The Hammonton Gazette’s Publisher Gabe Donio and Editor-in-Chief Gina Rullo were invited to work with fourth grade enrichment students at the Warren E. Sooy Jr. Elementary School.
Donio and Rullo met with the students virtually, taught by Joe Martino, Mea Lupinetti, Allison Fedga and Desiree Downes, to discuss journalism and how to write articles for newspapers. They also edited the students’ work.
Students’ articles were printed in last week’s edition and this week.
Hammonton Lake Park
by Mia Evangelista
Gazette Contributing Writer
Are you bored and looking to get outdoors for some fresh air? Maybe make a new friend or two? You should go to Hammonton Lake Park! Hammonton Lake Park has many different things. Whether it comes to the different things that are built, or the simple priceless things that are just natural. There is endless fun to be had with all the features that are there!
The first great feature is the fun playground. There are many different types of things from swings to ziplines. There are three big swings and four smaller swings, which are very fun to play with. You can bring toddlers or little kids there because there are different sizes of swings just for them. There are also monkey bars and ziplines to play in one section of the park which are both very fun. Just feeling the wind in your hair makes you feel as if you are touching the sky, or flying endlessly without a care in the world.
Then there is another section that has a bunch of blue tower like pillars you can climb that lead to a slide and a fire pole. The rest of the sections mostly have slides and a couple tunnels and stairs. It is even more fun if you have a friend, you can chat or just run around. According to Kelsey Ruhf, “The park is so cool because if you get bored of one thing there is always something else to do instead.” The playground part of Hammonton Lake Park is very fun and entertaining.
Another good thing in Hammonton Lake Park would be the beautiful lake itself. The water looks so peaceful, and clear. The lake offers many different activities from fishing, to watching the turtles or ducks. One thing that is good at the lake is canoeing. It is very fun because you can look in the clear water or if you are with a friend or family member, you can talk with the relaxing sound of the water. In addition, you can go fishing at the lake. You might catch something but if you don’t, don’t worry, you would still have a good time. Also, when you are at the lake you might see a couple ducks or birds poking around for food, you may not be allowed to feed them but you can watch them. The feeling you get when you see and feel the wildlife at the lake is so calming and comforting, you might even feel like you’re drifting into peace. Something else fun that you can do could be skipping stones in the water, some people are really good at it.
The calming woods is a great place to go for a hike. At certain parts of the woods, you have a great view of the lake. Just going for a walk there, you can blow away all of your worries and get some fresh air. Next to it there is a ball field, where kids can play baseball and some people would use the area around it for walking or jogging. On the other side of it, they have this building called The Canoe Club where senior citizens can have their get-together, for example playing Bingo or watch a piano performance in December. That is why Hammonton Lake Park is a great place to hangout, make friends and just have fun!
A fantasy come true
by J.R. Aloisio
Gazette Contributing Writer
Can you imagine being surrounded by water and in the distance there would be islands and beaches waiting for you? Later at night you could look up and see fireworks of many different colors filling the sky. That’s what you would see if you were on a cruise. And if it was a Disney Cruise ... magic would flow in the air as well.
The first thing you will notice on a “Fantasy Cruise’’ is the size of the ship. Every deck has unique things to do. On the lower decks there are restaurants with tasty meals. The server cuts the food for children and does magic tricks with crayons. If you are allergic to something, they will give you a special menu. If you eat gluten free, they won’t put gluten in your dinner. On the lower decks are movies, shows and some stores for shopping. The upper decks are filled with family fun. There is the Aqua Lab which has pop jets and geysers, and a sitting area that you could slide across. Next to that there is a machine with a handle that explodes water whenever you crank it. There is the Mickey Pool and the Donald Duck Pool that has a TV! The best thing is the AquaDuck. It is a water coaster that goes around the ship. Finally the mid decks have your room where you could even decorate your door. Room service will turn down your bed and leave chocolate. The best thing is that they will create towel creatures. And that’s not all. There’s special activities like Pirate Night where you can dress like a pirate, meet the characters and watch the fireworks. There’s even a couple more surprises for you to discover.
There are other fun things to do when the ship docks at the islands. You may visit two or three islands such as Tortola or St. Thomas. There you will find water that is crystal clear and beaches the color of a lightly toasted marshmallow. If you are on a Disney Cruise you will stop at their private island, Castaway Cay. Don’t get stumped by how to pronounce it. It is pronounced “Key.” This is a shipwrecked island with activities like Pelican Plunge, a fossil dig and a beach with treasures to find. There are many more things just for you to explore.
There are many people that enjoy cruising. Mrs. Calletta, a former Hammonton school teacher stated, “I have been on two different cruises because I enjoy everything available like swimming, eating, going to dinner and shows. I like signing up for excursions to the islands to learn about the culture. When I was at Atlantis in the Bahamas, there was an underground aquarium. Big stingrays would glide over your head. I’m looking forward to cruising again.” Mrs. Graziano, a former Pre-K teacher and “Nonna” said, “I always said when I’m on vacation I need to have my feet on the ground. The sea is not for me. But then, the love of my life (that’s you) asked me to go on a cruise with him, his mom and dad. I didn’t think twice. I said absolutely! It was the best time ever and I have memories to cherish my lifetime. I’m looking forward to when cruising resumes to do it again with you.”
Disney Cruises are awesome because you will know how it feels to be treated like a king or queen. When cruising resumes, Disney will have a new slate of ships. Hopefully this article will help you to decide if you want your “wish” to cruise to come true.
FNAF Sister Location review
by Siena Ezzi
Gazette Contributing Writer
Sister Location is the fifth game of the Five Nights at Freddy’s (FNAF) series. The genre of the game is horror and sure enough to scare anyone playing. Made by Scott Cawthon, the game is about animatronics that come to life in the middle of the night. The characters include, Funtime (FT) Freddy, FT Foxy, Circus Baby, Ballora, Bon-Bon, Bonnet, Lolbit Ennard, Minireena, and Bidybab. FT Freddy will try and stop you from restarting the system manually when the instructor tells you to. His puppet Bon-Bon does not hear anyone making noise and tries to convince FT Freddy that it was a mouse. If you make too much noise, FT Freddy will catch you and you will get jumpscared. FT Foxy, does not do much; he is a motion activated animatronic that sits in a dark room. You must use your flashlight to see where he is in the room, but be careful because if you shine the light too much you get jumpscared. Circus Baby tries to guide you and instruct you and keep you safe because she is actually a kid trapped inside trying to save you named Elizabeth Afton. Ballora the blind ballerina will listen for you as you crawl through the Ballora gallery trying to reach the power source if you make a lot of noise (again) you will get jumpscared. Bon-Bon and Bonnet have little roles (check the game out to see what they are). Lolbit appears on screen and needs you to type lol until he goes away. Ennard ends your game and you can’t get out of it and Minireena and Bidybab… kind of try to invade your space by sticking to you and trying to open your hideout spot.
You play as the night guard making sure the animatronics are not moving around the pizzeria named Circus Baby’s Pizza World. In the day, the animatronics are friendly pieces of entertainment for the children, they are practically harmless. The player has to try and stay five nights as a night guard, at the underground pizzeria. Fellow student Brayden Bendig said, “It’s a good game and I think it would be breathtaking to play!” This is very agreeable the game is so scary you might scream! Another student named Jocelyn Johannsen said, “Circus Baby is my favorite character and I love the detail and her jumpscare that they added in!”
Another thing about this game is the merch. Funko is a favorite company to many of the fans, the company makes plushies, figures, mystery minis and much more! It’s recommended to check their stuff out soon though it sells out very fast. There are other companies making toys like these such as GoodStuff but … as many YouTubers say that company is home to the cyclops Foxy plush the eyepatch is to the side of the poor foxes head it makes him look like a cyclops! Even though he is from another game it was needed to to tell you how bad some of this FNAF merch is. That’s how that company got a product named by the fans but it was definitely not a good name. As you can see this game is something you should absolutely check out but not just that don’t forget the merchandise too!
Top five best places to go in Philadelphia
by Zoey Kienzle
Gazette Contributing Writer
Are you bored out of your mind staying home? Have you had enough of sitting on the couch? Do you miss going places? The remedy…. or “vaccine” has been here all along for all of the boredom! You should go to Philadelphia! It has so many places to visit, but we will only discuss the top five places that are extremely amazing.
1. Philadelphia Zoo: The Philadelphia Zoo has many different animals that are active, funny and cute. Some of the animals there are cheetahs, monkeys, giraffes, red pandas, snakes and lots more. The red panda is a favorite because it’s cute, fluffy and has excellent climbing skills. The cheetah is very cool, it is as fast as your blink, as it runs from 50 to 80 mph.
There is also souvenir bottles that you can buy and get free drinks. It feels great to see and learn about all the animals.
2. Barnes Museum: If you are feeling a little artsy, you should go to the Barnes Museum. It is a collection of French impressionist artists like Vincent Van Gough, Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. Van Gogh painted, “The Postman,” Picasso painted, “The Peasants,” Matisse painted, “The Dance” directly on the walls of the museum. When you look at the painting “Dance” you feel like you’re dancing. When you look at the paintings you feel relaxed and calmed. The museum provides a learning experience for anyone! The museum states: The people that go there rate it four and a half stars.
• “All people are capable of learning to appreciate and enjoy art and doing so can be a life-transforming experience.”
• “Art has a meaningful role to play in the service of improving society.”
3. Pizzeria Vetri: Are you feeling hungry? Are you craving pizza? Then you should go to Pizzeria Vetri. In addition to their regular style pizzas, they have a bold variety of creative and unique crispy gourmet pizzas! Their best, the Nutella Pizza, makes you believe you ate the best pizza in the world. On the Nutella Pizza there is the crust on the top, Nutella, marshmallows and powdered sugar. They have a brick oven to heat the pizza, and inside and outside dining. The staff here are very pleasurable, and the cooks make the pizza in five minutes. Their pizza absolutely slaps, as the kids say! Their philosophy is, “the best quality ingredients with simple preparations.”
4. Franklin Institute: Franklin Institute is a place to learn science and have fun while learning. The Franklin Institute is a science museum and the center of science education and research. There is one spot in the Franklin Institute that people mostly like and it’s called the sports area. It has this race against athletes, and you get to see who wins. There is also one to test your balance and one where you verse somebody on a bike and sees who wins. There are lots more places to go there to learn science while having fun.
5. Sister Cities Park: Sister Cities Park is a park to relax and have fun. There is this cafe there where you can get a little snack and sit down outside and enjoy it. There is also a little water fountain sprayer so kids can play in it. They have a big field so that you can bring your own blanket and have a picnic. When you are relaxing there, you can clear your mind, or sit back and “people watch.”
The city has so many other amazing sights and sounds, however, you cannot go wrong with these perfect places.
Top 5 family entertainment places in Hammonton
by Maja Golembiewska
Gazette Contributing Writer
Where would you like to go with your family? Probably somewhere fun... but where? Hammonton is a small town just like an ant so you might think that there is nothing to do. You might think you need to drive for hours, to some place, and then not even have enough time to play. But you don’t, so to make life easier, here are the top five best family entertainment places in Hammonton. (You’re welcome.)
1. DiDonato Family Fun Center: What makes DiDonato Family Fun Center so special is that there is not one thing but four: glow in the dark mini golf course, the bowling alley and a fantastic train that goes around. In winter, and in Easter and in Halloween too, it is a little different every season, and also has a restaurant that attaches to the bowling alley.
2. Hammonton Skating Center: The skating rink is number two because it has a playground to go with the skating rink and an arcade. There is so much to do. This skating rink is held Monday through Friday all day. There is also an amazing skating camp. This is great for kids because the playground lights out, the arcade is even better, but the skating rink is unbelievable!
3. Mannino’s Cannoli Express: Oh man, this is a whole new world straight from Italy. All the sweet different flavors and all the yummy toppings makes this number three. “Delicious, sweet and scrumptious. It is great for kids because we have kid-size portions, ice cream and mini cannolis,” said owner/founder of Mannino’s, Gabriella Tomasello. It is like my tummy is having a party and invited ice cream with so much flavor, cupcakes and holy cannolis.
4. The Bounce House: The Bounce House is a really fun place for kids because it has plenty of bouncy castles. It is as fun as every toy you could imagine in your hands. Kids love bouncy things, so it is perfect for kids. It has a separate station for smaller kids. The Bounce House is entertaining kids and parents have time to do work or text people while watching their kids. You have jungle gyms, big slides and lots of other play areas. As Tigger the tiger from Winnie The Pooh once said, “I am so happy I can bounce.”
5. The Hammonton Lake Park: OK... the Hammonton Lake Park is the place to go to watch the lake and play on the playground with your friends. The sports field is where you can play baseball and meet your friends and their families during the games. That is where you go if you want to have a nice walk. The Hammonton Lake Park is great for kids with playgrounds sports fields and a lake. Nothing screams awesome, energetic and playful like the Hammonton Lake Park.
Hopefully this helped with your choice of where to visit in Hammonton! The best places to go are on this list, so kids take notes so you can pull a “Yes Day” on your parents. Have fun with your options!
Around downtown
by James Raso
Gazette Contributing Writer
Have you ever wanted to get fresh air, learn to protect yourself, grab a bite of authentic Mexican food, get a new hair-do or get a new toy all in the same location? Come on down to downtown Hammonton! Downtown Hammonton has always been a special place in this town’s big, big heart. With its restaurants, stores, barbers and sports it’s like heaven there. It is so fun with all its traditions, parties and activities.
For instance, you can always get new toys at the Toy Market. They have everything from slimes to prank kits and with their fun traditions like egg dropping, you don’t know what’s in store. You can get anything you want, like their Legos, toy magnets and puppets and they can be for anyone no matter what age. If you’re a kid, you would like something down here in the Toy Market.
After your shopping, come down to get a brand new hairdo at Salon A’vanti. At A’vanti, you can get a fresh cut, dye your hair or get your nails done and so much more.
“This place has been open for 14 years and our motto is: Salon A’vanti where art meets beauty,” one of the stylists said.
That is one of the best mottos. This place even has toys and lollipops to keep kids busy. They even have the best tunes playing.
If you are hungry after your great hair or nail appointment, you can come down to El Mariachi Lovo where they have everything from Mexican food, pictures of Mexico, even Mexican drinks and oh boy their food tastes like eating pure joy.
“We have been running for 50 years, and we had to move locations and this place is a wonderful piece of this town,” one of the servers said.
El Mariachi Loco is yummy, fun and gives you a taste of Mexican culture. You should definitely try it.
If food doesn’t fit for you and you want to get fit, come to Ultimate Kickboxing and Karate. This place will make you better at self defense. Ultimate helps you all the way until you make it to black belt. This place makes sure everyone is safe in protection and in health. They clean every bag and all the gear. They always make you the better version of yourself. Along with that this place teaches you all about Karien and so much more. This place is more than a workout. It’s a protection place that teaches you to go all the way to the top (aka black belt).
Now you know why downtown Hammonton has so much to offer! It has something to offer for everyone!
Nothing basic on Bellevue
Nina Scaffidi
Gazette Contributing Writer
The word “basic” can often be defined as simple, ordinary or plain. Even though Hammonton is a small town, it is the furthest thing from being “basic.” Hammonton has plenty of extraordinary events like the annual carnival, food trucks, parades, festivals and more! The town is well-known for growing some amazing blueberries. However, the heart of Hammonton can also be found on a nice drive down the main street called Bellevue Avenue.
Let’s begin with the coffee shop Casciano Coffee Bar & Sweetery. Casciano’s will be celebrating 13 years of business in town this year. The origin of the name, Casciano’s came from the owner’s family name that originated from Italy. Tracey Dwinell is one of their longtime employees and truly enjoys her job as a local barista. While interviewing Dwinell about her most unique order, she explained, “I had a very crazy and long order one time. It was a medium sized hot latte with every single sugar-free syrup we had in stock.” She also mentioned what she loves most about working in Hammonton is watching the local kids grow up. “They come in as babies with their parents, and then they grow older and become my customers,” explained Dwinell.
If a latte isn’t your thing, then you should stop by Tales of the Olive. They have been in the olive oil business for over four years. Unlike some other stores, they have something for everyone’s flavor of liking. Their most popular cooking olive oil is Tuscan Honey. If you like fruity olive oil, a must try is the Blood Orange flavor. Their best selling balsamic vinegar is the Sicilian flavor. Interestingly, some of the honey they sell in the store is made locally. One of the employees, Kelbie Brown, mentioned, “We have people come in from town and out of town, which is a great balance of customers being in this location.”
It’s always great to see our town growing, while adding more and more stores. A new addition to downtown is a women’s clothing boutique called Perhaps. They have another location in Smithville, N.J. In this new boutique, you can find women’s clothing, on trend jewelry and other accessories.
Additionally in downtown Hammonton, you can find delicious restaurants, healthy eateries, trendy salons and other businesses to meet any of your needs or cravings. Downtown also has a variety of places for kids, such as a toy market, martial arts gym and a dance studio. All in all, there’s nothing “basic” about Bellevue Avenue and there is something for everyone.
You need to watch Into the Woods
by Chelsea Torres
Gazette Contributing Writer
If you are the type of person who loves musicals, then you should definitely watch Into the Woods by Disney. You may also be interested in the movie if you like adventure movies or fantasy movies, which are some of the genres of the movie. First of all, the movie is based off the classic stories “Cinderella,” “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Rapunzel” and “Jack and the Beanstalk,” so if you like those stories you will probably like Into the Woods. It adds creativity to the stories, making it a lot more interesting to watch. If you are not interested yet, the movie is about a baker and his wife who have a spell laid on them and their house. In order to get their curse undone they must do exactly what a witch tells them to do.
The entire movie is filled with catchy songs that will probably leave you listening to them on repeat for a while. Some examples of catchy songs in the movie are “Agony,” “Giants in the Sky” and “It Takes Two.” The beginning song will make you want to get up and start dancing, and if it does not you will probably bob your head or tap your foot to the music. You can easily find this movie on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Disney+, and many other apps! You can find the songs on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, SoundCloud and most music apps.
Still are not interested yet? This is what Lana and Robert Torres said about Into the Woods. “My favorite part of the movie is when Cinderella’s stepsisters all tried to fit into the glass slipper and did some extreme actions to attempt to force their foot to fit,” Lana Torres said. Basically, Cinderella’s stepsisters tried many things in order to get the glass slipper to fit onto their foot. “I like the spin off the original fairy tales,” Robert Torres said. The movie used original fairy tales and made them fit into the movie.
Are you interested in the movie, Into the Woods now?