St . Joseph Academy ’ s 5K and Fall Fest honors Dot Cartica

by Joseph Andress FOR THE GAZETTE

HAMMONTON — St . Joseph Academy ( SJA ) hosted its annual 5K and Fall Fest on Oct . 22 , inviting students , parents and runners to get their blood pumping and take part in some seasonal fun . Organized and hosted by boys basketball coach Paul Rodio , this year ’ s 5K was in honor of the late Dorothy “ Dot ” Cartica . The longtime physical education teacher and renowned field hockey coach was a fixture of the community , and Rodio explained how important it was to honor that legacy .

“ We know she was a great role model , coach , teacher , a mother of the school ,” Rodio said . “ And as we ’ re pushing female enrollment here , I think it ’ s an appropriate time to [ honor Cartica ].”

In addition to paying tribute to Cartica , the 5K served as a fundraiser for the school . Anyone was welcome to register , with runners of every skill level encouraged to participate . Runners were also organized into specific categories , including separate groupings for all girls and boys , boys under 14 years old , and women ages 40-49 .

At roughly 11 a . m ., runners and walkers lined up at the starting line on Peach Street and kicked off the festivities , heading northwest towards South Packard Street . Those in it for the full 5K experience quickly broke off , while a wave of walkers took in their sunsoaked stroll . Rodio was happy to see so many people show up , and was fortunate for the fair weather compared to previous years .

“ Last year we had some [ runners ], it was a little smaller because of the rain .

Fest on Oct . 22 .

We had around 80 [ runners ] pre-registered , probably had another 20-30 show up ,” Rodio said .

Events like the annual 5K are essential to both SJA and Rodio personally , as he organizes many of the school ’ s fundraising efforts . He shared his hopes for the 5K in the future , and how it brings together those who were touched by the work Cartica did for the school .

“ We really want to partner with the town to make this bigger and bigger ,” Rodio said . “ I think we could do even better , probably in the future . It ’ s a good mix of St . Joe families , alumni and we get random runners . It ’ s a healthy mix .”

A fun day downtown

Photo courtesy of Lisa Pignolo

Lucas and Ava DeStasio enjoy trick-or-treating along Bellevue Avenue during the Downtown Trick or Treat on Oct . 21 . See more photos from this and other Halloween events in next week ’ s edition .

Photo courtesy of Joseph Andress

Dylan ( left ) and Tami Minghenelli with their medals after St . Joseph Academy ’ s 5K and Fall

See SJA 5K , Page 9

Photo courtesy of Joseph Andress

Paul Rodio with his daughter , Gia .

HAMMONTON — Green Day will be held on Nov . 4 from noon to 4 p . m . at Veteran ’ s Memorial Park , located at 333 Vine St .

During Green Day , vendors will sell environmentally friendly products , environmental organizations will educate others about their environment and free workshops will be held all day . There will also be animals , including alpacas , at the event and activities for children and adults .

Amy Menzel , the Hammonton Green Committee Chair , emailed The Gazette some information with more details about the annual event .

“ We ’ re excited to have the Hammonton United Methodist Church join us for Green Day . The church is located right by Veterans Park , so it seemed like a great opportunity for them to get involved . Pastor Tiffany Travia welcomed the chance for them to highlight some of the good things they do . Stop by their table to learn more ! And please bring some canned goods to help refill

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Crooked lines discovered on turf field

HAMMONTON — The Parks and Recreation Commission discussed the newly installed turf field at Moss Mill Park having crooked field markings for multiple sports on the turf at their Oct . 17 meeting .

Sports with crooked markings including the football hash marks and field hockey lines . With the turf being so expensive , changes to correct the issues will be something that is taken very seriously .

According to Councilman Steven Furgione , there “ may or may not ” be another issue with the hash marks on the football field . There is concern that the hash marks may have been placed at the distance used for NFL or college fields rather than the distance for high school fields . High school football fields have their hash marks closer to the sidelines than the higher levels of the sport .

All sports are able to be played on the turf in spite of the issues . All five sports on the turf were certified to play by an independent certifying company and the issues are all cosmetic according to Furgione .

Furgione was told that the new turf field is the first in the entire country to have five sports markings stitched onto the turf . Since this is the first of its kind , it may be the reason that the lines are crooked .

“ We ’ re kind of the guinea pigs here , so to speak and it just didn ’ t come out right . For whatever reason , it didn ’ t come out right .” Fur-

See TURF , Page 8

by Donald Yamasaki FOR THE GAZETTE

Green Day Festival set for Nov . 4 by Kristin Guglietti GAZETTE STAFF WRITER

the Blessing Box outside the church . It ’ s an important resource for our neighbors in need . HUMC will also be offering pet blessings for your furry ( or scaly or feathered ) friends at Green Day ! You ’ ll also get more information about the Youth Group ’ s ‘ Pawsgiving ’ Event . In its second year , these caring young people are collecting old blankets , towels , pet carriers and pet toys to donate to a local animal shelter ,” Menzel wrote .

Angela Donio will be doing a historic downtown walking tour during Green Day at 1 p . m . by the historical marker on Route 54 ( near the Presbyterian Church ).

“ Angela has a wealth of knowledge about our town , and will be leading a shortened version of renowned historical walks so that people will have time to enjoy Green Day ’ s offerings and do a walking tour ! Meet at the steps of the Historical Society ’ s headquarters in the Park — check back for time ! A $ 5 donation goes to support the Historical Society . Children under 18 are free ,” Menzel wrote .

See GREEN DAY , Page 8

75 cents

The Hammonton Gazette 10/25/23 Edition

School Board Candidate Profiles p . 10 , 12 , 14