A crowd of over 150 was on hand on Friday, December 4^th to greet Mr. & Mrs. Claus plus their Elves as they arrived via the Richland Volunteer Fire Co. and a parade of Fire & Emergency vehicles.

Once the tree was lit, Santa heard the wishes of all the children gathered and they received a special gift just for them.  There was singing and refreshments for all.

Anna from the movie “Frozen” made guest appearance along with Miss Buena Ciarra Sikking.

The lobby of Township Hall had a beautiful tree decorated with ornaments made by the children of the Milanesi and Collings Lakes Elementary School Children’s choirs welcome Santa.

Santa’s “Secret Elves” prepared the goodie bags for Santa to give to all the good little boys and girls.

The 54/40 Community Shuttle began service on Monday January 4^th with service between Richland Village, Buena Borough, Newtonville, Collings Lakes, Folsom and Hammonton.  The new Shuttle connects to multiple bus routes and the train in Hammonton allowing our residents without cars to make connections to take them anywhere.

The main benefit is for those seeking jobs or being able to get to them.  There is no cost.  This is a one-year experiment so please give it a try so we can meet the requirements to keep it running after the first year. The Shuttle runs in the mornings and late afternoons Monday to Friday.

You can see a complete route map at www.buenavistanj.com or on our Facebook page.

Emil Dandrea, Frank Dandrea. Standing: Peter Micheletti, and Cosmo “Corky” Giovanizzi, son of the late Cosmo Giovanizzi

The Buena Historical Society held their 18^th Annual Anniversary Party/Christmas Celebration this year on December 16, 2015 at Martin’s Custom Catering in Landisville.  Each year local residents are chosen to be honored for their extreme commitment and dedication to Buena Vista Township and Buena Borough.

This year’s honorees were Frank Dandrea, Emilio Dandrea, Peter Micheletti, Cosmo Giovinazzi.  Mayor Chiarello, Deputy Mayor Kelly and Committeeman Steve Martinelli attended.  Each of the honorees were presented with a plaque from Buena Vista Township. A full buffet dinner was served and holiday music played all night.  It was a very special event!

On Monday, January 18^th, the Township Committee dedicated the large Community Room at the Dr. Martin Luther King Community Center in Newtonville in memory of Roberta J. Corbitt who passed away in October 2015.

Mrs. Corbitt’s family and many friends were on hand for the dedication.  The Dr. Martin Luther King Community Center was Roberta’s pride and joy.  She was instrumental in starting the Community Food Bank at the Center and during her tenure as President of the Seniors of the Newtonville Area, held lunch programs, bake sales, fish fry’s, high teas and countless other activities.

She has left a lasting impression on us all and she will be deeply missed by our community and everyone’s life she touched.  Mayor Chuck Chiarello, Deputy Mayor Teresa Kelly along with Township Committee members Steve Martinelli, John Williams and John Armato were on hand to unveil the dedication sign.  Mayor Chiarello, Rev. David Mallory and members of the Corbitt family spoke.

On Monday, January 4, 2016, the Township Committee appointed Eric M. Bernstein, Esq. as the new Township Solicitor, Labor Counsel and Foreclosure Solicitor.

With almost 30 years of experience, Mr. Bernstein handles matters on a wide range of subjects within the labor/employment law fields, including general advice and assistance, contract negotiations, interest and grievance arbitrations, disciplinary matters and litigation involving union and non-union employees.

Mr. Bernstein, as a municipal attorney, has handled such diverse issues as land use matter, ethics issues, municipal construction, local public contracts law issues, tax appeals and government affairs.  He is a member of the First Amendment Lawyer’s Association and the Free Speech Coalition.

He attended Drew University, magna cum laude with honors in 1979-B.A.; University of Oklahoma College of Law-J.D., 1982 and Cornell University/Baruch, Industrial & Labor Relations-M.S., 1985.

The Buena Vista Township Committee unanimously introduced legislation that would strengthen and regulate the requirements for the care of a domestic animal.  The Township recently suffered a horrible tragedy with the passing of two dogs, a puppy and its mother after they were not able to recover from the extreme weather conditions.

The tragedy has made the Township recognize that a stronger law needed to be implemented in order to protect the animals and provide guidance to the owners/keepers of those animals.

The new regulations once adopted, would require owners, caretakers or handlers of dogs to exercise diligence and reasonable care in order to prevent the dogs from leaving their premises. As such, outdoor pens or other enclosures must be a certain height and size (square footage) in order to accommodate the needs of the pet. Those enclosures have to be properly constructed and contain certain bedding such as straw or other absorbent material in order provide adequate protection for the animal.

Dogs must also be able to move freely when chained or tethered and should be confined for a period no greater than nine hours within a twenty-four hour period. The chain or tether must be a minimum of 15 linear feet and constructed properly so the dog can remain tangle free.

The final piece of this new law will tackle the tragedy head on and help the animals have a healthy and comfortable life. Owners/keepers of these pets will be required to bring the animals indoors in extreme weather conditions, which includes when the outside temperature is below 32 degrees or above 95 degrees. The type of indoor enclosures would include any residence or temperature controlled area that is either heated or air-conditioned such as a kennel.

The Township and its animal control officers will enforce this new law as necessary in order to bring compliance to those regulations. Such penalties are enforceable by a Judge and could include upon conviction a fine of $200 or a maximum of $1,000 or imprisonment per violation.

Buena Vista Township is committed in taking a proactive approach in making sure such a tragedy like this does not occur again. The Township staff is always available for those to help understand the new requirements and provide any guidance as needed.

by Township Clerk Lisa A. Tilton