The Hammonton Gazette 11/25/15 Edition | Page 6

Page 6 • Wednesday, November 25, 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 [phone] or fax at [phone]. 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 What’s on tap? Craft brews are on tap, thanks to Tomfoolery Brewing Co., the town’s newest attraction, located at 334 Washington Street in one of the buildings of the former Eastern Brewing Co. On November 19, Tomfoolery had a ribbon cutting at their craft brewery, which features the equipment, kegs, a cold box, a bar area for tasting, tables and chairs and the ability to order takeout food (or bring your own) to go with some tasty craft brews. Craft brewing is a trend sweeping the nation and the world, and Hammonton will soon have two of its own craft breweries in the same area (Three 3s Brewery is under construction in the nearby former Garden State Color Lab, located at the corner of Washington and 13th Streets. These establishments, which are not bars or restaurants, operate in a similar fashion to the wine-tasting rooms in wineries, develop a following and can be extremely popular. We wish Tomfoolery and Three 3s good luck in their brewing endeavors. The two new craft breweries join three existing local wineries (and many more within a close drive). Tomasello Winery expanded its winery and banquet hall building this year. A distillery is planned for the former Major Muffler on Egg Harbor Road. The building is owned by the town and a tenant would own and operate the distillery. Craft beer, local wine and local bourbon: three reasons to visit Hammonton for tourists, and another source of pride for the people who live here. The town continues to be a place where dreams become reality, enhancing the town and its economy. ford gave back His obituary said Butch Ford, the owner of KIP Electric (White Star Enterprise), went home to be with the Lord peacefully on November 17. Ford was 67 years old. His viewing and funeral were held at Victory Bible Church in Hammonton, where he was a charter member. He served as chairman of the trustee board and as business administrator. He always gave back to his church, because his faith was extremely important to him and his wife, JoAnn Ford. His obituary said his family, work and chur ch were the most important things in his life. Ford and his wife gave back so much of their time and charity to Victory Bible Church. As a result, the church has grown both physically and as an entity that it has become a significant part of the Hammonton community. Butch Ford had been an electrical contractor with KIP for the past 40 years. The Gazette, Gazette Owner and Publisher Gabe Donio and Gazette Editor-in-Chief Gina Rullo were his customers for nearly half of those years. In turn, KIP has been a longtime advertiser with The Gazette. Ford and his company could always be counted on in any circumstance, and his pragmatic, down-to-earth manner, his sense of humor and his passion for the things he loved, including dining out, his “poker buddies” and trips to Disney World made him a memorable person. Ford and his company will always be a part of The Gazette. We join with his friends and family in saying it was a privilege to know him. He was one of those Hammonton people whom everyone knew and was unique to this town. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Irvin “Butch” Ford’s name to Samaritan Hospice, 5 Eves Dr., Suite 300, Marlton, NJ 08053. PersPective/life in england Before heading back to the states to visit for a few weeks, I was really beginning to settle into my new routine here in England. I began my new job, made a close group of new friends and had completely immersed myself in the culture and lifestyle here. Starting a full-time job (and actually being in the same place everyday) forced me to adjust myself to fit in more. I noticed myself using the word “bin” instead of “trash,” “trolley” instead of “cart,” and using the term “I’ll sort it” instead of “I’ll figure it out.” It sounds strange, but after spending everyday with English people, I naturally started to pick things up. The fact that I was so completely settled here meant that when I landed in Philadelphia, I actually felt out of place and had culture shock on some level. I had been told that by the time I move back home it will be just as hard to adjust there as it was to adjust here, and I found that hard to believe at the time. I was surprised to see that I actually felt that way coming back to visit after only a year. The biggest initial shock I faced was the weather. I was wearing fall/winter clothes and even jackets when I left England and came home to a short heat wave and had to switch back to dresses and sandals. After my first weekend home (when the hurricane had passed), I woke up to sunshine and fairly warm weather everyday. Fall in England is far chillier and far grayer. Somewhere along the line, I actually started to like the gray weather and found that the sunshine threw me off a bit. The second shock I faced was grocery stores. We really do have a lot more “stuff” all over in America. For some reason, and I am not quite sure that I can place how, shops here don’t seem to have every corner and wall covered with merchandise. All of the shops in England have also started charging when customers use plastic bags, so I have gotten used to bringing my own bags and have found that it’s a lot easier. It feels a lot more difficult to carry a ton of plastic bags now. After being away from New Jersey for over a year though, there were some things that I really couldn’t wait to do. The first thing I desperately wanted was some decent pizza. When it comes to take away here, I am usually left with Domino’s, Pizza Hut or a similar place called Pizza Town. None of these places come close to pizza in New Jersey (and to being able to call and order a good pizza without having to leave the house). Buffalo wings and diner food was a close second for me. It’s just not the same here. After the food that I couldn’t wait to inhale, I made it down to Ocean City to walk the boardwalk. The sea here just isn’t the same as the Jersey Shore, and I really missed seeing the Atlantic Ocean (the things you miss tend to be so random after being away for so long). Being able to watch TV (there is a TV tax here, so we just use Netflix) and watching shows on the night they aired was also really nice. The differences between England and the United States is hard to put down on paper, because outside of the obvious difference in food and weather, there is a subtle difference in lifestyle and the general attitude of people. England is far more laid back, and I tend to do a lot more walking in England. England is also a very small country, and while people tend to travel more frequently (it’s so much easier to do here), they seem to settle down close to home (at least where I am located at in the countryside). People tend to drink instant coffee in England as opposed to brewing it (a kettle is far more common than a coffee machine), and their Sunday dinner consists of roasts, potatoes, vegetables and Yorkshire pudding as opposed to the Sunday pasta that is so common in Hammonton. When I FaceTimed my British friends and showed them around my mom’s house, they responded that the house looked very “big” and “American.” Our lifestyles are very different in so many small ways. I have managed to make a life for myself here, and I hope to continue to grow and come up with my own blended traditions for my own family after my time abroad. As much as I really do love it here (and I really do because, right now, this is my home), seeing family and friends again was so, so nice and I know that Hammonton will always be my home. corinne nardin england Corinne (Grasso) Nardin is a 2006 graduate of Hammonton High School. She and her husband Matthew moved to England in spring 2014. 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 email to [email protected]. Deadline for all submissio ns 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.