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AUGUST 26, 2010 VOL 13, NO. 52
Egg Harbor inks solar agreement with ACUA
By
CLAIRE LOWE
Staff Writer
EGG HARBOR CITY –
After conversations between the Atlantic County Utilities Authority President Rick Dovey and Mayor Joe Kuehner, Egg Harbor City Council has agreed to explore the possibilities of solar power. Council approved a resolution at its Aug. 12 meeting entering into a shared services agreement with the ACUA for solar energy consulting services. According to Kuehner, the agreement grew from discussions about ACUA’s plans for solar energy at its nine pump stations across the county “The ACUA approached us, the city, about particularly the area by the pump station,” Kuehner said. He said the idea is to reduce the ACUA’s electricity costs. However the method to reduce those costs is still being worked out. Kuehner said the three options ACUA proposed to the city include ACUA installing the panels and paying rent to the city, the city installing the panels and selling the electricity to the authority or some combination of both. “I’m not really sure how it’s all going to come out in the end,” Kuehner said. “We might just say, ‘OK, go ahead and do it and just pay us X amount of money’.” The agreement states that its purpose is for the development of solar photovoltaic systems in the city. The length of the agreement is from June 1, 2010, through May 31, 2011. Ultimately, the city is looking for further suggestions as to where it could utilize solar power. “The way we look at it, they have the extra piece,” Kuehner said. He said he is open for suggestions because the ACUA has a good track record in the development and placement of renewable energy sources in Atlantic County, from the solar project at the wastewater treatment facility, to the gas to energy project at the landfill to
See ACUA on Page 6
Claire Lowe
Playground design is child’s play
Isaiah Valentin, 7, draws his ideas for the new playground at Buffalo Avenue with his mom Elva, Aug. 19 during the KaBOOM! Design Day at the Charles L. Spragg School. For more, see Page 2.
Regional school district faces exciting challenges
By
CLAIRE LOWE
Staff Writer
HAMILTON TOWNSHIP -
As parents and children are busy back to school shopping, slipping in last minute vacations and relishing in the final days of summer, faculty and administrators at the Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District are preparing for the start of a new, exciting and challenging school year. It’s the first year for a brand new high school for the district, as well as for superintendent Steve Ciccariello. The former assistant superintendent has worked in the district for many years and was recently promoted after the resignation of Adam Pfeffer, who passed away just months later. Pfeffer, who’s dream was to open the new Cedar Creek High School in Egg Harbor City, will not realize that dream, but Ciccariello, who worked closely with Pfeffer over the years, is excited for the challenge. “I think that every time that you start a new school year (there’s) always excitement and optimism,” Ciccariello said. A big change will be dealing with the effects of a significantly reduced budget. After losing nearly \$5.5 million in state aid, the district’s \$69.3 million budget for the 2010-2011 school year was turned down by voters. The district was then ordered by the governing bodies of its sending districts to cut another \$1 million from the tax levy. From the start, the district anticipated the reduction of 43 positions or 27 staff members. In the end, after several retirements and many of the bargaining units agreeing to a 1.5 percent raise in lieu of paying 1.5 percent of their salary towards health benefits per new state law, the district ended up only losing about 10 professionals, Ciccariello said. Two full-time in-school suspension positions have been eliminated. Two social worker positions were eliminated. There will be one social worker position kept at Oakcrest, two at See SCHOOL on Page 17
Back to School
See Pages 16-19
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