It is with great pleasure that we submit this follow-up to our first letter published (several) weeks ago regarding the Wawa application to the Jackson zoning board to build a gas station and convenience store at the corner of Bethel Church and South New Pros-pect roads. Pleasure because at the special zoning board meeting to hear this matter on April 20, the Wawa attorney withdrew their application.
This was a great victory for our community which is determined to preserve our residential neighborhood and the quality of life we now have for our families.
This victory was achieved through the hard work and determination of many of our friends and neighbors who have spent the last seven weeks reaching out to the community to spread the word about this application, going door to door speaking with their neighbors, handing out fliers, providing information at their organization meetings, making phone calls to our town officials and Wawa, gaining the support of the community at large, getting signatures on petitions and getting people out for the zoning board meeting.
There was a great turnout for the meeting with many folks expressing their concerns to the board. At the meeting, petitions containing more than 250 signatures of Jackson voters were presented to the zoning board and to Deputy Mayor Michael Kafton for the Township Committee. A week before the zoning board meeting, petitions were also sent to the CEO and president of the Wawa Corporation.
To all of these wonderful people who worked so hard, to the businesses which supported this endeavor, to the Rosenauer PTA, to Deputy Mayor Kafton who supported our cause at the zoning board meeting, to the media which covered these meetings, to the zoning board which held a special session for this matter so that we could all be heard, and to all of those folks whose efforts were not seen, but certainly felt, a big “thank you” for helping us to preserve our residential community.
We realize that this struggle has not necessarily ended as Wawa may resubmit their application. But the community has come together and built a strong network and if Wawa returns, we certainly will too.
Joann Doyle
Kevin Doyle
Jackson
Need for blood donations remains critical
Our state’s need for all blood types is becoming critical. While the New Jersey media often have stories about the need to donate blood, sadly too few of our region’s residents are blood donors.
While the vast majority of New Jersey residents are generally in good health and eligible to donate blood, only a precious few choose to donate. As a result, each year New Jersey blood services must “import” thousands of units of blood from neighboring states to meet our hospitals’ and patients’ needs.
If a member of a New Jersey family needs a blood transfusion, the family just expects the blood to be available. Yet that expectation can only be met if our region has an ample and stable blood supply.
For our state to have all blood types available, more New Jersey family members need to become regular blood donors.
Presently there are no substitutes for human blood. Blood products that hospitals continually need include red blood cells, platelets, and plasma.
These products generally have short shelf life and inventories constantly need to be replenished. A healthy blood donor between the ages of 17 and 75 can donate every 56 days or about five to six times a year.
Educating the general public about the need to donate blood is a never-ending task.
For more information about donating blood, scheduling oneself to donate blood, or arranging for a group blood drive, go to www.nybloodcenter.org or call (88) 933-BLOOD. Please donate blood today – a family member just may need it tomorrow.
Maggie O’Shea
executive director
New Jersey Blood Services
Municipal alliance tries to reach out to all Plumsted residents
You may have heard of the municipal alliance, but what would you say if someone asked you what it is or what it does? There are municipal alliance programs in all 21 counties in New Jersey that are coordinated at the state, county and local level by the New Jersey Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.
The Plumsted Township Municipal Alcohol and Drug Alliance (PTMA) is made up of volunteer community representatives from the local governing body, police department, school board, student assistance counselor, PTA, Chamber of Com-merce, local court system, treatment organizations, clergy and Juvenile Conference Committee.
I am the chairman of the PTMA and have been active in the alliance since it started in 1989. The alliance coordinator is Ann Funck. Two more original members are Township Commit-teewoman Bonnie Quesnel and Barbara McEvoy, the student assistance coordinator for New Egypt Middle School.
The alliance recently celebrated its 15th anniversary during Red Ribbon Week with a program at the municipal building.
Funding for the Governor’s Council and the local alliance programs are taken from Drug Enforcement Demand Reduction fines, which are collected from people who have been convicted of drug related offenses. The local government also provides a portion of the funding.
The funds are used to develop community-focused substance abuse prevention programs. Programs are planned after doing an extensive assessment of the unique needs of the community so that the programs address those specific needs within each community.
In 2004 the PTMA was granted funding to develop the programs to be instituted in our community over the next three years. Our three-year goal is to engage students in after-school activities to help increase their knowledge of life skills, to provide opportunities for involvement in community service, and to provide peer and adult role models.
Our alliance works with the Plumsted Township Committee to promote awareness of substance abuse related issues.
We also work closely with the Plumsted school system to provide prevention programs to students that support anti-drug, alcohol and tobacco lifestyles.
Visit the alliance home page for more information about the alliance, articles, links, and future programs at www.plumsted.org/alliance. The alliance has a variety of video tapes to borrow from the Plumsted library. A complete list can be found on our Internet Web site under Resource Video List.
For any information on drug or alcohol prevention, addiction or treatment, call our Alcohol and Drug Helpline at (609) 758-0399 or (609) 758-8050 or send an e-mail to [email protected].
Members of the community are invited to attend our monthly meetings held at the alliance building behind the American Legion Hall, Meadowbrook Lane, on the first Monday of the month at 7 p.m.
James Hendrickson
chairman
Plumsted Township
Municipal Alcohol
and Drug Alliance
Plumsted