Read your kids
the story of Sparky
the Reindeer p. 31-42
Homes in Hammonton are
brightly lit for the holidays
p. 25 and 28
May the force be with you
as you watch Star Wars
p. 53
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
TRACTOR SUPPLY COMING
Volume 19 • Issue 51
by Kevin Troilo
GAZETTE STAFF WRITER
HAMMONTON—The Hammonton Planning Board met on
December 16 for their final meeting of 2015. The meeting was
headed by Chairman Edward
Marinelli.
There were multiple items on
www.hammontongazette.com
the agenda. New England Fitness
South Inc. came to the board seeking a sign size variance for Block
4604, Lot 32, Zone HB at 71 South
White Horse Pike. This location is
the site of the old Super Fresh and
the future home of Planet Fitness.
Tiffany Cuviello serves as the
planner for four towns in southern
New Jersey. She, along with
lawyer Keith Davis and Planet Fitness Regional Manager Alex
Merlo, were on hand to present
their application for variance to the
board.
“It’s justifiable because the
building sits far back from the
pike. It needs to be visible so motorists know where it is. It’s also
important for on-site circulation,
so motorists can quickly identify
the use and safely access it,” Davis
said.
The sign will encompass a total
of 281.3 square feet.
“The sign needs to be proportionate to the building so that it fits.
If it’s too small, not only are you
not going to see it from the highway or from the access drive, it’s
also not going to look aesthetically
pleasing,” Cuviello said.
Hammonton Town Planner
Kevin Dixon commented on the
request for variance.
“When you’re coming in, you
want to be able to see something
relatively quickly so that you make
decisions in the parking lot when
Stereo equip. Santa stops at Silver Coin
reported stolen
by Gabe Donio
GAZETTE STAFF WRITER
HAMMONTON—Police received a report of stolen stereo
equipment at 5 p.m. on December
15, Hammonton Police Captain
Nick Salvatore said.
“A resident of the 100 block of
See BOARD, Page 4
West Pleasant Street reported
someone had removed some highend stereo equipment, speakers
and amps, worth several thousand
dollars,” Salvatore said.
The alleged theft is being investigated by K-9 Officer Tom Percodani, Salvatore said.
St. Joe schools
plan for the future
by Kevin Troilo
GAZETTE STAFF WRITER
HAMMONTON—St. Joseph
High School and St. Joseph Regional Elementary School are
longtime staples in the Hammonton community. Their rich history
has given thousands of students
the opportunity to receive a top-
See STOLEN, Page 12
notch Catholic education in a
beautiful small town.
St. Joseph High School, whose
football team recently won their
seventh consecutive state championship, is led by Principal Lynn
Domenico. As is the case with any
non-public high school, finding
new ways to increase attendance
Susquehanna Bank
now part of BB&T
THG/Kevin Troilo. To purchase photos in The Gazette, call (609) 704-1940.
Santa Claus visited the Silver Coin Diner on December 19. He spent time in the White Horse Pike restaurant visiting
See SCHOOLS, Page 3 with children and enjoying a meal too.
by Kevin Troilo
GAZETTE STAFF WRITER
H A M M O N TO N — S u s q u e hanna Bank was purchased by the
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
based BB&T Corporation and the
two local Susquehanna branches
changed to their new name in No-
vember.
The $2.5 billion deal, which
took place on August 1, gave
BB&T an additional 240 branches
spread throughout Pennsylvania,
Maryland, New Jersey and West
Virginia. Employees of Susquehanna Bank have retained their
jobs under the new ownership.
Veterans Park sign
will be ordered
by Kevin Troilo
GAZETTE STAFF WRITER
THG/Kevin Troilo. To purchase photos in The Gazette, call (609) 704-1940.
BB&T Bank market leaders Lori Tarudo and Christopher Flickinger stand inside the bank’s White Horse Pike location.
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HAMMONTON—The Hammonton Parks and Recreation
Commission met on December 15
for their final meeting of 2015.
Dan Bachalis provided a brief update on the Veterans Park sign.
“We’re in the process of order-
See BANKING, Page 10
ing it. I talked to Ravelli’s yesterday (Monday) and today (Tuesday). They said we need a $1,700
down payment. I sent an email to
Frank Zuber to see how we go
about doing that. As soon as we
settle that, we can get it going,”
Bachalis said.
It is still being discussed
whether or not the sign will sit
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See COMMISSION, Page 12