golf and a Florida housing community may come to mind Well, according to Travel + Leisure magazine's latest Destination: Retirement installation Vineland ranks among the top 50 places in the U.S More: The best cheesesteak in South Jersey has been crowned by you, the voters Vineland is located in Cumberland County and home to more than 60,000 people and approximately 4,000 businesses, according to the city's website. "Vineland is a culturally diverse community filled with wonderful and a cost of living well below the state average," the city's website boasts Travel + Leisure lists the county's median home value at $205,600 It also noted that the city was ranked within the top 10 most affordable small cities in the country by the National Association of Home Builders Mayor Anthony Fanucci said the ranking was "certainly an honor," especially coming from a "credible entity" in the industry such as Travel + Leisure Fanucci said his administration has worked hard to "turn things around" in the city revitalizing a lot of the infrastructure that's enjoyed today to create an "open the city is "such a unique community," especially because of the versatility of city Vineland could appeal to nature lovers, as the city advertises 18 parks and recreational areas including freshwater bass fishing at the South Vineland Park woodland and open fields at the Willow Oak Natural Area campgrounds and wooded trails at Parvin State Park also known as "The Ave," may be the place to go providing a 1-mile stretch of retail stores Entertainment lovers can also check out live music and plays at the Guaracini Center or Landis Theater Vineland hosts a variety of community events throughout the year food truck and cultural festivals and more Fanucci said his favorite thing to do in Vineland is take advantage of local produce stands Here are the top 10 places to retire in the Northeast, as they appear on Travel + Leisure: According to the magazine, its ranking methodology was based on factors such as cost of living health care access and proximity to airports The cities on the list were selected from a listing of counties compiled by Investopedia with these considerations Editors also considered various population densities Kaitlyn McCormick writes about trending issues and community news across South Jersey for the Courier-Post The Daily Journal and the Burlington County Times And subscribe to stay up to date on the news you need VINELAND — The acting president of the South Vineland Little League was arrested and charged with theft after police say he stole thousands of dollars from the organization for roughly six years was arrested last month after police said he stole nearly $50,000 from the baseball organization where he served as acting president since 2017 He then used the money for his own personal expenses from 2018 to 2024 According to a statement from the Vineland Police Department Ramos withheld access to the account records and bank statements from the rest of the board a fellow board member completed a full audit which revealed that Ramos stole and spent $47,647.53 of the organization’s money If anyone has any information pertaining to the incident, please contact Officer Hunter at 856-691-4111, or email at ahunter@vinelandcity.org Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom A South Vineland little league president has been charged with stealing nearly $50,000 from the organization, then spending the money on personal expenses, police said.\nRead More If anyone has any information pertaining to the incident, please contact Officer Hunter at 856-691-4111, or email at ahunter@vinelandcity.org Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom (KBAK/KBFX) — A former Bakersfield police officer pleaded no contest to a crash involving a patrol car that left one person dead in December 2023 The Kern County District Attorney’s Office said on Friday they filed felony vehicular manslaughter charges against Ricardo Robles relating to a crash that happened on January 19 when Robles was employed as an officer with the Bakersfield Police Department RELATED: Bakersfield police officer faces felony charges in fatal crash, turns himself in to authorities the plea is entered on condition the Robles will plea to count one vehicle manslaughter with gross negligence and admit enhancement for a court-indicated 500 hours of community service credit time served and other standard terms and conditions of felony probation Officials said Robles entered a plea to count one of no contest Other charges he faced were dismissed including: Court officials said his bail to remain as previously set in the sum of $80,000 Officials said Robles was released on bail bond NJ — Authorities are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying a man connected to an investigation that took place on Delsea Drive on Feb Officer D. Adams of the Vineland Police Department is attempting to identify the individual described as a Hispanic male in his early 20s He was last seen wearing a black T-shirt and blue jeans and has a partial chin strap-style beard Police say the man was driving a 2020 blue Honda Accord and may be residing in the Millville area Anyone with information is urged to contact the Vineland Police Department at 856-691-4111 or email Officer Adams at DAdams@vinelandcity.org © 2008-2025 - Shore News Media & Marketing Ltd A Cumberland County jury has convicted two men of killing a 15-year-old Little Leaguer in May 2022 of Vineland were charged with the slaying of Anthony Torres-Sanchez They took cash and a gun from the teen during a robbery at the Redwood Courts trailer park along Delsea Drive in Vineland the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office said Brothel bust: Prosecutor accuse Bridgeton man of sex trafficking In the wake of the shooting, members of the South Vineland Little League held a candlelight vigil to honor Sanchez-Torrres. Teammates hugged the victim's weeping mother during the ballfield vigil then released balloons with messages at sunset A trial for Bowen and Watson began with jury selection Jan 12 when jurors convicted the men of felony murder Bowen also was found guilty of a weapons offense Superior Court Judge Joseph Chiarello scheduled sentencing for April 4 in his Bridgeton courtroom Bowen and Watson face sentences ranging from 30 years to life in prison the prosecutor’s office said.Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal As snow continues to blanket the South Jersey area businesses and even local government offices have taken precautions Forecasts have varied over the last couple days leading up to this storm Each county of South Jersey could see different snowfall totals Snow totals from South Jersey are coming in to the National Weather Service If you're looking for how to report your snowfall totals Snow is continuing to fall and is expected to fall throughout the day and some townships throughout South Jersey may not begin to plow the roads until the snow accumulation hits a certain marker Snowfall forecast in South JerseyEach county in South Jersey may receive different amounts of snow Here's a listing of what you could expect to possibly see according to the National Weather Service: Atlantic County, 3-7 inches.Burlington County, 2-4 inches.Camden County, 2-4 inches.Cape May County, 4-8 inches.Cumberland County, 4-8 inches.Snowfall totals in South JerseyHere are some snowfall totals being reported to the National Weather Service and the Courier-Post: six and half inches of snow reported at 11:35 a.m two and half inches of snow reported at 11:35 a.m governments and other entities kept their doors closed in anticipation of this snowstorm Atlantic County and Cape May County leaders all announced different closures of their government offices and other public entities for the safety of residents A Veterans Affairs center in Vineland closed for the day but hospitals throughout the area are to remain open for those having an emergency schools closed today are expected to be open tomorrow Here is a list of power companies you need to call if you lose power during the snow storm: You can also track for any potential outages throughout the state at nj.com. We want to see what the snow day throughout South Jersey looks like walking your bundled up dog or sledding down a hill today You can submit your photos to the newsroom at: https://spanner.imagn.com/#/ugc-form?newsroom_id=117ZGz4h86tSvf45eXnMoVWmpa the National Weather Service said on Facebook that there may be a gap in snowfall but for residents to still be prepared for more possible snow accumulation "There will be a lull in the accumulating variety of snow much of the afternoon hours although some flurries may persist," the National Weather Service post said "Another round of snow is expected this evening near and south of the Philly metro with additional snowfall accumulations of 1-3 (inches) possible." If you're using manual labor to clear the snow from your paths and not a snow blower your best bet would be to start shoveling before the snow becomes too high and compacted There's to be freezing temperatures tonight it is recommended that you put salt down to help keep ice from forming If you're unable to shovel your own walkways and driveways because of having a disability or a being a senior citizen some counties offer programs where others will shovel for you Check with your local governments to find out if there are programs available near you Afternoon snowfall totalsHere is the total snow accumulation for this afternoon there is a total of five and a half inches of snow Nick Butler is an impact reporter for the Courier Post the Daily Journal and the Burlington County Times covering community news in South Jersey (This story was updated to change a video.) VINELAND — A former pharmacy at a busy Delsea Drive intersection is getting a new purpose — as a carwash Its design has an interior traffic pattern that puzzled city planners but the Flagship Carwash company received its approval in the end Wednesday The former Rite Aid building is 2791 South Delsea Drive taking up the southeastern corner of the Sherman Avenue intersection The 14,673-square-foot building is to be gutted to accommodate three service tunnels More: What to expect at the new combined Station 6, Vineland FD building More: Rite Aid sheds more South Jersey stores as part of bankruptcy The wet tunnel can take multiple vehicles at once on a 12-foot-wide conveyor belt Drivers pay for various levels of cleaning and the wet tunnel is sophisticated enough to differentiate among vehicles Lombardo told the planning board that about a third of company properties are in converted buildings and the number of tunnels and services varies Cumberland County planners approved the project earlier in the week The New Jersey Department of Transportation still will have to review the project because it is off a state highway and the carwash is a new use at the 2.1-acre site Flagship Carwash mainly operates in Virginia Rite Aid received city approval for the pharmacy in April 2006 A medical office building was demolished to allow construction Philly native transplanted to South Jersey 36 years ago keeping an eye now on government in South Jersey He is a former editor and current senior staff writer for The Daily Journal in Vineland VINELAND — Chipotle Mexican Grill is opening its first new-build restaurant here joining a commercial corridor that’s found favor with a number of fast-food chains The restaurant is to open Thursday at 1025 West Landis Avenue It has a drive-thru Chipotlane for digital orders but does without a traditional drive-thru window More: Chipotle gets Vineland's OK to build city's first location, but it's a tight fit More: Hotels taking piece of shopping center at Delsea Drive-Rt. 55 The restaurant will be open daily from 10:45 a.m Recruiting enticements include a crew bonus with the opportunity to earn an extra month’s worth of pay each year; a debt-free college degree program; English as a second language schooling; and access to mental healthcare for employees and their families The city approved the site in January 2023 with Chipotle demolishing Butch’s Gun World to make way for a 2,325-square-foot restaurant A Chipotle opened this spring in a former Arby's in South Vineland VINELAND – It’s last call Saturday for the South Vineland Tavern the latest small business casualty of the coronavirus pandemic It’s been a tough year for bar owner John Forosisky State mandates shut down his local landmark standing on the corner of Main Road and Grant Avenue Forosisky said the business can no longer survive limited to take-out meals and 25-percent capacity when its bills remain constant It’s reached the point of working too hard for too little picked Saturday to mark the end of the era for the neighborhood gathering spot where generations have sat elbow-to-elbow at the bar to swap stories Seated at stools socially distanced around the bar the regulars recalled the days when the bar was called the Three Jays That was back when John Asselta owned it in the early 1960’s but memories of former proprietors were admittedly fuzzy He is credited with giving the establishment its temporary moniker “The Dump,” which Forosisky says still results in some interesting incoming phone calls Barry Hurst marked his place with a silver dollar glued to the bar top according to tavern folklore. When the adhesive failed to hold the coin he had it bolted where it remains in place to this day “I come here for the camaraderie,” Victor Marino said on Thursday sitting one bar stool over from the  spot still earmarked for Hurst “I’ve lived in Vineland all my life but I’ve met a lot of new people coming in here,” said Marino Forosisky purchased the tavern in 1998 Barry Hurst’s brother brought a lifetime of restaurant and catering experience to the job Larry Hurst was former owner of the Centerton County Club and the center-city New York Inn They took South Vineland Tavern beyond beer and shots to a place known for good food at affordable prices “Where are you going to eat for $8.50 the pork chops are so big,” Sam Guidoni said “It’s always been that way.” “My two favorite things here are crab imperial and flounder stuffed with crab meat,” he said “But I like everything here. What’s not to like?” grew up in the tavern and now lives just down the road from it “This is my second home,” he said “I used to come in here when I was a kid to play the pinball machine recalling how many of the patrons who gathered around the bar were fresh from shifts at the area’s glass factories that are now shuttered that was like in the early 60s,” he said was the electrical contractor who rewired the tavern after it was damaged in a fire a few decades ago “They had a pool table back there,” Formento said nodding to an area now enclosed as office space South Vineland Tavern honored some of its departed regulars including retired Vineland K-9 Officer John Magee and “Speedy” DuBois with portraits displayed on the paneled walls among the neon beer lights The “regulars” understand why Forosisky is selling the bar and the liquor license impossible to run a business like this,” said Guidoni noting he sees the ripple effect of the COVID restrictions on bars and restaurants reaching all the way down to the shore “It didn’t have to be this way but with the governor we have he's ruined every small business — they can’t survive So begins the countdown to final toasts and tears “I’ll be here to the last day with my buddy “I’ll be doing a lot of crying Deborah M. Marko is a senior reporter with The Daily Journal. Got a story idea? Call 856-563-5256. Follow on Twitter: @dmarko_dj Instagram: deb.marko.dj Help support local journalism with a The Daily Journal subscription VINELAND – Vineland is on the cusp of reclassifying about 105 acres off South Lincoln Avenue and Sheridan as approved for industrial uses a move that has panicked homeowners there The area presently is largely residential and more historically agricultural with the presence of single-family homes gradually expanding in recent decades The proposed change in allowable uses is to accommodate further expansion of a neighboring still-new industrial park belonging to Northeast Precast owner John Ruga More: Vineland: Get started on industrial park More: City told surging demand for warehousing offers future for old glass factory complex Word of the pending zoning change has been slow in reaching residents but a group of property owners turned out to object at the City Council work session on May 3 One man said he only found out about the rezoning proposal the day prior “I can’t imagine tractor-trailers on a street with tractors with school buses,” Sheridan Avenue resident Paul Trivellini said “I can’t imagine additional noise facing the street There’s plenty of I (Industrial) Zone behind it Trivellini also alleged a lack of “transparency” on the part of local government in how the rezoning plan was formulated The rezoning plan was discussed publicly at recent City Council and Planning Board meetings and those were publicly advertised Dave D’Alessandro of Covered Bridge Road said open spaces and “peacefulness” are prime reasons why people like himself chose to live there “I think that making a change like this and potentially having a large building of some sort seems to me that it benefits one and not many,” D’Alessandro said “And I believe part of the job of the city is to look out for the community And I feel that this is starting to happen in this area.” No representative of Ruga spoke at the council meeting on Tuesday City government began its move to change the area zoning map several months ago city Principal Planner Kathie Hicks told members that the area’s major industrial landowner told the council the concept was “to square off the industrial zone in that area and take advantage of the Route 55 interchange and new road construction leading to that interchange.” the council then agreed to ask city planning staff to study the idea and for the Planning Board to make an official recommendation The Planning Board held a hearing on March 9 The board concluded that the South Lincoln and Route 55 area is one of a limited number of places “most desirable for industrial purposes.” It also is “best suited to uses that are large truck dependent providing better access for goods moving in and out” of the city,” according to its findings the City Council held a public hearing in April on the draft ordinance It will hold a second public hearing at its May 10 meeting which likely will be followed by a final vote The public development history of the industrial park at Route 55 and South Lincoln Avenue dates to 2018 The council at that time approved a property tax deferral agreement to aid Ruga The agreement deferred property taxes on new construction for 20 years a two-stage industrial park project was presented to the Planning Board and was approved The first stage was for Northeast Precast to relocate here followed by further improvements to accept light industrial and commercial tenants Sheridan Avenue resident Dan Weir said adding industrial areas would worsen an existing “atrocious” traffic safety situation where South Main Road but since they cut down the trees and everything now we’re listening to Route 55 traffic day and night,” Weir said “If you want to see what it’s going to turn out to be … take a ride through Swedesboro,” Weir said “That was a beautiful farming community Trivellini also argued that a better option was to have Ruga apply for a variance from the Zoning Board That would allow residents to present their case against it and also would place limits on future development Tonetta said that a use variance application could be made but that it was not necessarily the “normal” method in this situation the planning division took a look at the area looked at the area across the street on Lincoln Avenue took a look at the intersection of Route 55 “And the recommendations were based upon that.” some council members asked questions to clarify how the proposed ordinance was drafted but none indicated how they might vote next week Philly native transplanted to South Jersey more than 30 years ago He is a former editor and current senior staff writer for The Daily Journal in Vineland Have a tip? Reach out at jsmith@thedailyjournal.com. Help support local journalism with a subscription VINELAND –  A decision former Mayor Anthony Campanella Sr made 20 years ago to reopen and renovate South Vineland Park may be the one that does the most to keep his legacy alive city officials took the cover off a new sign at the entrance of the 78-acre West Elmer Road facility that proclaims it the “Anthony Campanella Sr More: Vineland councilwoman resigns and moves to Atlantic County More: Vineland, CCIA offer first look at new public works facility More than 100 people attended the dedication for the late mayor many of whom started at City Hall in his administration City Clerk Keith Petrosky said that in the case of this dedication the selection of the site is closely connected to the man being honored “Because Mayor Anthony — `Tony,’ `Campy — Campanella played a key role in shaping this park,” Petrosky said it’s a fitting tribute to his legacy but just as this park is a tranquil and friendly place so too was Mayor Campanella’s administration." While administrations before and after him may have appeared argumentative “I can see him looking down on us today with that trademark toothy grin and humble disposition that he always had," he said The park had been closed for almost 15 years in 1998 when Campanella joined with then-City Council president Robert Olivio and then-councilman Perry Barse to make it a priority project The city during his tenure also acquired land from the state for what is now the Joseph E named after his predecessor in the mayor’s office Present for the ceremony were Dolores Campanella “The family could not be more proud of this or more happy that this has come to fruition,” said Carol Moschetti Everybody who had anything to do with it." The City Hall contingent was led by Mayor Anthony Fanucci council President Paul Spinelli and Councilman Albert Vargas “I know that Mayor Campanella was important to so many of you early on in your careers,” Fanucci said “I like to hope that I have a little bit of his disposition And moving forward we’ll take some of that tradition and continue to be successful.” Spinelli said the idea to rename the park was around City Hall for at least several years Support was considerable among city employees, he said “We pursued it,” Spinelli said after the ceremony “He hired a lot of these people.” who started in city government under Campanella recalled how the then-mayor pushed to get the park reopened An insurance agent at one point wanted the city to upgrade its fence We’re going to tear the fence down,’” Tonetta said “And that began the park as you see it today and it’s enjoyed by many people And it’s a great tribute … to see Tony’s name on that fence and on that sign.” Smith; jpsmith_dj; (856) 563-5252; jsmith@gannettnj.com VINELAND – South Vineland Post Office patrons are urging the United States Postal Service to reconsider service hour cuts scheduled to take effect Aug Inside the South East Boulevard building a sign taped over the outgoing mail slots announces the pending retail and lobby hours where personal post office mailboxes are located Selena Mohan, who uses the post office, launched a petition on change.org opposing the “drastic change in South Vineland Post Office hours.” “It’s not accommodating to people who work that’s the big thing,” Mohan said “There are a lot of local businesses that have their post office boxes there.” Postal officials are directing customers to use the Center City post office in the 700 block of East Landis Avenue But the downtown post office is already busy questioning how that facility could take on additional business especially with COVID-19 restricting building occupancy more than 665 people added their names to petition that appeals to U.S Reps. Jeff Van Drew and Donald Norcross and Post Office District Manager Le Gretta Ross-Rawlins Mohan is hoping the reach 1,000 signatures by the end of the week urging people to sign in memory of long-time postal clerks Bob Kain and Glenn Losch who amused customers with their lighthearted back-and-forth banter during their decades of service there Where customers cited convenience and customer service postal officials are charged with maintaining efficiency while facing financial setbacks including a decrease in mail volume and revenue compounded by pandemic The postal service is taking “immediate steps” to increase operational efficiency while providing “prompt and reliable service within current service standards,” said Ray V The revised service hours come when the postal service is “developing a business plan to ensure that we will be financially stable and able to continue to provide dependable safe and secure delivery of mail and packages to all Americans as a vital part of the nation's critical infrastructure,” he said Although the Landis Avenue post office is closer to her home Jennifer Durham said she drives over to the Boulevard branch for the “positive attitude and a friendly smile,” she wrote on her change.org submission said he didn’t want people livelihood’s put at risk “This is no time to be cutting hours “It’s time to show appreciation to these workers who have been doing their part throughout this craziness.” This is the not the first time South Vineland Post Office faced service cuts When Vineland Borough and Landis Township consolidated in 1952 there was debate whether the two post offices would continue to operate People rallied to spare the South Vineland Post Office the post office moved along South East Boulevard to its current home in the single-story yellow stucco headquarters at the corner of Sherman Avenue postal officials floated the idea of replacing the South Vineland site with a kiosk within the Cumberland Mall VINELAND — An expansion to the South Jersey Glass & Door facility in South Vineland is going to be larger than the family-owned business planned for five years ago Construction is anticipated to start this fall on a 53,193-square-foot building the addition was expected to encompass 30,000 square feet of storage area unanimously approved a revised version of the facility site plan More: Vineland clears money for business relocation More: How did license plate reader connect suspect to murder at South Jersey grade school? “We’re just out of space,” Trivellini said on Thursday “We’ve been growing over the last couple years We feel very fortunate we need the additional space We’re proud to be in Vineland and helping to facilitate more growth in the area by bringing more jobs in The first phase of the 70,000-square-foot main building at 3278 South West Boulevard was completed in 2019 That enabled the business to move from a smaller facility at South West Boulevard and West Sherman Avenue The city provided some financing for the project and doors for residential and commercial projects Founded in 1927 as South Jersey Paint and Glass it has four other locations around South Jersey Have a tip? Reach out at jsmith@thedailyjournal.com Support local journalism with a subscription VINELAND – An uproar from South Vineland residents over imminent industrial expansion into relatively quiet pastoral neighborhoods did what such protestations rarely do City officials and a private developer are drastically scaling back plans to reclassify a broad swathe of residential and agricultural land bounded by South Lincoln and Sheridan avenues and Route 55 as suitable for industrial development.  More: South Vineland homeowners demand city back off zoning changes to aid industrial park More: Ex-NFL player, cannabis advocate zeroes on Millville for growing, manufacturing business The City Council already is acting on a toned-down replacement ordinance which notably leaves zoning on a number of Sheridan Avenue properties intact had drawn up four pages of remarks for what was expected to be a tough public hearing Tuesday night "I was here for the work session last week," said Trivellini "And it seems that many of our concerns have been alleviated by this adjustment." The turnaround is a remarkable change of heart in good part because it runs counter to decades of municipal development strategy and recent concerns that the city is frustratingly short of usable land long-term economic development efforts on areas close to Route 55 interchanges since before those opened in the late 1980s That's the same growth map followed by every community through which the highway passes Ruga has had hearty encouragement and financial backing from the city for his plans. His vision includes a professional-level golf course for which a final design may come out late this year is deep into a two-phase industrial park project off South Lincoln Avenue Millville property owners on Whitaker Avenue also are watching progress there The industrial park land was purchased several years ago from the city which partnered at the time with the Cumberland County Improvement Authority to assist Ruga.  He moved the concrete foundation fabrication operation from Millville and employs more than 500 people here The city's reversal on the rezoning plan also is remarkable for how fast it was ordered the fact that the City Council was a meeting away from acting to adopt the proposed changes had not reached many residents Mayor Anthony Fanucci contacted the developer to ask him to consider changes Some residents came to the meeting Tuesday night unaware the battle essentially was won Some even stood at the outset to berate officials over the rezoning initiative had hired legal counsel specializing in land use law to contest the ordinance at the public hearing Attorney Raymond Went came to the council and spoke He admitted that "he came in ready to battle" and was relieved by the news was being bumped out entirely onto Sheridan Avenue I don't think I've ever seen an 85–percent reduction in a proposed ordinance and a revised ordinance like this his clients would be happy to see the golf course get built.  who has represented Ruga in the project said the original request to the city would have reclassified about 100 acres the plan worked out with the city now affects about 14.5 acres Fralinger said Ruga is committed to being a "good neighbor."  "And he has been a good neighbor," Fralinger said "The redevelopment of that site?" Fralinger said And Northeast Precast is thriving there and it is just a wonderful business for the city of Vineland "We're happy to hear that he's made a lot of changes," said Rose Sias a resident of Whitaker Avenue in Millville "That helps a lot to understand what's going on now with the properties "There's still a lot of major concerns with our neighbors which is not being brought up tonight," Sias added raising a question of residents being notified in the future of other potential changes.  Current traffic in that general area — described as heavy and getting worse — also is an issue on the table now And the traffic concerns residents brought up do not all relate to the Ruga development The traffic convergence of Main Road and South Lincoln Avenue at Route 55 and the crossover of Main Road into Millville The city and the CCIA recently extended Burns Avenue do help address the issues by creating a straight signalized connection between Main Road and South Lincoln Avenue City Supervising Planner Kathie Hicks said the state plans to install traffic signals at the Main Road interchange Some residents still pressed for answers about whether a large warehouse is planned for the industrial park Ruga owns "I would like to mention the elephant in the room which is the Amazon warehouse that no one is mentioning this evening," Covered Bridge Road resident Lucy Brandt said "I want to know if that’s gone away as an idea we try to take walks at night and the speeding cars place us in danger already," Brandt said "We don’t mind the farm tractors and that kind of thing because we bought into that when we lived on that road." "I am not even sure if a warehouse is permitted there," city Solicitor Richard Tonetta said "But whatever is legally permitted there could have been built 10 years ago agreed with other speakers that roads in the area have seen a scary increase in the volume of traffic and types of vehicles Carpani said residents want to know the full picture of what may be coming to their neighborhoods "The bottom line is the ‘unknown’ is what the problem is," Carpani said reassuring them a big industrial park isn’t going to be right in their backyard. But what is the ultimate goal Help support local journalism with a subscription the East Vineland Senior League baseball team was merely a collection of road warriors The 15-16-year old squad helped host the District 3 tournament They went to West Deptford to capture the sectional where it ran the table in the East Regional Tournament With four banners in hand and a 15-1 record in those four competitions the team will board a plane Thursday morning for Easley where they'll take part in the Senior Little League 15-16-year-old World Series Tournament East Vineland will be one of 12 teams competing in a pair of six-team brackets One is made up of squads from the United States; the other international teams from Central and South America The champion from each side will face each other in a winner-take-all contest on the final day “I'm at a loss for words,” East Vineland manager Ben Andreoli said He's coached baseball for six years and managed for three This is his first as the Senior All-Stars manager And he's started out with a group that's special We've been down and fought back and found ways to win.” The team needed to win a pair from Cherry Hill on the final day of the sectional tournament and were trailing with one out in the seventh inning of the first “Sammy Garcia started us off with a single,” Andreoli said “It was one of those things – we kept getting hits We kept plugging away until we'd batted around on a bases-loaded walk in the final inning “Our pitching has been phenomenal and we've just kept winning.” Kyle Lamanteer and Mikey Sanchez have handled the bulk of the pitching Sanchez fired a one-hitter in the region championship game Andreoli and Lamanteer combined to shut down Cherry Hill in that epic sectional final The squad was down five starters that day because of travel ball obligations with his decision to carry 16 players on his roster came off the bench and he was outstanding,” Andreoli said “We wouldn't be here without the plays that he made and the hits he had But it really is hard to single out one kid Our first game in the districts was against Buena I was displeased and I was thinking oh boy – this might be a short tournament season Now the manager has some things to figure out “Guess what – I'm going to miss my vacation,” he said “I had plans to go with some friends down to the Outer Banks in North Carolina The same days he's going to be in South Carolina “I'm out almost three grand,” Andreoli said “But this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity said his vacation plans won't be affected – but he'll be shuffling his calendar too “We have a Sea Isle week lined up at the end of the month but it's really displaced his travel ball schedule,” Lamanteer said “I had to call that team up and tell them he's not going to be available and some kids were in Georgia playing travel ball “Vineland has been phenomenal,” Andreoli said The mayor (Anthony Fanucci) has been great to us and with hotels and making sure everybody's fed Lewis is a sports writer for the Burlington County Times Email him at jlewis@thebct.com or follow on Twitter @JohnLewis19 Please consider supporting local journalism with a subscription VINELAND – First-round draft pick Anthony Torres-Sanchez was named starting pitcher for his first South Vineland Little League playoff game set for Friday “He was a phenomenal baseball player he had a lot of talent,” said Gami Cruz a good fielder; he had all the tools to become a future major league baseball player Anthony’s life was cut short by a bullet the Vineland High School freshman was found in the 1800 block of North Delsea Drive with a gunshot wound according to the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office.  Anthony was taken to Inspira Medical Center - Vineland where he succumbed to his injuries.  VHS students were informed Friday of his death composed of guidance counselors and social workers in the district on hand on Friday and this week,” said Gia Messore the school district’s public information officer This team provides supportive services as well as grief counseling to students and staff Two Cumberland County men are charged with killing Anthony.  are both charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder.  Bowen was arrested the day following the shooting and Watson was arrested on Tuesday the prosecutor's office released in a statement The charges against the two are only allegations Neither has been convicted of any crimes related to the teen’s death SVLL hosted a candlelight vigil on the league’s senior field within Landis Park They celebrated the life of the teen with his family who placed a balloon memorial on the pitcher’s mound clustered by the color of their shirts charged with teaching youngsters how to master the game helped the youngest players light and hold their memorial candles “The pain is not going to go away,” league president Joe Ramos said  “I’m still in shock." “But if there is anything that the family needs from us … our doors are open and we are ready to support you in any way that you need.” serving about 325 players ranging in age from 5 to 16 Kiromys Sanchez, with memorial tribute Anthony’s team wrapped the sobbing woman in a comforting hug before they huddled on the mound “We love you,” they shouted skyward as balloons with messages to Anthony were released at sunset Anthony was previously with the North Vineland Little League “He was very respectful,” Cruz said “He was new to the team so we were always trying to win his heart,” the coach said recounting how they would conspire to make Anthony laugh Other teams facing off against Rock Towing already knew about the team’s starting pitcher “They didn’t want to go against him,” he said recalling his teammate's unique pitching style “He’d always bring his foot so that it faced second base his windup was so far back,” Cruz said Anthony leaves his team with something to remember as they head to the playoffs “How he loved the game,” said first baseman Elijah Williams Anthony had another side he shared with his long-time friends goofy and loud,” said Jailene Rivera,15 She stood on the field with a group wearing memorial T-shirts featuring a smiling portrait of Anthony.  Rivera befriended Anthony when they were Wallace Intermediate School sixth graders He was a friend you could count on,15-year-old Lia Padlo said “He was always there in a split second no matter where he was at,” she said He recalled how the night before the shooting Anthony was at the park talking with the coaches still at the field what lead up to whatever happened that day we can be hard sometimes but we do it for love,” Cruz said “It was pleasure coaching him and he will be missed.” Vineland Police Department chaplains attended the vigil to offer sympathy and support The state plans to move for a pretrial detention of Bowen and Watson Anyone with information about this matter may contact Detective Dave Cavagnaro of the Vineland Police Department at 856-460-0805 or Detective Chris Johnson of the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit at 609-579-1431 tips can also be sent anonymously through vpd.tips or ccpo.tips and education for The Daily Journal, Courier-Post and Burlington County Times. Got a story idea Call 856-563-5256 or email dmarko@gannettnj.com Follow on Twitter: @dmarko_dj Instagram: deb.marko.dj  Help support local journalism with a subscription VINELAND – For a Vineland High School softball team built around speed and aggressiveness on the bases Gyanna Porreca brought the long ball back into style in the season’s biggest moment two-run double off the leftfield fence that gave the Fighting Clan a one-run lead and propelled them to a 4-3 victory over Egg Harbor Township in the South Jersey Group 4 championship Saturday at The Coop Vineland (25-2) celebrated its first sectional title since 2018 and will play at Central Jersey champion Marlboro (16-13) in Tuesday’s state semifinal Porreca scuffled without a hit in her last seven at-bats against EHT starter Madison Dollard That changed when she delivered a stunning power punch in the sixth inning “It felt so good to come through and help my team,” said Porreca who has four RBIs in her last two playoff games and 22 for the season I had to be smart with my at-bats and stay disciplined up there and get a good swing Vineland head coach Mike Reed wasn’t surprised the slugger came through in the clutch she’s come through in big spots,” Reed said but it’s something the we’ve worked through We have all the confidence in the world up there She’s one of the best first basemen in this league for a reason.” Vineland’s speed provided the other two runs including what would turn out to be the decisive run in the sixth when Morgan Harrell-Alvarez beat out an infield single for an RBI but the Fighting Clan consistently fought off tough pitches and put the ball in play The team only struck out five times against Dollard who fired a one-hit shutout against VHS in the Cape-Atlantic League semifinal game two weeks earlier “We just don’t strike out a lot,” Reed said “That’s a big thing when you face someone like (Dollard).” Vineland’s defense also came up huge throughout the game The Fighting Clan turned two 6-4-3 double-plays in the first two innings and almost had a third in the next frame quickly becoming Brooklyn Lopez’s best friend as she worked into the seventh “We’ve turned 15 or more double plays this year that’s pretty impressive in the sport of softball,” Reed said “It’s something that works for us with our pitching which always keeps the ball down." Junior Leah Mears made a couple of nifty catches in center field while freshman catcher Averie Gomez threw out a run trying to steal in the seventh Porreca said she knew the day the Fighting Clan flew to Florida for spring training in March “I knew right from the minute we started playing together this year we were going to accomplish a lot,” Porreca Vineland will continue its quest for its first-ever state title a crown the program just missed earning in 2018 when it dropped a 6-5 decision in 10 innings to North Hunterdon Egg Harbor Township finished its season at 20-10 but the Eagles certainly went down swinging against the Fighting Clan EHT put the first two hitters on base to start the seventh and pushed one across on the backend of a double Vineland’s Kashvi Patel got the final three outs for the save EHT head coach Kristin Troster said her team made a few more mistakes than it normally does but they gave it everything they had,” she said Egg Harbor Township took a 2-0 lead in the third on Sofia Spatocco's two-run triple who was one of the best pitchers in program history The Fairleigh-Dickinson University-bound Dollard struck out 753 batters over her four-year career which also included an ERA south of 1.00 in just over 500 innings of work The Fighting Clan won three of the meetings “I'd kind of rather to face the enemy you know versus the enemy you don’t know,” Troster said about facing a team that many times in a season “If you’re going to come out and be the best team in South Jersey Tom McGurk is a regional sports editor for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email tmcgurk@gannett.com Help support local journalism with a digital subscription VINELAND – The South Vineland Fire Company celebrates its 100 years of public service on Saturday by rolling open the doors of its Sherman Avenue station and welcoming everyone inside “We’re going to take this opportunity to really give back to the community,” station Chief Robert Cresci told The Daily Journal The company is hosting a family fun day from noon to 4 p.m Firefighters encourage folks to come enjoy the festivities and educate themselves about fire safety to coincide with Fire Prevention Month “We are also going to use this opportunity to recruit some new members,” Cresci said The company roster includes 37 names and they’d like to bump up to an even 40 “Unfortunately with the volunteer fire services it’s a continuation that we have to recruit and retain.” “We have to work on that constantly to be able to sustain ourselves,” he said a person must be at least 18 years old and must complete about 200 hours of training held at the Ronald D Martinelli Fire and Rescue Training Center in Bridgeton “And that’s where the training begins it’s not one and done,” said firefighter Ryan Feaster co-chair of the 100th anniversary celebration committee South Vineland Fire Company’s first-due area encompasses about 16 square miles Inspira Medical Center Vineland and Rowan College of South Jersey “We are currently the biggest volunteer company in the city and we are the most active,” Cresci said noting that’s about 325 responses a year the original members literally built their company from the ground up on a patch of donated land at Sherman Avenue and Main Road They replaced that wood-frame structure with a brick building about seven years later also known as Vineland Volunteer Fire Company No Model Ts gave way to engines and ladder trucks The current Sherman Avenue building opened in 2004, accommodated larger equipment including the aerial ladder truck that would never fit into a bay of their former Main Road station “That was the work of Fire Chief Dan Weir,” Cresci said The building is also now home to the fire department’s nightly volunteer duty crew “That’s compromised of members of the entire department “They are here every night between 6 and 11 p.m.” “That was a grassroots effort that we started under the last administration,” he said it helped to bring a lot of members in that live around the area and weren’t involved before.” Those that join usually start a family tradition of service Both Cresci and Feaster are third-generation firefighters and pride themselves on maintaining the company's customs and celebrations we have old times night,” Feaster said “That started from a snowstorm many years ago they were hunkering down at the old station and they had food and supplies in anticipation of this great snowstorm The company membership chose to make that coming together an annual event  “We invite all of our past members back to that dinner,” Feaster said “It’s all about the camaraderie sharing stories and having a good time.” they remember their extended family and mark the graves of the previous members Look for the glowing fully restored 1931 Buffalo making its way down Landis Avenue in annual parades 1 tradition is continuous community service ensuring the safety of our residents,” Cresci said Budgetary restraints make it cost-prohibitive to have a full career fire department “We have to have the combination department like we have,” Cresci said calling the hybrid of paid and volunteer firefighters “a good system.” “We wouldn’t be here 100 years strong without the work of everybody.” members of South Vineland United Methodist Church contributed food items for the food bank More Neighbors News: Petway students, staff and administration create a ‘hopping hallway’ More Neighbors News: Veterans remembered with wreath ceremony VINELAND – A crowd of more than 50 members friends and relatives of the South Vineland Fire Company gathered Tuesday to officially welcome its newest acquisition — a 2016 KME pumper The firefighters took the opportunity to honor the service of the company’s past fire chief Letizia “served in many capacities over his 49 years in Company 2 on both the executive and operational sides of the organization most importantly including his 13 years as chief,” said district chief Robert Cresci Cresci and South Vineland Fire Company President Karl Anderson joined by the station’s past chiefs and assistant chiefs unveiled a plaque affixed to the firetruck that pays tribute to Letizia’s dedicated service were instrumental in the company’s annual circus fundraiser which firefighters noted was very successful over the past 52 years Letizia continued to show “what dedication truly is,” said Cresci noting how he continues to offer his time and service to Vineland residents as well as his second family at the East Sherman Avenue fire company The 2016 KME pumper joins the Vineland Fire Department’s fleet as “Engine 2.” It’s a twin to Engine 6 led by Station 1 District Chief Jim Hoffman is comprised of career and volunteer firefighters that work to strike a balance between needs and budget constraints which will be refurbished and then reassigned to another station within the city Letizia was joined by his family and friends at the fire company’s annual “Old Timers Dinner” which is a Station 2  tradition that dates back nearly 100 years VINELAND – Two vintage school houses are just about going the Vineland Public School District will receive bids for the Oak and Main School Panther Road School as well as nine vacant lots The school board authorized the auction of the properties “not needed for school purposes or any use by the district.” The 108-year-old former kindergarten center at Oak and Main roads is deemed the most valuable with the district setting a $500,000 minimum bid It’s located on a highly traveled corner already occupied by two pharmacies and a Dunkin’ Donuts The building was most recently home to the New Jersey Youth Corps. that are now based at the district’s 1350 S is adjacent to the South Vineland Post Office in the 2800 block of South East Boulevard There’s a $120,000 minimum bid on this parcel have minimum bids ranging from $17,500 to $22,000 They are leftovers from a Vineland school district trades program where the curriculum included home construction When the program was eliminated many years ago the district was left with the lots in the area of Mays Landing Road and Hawthorn Court The auction for the vacant land parcels will be held 10 a.m March 29 at the administration headquarters at 625 Plum St The two schools will be sold at on-site auctions at: The successful bidder must immediately pay a 10 percent nonrefundable deposit by cash Bids then go to the school board for its approval with closings tentatively scheduled for early July District officials have projected the auctions will raise about $650,000 which be applied to the 2017-18 school district budget the school district’s archivist Elaine Greenberg is set to go through the two schools to collect items of historical significance to preserve Marko; (856) 563-5256; dmarko@thedailyjournal.com BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The names of the two Bakersfield police officers who were involved in a fatal crash back on Jan According to the Bakersfield Police Department Officer Travione Cobbins and Officer Ricardo Robles were in a marked patrol car when they collided with a 2013 Honda Accord at Muller Road and South Vineland Drive it stated that "Officer Cobbins has been a police officer with the Bakersfield Police Department for approximately 2 years Officer Robles has been a police officer with the Bakersfield Police Department for approximately one year." According to a preliminary report from the California Highway Patrol the Accord that was carrying two people was traveling westbound on Muller Road a 2016 Ford Taurus patrol car that was carrying the two BPD officers was traveling southbound on South Vineland Road The two met at an intersection and crashed leaving both cars on the southwest corner of the intersection The CHP report noted that "the intersection of Muller Road and South Vineland Road is controlled by a stop sign for northbound and southbound traffic only." received major injuries and was taken to Kern Medical Center via helicopter Officers Cobbins and Robles were taken to a nearby hospital with moderate to major injuries The Chain, Cohn, and Clark law firm released a statement saying that the woman was getting a ride home from work at Grimmway Farms when the crash happened and that she is an innocent bystander "as a law firm that has been involved in these types of cases in the past through our representation of other victims involved in tragic motor vehicle collisions with law enforcement we can state unequivocally that incidents like this should never happen.” Both officers are currently on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation into the crash Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardWarehouses are a boon for a rural South Jersey town better known for its sweet corn and peachesWith cold-storage capacity at a premium and demand for fresh foods growing Vineland is seeing a flurry of new and expanded warehousing Long known for its sweet corn, tomatoes, and peaches, Cumberland County also is producing an abundance of cold-storage warehouse space as well as food processing and packaging facilities Eleven such construction or expansion projects — including an oat milk plant in Millville and a hydroponic leafy greens-growing facility in Vineland — have been reviewed by the county planning board in the last 18 months Ten cold storage warehouses operate in Vineland alone We’re building another 120,000 square feet as we speak and we’re not done yet,” said Michael Levari Sr are landmarks on North Mill Road in the city Thus, Vineland — a sprawling and diverse city of 59,000 with two industrial parks and multiple exits on Route 55 — “is in a good spot,” said Sandy Forosisky the city’s director of economic and community development Some warehouse proposals are generating fierce opposition in the more densely populated parts of New Jersey, including one nevertheless approved last month by West Windsor Township the state’s largest city as measured by land area most warehouse development is happening in industrial parks,” said Matthew E “Developers are rehabbing existing structures or in proximity to similar land uses,” he said Developers see [sites] that are ready to go The source materials for value-added food processing are right here.” The success of those expansion plans depends in part on the future availability of cold storage space in South Jersey and elsewhere in the Philadelphia region “People want to eat fresh food and seasonal produce and vegetables all year round and we have built our network to handle perishables,” said Sean E “Fifty percent of our containerized cargo is refrigerated We have to move cargo off the terminal as quickly as possible and we can only do that with the sort of investments that Mr Levari and others are making in South Jersey,” Mahoney said Cumberland County is among the smallest (by population) and poorest of New Jersey’s 21 counties But it also has a workforce accustomed to the demands of agriculture and warehousing and these are blue-collar jobs,” said Kim Ayres senior vice president at the Cumberland County Improvement Authority Progresso, the canned-soup company founded in Vineland by two Italian immigrant families in 1942, was shut down by owner General Mills in 2017 But the Cumberland County-based F&S Fresh Foods purchased the plant reopened it as a processing and packaging facility for snack fruits and veggies “It’s cultural,” said Ethan Byler, executive vice president of Stanker & Galetto Inc. a construction company that has called Vineland home for 75 years “Vineland grew from agriculture and then went into processing and trucking and storing food,” Byler said is the married father of a young daughter and lives in Millville He’s worked as a truck driver and forklift operator for five years at M&O and likes “being with a company that’s doing great” and expanding and they treat me like family,” Perez said and we’re keeping business here in Vineland.” the company that helped introduce frozen vegetables to American consumers in the 1940s Food production and processing have thrived even as the massive glassmaking facilities that helped put Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem Counties on the map have disappeared The longtime family-owned firm partnered with Oatly to develop the first phase of the project; a second phase is set to open this fall Oatly’s Millville operation represents a $120 million investment by the partnership It has already created 30 jobs and is expected to create 70 more positions The company’s presence also creates opportunities for local contractors which handles “100% of their product,” Levari said as well; city administrator Ray Compari said an Italian meat-processing company also is seeking to build a facility in Millville where there is plenty of space available at two industrial parks served by rail and the city airport The city of 24,000 is also the seat of Cumberland County With Schär “we helped rebuild their recipe for the American palate and source local ingredients,” Lewin said Schär has since built a 50,000-square-foot commercial bakery in Swedesboro and created 100 jobs Developers also have expressed interest in vacant industrial land a portion of which has freight railroad service along the 31-square-mile township’s Route 77 corridor “We have interest because of our agricultural community,” Mayor Jim Crilley said adding that development will not occur “at the expense of our agricultural community.” About 22,000 of the 66,000 acres of farmland in Vineland have been permanently preserved from development. Ed Wengryn, a researcher with the New Jersey Farm Bureau said the success of food processing and other agriculture-related businesses can help sustain farming “When you have businesses that use local products and extend the shelf life of local products it means more farmers will invest in growing these products,” he said Author and local historian Patricia A whose family goes back “several generations” in Vineland said she is pleased to see her city and county’s rich agricultural heritage creating jobs and otherwise leveraging sorely needed economic development concerns about weather and pests are nothing compared with the challenge of inflation this year and operates his family’s 400-acre R&R Flaim farm with his brother And although Flaim says he can see the value of more cold-storage warehousing in and around Vineland he’s concerned that for family farms — even in Vineland — the math may no longer add up “We’re the only business that pays retail and sells wholesale,” he said by phone Tuesday while on a break from planting cauliflower “Our costs for fertilizer and diesel are increasing 40% to 45% and 50% whose farm markets a number of products under its own Panther label “I like watching the product grow,” he said And I don’t want to miss my grandchildren growing up.” VINELAND – A property tax break will help finance a proposed private industrial park in South Vineland that city officials say will open with about $30 million of construction with multiple phases to follow The City Council on Tuesday night voted 3-0 to defer property taxes on new construction for 20 years Taxes on the land itself will not be deferred The agreement between the city and businessman John Ruga is meant to offset the costs of creating an industrial park facility in an area once used as a sand mine and lacking easy access to the road infrastructure economic development director for Vineland said Ruga estimates he will spend $30 million just for facilities for his own company Ruga hopes to attract other businesses as tenants the project will immediately increase the value of the actual land for tax purposes That means Vineland will collect more property taxes than it had been collecting on the same acreage when it was privately owned and not developed More: New industrial park in Vineland to bring major job growth More: Curbside parking ending at Vineland Industrial Park Just how much more money that amounts to will not be clear until the land is sold to Ruga and the city reassesses the property the city says it collected a total of $32,827 in property taxes on the land the city valued the pending land sale to Ruga as a $4 million deal “He (Ruga) has to put a ton of work into that property,” Forosisky said We had looked at it for us to do it ourselves Another key point in the agreement is a commitment to construct a connection from South Lincoln Avenue to South Main Road with Ruga obligated to pay $500,000 spread over the term of the 20-year agreement The property is located next to the city's Clayville electric power station off South Lincoln Avenue next to Route 55 and near South Main Road Vineland and the Cumberland County Improvement Authority are partners in the park project The city and CCIA own the roughly 261 acres that Ruga intends to buy for the park pending passage of the payment-in-lieu-of-taxes or PILOT, agreement that was approved by City Council Forosisky described Ruga as “anxious” to get a settlement PILOT agreements are standard options for governments interested in getting development projects started Such agreements can extend out as far as 30 years Ruga owns the construction company Northeast Precast in Millville The industrial park here would enable an expansion of his business Ruga is doing business for this project through a new corporation called NEP Real Estate of Vineland Urban Renewal Forosisky said the CCIA applied for and has been approved for a $1.4 million grant from New Jersey Proceeds from the land sale would be applied to the road project if its cost exceeds the city’s projection Forosisky said the extension would connect South Lincoln Avenue to South Main Road A four-way traffic light will be installed “It’s been an ongoing problem (making turns),” Forosisky said “His project just made it an unbearable problem risking their life to make a left-hand turn.” The park would be developed in four phases The opening phase calls for a 120,000-square-foot building and a concrete batch plant Two driveways from Lincoln Avenue also would be needed Voting for the loan with President Paul Spinelli Members Angela Calakos and Albert Vargas were absent There were no comments from members on the agreement Teammates react as Morgan Harrell-Alvarez (7) of Vineland steals home on a wild pitch during the Overbrook Battle of the Conferences Softball Tournament in Pine Hill .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Bill Evans | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comSOUTH/CENTRAL GROUP 4 SEMIFINALVineland (South champion Vineland will win if: The Fighting Clan are led by their offense which has picked up the pace particularly in the last three games They put a four-spot up on Egg Harbor standout Madison Dollard and also scored 10 runs in the previous game against Eastern and ace Sami Wakeley create some traffic and push the envelope with their baserunning and have one of their plethora of top hitters deliver a big hit Pitchers Brooklyn Lopez and Kashvi Patel will generate some soft contact Marlboro will win if: It plays sound defense and Emily Gaudio continues her late-season resurgence Vineland took advantage of Eastern and EHT mistakes to win the last two games so Marlboro can’t give them extra chances to score runs Gaudio missed the early part of the season but is rounding into form and will need to be at her best as she has been for most of the posteason in the last two years but Adison Ditillo and Amy FItzpatrick will likely lead the way Both teams should threaten a decent amount and it’s going to come down to who delivers the big hit Bill Evans can be reached at bevans@njadvancemedia.com. 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All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices If you smell smoke or see a hazy sky in South Jersey it could be because of the Wildfire burning near Vineland in Cumberland County The fire appears to have started late morning or early Friday afternoon and according to the latest update (Saturday morning) Officials with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service say the fire is being called Danny's Fire and it's burning in the Peaslee Wildlife Management Area The fire has necessitated the closing of some roads in the area Union Road is closed between Mays Landing Road and Route 49 Bennetts Mill Road is closed between Union Road and Manumkin River no homes or businesses have been threatened or burned Officials say 800 acres of a remote area on Peasless have burned Crews have been on the scene through the night The cause of the fire is under investigation Fire officials warn that when they're fighting a fire SOURCE: New Jersey Forest Fire Service Gallery Credit: Canva Gallery Credit: Joe Kelly If you smell smoke or see a hazy sky in South Jersey, it could be because of the Wildfire burning near Vineland in Cumberland County.\nRead More Officials with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service say the fire is being called Danny's Fire SOURCE: New Jersey Forest Fire Service VINELAND – Doubt lingered outside the dugout and it may have grown by immeasurable uncertainty through the drought It hung over a program with little recent postseason mileage A dynamic offense saw its tape-measure shots reduced to outs on the most important stage Vineland High School’s softball team looked like it ran out of ground here on Wednesday the Fighting Clan showed they didn’t come this far to come up short South Jersey Group 4’s top seed went out and put together a frame few diamond fans in scarlet and gray will ever forget With four runs in the bottom of the final inning Vineland (18-2) broke the collective hearts of eighth-seeded Shawnee Kingsway – a 4-0 victor against Egg Harbor Township – awaits in the semis “The inches always count,” pitcher Nicole Ortega with her left arm wrapped in ice said Smidgens of distance proved pivotal to the final rally right down to Ortega’s blooper of a walk-off single that sent the Renegades (12-10) back to Medford empty handed Eight-hole hitter Brooke Dickinson led off the home half of the seventh with a liner to left Chasity Cross came off the bench and dribbled a roller down the third-base line The throw pulled the first baseman off the bag but not before a mid-air deflection narrowly made it fair A fielder’s choice from shortstop to home kept the Clan off the board Alyse Jackson worked a five-pitch walk to make it 3-1 Here came the inches again on the first pitch to Devin Coia The sophomore roped a ball down the right-field line “I saw it low and in and jumped on it Not only did neon yellow ball oblige just within the chalk at 185 feet it also managed to escape the length of the outfielder’s stab Shawnee intentionally walked Zoe Frisko and up came Ortega I thought it was an infield fly,” Ortega said “It was right next to me and I was looking,” Coia said the center fielder and the shortstop looked completely lost It dropped and so too did the minute details as Jackson scored with ease that’s hanging on our wall,” Renegades’ coach Paula Escudero said before her voice began to trail off Vineland’s southpaw got off to a rough start she gave up three runs on three hits and an error in the first inning The damage came courtesy of Madison McGehrin’s double Sam Volpe’s RBI single and Liz Hartshorne’s triple Hartshorne scored on a misplayed grounder to stretch the edge to 3-0 “They must have done their homework which is very smart they knew I like to pitch outside,” Ortgega said Ortega retired 18 in a row and didn’t allow another base runner until Anna Swerdlow’s two-out double in the top of the seventh “She hit her spots and was pitching a great game,” coach Eric Burger said “We had to make some adjustments but Nicole followed our game plan and was spot on after that.” With two outs in the bottom of the sixth and the bases loaded Fighting Clan outfielder Emma Barbera sent a grounder to shortstop A misplay on the throw scored two for Vineland and brought the large crowd to full throat McGehrin stood in disbelief and felt she’d been obstructed by the runner The lengthy conversation between both umpires resulted in an overruled call The score remained 3-0 and the fans were furious as their volume rose They’d have to wait about 15 minutes to forget all about it and get even louder Shawnee started 1-4 and slowly found quality throughout the season The Renegades certainly played their best ball down the stretch Consistent growth and development made the loss hard to stomach for Escudero they got the hits and they were hits,” the longtime leader in Columbia blue said They were the better team in the seventh inning.” “I’m going to be 100-percent honest from the first practice to the first five games when we were 1-4 This is a group I’m going to miss.” Mark Trible: @Mtrible; (856) 486-2424; mtrible@gannettnj.com UNION – The most successful softball team in Vineland High School history did what it became known for all season the felines in the opposite dugout had one more life than the Fighting Clan here at Kean University on Sunday evening The North Hunterdon Lions (25-5) scored in their half of the 10th frame under international tiebreaker rules and claimed the Group 4 state championship “It’s tough to lose the way we did but we knew the girls were going to battle,” coach Eric Burger said Under the guidelines that begin in the first double-digit inning the player who'd made the last out in the prior at-bat starts on second base North Hunterdon moved Kate Sand to third on long fly to right-center field Jess Nolan dropped a bunt for a squeeze play Sand beat Vineland pitcher Nicole Ortega’s toss to the plate for the final edge The Fighting Clan (21-3) began the frame’s bottom half with speedy Gabby Pratts on second Two-hole hitter Korie Hague stepped in at 3-for-4 on the day with two RBIs who lost to Egg Harbor Township in this same stage last year “It was a really tough decision,” Burger said of the bunt “We talked about it as a staff and figured probably even though it would give us an out it was probably the best decision knowing what we had coming up in the lineup sometimes the best decisions aren’t always the best.” Hague said she felt “surprised” with the call the southpaw who went the distance in the loss but trusted the move and her team's leader “We kind of figured she could bunt due to the situation but she is a great hitter and I personally thought she was going to hit,” Ortega said “Whatever coach Burger calls we do and it was his decision Finality set in with an overflow of emotions for the first South Jersey champions the program’s ever provided They’d played the season with a coach switch Burger came on prior to the campaign due to Kristina Kulik’s maternity leave A tight-knit group of never-say-die teammates Sunday provided another illustration in what made the Fighting Clan so formidable North Hunterdon broke a 1-1 tie in the third with four runs on as many hits and two errors Vineland put up one in the fifth and two in the sixth Hague socked a double to left-center field especially because it was for the state title,” senior shortstop and Bloomfield College commit Alyse Jackson said The lessons must be taken to 2019 for a group that loses four seniors – three of which are regular starters Another superb team should be fielded next season for Vineland but that didn’t ease the sting within aftershock Burger admitted he’ll reflect on the call to bunt for quite some time “Damn straight I will,” he said A moment proved how fragile the balance can be in a state championship it couldn’t overshadow the terrific toughness and talent the Fighting Clan showed all of 2018 and again here it may serve as a guidepost for the next run Ortega threw 34 pitches and 26 went for strikes “The team really clicked at that point because we knew at 5-1 and 5-2 that wasn’t going to be the ending score,” she said “We weren’t going to let that happen.” Ortega struck out six and her two-run double in the fifth helped Vineland climb back “I wasn’t shocked that we came back at all,” she said “It was just shocking we couldn’t get that run in because usually we can and we do “I hope it does happen again and I have faith that it will coming to the state finals is a once-in-a-lifetime thing for some people I hope it’s not a once-in-a-lifetime thing.” Burger tipped his cap to North Hunterdon’s hitters “She was hitting her spots where she needed to The Fighting Clan haven’t been synonymous with postseason success They were one of South Jersey’s top teams all season 16 seed ACIT to open the playoffs raised a few eyebrows softball fever should catch on in the large community after this late-spring stretch when the squad lived up to the hype and then some Vineland came back from three runs down in the seventh to beat Shawnee it overcame a one-run deficit to top Kingsway Another last at-bat triumph came against rival Millville in the sectional final Hordes of locals witnessed that 3-2 victory likely the biggest clash in Cumberland County history No success offered up more excitement than Thursday’s 8-5 semifinal result against Montgomery The Fighting Clan entered the fifth tied at 2-2 and faced a 5-2 deficit by the bottom of the sixth They pushed six runs across in that inning to take control and win “They had to keep their heads up and know that the only people that gave them a shot were the ones on the field with them,” Burger said of his postgame speech in right field An unbelievable and historic slate set a new standard at the school it’s good to see the program will stay strong without us,” Jackson said but I don’t have any doubt in my mind that they’ll fill them.” New Jersey anglers landed some big fish in 2014 and the N.J Division of Fish and Wildlife recognized their achievements with Skillful Anglers Awards the division has been recognizing anglers who catch fish of "not quite record" size but large enough to have tested the angler's skill The awards are made in fresh and saltwater categories for adult and junior anglers and for catch and release in the same categories 53 applications representing 19 different species were entered more than 3,600 anglers have been awarded skillful angler status The most frequently entered species in 2014 were largemouth bass with seven applications followed by smallmouth bass and bullhead catfish with six applications each The freshwater category also had five entries for chain pickerel and two for rainbow trout most of the categories went without entries with the exception of striped bass with four one would have thought there would have been a few entries in the blackfish category All of the tuna categories went blank as well The catch and release category had the most number of entries with 37 applications followed by the adult category with 11 entries and the junior category with five of Budd Lake who took the largemouth bass catgeory with an 8-pound 9-ounce lunker he caught on Lake Hopatcong in October Francis Kuchinski of Matawan won for a 10.5-pound rainbow he caught on the South Branch of the Raritan River on Nov Shawn Dornblasser of Phillipsburg won two categories for smallmouth bass and bullhead catfish He also won a catch and release category for crappie His smallmouth weighed 4.5 pounds and was caught from a boat on the Merrill Creek Reservoir in August the New Jersey Skillful Angler award for striped bass went to a Philadelphian Mark Thomas Pownall of Philadelphia landed a 52-pound striper on May 25 from the surf in North Wildwood on May 25 using a clam The winner in the catch and release category of striped bass was also an out-of-towner landed a 46.75-inch striper on a boat out of Point Pleasant on a live bunker Larry Newman of Brick won the bluefish catch-and-release category with a 38-inch chopper he caught on a plug in June fishing from his kayak in Barnegat Bay and president of the Jersey Coast Anglers Association 3-ounce fluke he caught at the Barnegat Inlet on a live snapper Other notable catches in the the catch and release category were a 23.5-inch largemouth bass caught by Rich Fackler of Pittsgrove in October The bass was caught in Parvin Lake on a spinner bait Helmetta landed and released a 42.5-inch northern pike on March 1 fishing through the ice on Pines Lake using a shiner and Donna Stryker of Three Bridges released a 27-inch rainbow trout she caught on June 14 at Round Valley Reservoir For 2015, the Division of Fish and Wildlife will be adding a few new categories to the program Arthur was fishing from a boat on Lake Hopatcong when he landed the fish at 9:30 a.m Seventeen pound test was used with an Ugly Stik rod and Penn reel The fish measured 24.5 inches in length and had a 19-inch girth caught by Shawn Dornblasser of Phillipsburg on August 11 Shawn was fishing from a boat on Merrill Creek Reservoir when he landed the fish at 8:30 a.m Ten pound test was used a Daiwa rod and reel The fish measured 21-inches in length and had a 13.5-inch girth caught by Shawn Dornblasser of Phillipsburg on February 9 Shawn was using a tip up through the ice on Budd Lake when he landed the fish The fish measured 17 inches in length and had an 11-inch girth caught by Francis Kuchinski of Matawan on November 25 Francis was wading the South Branch of the Raritan River when he landed the fish at 10:15 a.m Six pound fly line was used with a 7.5' Cortland Crown II fly rod with a conventional fly reel The fish measured 24.25 inches in length and had a 17.75-inch girth caught by Mark Thomas Pownall of Philadelphia Mark was fishing the surf at 2nd Avenue in North Wildwood Beach when he landed the fish at 3:00 p.m Eighteen pound test was used with a Penn 10' rod and a Penn 650SS reel caught by Paul Haertel of Clifton on August 21 Paul was fishing from a boat in Barnegat Inlet when he landed the fish at 7:15 p.m The fish measured 29.5 inches in length and had a 22.5-inch girth Jeffrey was fishing from a boat on Lake Hopatcong when he caught the fish at 10:15 a.m Eight pound test was used with a 6.5' rod and a bait cast reel The fish measured 24 inches in length and had a 17-inch girth 15 oz caught by 7-year-old Ella Yanuzzelli of Sparta on August 15 Ella was fishing at Weldon Brook when she landed the fish at 8:45 a.m Eight pound test was used with a medium action rod and a spin cast reel The fish measured 16 inches in length and had a 9-inch girth caught by 7-year-old Dylan Cole of Newton on March 1 Dylan was fishing through the ice on Lake Hopatcong when he landed the fish caught by 15-year-old Michael D'Orio of Bridgeton on May 12 Michael was fishing in Mary Elmer Lake when he landed the fish at 6:45 p.m Six pound test was used with a Berkely Amp rod and a Shakespeare reel The fish measured 25 inches in length and had a 13.5-inch girth CATCH AND RELEASE CATEGORY FRESHWATER SPECIES: Largemouth Bass – 23.5 inches caught by Rich Fackler of Pittsgrove on October 18 Rich was fishing from a boat on Parvin Lake when he reeled the fish in at 7:00 a.m Fourteen pound test was used with a Shimano rod and a Daiwa reel Smallmouth Bass – 22 inches caught by David Weidnor of Boiling Springs David was fishing from a boat on Merrill Creek Reservoir when he reeled the fish in at 7:30 p.m Ten pound test was used with a Daiwa rod and reel Striped Bass Hybrid – 26 inches caught by Derek Dean of Sparta on May 3 Derek was fishing from a boat on Lake Mohawk when he reeled in the fish at 6:30 p.m Ten pound test was used with a rod and an open reel Bullhead – 15.75 inches caught by Christopher Pereira of Hopatcong on October 3 Christopher was fishing from the shore of Ortley Pond when he reeled in the fish at 6:50 p.m Ten pound test was used with a Daiwa rod and a Pfleuger reel Carp – 35.5 inches caught by Michael D'Orio of Bridgeton on May 10 Michael was fishing from the shore of Mary Elmer Lake when he reeled in the fish at 10:00 a.m Six pound test line was used with a Shakespeare rod and reel Crappie – 15.8 inches caught by Shawn Dornblasser of Phillipsburg on August 11 Shawn was fishing from a boat on Spruce Run Reservoir when he reeled in the fish at 6:30 p.m Ten pound test was used with an Ugly Stik rod and a Shimano reel Yellow Perch – 13 inches caught by Vincent Santroni Vincent was fishing from a boat on Sycamore Lake when he reeled in the fish at 5:45 p.m Six pound test line was used with a Cabela's 5'6" Mag Touch rod and an Abu Garcia spinningreel A Cotton Cordell Firetiger Crankbait served as the lure Chain Pickerel – 27 inches caught by Bradley Garie of Dover on February 22 Bradley was fishing through the ice on Lake Shawnee when he landed the fish at 1:30 p.m The fish placed 1st in the Lake Shawnee Ice Fishing Contest Northern Pike – 42.5 inches caught by Jeremy N Jeremy was ice fishing on Pines Lake when he landed the fish at 3:00 p.m American Shad – 24.5 inches caught by Greg Liston of Phillipsburg on May 7 Greg was fishing from the shore of the Delaware River when he landed the fish at 4:00 p.m Six pound test line was used with a spinning rod and reel Rainbow Trout – 27 inches caught by Donna Stryker of Three Bridges on June 14 Donna was fishing from a boat at Round Valley Reservoir when she landed the fish at 11:45 a.m Six pound test was used with a 5' spinning rod and reel Sunfish – 10.5 inches caught by Glenn Platvoet of Franklin on June 28 Glenn was fishing from a boat on Franklin Pond when he reeled in the fish at 2:00 p.m Six pound test was used with a 6' Daiwa rod and an Okuma reel Walleye – 26 inches caught by Dan Pryor of Bridgewater on December 6 Dan was fishing from the shore on the Delaware River when he reeled in the fish at 6:00 p.m Ten pound test was used with a Rhino rod and a spinning reel CATCH AND RELEASE CATEGORY SALTWATER SPECIES: Striped Bass – 46.75 inches caught by David J David was from a boat out of Point Pleasant when he landed the fish at 6:20 am Thirty pound test was used with a 7' Airwave rod and an Avet conventional reel Bluefish – 38 inches caught by Larry Newman of Brick on June 6 Larry was fishing from a kayak in Barnegat Bay near F cove when he landed the fish Reach Adam Monacelli at amonacelli@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @CP_AdamM VINELAND — The acting president of a local Little League is accused of stealing more than $47,000 from the organization funneled money from the South Vineland Little League to his own accounts from 2018 to 2024 Ramos allegedly withheld access to the league's account records and bank statements from the rest of the board a fellow board member performed a full audit and found the alleged theft who had been acting league president since 2017 was charged with theft and released on a summons pending court dgrote@pressofac.com Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email Email notifications are only sent once a day A veteran Ocean City firefighter has filed a civil lawsuit against the city alleging he was wrongfully passed over for promotion to fire chief Two men died Wednesday afternoon following a head-on collision on Millville Avenue Two Egg Harbor Township residents were arrested Thursday for allegedly running a drug operation out of a home on Carlisle Road with "lab-grade… A 19-year-old Waretown man charged with setting a massive forest fire that burned 15,300 acres in Ocean County says he did not light the fire,… An Atlantic County Superior Court judge has denied a motion to dismiss the charges against Atlantic City's mayor and schools superintendent ac… Sign up for a digital subscription to The Press of Atlantic City now and take advantage of a great offer Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account VINELAND - Police said no foul play is suspected after two men believed to be fishing drowned in Crystal Lake at South Vineland Park on Wednesday night Police identified the drowning victims as Otoniel Bautista-Vargas Steven Triantos told The Daily Journal on Thursday morning it appears one of the men decided to go swimming Triantos said the other man then tried to save him The men were in water that was about 15 feet deep Police told The Daily Journal one of the men's parents said neither brother knew how to swim Signs advising visitors to the park that swimming is prohibited are placed around the lake.  Triantos said police were called at 7:24 p.m Wednesday to the West Elmer Road park when a fisherman in a boat spotted what he thought were two people on the floor of the lake.  The fisherman took the responding officer in his boat to the site where he spotted the men.  Triantos said police found some items left on a beach area of the lake including fishing gear, a wallet and ID for one of the men who drowned.  Police called in the Vineland Fire Department Downe Township Dive Team and Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office.  Downe Township Chief Cliff Higbee said his team was dispatched to the scene around 8:45 p.m Coppola; (856) 563-5258; acoppola@gannettnj.com  Welcome Mickeymickey@disney.comManage MyDisney AccountLog OutVineland High School South evacuated due to strong odorWednesday 2017Hundreds of students were evacuated from Vineland High School South on Wednesday because of a strong odor coming from a science lab.VINELAND (WPVI) -- Hundreds of students were evacuated from Vineland High School South on Wednesday because of a strong odor coming from a science lab The students were sent outside around 11:30 a.m Officials have since determined the smell was coming from an electric potpourri machine Five students and two teachers were taken to the hospital for observation Everyone else was allowed back into school this afternoon VINELAND - Police identified the driver who died in a fiery two-vehicle crash on Mill Road as a 21-year-old city resident Michel was driving a 2015 Chevrolet Cruze south on Mill Road when it  collided with a passenger van before erupting in flames The van was carrying workers to Lucca Freezer and Cold Storage located less than a half-block away from the crash site on Industrial Way  Eleven people were pulled from the 1995 Ford F350 van Three van riders were taken to Cooper University Hospital the city’s Emergency Medical Service reported Two were flown by medical helicopter and the other went by ambulance The eight remaining van occupants were taken to Inspira Medical Center Vineland The van was carrying a team of men and women contracted through E.J an employment agency based in Vineland.  A few of the employees are back to work while others will need more time to recover told The Daily Journal on Wednesday.  Officer Fred DeMary of the city's traffic safety unit is the investigating officer.  Marko: 856-563-5256; dmarko@gannettnj.com; Twitter: @dmarko_dj Three Vinelanders charged with DWI Police investigating South Vineland burglary Seven charged in Vineland Denny's melee VINELAND - The circus is coming to town — just not the one Vinelanders are used to The Oklahoma-based Kelly Miller Circus will set up tent in the area this June LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Boycott circus, support Vineland Fire Department A KMC spokeswoman confirmed the circus will be in Bridgeton June 6 New Egypt June 19 and then a two-day stint in Vineland on June 20 and 21 "We have a good show this year," spokeswoman Jodi Rawls said Wednesday Rawls said visitors can expect the usual round of circus entertainment MORE CIRCUS NEWS: Circus protester says opponent spit at her The event also will remain a fundraiser for South Vineland Fire Company No The fire department had long used the annual Cole Bros The fire company's president and circus committee chairman were not immediately available for comment Wednesday When the circus comes to Vineland it will be at the Vineland Flea Market The change-up in circuses marked the end of a 51-year relationship between Vineland and Cole Bros Circus a former spokesperson for Cole Bros said he had heard recently the circus had a change in management "Last Friday I learned of a resurrection under a new management with the Cole Bros Equipment leased to Dick Garden but Managed by John Pugh who owned Cole Bros for the last 50 years," Orris said "I believe they are opening under the Name Big Top Circus." .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Bill Gallo Jr. | For NJ.comVINELAND -- The bodies of two men have been pulled from Crystal Lake in South Vineland Park The bodies of the pair were discovered in the lake by a fisherman between 8:30 and 9 p.m Foul play is not believed to have been involved It appeared to be "a tragic accident" and that one of the men may have gotten in trouble in the water and the other came in to help and both drowned Both of the victims are believed to be in their 20s Members of the Downe Township Dive Team were called to the lake and brought the bodies to shore The bodies were turned over to the county medical examiner's office an area with an entrance off West Elmer Road The bodies were found in the lake southeast of the parking area there including the identities of the men were not available Thursday morning Bill Gallo Jr. may be reached at bgallo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Bill Gallo Jr. on Twitter @bgallojr. Find NJ.com on Facebook \n m_gallery = \"2_men_drowned_in_crystal_lake\";\n m_gallery_id = \"23105450\";\n m_gallery_title = \"Bodies pulled from Crystal Lake\";\n m_gallery_blog_id = \"8002621\";\n m_gallery_creation_date = \"Thursday 1:12 PM\";\n m_gallery_permalink = \"http://photos.nj.com/8002621/gallery/2_men_drowned_in_crystal_lake/index.html\";\n m_gallery_json = \"https://blog.nj.com/photogallery/8002621/23105450.json\";\n m_gallery_pagetype = \"embed\";\n m_gallery_type = \"photo\";\n <\/script>\n - Authorities have identified the pedestrian killed on Route 55 early Friday as they seek information on additional vehicles that struck her of Bridgeton suffered fatal injuries after being struck at 2:24 a.m in the southbound lanes of Route 55 in Franklin Township A 23-year-old Vineland man driving a Toyota Corolla stayed on the scene after his car struck Hernandez But detectives investigating the accident determined the victim who had been walking in the left lane of the highway also was struck by additional vehicles traveling southbound.  Route 55 southbound was partially closed for three-and-a-half hours as police investigated the fatal crash.  Anyone with information is asked to contact the Bellmawr Detective Bureau at 856-933-0662 Sheri Berkery is the trending reporter at the Courier-Post, covering the topics that people are talking about on social media and in real life. If you think you have a story idea that’s a “talker,” contact her at 856.486.2673 or sberkery@gannettnj.com Help support local journalism with a Courier-Post subscription. — It’s just a little post office standing off by itself near the railroad tracks across the four-lane from a farm full of corn and beets.  you might miss your chance to get inside.  Ron Petrosky knows this place better than most and he learned: Don’t come when the office opens at 9 a.m You’ll get stuck in a line that stretches into the parking lot because that’s when nearby shop owners pick up their morning mail when the factory and farm laborers come after work That’s when all the eBay sellers arrive Petrosky timed his entrance with precision He walked into the little post office at 9:30 giving Petrosky time to do what he likes best: gab.  the United States Postal Service has come under attack from members of the Trump administration Petrosky was first in line to save it.  including limits on employee overtime and removing hundreds of mail sorting machines after elected leaders of both parties criticized the plan for potentially derailing the 2020 election DeJoy already has scrapped sorting machines at several locations and replaced key Postal Service leaders with others viewed to be more loyal to Trump.  Some have characterized DeJoy’s decisions as part of a unified strategy by Trump and his allies to delay and delegitimize an election in which Trump is losing badly in the polls Others view it rather as another example of disorganized bungling by an administration that regularly fails to grasp the minutiae of governing.  As the bickering heats up today on Capitol Hill the little post office on the south side of Vineland shows what’s at stake In a state known for its hundreds of tiny suburbs Vineland is a city of 60,000 people across 69 square miles making it New Jersey’s largest municipality by land area Yet this sprawling municipality has just two post offices: one on Landis Avenue in the center of town where parking is limited and lines are usually long; and the one on Southeast Boulevard railroad tracks and plenty of parking People with long histories in town know which to choose the downtown location had 20 people in line business at the little post office was brisk “I’ve been coming here more than half my life,” said Robert DeMarchi Jr. customers must navigate a narrow hallway lined with metal post office boxes and a spinning rack of Hallmark birthday cards generating at least $350,000 in profit from walk-in customers each year business agent for American Postal Workers Union Local 0526 whose job affords him access to the branch’s finances “A lot of people like using it,” said Selena Mohan “It’s like 'Cheers.' Everybody there knows your name.” Yet this post office consistently finds itself at the center of wayward Postal Service plans which variously included replacing it with a kiosk at a nearby mall or simply closing the branch entirely “I forget how many times our local newspaper said the place was targeted for shutdowns or downsizing,” Mohan said.  a branch employee taped a flyer to the front door informing customers that beginning in August the branch would only open on weekdays from 10 a.m and called my daughter,” he said “And I told her ‘You gotta start a petition.’ ” read in part: “This post office is always packed with people so cutting of hours makes NO sense!” After the petition got 867 signatures, the Postal Service, which declined to comment for this column, backed down. The branch will remain open during normal business hours Even the organizers of the protest were surprised by the sudden reversal Earlier: NJ is suing the U.S. Postal Service, attorney general says New Jersey: Despite Trump's battle with post office, Phil Murphy insists NJ vote-by-mail plan will work “I really didn’t expect it to take off like it did,” said Mohan who works as a special education teacher at a private school I just wanted to support our little local post office.” On Thursday morning the crowd of customers at the little post office grew and ebbed Mildred Davis pays her gas and cable bills in cash dropping off the bills and dimes at the companies’ offices in Vineland letters to her daughter in Alabama and her voting ballot “If they were only open four hours a day I don’t know what I’d do,” said Davis who arrived wearing dark-blue scrubs from her job working overnight as a nurse at a nursing home I can’t be here standing in line.” DeMarchi arrived with 19 packages full of knickknacks wrapped in brown paper Loading them all into the post office included two trips and one manila envelope dropped on the sidewalk you have to park pretty far from the door,” said DeMarchi who signed the petition online the day it was posted “Here I can just park and walk right in I’m glad we were able to save it.” Anthony Malench lifted baskets of corn from the bed of his pickup onto the table of his family’s farm stand He’s the fourth generation to farm these 55 acres He spent much of Thursday harvesting beets He doesn’t have a box at the little post office doesn’t spend much time chatting with people in line and she walks over there every day,” said Malench the post office is a basic constitutional right It’s right there in the first article.” Section 7: “The Congress shall have the Power To ... establish Post Offices and post Roads.” Never in our lifetimes has our national debate been so riddled with conspiracy theories and cynicism But when DeJoy ordered cuts that could have hobbled the Postal Service and an all-important election it doesn’t really matter what his intentions were protesting outside his mansions in North Carolina and Washington When this Postal Service threatened to downsize a small post office in a small New Jersey city people defended the constitutional foundations of our country Christopher Maag is a columnist for NorthJersey.com. To get unlimited access to his unique perspective on New Jersey’s most interesting people and experiences, please subscribe or activate your digital account today Email: maag@northjersey.com Twitter: @Chris_Maag  VINELAND – A city man was shot in his face and a family pet slain during a home invasion Tuesday in the 1000 block of Sunset Avenue police responded to a reported home invasion/attempted homicide and found a 22-year-old male resident with a single gunshot wound to his face He is listed in critical but stable condition at Cooper University Hospital in Camden The family's dog sustained a fatal gunshot wound Detectives said they do not have a description of the suspect or suspects to release as of Tuesday evening detectives want to speak with anyone in the Sunset Avenue North Mill Road and Pine Grove Avenue area who may have video surveillance taken during the time of the home invasion Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact police: Call the Crime Stoppers line at (856) 691-0345.Text VPDTIP and your tip to 847411 (Tip411)Contact the police at (856) 691-4111.Detective Christopher Fixler is the lead investigator