Plans are completed for the combined Distinguished Citizen of the Year Reception for Cumberland and Salem Counties. This year the Garden State Council will be honoring Cumberland County resident Hon. John A. Casarow, Jr. and Salem County resident Chloe Williams, President of BR Williams.
Richard Morris, Jr is to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. The three will be honored at a reception on the evening of Wednesday, May 10, at The Grove at Centerton. The event is being co-chaired by Bridgeton’s Wade Sjögren, president of WHIBCO, Inc. and Woodstown’s Charles Allen, first vice president of Morgan Stanley.
The Cumberland County Honoree, John A. Casarow, Jr. served as Municipal Court Judge in several municipalities in Cumberland and Salem counties for over 40 years prior to his retirement. He has served on many church committees at the Parish of the Holy Cross in Bridgeton. The Rutgers Law School graduate has been the recipient of several awards including Cumberland County Lawyer of the Year.
Salem County Honoree Chloe Williams, is president of BR Williams Transportation Company based in Alloway. She is currently president of NJ School Bus Contractors Association and on the Board of Directors for the National Transportation Association. The Penn State graduate also serves on the Board of Directors for Ranch Hope and is a trustee at Aldine Methodist Church.
Recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award is Richard Morris, Jr. of Alloway. He is a retired Upper Pittsgrove educator. He has served several positions in the Boy Scouts, Salem County Scouting and has been a vice president of the Garden State Council. He is active in several Alloway community events and on the Board of Education. Morris is also a longtime staff member at Camp Roosevelt.
Reservation information may be obtained by contacting Joyce L. Skradzinski at 609-261-5850, ext. 124. Reservations for sponsorships, advertisements and ticket sales can also be completed online at GardenStateScouting.org/Cumberland-Salem-DCA.
The proceeds from the event are going to support the scouting program in Cumberland and Salem counties. The Distinguished Citizen of the Year has been a tradition honoring distinguished citizens and raising funds for Scouting. The honorees are someone who represents the ideals of Scouting in Cumberland and Salem counties.
Testa Urges Protection of East Point Lighthouse
Source: Sen. Michael Testa e-mail blog
Sen. Michael Testa urged the DEP to continue working with Maurice River Township and the Maurice River Historical Society on a plan to protect the East Point Lighthouse.
“I’m concerned that the DEP hasn’t shown much urgency in developing a long-term plan to protect the historic East Point Lighthouse from future beach erosion,” said Testa (R-1). “We met with DEP officials several times last year to discuss the lighthouse, but we have not received a plan for shoreline stabilization as promised. With the current protective Geotube nearing its end of life, there isn’t much time to waste.”
The shoreline in the area has eroded by 400 feet over the years due to storms, leaving the 174-year-old lighthouse less than 100 feet from the water.
A temporary sand-filled Geotube was installed to protect the lighthouse from flooding in 2019. Geotubes have an expected lifespan of five to seven years.
Testa urged the DEP to release a shoreline preservation plan for East Point Lighthouse quickly and to work closely with the Maurice River Historical Society, which completed a major renovation of the lighthouse in 2017, to allow the building to remain open to the public.
“The DEP is lucky to have strong local partners who have made major investments of time, financial resources, and manpower to renovate, maintain, and operate this important New Jersey landmark,” said Testa. “It’s really frustrating that the historical society hasn’t gotten anywhere with the DEP on a plan for shoreline preservation around the lighthouse or future operations.”
Given recent news, the senator said the situation is unfortunate, but not surprising.
“Communication isn’t exactly the DEP’s strength as evidenced by recent violations and fines issued by the DEP against itself,” Testa said. “If two offices in the DEP can’t get on the same page, what hope does anyone else have for navigating this massive state bureaucracy? Working with the DEP shouldn’t have to be so difficult.”
