Team Univers just concluded its second season in the ACBL, making Hammonton the only community in the county with two teams in the league. It’s a recreation league, with players who play for love of the game rather than big dollars, but they take themselves, their teams and the ACBL seriously. When they play, they play to win. There is a tremendous history behind the league, with longstanding rivalries. Hammonton beat a scrappy Egg Harbor City team to make it to the final. The Story of Hammonton by William McMahon notes that Hammonton’s first baseball team was organized before the existence of the county league, in 1867, one year after the town was incorporated. McMahon also relates how long the baseball rivalry has existed, and how intense it has been in past decades. “Perhaps the most famous, and most bitter, baseball game in the town’s history was one played on the Philadelphia Athletics’ field in Philadelphia [Shibe Park, later Connie Mack Stadium] in 1922 when it was decided that a neutral field was the only acceptable playing place for the Hammonton-Egg Harbor [City] game of that year. Feelings ran high between the two teams and the fans, and a special train was chartered for the occasion. Hammonton won a two to one victory in a game which took less than an hour and a half. The town band accompanied the fans and upon return a triumphal parade was formed with festivities lasting far into the night.” While the fans won’t be trekking up to Citizens Bank Park by train for the championship game this year, there will be plenty of people driving to Margate, and filling the stands at Hammonton Lake Park to cheer on the Hammonton Hot Shots as they go for the Atlantic County Baseball League Championship. reconsider limits In January, the following line was added to the town council agenda: “Also, there will be an allowable time of five minutes per person who wishes to speak during Public Heard per the Rules of Council.” The Gazette has decided to examine the five-minute time limit more closely, because it is possible the limit has become a method of discouraging people from coming to town council and speaking, because of the brief amount of time allotted. While we are sure that was not the intended goal when this limit was instituted, the council should reconsider the five-minute time limit. Our view is that Hammonton has always been a fine example of a representative democracy that comes as close to direct democracy as possible in 2014. If someone wants to come to the town council and address the entire town council — all of the top elected and appointed leaders of the town — they have generally been able to do so without constraints. Is it a throwback way of having one’s grievances redressed? Yes. Is it sometimes abused by members of the public? Yes. Instituting limits on people’s free speech and punishing the vast majority of the public and limiting free speech because the local government cannot effectively deal with the lengthy public exhortations of a handful of people per year is not the solution. It’s like killing a fly with a sledgehammer. Hammonton First, which is the majority party on council, ran on “open and honest government” when they came into power in 2006. The organization instituted many processes to make sure they listened to the public first and voted second, rather than the reverse. Limiting people’s free speech in open public municipal meetings seems like backsliding on providing an “open and honest” government. Town council should reconsider the limits, eliminate them, and return public discussion and debate that is unrestricted by time constraints to the council chambers. PersPective/U.s. coast GUard This month we mark the 224th anniversary of the United States Coast Guard. First authorized by Congress to enforce trade laws and prevent smuggling, the Coast Guard has been woven into the fabric of our nation since 1790. In 1915, the modern-day Coast Guard was transformed into a single maritime service charged with a myriad of missions – from traditional search and rescue to drug interdiction and national security. Today, the men and women of the Coast Guard are integral members of our communities and the Service remains deeply engrained in the present and future of South Jersey. Take Cape May County, with the City of Cape May serving as the permanent home of the Coast Guard Training Center – a unique campus for enlisted recruits established in 1948. Once threatened to be relocated in the mid-1990s to the west coast, TRACEN (as it is often referred to) employs roughly 2,000 personnel and is the largest employer in the City, while children of enlisted service members attend local schools and special community events often include the Coast Guard colors. The long-standing relationship between Cape May County and the Coast Guard cannot be overstated. In fact, in one of his final official acts, former U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Robert J. Papp Jr. designated the City and County as “A Coast Guard Community” – one of only 15 such designations nationwide. At a public ceremony in May, I joined with Admiral Papp in Cape May to thank the recruits, the civilian employees, the city and the county for their dedication. Likewise, travel up the Garden State Parkway and one would find the nation’s largest helicopter -only Coast Guard base at Air Station Atlantic City. Sharing the sprawling Egg Harbor Township campus with the FAA Technical Center and ACY, the men and women piloting and supporting the HH-65 Dolphin helicopters provide critical search and rescue operations off the Jersey Shore. Furthermore, since 2008, this vital South Jersey base is charged with assisting the Air National Guard 177th Fighter Wing (on the same Atlantic County campus) in protecting Washington, D.C. as part of the National Capital Region Air Defense. Additional personnel, aircraft and federal resources were brought to our region in support of this homeland security mission. In addition to these major installations, our region is home to numerous boat stations and mobile commands to ensure safe navigation and emergency response on our waterways. From the waters of Barnegat Light down around Cape May and up towards Salem along the Delaware River, the Service’s presence and resounding commitment is nothing short of outstanding. Thus, it makes perfect sense to the residents of South Jersey who, for more than 60 years, have called the men and women of the Coast Guard their neighbors and friends. On behalf of South Jersey residents, a very happy birthday and thank you to the U.S. Coast Guard! congressman Frank loBiondo r-2 hammonton Quote of the Week: “Faith is a livinG, darinG conFidence in God’s Grace, so sUre and certain that a man coUld stake his liFe on it a thoUsand times.” — Martin Luther 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.