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609-801-2392 Vol. 9 – No. 3
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The News Leader of the Pines
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January 18 - January 24, 2025
BurlCo Commissioners Retain Independent Special Counsel to Review Nov. Election Fiasco Board and Superintendent of Elections Were Previously Called on To Do Review, But Now There’s a Claim That the Entities ‘Don’t Have the Expertise’ to Complete It
A CAUSE FOR ELATION
By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer
MOUNT HOLLY—Burlington County voters anticipating the previously-called for “written report” that was supposed to have “findings and recommendations” pertaining to the Nov. 5, 2024, General See FIASCO/ Page 5
AND CONDEMNATION
Photo Provided
Councilman Erik Rebstock (right), Medford’s new mayor, joined with Councilman Michael Czyzyk, the latter who has been appointed deputy mayor.
Ouster of Medford’s Mayor, After 9 Years in Office, Stirs Up Both Supporters and Detractors at Reorganization Meeting By Bill Bonvie Staff Writer
MEDFORD—Regime change came, p e rh ap s s om ewh at u n ex p e c t e d ly, to Medford Tow nsh ip at a Jan. 7 reorganization meeting, marking the end of Charles “Chuck” Watson’s nine years
as mayor – but not without being both condemned and celebrated by some of the local residents in attendance and even infringing on the civility of the Medford Township Council itself. Occupying the seat at the center of the council table for the first time, the
township’s new mayor, Erik Rebstock, after being chosen by a 4-0 vote (for which Watson was a no-show, not yet having arrived at the meeting when it was taken) and being sworn in by former See MEDFORD/ Page 6
New Tabernacle Committee Seated After Turbulent Year Called ‘Breath of Fresh Air’ Law, Engineering Firms That Were Involved with Town Hall Debacle Replaced as Officials Prepare for ‘Reconstructing Our Town Center’ By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer
TABERNACLE—A new Tabernacle Township Committee seated Jan. 6 is being described as a “breath of fresh air” following a turbulent time for last year’s governing body over the fate of See FRESH/ Page 11
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Burlington County Acquires Former College Campus in Pemberton for $1M, with Demo of Remaining Buildings Expected in Short Order American Rescue Plan Funds to Cover Estimated $4M Demolition Costs; Records Show Maintaining Tract Had Become Costly Proposition to RCBC
Saturday, January 18, 2025
Burrell Seated on BurlCo Commissioners Board for First Time; Hopson Administered Oath for Third Term, Re-elected Director Director’s Message Highlights Health Department Upgrades, Forthcoming Mobile Health Unit; Eckel Named for Deputy Director Post for First Time
Photo By Andrew King
Tyler Burrell (left), a Democrat, is administered Jan. 7 the oath of office for his first term on the Burlington County Board of Commissioners by Democratic 7th Legislative District State Senator Troy Singleton (right). Photo By Nick Weissmann
A previous view of the dilapidated former Rowan College at Burlington County (RCBC) Pemberton Campus.
By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer
PEMBERTON—The abandoned and disheveled former Burlington County College (BCC) Campus in Pemberton Township (which was also referred to as the Rowan College at Burlington County [RCBC] Pemberton Campus in its final years of use) is now property of Burlington County, which reportedly intends to demolish the remaining structures there “that have fallen into decay and disrepair” in short order. The announcement that the county had recently acquired the 225-acre property in the 600 block of Pemberton-Browns Mills Road came in a Jan. 8 press release sent by Burlington County to the media. According to the press release, “the agreement was finalized last month,” or in December, with the property reportedly purchased from RCBC for $1 million. The final sale price was “considered fair market value” for the property and “would provide RCBC additional financial support,” Bu rl i ng ton Cou nt y Com m i s sioner Director Dr. Felicia Hopson is quoted as saying in the release. The announcement followed Dec. 27 action by the Burlington County Board of Commissioners to “provide for the demolition of abandoned property in Pemberton by the Department of Public Works, Division of Engineering.” Burlington County Spokesman David Levinsky, in a Jan. 14 phone interview with this newspaper, noted that the demolition will cost upwards of $4 million, which he called “significant.” However, he noted that American Rescue Plan (ARP) monies would be used for the work, calling the use of the Coronavirus pandemic relief funds for the project “an eligible use.” “Demolishing buildings is an eligible expense,” Levinsky emphasized. “We plan to use that, as it is eligible. We are eligible to be able to use that funding to cover the cost of demolition.” Levinsky said he did not immediately know if any contracts would be awarded for the demol ition, de s c r ibi ng the
acquisition transaction to this reporter as relatively new. This newspaper has previously reported on several vandalism incidents over the years impacting vacant buildings on the former college campus, and how some people have even purportedly set fire to the vacant facilities. RCBC had t aken some action to remove some of the buildings on the property following the rash of vandalism and arson incidents. But the remaining buildings are said to be continuing to pose hazards, as well as are unsightly to anyone driving on Pemberton-Browns Mills Road or the Pemberton Bypass. The press release from Burlington County pledges that the county “will demolish the vacant buildings that have fallen into decay and disrepair.” “We are taking this action to remove blight and protect public safety,” Hopson is quoted as saying in the release. “The remaining buildings on campus need to come down and the property needs to be maintained. With the property now under
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MOU N T HOLLY—“It is not by happenstance that Burlington County is moving in such a positive direction,” declared Democratic 7th Legislative District State Senator Troy Singleton upon swearing in Dr. Felicia Hopson to a new term on the Burlington County Board of Commissioners, and Tyler Burrell, a nowformer council president of Delran, to his
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Woodland Administrator/Clerk Announces She Has ‘Returned’ to Working 4 Days a Week, While Also Roasting Her Detractors Insurance Company Determines Fire Company’s Tanker Truck ‘Totaled’ from Vehicle Crashing into Firehouse, Allowing for Purchase of New One; Intersection Near Firehouse and Building’s Lot to Get Safety Upgrades By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer
W O O D L A N D —T h e t o w n s h i p administrator and clerk of Woodland Township, Maryalice Brown, announced in late December that she has “returned” to working in Woodland four days a week. It follows her purported dismissal from Tabernacle Township as its administrator/ clerk, an arrangement that was made possible through a shared ser vices agreement with Woodland. Brown had worked four days a week previously in Woodland, but then reportedly had her hours reduced around the time of the Coronavirus pandemic, which was revealed when residents had previously asked questions about how Brown could work in both Tabernacle and Woodland townships. P r e v iou s ly, t h e sh a r e d s e r v i c e s ag reement was billed by Tow nsh ip Solicitor William Burns as something that would enable residents of Woodland to have additional access to Brown than they otherwise would have if she had only worked a couple days a week in Woodland. Brown explained on Dec. 18, that in now working again for Woodland four days a week, she would be working each day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., except on the days that the
Woodland Township Committee’s regular meetings are held, in which her hours would be from 12 noon until the meetings conclude. It was not said why Woodland requires the increased hours for an administrator and clerk again, but some residents have been vocal that the Woodland Township Municipal Building should actually be open five days a week, not four, like it currently is, per the township website. Municipal offices are presently closed on Fridays, in addition to every Saturday and Sunday. Brown was dismissed from Tabernacle in the beginning of December, with the Tabernacle Township Committee contending that they wanted to return to having a dedicated township administrator and clerk that would work full-time (though Tabernacle ultimately decided to go with someone who would not be required to work a 40-hour week). When the decision to relieve Brown of her responsibilities in Tabernacle was made, Brown was facing increased public criticisms and calls for her to step aside, stemming from a debacle involving Tabernacle Town Hall. “I want to thank (Woodland) Mayor See RETURNED/ Page 9
LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 3
Heston Assumes Post of Mayor in Southampton, a Position That Has Now Seen 4 Different Mayors in 4 Months’ Time Southampton’s Newest Mayor Brings Wealth of Experience to Role, Having Held Positions on Various Town Boards, Organized Key Events
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Ronald Heston, a 12-year elected Southampton Township Committeeman who has served on the township’s various boards in different capacities, was sworn-in Jan. 2 as Southampton’s new mayor.
By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer
SOUTHAMPTON—The Township of Southampton has now had four different mayors, over the past four months, but with the Jan. 2 appointment of longtime Republican committeeman Ronald Heston to the post, there are hopes that stability will be brought to the post in a township that has otherwise been accustomed to mayoral permanence.
The rare musical chairs with respect to the mayoral post was set in motion on Oct. 1 of last year, when five-year Republican mayor Michael S. Mikulski II resigned upon his being appointed as a Superior Court judge. It was believed that Heston, serving as Southampton’s deputy mayor at the time, would automatically assume the role of acting township mayor. But an outdated See POST/ Page 12
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New Committeewoman Seated on Washington Twp. Committee Hopes to Increase Social Opportunities for Local Senior Citizens By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer
WASHINGTON—Jeanne Fox-Ford, a now-retired, longtime administrative assistant to the regional superintendent of the Wharton State Forest, has been seated to fill an unexpired two-year term on the Washington Township Committee. Fox-Ford, a Republican, was administered the oath of office during a Jan. 7 Washington Township Committee Reorganization Meeting after having run unopposed in this past November’s General Election. The seat she is taking over had belonged to Paul Seybold, who was also serving as the township’s deputy mayor when he died suddenly on Dec. 3, 2023. Longtime Republican committeeman and former Washington mayor Dudley L ew is wa s app oi nt e d la st ye a r to temporarily fill Seybold’s seat until the election could be held, but will now resume his retirement. Fox-Ford, in an interview with Pine Barrens Tribune photojournalist Nick Weissmann, noted she worked for the New Jersey State Park Service for a total of 38 years, holding the administrative assistant role for the most part. She pointed out that her office was in the Batsto section of Washington Township, before declaring, “So, to say that I love Washington Township is an understatement.” Her top goal, she revealed, is improving
Photo By Nick Weissmann
Jeanne Fox-Ford, a now-retired, longtime administrative assistant to the regional superintendent of the Wharton State Forest, has been seated to fill an unexpired two-year term on the Washington Township Committee. senior ser vices for the com munity, including expanding social opportunities, noting “we have a lot of senior citizens.” “We are in a very rural area, and we don’t have a lot of things for them,” Fox-Ford said. “We don’t have a lot of opportunities for them, so I am hoping that I can do some research and find different opportunities, whether it is as simple as offering some programs here in this building, such as
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yoga, chair yoga, or maybe finding someone who would give a talk and maybe have coffee and doughnuts.” One of her hopes is to just get the local seniors “out of the house to socialize, that sort of thing.” “So that is a simple thing that I don't think is a big lift,” Fox-Ford told this newspaper. “And then, hopefully, these guys will assign me something that maybe would help them when they are trying to do what they have been trying to do.” Fox-Ford recognized “dealing with the school and the budget” is among the “really big things” that the township committee is faced with each year (in light of the local school district suffering from funding cuts and having to turn to the municipality for funding help, even though the school district is separate from the municipality) and said, “I look forward to seeing what they assign me.” Fox-Ford shared with this newspaper that she knew Seybold “for many, many years” and he was a “very, very good man” and an “amazing carpenter,” concluding he was “really good at every single thing he did.” “So, I have really big shoes to fill,” FoxFord recognized. “When I heard of his untimely passing, I knew that there would be an opening, and I heard from these guys that they were looking for someone. So, I said that I would be able to do it. I knew that being retired, I would be able to commit to the time that would be required to do a good job at it.” Fox-Ford noted that “I am going to pick Dudley’s brain quite a bit” because “he has so much institutional knowledge.” Lewis was seated in the audience to watch Fox-
Saturday, January 18, 2025 Ford be seated on the committee. By her side, getting sworn in to a new term on the committee, was C. Leigh Gadd, Jr. He was re-elected this past November to a full-term on the Washington committee. Once the full committee was seated Jan. 7, the governing body picked its leadership positions for 2025, retaining Gadd as mayor (and public safety director) and Daniel James as deputy mayor. To m C ol e m a n wa s r e ap p oi nt e d township solicitor, and Kevin Dixon was reappointed township engineer. Additionally, Gadd introduced “our new zoning officer,” James Agnesino. A lack of heat in the municipal building, coinciding with an Arctic blast, caused there to be abbreviated proceedings. However, before the meeting concluded, Barbara Cavileer, chief of the Green Bank Volunteer Ambulance Company, inquired as to whether there was any update from neighboring Atlantic County as to the status of bridge repairs and an associated road closure on Green Bank Road, which is a key artery for residents and emergency services in the Burlington County municipality to access the nearest area of commerce, or Egg Harbor City, as well as the nearest hospital. Gadd responded that the “last time I spoke to” Atlantic County, there was “no explanation” as to why construction “was idle for at least 10 days.” “It is currently completely blocked,” Gadd maintained. “I have made several phone calls about the condition of the detour signs that now just seem to be See INCREASE/ Page 13
Shamong Mayor Says Merger of Shamong, Tabernacle Schools Being Looked Into, But District Officials Say It Isn’t Happening By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer
SHAMONG—Brief, but apparently significant remarks made by Shamong Township Mayor Michael Di Croce, buried in a Jan. 7 Shamong Township Committee meeting, that “we are looking at some interesting issues and ideas” to address rising taxes, including “whether or not” the schools of the Shamong Township School District “could be merged, which is probably with Tabernacle,” or the Tabernacle Township School District, were quick to raise eyebrows. However, Shamong Superintendent Mayreni Fermin-Cannon and Tabernacle Superintendent Shaun Banin, when presented with the Shamong mayor’s remarks, both told this newspaper on Jan. 13 “that no discussions or plans with township officials are underway regarding the merger of our districts.” The disputed revelation from Di Croce, who was reappointed Shamong’s mayor for 2025 on Jan. 7, came about when the mayor quipped it was his “least favorite part of the evening,” or “the approval of the attached bill list.” After pointing out the committee was about to approve $1,586,655.37 in payments, Di Croce asked Township Administrator and Clerk Susan Onorato to “just tell us where that money goes and how much is going to our town and how much is going to the school.”
“Just under $90,000 is going to the town,” Onorato answered. “Everything else is going to the school.” Di Croce then put a sharp point on Onorato’s response, “OK, $90,000 to Shamong” and “almost $1.5 million to the school!” The mayor then detailed having “met with the new superintendent” of Shamong Schools, Fermin-Cannon, pointing out she also had attended a recent Shamong committee session to introduce herself to the township. He then disclosed that he, Onorato and “Heather” (an apparent reference to Heather McGarvey, the head of the Pinelands Republican Club and Di Croce’s paralegal) “attended a meeting last month.” “The school board – we are trying to get people on the school board who will recognize and fight for the taxpayers and our students, and stop filling their heads with this nonsense,” Di Croce declared. “Teach them how to read and write and stop with the waste!” Di Croce then charged “we know a lot of waste is going on” and “I know nobody’s happy with the amount of money that their taxes just went up!” “Most people don’t understand where that is coming from,” Di Croce further maintained. “So, we are trying to educate See MERGER/ Page 12
Saturday, January 18, 2025
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(Continued from Page 1) Election Day fiasco in the county will probably now not get one by the previously “expected” Jan. 30 deadline. That is because, through two decisions made by the Burlington County Board of Commissioners, one made on Dec. 27, and another made on the morning of Jan. 15 during a special 9:15 a.m. meeting, it has been decided that instead of having the “Board of Elections and Superintendent of Elections offices conduct a comprehensive review of elections procedures, equipment and processes,” as was previously “called for” to be done for the public’s consumption by both major political party chairs and the commissioners’ board, an “independent special counsel” has now been retained to “review the 2024 General Election and report back with findings and recommendations for improvements.” While this newspaper could not access the Jan. 15 virtual-only public commissioners’ meeting by telephone with the meeting code that was provided, despite multiple attempts, what County Spokesman David Levinsky subsequently told this newspaper and later memorialized in a press release, is that the commissioners’ board appointed Connell Foley LLP as the independent special counsel. Connell Foley, according to the press release, “will complete their review and deliver a report with findings and recommendations to the commissioners.” “The firm’s review will look at all aspects of the 2024 election, including the deployment of new voting machines, the locations and makeup of voting districts, and poll worker training and management,” it was vowed in the release. The release went on to describe the selected firm as being headquartered in Roseland and maintained it “is one of the largest and most respected law firms in New Jersey,” pointing out that “among its past and current attorneys” are former New Jersey Governor and Chief Justice Richard Hughes, former U.S. District Court Chief Judge John W. Bissell, former Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno and former Essex County Superior Court Judge Eugene J. Codey, Jr. This newspaper asked Levinsky if there is a date for when a report from Connell Foley LLP might be released. “A new deadline hasn’t been established,” Levinsky responded. “I mean, again, we are just now appointing this firm, and we will meet with them to set up a timeline as far as for their action in a final product. That being said, I think the expectations and intent will be for them to expeditiously get us something as far as the final product.” The press release provided to this newspaper contended that while the commissioners’ board had called upon the Superintendent and Board of Elections to submit a report of findings regarding the General Election, “neither has the expertise to complete the review process.” A s for whe n ex a c t ly it b e c a m e known that the Board of Elections and Superintendent of Elections offices purportedly did not have the ability to produce what the commissioners’ board and party chairs had originally asked of them by Jan. 30, Levinsky would only say, “The commissioners said the 2024 election problems were unacceptable and that action was needed to ensure that the
problems at some polling locations do not occur again. When they failed to receive an update on progress in December, they took the steps needed to appoint an independent special counsel so that they can receive the information necessary to improve voting processes for future elections. The commissioners’ action today demonstrates their commitment to delivering residents accountability for the problems that occurred during the November election and to ensure these issues do not happen again.” The press release notes, however, that “both offices,” despite purportedly not having the capabilities to complete a review process, had “gathered information” since the commissioners’ November request. But when asked about what that information comprises, Levinsky responded, “I am not going to get into what information has been gathered at this point.” “The special independent counsel is going to have the opportunity to do a thorough review and then report on that,” Levinsky answered. “And yes, our expectations are that will be made public.” When this newspaper pressed the county spokesman as to whether that already gathered information comprises charts or boxes of paperwork, Levinsky reiterated, “I am not going to get into specifics on what information has been gathered so far.” “What I can say, is the independent special counsel is going to be given the opportunity (to review the information) and the expectation is that they are going to do a thorough review,” Levinsky maintained. In the press release, it was stated, “Appointing independent counsel to conduct the review ensures impartial findings and recommendations in a timely manner.” This newspaper asked Levinsky if Burlington County officials can assure the public that Connell Foley is truly “independent,” to which he answered the “firm is truly independent,” but then he cautioned that he could not rule out, however, that a member of the firm might know somebody affiliated with the Board of Elections or Superintendent of Elections offices. But given Guadagno is a partner of the firm, for example, “chances are, I’m guessing, that … she has had contact or interactions with members of the Burlington County Election Board.” (Sean Earlen, GOP County Chairman, is the Republican member of the Board of Elections, for example.) Levinsky stressed, however, “I don’t know if she is going to be involved with this,” pointed to it being “early” yet in the process, and that it has not been worked out yet “what attorneys from the firm are going to be doing this.” But Levinsky remained confident that the firm is independent from the county and county solicitor, for example. Later, he told this newspaper, “This review is about gathering the information needed to determine what went wrong during the November election and what should be done to prevent it from reoccurring. Connell Foley’s reputation is above reproach, and the commissioners are confident the firm will be able to work expeditiously to deliver a thorough report with recommendations. The firm was just appointed, and the county solicitor (Ashley Buono) expects to meet with them soon to discuss the attorneys who will perform the review and a timeline for See FIASCO/ Page 9
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Photo Provided
Councilman Erik Rebstock celebrates with his family upon being administered the oath of office on Jan. 7 for mayor.
Photo Provided
Michael Czyzyk joins with his family after being administered the oath of office on Jan. 7 for deputy mayor.
MEDFORD
(Continued from Page 1) Assemblyman Brandon Umba, praised his predecessor’s role in the township’s development, but explained that from now on, the positions of mayor and deputy mayor, for which Councilman Michael Czyzyk was selected, would be filled on a “rotating” basis “so that the entire membership of the governing body (wh ich still includes Watson) can share the expanding roles of governing our community.” Evidently not buying that rationale for the altered state of affairs, however, was Zoning Board of Adjustment Acting Chairman Joseph Wolf, who declared, “As far as I'm concerned, this is a hostile takeover of this council, and as far as I’m concerned, you have no integrity whatsoever.” “And once you lose your integrity, you’re not going to get it back,” Wolf added. While Wolf said he would “continue to support Medford” and noted that he and his wife “have been two of the biggest supporters of this council,” he asserted that “going forward, as long as any one of the three of you (presumably referring to Rebstock and recently elected members Czyzyk and Bethany Milk) are on this council, you will not have our support in any way.” To apparently accentuate that intent, Wolf on the following day submitted his resignation, effective as of Jan. 13, from the zoning board, where his official position was vice chairman (as he subsequently confirmed to the Pine
Barrens Tribune). Wolf also charged that he had attended a meeting Czyzyk and Milk had hosted about Lake Pine traffic issues and was subsequently accused “of being there to spy on your meeting,” When he then pressed Czyzyk at the meeting as to whether that was correct, the latter twice replied, “I asked why you were there.” Perhaps even more outspoken was Wolf’s wife, Alberta, who characterized “what happened here tonight” as “terrible” and declared, “This was not done right— not at all.” She further emphasized that as a result, she and her husband were changing their political affiliation from Republican to Independent as “we want to have nothing to do with it because you have destroyed this town,” and contending that “you (an apparent reference to those same council members) would have nothing if it weren’t for Mr. Watson and his team.” Her remarks, in turn, led to a personal exchange with Czyzyk, whom she said could “smirk all you want,” to which he denied having smirked. Then, in response to her accusation that, “You never show up to anything because you are always busy with your kids,” the councilman pointed at her and testily shot back, “Don't speak about my children. You got it?” Czyzyk, in an aside, then addressed Watson, who had been sitting quietly through this back-and-forth, with the comment, “It didn't have to be like this — just so you know,” to which the now-exmayor replied, “I have nothing to do with it, even though you're going to tell me I do.”
“Not h i ng? ” C z y z yk a ske d h i m. “Nothing,” Watson answered, and after getting an “OK” from Czyzyk, added, “You can call me a liar again if you want.” Alberta Wolf further said that she had been researching the Faulkner Act that provides for Medford Township’s form of government and hoped to have that changed by petitioning for direct election of the mayor by local voters. Also expressing admiration for Watson’s achievements while in office, although from a more positive perspective, was former long-time Medford resident and retired Mount Laurel police officer Paul Chenier, who talked about having made a video a number of years ago showing vacant businesses on Main Street for which he was recently told there’s now a waiting list. Chenier even admitted to once having been “pissed off” by Watson’s policies, which “actually affected a member of my family,” and having been highly critical of him and the council on social media. “However, over the years that man has proven me wrong,” he said, noting that he had privately apologized to the mayor, but now wanted to do so publicly as well. Then, as what he called “a gesture from me,” Chenier, an artist who is known for the hand-carved plaques featuring American flags that he has designed for police departments, presented Watson with a similar one inscribed to him. “I’m sure many of the people thank you,” he said in so doing. In sharp contrast to such sentiments were those expressed by Brian Carns, one of two brothers whose mother’s 30-acre family tree farm had been threatened by the Watson administration with hefty fines for their having parked commercial vehicles on the property before the amount of the penalties had been substantially reduced by a judge. “Nobody has divided this community as much as this guy, Chuck Watson,” Carns told those in attendance. “He has pinned so many people against each other. It is insane!” C a r n s c ont i nu e d , i n app a r e nt ly referencing Watson, “Our farm was getting hammered because of you!” “We stood up and we spoke up against our local government,” Carns declared. “And this is where we got to, or where we got people saying awful stuff like, ‘Well, if your mom dies, you guys are going to sell the farm.’ And it has just been endless, endless!” Carns further contended that, “You have not had one normal person come up here and support you, out of this community that is not tied into you in some kind of
Saturday, January 18, 2025
File Photo
A previous photo of Councilman Charles “Chuck” Watson, whose mayoral reign has come to an end, for now.
personal friendly way!” Then, referring to Joseph Wolf’s remarks about dropping his support for the council, Carns asserted that “Whatever he just said – that you guys don’t have his support, you have our support! You three (Czyzyk, Milk and Rebstock), 100 percent!” C a r n s a l s o t o l d Wa t s o n a n d Councilwoman Donna Symons (previous chairwoman of the Zoning Board prior to becoming a councilwoman) that he hoped that “at the end of this year, Chuck and Donna, you guys don’t run because these guys are making changes and Medford is heading in the right direction, finally.” “The best thing you guys can do for this community is let new, fresh people come in with perspectives,” he advised them. “These guys have been outside the box. They have been looking at what is going on here, and they have ways of fixing these problems, or at least engaging with the community." He also flung at Watson, “Your title (of) mayor should have never been near you!” Carns, in passing Alberta Wolf (who had mistakenly come forward ahead of her turn), could also be heard referring to her as a “skank,” a slang term for a “disreputable or sleazy person,” prompting her to comment when she did come up to speak, “You are so lucky to have a gentleman who wants to curse and call a woman a skank. His mother must have taught him that.” The “skank” remark also caused Symons to repeatedly declare, “We need decorum here,” while the mayor banged his gavel. See MEDFORD/ Page 13
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Democrat Dr. Felicia Hopson is sworn in to a third term on the Burlington County Board of Commissioners by Democratic 7th Legislative District State Senator Troy Singleton (right).
Democratic County Commissioner Allison Eckel (left), celebrates her being appointed deputy director of the Burlington County Board of Commissioners for the first time, including with 8th Legislative District Assemblywoman Andrea Katz.
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(Continued from Page 2) Commissioner Allison Eckel, marketing director for Law Enforcement Against Drugs and Violence (L.E.A.D.) and who is the liaison to County Parks and Resource Conservation, has “a deep, passionate commitment to safeguarding our environment” and Commissioner Balvir Singh, a public school teacher, has “made it his vocation” in realization that “the foundation of our youth will be the foundation of our education that allows them to grow.” And Hopson, beginning her third term on the commissioners’ board, Singleton added, is a “steady hand” of “professional leadership” who has a “commitment to our community” and strives to “make sure it is a community for everyone.” “There is no greater person who exemplifies that than our dear friend, Dr. Felicia Hopson,” Singleton declared. Hopson, who resides in Willingboro, first took office in 2019 as only the second Black woman in Burlington County’s history to serve as a county commissioner. She was also the board’s director in 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024. Singleton maintained the experiences and qualifications of the five county com missioners, all Democrats, can be “tied together” and exemplify a “representative democracy,” referring to the 2025 county commissioners’ board as “a true microcosm of our community,” or “something that all of us can be proud of when we think about what we want our
elected representatives to be.” The state senator added, “We want to be able to look in the mirror and see not just faces that look like us, but we want to see ideals that match our ideals.” Burrell, now 28 years old and an associate attorney and chief operating officer at McOmber McOmber & Luber, was first elected at the age of 19 in 2016. Up until this past December, Burrell has ser ved as one of the youngest councilpersons and council presidents in the state. He served a total of eight years on the Delran Township Council. In addition to his previous council service in Delran, he was, up until assuming his commissioner term, the president of the Burlington County Institute of Technology (BCIT) and Burlington County Special Services School District. Burrell, a lifelong Delran resident, is filling a seat on the commissioners’ board previously held by now-former commissioner Dan O’Connell, who opted not to seek re-election in November, or at the end of his second-term full term. W h ile all five com m issioners are “special to me,” Singleton declared, “Tyler is really special to me because I have seen Tyler grow.” “I have seen him grow from being someone who is interested in politics to being a part of politics,” Singleton said. “(He is) someone who decided that in order to make the world a better place, he had to put himself in that place to do it. And he has done it at every level that he has been a part of, and I can’t wait to see where he takes his role as a
LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 7
county commissioner.” Burrell, in making his first public comments since being sworn in, noted that, “On my way here, I couldn’t help but reflect on the great American experiment we call democracy.” “This is where my nerdiness is going to come out, but America was formed on this principle, right?” Burrell continued. “The first line of the Constitution, that we were formed ‘in order to form a more perfect union.’ That is a pretty powerful sentiment. It is a very powerful principle. It is not in order to form a ‘perfect’ union, but instead to form a ‘more perfect’ union. Because perfection is fundamentally impossible. The Framers knew that at the time. That is not a flaw. That is an intentional design in the system. “This pursuit of a more perfect country, a more perfect union, a more perfect county, keeps us moving forward, keeps us striving for better and always improving. It is this endless pursuit of perfection, const antly reach i ng for someth i ng unattainable. It is an engine of great debate that leads to great innovation, and ultimately, to greater government for the people. And that is what I plan to do here on this board, is work tirelessly for the residents of Burlington County on this pursuit for a more perfect community and county, striving each and every day to build a better government that will give us progress.” After the oath of office was administered to Hopson and Burrell, the board choose its leadership positions for 2025 – Hopson will retain the commissioners’ director title, while Eckel was chosen as deputy director. It is the first time Eckel will hold the deputy director title. Hopson exclaimed it is “gratifying to have my colleagues’ vote of confidence in my leadership,” before promising “to do the best for this county, for our towns and for our residents.” “It is not easy to do what you do,” said Hopson to her colleagues. “It is not easy to make decisions that often affect the lives of thousands of residents. “And it is flat out impossible to make everyone happy. So, I need to thank the commissioners here for stepping up and doing a job that many others are not willing to do, to make our county a desirable location.” D u r i ng her D i re c tor’s Me s s age, Hopson said the board remains focused on issues of affordability, health, public safety, land preservation and assisting vulnerable populations.
Newcomer County Commissioner Tyler Burrell describes that the “pursuit of a more perfect country, a more perfect union, a more perfect county, keeps us moving forward, keeps us striving for better and always improving.”
Dr. Felicia Hopson celebrates not only being sworn in, but the state of the county. “We need to continue to help businesses grow and thrive, while still looking out for vulnerable populations,” Hopson declared. “We must make the hard decisions for how our county presents its future, and we must do it intentionally. We must continue the work that we started almost six years ago. Our record reflects these goals and values. “That is why we remain the county with the lowest average county tax. We make sure that the health and wellness of our people, our businesses, and our environment comes first. There is no greater responsibility entrusted to this board than to protect the residents’ health and safety. Our residents need to have basic necessities that many people take for granted, including things like healthy food and a roof over our head.”
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Extreme Couponing Duo in Pemberton Uses Skills of Saving Money to Help Local Families in Need, Including Arranging for Toy Drive By Jenn Lucas Staff Writer
PEMBERTON—More than 300 kids had an extra happy holiday season thanks to two local women and their love of saving money. Two me mb er s of t he Pe mb er ton Coupon Clip It Club have taken their love of saving money and transformed it into a way to give back to their community. E a c h ye a r m e mb e r s of t h e c lub organize a Back-to-School Giveaway and a Holiday Toy Drive to benefit the residents of Pemberton. “We do what we can to help the com munity,” said Nance Coupland, one of the club’s members. “Whether it is couponing for food deals or buying in bulk, we try and see where it can be best used and then donate it there. We are trying to build a better community for all of us.” K i m Tauche star ted the Coupon Club eight years ago and met Coupland when she joined four years later. The club’s initial purpose was to meet other women and teach them how to save money through clipping coupons. As the times changed, so has couponing, Tauche said, and the club was looking to do something more. She said it used to involve a lot more looking through newspapers and clipping and sorting, but now the coupons are mostly digital. With their free time, they decided to see how they could use their skills to give back. The duo has taken what they know about saving money and applied it to helping others. They monitor websites and apps as people will alert them to deals that they hear about. And they have even gone dumpster diving, Coupland said. “A warehouse had gone out of business and someone was going to bring us some toys,” Coupland said. “He asked when we could accept the delivery, and I asked where the dumpster was. I climbed in and was tossing out bags and bags of unopened stuffed animals.” They used the bounty to brighten the day of local seniors and held on to some for later projects.
W hen the duo fi rst st ar te d thei r Christmas giving project, they gathered enough toys and items to help 85 families with gifts, Coupland said, and since then it has been like the Grinch’s heart – growing three times as big as at first. This year, after calling on help from the community, the two were able to help 330 kids. Businesses and groups from all over the area donated items and gifts cards, while the Browns Mills Improvement Association (BMIA) came through with donating space big enough to store and sort the items. “Every day it looked like Christmas on my porch,” Tauche said. “The community was really good about sending us toys. Everyone helped out where they could. Ricardo’s Pizza donated a card for a slice and a soda. The PBA (Police Benevolent Association) donated gift cards for the older kids. We even had ladies, who knit hats and scarves, give us stuff. We are open to whatever people want to give us.” In the end, they collected more than 3,000 items, according to Coupland. In the beginning, they used to ask families what they needed, then they would sort the toys and items that they received into bags for a family. According to Coupland, it was tedious and somewhat confusing at pick-up time, so she came up with a new idea this year to allow families to ‘shop’ for what they needed. The new way of setting it up made Tauche lose sleep since she fears change, the two joked, but in the end, it turned out to be quite successful. “We changed it up this year to make it easier, not just on ourselves, but for everyone,” Coupland said. “Parents can get just what they need.” The two complement each other with their skills, but both are organized beyond belief to keep the wheels turning as smoothly as they do, she said. If the club didn’t work together to score the deals they do, the ladies wouldn’t be able to help so many. Despite the way clipping coupons has changed sig nificantly, their love of saving money and using it to help better everyone, has not.
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Some of the 3,000 toys that were donated by the community to the Coupon Clip It Club’s annual toy drive.
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(Continued from Page 5) delivering a final report.” How Connell Foley entered the picture, according to Levinsky in the phone interview, is that the county commissioners authorized a Request for Proposals (RFP) during its Dec. 27 meeting, it was then advertised, and the law firm was one of the agencies that had reportedly responded. This newspaper previously reported on calls that the county commissioners’ provide for an independent investigation from essentially the beginning of the fiasco, and that Hainesport Township Councilwoman Anna Evans, about a month after the statement that the commissioners and major party chairs were calling on the election agencies to
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(Continued from Page 3) (William “Billy”) DeGroff, (Woodland) Committeeman (Mark) Herndon, and (Woodland) Committeewoman (Donna) Mull for allowing me the opportunity to enter into the shared services agreement almost three years ago,” declared Brown on Dec. 18 in announcing her return to Woodland on an apparently more full-time basis. “As you are aware, Tabernacle has many more components than Woodland Township does, and therefore, working in Tabernacle allowed me to expand my knowledge as clerk/administrator, and I feel that my improved skill set will only benefit Woodland Township moving forward.” Brown then acknowledged that, “I know the agreement with Tabernacle brought some negativity onto the Woodland Committee, but as they always have, they stood behind me and supported me, and for that, I am forever grateful.” Brown also took aim at “those of you who tried to discredit me to the committee,” alleging that some individuals (it was unclear who she was referring to) had gone so far as to spread “lies of pending criminal charges against me.” “Shame on you!” said Brow n i n addressing those who are allegedly spreading the purported lies. “Before you attempt to ruin one’s reputation, you should get your facts straight!” Brown’s salary is a recurrent subject that comes to the forefront of governing body meetings, most recently this past November, with Brown telling “those who were obsessed over my salary, you can rest assured that my salary will be reduced now that the agreement has ended and returned to the Woodland portion only, that was specified for Woodland Township, effective Jan. 1.” “Lastly, to those residents who have supported me and sent encouraging words, thank you,” Brown declared. “They mean a lot.” Brown expressed her hope for the new year that “the negativity can be replaced with positivity and kindness” and that “this town can continue being a great place to live and to work.” Brown was then “welcomed back,” to which she replied, “it is good to be back.” Du r i ng a sub s e quent Wood la nd Township Committee reorganization session on Jan. 6, in what was the polar
conduct a review, had remarked she had heard that an investigation would not begin until sometime in January. When this was pointed out to Levinsky, he was quick to point out that Connell Foley is being asked to conduct an independent “review” and not an “investigation.” When he was asked to define the difference between the two, he responded, “The Burlington County Commissioners want a top-to-bottom review of all aspects of the 2024 Election. Their expectation is that the independent special counsel will gather information from the Election Board, the Superintendent of Elections Office, and others, and then analyze what went wrong and then make recommendations on how to correct any deficiencies. Investigations are generally narrower in scope and do not typically provide recommendations.” Levinsky continually kept maintaining opposite of Tabernacle’s reorganization session (see separate story), there were no changes to Woodland Township’s leadership for 2025. DeGroff will remain as mayor, and Herndon, sworn-in Jan. 1 to another three-year term, was selected again as deputy mayor. Burns will remain on as township solicitor, while Tom Leisse, of Pennoni Associates, was once again reappointed as township engineer. Both Burns and Leisse were present for the Woodland reorganization meeting. Leisse had previously been tasked by DeGroff to put a longstanding project out to bid to install a well at the Chatsworth firehouse to provide a critical water source in the event of a fire/wildfire. The project was put out to bid Dec. 15, with bids advertised as being due by Dec. 27. A special meeting to act on the bids had been scheduled for Dec. 30, but was canceled, and no action came during the Jan. 6 reorganization session. Woodland’s next regular meeting was tentatively scheduled for Jan. 22. Another special meeting did occur, however, on Dec. 12, in which a closed session was held with several Woodland Volunteer Fire and EMS Company officials. As this newspaper previously reported, for the second time in less than a yearand-a-half, a motorist had purportedly run a stop sign on Sept 8, 2024, at Savoy Boulevard and County Routes 563 and 532, and crashed into the Chatsworth firehouse. The impact of the crash left damage not only to the building, but the township’s recently purchased tender truck. What followed were purported attempts to get the insurance company to either arrive at a decision as to whether to fund repairs to the truck, or deem it totaled, which would thereby allow the municipality to obtain reimbursement for a new one. When DeGroff, on Dec. 18, was asked by a resident as to the outcome of the special meeting, he responded, “We are moving forward with the new truck.” “We did get a deposit,” the mayor added. “The insurance company did deem it totaled. So, we are moving forward with a new tanker, as fast as we can get it.” (Brow n, dur i ng the sp e cial De c. 12 me eti ng, an nou nc e d a $132,176 downpayment is required for the new tanker, with a resolution to follow authorizing the entire purchase.) As far as adding mitigating measures
LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 9
of the decision of the county commissioners to arrange for an independent review that it is “honoring their commitment to secure, safe and accessible elections” and that a “very thorough and deliberative review” is “something they wanted all along.” “The commissioners are committed to this,” he continued. “And I mean, I think this is evidence that they are.” Included in the press release were two purported quotes from Commissioners’ Director Dr. Felicia Hopson on the decision to bring in an independent special counsel: “Burlington County residents deserve accountability and appropriate action to ensure the 2024 election failures are not repeated, and our board is committed to making sure that occurs,” Hopson is quoted as saying. “Appointing Connell Foley to conduct this review will provide our board and residents with an impartial assessment
of what went wrong and actionable recommendations on improvements. “… We have decided that it is in the best interest of all parties that the review be performed by an independent thirdparty. We expect the Burlington County Superintendent of Elections and Burlington County Election Board will cooperate fully and we are confident that Connell Foley will deliver a thorough report that will allow us to make informed decisions to address the November election problems.” Levinsky contended to this newspaper that the Jan. 15 decision to appoint Connell Foley was 4-0, with Commissioner Tom Pullion, who had previously called for an outside probe, absent from the session. As for the cost of conducting the ordered review, Levinsky replied, “The firm will bill the county at $400 per hour.”
Photo By Nick Weissmann
Woodland Committeemen William “Billy” DeGroff (left), and Mark Herndon are administered the oath of office Jan. 6 for mayor and deputy mayor, respectively, by Township Administrator/ Clerk Maryalice Brown. to prevent a third such incident at the firehouse (the crash before the one on Sept. 8, 2024, had occurred on Dec. 22, 2022), Leisse reported that his office has come up with “conceptual plans” to install bollards outside the firehouse and “make upgrades to the stop signs.” He said his office was also reviewing “potential installation of rumble strips” in the lane of traffic on Savoy Boulevard leading up to the intersection of concern. DeGroff, following Leisse’s report, revealed the committee was looking to install “flashing” stop signs not only at the intersection of Savoy Boulevard and County Routes 563 and 532, but at another intersection that has been the scene of several bad accidents, Route 72 and Savoy Boulevard.
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Last year, as this newspaper also previously reported, the Woodland committee ultimately decided to audit the fire company, which led to some tension, apparently culminating in the scheduling of the Dec. 12 special meeting. “The meeting was very positive with the fire company,” DeGroff maintained. According to the mayor, the parties “discussed some things” and appeared to agree to have the Woodland governing body “sit down quarterly and meet with the fire company.” In addition to being asked about the status of the special meeting with fire company officials, the committee Dec. 18 also heard public comment from resident See RETURNED/ Page 12
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(Continued from Page 2) county control, we will start demolition work and maintenance of the property, so it is no longer an eyesore and attractive nuisance.” T he for m e r Pe mb e r ton C a mpu s property borders the Rancocas Creek, the county press release pointed out, and has remained vacant for more than five years since the college transitioned from Pemberton to its new main campus in Mount Laurel on Route 38. As the press release recapped, the decision to phase out the Pemberton Campus was made by the college’s Board of Trustees after a facilities study purportedly identified more than $50 million in needed repairs and necessary improvements at the Pemberton location. The study, the county maintained in its press release, also found that Mount Laurel, which first opened in 1995, was the preferred destination for the majority of the college’s students. Since the campus closure, RCBC had purportedly been unable to find a suitable buyer for the campus, and “maintaining the property had become a big challenge,” it was said in the press release. But it was also becoming a costly proposition for RCBC, the Pine Barrens Tribune learned in reviewing available public records. In April 2023, the RCBC Board of Trustees (of which several of its members are appointed by the commissioners’ board) awarded a $199,250 contract to T&M Associates to provide professional services related to the environmental remediation of the Pemberton Campus. Additionally, the RCBC Board of Trustees had awarded CME Associates, Inc., at the time, $42,135 to provide professional services for a boundary survey and related services. The following month, in May 2023, M & M Construction Company, Inc., received $587,000 from the RCBC Board of Trustees for the demolition of what was known as the Academic Building on the Pemberton campus. Then, in September 2023, Plymouth Environmental Co., Inc., was tasked by the RCBC Board of Trustees with env i ron ment a l re me d iat ion of the remaining buildings on the Pemberton Campus at a cost of $284,000. And during this past August and September, the RCBC Board of Trustees awarded three contracts relating to an underground storage tank on the Pemberton Campus, including an initial $5,100 one to French & Parrello Associates for “the discovery and investigation” of the tank, and another to the same firm “related to the closure and reporting of the underground storage tank” for $16,400. The board also gave $38,530 to AWT Environmental for the tank’s “removal and remediation.” When asked if RCBC had comment on the land acquisition, RCBC President Dr. Michael A. Cioce stated, “This closes a chapter in the college’s history, which allows us to focus on our goal of helping students transform their lives through education. We look forward to the campus’ new future as county property.” W hen this newspaper first began
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hearing rumblings in December of this past year that the county was nearing a land acquisition deal, this newspaper inquired of Levinsky about what the county intends to do with the property after the demolition is completed. “The county is also exploring a number of different options for future use, recognizing the importance of maintaining the sensitive environmental ecosystem in the Pinelands, as well as the need for economic development,” he replied. This newspaper, after the announcement, asked Levinsky once again if the county has any specific plans for the property. “I think the press release speaks for itself,” is how Levinsky initially responded. “The county’s focus is to demolish the buildings and get the property cleaned up. As for future use, that’ll be determined at a later date. But the intent is for it to be an asset for both Pemberton and the county as a whole.” When asked a second time, Levinsky responded, “Eventually, at a future date, determination will be made about what that property will be used for moving forward … again, with the intent that it will be an asset for Pemberton and the county as a whole. But as far as I know, again, those decisions aren’t being made, and aren’t the immediate focus right now. Right now, we are focused on getting the building demolished.” No fir m date for demolishing the buildings was set, Levinsky noted, but he indicated it would happen in short order. “It has become an attractive nuisance,” Levinsky said. “The county is taking action to make sure that property is cleaned up and is no longer an eyesore.” Asked once more what is intended for a future use of the property, Levinsky responded, “I think the answer to the question of what the future of that property is going to be is literally ‘to be determined.’” “No de cision, no fi nal de cisions have been made about what to do with that property,” Levinsky emphasized. “Certainly, there are different options that the county is going to explore.” P e m b e r t o n To w n s h i p , a s t h i s newspaper previously reported, had moved to redevelop the property with housing under the former Democratic Mayor David Patriarca administration. But that plan reportedly fell through. Current GOP Mayor Jack Tompkins, when he ran for office, said he would like to be the “squeaky wheel” for a federal takeover of the tract, in hopes that the property would become a Veteran’s Administration (VA) Clinic. Tompkins and the mayor’s office did not respond to a request from this newspaper for his reaction to the announcement from the county, as of press time, and Republican Council President Joshua Ward told this newspaper he would “defer to administration.” What Hopson is quoted as saying in the county press release about the future of the property is that the county does not have immediate plans, besides the demolition of the structures, to address the safety hazards, but all possibilities will be explored. “This was a beautiful property, and our intent is for it to once again become an asset for Pemberton and the entire county,” she added.
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(Continued from Page 1) Tabernacle Town Hall, and in further signifying that the new committee is intending to turn the page, during its reorganization session, it appointed both a new engineering and law firm to assist the township moving forward. But before the governing body could make changes to its professionals, committee newcomers Grace McCloskey and David Oiler, both Republicans, were administered the oath of office by local 8th District State Senator Latham Tiver. McCloskey and Oiler join existing GOP committee members Joseph Barton, Noble McNaughton and William J. Sprague, Jr., to comprise the 2025 governing body. Barton, McNaughton and Sprague have been working as a committee majority since last summer to reverse the previous decision of a prior majority comprising of nowformer committee members Mark Hartman, Samuel “Sammy” Moore and Natalie Stone to demolish Tabernacle Town Hall. Barton and McNaughton were prior c om m it t e e me mb er s a nd prev iou s township mayors, but McNaughton returned to the public body after a break as things began heading south, and Barton returned to the governing body last summer amid the political fallout over the demolition decision. They, along with Sprague, steered the committee through the turbulent time, which ultimately ended with Town Hall being stabilized, instead of torn down, and thereby, a judge dismissing a lawsuit that had resulted in a temporary injunction order stopping the demolition from moving forward. When Hartman and Moore lost their reelection bids in a June 2024 GOP Primary, Hartman shortly thereafter stepped down as township mayor, but blamed his doing so on increased work-related responsibilities. It saw McNaughton, who had opposed any demolition of Town Hall along with Sprague, becoming mayor, and Barton, who filled the shoes of Stone after her resignation, becoming the deputy mayor. On Jan. 6, it was decided that the two men will switch leadership roles for 2025 – Barton will serve as mayor, while McNaughton will serve as deputy mayor. “It has been an interesting year,” said McNaughton in reflecting on 2024 after the 2025 leadership roles were affirmed. “A little trying at times. I think we came out ahead of the game.” McNaughton further declared, “We’re making progress,” and in pointing to other issues which compounded the problems of last year, such as limited public engagement opportunities, the now-deputy mayor pointed out, “We’ve reopened this board to the public.” Among some of the other changes that began taking effect prior to the Jan. 6 reorganization meeting, is the appointment of a new township administrator and clerk, with Kathy Burger brought on board to replace Maryalice Brown, the latter who was sharing her services through an agreement with neighboring Woodland Township. “The last month with Kathy has been really good,” McNaughton relayed. Additionally, Rodney Haines, who had been serving as chief financial officer for Tabernacle, has now departed the post, with Haines replaced with Christie Ehret.
With McCloskey and Oiler now on board the Tabernacle committee, McNaughton declared, “I am looking forward to a board that is going to work hard to improve Tabernacle, to maintain Tabernacle and basically do what the public wants us to do.” One of the first actions the new committee took was to replace Attorney William Burns, of Hartman Duff, LLC, with Tom Coleman, of Raymond Coleman Heinold LLP. Burns’ consultations with the previous committee, and correspondences with the court amid the Town Hall lawsuit, were the subject of public criticism after initially appearing to only prolong a court-ordered closure of Medford Lakes-Tabernacle Road last year, all while the fate of Town Hall was decided. Burns had initially reinforced a determination of Tom Leisse, of Pennoni Engineering, that the building had posed an imminent danger and could fall into the road. Leisse’s opinion, as previously reported by th is newspap er, was u lti mately contradicted by a structural engineer from his own firm, Rich Roberts, in addition to an independent, court-appointed structural engineer. Additionally, Leisse was ultimately replaced with Joseph Raday in representing Tabernacle for Pennoni. The new committee, however, on Jan. 6, decided to go with a new engineering firm altogether – Environmental Resolutions, Inc., also known locally as ERI, with its president, Christopher J. Noll, in attendance for the Tabernacle session. T h e n e w e ng i n e e r i ng fi r m w i l l presumably be tasked with full restoration of Tabernacle Town Hall, which remains shuttered, and planning a new municipal complex of some sort, given that the township offices are currently based in temporary construction trailers. “For those who aren’t familiar with Environmental Resolutions, they were the engineer of record in Medford, when Medford did their construction of their new town hall,” pointed out Barton, with there being a link to Burger, who was the then-municipal manager and clerk of Medford who oversaw the successful Medford Town Hall project. “So, we are hoping to be able to take that expertise that has been had, Chris, because one big project is going to be reconstructing our town center. And we look forward to your help with that.” Last year, after the then-Tabernacle committee abandoned a plan to build a potentially $8 million new Town Hall complex at 144 Carranza Road amid public opposition to the location and size of the expenditure, with a belief the current municipal center at 163 Carranza Road is the center of the town and should remain as such, McNaughton appointed a Building Subcommittee to explore the future of the existing Town Hall, as well as ways to possibly add on to the building given Pinelands Commission and stormwater management restrictions that will have to be navigated. Barton, on Jan. 6, reappointed what he called a “Tabernacle Town Hall Center Subcommittee” comprising local Transparency Advocate and Resident St u ar t Brooks, for mer mayor and Tabernacle Historical Society President Richard Fran zen, Land Use Board Chairman Raymond C. McCarty, Jr., in addition to the mayor. In addition to the Town Hall, there
LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 11
Photo Provided
Republican David Oiler is administered the oath of office for Tabernacle Township Committee by GOP 8th Legislative District State Senator Latham Tiver.
Photo Provided
Republican Grace McCloskey is administered the oath of office for Tabernacle Township Committee by GOP 8th Legislative District State Senator Latham Tiver. are two other issues that have reportedly persisted, one being the Tabernacle Rescue Squad (TRS) reportedly struggling with membership and looking to merge with the Hampton Lakes Emergency Squad in Southampton. The other is the purported la ck of St at e Pol ic e e n forc e me nt, particularly in regard to Hawkin(s) Road, a 25-mph thoroughfare that connects Carranza Road to Route 206, and is thereby traveled heavily by nearby Seneca High School students and staff. Barton announced the appointment of a “Public Safety Subcommittee,” comprising McCloskey and Oiler, “to look into public safety, meaning TRS, emergency services, the fire company, OEM, and the state police when necessary.” “So, I appreciate you both willing to take that role on and do some fact-finding, and someday reporting back to this committee, and if we have a problem in any of those organizations, certainly we’ll be looking to you,” Barton said. McNaughton remarked of McCloskey and Oiler that “in the nine years that I was on the committee before, and now I’m starting my third year here, I have seen a lot of people come and go on the committee,” but that “I have never had two people come on the committee who ask so many questions about the committee, and the township, that these two new members have.” “They are raring to go, and they have a thirst for knowledge about the township
and the committee, and how we operate,” McNaughton asserted. The intricacies of the Town Hall problem will likely require the involvement of the Tabernacle Township School District, as well as its Board of Education, as the municipality looks to possibly tie into the school district’s septic system, while the Hawkin Road matter requires collaboration with the Lenape Regional High School District (LRHSD), of which Seneca is a part. McCloskey, an educator at Seneca, according to Barton, has “agreed to work with me on a subcommittee with the schools.” “And we will be meeting with the Tabernacle superintendent and probably two other board members, and also with the Lenape District and with Seneca,” reve ale d Bar ton, hop efu l that the establishment of the subcommittee, which the township committee once had during his previous governing body tenure, “will open up those lines of communication, so it’ll be easier for us to communicate with them when there are issues that we need to talk to them about.” Barton was also hopeful that “there are some synergies that we can share between us.” McNaughton also revealed he had been contacted by a State Trooper who will be coming aboard as a “new station commander” for the local Red Lion See FRESH/ Page 15
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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES
(Continued from Page 3) township law, as well as a state statute that only recently came to light, resulted in the acting mayor title going instead to the longest-serving GOP committeeman, James F. Young, Sr. Young, a former 25-year mayor of the municipality through Dec. 31, 2019, when Mikulski took over, held the acting role until Oct. 30, 2024, when following the appointment of Republican Arnold Harrison to fill out Mikulski’s unexpired committee term, Republican Committeeman William Raftery made a spontaneous motion, which passed in a 4-1 vote, to appoint longtime GOP Committeewoman Elizabeth Rossell as mayor to fill out Mikulski’s remaining mayoral term. Then, that nomination vote was reaffirmed a month later in a unanimous vote. Rossell chaired two full committee meetings as mayor, but there were some apparent, subtle indications up until Heston’s nomination during the Jan. 2 reorganization session that the decision to pass over Heston (who has had a wealth of experience in local government, in addition to his service on the committee) for township mayor was not sitting well with some locals, and even some on the governing body. And, while the township committee has since updated the roles and responsibilities of a township deputy mayor, it was contended that in Southampton’s form of government, per state statute, a deputy mayor cannot
MERGER
(Continued from Page 4) them, and we are trying to have an impact. So, if you are interested, let us know. If you want to be on the school board, we’d love to talk to you.” Committeeman Brian Woods, who was appointed deputy mayor during the Jan. 7 session, then revealed he was “asked by a couple of residents” whether the Shamong district is actively pursuing pre-K grants, to which he maintained “that is a good question to ask” of Shamong district officials. After noting “a lot of towns” are being awarded such grants, Woods asserted,
SEATED
(Continued from Page 7) Hopson then pointed to the recent g rou ndb r e a k i ng c e r e mony for a n emergency shelter, an ongoing renovation of the county’s Health Building, the boosting of Burlington County’s FirstTime Homebuyer Assistance Program and the conti nu ation of the “ou r food assistance initiative,” in addition to the commissioners’ having created a grant program “for food pantries, food banks, and soup kitchens so that residents can receive help within their neighborhoods
RETURNED
(Continued from Page 9) Terry Sheerin, who again questioned why township officials were involving Leisse and his engineering firm with upcoming roofing repairs versus simply retaining a roofer. “Have any of you contacted an engineer
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automatically serve as an acting mayor. Young, who cast the lone opposing vote on Rossell’s mayoral nomination back on Oct. 30, immediately nominated Heston for mayor on Jan. 2 when a call was made for nominations for who should serve as 2025 township mayor. Heston seconded his own nomination, and in what he later acknowledged was a surprise, no other nominations were heard. Instead, a 5-0 committee vote ensued appointing him township mayor. “My statement is, as you probably know, I was very surprised to hear my name put in motion,” declared Heston in reacting to his being chosen as mayor. “I will do the best I can to work with the committee, so that we can all serve the residents of Southampton. That is what we are here for.” He st on , a fat h e r of t h r e e w it h two grandchildren, who has lived in Southampton since Jan. 1, 1966, or for the past 58 years, has been an elected committeeman for the past 12 years, serving as the liaison to the Budget Committee. He and Raftery are also liaisons to the Public Works Department. In addition to his deputy mayor stint in 2024, he served as township deputy mayor two previous times. Prior to Heston becoming a township committeeman, he served for 16 years on the Southampton Township Board of Education, including 12 years as the board’s vice president. Additionally, Heston served 19 years on the Southampton Township Zoning
Board, including 14 years as its chairman. He was also appointed nine years ago to the township Planning Board as its Township Committee Representative. Last year, the township committee decided to merge the township’s Planning and Zoning Boards into a single Land Development Board, and Heston has been a member of that as well. In 2018, Heston was selected “Resident of the Year” by the township committee. During his time on the governing body, he has worked with Young to arrange the township’s annual Christmas Concert, which raises funds for school families in need. For the past four years, Heston has been the Master of Ceremonies for the township’s Summer Concert Series. One of the most profound impacts he has had on the township has been his 25-year involvement on the township’s Memorial Day Parade Committee, with him serving as Parade Master for a number of those years. Heston, in the capacity of Parade Master, is responsible for the “starting up and line up of the parade,” as he explained to this newspaper. After the chairing of the reorganization meeting was turned over to Heston by Township Clerk Melanie Brown, nominations were called for the position of deputy mayor, with the committee unanimously choosing Rossell (who by being chosen for the last two months of 2024 as mayor, became the municipality’s first female mayor) as deputy mayor for 2025.
Heston recognized during the Jan. 2 reorganization session that “we have a community that watches the budget very closely,” and in turn, during the past seven years, for five of those years, the committee did not increase the local purpose tax, and “as we move forward – I’ll speak on behalf of the whole committee, we are still going to be watching the budget.” “There are a few things we need to accomplish, and we’ll work together to get those things done,” Heston said. “But thank you, committee, and I look forward to working with you.” There were no significant changes to the township’s professionals, and in one of the final items of business for the reorganization s e s s ion , Tow n sh ip Ad m i n i s t r at or Brandon Umba made a “public service announcement” that the “operating hours of the township are changing.” The new operating hours are Monday through Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (opening a half-hour earlier), and Friday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. (closing an hour earlier). “And that is with the full support of the staff, which is very important when you are changing hours, that the staff joins in on it,” Heston declared. What followed the township committee’s reorganization meeting was the township Board of Health reorganization session, with the board, comprising the five township committee members, deciding that Rossell will become chairwoman of the board, replacing its longtime chairman, Heston.
“So, I’d like to see if we applied for that, or where we are on that.” It was at that point Di Croce revealed, “We are looking at some interesting issues and ideas, whether or not schools could be merged, which is probably with Tabernacle, for example.” Di Croce also maintained that the purported exploration is also allegedly examining whether or not the Shamong district could “use Tabernacle’s busing” because “they own their buses.” The purported intent of allegedly look i ng i nto the ideas, he fu r ther maintained, is to see “whether or not we could cut out the waste.” He then questioned whether the local
school district needs various principals and vice principals, contending “the amount of money that they are being paid is phenomenal.” “So, we are looking into all that, and we are trying to roll back these increases for the future,” Di Croce declared. “So, see if we can get ahold of that to make our town a little more livable! So, with that, we’ll ask for approval of the attached bill list.” The bill list was then approved. Fer m i n- Can non, when presented with Di Croce’s comments, told this newspaper, “We would like to clarify that no discussions or plans with township officials are underway regarding the merger of our districts.”
She also vowed that, “Any significant changes to our district’s structure would involve a transparent, collaborative process with extensive public input.” Fermin-Cannon also added, “Thank you for your commitment to reporting accurately on issues that impact our schools.” Banin, also appreciative of the opportunity to respond, told this newspaper, “I concur with Mrs. Cannon’s response.” As for whether the Shamong district intends on applying for pre-K grants, Fermin-Cannon told this newspaper, “Yes, our district will be applying for the Preschool Expansion Grant through the NJDOE (New Jersey Department of Education) for the 2025-26 school year.”
and communities.” In looking forward, Hopson announced plans for the county to launch its “firstever mobile health unit” to bring health services like vaccinations, as well as HIV and blood screenings, into communities on a regular basis, in addition to the “targeting” of “some other significant properties” for open space preservation, as well as plans for the county to “begin construction on new trails.” She referred to the activities underway and planned as “investments in our residents’ health, mobility, and overall quality of life” that “will help our county economy stay strong and make our
communities more attractive.” Both the Health Depar t ment renovations and mobile unit are being funded with state grants, according to county officials. And the county, Hopson added, will be “gearing up” for both America’s 250th Anniversary Celebration and the World Cup in 2026. “Because of Burlington County’s location between Philadelph ia, Washington, D.C., and New York, we expect a large overflow of tourists at our hotels, restaurants, and entertainment sites,” Hopson said. “It is a g reat opportunity for our local businesses
and a chance for us to spotlight our county’s unique and amazing history, environ ment, and com munity. Our board has already passed a resolution to partner and support Revolution New Jersey, the official organizer for New Jersey’s statewide celebration of America’s anniversary. We plan to work with the Bridge Commission and its Department of Economic Development, the Burlington County Park System, and local towns, businesses, and nonprofits to create an extensive list of events and programs for the anniversary celebration. It is going to be a memorable year.”
before you put your roof on?” Sheerin asked. “Come on, guys! … I am just saying to get a roofer up there and get it done!” Brown responded that Woodland is “a commercial entity,” adding, “We can’t just hire a roofer. We have to have specifications and plans drawn because we are a commercial building.” When Sheerin then asked if a public
record indicating such a requirement is something she could obtain through an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request, Leisse responded, “You are a municipal entity – anything over $17,500 has to be publicly bid.” “In order to bid it, you have to design it,” Leisse added. “So, that is where the engineer comes in.”
When Sheerin shot back that the township “is not designing it,” but “replacing it,” Leisse retorted “you need permit plans and design plans” in order “for somebody to bid” on the project. “Roofers don’t build the project,” added Leisse of the purpose of an engineer being involved in such a project. “Roofers don’t design the project.”
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(Continued from Page 6) In a similar vein, another resident, K r isten Si nclai r, a memb er of the Medford Township Board of Education, came forward to admonish some of those who spoke for their lack of civility, describing herself as “really disgusted at the behavior of adults who came to speak to our government and put everything emotionally involved in their personal lives onto all of you.” “I would never expect somebody to come to my board meeting and talk about my family and my motivation, and I think that is complete disrespect for everything that we all believe about Mayor Watson,” Sinclair maintained. “I came here tonight to look him in the face and thank him for his service (as well as) to say that I am sorry that this is an
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uncomfortable time and that I appreciate all of you serving.” The final public comment came from David Carns, Brian’s brother, who called Rebstock’s ascendancy to the mayor’s seat “a big deal,” saying, “You guys should all be happy for him.” “Love the new faces, good things are happening, winds of change,” he added, before pointing in the direction of the Wolfs and saying, “Losers.” Rebstock, in his opening remarks p r ior t o t h e c o n fl i c t i ng op i n io n s voiced by residents, thanked his fellow councilmembers for the honor of having been chosen mayor, credited Watson’s “dedication and deter mination” for being one of the reasons that Medford is where it is today, noting that the latter had first been appointed 14 years ago to fill a vacant seat, then ran for election and twice was re-elected. In that time, he observed, “There is
no doubt Medford has changed, grown and developed into a South Jersey town of acclaim.” “From his impact on the Main Street Business District, to a healthy growth mindset of affordable housing and his part in growing a more accessible municipal government via our new town hall, more
than anyone currently on council and in our community, we are where we are because of him,” Rebstock continued. “So, on behalf of council,” Rebstock declared, “we thank you, Mayor Watson” – a sentiment followed by applause from both those at the council table and at least some of the residents in attendance.
G a dd de s c r ib e d h av i ng m a de “mu ltiple phone cal ls” to Atlantic County officials, in addition to him putting the detour signs “back up myself over a half a dozen times.” Cavileer’s question, and the response of the mayor, led another resident who
did not identify herself, to point to a “huge pothole” on Lower Bank Road, also known as the “two-mile stretch” connecting Washington Township to Atlantic County, with the thoroughfare the only available detour route at the moment, given another bridge project on Burlington
County Route 542. The woman warned of the pothole that it “opened up since the snowplows have been over there,” and, “It is good enough to swallow a tire.” Gadd said he would again make attempts to contact Atlantic County.
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(Continued from Page 11) Barracks, who pledged working with the township to address Hawkin(s) Road. McCloskey, in her first comments as a committeewoman, recognized she has “a lot to learn,” but noted she “has been doing a lot of reading and a lot of questioning, and I will continue to do a lot of questioning and a lot of reading.” “I hope that I can be a part of doing things better for Tabernacle,” she said. “I have been here a long time, and I’d like to see things done better.” Brooks, dur i ng publ ic com ment, declared he is “hopeful of a better year,” before extending praise on McNaughton “for leading the committee with your very honest grace.” “You showed concern for every issue, both those on the agenda and those also raised by the citizens,” said Brooks of McNaughton having taken over the mayoral post from summer to winter 2024. “Not every problem was solved, but you took the concerns to heart and sincerely addressed them. And I think that is all any of us can expect, or hope for, from a public servant.”
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Fran Brooks, Stuart’s wife and also a local transparency advocate, said of the new committee, “I can’t tell you what a breath of fresh air this is for me, because of the way past committees operated.” “When Noble took over, it was a huge breath of fresh air, and I think everything that Stuart has said about Noble’s performance is true, to the point, and I believe that we are going to carry on in the manner in which the road he has set forth for this committee,” Fran Brooks declared. “That will be a real breath of fresh air.” While Stuart Brooks said McNaughton a c t e d “a d m i r a b l y ” i n h i s wo r k , McNaughton was quick to dismiss that it was just his efforts alone, pointing to the joint-effort of him, Barton and Sprague to get the committee to this point, though Barton attested it was “Noble’s leadership.” Sprague ultimately revealed that at one point in 2024, when he and McNaughton were simply outnumbered on the Town Hall decisions, and the ensuing anger by the public only increased to the point there was “collateral damage for all the yelling and screaming,” he had “considered resigning.” “All I can say is, damn, what a year,” said Sprague in reflecting on the events
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of 2024. “You folks in town, I appreciate how hard you guys worked to accomplish what you’ve accomplished (by voting in the new committee members). … And it was a tough year. … What a difference a year makes, and voting has consequences, and here we are. And I just want to say thank you to everyone who was part of that.” The moment was a testament, he indicated, that when the community works together for change and is in support of the committee, “we can do anything.” Stuart Brooks reminded the committee that “reorganization is a time of setting goals and trying to do better than before,” and then he and his wife called upon them to spend “our money wisely and properly,” reminding the governing body that “your professionals, when they arrive, are here to do the committee’s work; they are not here to do the work of any one individual.” Stuart Brooks went on to slam a prior committee member for causing the previous professionals to spend money on exploring what amounted to a “private idea,” which turned into a “bad idea,” while Fran Brooks charged of the three previous committee members that “too many resolutions were adopted in committee reports, by individuals who raised issues that had never been vetted
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and never were discussed previously.” “There is a process for you to raise ideas and get them on the agenda,” Stuart Brooks emphasized. “They are discussed as ‘new business.’ There is a process for spending money. You vote as a committee to do it, and I am sure that Ms. Burger will help you with that process as the year goes along. I guess the guiding principle is it all has got to be done in public.” Mark LeMire, head of the local GOP who was in favor of preserving Tabernacle Town Hall, called the seating of the new committee a “very exciting day.” “I want to thank every one of you for stepping up,” LeMire said. “Certainly, to our two new members. I have been coming to these meetings for a long time. We have got a lot of people on the board. But I don’t think I have ever felt better about the seated board we have today. I have known many of you for many, many years. And I just want to say the level of integrity and intelligence, and experience that you guys are going to bring to this table, is just, I think, beyond description. So, I just want to thank everybody for stepping up. I know it has been a hardship at times, but I just want to thank you, and say that as a citizen, as a resident, I am just thrilled to have you guys on the board.”
Page 16 ♦
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