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Having a ball in Mantua district

Two schools visited by MagicMasters’ entertainment basketball team

By JOSEPH METZ The Sun

Students at J. Mason Tomlin and Centre City elementary schools in Mantua were visited by the Harlem MagicMasters professional entertainment basketball team on Feb. 24, an occasion to celebrate Black History Month and promote camaraderie among students in the school district.

“The DJ played entertaining and crowd favorite music, which allowed students and staff to unwind and have fun,” said district Supervisor of Curriculum and Technology Theresa Labbree. “The team players engaged students and staff in various activities to promote team building and respect.”

It was the MagicMasters’ first appearance in the school district. Players wowed their audience with talent and also offered activities for both students and teachers. Labbee described the event as a morale booster, saying the kids “loved every minute.” Both schools featured it on their Facebook pages.

“The engaging activities allowed all to have a ‘feel good’ feeling,” Labbree noted.

The Harlem MagicMasters team was formed in New York

City in 2003, according to its website, and consists of 24 different players with experience playing basketball in high school, college and even professionally in the U.S. and abroad. Its players use a combination of basket skills, slam dunks, skits and more to both entertain and educate.

“Our mission is to provide communities, nonprofit organizations, school systems and corporate America with affordable quality entertainment and empowering messages through the medium of basketball,” said MagicMasters’ president and owner, Jack Bryant.

“Our games, events and performances are fun for the entire family and complement educational initiatives directed at empowering our youth.”

The shows are also known for boosting morale, building character and family engagement, inspiring school spirit and inspiring self-motivation, among other goals. Labbree said the Mantua district would “absolutely” have MagicMasters back.

“We had so much fun ending our week with them,” reads a post on the Centre City Facebook page. “There were good sports, fun tricks and a powerful message of being a good person and never being a bully.”

J. Mason Tomlin School

Students of J. Mason Tomlin and Centre City schools learned some important life lessons from the MagicMasters’ team, which provided a variety of showcases and activities for the kids and teachers.

Rake don’t bag: Township announces leaf pickup

Residents should deposit them curbside for one week’s collection

By JOSEPH METZ

The Sun

Mantua Township will offer spring leaf pickup to residents for one week only beginning Monday, April 17, because of a shortage of manpower or re -

sources to extend it further into the season.

The service will end on Friday, April 21, according to Mayor Robert Zimmerman, who addressed guidelines for the leaf collections.

“We ask that residents place

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their leaves curbside, as we use our Leafer truck to remove (them),” he said. “We ask that residents not place the leaves in plastic bags; leaves won’t be picked up if in bags. We also ask that residents not mix sticks or branches or other debris with the leaves that are raked curbside.”

How to gather the leaves is up to residents: They can be collected with a leaf blower or raked into a pile. Sticks or branches among them could lead to clogs and potential -

ly damage vacuum machines. Residents should also keep leaf piles at least a foot away from the curb to allow the free flow of water into nearby storm drains.

One leaf truck is expected to do the job, but a second will be made available if necessary. The project is being overseen by the superintendent of the public works department, Glenn DeMers.

Leaf pickup in both spring and fall has been one of Mantua’s biggest projects over the years. The most hard-hit areas,

according to Deputy Mayor Pete Scirrotto, have been the Cold Springs development, a good portion of the Sewell section, Mantua proper, Washington Avenue, Adams Avenue, Breakneck Road and the Weatherby Hills development.

“Collecting leaves is an art form,” Scirrotto quipped.. The township has also announced public works will pick up green carts containing grass and leaves from Monday through Oct. 27. The leaf pickup roles also apply to the carts.

Township congratulates Pack 45 on pancake breakfast

On March 4, the Cub Scout Pack 45 hosted their annual Pancake Breakfast at the Mantua Masonic Lodge with a delicious array of all-you-

can-eat pancakes, sausages, hash browns, coffee, and tea.

Thank you to the Masonic Lodge and Cub Scout Pack

leaders for their continued community and volunteer efforts and for the residents and families who attended to show their support.

Not in front of the children

Kids are traumatized as much as adults by domestic violence

Alocal organization that deals with domestic violence victims is in need of more volunteers.

The Side-by-Side Domestic Violence Response Team works with local police departments and the Camden County Women’s Center to provide community resources and support for victims of domestic violence. After a screening process and 40 hours of training, volunteers are available to victims and their children 24/7.

Victims and their children: Consider that for a moment. Children are as impacted by domestic violence – while often indirectly – as the adults in their lives.

One in four women and one in nine men experience severe intimate partner physical violence, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), bringing the number of victims annually to more than 10 million.

One in 15 children is also exposed to that violence each year, with 90% of them as eyewitnesses, NCADV reports. As a result, they are at serious risk for learning disabilities and long-term physical and mental-health problems, including PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), according to the Office on Women’s Health within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Children who witness violence

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between parents may also be at greater risk of carrying that violence into their future adult relationships. And a parent experiencing abuse may lack the strength and knowledge to protect his or her offspring.

Here is another incredible statistic: Living with domestic violence significantly alters a child’s DNA, aging them prematurely by seven to 10 years, according to Domestic Violence Services Inc. So some kids are literally losing years in their lives.

The Side-by-Side Domestic Violence Response Team’s goals include decreasing the emotional trauma experienced by victims by providing them with an opportunity to express emotional responses to a crisis and educating them about the dynamics of the violence.

DomesticShelters.org is a national service that is free to the public and operated by the nonprofit Theresa’s Fund. Among its goals is treating children who have experienced domestic violence, and it maintains that a child’s best hope in treatment is to bond with other caregivers and ex-

perience caring and compassionate relationships through them.

“Caregivers and providers need to support and facilitate healthy, positive, nurturing relationships with safe adults, whether that’s the nonviolent caregiver or other family members involved with caring for the child, said Dr. Neena McConnico, director of the Child Witness to Violence Project in Boston.

“We know from our experience … that when kids are able to be grounded in these kinds of relationships, it’s the single most important indicator for them to be able to heal and thrive.”

Among ways to help, according to DomesticShelters.org, are:

• Give social support to kids affected. Keep in contact with them and help them feel recognized and valued.

• Listen to child victims, while being supportive and neutral, and establish a connection.

• Be honest. Answer a child’s questions truthfully and keep in mind that simple answers are best.

Other avenues for help include the Center for Family Services at (877) 922-2377, PALS (Peace a Learned Solution) at (856) 9635668 and the CARES (Child Abuse Research Education and Service Institute) at (856) 566-7036.

Help kids who’ve been traumatized by domestic violence get their childhoods back.

Arlene Reyes areyes@newspapermediagroup.com

Amanda Phillips aphillips@newspapermediagroup.com

MANAGING EDITOR Kathy Chang kchang@newspapermediagroup.com

OPINION WRITER Christina Mitchell cmitchell@newspapermediagroup.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Joseph Metz jmetz@newspapermediagroup.com

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Mayor Zimmerman’s message to the community

Dear Community Friends,

Committeewoman Eileen Lukens and I attended the Township’s Rabies Clinic and then the Cub Scout Pack 7045 Annual Pancake Breakfast on Saturday morning, March 4. Both events were crowded, and as always, we enjoyed interacting with community members for two great causes.

On Monday afternoon, March 6, I had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Kenneth Lacovara. Dr. Lacovara is a world renowned paleontologist and the Founding Dean of the Earth and Environment Department at Rowan University. He provided a personal tour of the Jean & Ric Edelman Fossil Park, which by the way, will be a world class museum bringing in visitors from around the world. The museum and park is expected to get approximately 200,000 visitors annually, and will bring in jobs for residents and help to boost our local economy. It’s slated to open its door in the spring of 2024. Look for my next Mayor’s Video Update where Dr. Lacovara will explain

some important facts about what’s to be expected with the park and museum which is located right here in the Sewell section of Mantua.

On Thursday, March 9, I had the honor of meeting with a young leader of our community, Emily Cooney. Emily is a twenty year old resident of Mantua who is participating in this year’s Miss New Jersey Pageant. For the past twelve years, she has done a lot of work for military veterans. Emily is now interested-in beginning a transition program for local veterans from our community who are recently coming out of the military. I was happy to meet with her in an effort to help promote this awesome cause.

Casey Power lost her life due to domestic violence. To honor her, her family created “The Casey Power Foundation,” which is a foundation that fights against domestic violence, while helping victims and survivors. In a little over one year, Casey’s family has been able to raise thousands of dollars to support local shelters, and give to victims and

survivors of domestic violence. They have also been able to give out three $1,000.00 scholarships to graduating seniors, two being from Clearview Regional High School and one from Our Lady of Mercy Academy.

On April 1, the family will be honoring Casey with the 2nd Annual Casey Power Memorial 5K Run and Walk to raise money and awareness at Chestnut Branch Park. Registration will begin at 8 a.m. and the walk will begin at 9 a.m. The cost is $30.00 per person which includes a t-shirt, water and treat.

Upcoming Township Meetings and Events:

Our police department will have car seat safety technicians at the Sewell Firehouse @ Union Avenue on Saturday, March 11 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Our Public Works Depart-

ment will begin to pick-up green carts (grass and vegetative waste) beginning on March 20 through to Oct. 27. This is only for grass and leaves. Please don’t place dirt, mulch, branches or sticks inside green carts.

Our Spring Leaf Pick-Up this year is from Monday, April 17 through Friday, April 21. It’s just this one week in the Spring, and is essentially the same service that we provide in the Fall beginning at the end of October. It’s to help our residents out who missed the Fall leaf season, etc. We ask that residents place their leaves curbside as we use our “Leafer” truck to remove the leaves. We ask that residents not place the leaves in plastic bags - leaves won’t be picked-up if in bags. We also ask that residents not mix sticks or branches or any other debris in with the leaves that are raked curbside.

Our next Township Committee Meeting is Monday, March 13th at 6 p.m. at the Township Administration Building on Main Street.

The Fire District’s next meeting is Thursday, March 16 at 7 p.m. at the Sewell Fire House on Union Avenue.

Don’t forget that Daylight Savings begins on Sunday, March 12 and to move your clocks an hour forward. We want to wish everyone a very happy and safe St. Patrick’s Day on Friday, March 17. Please remember to celebrate responsibly.

On behalf of myself, Deputy-Mayor Pete Scirrotto and the entire Township Committee, we look forward to serving you with honesty, integrity and trustful leadership.

Respectfully, Mayor Robert T. Zimmerman, MAS

Robert T. Zimmerman MAYOR’S MESSAGE

Join the fun at the 2023 Kids Expo March 25

Join The Sun Newspapers for our 2023 Kids Expo. We are opening the doors to the community to participate in a fun-filled day with local family-oriented businesses. This event will provide information, resources and interactive activities for kids, parents, and guardians!

The free event is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 25, at the Marlton Field House.

“We are really excited to host our Kids Expo in partnership with the Marlton Field House. We’ve hosted this event for several years and it’s been awesome to watch it grow,” NMG Director of Marketing and Events Michelle Donnelly said. “These events provide face-toface opportunities between local businesses and event attendees in an engaging and fun way!”

The event will offer a variety of activities and demonstrations, including MacKenzie Martial Arts at 1 p.m. and character appearances by Spider Man from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and Elsa from 1:30-2:30 p.m.

Businesses will be on hand

showcasing a variety of services for the local community. The first 100 families will receive a complimentary gift bag with exclusive information from participating businesses. Bronze sponsors attending the event include XL Sports; Tiger Shulmann’s Martial Arts; Clarks Orthodontics; and Melissa Roswell Realty Group.

Additional vendors confirmed to attend include Renewal by Anderson; Seeing Eye; Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey; Great Times Day Camp; Huntington Learning Center; New York Life; MacKenzie Martial Arts; Dynamic Language Services; JAGON; Animal Welfare Association; Nitro1; Adventure Kids; and School of Rock.

If you are interested in signing up for last minute vendor opportunities at the event, please contact Michelle Donnelly at michelle@newspapermediagroup.com.

The South Jersey Kids Expo is free, but registration is requested for all expected to attend.

To register and to see an updated list of participating vendors, please visit nmg.ticketleap.com/kids2023/

Township wishes luck to retired park worker

Mantua is saying, “happy retirement” to a familiar face at Chestnut Branch Park.

On Feb. 28, Rick Anderson officially worked his last day as a township employee. For 34 years, he has been a key component in maintaining and developing Mantua’s beloved park.

What does our Public Works Superintendent Glenn DeMers have to say about Anderson? “Rick’s a great employee and we’re going to miss him terribly. He’s going to be hard to replace,” said DeMers.

All in all, we wish Anderson happiness in his retirement

and thank him for his unwavering commitment to our community and especially our park.

Happy retirement.

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