The Hammonton Gazette 100913 | Page 6

Page 6 • Wednesday, October 9, 2013 • 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, Brian?Morris, Anthony Marella, 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 Tuesdays, by The Hammonton Gazette, Inc. Copyright © 2013. All rights reserved. ISSN?1093-6181 fall spectacular While it hasn’t been a true “Indian Summer” — our recent string of 80-degree days have not occurred after a frost — the warm weather has brought p eople outdoors. What a spectacular confluence of events and unseasonable temperatures it was on October 6, when fall events were held throughout town and people had more than enough ways to spend their Sunday. It was a day that didn’t happen in Hammonton 10 years ago, even five years ago. Here were some of the choices (in addition to church services): The frank J. Domenico scholarship fund Kids’ fishing Derby: This event was held at Hammonton Lake Park, with boats of fishermen filling Hammonton Lake. We look forward to it becoming an annual tradition. fall Beer festival: Another first, the festival, organized by the Hammonton Rotary?Club, was held on the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Society Festival Grounds, and also drew a good crowd. Lombardi at the Eagle Theatre: The show is excellent, and people continue to come and enjoy the gripping story of the famous coach of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers. The 1950s party at Hammonton Centers for Rehabilitation and Healthcare: People were dressed in poodle skirts, there were clown bounces for the kids and refreshments at the largest community event held at the rehabilitation and healthcare facility’s history. Add to that the many gatherings in restaurants and homes to watch the Eagles beat the New York Giants, and the people walking, biking, shopping and dining throughout Hammonton, and it all coalesces into one of the finest fall days in the town’s history. The people who live in Hammonton want more, and they are making more happen on days like October 6, when the town never seemed more alive. October is a busy month for community activities. It is one of those months when small-town living is at its finest. st.?Mary of Mt.?Carmel Parish will once again present its fall festival on the grounds of st. Anthony’s Church on?October 13. October 19 is the annual Downtown?Trick-or-Treat. This event draws hundreds of costumed children to the town each year. Third Thursday on October 17 features ghost stories. Geared toward grown-ups, the evening promises to be a night of spooky fun. October 23 will mark the 38th Annual?Kiwanis Club Halloween Parade. Floats, bands, dancers and dressed-up participants will march down Bellevue Ave. October 31 is the town’s trick-or-treat night. From 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. youngsters will go door-to-door in search of candy. On the weekends,?Ron’s?Gardens is hosting tours through its pumpkin patch and corn maze. The Rocky Horror Picture Show will be shown at the Eagle Theatre. All these events are in addition to the weekend youth soccer games, Hawks games, high school athletic events, fundraisers and more. It’s a busy month in Hammonton. It’s an exciting month in Hammonton. The organizers of these events should be proud of their accomplishments. They are making the town a much more fun place to live. 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 e-mail to [email protected]. Deadline for all submissions is 3 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. LETTERs To THE EDiToR To the Editor: Planning. On any given day we make decisions, large and small, depending on what we’re getting into for the day. As a mom and a small business owner I know how to balance competing priorities and multi-task. I take these skills into the council chambers as a councilwoman here in Hammonton. When looking at the complex and constantly changing issues that our council is faced with, I always find myself looking “down the road” at least two or three steps further than the current issue. I learned this skill prior to becoming a councilwoman and it has benefitted me in my service to this great community. As the lone female elected official in municipal government and a member of the minority party, I have had to bide my time and pick my fights on a variety of issues. If you watched the town budget vote, or read the newspaper coverage, you saw that I, along with my incumbent running mates Steve Furgione and Mickey Pullia, voted no to the mayor’s budget. We voted no for many reasons, but most importantly for me, I could not support a budget that is leading my community to financial disas- ter. During this time of year, you will be bombarded with advertisements, attack ads and opinions. Instead, the Republican team has a plan. We have a four-year plan for Hammonton, which will stabilize your property taxes and public utility fees. Our plan will also evaluate all town operations to identify savings and opportunities for collaboration with other governmental agencies. By working hard to scrutinize each and every penny spent as well as the manner in which we spend them, the Republican team can restore your faith in local government. Over the next four weeks, you will see and hear many “stories” form the majority party. One of the most important things to ask yourself when you hear these “stories” is to determine who is telling you the truth. On November 5, vote the Republican team: Joe Giralo for mayor. Anni Carpo, Steve Furgione, and Mickey Pullia for council. Let’s make Hammonton stronger, prouder and better. Anni Carpo Republican Councilwoman Hammonton PERsPECTivE/DEfEnsE Recent satellite imagery suggests that North Korea has greatly expanded its uranium enrichment capabilities. The nation just promised to launch more longrange rockets “soon.” And, reportedly, labs in Pyongyang are hard at work developing nucleararmed missiles capable of striking the U.S. mainland. With the North Kor ean threat apparently mounting, it’s essential for the United States to continue investing in missile defense. Missile shield technologies first gained attention in 1983, when President Ronald Reagan proposed a bold endeavor called the Strategic Defense Initiative. Although the technology didn’t exist, Reagan’s concept was sound, therefore it quickly spawned a wave of development projects. During the first Gulf War, the United States unveiled one of these technologies with the Patriot missile system. Today, American missile defense systems continue to keep America safe, reassure our allies, and calm global tensions. This past spring, for instance, when North Korea announced its decision to unilaterally nullify the 1953 armistice and threatened to attack its southern neighbor, the United States deployed a Navy destroyer equipped with the advanced “Aegis” anti-missile system. The move helped quiet the region, stifling further provocations by the North and preventing the South from taking any action of its own. Recent tests have shown that technological progress continues apace. In May, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency and sailors aboard the U.S. Navy’s USS Lake Erie engaged and destroyed a short-range ballistic missile that was launched from Hawaii over the Pacific Ocean. This was the Missile Defense Agency’s 59th successful intercept in 74 tests since it debuted the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense in 2001. Despite these strides — and the growing threats we face — missile defense is on the chopping block. In its 2014 budget request, the Obama Administration proposed cutting the Pentagon’s missile defense budget by about six percent. These planned cuts are particularly surprising given that the Obama administration has also just announced a new joint anti-missile initiative with key allies across the Atlantic. The European Phased Adaptive Approach is expected to incorporate new detection and destruction techniques to keep our European allies safe from rogue missile threats. These cuts will undermine the development of this system. Indeed, just this March, American defense officials canceled the final phase of another Europebased missile defense initiative citing budget constraints. Now is no time to choke off funding for these promising technologies. America must continue to invest in these systems to counter the growth missile threat presented by North Korea and other dangerous regimes. Claude Berube Annapolis, Maryland Editor’s Note:?Claude Berube, the author of “The Aden Effect” (Naval Institute Press, October 2012), teaches at the U.S. Naval Academy. He was a 2004 Brookings Institution LEGIS Fellow and a 2010 Maritime Security Studies Fellow at The Heritage Foundation. The views are his own and not those of the Department of the Navy.