Construction Brings Strife to Borough
View of Borough Hall from construction site
In many small towns, community centers are often the only public venues where residents can gather for an official group meeting, participate in a quick game of basketball, or garner a sense of that famous, small-town camaraderie. For six years, Palmyra has lacked such a multifunctional building, and the construction of a new community center should have been well-received. Instead, borough officials are taking heat for the project and the negative reactions show no signs of stopping. From the labor union picketing the work site, to the residents frustrated with the disruptive construction, to a mayor having to constantly defend his brainchild, the future community center appears to be pitting people against each other, rather than bringing them together.
Located between the police station and the post office, the construction site is visible to nearly anyone living in or visiting Palmyra. Last month, a menacing, inflatable rodent appeared looming over the police vehicles, as a group of men and one or two women huddled together on a brisk, November morning. Donning sandwich boards and drinking coffee, these union picketers are more than willing to discuss what they call an “ongoing labor dispute” with the project’s general contractor, Fabbri Builders, who broke ground on the site in late August.
“We have a responsibility to our members to secure work for them,” said Demetrius Deramus, organizer for the Laborers’ Eastern Region Organizing Fund for the past eight years. “It’s a hard economic time for everybody.”
Through daily protests, Deramus hopes to persuade Dave Fabbri, the president of Fabbri Builders, to utilize members of the local carpenters union for the $2.8 million project that is scheduled for a May 2010 completion. However, in a recent interview with the Burlington County Times, Fabbri insisted that his company has a “steady workforce” and hires union members only if necessary—a policy the union believes is affecting the safety of the construction site.
All union members are certified in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and Deramus asserts
Fabbri’s non-union employees are neglecting to follow proper safety precautions. He said the scaffolding, which is located outside the designated construction zone, lacks mud seals and could put at risk the workers and anyone utilizing the sidewalk space. Deramus also claims the workers have been dry-cutting cement, releasing silica dust that can lead to cancer and upper respiratory problems.
Though Fabbri told the Burlington County Times that these concerns were unfounded, Deramus maintains the “highly skilled, highly trained” local union members are more qualified for the project.
Palmyra resident Mike Cohen, a member of the Cabinetmakers Union Local 2098 since 2007, echoed Deramus’ assertions.
“We are elite carpenters trained in every facet of carpentry,” said the 23-year-old apprentice, claiming non-union companies are more concerned about money than they are about safety and craftsmanship.
Cohen is contracted to Pennsauken’s Delaware Valley Designers and Manufacturers, but has been out of work for a month due to a non-union company outbidding his shop on a multimillion dollar project—a situation similar to that of Palmyra’s community center. According to Cohen, winning bids from non-union companies are often a matter of only a couple thousand dollars, but can put union members out of work for months at a time.
“These small companies are taking money out of our pockets and food off of our tables,” he said, insisting that he could be working right now if Fabbri hired union members.
Luckily for him, Deramus and his band of volunteer picketers will not be giving up without a fight. Despite alleged harassment from Palmyra Police and consecutive days of foul weather, Deramus is determined to get his point across.
“We’ll just keep on picketing,” he said. “It’s an ongoing battle. A peaceful battle though.”
Regardless of the group’s good behavior, Mayor John Gural is not pleased with their mascot, or what he calls an “R-rated, Macy’s Parade–sized balloon in the middle of the community.” Though he respects their right to picket, the mayor feels the union’s inflatable rat is simply inappropriate.
“It is an alarmist and incendiary mechanism to try and gather support,” he said. “I’m not anti-union, but this is my community and the rat is an intimidation tactic that is totally unnecessary.”
According to Gural, state law requires any municipal construction project over $25,000 to be bid publicly. He maintains Fabbri Builders won the contract fairly as the “lowest responsible bidder,” which simply means they were insured and had the ability to participate in public bidding. Union or not, borough officials were required to hire them. And with the project’s initial costs estimated at $3.5 million, this public bid saved Palmyra nearly $1 million—a gratifying discount for Gural.
“I consider it a success,” said the mayor, who has been spearheading the ambitious redevelopment of the borough’s South Broad Street section since he came into office in 2003.
Funded largely by state grants and local taxes, the project includes the overhaul of Legion Field, which now offers a skate park, an open-air pavilion and a turf football field located where Palmyra’s former community center once stood. Nearly a decade ago, the building barely survived an electrical fire, and borough officials were forced to condemn and eventually demolish the structure. When Gural was elected mayor, he was determined to fill the physical and social void that was left behind.
After several plan modifications and construction delays, Gural’s dream is well on its way to becoming a reality. By next summer, meeting rooms, basketball courts, a computer room and a “cultural area” for music lessons will offer plenty of space for work and play for residents of all ages. Though he hopes the building will “bring positive attention” to Palmyra’s downtown business district, Gural also recognizes the benefit it will have for members of the community.
“We’re a small town,” he said. “[A community center] is a great place for people to gather.”
Until construction is complete, however, the community center is doing a better job of tearing people a part.
The new view
For the Palmyra residents whose yards flank the work site, the beeping and humming of machines has become a mostly unwelcome addition to their daily routines. From the windows of their Spring Garden Street homes, they observe unsightly mounds of thick, brown dirt, dumpsters and several portable toilets. Afternoons are now filled with the screeching of chainsaws cutting down centuries-old oaks. And with the help of obtrusive spotlights, workers can be seen paving newly-poured concrete well into the early darkness of autumn evenings.
On a balmy Sunday afternoon, Tom Willard raked leaves in the shadow of the steel framework of the community center. Because his home sits directly behind the work site, he is not pleased with the “pain in the neck” noise, or the new scenery.
“It’s an ugly sight,” he said, gesturing to the new construction from the boundary line of his backyard. “It’s an ugly monstrosity.”
Construction from a resident's perspective
Willard and his family moved to Palmyra in 1999 when he was transferred from his job in Maryland. Though he once believed Palmyra to be a “nice town,” he no longer expresses these warm sentiments.
“They’ve made the town look like hell. It’s not attractive. It’s not cozy,” said Willard, asserting that he would have reconsidered buying his house if he knew about future plans for the project.
His next door neighbor, Lisa Ragomo, a lifelong resident of Spring Garden Street, has witnessed Palmyra’s many transformations, but never has been affected so directly. Like Willard, she objects to the structure’s foreboding presence in what is nearly her backyard.
“It’s blocking out the sunlight in my kitchen,” she said. “It used to be bright and sunny and cheerful. Now it’s like a blackness taking over.”
Before the sun even rises, though, Ragomo is often woken up by the drilling and banging of the workers. Across the street, though in direct view of the site, Jaime Swan has a different perspective on the noise.
“I like the fact that it’s blocking the sound of the train horn that’s been driving me nuts for years,” he said, referring to the RiverLine Light Rail that has been operating since 2004.
Swan, a traveling magician who has called Spring Garden Street his permanent home for 54 years, remembers playing in the woods that once flourished along South Broad Street.
“That used to be my stomping ground,” he said, looking over at an area that is now almost totally devoid of vegetation.
Despite the ongoing frustrations of residents and union members, Mayor Gural remains optimistic about the future of Palmyra—the small borough he grew up in and dedicates his life to. In the face of multiple adversaries, Gural still believes a new community center has the power to unite a town whose residents have been isolated for too long.
While suburban sprawl may have taken away resident Jaime Swan’s boyhood haunts, he also understands what a positive impact the structure could have on Palmyra.
“If it turns out to be a community center in the strictest sense of the word, I would be thrilled,” he said. “We need it.”
Local Boy Scout Helps Church Complete Mission
A typical teenage male spends most of his time going to school, playing sports and hanging out with friends. Nick Zampitella is anything but typical. In addition to participating in the usual activities of a high school student, the sixteen-year-old spent nearly three months building a food pantry that helps feed up to 40 low-income households a month.
Last year, with four years of scouting already under his belt, Zampitella was well on his way to fulfilling the six Eagle Scout requirements in Palmyra’s Troop 9. In order to clinch the honor, achieved by only five-percent of Boy Scouts nationwide, he needed to plan and execute a community service project, which included organizing volunteers and obtaining materials. Zampitella’s search for the perfect assignment ended when he heard the Epworth United Methodist Church in Palmyra needed help renovating a room to build a pantry for donated food.
“I had a couple options and I thought the food pantry was my best,” he said, sipping a soda at Manny’s Pizza. “I thought it’d be really nice to do that for the community.”
Though they received financial support from local church organizations, the church’s Operations Team Chairperson, Dale Neas, said they lacked the manpower needed to complete the construction in a timely manner. He credited Zampitella with the swift completion of such an extensive project.
“I really wonder sometimes how long it would have taken if Nick hadn’t stepped in,” said Neas, who recalls the basement room being “unusable” before renovations started.
Photo Courtesy of www.palmyranjumc.com
In addition to recruiting 12 to 15 scout volunteers and their parents, the ambitious teen managed to save money for the church by securing donated materials from Lowes and Home Depot. Though he was only required to log 100 hours executing the project, Zampitella went above and beyond the call of duty, reporting a total of over 200.
“I did way more than I was supposed to do, but I thought it was worth it,” he said, with an assertiveness uncommon in most 16-year-olds.
Paul Quattrocchi, a chairperson on the church’s Board of Trustees, recalls Zampitella and his dad spending many afternoons and weekends renovating the former meeting room, which had been out of use for at least five years. If Zampitella and his troop members had not stepped in, Quattrocchi and just a few handy church members would have been responsible for the project, which included putting up dry wall, removing old floor tiles and building the actual pantry.
A member of Troop 9 since he was 12, the young Zampitella was well-versed in community service long before his Eagle Scout project. Scoutmaster Eric Stephenson said he participates in nearly every service project the troop organizes, including helping out with Palmyra Day activities and selling hot dogs at the Riverton 4th of July parade.
Zampitella, who moved to Delran in 2007, also took on the role of patrol leader to fulfill the Eagle Scout’s six-month leadership requirement. Stephenson, who became his scoutmaster in March of this year, said Zampitella was “instrumental” in helping the troop’s newest members achieve their Second-Class rank. Even though his Eagle Scout award is just a few formalities away, Zampitella continues to mentor younger Scouts as a troop guide.
“Nick has done an incredible job of fulfilling his requirements at such an early age,” said Stephenson, who noted that most Eagle Scouts do not complete their requirements until they reach their 18th birthday deadline. “He has been very focused on this for a while.”
While the official ceremony to award Zampitella his hard-earned rank could be held as early as mid-December, he already enjoyed some fame over the summer when the church held a “Celebration Sunday,” recognizing major players in the pantry’s construction. According to Dale Neas, Zampitella went the extra mile once again by choosing to address the entire congregation, thanking them for the opportunity to be a part of the project.
Photo Courtesy of www.palmyranjumc.com
The Bread of Life Food Pantry has been open since August to Palmyra, Riverton and Cinnaminson residents currently enrolled in a welfare program. However, Zampitella confessed he has not been back since the opening ceremony.
“I already got my glory,” he said with a wry smile.
Despite his humility, Zampitella’s contribution transformed a room in total disrepair to a welcoming, well-lit and freshly-painted symbol of hope for those affected by the struggling economy. It now serves as a processing area for filling out forms and picking up food, while the pantry area stores food donated from the Food Bank of South Jersey and from local food drives. Dale Neas and his fellow church members are grateful for the support.
“It’s been an outpouring of care and concern by the whole community,” said Neas, who hopes the pantry, currently open once a month, will soon be able to serve even more residents.
In the mean time, Zampitella will continue living his seemingly typical teenage life, which according to him, consists of “always having fun,” excelling in history, and playing on the golf team at Delran High School—one of the reasons his family moved there. Though the renovation of the food pantry may have seemed to him like just another service project, his dedication and hard work could benefit the community for years to come.
“He is just a tremendous young man,” said Neas. “We are all so proud of him.”
The Bread of Life Food Pantry is open the third Saturday of every month, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Epworth United Methodist Church on Fifth and Morgan Streets. For more information, go to http://palmyranjumc.org/index.php or call 856-829-1908.
Palmyra at the Polls
An imposing, red fire engine sat vacant on Broad Street, as clusters of hurried Palmyra residents filed in to Fire Station 801 to cast their votes on election night. Surrounded by helmets, boots, and extinguishers, the after-work crowd was abuzz with opinions about New Jersey’s future.
In between making dinner and dropping off her two daughters at soccer practice, Laurie Beck stopped at the fire house to vote for the candidate she viewed as “the lesser of two evils,” joking that she only came to vote for the public question on open space.
In a governor’s race that seemed to evoke as much passion as the country’s most recent presidential election, voters had a lot to consider when choosing between Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine, Republican Chris Christie, and a whole host of independents, including the notable Chris Daggett.
According to Beck, both Corzine and Christie possessed undesirable qualities and lacked compelling platforms that could benefit the state. However, with two children enrolled at Charles Street School, she says she voted based mostly on her concerns with how the state determines school budgets.
“The fixes they’ve come up with so far ultimately end up hurting the students,” said Beck. “In Palmyra, we seem to get the short end of the stick every year.”
While Christie was the candidate being billed as anti-education, one Palmyra resident disliked him for a much simpler reason.
“I don’t trust him,” said a 47-year-old counselor aid for New Jersey’s Center for Family Services. “And my job depends on who comes in as governor.”
Republican Chris Christie
Hurrying out of the crowded station and into the mild autumn evening, the voter, who is contracted by the state and spoke under the condition of anonymity, agreed with Beck’s observation that both candidates had their shortcomings. Still, she does not hold Corzine totally accountable for New Jersey’s current problems.
“Corzine didn’t make the state the way it is,” said the mother of four. “He’s just doing what he has to do.”
In one attempt to bring money to New Jersey, Corzine enacted a wage freeze in June that will affect state jobs for the next fiscal year. He also limited overtime hours and took away several paid holidays. However, this state worker does not trust big changes in government during a recession.
“At least I know what Corzine’s about,” she said, shrugging her shoulders.
In a largely Democratic town, it should come as no surprise that Palmyra resident, Eric Harding, is also a vehement Corzine supporter.
“Corzine’s for the working man,” said Harding, a union carpenter. “And not just for union workers, but for everybody who works.”
Feel the love
Harding was almost kicked out of this same polling station in 2005 when Corzine was running for his first term. Sporting a tee-shirt with “Corzine” in bold letters across the back, Harding was told he could not vote if he kept the shirt on, and was forced to turn it inside out before re-entering the station.
Last night, though free of any partisan apparel, Harding still believes the incumbent is the best option for the working people. He cited Corzine’s support of prevailing wage laws, which create minimum wages on public construction projects, as a deciding factor in his vote.
“How are you gonna keep putting food on the table if you have to keep doing work for less money?” he asked rhetorically.
Like the rest of the state, Harding will just have to find a way, because shortly after the fire house closed its doors to voters, Chris Christie was declared the governor of New Jersey.
My Purpose
I have created this blog as part of my Urban Reporting class at Rutgers University in Camden.
Photo Courtesy of www.boroughofpalmyra.com
I have seen the many changes that have taken place in Palmyra, and I hope to represent the perspective of a young, lifelong resident and alumni of the school district. I intend to report on Election Day, an important person in the community, and a burning issue that affects our small borough.
Enjoy!
