“Tradition, culture, family, and heritage – it all comes together in Hammonton,” according to Congressman Frank LoBiondo during the Founder’s Day celebration on March 4th.

One hundred and fifty years ago, on March 5th 1866, Hammonton became an independent town. This year, the town is celebrating its 150th year as a town. And the celebration is taking place everywhere from the NJM building for the Founder’s Day celebration to Downtown to the classroom.

Representatives from the Sesquicentennial Committee and the Hammonton Fire Department spoke to art students at Hammonton High School about the town’s rich history and ways the student could artistically capture images celebrating it.

The presentation, given on April 8, included Board of Education and volunteer firefighter John Lyons, Sesquicentennial Planning Committee chairperson Dan Bachalis, volunteer firefighter and Town Council member Mickey Pullia, and local attorney Brian Howell. They spoke about ways the art students could incorporate Hammonton history in their projects.

One recurring theme was that the town is like a big family.

“Big families have a lot of people talking at once,” Bachalis said. “You got a lot of people getting along. You have a lot of people working together to do things.”

“One enduring thing about Hammonton is that ultimately people help each other,” he said.

Howell agreed with Bachalis’s opinion on Hammonton. He talked about two projects that he was involved in during the 90s, where the town was building a park. He talked about how the town came together financially but also came together with everyone helping out.

“If someone said ‘Hey we need a double edge router, something, screwdriver’ I’d say I did not know what it is. Four of them would show up in about fifteen minutes,” he said.

Art teacher Christine Throckmorton’s CP Graphic Design 2 students will create a project on Photoshop about the history of Hammonton for the Sesquicentennial Committee.

Howell then introduced Lyons and Pullia, who have volunteered at the fire department for years.

“If everyone body sat on their recliner at the end of the day, then the fire department doesn’t happen, and the sports teams don’t happen, and the environmental projects don’t happen,” he said. “One of the things about Hammonton that I love is that a substantial of the population is willing to get involved.”

For Lyons, the fire department is a great way for people to get involved.

“If you really want to make a difference and you want to be forreal, you join the fire department.”

Hammonton Fire Department has always helped out in the community but also helped out during Hurricane Sandy and Hurricane Katrina by donating bottles of water. They now hold eighty volunteers who are representing themselves in the community.

Throckmorton’s CP Graphic Design 2 and art teacher John Toothman’s CP Advanced Art classes will create designs that will be used for T-shirts; additionally, members of the committee will consider using the designs possibly on their firetrucks and painted on the walls of the firehouse. By them creating artwork for these celebrations, they are preserving history of the town.

“Hammonton’s got these two dynamic: preservation of history and creation and initialization of innovation,” according to Bachalis.

For Throckmorton, art is very important in celebrating the town’s history or any history.

“Art creates a visual interpretation of historical events,” she said, “Art is how we know a lot of history from back to cave painting days when there wasn’t any writing. But going forward, art captures a certain aspect of history and aspect of the present.”

Pullia provided students with advice on how to approach the project.

“Focus on the history; it is pretty important,” he said. “To think about a bunch of guys running around with a bucket of water throwing it on a big house burning, it’s come a long way.”

For some students, the speakers’ love for the town helped them appreciate the significance of the occasion.

“It shows that there are people in this town that do find that Hammonton is important to them. It’s a big part of their life.” said senior Felicia Neall, who was born and raised in Hammonton, “It’s pretty amazing that I can celebrate it turning 150.”

Looking ahead, Bachalis and Howell both shared their desire to see a Hammonton improve over the next fifty years.

“I hope that the family aspect continues,” Howell said, “Mainly, I hope for civic involvement. I hope for the value on education continues to grow.”

However, even little things can go a long way. Howell’s suggestion?

“For 2066, if they could make that traffic light not so long when you’re stuck on Third Street,” he joked.