The Hammonton Gazette 103013 | Page 6
Page 6 • Wednesday, October 30, 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
LETTERs TO THE EDiTOR
The Hammonton Gazette is published Tuesdays, by The Hammonton Gazette, Inc. Copyright © 2013. All
rights reserved. ISSN?1093-6181
Renewing an eyesore
It has been heartening to watch the work being done on the New Jersey
Department of Transportation building on Egg Harbor Road in recent weeks.
The powerwashing began in earnest earlier in October, and now it looks like the
building will be receiving a much-needed facelift.
This large building, with its barrel-shaped roof, has been a landmark at the corner of Egg Harbor Road and 11th Street for decades. In recent years, its exterior
left much to be desired. While the building served its purpose for the Department
of Transportation, it became an unattractive eyesore to the residents of
Hammonton.
Now, the state has taken an interest in renewing the building, and the results on
the exterior can already be seen through the powerwashing and prep work for the
new look.
While we do not have the plans for what the surface will look like or what color
it will be, it appears by the meticulous effort being made in recent weeks that whatever is done will be a vast improvement when compared to what the building
looked like before the renovation took place.
We commend the New Jersey Department of Transportation for their effort,
because it sends a message to the neighborhood that the government cares about its
facilities and its neighbors. It also sends a message to public and private property
owners throughout town that the state is joining the county and local governments
in making sure their properties look as good as possible.
It’s another success story for Hammonton.
When public and private property owners take pride in their buildings and
grounds, the entire town benefits. Renewing this building was a large piece of the
overall revitalization puzzle in town. Our hope is that soon, we will be reporting
on the finished building as a project that continues Hammonton’s forward momentum.
We thank everyone involved with the renewal of the building at the corner of
Egg Harbor Road and 11th Street, and we look forward to the project’s completion.
DeFiccio-Ziegler honored
During the Third Thursday festivities in downtown Hammonton on October 17,
Carmelia DeFiccio-Ziegler was honored at the Hammonton Arts Center on
Bellevue Avenue as the 2013 “Artist of the Year,” awarded by the Hammonton Arts
District.
It was a fitting location for the tribute, since DeFiccio-Ziegler was instrumental
in pushing for the move to the Hammonton Arts Center’s new, spacious location
on the town’s main street. DeFiccio-Ziegler was also a key proponent of the
Hammonton Art District in the downtown area. The district includes Bellevue
Avenue, the street where the former firehouse, that is now home to the gallery,
classroom and studios of the Hammonton Arts Center, is located.
In the last decade, the arts have become as vitally important to the Hammonton
Experience as education, politics, agriculture and athletics. That is due, in no small
part, to the commitment of DeFiccio-Ziegler, who has worked tirelessly to establish a true local arts scene that has blossomed into an attraction for both locals and
tourists.
One of our favorite new annual events is the “plein air” art competition, which
has brought local and regional artists together to paint the local landscape for a day.
The result has been beautiful, provocative pieces of art that show the beauty of our
town.
On the larger level, DeFiccio-Ziegler has been in the vanguard of a movement
that has grown and deepened to include the Hammonton Arts Center on Bellevue
Avenue, the Noyes Museum of Hammonton and the Noyes Museum Artist Studios
on Second Street and Horton Street, The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey’s
Kramer Hall and its gallery space on Front Street, the Hammonton Artist Studios
on Vine Street and the Eagle Theatre on Vine Street. These venues are some of the
pillars of the Hammonton Art District and have helped foster the arts in the town –
and helped create a pro-arts movement throughout the entire town and its two
school districts.
DeFiccio-Ziegler should be proud of her leadership in the arts, and she is very
deserving of the “Artist of the Year” Award, joining the following previous “Artist
of the Year” recipients: dancer Dawn Baldwin (2007), music educator Anthony
Guerere (2008), visual artist Mary Catherine DeMarco (2009), photographer Jack
Mazzeo (2010), dancer Paul Morris (2011), and Boardwalk Empire author Nelson
Johnson (2012).
We are fortunate to have someone with the dedication and passion Carmelia
DeFiccio-Ziegler has for the arts in Hammonton.
To the Editor:
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