The Hammonton Gazette 10/07/15 Edition | Page 6

Page 6 • Wednesday, October 7, 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, Brittany Mauro, Michael Hozik, donna Brown, Joseph Bruno, Kevin Troilo, Tania Rivera, 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 The Hammonton Gazette is published Wednesdays, by The Hammonton Gazette, Inc. Copyright © 2015. All rights reserved. ISSN 1093-6181 The home stretch October is here, and with it comes the final weeks of campaign season. In Hammonton, that means three separate slates for the local council election, where three seats are being contested, and six candidates this year in the race for three seats on the board of education. As a public service, The Gazette will be presenting the candidates on each slate and in the school board election in this editorial, so voters know who is running with which organization this year. democrats: Rock Colasurdo. Hammonton First: Elsie Baez, Councilman Thomas Gribbin, Councilman Edward Wuillermin. Republicans: Joseph Giralo, Otto Hernandez, Michael Pullia. Board of education: Thomas Attanasi, Joseph Ingemi, Leo Petteti, Linda Sacco, Raymond Scipione, Salvatore Velardi. There are a total of seven candidates from three organizations running for three council seats. A total of six board of education candidates are running for three board seats. That means a total of 13 people are running for the six available seats in local government this year. Civic engagement may be at an all-time low elsewhere, but it continues to operate at a high level in Hammonton, where the people running for elected office this year truly represent a cross-section of the community. We commend everyone who had the temerity to put their name on the ballot. In the weeks to come, you will see these names throughout town. Make sure you support the candidates of your choice on Election Day, November 3. Samanic’s contributions Michele Samanic, who died on October 3 at the age of 47 after a lengthy fight with cancer, was someone who, when you met her, immediately impressed you as an upbeat, positive force. She took her energy and applied it to helping make downtown Hammonton, and Hammonton in general, a better place. From 2004 to 2008, Samanic could be found behind the counter of Lavender Lagoon, her bath and body products store on Second Street near the corner of Second Street and Bellevue Avenue. She was a pioneer of the “new stores” of Bellevue Avenue and helped create the downtown people love so much today, with its specialty retail stores complementing restaurants, offices, services and other retail. Samanic had the vision to see what downtown could be, and she helped make that vision a reality by investing in the town through her store. Later, she became involved on a town-wide level through her work as the Greater Hammonton Chamber of Commerce’s Executive Director. Again, her contributions helped reinvigorate and strengthen the Chamber, just as her store helped reinvigorate and strengthen the downtown. Anyone who knew Michele Samanic knew her gentle way of doing things, coupled with a sly sense of humor, made her a quiet force for good in Hammonton. Certainly her greatest contributions were made in her roles as wife, mother and daughter to her family: her husband, John, and daughters, Nicole B. Shea, Annie M. Samanic and Corrine M. Samanic and her mother Margaret Fortis. Michele Samanic will always be remembered as someone who loved her family, who continually gave back to her town and made a positive impact and a difference in Hammonton. She left a great example for all of us to follow. PERSPECTivE/TECHNOLOGY During the past few years the Hammonton Public Schools have spent a lot of money on hands on technology to increase