Shamong Township Committee kicked off last week’s meeting with two special proclamations to recognize a couple of Shamong residents whose efforts to support the township have gone above and beyond.
Jacob Uscinowicz recently completed his Eagles Scout project in which he made an upgrade to the community, and Gary Vinciguerra has served the Shamong Township Joint Land Use Board for more than 20 years.
“Jacob stepped up to the plate for us in a nice way,” Township Administrator Susan Onorato said.
Uscinowicz built five bat houses and placed them in numerous locations to help minimize the insect population and combat mosquitos.
Bat houses are commonly installed in heavily wooded areas in the hopes of attracting bats to help control insect populations. As a major predator of night-flying insects, bats can reduce unwanted pests in the lawn and garden.
A single bat can eat as many as 600 insects in an hour, according to the USDA.
To build these bat houses, Uscinowicz raised money through sales of Krispy Kreme donuts.
He organized and constructed the houses with the help of members from his Troop 47.
Uscinowicz earned 25 merit badges to qualify for his Eagle Scout status, the highest honor attainable for a Scout. He serves as his troop’s senior patrol leader, patrol leader historian and junior assistant scoutmaster.
The township passed a motion to honor Uscinowicz for reaching Eagle Scout after his court of honor ceremony was held Nov. 1.
The second proclamation honored Vinciguerra who was the township’s joint land use board chairman for several years after Shamong Township merged its zoning and planning boards to create the Shamong Township Joint Land Use Board in 2008.
Vinciguerra moved to the township in 1990 and began serving the residents of Shamong as a volunteer member of the planning board on July 5, 1995. He was named chairman of the planning board on Jan. 15, 2002.
Vinciguerra retired on Sept. 14 due to a change in his residency status.
“Gary Vinciguerra’s passion for his beloved community was instrumental in his contributions made to Shamong Township’s overall master plan,” Mayor Kenneth Long said.
He was awarded the Volunteer of the Year award for Shamong in 2014 at the annual Pine Barrens Festival for his services to the township.
Committeeman Michael Di Croce was “honored,” as he put it, to make a motion to proclaim that the committee recognizes Vincinguerra’s more than 20 years of service.
