Hammonton Online offers immediate satisfaction

THG/Julie Fink
Owner and operator of Community Internet Services LLC, Lee Tomasello, has managed the online community information website www.hammontononline.com since 1997 out of his home in Elm with the help of his wife, Marcy.

by Julie Fink, Gazette Staff Writer

For immediate community information at their fingertips, Hammontonians need only to type in www.hammontononline.com on their computer to instantly view a local business directory, community event calendar and much more.
HammontonOnline.com is a home-based online information website founded in 1997 by Lee Tomasello, owned and operated by Community Internet Services.
“I found no centralized place for people to get information and to know what was going on in the area. I wanted to create a place for people to obtain all kinds of information in one spot,” Tomasello said.
The information found on the websites is provided by local organizations, churches, individual businesses and by research conducted by Tomasello through local newspapers and updated once to twice a week.
Community headline news can be found on the homepage. A business directory houses several local businesses itemized by category for ease of use. An events calendar highlights community activities and information can be viewed about local schools, the history of the area, its government and the library.
In addition, every year HammontonOnline.com polls local residents for the “best of the area,” informing browsers on who they rank “the best” in a variety of categories.
“The month before, we host an online poll for individuals to vote,” Tomasello said.
According to Tomasello, the information on the site is posted for free and there are two advertising plans available for local businesses to take advantage of the online exposure.
“I enjoy doing it for the community,” Tomasello said.
In retirement as a high school English teacher, Tomasello finds enjoyment in maintaining the website.
“It keeps me busy and gives me something to do. It is my way to give back to the community that I grew up in,” he said.
Tomasello owns and operates Community Internet Services with his wife of 35 years, Marcy, in their home in Elm.
Besides operating the website, Tomasello began developing websites for small businesses and organizations in 2000.
Some notable clients include William B. Kessler Memorial Hospital and Winslow Township Fire Department.
Other community online information websites operated by Community Internet Services include websites such as BerlinOnline.com, WaterfordOnline.com and WinslowOnline.com.
The site has had increasing interest over the years with a total of 3,500 hits per month on all four sites that he operates, Tomasello said.
Information can be submitted by phone 567-2663 or by e-mail at cisnj@comcast.net.