Pine Barrens Tribune November 23 - November 29, 2024
By D ouglas D. M elegari
Staff Writer
SHAMONG—Burlington County officials and an engineering firm assisting them, Pennoni Engineering, again presented
Nov. 12 their plans for a “roundabout” at the intersection of Stokes and Willow Grove roads in Shamong Township, this time giving a construction commencement timeframe of fall 2025, with an anticipated
completion date of winter 2026. However, also yet again, members of the Shamong Township Committee, including Mayor Michael Di Croce, as
By D ouglas D. M elegari
Staff Writer
MOUNT HOLLY—The all-
Democratic Burlington County Board of Commissioners held its first meeting Nov. 13 since an Election Day meltdown of the county’s voting system reportedly left voters disenfranchised with wait times to vote inperson Nov. 5 reportedly exceeding some six hours at various polling sites, with an estimated average wait of two to four hours.
And Democratic Burlington County Commissioner Balvir Singh, in an apparent departure from his colleagues and the statements that have been put out during the past two weeks by the county’s public information team, declared, in part, “I take the full blame” for what happened, and then in pointing to the county’s Board of Elections and Superintendent of Elections offices, which so far have not taken responsibility for the fiasco, as of press time, asserted, “somebody has to take the responsibility for messing this up because
Sets Stage for Allowing Cannabis Sales, Considers Requiring Cranberry Festival Vendors to Get Their Own Dumpsters and Previews Forthcoming ‘Significant’ and ‘Multifaceted’ Litigation for Unkempt Lot Social Media Posts Preceding Meeting and Queries Heard During Session Over Raises and Planned Veterans’ Monument Give Rise to Tirade by Mayor
By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer
WOODLAND—A pronouncement that an enterprise is purportedly interested in selling cannabis in Woodland Township, a donation presentation to the local fire company for its assistance with the Chatsworth Cranberry Festival, discussion of a possible requirement for Cranberry Festival vendors to get their own dumpsters, a threat to bring legal action against those illegally dumping at the township transfer station, the anticipation of the township bringing “significant litigation” against the owner of a purportedly unkempt property, and a decision to go out to bid for a new well for the Chatsworth firehouse were all part of an Oct. 30 Woodland Township Committee meeting.
Also part of the session were at times terse exchanges between the officials, including Woodland Mayor William “Billy” DeGroff, and public pertaining to the salary of Township Administrator and Clerk Maryalice Brown, employment status of Construction Official Tom Boyd, and engineering background of Township Engineer Tom Leisse, as well as the upkeep of the municipal building and a planned
new veterans’ monument.
The committee, in one of its first actions of the night, introduced an ordinance that would “permit cannabis establishments, distributors and delivery services” in Woodland Township.
The township, as previously reported by this newspaper, never took any action back in 2021 related to allowing or disapproving six cannabis business licensing classes, as designated by the state.
According to the New Jersey League of Municipalities, a municipality that failed to enact an ordinance prohibiting the operation of one or more classes of cannabis establishments, before Aug. 21, 2021, is now precluded from passing an ordinance banning the operation for a period of five years.
After the five-year period, a municipality has another 180-day window to prohibit or limit cannabis operations, but this action only applies prospectively, according to the League.
During the five-year period, towns who initially opt-out can opt-in at any time.
According to Brown on Oct. 30, she and Township Solicitor William Burns “didn’t
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By Bill B onvie Staff Writer
MOUNT HOLLY—For Robert Stanley of Hainesport, exercising his right to vote, as he puts it, “is just as important to me as making a living,” coming “right after feeding my family.”
So when Stanley, a heavy-equipment mechanic and self-described political Independent, discovered this past week that despite having been among the first voters to arrive at his local polling place after it opened on Election Day, that he had
actually been deprived of that right due to an apparent sequence of inexplicable blunders, he was, as he put it, “appalled, frustrated, violated, and some words that I don’t think you can print.”
Having studied computer technology at Burlington County Institute of Technology, Stanley is hardly a stranger to the realm of cyber-operating systems, as many of today’s voters might be.
“I know how computers think and how they work,” he told the Pine Barrens Tribune in a phone interview this past week.
Nevertheless, he ran into problems from practically the moment he arrived, along with his cousin at the Hainesport Municipal Building, the township’s only polling place, promptly at 6 a.m., well before the lines that would soon become several hours-long began forming, not only there, but throughout Burlington County’s similarly equipped municipalities.
After allowing an “older gentleman with a cane” to go ahead of him, Stanley said he stepped up to the check-in area where a poll worker is supposed to validate someone’s eligibility to vote on one of the township’s two relatively new Dominion machines that were designed to service two individuals at a time (replacing the eight machines previously in use), only
to have the printer malfunction. Instead of printing the number assigned to him on an “activation code slip,” he said, the slip came out of the printer blank—an apparent result of the paper having been inserted backward by the poll worker, according to Stanley.
The error, however, while seemingly simple enough, was not one that any of the polling place personnel were able to correct.
“I was told I couldn’t use the machine without that number,” he said.
And since his information had already been processed, the number could no longer be printed. When it soon became evident that no one knew what to do, a call was placed to the county’s tech-assistance
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well as a number of residents, pressured county officials to take the roundabout route and forgo planned installation, in favor of perhaps creating a four-way stop intersection instead, or seeing how recently installed flashing solar lights at what is currently a two-way stop intersection might help to alleviate the number of accidents there.
Not only did a number of locals on Nov. 12 suggest the proposed roundabout is not needed and does not fit in with the rural characteristics of the municipality, and took issue with anticipated property acquisition, but the estimated price tag for it is also drawing controversy, with a revised estimate of $2.5 million provided, all as an official acknowledged that the cost does not include the land acquisition.
Also heard during the Nov. 12 Shamong Township Committee meeting, in which county officials delivered an updated presentation on their proposal to the allRepublican body, is a claim by one county official that a traffic study has reportedly not been performed at the intersection in question.
Di Croce, when it was all over, asked the attending county officials to take the comments back to their superiors and discuss the project further, though Township Solicitor Doug Heinold, in response to public pressure for the current committee to reverse a prior vote of a past committee supporting the roundabout, spoke of how the township, in the event of any incident at the intersection, could be on the hook for potentially millions of dollars if it does not follow along with the county’s recommendations.
Beth-Ann Grasso, who has been a senior engineer of Pennoni Engineering for decades, and was elevated in 2023 to Associate Vice President of New Jersey Transportation for the firm, began the latest presentation to the Shamong committee by exclaiming, “not everybody fully understands what a roundabout is,” maintaining people conflate what is being proposed with that of the “old-fashioned circle” where Routes 206 and 70 come together in nearby Southampton Township.
“We are not proposing to build an oldfashioned circle,” Grasso declared.
While there are “all different kinds of circular intersections,” Grasso pointed out, what is proposed for the intersection of Stokes and Willow Grove roads in Shamong is a “modern roundabout.”
Then, after showing pictures of more sophisticated circular intersections installed in Kingston, New York, Farmington, New Jersey, and Logan Square in Philadelphia, Grasso asserted, “We are doing nothing like that.”
Instead, the Pennoni engineer maintained, a modern roundabout, with its counterclockwise circulation, is being chosen for the corner of Stokes and Willow Grove roads as it “slows vehicles down” to an average speed of 13 mph with its “deflected islands.”
“And what it does is it eliminates a lot of your conflict points,” Grasso said. “So, it eliminates a car coming into an intersection and turning left and being hit by a vehicle that is coming from the left side to the right side.” By doing so, she added, it limits the potential for sideswipes, as well as “eliminates” head-on collisions, or what she called the “most dangerous” ones that “results in the most serious of injuries,” contending a modern roundabout “increases the safety, besides lowering the speed.”
A modern roundabout has eight conflict points, according to Grasso, or “in other words, eight potential places where you could be hit by a car,” versus “32 conflict points in a traditional intersection,” or “32 different directions that there could be an accident.”
Burlington County has already installed a roundabout at the intersection of County Routes 528 and 660 (also known as Old York and Bordentown-Chesterfield roads), which Grasso cited as a “case study” in preparation for the Shamong project.
A “crash comparison,” according to Grasso, revealed that by having a modern roundabout installed at the Chesterfield intersection, it took the number of annual crashes down from between five and seven a year to zero to one annually.
“So, we had a collision reduction of 79 percent,” said Grasso of the study that looked at the five years prior to the Chesterfield roundabout being installed, and the five years afterwards.
She noted the number of “injury collisions” at the Chesterfield site also dropped from two to 0.2, or what has amounted to a 90 percent reduction.
“I encourage everybody to go up and drive through that roundabout because the roundabout that we are proposing here will be nearly a mirror image of that particular roundabout,” said Grasso of the Chesterfield roundabout. “It will have the same types of surfaces, and the same types of lighting. It is very similar with where the basins and the drainage are located.”
Other similarities, the Pennoni engineer maintained, are that the Chesterfield roundabout “is in a rural area” and replaced an intersection with a flashing light.
Grasso proclaimed that “we will be submitting for permits to the Pinelands (Commission) shortly.”
It is anticipated, she added, the project will obtain all the necessary approvals from various county and state agencies by spring 2025.
“We anticipate construction may start, at the earliest, in fall of 2025,” Grasso revealed. “And construction should be completed sometime in winter of 2026.”
She cautioned, however, there are “a lot of moving parts” and the provided dates are estimates.
Originally, it was anticipated that the roundabout would already be installed by now, as previously reported by this newspaper, but after some initial controversy, and then the Coronavirus pandemic, the project appeared to take a pause, up until recently when residents came to the Shamong committee with concerns about surveying work being done on their properties.
At the time, Di Croce, an attorney in his day job, vowed to do everything that he could to support the residents in their efforts to stop what he called a “circle,” including getting behind any legal filing that they might make. He repeatedly exclaimed, “We don’t want it.”
Grasso acknowledged Nov. 12, in pointing to the “four corners” of the existing intersection, that, “I will tell you that we are going to be taking a small amount of right-of-way (ROW), or we are going to be negotiating a small amount of ROW from the municipal building,” in addition to “from across the street, where the church house is” and “off the farm field.”
“So, there are three corners we anticipate negotiating ROW,” Grass emphasized.
Resident Tim McGarvey, when it came time for a quasi-public hearing on the presentation, asked, “How much of their
Pemberton Schools Student Charged with Creating False Alarm, Making Terroristic Threats After Allegedly Placing Threatening Call
PEMBERTON—A Pemberton Township Schools student has been charged with creating a false public alarm and making terroristic threats after purportedly placing a “threatening phone call” to the district’s Transportation Office.
According to a letter sent to district parents by Superintendent of Schools Jeff Havers, as well as a statement from the Pemberton Township Police Department, in response to the call, a district-wide shelter-in-place was instituted while “police conducted their investigation,” and an officer was also dispatched to each township school.
Additionally, officials said that K-9 dogs were utilized at the high school, as both a “precautionary measure” and a “heightened level of security.”
“After a thorough investigation, police determined that no students or staff members were in danger, and the shelterin-place was lifted,” Havers said.
Police said they were able to determine where the call had originated from and “we
took a student into custody.” The student was subsequently charged with seconddegree false public alarm, and third-degree terroristic threats.
“We understand that some children may have questions or anxiety about the situation, and we encourage you to talk with your child about their feelings, help calm any fears, and dispel any rumors circulating about this incident,” Havers wrote. “Please talk with your child regarding the seriousness of making threatening comments regarding school safety. These actions cause unnecessary anxiety and are not acceptable under any circumstances. In addition, threats of this nature carry severe consequences, including potential charges filed by the police, as well as school disciplinary consequences.”
Havers also vowed that “Pemberton Township Schools will continue to investigate the credibility of all potential threats as the safety and security of our students and staff remains a top priority.”
Pemberton Woman Killed in Shamong Twp. Intersection Crash
SHAMONG—A Pemberton woman was killed in a Nov. 16 crash in Shamong Township.
The crash occurred at the intersection of Forked Neck and Tuckerton roads around 10:30 a.m.
Jesenia Sosa-Sanchez, 25, was reportedly traveling eastbound on Tuckerton Road, and while approaching the intersection with Forked Neck Road, she “failed
to stop at the stop sign, veered off the roadway to the left, and struck multiple trees,” according to New Jersey State Police Spokesman Sgt. Jeffrey Lebron. As a result of the crash, Lebron added, Sosa-Sanchez sustained fatal injuries. The crash remains under investigation, state police said, and no additional information about what happened was available as of this newspaper’s press time.
Tabernacle Twp. Man Arrested on Child Pornography Charges
TABERNACLE—A 29-year-old
Tabernacle Township man has been charged with exchanging nude photos and sexually explicit videos with an underage girl he met in an online chat room.
Fredderico Soda was taken into custody Nov. 14 at his Tabernacle residence.
According to a press release from the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, an investigation into Soda began earlier this year after the agency received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children concerning his online activities.
The prosecutor’s office also said it received information from the Palmer Township Police Department (in Pennsylvania) indicating officers had been contacted by the victim’s parents concerning her online interaction with Soda.
The investigation revealed that Soda continued to interact and exchange photos
property does this encroach on?”
with the victim after becoming aware that she was a minor. The investigation further revealed that Soda was planning to meet the victim in person, but had not done so prior to his arrest.
During the execution of a search warrant at Soda’s residence, electronic devices were seized, and according to the prosecutor’s office, will be examined by detectives from the prosecutor’s office’s High-Tech Crimes Unit.
Soda was charged with second-degree impairing/debauching the morals of a child, second-degree distribution of child sexual abuse material, second-degree possession with intent to distribute of child sexual abuse material, third-degree possession of child sexual abuse material and third-degree obscenity to a minor. Soda was placed in Burlington County Jail in Mount Holly, pending a detention hearing in Superior Court.
“The (owners of the) individual properties that we are going to need to get the roadway easements for, or the purchased property from, are going to be contacted by the Burlington County Solicitor’s Office,” is how William Sheaff er, an assistant traffic engineer at the Burlington County Engineer’s Office, sitting next to Grasso, responded to that query.
He added that the affected property owners will be contacted at what he called “an appropriate time,” before pointing
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out “right now, we are finishing the final design,” expected to be unveiled, according to Grasso, by spring 2025.
Sheaffer added, “You know, we have to wait for those documents to be finalized.”
Judy Shahinian, a resident who purchased a home on the corner of the intersection in question back in March 2021, maintained, “I did get a letter saying they were putting in a blinking light and a four-way stop,” but further asserted, “I was never told anything about a circle.”
She called it a “problem that I have legally,” before noting she is represented by an attorney, though she claimed to have been told her legal counsel could not attend the Nov. 12 meeting (Di Croce, in disputing that, said her attorney is always welcome to attend governing body meetings in Shamong).
Di Croce ultimately said it was his understanding that the seller “did not disclose” the plan, to which Shahinian claimed, “There was an investigation, and then my attorney went to the township, and he was given a letter saying a four-way stop with a blinking light.”
“Nothing was mentioned about a circle,” Shahinian further charged. “I would have never bought that house, being handicapped and a whole bunch of other things. I used every penny that I had to buy that house! The value is going to go down, incredibly! No, I don't understand why I was not told the truth!”
After further characterizing what is proposed for the Shamong intersection as “just stupidity,” Shahinian, who pointed out she is disabled, demanded to, “want to know, exactly, what is being taken from me and what is going to be given to me.”
“Because putting in this circle is going to kill the value of this home,” Shahinian said. “And if I had known that there was going to be a circle, I would have never purchased this house. I worked as an RN for 35 years, I am disabled, and I have put every penny I had into this house. It needed major work. So, if not for nothing, then buy me out, knock my house down. But don’t kill the value of my home. It is just not fair.”
Shahinian later acknowledged she has a pending lawsuit with the county, claiming that after the survey work was done a few months back, she went outside to do some gardening and “fell in the damn hole because they did not fill it back in,” causing her to require surgery to her ankle.
The alleged injury was raised by Shahinian after the county representatives claimed to have sent required notifications to residents of pending survey work, with the woman exclaiming, “So, don’t tell me you notified me when you did not!”
“I still have not gotten one letter from the county, the township, or anything about what they are taking from me, or that they are even doing it! Not one communication! Not one! So, I don't know what you are talking about!”
Grasso, who maintained, “I don’t know anything about a four-way stop letter,” said she would not comment further on the allegation pertaining to it because it is part of a pending lawsuit.
Larry Giberson, of Willow Grove Road, had pressed the county representatives about what the “protocol is to notify these people” on the “four corners” of any potential land acquisition, and that is when Grasso had maintained, “everybody within 200 feet was sent a letter.”
He also observed the “one thing that I did not hear” in the presentation was a study regarding the attitudes of the local “people” toward the project.
“I did not hear one thing about what do the people want; what do we want to do,” Giberson said. “Not one thing!”
In response, Grasso maintained, “Well, it is county property, and so the county started the study, and when they had their preferred alternative, that was introduced to the people.”
James Gaskill, the owner of 2 Lyons Court, commercial property abutting the intersection in question, retorted that Grasso’s comment “really irritates me!”
“Once you step outside the property line, which is about 10 feet off the edge of the road, it is other peoples’ properties,” Gaskill pointed out.
Gaskill then questioned the county representatives, who put the cost of the project at $2.5 million, “Does that include purchasing the land that you want to take from people?”
The county representatives recognized that they did not even have so much as an estimate of what any land acquisition would cost, to which Gaskill advised for them to, “Keep that in mind – it is probably going to be a lot more than you think.”
Gaskill also pointed to the lot that the county representatives kept “calling a ‘farm field’” during the course of their latest presentation, before pointing out it is “one of the last two remaining lots in Shamong Township that is a ratable.”
“It is going to take $100,000 out of the budget for tax revenue to Shamong Township,” Gaskill contended.
Gaskill, in pointing to the presented drainage plans for the project, asserted,
“You are draining water onto my property!”
“If you take that much property from me, I can’t build what I want to build,” he maintained. “It is going to reduce the lot size that I can build on, and the size of the build. So, then the taxes go down. So, you lose more tax revenue. That is going to be for life.”
Firefighter, Civilian Sustain Minor Injuries in Evesham Twp. Blaze Reportedly Caused by Improper Discarding of Smoking Materials
EVESHAM—A late evening Nov. 2 fire in Evesham Township injured both a firefighter and civilian.
The blaze was reported around 10:49 p.m. at a dwelling in the unit block of Cooper Avenue. According to Evesham Fire-Rescue, fire crews “arrived within minutes to find heavy fire showing from the rear deck of the home and extending into the first and
The bottom line, Gaskill maintained, is “There is a lot more going on here.”
“I demand that you re-evaluate the need for this circle, because ever since Atco Raceway has closed (in nearby Waterford Township), there is a big difference in traffic, and I know this more than anybody, living there,” exclaimed Shahinian at one point, maintaining that the traffic passing through the Shamong intersection has “decreased immensely” since the closure.
What should be tried first, Shahinian suggested, is lowering the speed limit on Stokes Road from 50 mph, which is the thoroughfare that runs through the intersection in question that has no stop signs.
Di Croce ultimately called the project “totally unnecessary and a waste of our taxpayer dollars,” and even though federal grant funding is financing the project, the mayor pointed out “we all pay into the federal government.”
Jonathan Duff, who ran unsuccessfully in this past November’s General Election as a Republican candidate for the Burlington County Board of Commissioners, which is presently comprised of all Democrats, attended the Nov. 12 session to “lend his support” to the opposition, describing “this town is not your technocratic project.”
He not only concurred with the Republican mayor that it is “a waste of people’s tax dollars,” but maintained “the more egregious thing here is the violation of peoples’ land rights.”
Duff went on to take a poll of each individual committee member regarding whether or not they would support rescinding the prior township committee’s support of the project (Di Croce is the only remaining member from the thencommittee, and at the time cast the long opposing vote to issue the letter).
Shamong Committeewoman Megan Mozitis, the first to answer, declared she is “not for it” and that she “agrees with the sentiments that it is overkill.”
Shamong Committeeman Brian Woods, who is also the chief of staff to local 8th District GOP Senator Latham Tiver and Republican Assemblyman Michael Torrissi, Jr., answered, in part, by cautioning he did not “know the legality of bringing it up for another motion since it is a county road” and he would “have to ask more questions about that.”
“I do agree there is a problem on this road,” Woods added. “But I really think it is because it looks like it should be a four-way stop. And everybody thinks it is a four-way stop.”
Woods pointed out “it is a lot of taxpayer money, regardless of where it comes from” involved to install the roundabout, before asserting, “I don't get the need to jump from A to Z, instead of trying out some letters in the middle, like a four-way stop.”
Duff sought clarification from Woods whether he would actually vote in opposition to such a project, to which Woods declared, “Yes.”
Shamong Deputy Mayor Chris Zehnder, who will be leaving the committee at the end of December after losing an earlier primary to Woods and his running mate, Dave Diamond, the latter pair who went unchallenged in the Nov. 5 General Election, was not present for the Nov. 12 session.
four-way stop,” he said.
But Wilkinson added a stipulation that it is a “county issue” and his “concern” is that if the township committee takes action, “and say we are successful in taking action against the county,” and then there is an accident at the intersection, “we are going to have every lawyer, who are supporting the people in that accident, coming after the township and saying, ‘if only there was a roundabout there, then this would not have happened.’”
“I have concerns that as a board here, if we go against the county, then we are opening ourselves up, as a small town, to the liability of any accident that happens at that intersection,” Wilkinson declared.
Duff retorted “the liability already exists because it is (proposed to be on part of) the land that you govern,” which prompted Di Croce to “defer” to Heinold.
Heinold, at first, called any such local follow-up action “academic at this point” because “the county has indicated they are proceeding with the project.”
The Shamong solicitor then maintained, “If an accident happens at the intersection right now, the municipality would not have liability associated with that intersection.”
However, he added, “if we were the obstacle or the entity that said, ‘don't do this project’ and we are going to block it in some way, then I do agree that we have now put ourselves into the mix about how that intersection is designed, and how it functions.”
The result would be, Heinold contended, that “if accidents occur, we are, you know, unfortunately in the liability chain and would be targeted in lawsuits.”
Heinold also noted that the “county is above us,” before declaring, “Quite frankly, I don't think they need to come to us at all. I think they could just do this project and not have a conversation with us at all.”
The reason, he maintained, is “it is their intersection.”
McGarvey, however, put the question to the solicitor, “What happens if we say ‘no’ and we get sued?”, also inquiring, “How much does that cost?”
Then, when McGarvey suggested the outcome would be “probably much cheaper,” Heinold, who initially urged the past Shamong committee to sign off on their support of the project over liability concerns, snapped, “For who?!”
“Because my job is to protect the liability of the township!” Heinold exclaimed. “And if it is a death case, you know, you are talking potentially millions of dollars!”
Di Croce and Heinold then got into a back and forth as to whether there has ever been a fatality at the intersection in question, with the mayor claiming there have been no fatal crashes, but the solicitor recounting some rather serious accidents there.
That led Grasso to snap, “What is that number if it is your kid or your neighbor’s kid?”
Gaskill, later on, said, “I know this might work in other towns, but it is something that is just not needed here.”
He then put a question to Grasso and Sheaffer pertaining to the intersection of Stokes and Willow Grove roads, “When was the last traffic study done?”
second floors.”
The injured firefighter and civilian were both transported to a local hospital, the agency said, and suffered only minor injuries.
The Evesham Fire Marshal determined the cause of the fire was accidental in nature due to improperly discarded smoking materials, Evesham Fire-Rescue reported.
Shamong Committeeman Neil Wilkinson, therefore, was the last local elected official to give his opinion at the Nov. 12 meeting, describing that he is a resident of Oakshade Road, which has two four-way stop intersections, one with Atsion Road and the other with Stokes Road, before he maintained, “I have actually never seen an accident at the four-way stops there.”
“So, I am in favor of it being just a regular
Grasso initially hesitantly answered, “2021,” but then Sheaffer admitted, “There was not a traffic study to see about the roundabout.” Rather, he maintained, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) did a “study” to determine project eligibility for grant funding. That “analysis of uncivilized intersections in Burlington County
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Christmas is 5 WEEKS AWAY!
Have most of your guests confirmed their attendance? You can move on to the most exciting steps! Complete these tasks to get into the holiday spirit:
Organize the gift exchange. Establish details like the theme and budget. Then, go ahead with the name draw, either virtually or in person.
Sort your decorations and buy new ones if necessary.
Make a list of the people you need to buy gifts for and jot down ideas.
Visit a Christmas market or two to find unique gifts.
Reserve food from a caterer, like patés, yule logs and pies.
Supporting Local Matters
The winter vacation season offers a unique opportunity to embrace the cold and enjoy some outdoor fun that creates lasting memories. Break up the monotony and infuse a little delight into your routine by adding a new activity to your winter break.
TRY ICE SKATING
Whether at a local rink or on a frozen pond, ice skating is a classic winter pastime that brings joy to all ages. Many cities set up outdoor rinks with festive lights and music, creating a magical atmosphere.
GO ON A SLEIGH RIDE
Experience the charm of a horsedrawn sleigh ride through snowy landscapes. This activity provides a serene and nostalgic way to enjoy the
winter scenery while bundled up in warm blankets. Some sleigh rides even include stops for hot cocoa and bonfires!
BUILD A SNOWMAN OR FORT
Embrace your inner child by building snowmen, igloos or snow forts. This is a fun activity for families, encouraging creativity and teamwork. Don’t forget to have a snowball fight for added fun.
GO TO A WINTER FESTIVAL OR MARKET
Many towns and cities host winter festivals and holiday markets featuring local crafts, food and entertainment. These events are perfect for finding unique gifts, enjoying festive treats, and soaking in the holiday spirit. Create cherished moments with family and friends while celebrating the beauty of winter.
The bulk of gifts exchanged during the holidays will be thoughtful items chosen based on the interests of their recipients, such as game tickets for a sports fan or an autographed movie poster for a film fanatic. Incorporating a few gag gifts can elevate celebrations by getting everyone laughing and engaging in good-natured ribbing. Funny gag gifts can be as entertaining to give as they are to receive, as long as the person on the receiving end has a good sense of humor. However, families and friends can avoid any chances for animosity by making it a point that everyone in the gift exchange receives at least one gag gift.
A GOOFY CELEBRITY PRINT: Believe it or not, there is a company called Celebs on Sandwiches (www.celebsonsandwiches. com) that produces prints featuring popular celebrities standing or sitting on various types of sandwiches. There is a category for holiday prints that includes characters from well-known holiday movies like Buddy the Elf.
GAG BOX: Sometimes it’s not the gift but the box the gift is in that can be the
gag. Nestle a gift that the recipient really wanted into a box for a product that is slightly embarrassing or they do not need, like an ergonomic toilet seat. Once the box is opened, however, the true gift will be revealed.
USELESS KNOWLEDGE: Scour the aisles of a bookstore for volumes about unusual, quirky or fun facts. There’s even a series known as “Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader” books that provides hours of entertainment for people while they are occupied in the bathroom.
ANIMAL SOCKS: Animal lovers can get a good laugh when they slip on animal paw- or face-printed socks and shuffle around home in them.
ADULT ACHIEVEMENT STICKERS: Who says young children are the only ones who can earn gold stars or good job awards? Purchase pre-printed stickers or design them to say things like, “Fixed it myself,” or “Didn’t lose my keys today.” After all, adulting is an achievement, too.
Gag gifts can add levity to holiday celebrations when they are offered in a good-natured way.
Gift-giving is a significant component of the holiday season. Families can embrace traditional gift-giving, but those who want to add a touch of whimsy to gatherings with loved ones can consider these five creative and fun ways to exchange gifts.
1. PLAY THE PLASTIC WRAP GAME. To exchange small stocking stuffer gifts, compile gift cards, cash, small toys, candy, and even some larger gifts (all participants can chip in and one person shops for the gifts). The designated person in charge begins rolling up the gifts in the plastic, adding one every few rolls. Turning the ball 90 degrees while wrapping helps make a more round, finished gift ball. To play, the person with the ball puts on oven mitts and tries to unwrap as much as they can to access the gifts, while the person to the left is attempting to roll doubles on dice. When doubles are made, that person passes the dice to the left and starts his or her own attempts to get at the gifts in the plastic ball. The game ends when all the gifts are revealed, whether everyone has had a chance to unwrap or not.
2. PLAN A WHITE ELEPHANT GIFT EXCHANGE A white elephant exchange is like a secret grab bag. Everyone brings a wrapped gift, and then takes turns choosing a gift based on the number they’ve been given. When the gift is chosen, the person opens it. The next player can select a fresh gift or steal one of
the presents that’s already been opened.
3. HOST A MAKE-AND-TAKE CRAFT PARTY. With this type of exchange, participants will engage in some form of crafting for the duration of the event, whether it’s pottery, painting, epoxy resin pouring, or even knit crafts. At the end of the night everyone can swap their creations with another or keep their own crafts as gifts.
4. GIVE THE GIFT OF A GROUP OUTING. Instead of exchanging material gifts, focus on sharing experiences with friends and family. A trip to watch a sports game or a theater performance can be an excellent way to spend time together, and something a person may not be inclined to do on his or her own. Certain venues will offer discounts on group tickets, so everyone can pool their resources.
5. HOST A DIY COOKIE AND COCOA EXCHANGE. Cookies, cocoa and the holidays are a perfect combination. A gift exchange where participants supply ingredients for these sweet treats, share their favorite recipes and then put together the finished products can make for an entertaining and festive afternoon. Each person can fill a cookie tin with baked cookies to take home and mason jars filled with homemade hot cocoa mix and marshmallows can be an additional gift to enjoy later on a chilly evening. There are plenty of fun ways to exchange gifts during the holiday season.
One of the stockings hung by your chimney with care may be for a foodie. Fill their plate with these impressive gifts.
POTS AND PANS
A good pot or pan can last generations and these are no exceptions. While whole sets can run into the hundreds of dollars, you can
Great Gifts for Your Fave Foodie
opt for single pots or pans that can fit any budget. Calphalon’s Premier Hard- Anodized Nonstick 13-inch deep skillet with lid has a durable nonstick coating that Calphalon even says will hold up to using metal utensils. The All-Clad Hard Anodized Nonstick Square Griddle is 11 inches of pancake-making steel. Well, aluminum, actually, with a nonstick coating, double-riveted stainless steel handles and is oven safe up to 500 degrees.
CHOW DOWN
Everyone loves a gift you can eat. Just make sure it’s packaged properly and safe under the tree from any pets or kids. Omnom chocolates were founded by chef Kjartan Gislason and entrepreneur Oskar Pordarson. The candies are small-batch, beanto-bar chocolate in decadent flavors like Black ‘n’ Burnt Barley, flavored with toasted and puffed barley and lava salt; cookies and cream, which is white chocolate with hints of vanilla and grass with mildly bitter chocolate cookies crumbled into it. The wrappers are fun, too, with geometric
animals and trendy colors. Or hit up Murray’s for a box of cheeses to tempt anyone’s tastebuds.
TRY ROELLI CHEESE
Hause Red Rock with a pleasant earthiness with veins of blue or the gorgeous Alp Blossom, a fragrant cheese coated in dried herbs and flowers from Alpine meadows.
PLATTERS
You eat with your eyes, so give the gift of a beautiful presentation. These platters are as unique as they are pretty, and are ready to show off your foodie’s greatest creations. For a hint of Old World maximalism, look at Williams Sonoma’s Famille Rose Round Platter. This traditional Chinese porcelain dish is hand-decorated with flora and fauna in hues of pink, yellow, red and green. For more modern tastes, look to the space-dyed simplicity of the Julo platter from Crate & Barrel. It was made in Portugal and coordinates with the Julo dinnerware collection.
Great Gifts for Globetrotters
John Denver sang about “leavin’ on a jet plane,” inspiring many to take a flight to parts known and unknown. Millions of people travel to and from the country every year, with TravelPerk estimating the market size of the United States tourism sector at $798.81 billion in July 2023. Tourism took a hit during the global pandemic, but traveling has since rebounded in a big way.
With so many people taking to the roads, rails and skies, shoppers can customize their gift lists when shopping for people who have caught the travel bug. Below are several gifts for those with wanderlust.
PORTABLE BLUETOOTH SPEAKER: Music can make the journey more interesting and create a welcoming ambiance upon arrival. People who don’t want to leave home without their favorite tunes often have curated playlists on popular music streaming services. While earbuds are a go-to for personal listening, a portable speaker can provide impressive sound to share songs with friends when relaxing by the pool or traversing trails.
ERGONOMIC NECK PILLOW: Getting some rest and being comfortable while traveling is key. Ergonomic neck pillows keep the neck and head in a comfortable position when sitting upright during long flights or rides.
HIGH-QUALITY PASSPORT COVER:
Consider a passport travel cover that is personalized with a graphic, name or monogram. A cover can protect the passport and keep other travel documents orderly while adding a layer of elegance to travel.
COMPRESSION PACKING BAGS OR CUBES: Travelers want to ensure they can bring all their gear when getting away, but sometimes suitcase space can come at a premium. Compression products work like a vacuum sealer, removing air to reduce the space that items take up.
TRAVEL A/C ADAPTER: International travel requires contending with different power outlets. In order to use electronic equipment brought from home, travelers will require the right adapter. Look for ones with multiple ports.
TRAVEL POUCH OR MONEY BELT: Keeping valuables out of the hands of pickpockets means being savvy about safe storage. Travel pouches and money belts are designed to be discrete, and some can be hidden in waistbands or under clothing to protect valuables.
TRAVEL JOURNAL: Journals allow travelers to capture memories along the way, with space to jot down experiences and add photos. It can make for a cherished keepsake in the future.
NEW LUGGAGE: Every traveler needs a durable piece of luggage or two when the desire to see the world strikes. A rolling, vibrantly colored carry-on ensures the luggage is easily spotted and gives travelers the option to skip baggage check and bring it right on board.
Travel enthusiasts can appreciate gifts that cater to their desire to get away from home.
Trendy holiday accessories: Elevate your style!
Know what you’re going to wear to your holiday parties? Fabulous! Elevate your look by pairing your outfit with carefully chosen fashion accessories. Wondering what’s on trend and in style for men and women at the end of 2024? Here’s a look at some of the latest trends.
TOWERING BOOTS
High boots (above the knee!) are making a statement in footwear, exuding a sophisticated and assertive look. Black and brown are the most versatile shades, but don’t hesitate to choose a bold color like green or yellow to liven up your holiday ensembles!
OVERSIZED BAGS
Giant tote bags are everywhere! They’re particularly popular with men and women who want to carry everything they need for a fun night out and be prepared for the unexpected. Depending on your outfit and whether
you want to stand out, you can choose a more subtle or eye-catching design.
REFINED TURQUOISE
Turquoise, a stunning opaque stone loved by celebrities, is stealing the spotlight in the jewelry world. Its color, reminiscent of seaside vacations, turns up in earrings, bracelets and shirt buttons. It’s sure to make you look irresistible!
Visit your local jewelry and shoe stores to find a wide range of fashionable accessories.
How to Master the Art of Last-Minute Shopping
Shoppers who wait until the eleventh hour to do their holiday shopping are in good company. Consolidated Credit says one in five shoppers waits until December to start grabbing holiday gifts. Although shopping early to land the best deals and avoid the stress of running out of time works for many people, there are those who do their best work when shopping is down to the wire. If you’re thinking of being a lastminute Larry or Lucy in regard to your holiday shopping, there are some ways to make late shopping successful.
• DON’T DOWNPLAY THE POWER OF GIFT CARDS. Some suggest that a gift card isn’t an ideal gift because it doesn’t require much thought or effort. But the numbers do not lie. A research report from the Retail Gift Card Association notes that 71 percent of people surveyed feel “very satisfied” when they get a gift card.
• ESTABLISH A PLAN. Even if you’re shopping at the last minute, that doesn’t mean you should head out unprepared. Consider the recipient, which kind of gift might fit them best, and how much you’re willing to spend. Then you can narrow down which store to visit.
• DOWNLOAD A SHOPPING COMPARISON APP. Capital One Shopping enables consumers to comparison shop and accumulate shopping rewards. Online shopping is convenient, and can be a viable option for those who waited until mid- to lateDecember to shop. Just be aware of shipping times and expedited fees to make sure the gifts arrive on time.
• CONSIDER A MEMBERSHIP GIFT. A membership for a subscription box, a wine or coffee club or even a streaming music or movie service can be great last-minute gifts.
• SKIP THE CLOTHING DEPARTMENT. Clothes are go-to choices for holiday gifts, but they can be particularly challenging to purchase. Size, cut, style, and additional variables are unique to each individual. Since browsing clothing racks can take a lot of time you likely will not have, avoid clothes as lastminute gift options.
• SCREEN SHOT PROMO CODES AND COUPON SCAN BARS. If you’ve come across discount codes and coupons in your research, have them at the ready when shopping online or in person. Don’t hold up the line trying to load a website or find a coupon on the store app, as it’s likely those behind you are last-minute shopping as well.
Last-minute shopping for holiday gifts requires strategy and savvy.
WOODLAND
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see anywhere where it was required to have an ordinance allowing cannabis, but we do have a business owner who is looking to sell cannabis.”
“His attorney says the state wants a letter of support from the township in the form of an ordinance,” Brown noted. “ … I want to get it done quickly because he is holding up the sale of a property based on that.”
The ordinance was introduced in a 3-0 vote, with a second reading and public hearing scheduled for Nov. 26.
Presenting a $3,500 “donation” to the Woodland Volunteer Fire and EMS Company, and its chief, Shawn Viscardi, was Chatsworth Cranberry Festival Chairman Robert Ettinger.
According to Ettinger, the fire company responds to somewhere between 10 to 15 calls on festival weekend, which is the third weekend of every October, yet the state police, which the festival committee pays a sum of $4,000, was only needed once this year.
“So, I think the fire department and EMS deserves everything that we can donate,” Ettinger said.
Parts of the township-maintained audio recording for the Oct. 30 proceedings are muffled, including much of Viscardi’s report to the committee, as well as that of Leisse. But what can be heard is the committee approving of Leisse to go out to bid for a long-planned well for the Chatsworth firehouse. The purpose of the well is to provide the fire company (as well as the New Jersey Forest Fire Service) with a water source in case of fire, given the township has no hydrants, apart from the state-run New Lisbon Developmental Center grounds.
DeGroff, prior to Ettinger’s donation presentation to the fire company, said the township will “look into next year’s Cranberry Festival,” asserting, “Some of the private vendors need to get dumpsters to remove their own trash.”
“Because it is not just residential trash, it is the vendor’s trash,” said DeGroff, with some of the private lot owners near the festival grounds known to rent space to vendors. “And there are piles of it. They actually fill the dumpsters here (at the transfer station). We had to go get another dumpster.”
The mayor said the possible dumpster requirement is “something we have got to look into and discuss with the private people in their yards selling stuff.”
“They are responsible for that trash, not the township,” DeGroff maintained. “I know they are going to say, well, I am a resident. (But) it is not residential trash. It is the vendors’ trash that is left, boxes and everything else. That is not our trash. That shouldn’t be filling our dumpsters.”
The filling up of the township’s dumpster after every festival weekend, DeGroff declared, is “costing the residents money,” all while the vendors “are making money.”
“It is ‘business trash,’” DeGroff maintained.
The waste removal subject arose from a purported observation by a recentlyhired Public Works employee, which was shared at the meeting by the mayor, that the transfer station is “getting a lot of people” who are engaging “in illegal dumping.”
“I just want to remind everybody that you are not to bring dump truck loads of lumber and all kinds of building materials
and everything else (to the transfer station), that fills our dumpster,” DeGroff asserted. “… It is not to be brought to the dump. And if you do continue to bring it, we will take legal action against it.”
DeGroff maintained that a “couple of residents continue to bring dump truck loads of debris” to the transfer station.
“So, they are filling our dumpsters very quickly,” the mayor contended.
Burns, in raising the prospect of other possible litigation, recognized “there has been a lot of talk about a certain property in town” at previous governing body meetings.
“As members of the committee may be aware, the township is going to take very aggressive action with respect to this,” declared Burns, vowing the township will be undertaking “a multifaceted approach” in which it will “avail themselves of all legal remedies.”
“I do anticipate significant litigation in this matter,” said Burns, who initially asserted he was declining to mention which property it concerns, but called the anticipated litigation “frankly, overdue.”
He added the decision is also one that is a “multifaceted investment.”
But in one of what became several terse exchanges between the committee and public, resident Lisa Sabatini, of the Lebanon Lakes section of the township, inquired about the status of a purportedly abandoned, unkempt property she has long been complaining about at 115 Maple Drive, and which she was told over a year ago the township would be taking legal action to remedy.
“The attorney already gave that update when he gave his report,” responded Brown, with Committeewoman Donna Mull contending, “That was about that property. That is all we can say – it is litigation.”
But Sabatini snapped, “People get annoyed with the rolling of the eyes,” to which Brown retorted, “Because that is two months now that our attorney has very succinctly explained what is being done. And then you come up at public comment and say, ‘What is being done?’ That is why I rolled my eyes.”
Sabatini, however, pointed out that Burns “did not specify a specific address” during his report, to which Brown maintained, “We can’t because it is in litigation ... anticipated litigation!”
But tensions were already running high after resident Terry Sheerin asked many questions pertaining to a resolution reportedly authorizing slight raises for township employees, retroactive to the beginning of the year.
(By way of background, Brown, Boyd and Leisse have become the subject of public scrutiny, particularly after a debacle in Tabernacle Township involving Tabernacle Town Hall. Boyd, Tabernacle’s construction official, and Leisse, with the Pennoni engineering firm, who served earlier this year as Tabernacle’s municipal engineer [all while Brown has served as Tabernacle’s administrator through a shared services agreement with Woodland], maintained earlier this year that the Town Hall was posing an imminent danger of collapse and should be demolished as soon as possible. A court has since found an independent engineer “credible” in determining that the building was actually not posing any imminent danger, and the building has since been stabilized. And now the Tabernacle committee recently decided to bring about a “termination” to the shared
services agreement for administrator services with Woodland.)
Sheerin, in raising the Oct. 30 salary resolution, pointed out “you are missing Tom Boyd on this list” of Woodland employees, claiming his name was on a prior salary resolution, “but not on this.”
“Is he still here?” inquired Sheerin, to which Brown responded, “He is not our employee,” with Mull adding, “He is a shared service.”
Sheerin then turned her attention to the resolution at issue listing seven positions held by Brown, proposing that her new total salary be $189,318. The resident wanted to know if that proposed compensation is inclusive of her also working for Tabernacle.
DeGroff began appearing agitated with the questioning, declaring, “It comes up every meeting almost that Maryalice is making $189,000! It is not! It is not!”
“That is with Tabernacle’s agreement,” DeGroff emphasized. “That is not what we are paying her! It is not that we are paying her $189,000!”
Mull then kept trying to provide a “breakdown” of what Brown makes in Woodland “so we don’t get anymore misinformation out there,” but Sheerin maintained it was not necessary because she was satisfied that the $189,000 figure includes Tabernacle’s obligation.
(Burns later told this newspaper, in light of the pronouncement that Brown’s services will no longer be needed in Tabernacle, that the salary item will be adjusted accordingly once the termination is official.)
But then Sheerin listed the salaries of high-profile figures responsible for vastly greater territory and operations in the state and U.S., including a U.S. Senator ($145,000), a U.S. district judge ($180,000), a Superior Court judge ($160,000), the governor ($175,000) and the vice president of the United States ($235,000).
“It is a lot of money,” contended Sheerin of Brown’s current compensation. “… It is just a lot of money. … Right now, it is a lot of money for less than 2,000 people.”
DeGroff, in response, declared, “This has been discussed a many of times!” Mull then proceeded to counter Sheerin by maintaining the clerk/administrator of nearby Shamong Township makes $126,896 and in neighboring Southampton Township, the clerk there makes $126,767.
A “girl that works one day in Washington Township makes $18,947,” Mull further claimed. Tabernacle’s clerk compensation is $100,000, Mull added.
Those figures, Mull maintained, provide a “clear perspective” of what clerks in Burlington County earn, further asserting, “You can make anywhere up to $127,000 or more.”
But as for what Brown is actually compensated for her Woodland clerk responsibilities, it is only $49,800, with another $18,764 provided to her for being township administrator of Woodland.
It is a total of $68,564, Mull pointed out, adding that Brown takes home some additional stipends totaling a little over $12,000 for various other clerk and secretarial duties.
After Sheerin recognized the Woodland mayor appeared to be having “stress pains” over her questioning, that is when the mayor acknowledged, “My blood pressure is going up.”
This exchange was later followed by another, with Ettinger, who described
having emailed the township in March about “a bunch of items around the building that are falling apart or broken,” and “here we are in November, and nothing has been replaced.” Among the items Ettinger said he listed were lights for a handicap ramp that are “out,” charging “they have been out probably well over a decade now.” He also pointed out the ramp now has cracks and it is “starting to separate” from the wall.
“The township building itself is falling apart,” Ettinger said. “The lights around the building, the ornamental lights with the cedar shakes on them, they are basically falling off.” DeGroff, in response, pointed to the township planning to repair its roof, and then siding, following a recent evaluation of the building the municipality had performed by Leisse.
Following Ettinger was resident and local veteran Ken Bowker, who in September pushed back against a committee plan, designed by Leisse, to relocate the existing veteran’s monument to the front of the Woodland Municipal Building, all while expanding it. Bowker’s concern lies in that handicapped veterans would likely not be able to drive up to the monument by vehicle, like they can now do with the current monument.
Bowker asked who on the committee is in charge of the monument project, to which DeGroff answered that the entire committee has oversight over the project, but then Deputy Mayor Mark Herndon pointed out the involvement of the engineer in creating the design.
“He is a chemical engineer,” Bowker pointed out. “Nothing against you, Tom, but you are a chemical engineer.”
(By way of background, Leisse has apparently since been replaced as Tabernacle’s engineer in the wake of the Tabernacle Town Hall debacle, with a structural engineer at his firm making a similar finding to that of the independent structural engineer, brought in once it was learned by the public that Leisse has a background in “chemical engineering,” though he is a professional engineer recognized by the state.)
Burns, in response, maintained Leisse is a “certified professional engineer in the State of New Jersey, and also a certified municipal engineer.”
“The fact that he has a degree in chemical engineering does not mean he is not an engineer,” Burns declared. “It (the degree) could be as an electrical engineer. It could be as an instructional engineer. It could just be an engineer, just like any licensed engineer in the State of New Jersey.”
When Bowker, however, asked the solicitor, “Is he a chemical engineer? Is that correct?”, he was told to “sit down” by DeGroff, who exclaimed, “I am not going to stand here and allow you to personally attack one of our people!”
Bowker retorted that he is “not personally attacking,” rather he “just asked a question.”
“He is good enough to be the township engineer!” DeGroff exclaimed.
Then, when Bowker tried raising this newspaper’s coverage from the September committee meeting about the proposed veterans’ monument, DeGroff immediately cut Bowker short, declaring, “I told the committee to never talk to that paper” because it prints “nothing but a bunch of lies!”
Amid an ensuing quarrel with the veteran, DeGroff curtly asked, “What did the paper
COMMISSIONER
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there are people who did not vote this year.”
“We sit on these seats because of the very institution, the very atoms of voting that puts us there,” Singh maintained. “If that voting somehow is compromised, the integrity of the election is compromised, then we do not earn our seats with a nice smiley face. That is the basis of our democracy.”
As the Pine Barrens Tribune previously reported, Burlington County’s public information team put out a statement on Nov. 6 through a press release, in trying to explain away why voters had to wait hours in line to vote, contending, in part, that the county “saw an extremely high turnout at the polls, ranking it as one of the highest for total voter participation, including 2008 when the county last experienced significant lines and waits at the polls.”
The statement, which evoked some criticisms about its accuracy over the turnout claims (with the county now telling this newspaper the turnout claim was based on an increased number of total voters), also defended the timing of the rollout of new voting machines, which reportedly confused voters, maintaining, the “Burlington County Superintendent of Elections performed significant training and outreach” ahead of the election.
The county’s statement also appeared to distance the commissioners from having responsibility for the debacle.
“Voters deserve answers, and the Burlington County Commissioners support the bipartisan call by the chairs of both major political parties for a topto-bottom review of election procedures to identify the causes of the excessive wait times and improvements to ensure that the situation is not repeated,” the initial statement maintained. “The number of machines deployed at each polling location was based on recommendations from the county’s voting machine vendor and input from the bipartisan Board of Elections and municipal clerks.”
However, Singh, during the Nov. 13 commissioners meeting, said “I don’t think we can blame it on the machines or turnout,” rather, “It was a human error, either in a calculation, or an estimation, or understanding how to go from a primary election to a general election.”
In a Nov. 12 statement from the county’s press shop that followed up on the initial one, as also previously reported by this newspaper, it was stated the “commissioners support the call from the chairs of both major political parties for the Board of Elections and Superintendent of Elections offices to conduct a comprehensive review of elections procedures, equipment and processes with the goal of making improvements.”
“The commissioners are also calling on the Board of Elections and the Superintendent of Elections to work around the clock to restore public confidence and certify the election results,” it continued.
The second statement went on to call for a formal “review” with an expectation given for a report to be issued by Jan. 30 of next year.
But Singh, during the Nov. 13 commissioners meeting, said the Board of Elections, while bipartisan, could decide, “Instead of looking at it ourselves,” it warrants an “independent” review. He also expressed his “hope there is a forensic analysis.”
“At some point, it may not be somebody
intentionally did anything, which I don't have anything to say that there was,”
Singh contended. “It is just somebody dropped the ball somewhere. That has to be acknowledged. Somebody dropped the ball.”
Singh reported that he got “calls from so many people that day who had to get on, get moving, pick up a night shift, and they did not have the luxury to wait six hours” in line to vote.
The commissioner also acknowledged – in line with this newspaper’s previous reporting –that there were precincts that had fewer voting machines than in prior elections, despite the expectation of the 2024 presidential election resulting in high voter turnout.
“We had one place where two different districts, two different locations, four districts merged,” Singh revealed. “The machines were less than the machines that were individually at one location before. There was a six-hour line going up to 1 a.m. on the 6th.”
In fact, according to Singh, his cousin messaged him that he ‘“will be the first person to vote on Nov. 6, the day after the election,”’ having ultimately voted at 12:16 a.m.
Singh described “being thankful the weather held” for Election Day and Night, maintaining he does not know what would have happened if it was cold and windy that day. But at the same time, Singh pointed out “people were not prepared to stand outside.”
“I think we have to feel that pain that people had,” Singh told his commissioner colleagues.
Singh appeared to be especially disturbed by reports that first-time voters in the county were among those disenfranchised because of what had occurred.
“There were so many people that I personally registered this year for the election because there was excitement to vote,” Singh recounted. “When we hear you about the problems, I can tell you there were people who, this was their first time voting, and they were excited. These are workingfamily people who did not have the luxury to stand in line for six hours because every hour they put in that line, they were losing the $15 by not working. That is the pain that I heard from people.”
Singh said on a personal level he was aware of two-dozen families, or “maybe less than 40 people” that didn’t get to vote.
“And a lot of people that were registered, they were dreaming of waiting to vote this year and they did not get to vote,” Singh said. “… Voting is a sacred right, and that was very painful to hear that story.”
This newspaper reported last week that the Burlington County turnout number for the 2024 election stands at just above 61 percent, while for all other presidential election years, going back to 2004, the turnout exceeded 70 percent. It raises the possibility that at least some 9 percent of voters were disenfranchised by the events of Nov. 5.
(The turnout figure is based on ballots cast, and if voters did not get the opportunity to cast their ballots, they would not have been recorded as part of the turnout figure, so the true 2024 turnout will never really be known for certain.)
“I would be shocked if anybody with a working statistician brain said that there would be a lower turnout than 70 percent this year,” declared Singh, a schoolteacher. “It would shock all of us. I know I have talked to many people, and everybody is shocked why there is a 60 percent turnout, and we still had a problem.”
Dr. Felicia Hopson, director of the Board of Commissioners, began the Nov. 13 commissioners meeting, in part, by calling Election Day “an enormous
challenge for many voters who had to experience long lines and wait times at some locations.”
“That is absolutely unacceptable,” she declared.
Hopson reiterated the Board of Commissioners’ call, contained in the county’s earlier statement, “for the Board of Elections and the Superintendent of Elections to perform a top-to-bottom review.”
Hopson expressed the commissioner boards’ desire that the review touch “on the number of machines and their placement, how long it took to use them, the technical issues that occurred, and any other factors that contributed to the long wait times.”
“They need to determine exactly what went wrong and what actions will be taken to make sure this situation does not ever occur again,” Hopson declared. “Voters deserve accountability and action. Our board is 100 percent committed to making sure they receive that.”
Commissioner Tom Pullion, who followed Singh, initially said he was not going to comment on the election, but then declared, “I think everybody realizes it was horrible.”
Pullion went on to “applaud” Hopson for her opening remarks, maintaining they express “the sentiment of the commissioners.”
“We are not hiding anything,” Pullion maintained. “Like you, we realize it was a fiasco, and we are going to do our best, I think, collectively to get to the bottom of it and have someone accountable for what occurred.”
Commissioner Allison Eckel said she would let the “director’s words speak for me,” but added, “I would like to thank all the poll workers for all of their time and energy - an extraordinary amount of time, energy and patience.”
Deputy Director Dan O’Connell, who this newspaper was told last week is the commissioner board liaison to the election offices, said he would “echo” Hopson’s comments.
“It is not acceptable,” O’Connell said. “We will get to the bottom of it. I look forward to an investigation and finding out exactly … I think it might be a case of death by a thousand cuts, but no matter what it is, we need to find out and ensure that this does not happen again here in Burlington County.”
O’Connell will depart the board at the end of December, having announced his retirement prior to the election. He will be replaced by Democrat Tyler Burrell, Delran’s council president who won Nov. 5 a seat on the commissioner’s board. Burrell was in the audience for the Nov. 13 meeting.
There appeared to be indications that the commissioners expected heavy turnout for their first meeting since the fiasco, and the possibility that tempers might flare, with the board flanked by two armed, uniformed Sheriff’s officers, with an officer standing on each side of the dais. Additionally, the undersheriff was observed by this newspaper standing watch over attendees in the back of the meeting chambers.
Hopson, in opening the meeting, declared, “I know some of you are here tonight to talk about what happened. And we will hear you all.”
But the 7 p.m. meeting was attended by only a handful of residents, with only two people commenting on what occurred – a representative of the Cinnaminson GOP, and a Democratic councilwoman from Hainesport Township.
Roger B. Hare, Jr., of Cinnaminson, in pointing to the press release “saying that one of the reasons why the lines were so long was
that it rivaled 2008,” recounted having worked the polls back in 2008, which is when turnout reached 81 percent in Burlington County, contending that was always considered the “gold standard” of turnout years.
Even then, he further recounted, while there was a bit of a line in the morning, when the polls closed at 8 p.m., there was no line, and some 868 people had ultimately voted in his assigned district.
“So, to sit there and say that, ‘oh, it is just a high turnout,’ well, it wasn’t nearly as high as the 2008 election, the bellwether year,” said Hare, as the county’s public information team looked on.
Hare, who served as a poll worker Nov. 5 in Cinnaminson, said his town had sixhour long lines to vote in “pretty much every voting district.”
“I contend that it wasn’t just a few polling places, it was pretty much every polling place throughout the county,” Hare said. “One of the things I would like to see, and I know a lot of people would like to see - I don't think it is good enough to just ask the Board of Elections and the Superintendent of Elections to do a top-down review of their own. I kind of feel like they are going to try and cover their own, you know what, and I would rather see … an independent, bipartisan commissioner investigate it.”
Hare, who maintained the county commissioners have the power to order an independent investigation of the county agencies in question, asserted it would be “the only way you are going to build trust and people are going to have faith in the system again.”
Hare was followed by Hainesport Democratic Councilwoman Anna M. Evans, who is also the township’s liaison to the Board of Commissioners.
She told the commissioners, “There weren’t nearly enough polling machines in Hainesport,” and to simply “forget all the other problems, all the other issues, the turnout, the technical problems, the delays.”
“The Board of Elections had all the information to know that there weren’t enough polling machines,” Evans contended. “Back of the envelope math, which many of our residents have done publicly on our township group, suggests that the new and longer process, taking three to four minutes, combined with user unfamiliarity, should have dictated more machines, not fewer than in previous presidential elections. Hainesport historically received eight ballot machines for its five districts, all voting in one municipal building. It is unfathomable that a decision was made that four ballot machines would be sufficient.”
Evans continued that both the Superintendent of Elections and Board of Elections “all had access to the expected turnout numbers, plus all the data from every prior election,” as well as should have had data on how many people attended its prior demonstrations on the new voting machines (held at the Moorestown Mall).
“There is no excuse for not doing the math,” Evans declared. “There just isn’t. The longest wait in Hainesport was six hours, and the last person to vote did so at 1:15 in the morning (Nov. 6). The poll workers all worked 21 hours. Many voters were simply disenfranchised.”
Evans, who noted she is friendly with many on the commissioners’ board as a fellow Democrat, vehemently concluded, “This can never be allowed to happen again, and I personally feel that it would be appropriate for the Superintendent of the Board of Elections to resign.”
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say?”, to which Bowker answered, “That you said you were going to do something nice for the town by putting a monument out front. That is what the paper said.”
Bowker, after reiterating that this newspaper previously reported on how DeGroff was going to do “something nice for the township,” added, “But Billy, if you want to do something nice for the people of the township, why don’t you clean up the township a little bit?”
The two then disputed whether there had ever been a purported “promise” made to Bowker in a private meeting with the mayor, in which Bowker claimed it was made all while the mayor allegedly asked him not to attend a township committee session to raise the issue at hand.
Bowker was followed by Sheerin, who came to the microphone for a second time during the proceedings, and repeatedly declared, “We are not the enemy!”
“Billy, you have no right to talk to that man like that!” Sheerin exclaimed. “You don’t! His father built the (township) building!”
DeGroff responded that he was taking issue with a township employee’s background being “ridiculed,” but Sheerin pointed out, “He is a municipal engineer, and also a chemical engineer – that is what his company says.”
“That is a fact, so there is nothing wrong with that!” declared Sheerin, and when Sheerin said people are attending the township meetings simply because
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line, only to go to voicemail.
At that point, he said he was told his only option was to fill out a provisional ballot, a process which also began with its own snafu when he was provided with only an envelope, but no actual ballot to put in it, which resulted in somebody else having to be called over.
“That person walked me over to the voting machine and put in a special code number that allowed me to vote,” he noted. “The machine then printed a ballot that I folded up and put in the provisional envelope, which I sealed, per instructions. And then she had me place it in a ballot box.”
But, wanting to make sure that his vote ultimately ended up being counted, Stanley made a point of keeping track of it, which is how he discovered, nearly two weeks after having cast that provisional vote, that it had been “rejected” by the system.
The reason given for that status, he said, was that according to the provisional ballot’s history, he had already voted—“by machine.”
Not one to accept having been officially disenfranchised despite his scrupulous attempt to do everything right, Stanley began making calls to voting officials, starting with the top one, Superintendent of Elections Dawn Marie Addiego. Finally, after being switched from one staffer to another, he was connected with a woman who took all his info and said they would call him back. But as of Nov. 20, no one yet had, he said.
Besides finding out how his provisional vote came to be rejected, Stanley said he
“they care,” DeGroff snapped, “I’ll address how people ‘care,’ later!” Sheerin retorted, in part, that the mayor was acting “unprofessionally.”
Resident Jane Donoghue ultimately questioned, “Rather than paying an engineer to design the monument, why don't we have the draft kids, the kids who are into drafting and architecture at BCIT (Burlington County Institute of Technology), create one for us?”
“That would be a wonderful, wonderful thing for them,” Donoghue added. “They would get community service. They would also get credit for their portfolio.”
The committee recognized it is “not a bad idea,” but when Donoghue suggested it may also avert an expense being incurred, Mull responded, “It may not cost us anything, but we still have to have someone actually design it with a plan.”
Donoghue, while appearing to stay above the fray at the latest committee session, prior to the meeting, had posted on social media, in a public forum, expressing concern about Brown’s compensation, pointing out the Woodland committee would be taking an action allowing her to make over $189,000 (the posting did not point out that the compensation would be for two towns, though the resolution at issue makes no mention of Tabernacle or separates the earnings between the two towns).
It apparently led to an ugly online exchange with dozens of comments, and even Brown pushing back, taking some apparent shots at Donoghue in the process.
Before adjourning the meeting, DeGroff tore into what he maintained
also would like someone to explain to him just “who was in charge of seeing that all the tablets and the printers worked before people walked in the doors.” Because he suspects that the types of snafus he experienced may well have contributed to what he saw while walking his dog after coming home from work around 3:30 p.m., which he described as “incomprehensible,” with “lines wrapped around the building and zigzagging around the park.
“I have friends who stood in line five hours to vote,” he said. “But at least they actually voted,” whereas he suspects that others, like him, were kept from doing so for one reason or another—although just how many may never be known.
Stanley also noted that he has attempted to make state Attorney General Matt Platkin’s office aware of his experience— especially after Platkin, in a twelfth-hour lawsuit filed to keep the polls open an extra hour (with voters reportedly staying in line past midnight in some locales) when it became apparent that the county’s voting process had fallen way behind schedule and acknowledged that some voters had indeed ended up being disenfranchised, as Stanley apparently was.
He added that he regards Platkin as his legal counsel in this matter, inasmuch as a statement on the latter’s website states, that the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General “protects the right to vote for all eligible voters.”
“I expect him to step up, and left him a message to that effect,” Stanley declared.
When queried as to whether he could shed any light on why Stanley’s provisional vote was rejected, Burlington County Public Information Officer David Levinsky
are “misleading, non-factual, and vicious comments that are made by a handful of residents, and also some non-residents” on social media.
“The non-residents should worry about their community, not ours!” DeGroff exclaimed. “As far as the handful of residents who keep attacking our employees and the committee with their misleading comments, they obviously have nothing else better to do, and should get their facts straight before making these comments!
“It is a shame that there are only a few residents who continuously make these comments prior to every meeting. And 99 percent of them are not really from around here. And there are so many nice people who have moved into our community and just want to help everyone. They enjoy our town for its quiet appeal and have done wonderful things in our community. And it is a shame we have a few who constantly complain in how it is run! And most of the comments are because of personal feelings towards an employee or a committeeperson.
“And I feel - and I am sure it will be all over (the place) - if you are not happy the way this town is run or the things that are done in here, maybe you should go back to where you came from! This town is a great little town!”
He also condemned people “talking trash” and putting out a “bunch of crap,” and said of Brown, “Maryalice has been here for 32 years. A lot of people haven’t lived here for 32 years! She knows … this town better than anybody!”
(to whom questions about voting-related issues are routinely referred by county elections officials) would only say that “it would be inappropriate for me to comment on a specific individual’s case.”
“The County Commissioners have stated that the long lines and waits on Election Day were unacceptable and that the Superintendent of Elections and bipartisan Board of Elections should conduct a top-tobottom review to determine exactly what were the causes and what improvements should be made to prevent the situation from happening again,” he added.
One explanation, however, was offered to this newspaper by Evesham Township poll worker Sandy Student, a former member of the township Board of Education who has had extensive experience working in the areas of consumer products and technology and in the design of kiosks, single-purpose devices that he said should be easy to use, voting machines being a quintessential example.
Part of the problem, as Student sees it, was that the emphasis was on security rather than user friendliness in the machines that were chosen. And the primary, he maintained was a poor test of the equipment, since the number of candidates involved was much smaller than in the general election, with the sheer size of the paper ballots becoming a factor in slowing things down.
“If the county was smart, they would have tested the equipment on a large number of people in advance,” he contended. “That likely would have shown officials that it could require up to five minutes for each voter between the eligibility check and actual voting.”
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a small development, on a small piece of property. You are spending multimillion dollars on an intersection you did not even do a traffic study for!”
Gaskill, who questioned why officials were not considering a traffic light, pointed to Grasso’s past remarks that it would cost about $100,000 annually to maintain a light, before contending he thought the county representatives were “putting the cart before the horse.”
such a small community, close-knit township,” Shahinian declared.
performed back in 2019,” according to Sheaffer, found the Shamong intersection to be “identified as one of the top 10.”
“So, you are telling me you are going to spend $2.5 million on an intersection you never did a traffic study on?” said Gaskill in disbelief. “I had to do a traffic study for
“You need to back up, talk to the people that own the property, and see how much pushback there is going to be on that also, and include that in the cost, and be honest with everybody here,” Gaskill declared.
Shahinian ultimately called for a “second opinion” to be sought from an engineer, maintaining “there has to be another way,” because “there is just no need in a small township to have any kind of a roundabout.”
“There is no reason in hell to put a circle in
(Heather McGarvey, Tim’s wife and the head of the Pinelands Republican Club, as well as Di Croce’s paralegal, during the Nov. 12 session, slammed the proposal as “ridiculous,” and questioned, “Who is making the money on this? Who is Pennoni? … How many people that are involved in this project are involved in the planning, and are involved with the Burlington County Commissioner’s Office?” On the Pinelands Republican Club Facebook page, it was later written as part of an accusation, “Does anybody know why Pennoni hates the Pinelands? Their dirty fingerprints [are] all over Tabernacle Twp. building & Shamong Circle?” The posting references a Pennoni engineer having, earlier this year, advised the Tabernacle Township Committee that Tabernacle Town Hall was in imminent danger of collapse, and after it was found that the engineer is a chemical engineer (though he is a licensed P.E.), the individual was swapped out from a township engineering position, with a structural engineer from the same firm subsequently determining the building did not pose such a
risk, with that opinion ultimately along the lines of an independent structural engineer that a court found to be “credible.” It was a recent episode that led to the reversal of a decision to demolish Tabernacle Town Hall, but also put the neighboring Tabernacle community through a burdensome road closure and resulted in costly litigation.)
However, Di Croce, while reinforcing his opposition to the roundabout, appeared to concede the project will happen, at one point surmising “maybe we have a statue in the middle (of the landscaped roundabout) of a Native American, or some kind of statue that we could all agree on, that they would pay for.”
“My feeling is that it is a total waste of money, and it is ridiculous that we are going through this,” he said. “But we are trying to make the best of it.
“I am not in favor of it at all. But this is where we find ourselves.”
Grasso ended her presentation by encouraging the public “to send your questions and comments” to traffic@ co.burlington.nj.us or mail them to Burlington County Engineer’s Office, Traffic Section, 1900 Briggs Road, Mount Laurel, New Jersey, 08054.
