Pine Barrens Tribune December 7 - December 13, 2024

By D ouglas D. M elegari

Staff Writer

MOUNT HOLLY—Another

Democratic Burlington County Commissioner is breaking away from the

initial response of Burlington County government to a Nov. 5 election debacle, declaring, in part during the latest Nov. 26 Burlington County Board of Commissioners meeting, “I definitely agree

that we can’t do an internal investigation” into what happened, but rather, “it definitely has to be” an “outside” probe. That is the sentiment of Commissioner

By Bill B onvie

Staff Writer

MEDFORD — The Medford Care Center, a decades-old landmark longterm care facility at 185 Tuckerton Road in Medford Township that last month had its admissions temporarily suspended by the New Jersey Health Department following problems with its water-heating system and some other questions that arose about its ability to adequately serve its residents, is now on the road to having those issues resolved, according to both a health department representative and its longtime administrator/owner.

“The facility is continuing to work towards full compliance with the deficiencies found by the department,” Dalya Ewais, the department’s director of communications, emailed the Pine Barrens Tribune on the afternoon on Dec. 4 . Ewais further noted “there is a consultant administrator and dietician working at the facility and both are reporting to the department.” She added that repairs have been made to the hotwater system, which the department was in the process of verifying to be sure it

Photo By Andrew King

New Details Emerge on Proposed Woodland Cannabis Retailer, But Draft Law to Allow Cannabis Businesses Put Off Until 2025

By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

WOODLAND—New details are emerging on where a cannabis enterprise plans to open shop in Woodland Township.

According to Township Administrator and Clerk Maryalice Brown, in remarks made during a Nov. 26 Woodland Township Committee workshop session, “it is going to be where Joe Bell’s Bar was,” or in the unit block of Route 72.

Putting the location into further perspective was Mayor William “Billy” DeGroff, pointing out the planned enterprise will be located between Billy Boy’s Tavern and the Brennan Fuel gas station.

Brown and Township Solicitor William Burns said a “Change of Use” application will need to be filed “because it is not a pre-existing use.”

A committee discussion that subsequently ensued revealed that the prospective cannabis enterprise owner is the nephew of “Milan,” owner of Woodland Discount Liquors, “two doors down” from the former bar.

The reason the proposed cannabis shop is not opening as part of the liquor store, Brown explained, is that “you can’t have liquor and cannabis in the same location.”

“It is the nephew who is going to run the retail store,” Brown proclaimed.

Burns inquired about the whereabouts of the liquor license that belonged to Joe Bell’s Bar.

“She (Shirley Bell) sold the liquor license to the guy who owns Buzby’s (Eatery and General Store [in downtown Chatsworth]),” Brown explained. “That is going to be coming down the road because he (Jason Grater, proprietor of Buzby’s) wants to move the liquor license to Buzby’s. So, Joe Bell’s liquor license has been transferred to a totally different owner.”

The liquor license transfer was approved through a May 24, 2023, committee action.

There is currently a cellphone tower on the former bar parcel. DeGroff and Brown revealed that “she (Shirley Bell) is looking into doing a subdivision to keep the antenna; to keep the cell tower” or “to get it off of the property” where the cannabis enterprise is proposed.

“So, it is going to be an even smaller property?” asked Burns, to which Brown replied, “Yes,” but DeGroff noted, “It has got a big frontage,” though Brown then pointed to a lot of the frontage being state property.

During a preceding Oct. 30 committee session, the township committee introduced a draft ordinance “permitting cannabis establishments, distributors and delivery services” in anticipation of the retail outlet’s opening.

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 Burns “didn’t 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,” noted Brown, however.

The proposed ordinance was introduced 3-0 on Oct. 30, and a second reading and public hearing was supposed to occur on Nov. 26, but now the measure has been put off, with officials deciding to introduce a new version of the ordinance sometime in early 2025.

According to Brown, the Woodland Township Land Use Board submitted “comments” for the committee’s consideration, containing recommended language to be included in any ordinance.

And the prospective cannabis enterprise proprietor himself has reportedly requested changes to the draft law.

“So, he wants (section) B-2 to read ‘cannabis establishments other than a Class 5 Retail License,’” said Brown of the requested changes by the prospective cannabis entrepreneur. “Now, he is a Class 5 Retail License. So, he wants other licenses, other than Class 5, to have to comply with Bulk Area and Yard Requirements. What we had put in was ‘all establishments’ (have to comply).”

Committeewoman Donna Mull inquired as to “why” the prospective cannabis entrepreneur is requesting that change, and Brown answered, “I don’t know exactly.”

But in identifying “some of the other concerns,” Brown indicated they revolve around the fact “he’s tiny” as far as the size of the proposed operation.

When Brown suggested that a delay in passage until 2025 might cause the prospective cannabis entrepreneur to become “twisted,” Mull responded, “We are not just going to flip something through to please somebody. We need to investigate what we are doing.”

It was at that point that DeGroff recognized, “I am pretty sure there is some concern about opening this.” Brown also acknowledged some in the audience of the Oct. 30 meeting, when the proposed ordinance was first introduced, had uttered, ‘“Oh no!”’

“They say there is criminal activity,” said the mayor of the concerns he has heard from people, but maintained, “It is not true.”

DeGroff then revealed that he and Brown met with law enforcement (later revealed to be the local New Jersey State Police Red Lion Barracks) a few days prior to the latest Woodland committee session “and they said there is no significant data to show that there is (an) increase in crime around one of the distributions.”

“Actually, they say they are very secure,” the mayor maintained, raising this point a couple additional times. “There is a lot

Mount Laurel Man Accused of Impersonating Electrical Contractor Who Closed Business, Moved Out of U.S.,

MEDFORD—A Mount Laurel man, who allegedly impersonated an electrical contractor who had shut down his business and moved out of the country last year, has been charged with engaging in a deceptive business practice and theft, among other things, after having reportedly performed work in Medford Township under apparent false pretenses.

According to a Nov. 25 press release from the Medford Township Police Department, it was in May of this year when a Medford Township resident had hired at least what they thought was CB’S Electrical Contracting, LLC, to perform electrical work at their residence.

While the work was being performed, police said, the homeowner discovered that an electrical permit was not obtained, and also observed “substandard work” being performed.

The resident, according to police, “was forced to hire another electrical contractor” to “correct the deficiencies.”

A police investigation ultimately commenced and reportedly revealed that the true owner of CB’S Electrical Contracting, LLC, had actually closed the business back in October 2023 and moved out of the country.

But before doing so, the true owner had stored his vehicle, tools, supplies and documents in a storage facility, which was leased by his associate, Vincent Squire.

had engaged with the homeowner and performed the reportedly substandard work, with the homeowner having provided Squire $4,675 to do the job.

That homeowner ultimately had to pay the second electrical contractor $2,545 to correct the purported deficiencies said to be caused by Squire.

It was “unbeknownst to the previous owner” of CB’S Electrical Contracting, according to police, that Squire “misappropriated the vehicle, tools and equipment” belonging to the company and “began operating under the business name.”

Squire, police said, even “forged the name of the previous owner on an electrical permit application filed in Medford Township.”

“He also hindered and obstructed the investigation by impersonating the previous owner to police,” authorities maintained.

Squire, 61, on Nov. 15, was charged with contracting without an electrical license, theft by deception, criminal mischief, forgery, impersonation, hindering apprehension or prosecution, obstructing the administration of law and deceptive business practice.

New Jersey State Police reportedly arrested Squire the following day, after a motor vehicle stop. He was then lodged in Burlington County Jail, pending a

is 2 WEEKS AWAY!

Yippee! Only two short weeks until Christmas! Are you feeling festive and still full of energy? Fantastic! Take a deep breath and tackle these tasks with a smile:

Go around your home and put away unsightly objects, like personal hygiene products.

Stock up on essentials like toilet paper, hand soap, napkins and tissues.

Make sure you have everything for the gathering, like glasses and chairs. Borrow anything you may be missing.

Choose or prepare fun games to entertain your guests.

ENTER NOW:

Name: Age: Parent’s Name:

Address: City: State: Zip: Contact Phone: Email: All fields required. Include entry form with each entry.

Contest open to those ages 3 and up. Anyone under the age of 18 must obtain parent or guardian consent to enter. Previous winners of such contests are not eligible to win. Identification for winner may be required. Employees of the newspaper and sponsor employees are not eligible to win. Entry automatically enters individual’s name into contest. Contest entries will not be returned. Contest entries may be displayed or published in print and online by this newspaper; and become property of the newspaper. Winner will be awarded a movie basket from Zallie’s ShopRite of Medford. One entry per contest permitted. Entry form along with completed coloring panel should be mailed to Pine Barrens Tribune, Christmas Coloring Contest, P.O. Box 2402, Vincentown, NJ 08088 and postmarked by January 21, 2025 at 5 p.m. All entries must be received no later than 12 noon on January 24, 2025 and will not be returned. Incomplete entries will be disqualified. The decision of the judges is final. Winners will be notified by phone and/or email no later than January 31, 2025, and must appear in-person for award and agree to be photographed by the Pine Barrens Tribune and contest sponsor for publication.

Important Information:

• Postmarked by January 21, 2024 at 5 p.m.

• Must Be Received by 12 noon on January 24, 2024

• Christmas Coloring Contest form must be provided with each contest entry Mail coloring page with completed entry form to: Pine Barrens Tribune | P.O. Box 2402 | Vincentown, NJ 08088

Sponsored by Zallie’s ShopRite of Medford

By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

SOUTHAMPTON—Will Southampton Township’s “deputy mayor” automatically get to assume the role (and powers) of township mayor in the event that a sitting mayor steps down, becomes incapacitated or passes away suddenly?

For decades, it was assumed, just like is tradition in many other municipalities, that the deputy mayor appointed each year from amongst the five members of the Southampton Township Committee, typically in tandem with the mayor, would assume the mayorship in the event it ever became necessary.

However, the recent resignation of Michael Mikulski, as mayor and from the township committee due to his appointment as a Superior Court Family Division judge in Camden County, has led to some apparently newfound discoveries.

When Mikulski stepped down Oct. 2, Township Administrator Brandon Umba contended a “review” of the township code found that language designating the deputy mayor a “vice chair” had been “repealed back in the 90s by the state Legislature and is no longer enforced.”

“Because there is no official designation within the cohort, that means that the most senior member of the township committee assumes the acting mayorship until a mayor is decided,” contended Umba at the time.

It resulted in current Deputy Mayor Ron Heston not becoming the acting mayor in October, following Mikulski’s resignation, rather James F. Young, Sr., who has served on the township committee for nearly three decades and was a former mayor of 25 years, became acting mayor.

Following the revelation from Umba about the oversight, the Southampton committee, during its Oct. 15 session, had introduced an ordinance on first reading to “establish the deputy mayor’s position officially within the town.”

Officials had given the impression at the time that what was proposed is a fix that would allow the deputy mayor to automatically serve as mayor in the event that the existing mayor can no longer do so.

But an observant resident, Evelyn “Evie” Doherty, who recognized she also had that impression and said she read

the proposed adjustment ordinance on the Internet prior to attending a Nov. 26 Southampton Township Committee second reading and public hearing on the proposed law, expressed her “surprise during the Nov. 26 hearing that “this isn’t in the ordinance.”

Umba responded, in part, “technically, that is not this form of government” and “you need an affirmative action” to appoint a mayor, which is to be done through a “motion and a second for a nomination,” followed by “an affirmative vote.”

“And you also then need a resolution passed by the governing body to grant the power to the mayor,” Umba added.

Even in the event the committee follows that procedure, Umba maintained, the deputy mayor “wouldn’t assume (the mayorship) automatically.”

“It would just be an acting mayor until a mayor was assigned,” Umba contended. It led Doherty to question, “Is this state law?”, to which Umba contended that it was. Doherty then asked for her to be emailed a copy of it.

What the ordinance ultimately passed on Nov. 26 spells out for the role and powers of the deputy mayor is that, “in the absence of the mayor, the deputy mayor shall preside at all meetings of the township committee.”

“Upon the arrival of the mayor, the deputy mayor shall immediately relinquish the chair upon the conclusion of the business immediately before the committee,” it is added. “In the event of the absence of the mayor to act, the deputy mayor shall sign and execute documents and agreements on behalf of the township.”

This newspaper previously reported that during an Oct. 30 special meeting, following the appointment of Arnold Harrison to fill out Mikulski’s unexpired committee term, the governing body convened an executive session in which it was said by Umba “no action will be taken when we return.”

But when the committee returned, as a recording indicates, Young moved to adjourn the special meeting, while Committeeman Bill Raftery interjected and nominated Elizabeth Rossell to be mayor. An unscheduled vote ultimately ensued and Rossell was installed as

By Bill B onvie Staff Writer

SHAMONG—An apparent crackdown by New Jersey State Park Police on the use of unauthorized vehicles in Wharton State Forest was “not prompted” by the issuance last week of a new “Visiting Vehicles Use Map” that has restricted vehicular traffic to some 261.3 miles of existing roads within the confines of the 124,350-acre preserve, according to Vincent Grasso, a spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP).

“Rather, these enforcement actions were based on long-established regulations outlined in the State Park Service Administrative Code,” Grasso stated in a Dec. 4 email to the Pine Barrens Tribune

Such measures first came to public attention in the form of an “Enforcement Update” on “Illegal Off-Road Vehicle Use in Wharton State Forest” posted on the Park Police Facebook page, which listed a number of enforcement actions taken by what it called “targeted patrols” against such activity during the weekend of Nov. 23-24, just before the agency began its campaign to “educate” park visitors about the new road restrictions. They included:

• Five summonses issued for unauthorized motor vehicle use;

• Four summonses issued for operation of motor vehicles in a restricted area;

• Four summonses issued for operation of unregistered vehicles on state land;

• Five written warnings issued for vehicles operating over the speed limit, and

• The impounding of three vehicles, with two additional ones towed at the owner’s expense.

An accompanying warning to potential violators noted that fines for illegal offroad vehicle use and damages are up to $500 for a first offense, $1,000 for a second offense, and a minimum of $1,000 for a third or subsequent offense. It also said that vehicles may be impounded at an additional cost and that violations resulting in damage to or destruction

of natural resources, can lead to an additional fine of five times the cost of the damages.

“ATVs and UTVs/side-by-sides are not permitted on State Park Service property,” the notice added, urging park visitors “who encounter ATVs or other non-street-legal vehicles on or off established park roads, or see suspicious or illegal activities on the DEP-managed public lands,” to call a number provided at the Facebook site.

Judging from many of the 266 responses to the announcement by viewers of the Facebook page, however, it was apparent that some had conflated the newly announced road restrictions, which the Park Police have maintained are not supposed to be actually enforced until New Year’s, with the actions against vehicular violators suddenly publicized at the site.

“More government overreach,” was how a posting from the Pinelands Republican Club put it. “Our tax dollars pay these people to harass and arrest us. They should be embarrassed to post these numbers, not proud that they took their miniscule nothingness of existence to harass people who work for a living and want to go out and enjoy the woods.”

Another chagrined commentator, Peter Thompson, asked, “Who owns the state?? Us TAXPAYERS!! This is fully funded by our money! Instead of the cat-and-mouse game, why don’t you set aside dedicated trails to ride on? Give us the option to register and insure our ATVs, or purchase a yearly pass to help prevent damage and preserve the environment. But no, let’s chase down decent people and families just trying to enjoy a little free time and bond with their kids and teach them a skill because you think you have some approved higher power to bully us.”

Thompson further asserted that “people just enjoying the landscape should not be targeted and fined,” suggesting, “how about you patrol the areas and stop individuals that are actually causing damage or being a problem.”

“We should be able to coexist in these spaces,” he added.

BurlCo Presenting Virtual Encore of Suicide Survivor’s Film and Q+A

Mental Health Motivational Speaker Emma Benoit and her fiancé Evan Herbert visited Burlington County this month for a special screening of the film My Ascension about Emma’s life and inspiring recovery at the Burlington County Library in Westampton. Afterwards, Emma answered questions from the audience. She appears here with Herbert, Burlington County Commissioner Deputy Director Dan O’Connell, Burlington County Department of Human Services Director Shirla Simpson, Elfrieda Francis, Division Head of the Burlington County Division of Behavioral Health, Jennifer Wright, Behavioral Health Youth Coordinator, and other guests at the screening.

For the Pine Barrens Tribune WESTAMPTON—Burlington County hosted Nov. 19 nationally recognized suicide prevention speaker Emma Benoit for a special presentation about teenage suicide and mental illness.

Held at the Burlington County Library System’s Main Branch Library in Westampton, the presentation featured a free screening of the documentary film, “My Ascension,” which chronicles Benoit’s inspiring story.

For years, the Louisiana teen silently struggled with anxiety and depression, and, at age 16, she attempted to end her own life. The failed attempt left her paralyzed, and through navigating her recovery, Emma discovered a passion for helping other teens struggling with mental illness.

“Mental health is an essential part of overall health, and Emma’s story is a powerful reminder that it can impact anyone, including our children and teens,” said Burlington County Commissioner Deputy Director Dan O’Connell, who attended the program and delivered opening remarks before the film. “By telling her story, Ms. Benoit is helping to save lives, and we want others who are struggling to know about available support and resources.”

Residents who missed the live event can still view the film and a pre-recorded Q&A with Benoit online via a special Virtual Encore that is available now through Dec. 14 at https://watch.showandtell.film/watch/ burlingtoncounty .

The Virtual Encore presentation is being made possible through a partnership between the Burlington County Commissioners, Burlington County Department of Human Services and Show & Tell films so that more residents can benefit from Benoit’s story and her message of hope.

The Burlington County Department

Celebrate the Season During Winter Fest at Historic Smithville Park

Burlington County Park Will Be Transformed Into Winter Wonderland on Dec. 14

For the Pine Barrens Tribune EASTAMPTON – Historic Smithville Park will be transformed into a winter wonderland of fun and holiday magic during the upcoming Winter Fest celebration.

of Human Services is also creating a My Ascension tool kit for schools and youth groups that wish to see this film and discuss it as part of their teen mental health education. Interested schools and groups should contact the Burlington County Department of Human Services Division of Behavioral Health at 609-265-5536.

In addition to the film, the Burlington County Commissioners have made it one of their missions to provide assistance and help for those suffering from mental health conditions and battling substance use disorders. The Burlington County Hope One for Youth is available to visit schools, youth groups, houses of worship and community events. The mobile outreach unit specializes in mental health education, substance use disorder, and support services for children and teens.

The county commissioners have also passed a resolution and campaigned to end all stigmas surrounding mental health and substance use disorders. Numerous Burlington County towns and schools have passed resolutions supporting the county initiative.

“Conditions like depression, anxiety and substance use disorder are illnesses,” said Burlington County Commissioner Director Dr. Felicia Hopson. “Individuals with these ailments deserve support and care, not stigma and shame. Our county is excited to continue to partner with Emma and her team to make sure residents struggling with mental health do not feel alone. Together, we’re striving to end stigma, save lives and send a message of hope across our county.”

If your life or someone else’s life is in imminent danger, county officials emphasized, call 911.

If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs immediate help, call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Help is also available online at www.nj.hopeline.com .

The annual festival celebrating all things winter will be held on Saturday, Dec. 14, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., on the grounds of Smithville Park, 803 Smithville Road, Eastampton. It will feature many of the enchanting sights and attractions that make it a.m.ong the region’s most popular holiday activities.

“Smithville is beautiful all year, but decorated with lights and garland is spectacular. Attending Winter Fest is a great way to welcome the joyful season and see the park in all its holiday splendor,” said Burlington County Commissioner Director Dr. Felicia Hopson.

Visitors to the park will marvel at the sights of the Victorian village and mansion decked out in holiday finery and the sounds of wandering carolers dressed in Victorian attire performing favorite turns, along with other free activities both indoors and outdoors throughout the park.

Some of the planned activities and attractions include:

• Meet Santa Claus in Victorian attire

• See a performance of Charles Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol”

• Marvel at ice sculptures being carved

• Lace up a pair of skates and take a lap or two around the synthetic ice rink

• Join the elf hunt and help Buddy the Elf gather his friends so they can return to the North Pole in time for the holiday

• Find a special gift in the Holiday Marketplace

• Enjoy s’mores by a bonfire or wine and mulled cider in the beer garden

• Ride the trackless train through Smithville

• Live music, food trucks, cookie decorating and much more!

Tours of Smithville Mansion and the village will also be held during the event, and both the Smithville Mansion Annex Gallery and the Workers House Gallery will be open.

The Mansion Annex Gallery is exhibiting Burlington County’s annual Juried Art Show featuring paintings, photographs, drawings and more from artists from across the county and beyond. It’s one of the most anticipated exhibits each year.

On display in the Worker’s House Gallery is a special exhibit of handmade ceramics, wearable textiles, jewelry, prints and other crafts created by artists from the Peters Valley Gallery and School of Crafts.

In addition to Winter Fest, both galleries are open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.

Burlington County Commissioner Allison Eckel said the event is a fun time for families and friends to enjoy the holiday season and experience Smithville.

“Burlington County’s park system is one of the best around and Smithville is one of our biggest and most popular locations,” said Eckel, the liaison to the Department of Resource Conservation and Parks.

“Visitors from all over the region enjoy its unique blend of history and natural beauty, and the holidays are an opportune time to discover all the park has to offer.”

Photo Provided

Photo Provided Burlington County Commissioner Deputy Director Dan O’Connell met Buddy the Elf during the 2022 Winter Fest at Historic Smithville Park. Buddy will be back this year for a special elf hunt game during the festival.

Photo Provided

Carolers in Victorian attire will perform at Burlington County’s Winter Fest on Saturday, Dec. 14, at Historic Smithville Park.

Shawnee High Fall Sports Teams Win Multiple State Championship Titles Girls Tennis, Boys Soccer and Girls Soccer Teams All Win 2024 State Titles

For the Pine Barrens Tribune

MEDFORD—Not one, not two, but three Shawnee High School Sports Teams have won State Championship Titles this fall, setting and breaking records in the process.

The Shawnee Girls Tennis Team was the first team to take home a State Championship Group III win, coached by Shawnee Math Teacher Sarah Doyle, in their final match against West WindsorPlainsboro North High School on Oct. 17, with a final score of 3-2. This State Championship was the first in Shawnee history for the girls’ tennis team.

Next to take home a State Championship Group III win was the Shawnee Girls Soccer Team, coached by Shawnee Physical Education Teacher Drew Wagner on Nov. 23, against Northern Highlands Regional with a 3-0 final score. This was also the first State Championship win for the girls’ soccer program in Shawnee history.

HEALTH

(Continued from Page 1)

is within the required temperature range.

The Health Department, she added, “has a regular presence at the facility and continues to monitor the situation with patient safety as the top priority.” And while past inspection reports were still posted on the department’s website (under the “Inspection Summaries” tab), she said, “the current ones were still ongoing” and, therefore, not yet available at the time of this writing.

That state of affairs was confirmed by owner/administrator Richard Pinelis in separate conversations with this newspaper on Dec. 4 and 5, who acknowledged that while there had been a problem with the hot-water system for a time, other issues were misrepresented in the media, and that he was hopeful the facility would be allowed to resume accepting new residents by the end of the week.

“We’ve complied with everything,” contended Pinelis, who said he has been in charge of the center, which was started by his father in 1980, for the past 25 years. “We have an administrator and consultant on the situation every day.”

Furthermore, despite the temporary issue involving the hot-water system, which has since been repaired with a faulty circulating pump having been replaced just this past week, “an allegation that we hadn’t bathed residents in several months was completely incorrect,” he maintained, as were a reports that the facility had no hot water and lessthan-adequate deliveries of food.

“We have always had food supplies,” he asserted.

CANNABIS

(Continued from Page 2)

of security around it.”

DeGroff spoke of his anticipation that security concerns will be raised by the public.

Deputy Mayor Mark Herndon, appearing familiar with some apparent concerns already raised to the committee members, expanded that, “Their main recurring argument - well, concern – was its proximity to the school.”

Asked where those reports might have originated, Pinelis said he thought “some of it came from disgruntled staff members,” adding, “I’m sorry to say that, but it is the truth.”

In addition, he said, when nursing home residents are asked about conditions, they are not always cognitively coherent, and some complaints may come from families who are struggling with guilt over not being able to personally attend to the needs of loved ones.

“Not all families love (having them in) a nursing home,” he acknowledged—a situation made more difficult in recent years by a shortage of professional help in the long-term care industry, which was aggravated by the pandemic, and the fact that healthier older individuals are now opting to live in assisted-living communities, leaving only those who are chronically ill with multiple co-morbidities to be served by care facilities such as his.

Pinelis, nevertheless, claimed that he continues to have dedicated employees who have worked for him for many years and who have made sure the residents are very well taken care of, bathed, fed, have activities, and helped with whatever their needs are in daily living.

“We have gotten an unusual level of scrutiny in the past few weeks by the New Jersey Department of Health Survey Team,” he added. “But we are almost through it, and we are hoping to get the deficiencies they cited removed this week.”

And while during that time there has been a “natural level of attrition, nobody has voluntarily left the facility or expressed a desire to leave,” he maintained, adding that the residents have remained “generally happy” with conditions there.

• Class 1 Cultivator

• Class 2 Manufacturer

• Class 3 Wholesaler

• Class 4 Distributor

• Class 5 Retailer

• Class 6 Delivery Service

Following the very next day on Nov. 24, it was the Shawnee Boys Soccer Team’s turn. Coached by Shawnee History Teacher Ryan Franks, the boys took home their State Championship Group III title against Randolph High School with a final score of 2-0. This was the 8th overall State Championship win for the boys’ soccer program.

The back-to-back soccer wins were also the first time in Shawnee History that both a boys and girls team won State Championships in the same weekend.

When thinking about the exciting championship fall season, Mr. Rich Dodd, Shawnee Athletic Director, declared, “At Shawnee, we teach our athletes the core principles of ROOTS...Respect for Opponents, Officials, Teammates and Self. We could not be prouder of our coaching staff and our athletes. The preparation, selfdiscipline and conduct on and off the field is a tradition at Shawnee that we are proud to see our athletes uphold year after year.”

One of the “comments” of the Land Use Board, it was then revealed by Brown, is that the public body wants the ordinance changed so that a cannabis enterprise cannot open “within five miles of a school.” (The proposed establishment would be well away from the Chatsworth Elementary School in Woodland.)

“I like that idea,” DeGroff declared. “It (should be) only up on the highway. There should be nothing within the town (Chatsworth) or the village.”

Given the proposed establishment would be near the New Lisbon Developmental Center, a New Jersey Correctional Facility and a parcel that has been previously associated with a youth pathfinder camp, in which youth courses could take place, the committee discussed whether any future ordinance should specify a cannabis enterprise cannot open within five miles of a “public school” or “within an educational facility for the education of minors.”

Among the currently six cannabis licensing classes permitted by the state are:

Burns noted that the prospective cannabis entrepreneur “also asked for a change to the ordinance to limit the number of licenses for cannabis businesses to one per business type,” with Brown adding, “which is actually what the Land Use Board wants, too.”

“Based on all the recommendations from both the person seeking the ordinance, as well as the recommendations from the Land Use Board, I would suggest removing this from the agenda and not having the public hearing tonight,” Burns said. “So, it will not be an ordinance in 2024. And then, we will reintroduce whatever new ordinance the committee comes up with in January.”

When a similar announcement was made during a subsequent regular Woodland committee session on Nov. 26, the perspective cannabis entrepreneur, recognized by officials to be sitting in the audience, appeared OK with the delay after being told, in part, it was to allow for his requested changes to be incorporated into the proposed law. Additionally, no concerns from the public were raised on Nov. 26. Despite recognizing some prior public concern during the workshop session, DeGroff maintained the prospective

See CANNABIS/ Page 12

The Shawnee High School Boys Soccer Team.

The Shawnee High School Girls Soccer Team.

Photos Provided

The Shawnee High School Girls Tennis Team.

There is no shortage of options to find every item on your holiday shopping list. Shopping malls, online retailers and mom and pop stores along Main Street can be great spots to grab holiday deals, but shoppers also can find great gifts at holiday fairs and bazaars.

• PATRONIZE SMALL BUSINESSES.

Bazaars are found all over the world, but are notable to Middle Eastern and Asian countries. Bazaars are marketplaces that feature several small shops or vendor stalls. In some countries, bazaars are outdoors and covered by tents, while in others they feature several stalls set up in large rooms.

Holiday bazaars often pop up during the holiday season and mimic international marketplaces. They may be hosted by cities or towns, schools or places of worship. Sometimes they are fundraising opportunities, with nonprofit organizations charging a stall- or table-renting fee for bazaar participants. Holiday fairs and bazaars often bring together an array of different retailers, many of whom are small businesses selling interesting wares.

Shoppers should take advantage of every opportunity to visit these holiday bazaars because they will only be around for a short time. Here’s a look at some of the benefits of bazaar shopping for the holidays.

Holiday bazaars often bring together small businesses that may not normally have storefronts. This allows shoppers to meet the individuals behind businesses they already patronize or discover new firms they were previously unacquainted with.

• SHOP UNIQUE WARES. Holiday bazaars may showcase items not easily found elsewhere, from handcrafted jewelry to unique soaps to custom woodworking items.

• DEVELOP NEW RELATIONSHIPS.

Shopping at holiday bazaars enables you to meet and interact with new people. This can expand your social circles and may even expand your professional network.

• ENJOY THE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE. Shopping away from the bustle of larger, busier retail stores gives you a break from the harried shopping experience many experience during the holiday season. Rather, holiday fairs and bazaars typically are less crowded and engage at a slower pace. Plus, they may have a more homespun decorating design that can have you feeling like you’re shopping in a Christmas village.

Holiday shopping bazaars are great places to shop for the holidays.

Thoughtful Gifts for Aging Parents

Children typically want to treat their parents to something special during the holiday season. Parents do a lot for their children, and when those kids become adults, a desire to express their appreciation for Mom and Dad grows.

According to The Wrap Up: Snappy’s 2022 Holiday Gift Report, the majority of Americans (64.2 percent) report they need help when it comes to holiday gifting. They may want to carefully consider a recipient’s interests, as the report also discovered more than half of all Americans want a gift that reflects their personal interests and hobbies. When shopping for elderly parents, it may not be as simple as identifying interests, particularly if Mom and Dad are experiencing age-related health issues. Consider these gift ideas that may be ideal for the aging adults in your life.

• COZY BLANKET: Older adults may have trouble regulating their body temperatures, which can translate to feeling cold a lot of the time. A new blanket or throw for a bed or to cuddle up with in a favorite recliner might be the perfect gift.

• FAMILY HISTORY BOOK: Budding writers can interview their aging parents and jot

down family stories. Those stories and anecdotes can be compiled into a book and combined with photos to make a family history log, which can be gifted back to the interviewee.

• GRIPPING SLIPPERS: Slips and falls can injure aging adults and put them out of commission for quite some time. Sturdy and secure slippers with anti-slip soles are good for getting around the house and making quick trips to take out the trash or get the mail.

• ROBOTIC VACUUM: Keeping up with the household chores is easier with a robotic vacuum that automatically scours carpets and hard-surface floors. This eliminates having to wrestle with a cumbersome vacuum.

• KEY FINDER: A key finder can help adults find their keys if they are misplaced. Some employ radio frequency, while others utilize Bluetooth technology and can be paired to a smartphone.

• MAGNIFYING LIGHT: Older parents who like to do puzzles or close-up work like knitting or stitching can benefit from an LED lamp that also has a magnifying glass built right in.

• E-READER: Avid readers may enjoy an e-reader because they don’t have to find spots to store even more books in their homes. E-readers can be customized so the print is the right size for the reader’s needs. Also, the devices are lightweight and easy to stow in a bag.

• AUTOMATIC CARD SHUFFLER: Parents who are known card sharks around the community can use an automatic card shuffler to make card play even easier.

• RESISTANCE BANDS: Resistance bands are like large rubber bands that exert force to strengthen muscles and improve flexibility. They can help aging adults stay in shape in a low-impact way.

• DINING GIFT CARDS: When parents do not want to spend additional time in the kitchen, they may opt to visit a favorite restaurant. A combination of a gift card to a favorite establishment as well as prepaid taxi or ride share service ensures a good meal and a safe ride home.

Although they seem to have everything, aging parents still can benefit from some thoughtful gifts.

Tips for Holiday Parties at Home

As the Christmas season begins, calendars start to fill up with social engagements celebrating the holiday season. The holiday season certainly is a time for merrymaking, as a 2023 survey of 2,000 Americans conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Chinet found the average person would attend five different gatherings during this celebratory time of year.

Parties are a festive component of the holiday season, and dates and venues fill up fast. Because of that popularity, individuals looking to host holiday parties may opt to do so at home. There are several advantages to hosting at home. However, hosting at home requires planning and some extra concessions.

• SHOP AROUND TO SAVE MONEY. Quite often home parties are more cost-effective than having an event at a venue. You can shop around for the best prices on items, and tailor the menu to your budget rather than paying a set “head price” at a party hall or restaurant.

• MOVE OUT FURNITURE. Spaces in a home may not be as open or extensive as reception halls or restaurants, so it might be a smart idea to move some furniture to create additional space for guests. Temporarily remove bulky sofas and chairs, replacing them with smaller chairs and cocktail tables.

• ADDRESS SAFETY CONCERNS. Hosts planning to host at home should make a list of safety concerns and put plans in place to reduce risk for accidents or injuries. For example, there may be ordinances about parking too many cars on a residential street, so arrangements may need to be made with a church or nearby business to use their lot and then shuttle guests. Have plans for ride-shares or taxis so that no guest will leave the party and drive if they are intoxicated. It’s also a courtesy to alert neighbors about the party so they will be aware of the extra noise and traffic.

• HIRE SUPPORT STAFF. Hire some helping hands for home

parties with extensive guest lists. A bartender can serve drinks and make sure that guests are not overserved. Wait staff can help clean up dishes and plates and be sure that the food is stocked and ready to go.

• ARRANGE FOR PETS TO BE SAFE. Pets may not appreciate the extra crowds or elevated noise levels in a home during the party. Make arrangements to board pets or at least confine them to a quiet room away from the hustle and bustle.

• BLEND CATERING WITH HOMEMADE TREATS. Cooking for guests requires getting an accurate headcount. To help, let caterers do some of the more labor-intensive dishes and then you can offer some of your signature dishes that are easier to prepare.

Hosting a holiday party at home requires some extra planning and safety measures to ensure everyone has a fun and safe night.

Fun Gifts for Holiday Hosts

Millions of people open their homes to relatives and friends each holiday season. Taking on the task of holiday host can be a labor of love, as it involves not only a commitment of time, but also a financial investment. Lending Tree reported that 60 percent of Americans considering hosting holiday gatherings in 2023 expected to spend an average of $556 on their celebrations. Six-figure earners planned to spend even more, indicating they expected to spend $764 on holiday hosting.

Guests benefitting from holiday hosts’ hospitality can offer tokens of their appreciation upon arrival. The following are some great gifts to offer hosts this holiday season.

• BEVERAGE OF CHOICE: A bottle of wine or another spirit can be a great gift for holiday gatherings. Let hosts decide if they want to serve it with the meal or save it to enjoy at a later time.

• HOLIDAY PLANT: A poinsettia or Christmas cactus may be fitting this time of year, and a holiday host can enjoy seeing it grow during the season.

• KITCHEN TOOLS OR SERVING ITEMS: A beautiful olive wood serving platter or cutting board might be appreciated, particularly if guests arrive with it covered in a charcuterie spread.

• SCENTED CANDLE: Hosts can set the mood and add to the ambiance of an entertaining space with lit, scented candles, which make for a great gift. Guests can inquire as to the hosts’ preferred aromas or stick with safe bets like vanilla or cinnamon.

• HOLIDAY ORNAMENT OR DECORATIVE PIECE: Guests can offer ornaments for the tree or another

• CURATED FOOD BASKET: A guest can put together a basket of different foods, including crackers, cheeses, jams, bread sticks, and other items that can be enjoyed as snacks or appetizers.

decorative item for hosts who are repeat entertainers. Dating the decoration or having it engraved can transform it into a memento hosts can relish through the years.

• COMFORT AND CARE ASSORTMENT: takes effort, so a box of items to pamper holiday hosts can be a great gift. Fill the box with a loofah, bath bombs, shower gel, moisturizing cream, and massage oil.

Holiday hosts invest time and money into making their homes welcoming spaces to spend the holidays. Guests can treat these hosts with gifts to show how much their efforts and hospitality are appreciated.

Make Holiday Crafting a Family Affair

Families gather frequently during the holiday season as everyone enjoys the feasts and festivities that are synonymous with this time of year. Families often bake and decorate together, as these activities are inclusive of people of all ages. This time of year also is one for dabbling in creative pursuits. Now is a prime opportunity to bond with children over a table full of paint, glue, beads, and other crafty supplies. The crafts made during the holidays often become cherished mementos that will be regarded fondly for years to come. Here are some ideas to inspire holiday creativity.

SNOWMAN FAMILY

Handprint crafts are popular among children. Adults and children can dip their hands into washable white paint and make a handprint stamp on a small canvas, wooden palette or even a terracotta flowerpot. Decorate the white fingerprints with black dots to look like the faces of the snowmen and paint on top hats and scarves. In the years to come, artists can marvel at how small their hand prints once were.

WINE CORK REINDEER

Repurpose wine corks by crafting adorable little reindeer. Two corks make up the head and the body, and four vertically will comprise the feet. Stick on googly eyes, and add a small red or black bead for the nose. Pipe cleaners can be bent to form the reindeer’s antlers.

FAMILY GARLANDS

This craft also makes use of handprints. Ask all family members to trace their handprints on different colors of construction paper or card stock. Cut out all of the paper hands, punch holes in the tops and then string a ribbon through. Decorate the Christmas tree or a mantle with this garland.

MINIATURE CHRISTMAS TREES

Paint the tips of gathered pine cones with green paint and allow to dry. Add white glitter or paint as “snow.” Glue the pine cones to wine corks that will serve as the tree trunks, and attach a small wooden star to the top of the trees for the finishing touch.

DECOUPAGE ORNAMENTS

Purchase wooden or plastic ball ornaments. Cover with small scraps of cut fabric or paper dipped in craft glue or Mod Podge®, and attach to the ornament in an overlapping fashion. Remember to add a string from which the ornament can be hung on the tree. Allow to dry completely before use.

PAPER CHAIN ADVENT CALENDAR

Cut strips of paper to make a link for every day of Advent, which began on December 1, 2024, and lasts until Christmas. The top link can be any design artists prefer, but those who need a little inspiration can consider a religious symbol, the face of a reindeer, a snowman, or a Christmas tree. Hang the chain and then children can take turns ripping off a link from the bottom each day as they count down to the holiday.

POPSICLE STICK SNOWFLAKES

Paint four popsicle sticks per snowflake in desired colors. Decorate with glue, pompoms, beads, or other trinkets. Add small looped strings to hang the ornaments.

Parents, grandparents and children can have fun crafting holiday decorations this December.

Although presents garner most of the fanfare during the holiday season, there is no denying that food and entertaining also figure prominently this time of year. Delish magazine reports that Christmas food consumption ranks third, behind Thanksgiving and Super Bowl Sunday, among Americans, and that a single Christmas meal can weigh in at 3,000 calories, not factoring in any other food consumed that day.

No one wants to feel held back while having fun with family and friends, but smart food choices can mean healthier living during this season of festivities. Dish up these alternatives when holiday entertaining.

• LEAN ON LEANER CUTS OF MEAT. A strong body is built on protein, and holiday hosts often make a meat or poultry dish the star of the holiday dinner table. When selecting holiday fare, choose leaner options such as “round” or “loin” roasts; otherwise, select white-fleshed fish and skinless poultry in lieu of other options.

• USE BROTHS INSTEAD OF CREAMS. Soups and gravies are popular this time of year, and both can be made healthier by opting for stock or broth bases over more fattening

Healthy Holiday Recipe Swaps

milks or creams when creating these recipes.

• CREATE A ONE-CRUST PIE. Pie is one of the more popular holiday desserts, and plenty of the calories come from a rich, buttery crust. Lighten up by serving a onecrust pie, such as pumpkin or sweet potato. Fruit-based pies like apple or blueberry also can be made with one crust. Simply top the fruit with a light crumb coating.

• FIND WAYS TO INCORPORATE VEGETABLES. Vegetables are low in calories and rich in vitamins and nutrients. Many also are high in fiber, so they can help people avoid overeating. According to dietary experts from the American Heart Association, people should aim for four to five servings of vegetables each day. When making a plate, fill half of the plate with vegetables. Enhance dishes like lasagna or other pastas with fresh vegetables as well.

• SKIP THE FRIED BIRD. Although deepfrying a turkey can reduce cooking time, frying historically is not the best cooking method for those who are making healthconscious choices. Rather than frying, consider spatchcocking (also known as butterflying) the turkey to enable it to cook faster. Use fresh herbs and seasonings

instead of butter and oil to flavor your turkey as well.

• SKIP THE COCKTAILS. The Center for Science in the Public Interest says that classic cocktails with little to no added sugar typically fall into the 150- to 200-calorie range, while others can be about 200 to 300 calories each. Many people will want

to save those extra calories for dessert or another indulgent dish rather than drinking them away. If you want to simulate a cocktail, make a spritzer with sparkling water and unsweetened cranberry juice.

Celebrants can make some smart choices in the foods and beverages they eat to enjoy a healthier holiday season this December.

i l l y d a y s .

D e c o r a t e w i t h a P u r p o s e :

S w a p t r a d i t i o n a l h o l i d a y d é c o r f o r b i r d -

f r i e n d l y o p t i o n s S t r i n g g a r l a n d s o f

c r a n b e r r i e s a n d p o p c o r n , o r h a n g o r n a m e n t s

f i l l e d w i t h b i r d s e e d T h e s e f e s t i v e t o u c h e s

a r e f u n t o m a k e a n d g i v e b a c k t o n a t u r e !

P r o v i d e F r e s h W a t e r :

A h e a t e d b i r d b a t h k e e p s w a t e r f r o m f r e e z i n g ,

g i v i n g b i r d s a p l a c e t o d r i n k a n d p r e e n a l l w i n t e r l o n g

S h e l t e r i s K e y :

H e l p b i r d s s t a y s a f e a n d w a r m b y a d d i n g

r o o s t i n g b o x e s o r p l a n t i n g e

INVESTIGATION

(Continued from Page 1)

Tom Pullion, which was met with applause during the commissioners’ meeting, which, unlike the first session to occur in the immediate aftermath of the chaotic election, saw a large crowd size - on Thanksgiving week to boot - that Deputy Democratic Director Daniel O’Connell recalled has only occurred in response to one or two other issues during his six-year tenure on the board.

Pullion’s latest remarks followed more than a dozen accounts from poll workers, election challengers and voters (some purporting to have been disenfranchised Nov. 5) describing in detail how the system was completely inadequate to handle a presidential election year turnout and failed, with everything from purportedly malfunctioning printers and tabulators to spoiled ballots reportedly witnessed as being all over the floor of one polling site.

That was in addition to a claim of a voting machine that went unaccounted for, with police reportedly sent scrambling to find it, while poll workers, at another polling site, upon receiving delivery of another machine in a desperate attempt to ease lengthy lines to vote, couldn’t use it because it was reportedly not programmed for the right venue.

Burlington County initially attributed the election system meltdown to simply high turnout, and then, amid voter backlash and widespread reports of voter disenfranchisement from lines that exceeded six hours in some cases, with an average length of two to four hours, put out a subsequent statement calling on the Board of Elections and Superintendent of Elections offices to conduct a comprehensive review of election procedures, equipment and processes with the goal of making improvements. A report is due in January.

However, one common theme heard from the poll workers, election challengers and voters who spoke out during the Nov. 26 commissioners’ meeting is that the situation demands an independent investigation, one conducted by an outside agency.

“And I feel that for a couple different reasons, but I am not going to belabor it,” said Pullion in siding with the public, and who during a preceding Nov. 13

commissioners’ session had initially maintained he was not going to say more than what was already said by Commissioners’ Democratic Director Dr. Felicia Hopson, who simply reinforced the general position of the county government.

But Pullion, also the business administrator of Edgewater Park, did ultimately on Nov. 13 call the election both “horrible” and a “fiasco.”

“The last guy in line was my son,” said Pullion during the latest Nov. 26 session, after one challenger recalled the last voter in Delran Township had voted at 1:30 a.m. on the day after Election Day, Nov. 6. “And if you know anything about my children, they are not afraid to give me an earful, which I listened to for about 20 minutes.”

But those calling for an independent review drew a sharp rebuke from O’Connell, also liaison to the Board of Elections and Superintendent of Elections offices.

After O’Connell pointed out “we have called for the Election Board and the Superintendent of Elections to review all aspects of the election and report back on what exactly went wrong, and what could be done to fix it,” and it is a move that has been supported by both the county Republican and Democratic organizations’ chairmen, the deputy director asserted, “maybe somebody is going to see a need for an outside investigation, but right now, these are your friends and neighbors that do this, just like the poll workers!”

“Instead of us being so suspicious, how about giving us a little bit of time and let us see what we come up with and let us share that information with you?” asked O’Connell of those gathered, in a somewhat unusually animated form for him.

O’Connell further maintained, “What we are not going to do is speculate about what went wrong,” adding, “We are not playing political games,” rather, “We are here to solve the problem.”

The bipartisan group of poll workers, election challengers and voters, however, detailed their observations from Election Day, offering on the record what appeared to be more than merely speculation.

And while a lot has already come out about the “epic failure” of the county’s election system on Nov. 5, chronicled by this newspaper over the last few weeks, a lot of what was revealed during the Nov. 26 commissioners’ meeting were new claims, See INVESTIGATION/ Page 8

Photo By Andrew King

Burlington County Democratic Commissioner Tom Pullion calls for an outside investigation into an Election Day debacle in Burlington County.

Lenape Regional High School District Receives $1M Grant

High

For the Pine Barrens Tribune

State Senator Troy Singleton has announced that he has secured $1 million for the Lenape Regional High School District (LRHSD) to help fund infrastructure improvements to Lenape High School.

The funds, which stem from federal COVID relief allotted to states through the American Rescue Plan Act, are planned to be used for upgrades to the high school’s fire detection system, HVAC system, as well as partial roof replacement for the benefit of the school’s approximately 2,000 Mount Laurel students and faculty.

“This funding will ensure that necessary infrastructure improvements at Lenape High School are completed and that this building will remain as safe as possible for both the students who learn there and the teachers that teach there,” Singleton said. “I am proud to have secured this funding on behalf of the Lenape Regional High School District and appreciate Dr. Birnbohm’s advocacy.”

This funding announcement comes in the wake of reductions in state aid to the school district for the 2024-2025 school year. Although over $2.5 million in state aid was restored thanks to legislative action, the district remains squeezed by budget concerns and rising costs.

“We are deeply grateful for this $1 million grant and for Senator Singleton’s steadfast support of our school district,”

said LRHSD Superintendent Dr. Carol Birnbohm. “His commitment to understanding the challenges we face and his proactive efforts to improve school funding have made a significant difference for many years. We are fortunate to benefit from his leadership, which continues to drive positive change for our students and the entire school community.”

This portion of Lenape High School’s roof dates back to 1965, when the facility was originally constructed, and over six decades of wear-and-tear has now necessitated replacement. Voters previously approved a bond referendum for roof repairs, but rising costs and the necessity to additionally replace the HVAC system, have increased the estimated cost of the project.

The fire detection system utilized by Lenape High School detects both smoke and heat across the 330,000 square foot facility, and allows emergency personnel to pinpoint potential fire events in the building to respond as rapidly as possible. The district plans to replace the aging devices utilized in the system with this funding as well.

With the additional $1 million in funding, the LRHSD will be able to put these projects out to bid, with work on both expected to begin in the summer of 2025 to avoid disruptions to classes during the school year.

MAYOR

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mayor, 4-1, with Young casting the lone opposing vote, though Heston appeared somewhat diffident.

This newspaper only found out about the action days later from a concerned citizen, and published a report about how the vote resulted in transparency concerns.

Action – in somewhat subtle form –appeared to be taken at the Nov. 26 regular meeting to ensure the appointment was done legally, with the first item of business acted on by the committee a resolution, “Designating and Appointing the Mayor of the Township of Southampton.”

vote, making the designation of Rossell as mayor a unanimous decision.

Nevertheless, both the leadership positions of Heston and Rossell, as per both existing code and the new law passed Nov. 26, appear to come due for renewal at the January reorganization meeting, at which time the committee is to elect/ re-elect a mayor and deputy mayor, each for a one-year term.

There was one other scheduled “nonconsent agenda resolution” acted upon during the committee’s Nov. 26 session, one titled, “Resolution Approving a Memorandum of Understanding with Eastern Atlantic (States) Regional Council of Carpenters (F)(2)(B).”

“As what happened at the last meeting, a nomination occurred, but in order for the nomination to be solidified, it needs a resolution,” is how Umba explained it. “And I present that resolution for the board’s consideration.”

Rossell then asked for a motion to approve the resolution, which was immediately made by Raftery, but then when Rossell asked for a “second” to the motion, there was a notable six-second period of silence, until Rossell offered to second her own nomination, which was followed by Harrison, attending his first full committee meeting via Zoom, offering to also second the motion.

When a roll call vote ensued, there was again a notable period of silence, this time when Heston’s name was called, waiting some six seconds to arrive at a, “Yes.” This time, however, Young also casted a “yes”

“This is being requested, as once I arrived here, there were several updates that were requested by committee members to happen to this building,” is how Umba explained the resolution. “Our Public Works personnel do not have time, really, to accomplish these items, and Burlington County’s Commissioner Board has started a program that allows for us to direct hire, on a temporary basis, Carpenters Union members in order to have those repairs done to the building.” It passed, 4-0, with Harrison abstaining, following Umba’s “recommendation” to do so “due to a conflict.” As this newspaper reported two weeks ago, committee newcomer Harrison is a council representative at the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters. As for Harrison’s attendance at his first full committee meeting via Zoom, he, during his report, “apologized that I couldn’t be there in person this evening.”

Photos Provided

Scenes from the inaugural Christmas Tree lighting at Scoot's Liquor Store II & Deli in the Green Bank section of Washington Township.

INVESTIGATION

(Continued from Page 6)

portraying a far more dire situation than what was previously known or disclosed.

Tracy Sullivan, a challenger on Election Day in Mount Laurel Township, recounted poll workers having informed her that four machines at a polling place on Walton Avenue were supposed to be “interchangeable” between four districts that were assigned to vote there.

But as it turned out, she maintained, they were not.

“So, when we had two districts with no wait and we had two districts with a fourand-a-half to five-hour long wait, they kept saying, ‘Well, the machines were supposed to come, and we were supposed to be able to use them, but that is not how they were set up.”

Sullivan described that only after “repeated calls” were made, did an additional machine “show up” at the Mount Laurel polling site. However, she recalled, “it was programmed incorrectly,” by being not setup for Mount Laurel, but rather “for Delanco.”

This newspaper previously reported that some of the equipment used on Election Day in Burlington County was recently purchased from Dominion.

Sullivan maintained that ultimately a “Dominion employee showed up out of thin air,” recounting that his name was Noah, and after he purportedly could not configure the machine, he vowed, ‘“We’re going to get you another machine.’”

“They said, ‘We’re getting you another machine. It is on a truck,’” Sullivan recounted. “So, we waited, and waited, and waited, and then the (driver of the) truck claimed, ‘We can’t get into the parking area because all the cars are parked too close together and it is in a box truck.’”

Sullivan maintained that Mount Laurel Police responded and claimed to have ‘“searched everywhere”’ for any sign of the purported truck, but that “they couldn’t find the truck.”

“So, they said they were going to call the New Jersey State Police and ‘we are going to have them go around the area’ and look for this mysterious truck that supposedly had a machine that was coming from somewhere,” Sullivan further recounted.

However, the challenger alleged, “they never found the truck.”

“So, we need to find out who were the people driving this truck, and where did they get this machine that never showed,” Sullivan asserted.

Meanwhile, according to Sullivan, one of the candidates she was representing purportedly questioned Superintendent of Elections Dawn Marie Addiego, also previously described by the county as the custodian of the machines, about the “counts on these machines” at the Mount Laurel polling site “because we got conflicting information.”

“She was told at one point, at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, 1,400 people had cast a vote,” said Sullivan of a candidate she was representing. “Then, in the evening, ‘Oh, it is 1,200 and some odd votes that are on the E-Poll Book. So, how did those numbers change?”

When questions were reportedly posed to Addiego about the discrepancy in the figures, and demands were also reportedly made to see the print outs from the machines showing the counts, the superintendent of elections is alleged to have contended, ‘“They’re quarantined,

unless there is a lawsuit.’”

Sullivan, in pointing to the county officials’ prior claims that they purchased the new machines because of the voterverifiable paper trail and enhanced election security they provide, quipped, “What is the purpose of doing this if we can’t have access to the machines?”

Having such paperwork, Sullivan contended, would “prove the number of votes match those in the tabulators.”

“What is the point of having them, and why does it take a lawsuit for us, as residents, to be able to say we want to compare the numbers and make sure they add up?” the challenger asked the commissioners.

Sullivan contended to the commissioners, who had authorized the purchase of the new machines, “I will tell you, unequivocally, there is not one person in that line who said these machines are good.”

In pointing to a large age 55 and over community in the township, many with residents who merely “have flip phones” instead of smartphone technology with touchscreen capabilities, Sullivan told the commissioners to “get back to the basics” when it comes to voting.

Sullivan, who also said she witnessed voters, such as those purportedly receiving chemo treatments, having to leave because they could not wait for hours to vote, declared, “I have to question if their rights weren’t violated under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)!”

Sullivan was not the only challenger to come forward from Mount Laurel. Preceding her was Challenger Cheryl Capri.

At the polling place Sullivan was at, 564 Walton Avenue, or what is known as the Laurel House, Capri charged the “Wi-Fi was down at the start” when polls opened, and it was ultimately found that “the router was missing.”

But the problems, she emphasized, were not just limited to that polling site in Mount Laurel. At another site, with an address of 81 Elbo Lane, or the Mount Laurel Municipal Utilities Authority (MUA) headquarters, Capri alleged the “doors were locked, and no one had a key to enter” the building.

It reportedly delayed the start of the polls opening there.

Additionally, at the Mount Laurel EMS building at 201 Masonville Road, another polling site, Capri said she learned “at the start of the day, the Wi-Fi was down.”

“Fifty people were waiting in line,” contended Capri of when the polls first opened. “The voters left as they had to get to work.”

In returning to the issues at the Walton Avenue polling site, Capri alleged that not only was the Wi-fi down and router missing, but the “printers were also down at the start of the day.”

“All polling stations were deficient in the number of machines,” said Capri, in also attesting that a machine was ultimately brought to the Walton Avenue polling site that “could not be used because it was set up for Delanco, another county town.”

Capri noted that at the polling site in which she was assigned, it was only “very late in the day” when an additional machine arrived.

The challenger, who described having prepared a “report” summarizing all of the troubles in Mount Laurel on Nov. 5, made a revelation as part of it that left many in the county commissioners’ meeting room aghast and led to many critical follow-up questions from attendees.

“We know that 231 voting machines were deployed to Burlington County, and yet on the state website, 405 voting machines were reported as being an inventory,” Capri

charged. “In Mount Laurel, 19 machines were reported to be deployed. I know Mount Laurel has 10 polling stations, and that means there were basically two machines per station. Normally, we have three or four per polling station. We have got 35,000 active voters in Mount Laurel.”

Capri had more figures she wanted to share from her report, but was cut short by Hopson, who strictly enforced a rule allowing for an allotment of four minutes to speak per public commenter, per meeting.

However, what Capri was able to get on the record was that 63.5 percent of Mount Laurel’s registered voters voted in this year’s election, or what she maintained amounts to “at least five points lower than normal for presidential races in Mount Laurel.”

“24,700 people voted in Mount Laurel in the 2024 election, but in 2020, 27,978 voted in the presidential election,” Capri observed. “That means 3,278 fewer people voted in Mount Laurel this election than in the 2020 election. That is a 12 percent decrease for a truly historic election. Several polling stations were not set up in a timely manner, deficient or malfunctioning, and voters could not start to vote at 6 a.m. This resulted in the excessive lines and voters leaving the stations.”

Yet a third challenger, Deborah Sarcone, also from Mount Laurel, assigned to the Elbo Lane facility where Capri noted the doors were locked initially because of a lack of a key, attested that some of the machines at the polling location “were not hooked up in the morning.”

“Throughout the day, the machines shut down,” Sarcone also observed. “There were lines and people waited between two hours, and by late afternoon and evening, up to five hours to vote.”

Sarcone recounted “two separate instances” in which “two women actually passed out in the lines, waiting” to vote. She also emphasized “there was no handicap-accessible” means to vote for “handicapped people.”

But on top of all of that, Sarcone described having encountered a man who had just moved to New Jersey from California four days before Election Day. The poll workers, she observed, “said he wasn’t registered, and he said, ‘Well, I registered four days ago.’”

“I said, ‘Well, you can vote next election. You are not eligible (to vote in this one),’” Sarcone recounted. “And he said, ‘I waited three-and-a half hours.’”

According to a previous county press

release, the deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 5 General Election was Oct. 15.

But according to Sarcone, after the man protested about his not being able to vote, despite having only registered four days prior to the election, “They let him.”

“They said, ‘We’ll give him a provisional ballot to let him vote,’” Sarcone recounted. “I said, ‘He is not eligible.’”

(All valid votes cast via provisional ballot are included in the Certified Election Results. It is unclear if the vote at issue was recognized as being valid.)

Sarcone maintained that after challenging the distribution of the provisional ballot, “someone complained about me” and “they said someone from the Board of Elections called to have me removed.”

But Sarcone contended she called the Board of Elections to assert she is a challenger, and the representative she spoke to denied having ever placed a call to have her removed from the polling site.

Another observation that Sarcone alleges to have made is that as “the machines were shutting down,” it resulted in “so many spoiled ballots all over the floor” of the Elbo Lane polling site.

“People were handing them to the poll workers,” Sarcone recounted. “Poll workers had no idea what they were doing! These machines are inadequate!”

In pointing to the figures that Capri disclosed, alleging that the county deployed fewer machines than what they had on hand, she asked, “Why?”

“You saw the lines in the beginning, all through early voting,” Sarcone said. “You knew what to expect. It was a very passionate election. Why weren’t there enough machines deployed? Who is responsible for that? Is that the superintendent? Who is in charge at the Board of Elections? The supervisor? Who is it?”

The questions Sarcone asked drew the only direct answer of the night from Hopson: “The superintendent of the election – the superintendent.”

“OK, I’d love to have her job, because I think I’d do a much better job,” Sarcone retorted. “Maybe I’ll apply for that. Because I called the day after, and the day after that, and the day after that, and she wasn’t there!”

Sarcone noted that it just wasn’t the “machines shutting down” contributing to the problems at her polling site, but See INVESTIGATION/ Page 9

Photo By Andrew King

Commissioners’ Board Director Dr. Felicia Hopson maintains the “next steps” will be determined once the commission is provided with the information on the Nov. 5 Election debacle.

INVESTIGATION

(Continued from Page 8)

“the printers weren’t working” and “the tabulators were shut down.”

“It was a debacle,” Sarcone declared. Sarcone, who alleged, “hundreds … and thousands … of people were suppressed” from voting, further asserted, “Those machines need to be put in the trash!”

Mount Laurel was not the only place where voting equipment reportedly did not work. Michael Curry, of Westampton, described “voters were turned away in the morning due to machines not working” in his municipality.

“This is voter disenfranchisement,” he declared. “How many voters never came back?”

Cathy Dawson, of Bordentown City, in calling the entire process “absolutely ludicrous,” described that there were three machines at her polling place and “one of them broke while I was there.”

“And it took them a relatively long period of time to get it back up again,” Dawson noted. Then, she maintained, “when I finally got to vote, the stupid scanner broke!”

“So, my vote had to get (canceled out) or whatever it is, and I had to vote again,” Dawson said. “OK?! Now, I want to know what the response is … what are you all doing so that this doesn’t happen again?! OK?!”

Dawson noted that two people in front of her were from a local nursing home, and they “were in wheelchairs waiting four hours to vote.”

“That is ridiculous!” she declared. “I mean, the town doesn’t have that many people in it!”

Dawson pressed the commissioners and other officials attending the commissioners’ meeting (which included County Administrator Eve Cullinan) to answer the queries of, “What is the solution? What caused this terrible problem?”

“I mean, what is the problem?” she continued. “What are we, in the middle of Manhattan?”

When Hopson said she would answer the questions when public comment concluded, Dawson shot back, “I want to hear some solutions, because I am going to be posting them on Facebook and let social media know that you all are not stepping up to the plate and taking responsibility for that abysmal evening!”

“This is outrageous!” Dawson further declared.

Patricia Griffith, a poll worker assigned to the Delran Township Municipal Building polling site, was the one who recounted that the last voter there voted at 1:30 a.m. Nov. 6. “So, if there were over 400 machines, why weren’t more of them put out?” she asked. Griffith described that at her polling place, more machines were assigned to a district that had less registered voters, than the district that had more registered voters. Calls, she maintained, were made to county election officials to inform them of the issue.

“We were like can you at least switch one of the machines over?” Griffith noted. “This was at 9 o’clock in the morning. But nobody came.”

It was not until around 8 p.m. on Election Night that the municipal clerk, according to Griffith, received a call from the county asking if the township wanted an additional machine.

“She was like, ‘Well it is too late now,’” Griffith recounted. “She didn’t think it would be programmed in time, so she said no, but it ended up that we could have used it because I don’t know why that guy in line

at 9 o’clock stayed until 1:30 a.m.”

Poll workers, Griffith described, were tasked with the challenge of having to “go in with each person and explain how to use” the machines.

“Something like a video would have been really nice, because it is complicated, and I can’t tell you how many times I had to unjam machines because they are pulling the paper out,” Griffith said. “They are just not user-friendly machines.”

Dennis Borgstrom, of Burlington Township, an engineer, initially questioned, “Why was there not a graphic or a video presentation on a monitor describing the voting process?”

He added “very simple things” would have made the process much more streamlined, “especially if you are standing there for twoand-a-half hours.”

Among some of the other problems alleged were polling sites that had overheated rooms or were without lights.

Jennifer Rupert, of Delran, another challenger, contended that the heat was “very, very high” where she was assigned, to the point “people were passing out.”

“I feel like we were abused in Delran Township,” Rupert declared. “ … Please never let this happen again! I feel like we are the voters, you guys work for us … and I felt we were very let down that night!”

Eileen Bleistine, a poll worker from Cinnaminson Township, described that it was so hot in the hallway of a polling site she was assigned to in Delran, a Delran Police officer “actually went to his home” to get fans and then brought them over “so that we could circulate air in there.”

Bleistine further maintained “all the lights in the municipal building didn’t work,” and “for hours, people were standing outside.”

“Thank God the Delran Fire Department came out, parked in the middle of the road on Chester Avenue and put lights up, because it was so dangerous, as people were out there with their children,” Bleistine observed.

Among other purported observations Bleistine made at her polling site is that “we had three machines sitting there vacant,” and “the one printer we had, the back kept falling off.”

“Actually, there was painters tape holding it on,” she said of the printer’s backside. “I mean that is ridiculous - these are milliondollar machines.”

The printers failed, Bleistine recounted, “several times,” and ultimately poll workers discovered upon making phone calls to election officials that “every printer had to have new toner,” and by early evening, “the tabulator was rejecting ballots.”

“I hope that we do have an independent investigation into this, but honestly, I want to tell you the truth, give me a piece of paper and I can fill in some dots, submit it into a tabulator, and it is not going to cost millions of dollars and people won’t have to stand in line that long,” Bleistine quipped.

Nicole MacHenry, a candidate for Moorestown Township Council, said she was the first voter in line at her polling site and observed that the “printer broke and the line just kept growing.”

She maintained she “didn’t get out of there until 6:45 a.m., and I was the very first voter.”

MacHenry also observed “we didn’t have the accessibility for the handicapped” and that “we had multiple people pass out there.”

Additionally, MacHenry pointed to social media reports that voters in town “were told they already voted” upon their attempts to vote.

“If you looked on social media, somebody reported they got there and they were told

they already voted and that somebody said, ‘You are not even registered in Burlington County anymore. It says that you are in Mercer County,’” MacHenry said. “And these people have never lived in Mercer County.”

Current election results have three Republicans who ran in the General Election for Moorestown Township Council trailing their Democratic counterparts by about three percentage points, or a difference of about 1,000 votes.

MacHenry called any push “asking for it to change for next time” one that is “kind of irrelevant,” rather, “it needs to be fixed now!”

“These people need an opportunity, who did not get to vote or did not get to have their voices be heard, to be heard and vote,” MacHenry declared. “And it needs to happen, and you need to find a way, whether it is a special election, or just having the people who did not get to vote be able to submit a vote. It is the only thing that could fix this!”

MacHenry emphasized to the commissioners: “you can make that decision, to make sure that this county and these people’s voices, and everybody out there who did not have a chance to (exercise) their right and have their voice heard, gets that opportunity!”

Among others that the commissioners also heard from on Nov. 26 is Lisa Glueckert, of Springfield Township, who alleged “my daughter was disenfranchised” after she “couldn’t stand in line” for hours, instead “having to go to work,” in addition to Robert Stanley, whose story in which he was purportedly “denied his right to vote” was previously chronicled by this newspaper.

“I believe what happened was either incompetence, negligence, or malfeasance,” Stanley told the commissioners. “Malfeasance really bothers me, and the other two don’t impress me. I don’t understand how this could happen.”

This newspaper previously reported that Democratic Commissioner Balvir Singh was the first county official to distance himself from the statements of the county pertaining to the fiasco, slamming the excuses put out and calling for a “forensic audit” on Nov. 13.

Stanley thanked Singh on Nov. 26 for his “impassioned comments on the election, or lack thereof.”

In response to the latest round of observations and allegations, Singh recognized poll workers and challengers worked a “20 to 24-hour shift they did not sign up for,” before sharing that when he was

told of the voters who were unable to vote on Election Day, “I was pretty hurt that night.”

“There were people who were not able to vote,” Singh recognized. “I know, personally, dozens of people who were not able to vote. They had jobs. They had kids to take care of. There were breastfeeding mothers. There were people with disabilities. And you cannot stand in line for that long.”

But Singh, unlike Pullion, in recognizing “we all want answers, we all want to investigate,” stopped short of calling for an outside investigator, asserting, “We are paying somebody to do this right – the county has those people on the payroll; somebody is getting paid to do this right.”

“And hopefully, they are going to look through this with a forensic analysis mindset (to determine) exactly what went wrong,” Singh said.

Singh called what happened a “systematic failure,” further maintaining, “I don’t think it was nefarious … I don’t think anybody intentionally meant to hurt anybody or deprive the voters of their right to vote.”

“That is sacred to us,” Singh continued. “We want people to vote, and if the law says they have the right to vote, then they damn well better have the right to vote, and we have to make sure that we are facilitating their right to vote, instead of trying to make excuses.”

Singh, in recognizing the claims about the voting machines, asserted, “There were machines being sent and I just don’t know what happened.”

“We don’t know, I’ll be honest,” he emphasized. “I’m privy to as much information as you are.”

He also called the suggestion of having a television at each polling site playing a video on how to use the new machines a “great idea.”

“I think hindsight is always best, or being a Monday morning quarterback,” Singh declared.

Hopson, who pointed out the county posted a video online about how to use the machines, pointed to the “report” analyzing the election being due by Jan. 30, before asserting, “obviously, then, we will begin to have a better, much more robust conversation.”

“One other thing I wanted to mention, no one up here would ever want anyone, any voter, in any election to ever be disenfranchised,” the director said. “And See INVESTIGATION/ Page 10

Photo By Andrew King

Democratic Burlington County Commission Deputy Director Daniel O’Connell urges the public, his colleagues to await the findings of “your friends and neighbors” looking into the Nov. 5 Election fiasco at the direction of the county commissioners.

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As of press time, there has been no word on whether Addiego, a former Republican turned Democratic state senator, or any of the Board of Election members, two Republicans and two Democrats, have resigned from office, or plan to do so following the debacle. It has also not yet been revealed whether any of the staffers for either agency have been the subject of any actions.

O’Connell, in responding Nov. 26 to the complaint about lack of lights at a polling place in Delran, said the “reason there were no lights is because in decades of elections

in Delran, even though the polls don’t close till 8 o’clock at night, people were inside and never had to have a light.”

“Listen, we know we have had problems on Election Day - I think a rock would know that, that is not disputed,” O’Connell asserted. “The thing is, what are we going to do from here?”

That is when O’Connell pointed to the efforts to look at the matter internally, and dismissed calls for an outside probe.

“Both political parties need to work together to ensure voters have faith in our election process,” the deputy director said. “It is probably the bedrock of our democracy - we are all in agreement on that. That is what always occurred here in Burlington County, and we are committed to keeping it like that.”

CANNABIS

(Continued from Page 5)

cannabis retailer is “going to help the town a little bit” as the municipality can tax any cannabis sales up to 2 percent, “but I want to make sure we have all our ducks in a row.”

then when the question was put to the audience, “Who smokes marijuana?”, “half the room raised their hand!”

“It is not for me,” said DeGroff of cannabis, however. “I don’t want none! I never had it!”

When DeGroff recognized, “They all do these gummy things,” both Herndon and Mull acknowledged having consumed the gummies, and traveling to a retail outlet in Bordentown to get them, with Mull contending she sought them during a “period where she couldn’t sleep.”

CRACKDOWN

(Continued from Page 3)

Some comments at the site contrasted the way New Jersey treats its park users to that of neighboring Pennsylvania.

The three members of the committee noted various other Burlington County towns already have cannabis retail establishments that are open for business. Brown, in recounting a meeting from another town, said a man had asserted, “No one does marijuana anymore,” and

“I don’t need them anymore,” she added. “I can sleep fine now.”

Then there was cyclist Charley Darwin’s response: “But (it) is OK for the police to patrol on a NON-STREET LEGAL ATV,” followed by some clown-faced emojis. Mark Beaumont, another critic of what is and isn’t permissible on state-owned land, asked, “What about the horses riding in the pines?”, which he charged “rip up the also precious plant

over the roads.”

and

“It is a shame how my ATV is 100 percent legal in Pennsylvania, complete with a license plate, registration, and insurance, and I can legally ride on over 1,000 miles of PA DCNR statemaintained ATV trails,” said John Galrith Dochartaigh, who resides across the Delaware River in Levittown. “But as soon as I go five miles away into New Jersey, I am a CRIMINAL in nearly the entire state. There is literally only 1.1

square miles of LEGAL (and privately operated) ATV parks in ALL of NJ, and sadly most of that is motocross-style sand (not even nice-wooded trails most prefer).

This makes ATVs essentially banned in the ENTIRE State of New Jersey (well, unless you somehow own a large area of property in THE most expensive state in the country).”

Another admirer of the Keystone State’s approach was Ryan Dennis, who remarked, “I know you guys are doing your job and I appreciate that, but I wish Jersey could figure out to have space for

people to ride and enjoy themselves.” Pennsylvania, he maintained, “has a few places that are public/private partnerships and the riders for the most part clean up after themselves and keep it nice. Could be a good source of additional revenue (for) the tax-happy state, too,” he added. Not everyone, however, was unhappy with the punitive approach taken by Garden State authorities toward vehicular violators.

“Outstanding, keep up the good work,” wrote former Park Police Lieutenant Greg Langan.

Carl J. Hasson CFSP, Manager NJ