Pine Barrens Tribune May 25, 2024-May31, 2024

By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

EVESHAM—A trio associated with the Lenape Regional High School District (LRHSD)’s Cherokee High School in Evesham Township are being credited for saving the life of a man who suffered cardiac arrest last year just before Christmas, while he was watching a girls basketball game from the school’s gymnasium bleachers.

LRHSD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carol Birnbohm calls what happened nothing short of a “Christmas miracle” in her and the LRHSD Board of Education recently bestowing a “Pride Award” honor to Cherokee Athletic Director Scott Agnew, Cherokee Athletic Trainer Karen Hengst and Jill Evans, a school parent and alumna, as well as an active community member.

It was on Dec. 19 of last year when the spectator, a father of an assistant coach at Paul VI High School, had suffered the cardiac event, and according to Birnbohm, “if it were not for the heroic deeds of who we are honoring tonight, this man would not be alive today.”

The superintendent described that Agnew had evacuated the gym and “carried the spectator to safety,” while Evans “administered CPR,” all while Hengst assembled the school’s AED, or a computerized defibrillator, and ultimately “administered the shock” that helped to restore the man’s normal heart rhythm.

A “countless number of citizens” assisted the efforts of the trio, Birnbohm noted.

“‘The quick, efficient and skilled action taken by your trainer, a nurse, and other staff, gave him his life back,”

Photo By Nick Weissmann Cherokee Athletic Director Scott Agnew, Cherokee Athletic Trainer Karen Hengst, and Jill Evans, a school parent and alumna, as well as an active community member, are credited with recently saving the life of a basketball game spectator who suffered from cardiac arrest.

Newcomb Middle School Teacher Commended for Performing Heimlich Maneuver on Sixth Grade Student, Saving Pupil’s Life

Township Schools Superintendent Jeffrey

joins with

School Board President Terry Maldonado (second from right), School Board Vice President Robert “Pete” King (right) and Newcomb Principal Ashley Walulak (third from right), to commend Newcomb Middle School sixth grade English Language Arts (ELA) Teacher Laura Gradman (fourth from left) for successfully performing the Heimlich maneuver on a pupil, Hunter (third from left, pictured with the rest of his family).

By D ouglas D. M elegari

Staff Writer

PEMBERTON—A Marcus W. Newcomb Middle School teacher has been commended by the Pemberton Township Board of Education for performing the Heimlich maneuver on a student who was choking in a school classroom on March 20, with it said that her actions saved the young boy’s life.

According to Newcomb Principal Ashley Walulak, sixth grade English Language Arts (ELA) Teacher Laura Gradman was teaching her fifth period class when a student, Hunter, began choking in her classroom.

“She immediately jumped into action, performing abdominal thrusts to

Photo By Nick Weissmann

Pemberton

Havers (left)

Pemberton

Adoption of Short-Term Rental Ordinance Tabled After Attorney Representing Airbnb Owner Requests Log of Police Service Calls Attorney Had Also Asked About Number of Such Rentals in Washington Twp., With Municipal Solicitor Admitting Town Doesn’t Have Figure or Log, But Says ‘Number of Complaints Should Not Be Barometer of Why We Are Adopting This’

B y D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

WASHINGTON—Several neighbors of an Airbnb rental along the Mullica River in Washington Township have yet again come to the defense of hosts Miriam and Brendan McBride, this time on May 7 as the Washington Township Committee has presented a pair of ordinances that would impose regulations on both bed and breakfasts and short-term rentals in the township (versus a previous prohibition proposal that ended up dying), with it apparent the latter proposed measure is of greatest concern.

Despite the McBrides currently operating the only Airbnb in the municipality, the township committee has contended its short-term rental proposal is not singling out the couple, rather they foresee such rentals becoming a problem in the future and only expanding in numbers.

After the Bed and Breakfasts Ordinance passed without objection, the proposed Short-Term Rental Ordinance came up for a second reading, and that is when Miriam McBride entered the committee meeting room, along with her attorney, Jeffrey M. Brennan, of Baron and Brennan, P.A.

But before they spoke, Gail Cavileer, of the 2000 block of River Road, who lives “right next door” to the “Pinelands Riverfront Home” advertised on Airbnb for staycation availability pointed to the proposed ordinance stating, in part, it has been the “township’s experience” that short-term rentals “‘frequently result in public nuisance, noise complaints, sanitation issues’” as well as “overcrowding and illegal parking within residential neighborhoods of the township,” before declaring that the McBrides have been “renting their houses out for a couple years now” and she has “never had noise complaints,” nor could she recall incidents of “indecent exposure, public urination, or parking off their property in the street.”

“Everything you listed there has never happened,” Cavileer contended. “It is the only property in this township like this. I am wondering why the tunnel vision is directed at this one property.”

While the property “may in fact be the only one operating in that capacity,” responded Mayor C. Leigh Gadd, Jr., it “doesn’t make it targeted,” maintaining the proposal is “not directed at” the McBrides.

Gadd, despite what is written in the draft ordinance, further contended that the “reasons” for the measure being proposed actually have to do with the “amount of problems most towns have with respect to a rental.”

“I feel this property does not fall under the premise you are putting here,” said Cavileer in pointing to the language of the ordinance. “I don’t see why an ordinance is needed for that

since it is the only one in the township at this time.”

An ordinance such as the one proposed “maybe” should be a consideration “down the road,” Cavileer added, should a half-dozen or even a dozen such rentals pop up in the municipality, but it “should not be instituted right now.”

Cavileer turned to Township Clerk Lisa Hand to ask if there “have been any complaints” about the Airbnb in the 2000 block of River Road.

But Hand would never answer that question, with Township Solicitor Tom Coleman interjecting that “the amount or number of complaints should not be a barometer of why we are adopting this.”

“The courts have been very clear that a municipality has the requisite authority to adopt these types of ordinances,” Coleman added. “It is better to be preventative than reactionary.”

Cavileer, however, shot back, “I don’t agree.”

Brennan, a prominent South Jersey land use attorney, who also serves as a solicitor for a land use board in another municipality, in addition to claiming there is a procedural issue revolving around the notification for the proposed ordinance, contended there is also “substantive issues,” among them that it is “being arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable.”

“There is no question that the municipality has a legitimate interest in protecting the public, but that interest has to be protected by a rational relationship,” Brennan declared. “It (the ordinance) can’t be (made) out of thin air, it has to be on something connecting the dots. In this case, there are no dots being connected. There is nothing of record registered with the municipality suggesting that short-term rentals present a problem, at least not any more than single or multi-family dwellings, or uses of any other variety. That record is not in existence.”

Brennan asked if the township could provide two things to him, one being a record of the number of short-term rentals in the township, and the other a log of police service calls with respect to short-term rentals.

Coleman answered that he doesn’t believe the municipality has a figure on the number of short-term rentals currently in the township, and as for the second request, he retorted, “the answer is no – but that is not the barometer of why we are considering adoption.”

The township solicitor maintained the township “doesn’t need justification” to pass an ordinance and asked the esquire to “read the Jersey City case” decision of the Superior Court, but the McBride counselor-at-law, in a rebuttal, recalled it being a Federal District case and what was at issue “was not a complete

Washington to Resort to ‘Plan B’ in Offsetting School Tax Impact from Last Year’s Shortfall, Intending to Create Tax Credit Program

Municipality Reportedly Drops Litigation Asking Court to Allow Township to Retroactively Close District’s $473K Shortfall by Using Its Surplus Money After Concluding Legal Effort Would Be ‘Expensive,’ Not Be ‘in Our Favor’

By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

WASHINGTON—Officials in Washington Township have reportedly dropped litigation in Superior Court that attempted to compel the court to allow the municipality to use its funds to retroactively make up for a $473,871 Washington Township School District shortfall in the district’s 2023-24 school year budget, and instead are resorting to what Mayor C. Leigh Gadd, Jr. described as “Plan B” to offset what has amounted to a huge school tax impact for residents here.

That Plan B, according to a May 7 pronouncement by Gadd, entails giving “direct property tax relief to individual taxpayers ourselves to offset the tax increases caused by the school board’s budget.”

“What this will do is give a credit to every taxpayer in the township,” said Gadd of a local ordinance being proposed to create the tax credit program. “The details are still to be worked out between our tax collector and the rest of our staff.”

However, he said one could compare the proposed program to the “state’s Anchor Program” which “credits taxpayers directly.”

The Pine Barrens Tribune previously reported that the local school district failed to adopt its budget for the 2023-24 school year by a May 2023 state deadline, and then in late December, the New Jersey Department of Education reportedly came down to the township and adopted it, addressing the shortfall in a way the local district did not want to do, and allowing the Burlington County Board of Taxation to complete its work for the year. Delayed tax bills were then mailed shortly thereafter, reflecting a $224.14 increase to the township taxpayer for every $100,000 of assessed value.

The board, as it came out, had at least approached then-mayor and current Deputy Mayor Daniel James for assistance, but James had declined to provide any beyond an initially requested $50,000, contending the requested amount

of assistance kept changing. Still, several residents have asserted that they believe the retroactive efforts could have been avoided if the then-mayor worked the situation out (there has been an ongoing dispute whether any school district request had made its way to the full committee).

As public pressure mounted and the impact began to be realized by residents, the township filed suit in hoping to still be able to retroactively use its surplus monies to close the gap. But recently, Township Solicitor Tom Coleman described “roadblocks” at every turn.

“Mr. Coleman’s advice after the proceedings were languishing on was that it was going to be expensive and problematic in our favor, and time consuming,” said Gadd on May 7, before announcing that officials were moving on to Plan B.

Deputy Township Clerk Karen Bacon later told this newspaper that the money for the proposed tax credit program is “coming from the township surplus.”

According to the township’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget, which was adopted this past month, the township had $4,785,781.21 in fund balance on hand as of Dec. 31, 2023.

James noted the “percentage of relief” to township taxpayers would be “basically close to the percentage of the increase” in school taxes for 2023, with Gadd adding “by next meeting, we hope to have an exact formula worked out on paper” and “hope to have answers to all questions,” but vowed “there will be direct relief to all property taxpayers.”

Democratic Governor Phil Murphy’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget, as previously reported by this newspaper, calls for another funding cut to the local school district, this one a proposed decrease of 7.7 percent over last year, or $11,365.

But Murphy has subsequently signed legislation that would allow districts to recover some 45 percent of the decrease through restorative aid, and also to exceed a two-percent property tax cap to make up for more.

Southampton’s New Superintendent Discusses Her Pathway to Teaching, Having Been Convinced

By Jenn lucas Staff Writer

SOUTHAMPTON–There is a new face in the Southampton Township Superintendent’s Office, but her ‘tradition of excellence’ began years ago in 1999 in a third-grade classroom in School No. 2 as a student-teacher.

Superintendent of Southampton Schools Megan Geibel had her first official day on the job May 14. While she is looking forward to the future in her new role, she said she is thankful when she looks back on the strange path that led her to that day.

Substitute teaching was helping pay the bills while Geibel was attending school to become a speech pathologist. Being around kids was something she enjoyed, she said, but she had never considered teaching as a career.

“I didn’t have the desire to be a teacher or principal,” she said.

While watching her in action, Jerry DeClementi, then principal at the HarkerWylie School in Pemberton Township, convinced her to switch gears and look at teaching.

“He encouraged me and told me, ‘You’re a natural,’ with the way I connected with the kids,” she said.

A phone call to Rowan later, DeClementi forever changed Geibel’s life when he told her he had matriculated her into the Special Education program.

After graduating, she spent 13 years in Pemberton Schools teaching special education and fifth grade, eventually becoming the assistant principal at Marcus Newcomb Middle School for six years. She moved on to become principal at MacFarland Intermediate School in Bordentown and was working as a principal at Peter Muschal School (also in Bordentown) when the superintendent position in Southampton became available.

She knew she loved the area from her student teaching experience many moons ago and jumped at the chance to become a superintendent for such a “unique district.”

“It’s such a close-knit community and I get to connect with the students and teachers still, so this is perfect,” she said.

Having such a varied background in education will be a big help in guiding Geibel in this new position, she said. Collaborating with teachers and principals on future plans is one of her main goals.

“They are on the front lines,” she said.

to Take on Profession

“They are with the kids six hours a day. They will have a voice and be included in the decisions. I know what they do day in and day out, I’m not so far removed from them with my past experience.”

All the positions she has had leading up to now will help her understand the different aspects and demands of the job, she said. Keeping up with the state mandates and having a greater fiscal responsibility are two “bigger obstacles,” she added, but noted she had to deal with both of those to a lesser extent in former jobs and those prepared her well.

The students are the crux of why she does what she does, Geibel declared, and needed a leader in the district.

Her heart is in Southampton, she further declared, and she is going to be around for a while.

“The district needs stability and I found my home,” Geibel said. “I’ll be here long term.”

Right off the bat, she said, they need to do some hiring for vacant principal spots. One of the next things she’ll be focusing on is expanding full-time Pre-school to all the 3- and 4-year-olds in Southampton via state aid.

Though she lives in North Hanover with her husband and three kids, Geibel said she considers Southampton schools her home as well.

“I’m happy to be here and am excited to see where we’re headed,” she said.

Photo Provided

New Southampton Township Superintendent of Schools Megan Geibel.

Unofficial Bass River Race Results Show Mayor Buzby-Cope

Losing Longtime Commission Seat to First-Time Candidate

By Bill B onvie Staff Writer

BASS RIVER—Based on results not yet deemed “official” but thought to be definitive, Bass River Township’s longtime mayor, Deborah Buzby-Cope, appeared on the late afternoon of May 22 to have lost her seat on the three-member commission to first-time candidate William R. “Rick” Adams in the municipal election held a week earlier.

Incumbent Commissioner Nicholas Capriglione led the field with the largest unofficial tally of 198 votes, or 27.93 percent of the total, with Adams, whose vote count was 169, or 23.84 percent, coming in second.

That left the two remaining incumbents on the ballot, Deputy Mayor Louis Bourguignon, and Buzby-Cope, with respective tallies of 135, or 19.04 percent and 123, or 17.35 percent.

Adams, who owns a tree service and coowns a landscaping business in the Village of New Gretna, previously told this newspaper he was seeking a spot on the commission because changes were “drastically needed” in the way this small rural township was being governed and he didn’t like the way the present commissioners were handling things, although he claimed to be “friends with all of them.”

He also said that “voices in the community” would be heard if he was elected.

In addition to the results for candidates

listed on the ballot, there were also some 68 write-ins for Dan Sikora, or 9.59 percent, and a scattering of individual write-ins.

A recent social media post had urged voters to write in the name of Sikora, a four-year resident of Bass River who has described himself as a “fixer” opposed to “changing the landscape of the town.”

Buzby-Cope has lost two previous attempts to win the position of Burlington County clerk.

The commission was scheduled to reorganize on May 24 at noon.

Medford Seafood Lovers Can Take Delight That Capt’n Chucky’s is Now Right in Their Backyard, Saving Them a Trip to the Coast

By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

MEDFORD—Those

craving any kind of authentic seafood in the

Medford area do not any longer have to make a one-hour long plus trip to the coast, rather they can now visit a

Photo By Nick Weissmann

Deborah Buzby-Cope at what would be her last meeting presiding as Bass River Township mayor.

Photo By Douglas D. Melegari

Co-owners Mike McGarry (left) and Sam Cancelliere (right) of Capt’n Chucky’s Crab Cake Company in Medford Township.

Restructuring Plan Proposed for Evesham Public Works, Open Space

But Two Council Members Abstain on Vote for Amended Ordinance

New Crosswalk on Tomlinson Mill Road to Accommodate Middle Schoolers

Following Bus Service Curtailment Gives Rise to Safety Concerns at Meeting

EVESHAM—A proposed restructuring of the Evesham Township Department of Public Works that would better coordinate its administration with that of the Recreation, Open Space & Facilities Department was outlined in a presentation by Acting Township Manager Lavon Phillips at the Township Council’s May 8 meeting, with a prospective ordinance that would amend the township administrative code to reflect the changes involved in that reorganization squeaking by on first reading due to a couple of abstentions.

Also dominating the session were concerns raised by a local resident regarding the safety of a crosswalk recently created on Tomlinson Mill Road to accommodate students attending Marlton Middle School following a decision last year by the Board of Education to curtail bus service for those who reside within two miles of the school.

Maintaining that “the current organizational size and structure is simply not sustainable” and that “restructuring should focus on long-term solutions rather than stopgap measures,” Phillips outlined a plan that would create a post of superintendent for Open Space and Recreation in addition to the already existing one responsible for overseeing the Department of Public Works, with a new office manager to be hired to coordinate the business of both departments.

The cost of making such “budgetneutral” changes, he explained, would be covered by funds previously paid to employees who have retired or moved on to other jobs and by promoting “the person who fills the role of supervisor of sports, turf and open space” into a superintendent’s position, thereby eliminating an estimated $20,000 in overtime currently incurred by that individual.

The advantages of doing so, Phillips contended, would include enabling these departments to join forces in tackling some major issues, such as five-year road repairs, parks improvements (especially those

to the recently acquired Beagle Club), maintenance of the Indian Spring Golf Course and other municipal properties, planning for community events and sports, and stormwater management mapping required by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

The new office manager position, he predicted, would result in “better customer service, improved response times and “department head project focus,” and better “resident engagement, while having two superintendents instead of just one would allow concerns of residents to be handled “in real time” and “reduce reliance on and cost of professional services.”

“Last, we will unleash the full creativity and commitment of every one of our employees by empowering them and involving them in all aspects of township business” Phillips declared.

The proposal received an immediate thumbs up from two members of the council, Patricia Hansen, who called it a “much-needed change’” that “will give residents better service,” and Ginamarie Espinoza, who expressed her appreciation to Phillips for “taking time to think about ways we can save money while also supporting our staff and providing a good environment for them to work better with each other and for the residents of Evesham.”

Councilwoman Heather Cooper, however, indicated she had reservations about the plan.

“The budget review we are going through did not reflect some of those changes and actually looked like there is a $45,000 increase,” she contended. “So, I have more questions for the acting township manager and CFO on that before I can make my decision.”

Cooper and Councilman Eddie Freeman III then both proceeded to abstain on the accompanying ordinance, which barely passed its initial council vote as a result.

Also airing doubts about the figures presented to support it was resident Gary

Judge Orders Reclosure of County Route 532 in Tabernacle, Prompting Concern About Memorial Day Weekend Impacts

By Douglas D. Melegari Staff Writer

TABERNACLE—A judge has ordered that “the Township of Tabernacle shall immediately take all steps necessary to reclose” County Route 532, also known as Medford Lakes-Tabernacle Road, in the vicinity of Tabernacle Town Hall.

The order from Judge Richard L. Hertzberg came down late on May 22, with the Tabernacle Township Office of Emergency Management subsequently announcing that the road is expected to be re-closed by the evening of May 23, just past this newspaper’s press time.

Hertzberg, as previously reported by this newspaper, had granted a temporary injunction on April 19 prohibiting the demolition of Tabernacle Town Hall, after a group of residents, among others, had challenged the notion that the building is in imminent danger of collapse, warranting a demolition that had largely been scheduled to occur on April 24.

Those seeking the injunction had not only raised questions about various happenings that would appear to suggest the contrary, and pointed to its historical nature and a specific process that has to be followed under township code (that reportedly was not being followed), but also disputed the independency of two structural engineers ultimately retained by the Tabernacle Township Committee to give an opinion on the matter.

Hertzberg, in granting that injunction, found that the word “collapse” had not been cited in the reports, and ultimately ruled that both parties were to agree within 30 days on an independent structural engineer.

But if one were to listen to the audio of Hertzberg arriving at his April 19 ruling, the judge was clear that in issuing the injunction, he felt any threat to public safety had been mitigated for the moment by the township committee having previously ordered the road closed weeks earlier, back on March 27.

The judge, in the May 22 order, wrote, in part, “it was the intent and direction of this Court’s April 19, 2024, decision and order that the status quo was to (be) maintained during the pendency of the litigation, including the continuation of all safety measures (closure of Medford Lakes Road (Burlington County Route 532) directly to the south of Tabernacle Town Hall beginning just east of the Church of the Holy Eucharist through just west of

the intersection of Medford Lakes Road and Carranza Road and Perimeter/Safety Fence).”

The Tabernacle Township Committee had intended for County Route 532 to be closed for about three weeks, but reopened the road on April 22 following the judge’s injunction order, with Mayor Mark Hartman maintaining that the risks of keeping it closed outweighed the benefits.

This newspaper previously reported that the road closure – with questions raised about whether proper protocol was followed – had become very problematic, causing traffic to cut through the parking lot of a local church, Holy Eucharist, with reports of there being a dangerous condition posed in the lot.

Some motorists also disregarded the barriers on County Route 532 and drove right through them, believing the closure was simply unwarranted.

It also reportedly led to major losses in revenue for local businesses, and caused community relations issues between the public and New Jersey State Police Red Lion Barracks over the writing of tickets by State Troopers to motorists using the church parking lot as a cut through.

Additionally, numerous area parents became alarmed that it blocked access to a controlled intersection often utilized by Seneca High School students.

Hertzberg’s order came exactly one month after the committee’s decision to reopen the road. It was not immediately clear when, or if, Hertzberg had ever been notified through official channels about the road being reopened.

The new closure scheduled to be implemented has the potential to be even far more impactful this time around, with May 23 the beginning of the Memorial Day holiday traffic rush, with County Route 532 an artery used by shoregoers (including out-of-towners) looking to avoid the typical jams and delays found on Routes 206 and 70 in the summer shore rush. And because of that added shore traffic in Tabernacle, it’s usually a boon for the downtown businesses.

“This will be devastating for the businesses in downtown,” wrote former committeewoman Nancy K. McGinnis underneath the emergency management posting. “This weekend is usually one of the busiest! SAD!!!”

Hertzberg, in his road closure order, added,

See RECLOSURE/ Page 13

Photo By Nick Weissmann

LRHSD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carol Birnbohm (right) thanks Cherokee Athletic Trainer

Karen Hengst in noting that there have been now two times where an AED has been utilized to save a life in the district and Hengst was present both times to administer the life-saving shock.

MIRACLE

(Continued from Page 1)

wrote the spectator’s spouse in an email to Cherokee Principal Donna Charlesworth, which was read aloud by the LRHSD superintendent. “‘We will be forever grateful and appreciative for saving his life.’”

The spectator was discharged, it was added, after having spent 18 days at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where his doctors reportedly replaced his mitral valve and inserted a defibrillator into his pacemaker, “enabling him to have a better quality of life.”

Agnew recounted that a similar incident back in the mid-90s “didn’t end up the way this did here” because “back then we didn’t have AEDs.”

“Janet’s Law is the reason why we had this,” said Agnew of the defibrillator, with the law requiring that a school must have an AED accessible when holding any school-sponsored athletic event or team practice. “That day, I remember it like it was yesterday, as it was a very sad affair. An uncle of a wrestler didn’t make it because of the (lack of) technology (then) that we have today.”

HEIMLICH

(Continued from Page 2)

successfully clear the student’s airway,” Walulak reported.

The school principal declared that Gradman’s actions “played a vital role in the safety and wellbeing” of her sixth-grade students that day, as she also prevented the pupil’s peers from panicking, all while a teaching aide sought the school nurse.

Hunter’s father, T.J., is a Pemberton firefighter, having become certified in January 2004 at the age of 18. He noted in a presentation to the board that he has seen “good outcomes and plenty of bad outcomes” throughout his career.

The “good outcomes,” he asserted, often occur “when someone in the immediate vicinity is prepared to act.”

“The point I am trying to make is –Ms. Gradman, I don’t know your level of training, and I don’t know if you have been through a class (on how to perform the Heimlich maneuver) or saw someone

Agnew called the work of Evans and Hengst in treating this latest cardiac patient, however, “unbelievable.”

Birnbohm, in referring to the trio as “local heroes” and “heroes,” also read aloud an email that she had received from the athletic director of Paul VI, who is also a former Cherokee Calculus teacher.

“‘A medical emergency is never easy, extremely frightening and scary,’” the email stated. “‘Our assistant coach’s dad suffered a cardiac event, and had it not been for your trainer, Karen Hengst, and one of your parents, Jill Evans, he would not be alive today. They immediately started compressions and shocked him with the AED, which was readily available. Your security quickly escorted the fans out of the gym, and the teams to their respective locker rooms. Lastly, your decision to postpone the game was heartfelt and smart.’”

Agnew noted that “keeping our medical facilities up to date” is “well worth it for an event like this.”

“This was not the first time the AED was used to save a life at Cherokee High School,” Birnbohm noted. “This was the second time in our entire school district, and Ms. Karen Hengst was present both times and administered the shock with the AED.”

doing it, but the one thing I do know is you were prepared to act,” the father said.

He added that when he received a call from his “panicked wife” that he needed to get his son from school “because he choked and they gave him the Heimlich maneuver,” his first question was is his son breathing, to which he was given an answer, “Yes.”

Being prepared to act, the firefighter said, “is half the battle.”

“You spun into action as a teacher’s aide went to get the nurse, and your quick action prevented a bad situation from getting worse and I am forever grateful you saved my child, and for that, I am forever indebted to you,” declared the father, as Hunter, along with other children presented the teacher with a bouquet of flowers.

Walulak declared that “teaching can be challenging, but it is also incredibly rewarding” and that “teaching even becomes more profound when it involves saving a student’s life, whether figuratively or literally.”

The school principal called Gradman a “frontline responder and lifesaver, literally.”

TAX

(Continued from Page 4)

One of the township’s financial experts attending the May 7 committee session noted that the newly-adopted municipal budget provides $50,000 in direct support to the school district.

Gadd revealed that the township auditor

ORDINANCE

(Continued from Page 3)

prohibition,” which is a “little different than what we have here – an absolute, complete prohibition.”

Brennan’s rebuttal led Coleman to point to the “30 days” definition of a short-term rental in the proposed Washington ordinance, contending that “30 days is not a complete prohibition.”

Despite it not being a trial, the committee was agreeable to having Brennan cross examine his client, Miriam McBride, on the record, as part of the public hearing on the proposed ordinance.

She acknowledged through that cross examination that she has owned the property in which she rents out since December 2012, it had been listed as a “teardown” before she decided to renovate it, and further contended it is now “our primary occupancy.”

Her renting the unit out, she added, began around 2017 or 2018.

After “thanking” her neighbors for being at the meeting, Miriam McBride pointed out her “neighbors have been quite clear that it has not been a problem” in her renting the residence out. She added that she subjects any renters to “quite significant” background checks “because it is our home” and she engages in the “highest end” of Airbnb requirements for renting out the residence.

She emphasized “no more than four guests” are allowed at anytime and that it is made “very clear” to any renters that there are to be “no parties” or guests, with even friends of a renter not allowed to be brought on the premises during a guest’s stay.

After affirming that she had a chance to review the proposed ordinance, when it was pointed out to her about the “township’s experience” as outlined in the document, Miriam McBride contended that there have “never” been such problems at her Airbnb – “not one of those things.”

“I don’t know where it is coming from, and I am surprised and concerned,” she declared.

The first ordinance, which passed, contains a provision that the Airbnb operator must be always on premise while renting out a property (it is unclear if Miriam McBride had intended to also oppose that measure, with her only entering the room with her attorney after that one had already passed).

But Coleman asked Miriam McBride, “Do you live at the property?”, to which she replied she is there “half of the time,” and that during the aforementioned two months of renting it out, she resides in Philadelphia.

After having contended the McBrides weren’t being singled out, local officials

and other officials recently had a meeting with the local school board to discuss the budget and how to address the ongoing funding challenges.

“It has been an ongoing discussion for quite some time, and maybe it will be forever,” declared Gadd, with Washington having few ratables, a limited population (tax base) and subject to Pinelands building restrictions.

ultimately raised what they described as an ongoing, unresolved issue with the property, with Gadd pointing to “two residential units” there, or what Coleman characterized as “two primary principle uses.”

“It has never been resolved,” added Gadd, in pointing to a cottage also on the property.

Miriam McBride then faced questions from officials over whether the cottage is “empty,” with her replying that her family uses it sometimes, and that she had been told it was previously rented back in the 60s.

After the committee agreed to table the short-term rental ordinance, Gadd told Brennan, “Just to make you aware: there are problems, or lack of approvals at that property – there are violations, in which that cottage has been rented, short term and long term.”

“It has been completely renovated into a completely separate freestanding residential unit,” the mayor further contended. “There are two residences on one lot, which is not a permitted use. They came to the Planning and Zoning Board, made a presentation and said a ‘bunch of documents’ could be provided and never were. We will table it (the Short-Term Rental Ordinance) to have more discussion. But there are issues with planning and zoning.”

Brennan acknowledged having learned of the planning and zoning issues in the last couple days, but contended he has, so far, been “engaged specifically and only for this ordinance.”

“The issues obviously have to be addressed, but in the purview of the Planning and Zoning Board,” Brennan added.

Deputy Mayor Daniel James, who when he was mayor had tried to instill a complete prohibition on short-term rentals, which was met with public resistance, contended of the latest attempts at passing short-term rental regulations that they are “not directed at you” (the McBrides) or “at any individual” for that matter, but he can foresee “down the road” where the township “all of a sudden” has a problem on their hands with “7 or 8 Airbnbs.”

But Brennan maintained he would “submit there is a better way to do this” if the municipality is “inclined to move forward,” including by proposing licensing (which the passed measure does) or providing for grandfather provisions or a “cutoff.”

“There are a number of other ways this can be dealt with,” Brennan declared. “But to absolutely ban a use that has been happening for 7 years without problems doesn’t make sense.”

He was followed by two more neighbors of the McBrides who called the couple “model neighbors” with one of them reporting that there have been “no issues or problems” since having known them.

Building the Age-Restricted Liberty Woods Community in Pemberton Township Will Offer Significant Economic Benefits to the Township, School District and Region While Preserving Open Space

Overall revenue surplus anticipated and a potential reduction in municipal and school taxes are all on the table

A proposal to build age restricted housing in Pemberton Township has been publicly discussed for nearly 20 years.

Liberty Woods is an age-restricted community offered by Ryan Homes that would be built on uplands designated by the State of New Jersey as a Pinelands Regional Growth Area for over 40 years. The community will preserve almost a square mile of open space.

Age-restricted housing is in high demand in New Jersey. Liberty Woods is a win-win scenario. The anticipated 862 new residents in Liberty Woods will shop, spend, eat and utilize services nearby that will generate added revenue to the local business community while their homes will provide increased tax revenues to the Township and the school district.

The time is right to spell out the economic and environmental benefits for Pemberton Township residents so you may become more familiar with all Liberty Woods has to offer.

Liberty Woods Economic Benefits

Richard B. Reading Associates conducted a Fiscal Impact Analysis, and the results reveal the following information:

• The 561 age-restricted housing units would generate annual tax revenues totaling $5,314,690, while taxsupported costs for the proposed units amount to $693,910 – yielding an overall revenue surplus of $4,620,780, which is comprised of the individual municipal, school district and county surpluses outlined below.

• The substantial revenue surpluses generated for both the Township and school district could have the potential for a $428 reduction in the municipal and school taxes for the average Pemberton Township homeowner compared to what they would be paying if the development is not built.

• As age-restricted housing, Liberty Woods would not add any public school children to the school district rolls.

° However, additional school district tax revenues would be generated for the school district as a direct result of the project’s completion, amounting to approximately $2,433,740 at the current school district tax rate

° Without any added school children or district costs, these revenues would represent a yearly increase of $2,433,740 in funds available to the school district.

Additional Economic Information

• The anticipated (average) sales price of the proposed homes is $385,000 (single-family detached homes) and $335,000 for single-family attached townhomes.

• The community is expected to represent a completed value of $210,735,000 – yielding an aggregate assessed value of $199,650,300 at the Township’s 2023 assessment ratio (94.74 percent).

• With 862 anticipated residents, the community would have allocated taxsupported municipal costs of $420,660.

° These municipal costs would be more than offset by the municipal tax revenues of $2,088,340 generated by the new housing units.

° This would result in receiving $1,667,680 more in tax revenues from Liberty Woods residents than it will spend in providing services to those residents.

Finally, Burlington County would receive $519,360 more in tax revenues from the Liberty Woods residents than it will spend in providing services to those residents.

The development of Liberty Woods will result in significant economic benefits to both local residents and local businesses, and provide important tax revenues to the Township, school district and the County.

Liberty Woods — Pemberton Township...

Benefitting the Residents and Economy of Pemberton Township and Burlington County.

Pemberton Township and Burlington County.

Liberty Woods is an age-restricted community o ered by Ryan Homes that would be built on land designated by the State of New Jersey as a Pinelands Regional Growth Area. At full-build out, the community will preserve almost a square mile of open space and o er significant economic benefits to the Township, school district and region, while not adding any school children to the rolls. The anticipated 862 new residents in Liberty Woods will shop, spend, eat and utilize services nearby that will generate added revenue to the local business community.

A WIN-WIN FOR THE FUTURE OF PEMBERTON TOWNSHIP AND ITS RESIDENTS.

PROJECTED NUMBERS AT-A-GLANCE*:

■ Expected annual tax revenues generated: $5,314,690

■ Tax-supported costs allocated to the proposed units: $693,910

■ Overall revenue surplus of $4,620,780 (Municipal, School District and County).

■ A $428 reduction in the municipal and school taxes for the average Pemberton Township homeowner.

JUNE

JUNE 1

Marlton Garden Tour and Plant Sale

Location: Southampton Twp.

Details: The 4th Annual Marlton Garden Tour will take place on Sat., June 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Rain date, June 2). There are 6 stops in Marlton Lakes, themed “Planting Native: Bringing Nature Home.” There is no charge for the tour, which will include five private properties and a plant sale at the Marlton Lakes Civic Association Clubhouse, 222 Lakeshore Dr. The sale will showcase native plants donated by club members, as well as perennials, annuals and herbs (all sales will be cash only). Stop #1: 110 Marbel Rd., whose owners have become a certified Community Wildlife Habitat, installing bird feeders and birdhouses to create a beautiful and sustainable outdoor space. #2: 115 Peach Rd., is an organic vegetable, herb and native plant garden, which is a newly certified wildlife habitat. #3: 223 Park Ave., also a certified wildlife habitat, features egg-producing hens, rain barrels, compost bins and hydroponically grown vegetables. #4: 228 Lakeshore Dr., whose owners combine the best of Pine Barrens native plants with pops of color and old-fashioned favorites, as well as the best views of Marlton Lakes. #5: 238 Popular Ave., houses a mix of native and non-native plants including, mature native oak, American holly and white pine trees, in addition to raised gardens, sectional gardens and pots holding pollinating plants. Visitors are encouraged to talk to the gardeners at each stop to learn about the native plants they chose to plant and why.

JUNE 2

Free Koins for Kids

Location: Lindenwold

Details: South Jersey Coin and Collectable Show will be held Sunday, June 2, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Moose Lodge, 2425 White Horse Pike (Rt. 30), Lindenwold. Admission and parking is free. There will be free door prizes, food and refreshments, and over 30 friendly dealer tables. The show will be held on the first Sunday of each month during 2024. Dealers wanted! Security provided. For more information, call Tom at 609742-2279, or visit southjerseycoinshow.com

JUNE 9

Jersey Shore Comic Book Show

Location: Toms River

Details: The Jersey Shore Comic Book Show will be held Sunday, June 9, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Elks Lodge, 600 Washington St., Toms River. Featured will be Guest Speaker Sharon Smythe-Lentz, from TV’s Dark Shadows. There will also be comic artists, writers and costume groups! Admission is $5; Children under 12 are free. For more information, call 609-242-7756, or email danielc439@aol.com

Events and special promotions happening locally next month!

JUNE 1

Community Family Fun Day

Location: Southampton Twp.

Details: The First Baptist Church of Vincentown is having a Family Fun Day on June 1, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., on the church grounds, 39 Main St., Vincentown. This event is free and open to all. There will be age appropriate games, prizes, crafts, face painting, tours of the church and free refreshments! For more information, please call 609-859-8967, or visit www.fbcnj.org and www. facebook.com/FirstBaptistChurchofVincentown .

JUNE 3

Program: A Vincentown Wedding: The Marriage Book of Francis Bazley Lee and Sara Stretch Eayre

Location: Southampton Twp.

Details: Southampton Historical Society will present the program “A Vincentown Wedding: The Marriage Book of Francis Bazley Lee and Sara Stretch Eayre,” on Monday, June 3, at 7:30 p.m., at Old Town Hall, 25 Plum St., Vincentown. Paulie Wenger, renowned New Jersey historian and President of the Pemberton Township Historic Trust, will share the story of this very prominent Victorian wedding that occurred in the quiet village of Vincentown in the Summer of 1894. He will talk about their marriage book, which provides a glimpse into their lives and the local culture of the time. The program will be followed by a special treat – the Society’s annual Strawberries & Ice Cream Social! The program is free and open to the public. For more information, call Kathy Rosmando at 609-859-0524.

AUG. 26

Pinelands Young at Heart Senior Club Presents Myrtle Beach Show Trip

Location: Shamong Twp. Departure (Reservations by June 15)

Details: Myrtle Beach Bus Trip from Aug. 26 to 31, 2024, will feature 5 shows, as well as Bearfoot Landing, Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade, Brookgreen Gardens and Zoo. Includes 3 dinners and 5 breakfasts. $780 pp/double. Departs from Shamong, NJ. Reservation deadline is June 15. For more information, call Janet at 609-505-0352.

To promote your event on this page contact Jayne Cabrilla at 609-801-2392 or email news@pinebarrenstribune.com

JUNE 1 & 2

Medford Quilt Show at Kirby’s Mill

Location: Medford Twp.

Details: Medford Quilt Show at Kirby’s Mill will be held on Sat., June 1, and Sun., June 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The mill is located at 275 Church Rd., Medford. Admission is free! Beautiful work made by many quilters will be on display. There will also be a quilting boutique on site. Refreshments available for purchase. For more information, call Libby Zimbleman at 609-535-5603, or email libby1555@aol.com . This is a rain or shine event.

JUNE 8

Medford Lakes Garden Tour

Location: Medford Lakes Borough

Details: Medford Lakes Garden Club presents its annual Garden Tour of eight homes in Medford Lakes and Medford Twp., on Sat., June 8, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (rain date, Sun., June 9). A ticket booklet is available for $25, or two for $35. The booklet is your ticket to visit these delightful gardens and includes a map of the homes and highlights of the tour. You may purchase tickets (cash or check) at the following locations: Vaughn Hall Colony Office, 79 Tecumseh Trl.; The Painted Turtle, Stokes Rd. and Trading Post Way; Wild Bird Oasis, 741 Stokes Rd. Proceeds raise funds for the annual scholarship award to a graduating student of Shawnee or Seneca high schools who plan to pursue an environmental science degree. For more information, contact Karen Lieberman at 973-2233019, or email leebirman4@aol.com . Visit https:// www.medfordlakescolony.org/gardenclub/home

JUNE WEEKENDS

Train Rides Through the Woods of New Gretna

Location: Bass River Township

Details: The Woods of New Gretna Park and the New Jersey Shore Live Steam Organization provide train rides for all each Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The small steam locomotives, and other trains, wind their way through the beautiful park. The rides are provided by a group of dedicated volunteers who have revitalized the park and laid out the railroad track, based on the historical Tuckerton Railroad. The volunteers maintain the railroad and walking trails, and are constantly expanding them. Riding the trains is free, but donations are very much appreciated. The train rides are outdoors.

SEAFOOD

(Continued from Page 5)

new enterprise at their convenience at Village at Taunton Forge, Capt’n Chucky's Crab Cake Company, with co-owners Mike McGarry (and his wife, Lisa) and Sam Cancelliere (and his wife, Elaine) steering the ship of the franchise store in Medford Township.

“We have a broad demographic of who we target,” McGarry told this newspaper. “I would say we serve mostly families up to and including senior citizens. I have had some people come in regularly for the eight months we have been here, and yet we just had a couple people come in earlier today and say that we ‘didn’t even know you were here.’”

There are seven different types of crab cakes that Capt’n Chucky’s in Medford offers to its customers, in addition to providing for fresh cocktail shrimp daily, as well as all different types of salads, everything from Shrimp Salad and Crab Stuffed Mushrooms.

“Everything is what we call take and bake,” McGarry described. “So, the majority of people have to cook everything at 400 degrees for roughly 15 minutes. It cannot be easier. I call it the bachelor style of cooking – you put the oven on, preheat it to 400 degrees, and when it beeps, put the food in for 15 minutes and you are ready to go.”

McGarry, in asserting to this reporter, “we have every type of seafood,” described that his establishment sells lobsters, scallops, scallops with bacon and 15 different types of fish filets, including salmon. Also on the menu are more than a half-dozen seafoodoriented soups.

On this particular day of this

PLAN

(Continued from Page 6)

Warga, a frequent critic of municipal policies, who said he was disappointed that the potential cost of benefits for the new employee was not taken into account, because there was admittedly no way of calculating them in advance.

“That, unfortunately, is a very fluid number,” noted Mayor Jacklyn “Jackie” Veasy.

Later in the session, remarks by Robert Rinaldi of the Briarwood neighborhood

newspaper’s visit to Capt’n Chucky’s, McGarry, also a 401(k)-plan salesman for another job he has held since 1986, was preparing shrimp and fish meals for the afternoon and evening rush.

There is a “1” and “1A” answer McGarry provided to the question of what item is his store’s most popular: the Mega Colossal Crab Cake, which he described as containing 5 ½ ounces of 100 percent crab meat, and the Philomena’s Jersey Shore Crab Cake, which he observed is 4 ½ ounces of lump crab meat, unbreaded.

He noted that Capt’n Chucky’s also offers its customers two desserts “that we sell a ton of,” including the Stock’s Poundcake, straight from Stock’s Philadelphia Store, a five-generational family operation in the Port Richmond section of Northeast Philadelphia.

The poundcake is hugely popular for holiday meals, with McGarry reporting that his Capt’n Chucky’s store sold about 600 of them Christmas week, and about 400 of them on Easter week.

They also carry the “awesome” Chef’s Key Lime Pie, carrying it in both small and large sizes.

Every other week to 15 days, Capt’n Chucky’s, according to McGarry, offers customer specials. This past weekend, for instance, “the ocean made a special delivery to Medford,” in which Jumbo Black Sea Bass and Fresh Boneless Swordfish Filets were offered.

For this coming Memorial Day weekend, McGarry anticipates having Blue Claw Crabs delivered. And at the end of every month, Capt’n Chucky’s currently offers the special of “Lobster All Weekend.”

“I have never done less than 225 (Lobster Roll) Sandwiches,” McGarry noted.

Cancelliere is also an insurance salesman.

questioning the advisability of the school board’s decision to dispense with a roundtrip bus ride of less than 15 minutes for middle schoolers, who now have to cross Tomlinson Mill Road via the recently created crosswalk prompted a fair amount of discussion, including a suggestion from Veasy that an electronic beacon light be installed there, which Township Engineer Tim Staszewski said he would look into.

Rinaldi sharply criticized the decisions by both entities, including the necessity of having to employ township-funded crossing guards.

“Not only is that a transfer of financial

So how did McGarry and Cancelliere, two men from the financial industry, end up in the crab and seafood business?

They denied ever being fisherman.

“A good friend of mine owns the Capt’n Chucky’s factory that supplies about 70 percent of the food that we sell,” Cancelliere explained. “Mike and I have been friends for a long time. We loved the food when we would get it ourselves and we always talked about setting up a possible location in Medford, Marlton, or Mount Laurel, and when this popped up (at Village at Taunton Forge), we jumped on it.”

Their friend thought it would be a “great idea” to open the franchise. Now, they are

responsibility to the town, but the costs are in fact greater on a daily basis,” he maintained. “In addition, there is a substantial financial liability to the township by having students and a crossing guard at exposure to cars traveling 35 miles per hour, rushing to work, rushing to school.”

He also asserted that the latter involved “the most inexperienced drivers” and that as Police Chief Walt Miller had been advised by his own officers, “children, their parents, and the crossing guard have experienced near misses.”

The most cost-effective solution,

open 7 days a week, including from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and on Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The two co-owners told this newspaper that they were looking to add a little supplemental income to their bottom lines and thought the location “was great” as “Medford is a great town.”

As avid golfers who often had passed through the area of Lake Pine and Taunton Boulevard on their way back from a local golf course and country club, they found what would be their future location for Capt’n Chucky’s, which opened on Sept. 7, 2023, simply “our gauntlet on the way home.”

Rinaldi asserted, would be to reinstitute busing, whether funded by the school board or the township.

“If this can’t be done, I urge the township to re-evaluate the placement and implementation of the signage to meet state and fed regulations because it is doubtful at the current moment that the condition would withstand a legal action by a resident who has been hit by a car,” he claimed.

Those remarks resulted in a suggestion from Freeman that the township manager

See PLAN/ Page 12

Photo By Douglas D. Melegari

A display refrigeration case highlighting some of the offerings at Capt’n Chucky’s Crab Cake Company in Medford Township.

FirstBaptist Church

PLAN

or engineer “check on signage in that area—just have someone go out to make sure we are protected.”

complete agreement with “the taxpayer” and that the superintendent of schools (Justin Smith) had not been “receptive” to her attempt to reach out to him on the matter.

Veasy, however, urged that dissension be avoided over such issues, noting “We have to work together.”

Staszewski, in his monthly report, responded that “we did do the layout of that crosswalk and signage,” which his staff had confirmed were consistent with both New Jersey Department of Transportation and MUTCD (Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices) standards, so he felt “comfortable” with that.

Both Cooper and Espinoza, however, indicated they were far less so.

“Can we see whether it would be more cost-effective for us to be busing the children at that location,” Espinosa asked, “particularly with the cost of installing a beacon (as the mayor had suggested), and … to see how much we are spending on police and the liability of our children crossing that street every day?”

(“I’ll pay, I’ll pay!” Rinaldi shouted from his seat following her remarks.)

Cooper noted that the township had received a series of emails in April after the crosswalk was completed from concerned residents asking whether the speed limit was being reduced to 25 mph while children were present and whether a police officer or crossing guard was always present.

“It’s unfortunate that we shifted the dollar,” she added, noting that she was in

“I did reach out to the superintendent (about the crosswalk) when it was unveiled on April 4,” she said in her closing remarks. ‘It was maybe not the best timing, but we have to be partners in this community. We cannot be the township against the school district, the township against the Lenape Regional School District. We cannot operate like that.”

The mayor also claimed that she had found that busing wasn’t necessarily the solution preferred by students or their parents.

“When I spoke to 5th graders two years ago, they actually told me they would love to have a crosswalk because they wanted to ride bikes back and forth to school, and (there were) families who also said they wanted to have a crosswalk there (because) they could never cross (before it was built),” Veasy said. “So maybe it’s just a question of working through the challenges to make sure it is as safe as it can be for everyone to get back and forth.

“I think we’ve worked through some of the challenges, and I think it can be better.”

Other inquiries made to township

officials at the meeting included when and where the local government plans to make pickleball available to residents again and when work would be completed on the driving range in front of the Gibson House, both posed by resident Steven Huffnagle.

While there was still no definitive answer to the pickleball question, Veasy, after making sure it was OK to disclose, replied, “We’ve been in discussion and are exploring the option of in front of the Gibson House.”

“That seems like a nice location,” responded Huffnagle, who said it led him into his next question of when renovations to the driving range in the same locale would be completed – something he claimed has been costing the township $70,000 a year in concession fees.

Staszewski's reply, in the course of his engineer’s report was that the municipality had taken bids on the project, but they exceeded the budget it had allowed for.

“I think you are looking to this upcoming budget to potentially make up for the difference in that, so we’re in a holding pattern until that happens,” he said.

In regard to another townshipowned recreational facility, Andrew Pierson, director of instruction for Indian Spring Golf Course, revealed that extraordinary measures had been taken to drain the links after early spring storms, so that “on March 31, we were the only course open in the area”

following three inches of rain.

“We still have the largest ladies league in the country for an 18-hole course,” he proclaimed. “These are the reasons we work on drainage of the golf course—so they are able to play this game and enjoy it to the fullest extent.”

Pierson added, “I’m very supportive of pickleball.”

Director of Public information Zane Clark noted that anyone wishing to submit an application for consideration as a member of the planning or zoning board could now do so via a simple form available at the township website, with “no need to print or mail anything.” In addition, he said, there is “a lot of great stuff coming up on our social media pages.”

Among the coming activities previewed by Chief Miller in his report was one scheduled by the police department on June 1, “a walk and watch event” at the municipal complex dog park, which he described as “a program that encourages people with dogs to be eyes and ears of the police department.”

Participants, he said, will be given an identifying scarf for their dog to wear.

“I think it is going to get a lot of attendance based on the feedback we’re getting online,” he said.

In response to a query from Freeman, Miller also noted that the facility the police department is now using at Virtua Hospital will provide citizens with access to most police services at that location.

(Continued from Page 11)

CA H$ PAID FOR YOUR CAR

Cash Paid for Your Car. Looking to buy better than junk cars. Call 1-866261-5277. We come to you.

CLEANUPS/LAWN CUTTING

Spring cleanups, lawn cutting, and gutter cleaning. Shrub pruning and some tree work, along with hauling. Free estimates=reasonable rates. Call or Text Bob at 1-609-880-3789.

FURNITURE REPAIR

Adam’s Furniture Restoration, LLC. Fully insured. Furniture repair, kitchen cabinet refinishing, touch-ups, and in-home services. Call 1-856-9796210. Visit www.facebook.com/adamsfurnres .

HEALTH & FITNESS

*Attention oxygen therapy users! Inogen One G4 is capable of full 24/7 oxygen delivery. Only 2.8 pounds. Free info kit. Call 877-929-9587.

*Dental insurance from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 400+ procedures. Real dental insurance - not just a discount plan. Get your free Information Kit with details! 1-855-526-1060 www.dental50plus. com/ads . #6258

HAULING

Household appliances. Televisions, furniture, etc. for disposal or transport. Garage and yard cleanups along with lawn cutting and gutter cleaning. Free estimates. Call or Text Bob at 1-609-880-3789.

Anything We Haul It

Estates – Attics – Basements – SafePlaces Odd Jobs –Yardwork – Hedges Removed/ Pools Removed Demolitions, Sheds, Etc. Call 609-694-9356

RECLOSURE

(Continued from Page 6)

County Route 532 “was closed and was to remain closed during the pendency of this litigation to protect the public safety and the welfare of motorists and pedestrians traveling on Medford Lakes Road.”

Tabernacle Township, meanwhile, had filed a motion to reconsider Hertzberg’s injunction decree, with a hearing scheduled just after this newspaper’s press time.

If it should be granted, the question would be how fast would the township act to get the road reopened (assuming any order arising from the hearing is not immediately appealed). A Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony is scheduled to occur in the Town Hall parking lot on May 25 at 10 a.m., adding

HOME HEALTH AIDE

Experienced certified home health aide. Companion and caregiver. References available. Call or text Cindy 609-227-9873.

HOME SERVICES

*Aging Roof? New Homeowner? Got Storm Damage? You need a local expert provider that proudly stands behind their work. Fast, free estimate. Financing available. Call 1-888-878-9091.

*Professional lawn service: Fertilization, weed control, seeding, aeration & mosquito control. Call now for a free quote. Ask about our first application special! 1-833-606-6777.

*Water damage cleanup & restoration: A small amount of water can lead to major damage and mold growth in your home. Our trusted professionals do complete repairs to protect your family and your home's value! Call 24/7: 1-888-872-2809.

LAWN SERVICE

Lawn Service: Mulching, trimming, cleanups, and design. Servicing the area for 30 years. Call 609-410-8033.

LAWYERS

Erwin Apell Attorney, Browns Mills. All legal matters - free hotline 24/7. Visa, Mastercard. Call 609-220-3059 or email Erwinapell@gmail.com .

DOG

Adopted from Popcorn Park: looking for three dogs, Miniature Pinschers named Taz, Rusty and Henry. Please call 732-796-3572 or 908-670-1173. Reward for return.

*Alaska, Europe, Hawaii + dozens of other popular trips! Starting at $1649 pp (double occupancy req'd.) YMT Vacations plans everything, leaving you to relax & enjoy. Call 1-877-626-1958 M-F for more details. Use promo code YMT2024 for $250 off. Limited time only.

*BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 855-761-1725.

to the complexities of the situation.

And the next governing body meeting is scheduled for May 28, with there also being a question of whether Hartman would wait on any action pertaining to demolition until after that meeting is held. Additionally, as previously reported by this newspaper, the committee’s prior demolition vote was a narrow one, 3-2, and now, with Natalie Stone having resigned from the governing body, what impact that might have is also an added unknown, but it could set the stage for tied votes on any future decision making, until a replacement for Stone is chosen.

But one thing is certain – Construction Official Tom Boyd, back in March, could not guarantee that Tabernacle Town Hall would still be standing beyond three weeks, and it still stands on its own, as of press time, even as traffic has passed by the building for the past four weeks.

*Become a published author. We want to read your book! Dorrance Publishing trusted since 1920. Consultation, production, promotion & distribution. Call for free author’s guide 1-877729-4998 or visit dorranceinfo.com/ads .

*Diagnosed with lung cancer & 65+? You may qualify for a substantial cash award. No obligation! We've recovered millions. Let us help! Call 24/7 1-877-707-5707.

*DIRECTV Stream - Carries the most local MLB Games! Choice Package $89.99/mo for 12 mos Stream on 20 devices at once. HBO Max included for 3 mos (w/Choice Package or higher.) No contract or hidden fees! Some restrictions apply. Call IVS 1-866-859-0405.

*Don't let the stairs limit your mobility! Discover the ideal solution for anyone who struggles on the stairs, is concerned about a fall or wants to regain access to their entire home. Call AmeriGlide today! 1-833-399-3595.

*Donate Your Car to Veterans Today! Help and Support our Veterans. Fast - FREE pick up. 100% tax deductible. Call 1-800-245-0398.

*Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule free LeafFilter estimate today. 20% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-833-610-1936.

*Get DISH Satellite TV + Internet! Free Install, Free HD-DVR Upgrade, 80,000 On-Demand Movies, Plus Limited Time Up To $600 In Gift Cards. Call Today! 1-866-479-1516.

*Home Break-ins take less than 60 seconds. Don't wait! Protect your family, your home, your assets now for as little as 70¢ a day! Call 855-401-1151.

*Jacuzzi Bath Remodel can install a new, custom bath or shower in as little as one day. For a limited time, we're cutting installation costs in half and offering a FREE safety upgrade! Additional terms apply. Subject to change and vary by dealer. Call 1-844-501-3208.

*Prepare for power outages today with a Generac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 5-Year warranty with qualifying purchase* Call 1-855-948-6176 today to schedule a free quote. It’s not just a generator. It’s a power move.

*Replace your roof w/the best looking & longest lasting material steel from Erie Metal Roofs! 3 styles & multiple colors available. Guaranteed to last a lifetime! Limited Time Offer up to 50% off install + Additional 10% off install (military, health & 1st responders.) 1-833-370-1234.

*Safe Step. North America's #1 Walk-in tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-theline installation and service. Now featuring our free shower package & $1600 off - limited time! Financing available. 1-855-417-1306.

READER ADVISORY

* Reader Advisory: The National Trade Association we belong to has purchased the above classifieds with an asterisk. Determining the value of their service or product is advised by this publication. In order to avoid misunderstandings, some advertisers do not offer employment but rather supply the readers with manuals, directories and other materials designed to help their clients establish mail order selling and other businesses at home. Under NO circumstance should you send any money in advance or give the client your checking, license ID, or credit card numbers. Also beware of ads that claim to guarantee loans regardless of credit and note that if a credit repair company does business only over the phone it is illegal to request any money before delivering its service. All funds are based in U.S. dollars. Toll free numbers may or may not reach Canada.

from anywhere

Purchasing 1 or 1000 in any condition. Also purchasing tickets with other berries and vegetables printed on them, marked Cranberry scoops, Huckleberry knockers, Peck boxes. Call Eric: 908-319-0057.

Buying – Old Cranberry and Blueberry Pickers Tickets

in Southern New Jersey.

Student Lounge

Seneca High Teacher Selected as National FCCLA Award Winner With Only One Chapter Adviser Per State Given Award Annually

TABERNACLE—Seneca High School

Family and Consumer Science Teacher

Lynn Ritter has been selected as a recipient of the prestigious Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) Spirit of Advising Award.

According to a school press release, the honor recognizes Ritter, of the Tabernacle Township-based high school, as a “chapter adviser who embodies the spirit of advising, providing unwavering support and guidance to their students.”

“Mrs. Ritter has always been a dedicated member of our Family and Consumer Science department,” noted Seneca Vice Principal Jessica le Grange, who supervises the school’s Family and Consumer Science department. “She has grown the culinary program at Seneca High School and been a great supporter of our other electives like Child Development and Fashion Design. We greatly value her contributions and experience.”

FCCLA, according to the release, is a dynamic and effective student-led nation-based organization supporting youth on their journey to become the leaders of tomorrow and helping them address important personal, family, work, and societal issues through Family and Consumer Sciences education.

FCCLA has over 240,000 members and more than 5,200 chapters across the nation.

The FCCLA Spirit of Advising Award celebrates advisers who consistently demonstrate a commitment to the FCCLA mission, work tirelessly to support student success, provide enriching learning experiences, encourage positive character development, and nurture student leaders.

Only one chapter adviser per state is honored with this award annually, making Ritter's selection a remarkable achievement.

“I am continually inspired by the dedication of FCCLA’s Chapter Advisers,”

remarked Sandy Spavone, Executive Director of FCCLA. “Recipients of the Spirit of Advising Award lead by example, embodying FCCLA's values through their steadfast commitment and dedication to their students. Their contributions are invaluable, and they serve as true ambassadors for the organization.”

Ritter, who also serves as the coordinator for Seneca’s Family and Consumer Science Department, was also honored as a New Jersey FCCLA Rookie (Advisor) of the Year back in 2002.

Ritter will be recognized and presented with the FCCLA Spirit of Advising Award at the 2024 National Leadership Conference, which will take place in Seattle, Washington.

Photo Provided

Seneca Teacher and 2024 FCCLA Spirit of Advising Award Recipient Lynn Ritter.

Carl J. Hasson CFSP, Manager NJ

#4180

Carl J. Hasson CFSP, Manager NJ Lic #4180