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Volume 27 • Issue 52

Wednesday , December 27 , 2023 hammontongazette . com

by Kristin Guglietti GAZETTE STAFF WRITER

HAMMONTON — The Hammonton School District announced the 2024 Teachers of the Year .

The 2024 Teachers of the Year are Hammonton High School teacher Tracy Angelozzi , Hammonton Middle School teacher Melissa Busch , Warren E . Sooy Jr . Elementary School teacher Kellie Adamucci and Early Childhood Education Center teacher Shannon Aumenta .

Superintendent of Schools Robin Chieco congratulated the teachers of the

HAMMONTON — Frank J . Raso will retire as judge for the town of Hammonton on Jan . 1 , 2024 . A judge for 36 years , Raso is Hammonton ’ s longest sitting judge at 26 years , when his tenure began on Feb . 9 , 1998 .

Raso is a member of the St . Joseph High School Class of 1971 . Raso graduated from Temple University with a bachelor ’ s degree in business administration in 1975 . He then attended the University of Dayton School of Law in Dayton , Ohio , graduating with a degree of Juris Doctor in 1980 .

“ It has been a pleasure and an honor serving as the judge for the past 26 years in the Hammonton Joint Municipal Court ( HJMC ). For the past 36 years , I have had the privilege of serving as judge in the courts of Buena Vista Twp ., the Borough of Folsom , the City of Egg Harbor City , the Twp . of Mullica , the Twp . of Winslow and of course , the Town of Hammonton ,” Raso said in his retirement letter to mayor and council .

In addition to being the judge at the HJMC , Raso served as judge for Mullica Twp . Municipal Court , Buena Vista Twp . Regional Municipal Court , Egg Harbor City Municipal Court and Folsom Municipal Court .

Prior to being judge , Raso began his career as a judicial clerk for the Honorable Anthony M . Lario , J . T . C ., Tax Court of

See RASO , Page 4

Courtesy Photo

Councilman Edward Wuillermin was honored at the Dec . 18 town council

meeting for his service to the town . He is pictured ( right ) with Councilman Thomas Gribbin . year at the Dec . 14 school board meeting .

“ I am extremely privileged to be the Hammonton Superintendent of Schools as we have the most professional and dedicated staff in the area . The candidates selected this year as Educators of the Year are well-deserving and emulate the high standards that we value as a district ,” Chieco said .

According to Chieco , candidates are selected by their peers for this recognition .

Angelozzi , an English teacher from the high school , is one of the Teachers of the Year .

Caroling through the downtown for Third Thursday

“ I was in the middle of teaching a lesson to my students . [ Principal ] Mr . [ Thomas ] Ramsay came over the PA and started describing the person who won Teacher of the Year . As he described the person , I slowly was thinking these are things that describe me then he announced my name . My students gave me a huge round of applause . I was extremely overwhelmed and started to tear up ,” Angelozzi said .

Angelozzi was a student-athlete at Rowan University . She played women ’ s lacrosse and was a two-time All-American . At Rowan University , Angelozzi

Kristin Guglietti / THG

Ugly Sweaters Christmas carolers Derek Scattergood , Melissa Manzano , Erin Scattergood and Rob Alesiani sing “ Joy to the World ” inside Antique Marketplace . For more photos from Third Thursday , see Pages 18-19 .

by Delaney Smith FOR THE GAZETTE

HAMMONTON — At the last town council meeting of 2023 , two new ordinances were passed concerning the construction of accessory buildings , several new police officers were sworn in to the Hammonton Police Department ( HPD ), the Hammonton Hawks were honored for winning the title of Jersey Shore Youth Football League Varsity Champions and Councilman Edward Wuillermin was honored for his service to the town of Hammonton on Dec . 18 .

During the meeting , a bond ordinance was passed to appropriate about $ 2 million to improvements to the water tower , most of which is going to the painting and construction management of the water tower .

Part of ordinance # 025-2023 was also passed , which would amend Chapter 175-87 ( c ) and ( f ) of the town ’ s general ordinances . Among the changes is a limit to the height of accessory buildings and a change to the maximum allotted area an accessory structure could take up .

Accessory structures include garages and sheds that are detached from the main structure of a house or other dwelling . The amendment expands the maximum space for an accessory structure to four percent of the lot area or 700 square feet — whichever is smaller .

The minimum lot size in the R1 and R2 residential zoning districts is 12,500 square feet . Under this amendment , a 12,500 square-foot property would be allowed a 500 square-foot accessory structure ; a 100 square-foot increase from the previous version of the ordinance , which allotted a maximum of 400 square feet to accessory structures .

Joseph Berenato , a Hammonton resident , pointed out that this amendment did not take into account how pre-existing undersized lots would

See COUNCIL , Page 13

graduated with a bachelor ’ s in English / secondary education . Later in life , she received a master ’ s degree in education from Wilmington University .

“ After 19 years in the classroom , teachers don ’ t teach for awards . Teaching is a calling and each day I go to work with a sense of purpose ,” Angelozzi said .

Angelozzi said teaching is more than academics . For her , teaching is about building relationships with students , providing students with role models and inspiring students to pursue their dreams .

“ Every student needs something

See TEACHERS , Page 10

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