The Hammonton Gazette 11/18/15 Edition | Page 6

Page 6 • Wednesday, November 18, 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, Jim tretick, kelly hunt, 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 Aiding the lake Hammonton Lake is our town’s natural beauty. It must be preserved and protected, and if the public meeting of the Hammonton Lake Water Quality Committee, held on November 10, is any indication, it will be preserved and protected. There were many different ideas discussed by members of the general public, residents who live on the shores of the lake, members of the committee and local government representatives. Chief among them were keeping the water level of the lake higher, eliminating the bladderwort by spraying, and restoring swimming to the lake, particularly at Hammonton Lake Park. These were not the only issues discussed during the meeting, which was by all accounts a productive one. These three top concerns are all worth addressing, and while they will take time and money on the part of the town, they and other concerns at the lake should be dealt with in a timely manner – meaning within months, not years. The time for action is now. Hammonton Lake Park has seen a continual upgrading thanks to the efforts of the Hammonton Kiwanis, Hammonton Little League, Hammonton Hawks and other civic organizations such as the Hammonton Lions and Hammonton Soroptimist. Now it is time to restore the beach area, bring b ack swimming and lifeguards and add rental canoes, kayaks, rowboats for fishing, small sailboats and paddleboats. Thanks to recent efforts, the lake park is a showpiece again, and it is time to completely restore it to its former glory by allowing people to swim and recreate in its water again. Homeowners along the lakeshore have also shown a tremendous amount of pride in their homes. They should be rewarded with a beautiful-looking, swimmable lake as well. We are encouraged by the November 10 meeting, and we commend the Hammonton Lake Water Quality Committee, the town and the members of the public for pushing forward on all initiatives concerning the lake. small Business saturday What started as a marketing promotion for American Express has become a national phenomenon. Small Business Saturday (November 28 this year) has quickly become a retail shopping day that is nearly as big as Black Friday. In Hammonton, the push is already on to let people know that there are plenty of small business retail outlets open on Small Business Saturday with many specials to entice shoppers through their doors. The hope is people will come in on the big shopping day then come back again and again. Given the growth of Small Business Saturday, the plan appears to be working. Whether you are shopping downtown, uptown, in the town’s Little Italy section or its business park, you will find retail businesses waiting to help you find that special item on your list. Most of them are Gazette advertisers, as are the restaurants that will also be open on Small Business Saturday in case all that shopping makes people hungry. Remember to Shop Small on November 28. When you spend money in Hammonton, that money circulates back into the community through charitable giving, other businesses being patronized by business owners and a better-looking and stronger town. Shop Small this year, and every year! to the editor: Letters to the editor An open letter to all Hammontonians: First of all, I would like to congratulate my running mates, Joe Giralo and Mickey Pullia, as well as Hammonton First candidate, Tom Gribbin, for their victories on Election Day. For the first time in 10 years, we will have a Republican majority on council. This is a huge victory for us and a great step forward for Hammonton. Secondly, I want to thank everyone, all 1,200 of you, who supported me with your vote. I knew that with this being my first time on the ballot, running against three incumbents, I was a long shot at best. Nonetheless, I am humbled by the support I received. I think that my message resonated with many of you, and I am encouraged to keep moving forward. Again, a big thank you. Let’s all keep working together for a better Hammonton. otto hernandez republican council candidate hammonton PersPective/WeekLy Address President Barack Obama’s weekly address from November 14. [Last] week, America came together to salute our veterans – to express our appreciation to all who served so that we might live free. But our gratitude should extend beyond what our veterans have done for us in the past. It should remind us of our responsibility to serve them as well as they have served us. It should compel us to keep our veterans central to the ongoing work of this nation. In recent years, we’ve made historic investments to boost the VA budget, expand veterans’ benefits, and improve care for our wounded warriors. We’ve now slashed the disability claims backlog by nearly 90 percent from its peak. We’re reducing the outrage of veterans’ homelessness, and we’ve helped tens of thousands of veterans get off the streets. The veterans’ unemployment rate is down to 3.9 percent – even lower than the national average. Of course, we’re not satisfied. We’ve still got more work to do – and I’ve directed my Administration to keep doing everything it can to fulfill our promise to our veterans. But this isn’t just a job for government alone. We all have a role to play. Less than one percent of Americans are serving in uniform. So, it’s true most Americans don’t always see and appreciate the incredible skills and assets that our veterans can offer. But every American should know that our veterans are some of the most talented, capable people in the world. They’ve mastered skills and technologies and leadership roles that are impossible to teach off the battlefield. They know how to get stuff done. And as our veterans will tell you themselves, they’re not finished serving their country. They’re teachers and doctors, engineers and entrepreneurs, social workers and community leaders. They serve in statehouses across the country and in Congress. As I tell small business owners and CEOs on a regular basis, if you want to get the job done, hire a vet. Every sector, every industry, every community in this country can benefit from the incredible talents of our veterans. Our troops and veterans give us their very best. That’s what a soldier named Captain Florent Groberg proved. Three years ago, on patrol in Afghanistan, Flo saw a suicide bomber coming toward his unit. Without hesitating, Flo grabbed him by his vest and helped push him to the ground. When the bomb went off, Flo was badly injured, and four of his comrades were killed. But many more were saved because of Flo’s sacrifice. Flo represents the very best of America – and [last] week, I was proud to present him with the Medal of Honor for his actions. Veterans like Flo, they deserve our undying gratitude. They deserve the chance to keep serving the country they risked everything to defend. And so, we must come together to keep giving them that chance, not just on Veterans Day, but on every single day of the year. May God bless all those who serve and all who have given their lives for our country. And may God bless the United States of America. President Barack obama Washington, d.c. 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 mai led 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.