FALL 2023
IN S ID E TH IS IS S U E: 2 - Pickleball Clinic
7 - Tribute To Mayor Passanante
3 - Upcoming Events & Borough Contacts
8 - Somerdale Youth Basketball League
11 - From The Desk Of Police Chief James Walsh 13 - Somerdale Historical Society
5 - The Mayor’s Corner
9 - Somerstock & Summer Concert Series
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White Horse Chiropractic Center Stanley B. Piltin, D.C., F.A.C.O. B o a r d C e r t i fi e d C h i r o pra c t i c O r t h o p e d i s t
722 S. White Horse Pike, Somerdale 856-784-5700 Named Top Doc by New Jersey Monthly Magazine 2014 - 2019
Serving the community since 1982
www.whitehorsechiropractic.com
SOMERDALE VOICE
Would you like to advertise in the Somerdale Voice? CONTACT:
gehrmann@somerdale-nj.com www.somerdale-nj.com
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Borough Contacts Hours: Monday – Thursday 8:00 am to 5:15 pm
Court Sessions – please call for exact date & time Municipal Clerk
856 783-6320 x 3300
Council
856 783-6320 x 3300
Construction Office
856 783-4629 x 1500
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!!!
Finance Officer
856 783-6320 x 1600
Wednesday, October 25th Trunk or Treat at CooperTowne Center 3 pm to 8 pm Costume and Car Decorating Contest Judging between 4 pm and 5 pm
Fire Prevention Bureau
856 783-6320 x 2100
Mayor’s Office
856 783-6320 x 1700
Municipal Court
856 783 0958 x 2200
Nuisance Officer
856 783-6320 x 1100
Police Department Records
856 428-6320 x 2500
Halloween October 30th and October 31st Pursuant to Chapter 112-3 of the Borough Code Book, Curfew for October 30th and October 31st is 7 pm Halloween Trick or Treating Hours are 3 pm to 7 pm
Public Works
856 783-4648
Tax Assessor
856 783-6320 x 1400
Tax Collector
856 783-6320 x 1900
Vital Statistics
856 783-6320 x 1300 or x 3300
Zoning Officer
856 783-6320 x 1300
Regular Meetings:
Tuesday, November 7th General Election 6 am to 8 pm
*Council Work Session - Select Tuesdays at 6PM (if needed) Caucus - 2nd Wednesday of the month, 6PM
Veteran’s Day In observance of Veteran’s Day, Borough Hall will Be closed on Thursday, November 9th Public Works will be closed on Friday, November 10th
Council - 2nd Wednesday of the month, 7PM *Planning/Zoning Board - Last Wednesday of the month, 7PM
Thanksgiving Holiday Borough Hall closes at 1 pm on Wednesday, November 22nd And will re-open on Monday, November 27th Public Works will be open on Friday, November 24th to collect the West side of town’s Recycling Monday, December 4th Christmas Tree Lighting at the Borough Hall There will be a very special visit from Santa! 7 pm
*May be cancelled due to lack of agenda. Check our website for meeting notices and further details.
MAYOR AND COUNCIL Mayor Gary J. Passanante gpassanante@somerdale-nj.com Council President David Alexander dalexander@somerdale-nj.com
Christmas Borough Hall and Public Works will be closed on Monday, December 25th and Tuesday, December 26th East side trash will be collected on Wed., December 27th West side trash will be collected on Thursday, December 28th For more information on any of these events, you can call 856.783.6320 ext. 3300 or Email mmiller@somerdale-nj.com
Councilman George C. Ehrmann gehrmann@somerdale-nj.com Councilman Larry Sefchick lsefchick@somerdale-nj.com Councilwoman Barbara Kane bkane@somerdale-nj.com Councilman George Badey gbadey@somerdale-N.J.com Councilman James Perry jperry@somerdale-nj.com
105 Kennedy Boulevard, Somerdale, New Jersey 08083 www.somerdale-nj.com
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SOMERDALE PUBLIC WORKS 2023 FALL & WINTER RECYCLING SCHEDULE
Fall, 2023
Flu Shot Schedule – Fall 2023
DPW – normal operating hours 6:30am to 2:30pm Monday - Friday 856-783-4648 Curbside Leaf Collection – Curbside leaf collection will start on or about October 30th and will continue thru Monday December 18th. Leaves must be raked between the sidewalk and curb. Leaves must be free of all other debris (branches, trash, animal waste, etc.) Due to storm water regulations leaves or any other debris must not be placed within 10 feet of a storm water inlet. Collection will be approximately every 7 to 10 days (weather permitting) once the leaf-vac passes your residence the entire town will be done before returning to your street. If you wish to bag the leaves, THEY MUST BE IN PAPER BIODEGRADABLE BAGS-NO PLASTIC BAGS, place these bags curbside to be collected on the next scheduled yard waste collection. Do not park vehicles on or near leaf piles, this will result in the pile remaining to the next collection. After 12/18, do not rake loose leaves to the curb. All leaves must be disposed of in the yard waste collections on the appropriate collection Monday, in open containers or biodegradable bags only. Yard Waste Recycling – The last weekly collection will be Monday October 30th. Starting in November collection of yard waste will be done once per month, November through March on the last Monday of the month. All waste must be in open containers or paper bio-degradable bags only. No collection after a Monday holiday until the next scheduled pick-up day. Tree Branches/Brush – During leaf collection season, brush will only be pickedup when time and manpower permits. Electronic Recycling – No television sets or any e-waste material we be picked up if it has been taken apart. Once a television set has the tube broken it is considered hazardous waste and becomes the homeowner’s responsibility for disposal. The public works cannot handle these hazardous items and they will not be picked up. Please call 856-783-6320 X-4600 to schedule a pickup for ALL electronics and for any questions concerning this program. Snow Removal – Borough ordinance states that sidewalks must be cleared of snow within 24 hours immediately after the end of the storm. When shoveling or using a snow blower to remove snow from your property, do not put the snow back into the street. The public works department asks that you wait until the roadway is cleared from curb to curb before clearing the edge of your driveway and when plowing is imminent that all vehicles be removed from the roadway when possible. Look for a more detailed diagram in the guide book. Note** Please remember, do not put any material including, single stream recycling (paper, containers, etc.), leaves, or vegetative yard waste in plastic bags for disposal at any time!! Thank you for your continued support to make our recycling programs a success!!
Please refer to our collection calendar for a more detailed collection schedule.
COVID-19 Updates The Camden County Division of Senior and Disabled Services is prepared to ensure that no senior goes hungry during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. All residents previously enrolled in the Camden County Nutrition Program have automatically begun receiving home-delivery of meals this week, and seniors in need of meals – for any reason – can call the Division at (856) 374-MEAL to make immediate arrangements. Are you a senior citizen (aged 60 and over) or an adult (18 and over) with a physical disability that is looking for assistance with basic needs such as food, housing, and medical services? Or maybe you need to find someone to do some minor repair work around your home? Or perhaps you’d just like to find out about how to volunteer your time in the community, or where to go to socialize and have some fun?
Tax Preparation Services for Individuals, Businesses, Estates & Trusts Bookkeeping & Accounting Services IRS & State Tax Representation Licensed in New Jersey and Pennsylvania
Betty Jane Harrison-Marshall, CPA phone: 856.258.5899 -OR- 856.546.4600 email: bj@harrisoncpa.com | fax: 866.865.4608 24 N. White Horse Pike | Somerdale, NJ 08083
The Camden County ADRC Division of Senior Citizen and Disabled Citizen Services can serve as your doorway to connect you with all of the above and more. The aim of this Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) program is to connect both seniors and adults with disabilities with a full range of the services –public and private- needed to independently live and thrive within their community. It also strongly supports each individual’s right to be in control of making their own personal care decisions based on assessed need, informed choice and community service availability.
www.somerdale-nj.com
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THE MAYOR’S CORNER As fall approaches, I would like to remind you to refer to your calendar and most recent Service Guide (Purple Cover) for information pertaining to leaf and vegetative waste pickup as the new season progresses. Regular leaf collection will begin in late October and will continue until mid-December. Beginning November through March, vegetative waste collection will be once per month on the LAST Monday of each month. The 2023 Somerstock event and Summer Concert Series at our new amphitheater were incredibly successful, drawing crowds in excess of 1000 people for a single event! In this issue you will see some highlights of the concerts which I hope you were able to attend and enjoy. I want to thank our concert series sponsors The Thirsty Hound & South Jersey Billiards, Modutec Engineering, Jefferson Heath System, Pepco Manufacturing, Comcast and Bowman & Company. Without their financial support, we could not have delivered the highquality performers in our lineup! We continue to make enhancements to the facility with the addition of fencing, solar lighting, picnic tables, and we are working on playground upgrades in the future. Construction of a permanent restroom facility is underway through the generosity of many local contractors. I would like to thank Kaiser Electric, Panetta Plumbing, Becksted Masonry, All Serve Concrete, A&E Construction, Home Depot and Seamless Flooring for their incredible generosity in donating labor and much of the materials. Next year will be bigger and better than ever as we know how much you love our concert series! By the way, if you missed any or all of the concerts, you can watch them on our YouTube channel by searching “Borough of Somerdale”. Each concert has been recorded with multiple cameras by our local multimedia company, Letter 8 Media. On a different note, it is with mixed emotions that I write this article as it will be my last “Mayor’s Corner” in our newsletter. I have decided to retire at the end of 2023 and this is our last issue of the year. Where do I begin (and how)????
The last 28 years for me have been an incredible and extremely humbling experience. Never did I imagine (or plan) to still be here after over quarter a century! As I look back, I can honestly say that I would not have traded it for the world. I have had the unique privilege to proudly represent our community far and wide. Through the years, I have been invited to participate in statewide initiatives for Governor’s Administrations, legislatures and other statewide organizations which have led to the crafting of new laws and policies that hopefully made life in New Jersey a bit more rewarding for you, our constituents. Along the way, I have met thousands of wonderful people that work to serve the public in our great state. There have been tremendous challenges but together with my family, staff, council, professionals and volunteers, we have overcome them all and we are better for it. I have always viewed my elected position as a privilege, a duty and an opportunity to touch thousands of lives in our own community, as well as our county and state in a very special way. My goal from the first day I was sworn in that crisp winter night in January 1996 was to better the lives of Somerdale residents in any way possible. I turn this chapter of my life feeling immensely fulfilled that I did just that with the help and support of those around me. I could write a book on my experience as your mayor and I would need the entire newsletter to thank those that were instrumental in our success. While that is not possible, I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere love and appreciation for those that played the most instrumental roles in my elected career. First and foremost is the love of my life, my wife Jeanne. We are celebrating our 41st year of marriage this fall and a half century together! Her love and total support during this chapter of our lives is incomparable and I could not have done it without her. My two sons, Steven and Tyler both of which sacrificed most of their childhoods with an absentee father who had commitments to the public which kept me from many life experiences dads & sons share in a typical household. I only hope they realize that their loss and
sacrifice as children growing up with a dad as mayor positively impacted thousands of people through our accomplishments in the community and throughout the state. My siblings and their spouses, especially my brother Mike, his wife Joanne and oldest son Michael who campaigned with and for me in the early days and ran our business when I was away serving all of you. My closest and lifelong friends, who I am blessed to still share time with on a daily basis, that got used to me being on the phone or in meetings all hours of the day and night, whether golfing, hanging out locally or being on vacation together. Current and former council members, Nick Ianetta, Ed Kain, George Ehrmann, Dave Alexander, Frank Sabatini and Larry Sefchick and their spouses who started this journey with me 29 years ago and are still by my side today. My other council partners who have shown unwavering support and respect since they took office during my administration. The many volunteers on our Planning & Zoning Board that accepted my offer to serve our community and have been a constant source of wisdom and thoughtfulness in their duties to the residents of our community. Our volunteer organizations, especially our fire and EMS that unselfishly serve us day in and day out. My tremendous staff including our police department, public works and the administration. Most importantly my department managers who manage the day-to-day operations and make sure we deliver the best service possible to every household and business in town. My professionals, some of which have served this town longer than I! Of them, a special thanks to our solicitor, John Kearney who always was my voice of reason, my political advisor and ally as I navigated my way through the world of politics. I would be remiss if I did not thank the many business owners and operators in Somerdale that I could always count on. One standout individual and business owner that I must recognize is Jack Kennedy, the owner of Pepco Manufacturing who built his business in our community over 60 years ago and is still here today. I am proud to call Jack a friend and it was the relationship we forged from the day I was elected that made the widespread economic redevelopment in Somerdale a reality.
www.somerdale-nj.com
Finally, a mayor’s most important asset, my clerk and Chief of Staff, Michele Miller, otherwise referred to as my “work wife”. Michele and her husband Phil have been by my side for many, many years! Their devotion and friendship cannot be overstated and I cannot thank them enough for going the extra mile, many, many times for me. Michele has made my work world more tolerable, more rewarding and more effective through her talent and dedication to our community and to me. She has served the community in many capacities and has been my clerk for half of my elected career. I will truly miss our daily interaction, solving problems, planning events and managing the staff. My term ends this December 31st and I will leave knowing the town is in good hands and the hard work my administration has endured for over a quarter a century will leave a legacy and open the door for even greater achievements in the future. I will sincerely miss the interaction with all of you and mostly those just mentioned. I have spent the majority of my life these past 28 years with the aforementioned and I can’t imagine what it will be like without them. But the time has come for me to turn over the leadership of our community and to enjoy the fruits of my family’s labor. It sure will be different but I hope equally as satisfying. I cannot thank you enough for your continued confidence in me over these may years. The impact you have made on my life is immeasurable! I will not say farewell but instead look forward to seeing you at our local Somerdale events in the future. As always, please do not hesitate to say hello. Maybe we can reminisce a bit and share some fond memories? The time as your mayor has been a blessing for me and it will always be a cherished memory. God bless you and your family and may God bless Somerdale, now and forever.
Gary J. Passanante
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JOB OPPORTUNITIES APPLICATIONS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED FOR A FULL TIME LABORER POSITION IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS A VALID DRIVER LICENSE IS MANDATORY/CDL IS A PLUS - A “CLASS A” CDL WILL BE REQUIRED TO BE OBTAINED WITHIN ONE YEAR OF EMPLOYMENT ALSO CUSTODIAL POSITIONS FOR OUR PARK SCHOOL TEAM NIGHT/DAY CUSTODIANS FLEXIBLE HOURS / GOOD PAY (UP TO 30 HOURS PER-WEEK) IF INTERESTED PLEASE OBTAIN AND FILL OUT AN EMPLOYMENT APPLICATION AT THE SOMERDALE BOROUGH HALL – 105 KENNEDY BLVD. PLEASE ATTACH ALL RESUMES TO A COMPLETED BOROUGH EMPLOYMENT APPLICATION YOU MUST BE ABLE TO PASS A CRIMINAL HISTORY REVIEW AND DRUG SCREENING NO PHONE CALLS
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FLU CLINIC AT BOROUGH HALL
Fall, 2023
PAPER SHREDDING EVENT
High dose and standard Flu shots, Tdap, Pneumonia, and Shingles shots
Saturday, November 11th 8 am to 11 am at Borough Hall 105 Kennedy Blvd. (enter from Kennedy Blvd for event)
Thursday, October 5th at the Somerdale Borough Hall from 10am-2pm Flu shots and most other vaccines are free with Medicare/insurance. The shingles shot is now covered by Medicare Part D at no cost. Ask the pharmacist if it is covered for you if you are interested in a Shingles shot.
Please enter parking lot from Kennedy Boulevard
Clinic will be ran by pharmacist Matt Rappe, PharmD
In cooperation with the Camden County Board of Commissioners
From Shoprite Pharmacy of Center Square Plaza in Woolwich Township, NJ
If you miss this one, we will be holding another one on April 13th
Pharmacy number: 856-975-4355
www.somerdale-nj.com
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2023 Somerstock & Summer Concert Series Performers: Just in Time • Michael Jones • Cecil Parker • Jimmy Lee • Peabody’s Wayback Machine The Mahoney Brothers Beatles Tribute • The Blue Notes • The Chiclettes Chicago 9 - Tribute Band • The FM Band • Earth, Wind & Fire Tribute Band Rober Eric – Piano Man, Billy Joel Tribute • Don’t Call Me Francis All of the concerts can be viewed on our YouTube channel “Borough of Somerdale”
A S P E C I A L T H A N K YO U TO O U R S P O N S O R S !
MANUFACTURING CO.
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FOOD FOR SOMERDALE
HELLO FALL We hope everyone had a great summer cause we sure did. Thanks to everyone who came out for our baseball themed Craft Day, hope you had as much fun as we did. We also had a department luau which was a lot of fun and a chance for all our Somerdale Fire Department Family to get together for great food, games and company. We are looking forward to fall - including a Fall Craft Day, Fire Prevention on October 18th and an Auxiliary Open House on November 4th. Check out our facebook page at SOMERDALE FIRE DEPARTMENT’S AUXILIARY for details on upcoming events or feel free to email us at SFDLA652@gmail.com
Somerdale is very fortunate to have four food pantries that operate within our community. There are many wonderful volunteers who donate their time and energy to staff the food pantries so that residents in our community never go hungry. If you or anyone you know is in need of assistance, please contact any of these locations. Somerdale VFW 10 Kennedy Blvd, Somerdale, NJ 08083 Phone: 1-800-931-3371 Hours: Every Tuesday 11:00 to 11:30 Our Lady of Guadalupe – St. Vincent de Paul Society Across from Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on WHP in Lindenwold Help Line: 856-627-8824 Hours: 10:00 am to 12:00 noon 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month Lion of Judah Church 9 Olden Ave, Somerdale, NJ 08083 Phone: 856-346-2636 Hours: Every 3rd Saturday of every month 10:00 am to 12:00 noon
HOME DELIVERED MEALS Home Delivered Meals (formerly Meals on Wheels) is a proud service of the Camden County Board of Commissioner. For more information, please call the Camden County Home Delivered Meals Coordinator Felicia Buzard 856-374-MEAL (6325) or email Felicia Buzard at felicia.buzard@camdencounty.com
www.somerdale-nj.com
Park Ave. Community Church Food Pantry 451 Hilltop Ave, Somerdale, NJ 08083 Phone: 856-435-0309 (call for information) Hours: Every Thursday 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm
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FROM THE DESK OF POLICE CHIEF JAMES WALSH We hope everyone had a healthy, safe and enjoyable summer! School is open, please be careful driving with the increased traffic flow, remind your children to pay attention to their surroundings (not their cell phones) while walking or driving to and from school. BACK TO SCHOOL SAFETY TIPS Whether children walk, ride their bicycle or drive to school, it is extremely important that they take proper safety precautions. Here are some tips to make sure your child safely travels to school: Walkers » Review your family’s walking safety rules and practice walking to school with your child.
bikes across the street • Stay alert and avoid distracted riding – (put the cell phones away) • Make sure your child always wears a properly fitted helmet and bright clothing Driving Your Child to School » • Stay Alert avoid distracted driving. • Obey school zone speed limits and follow your school’s dropoff procedure • Make eye contact with children who are crossing the street • Never pass a bus loading or unloading children • The area 10 feet around a school bus is the most dangerous for children; stop far enough back to allow them to safely enter and exit the bus Teen Drivers »
• Walk on the sidewalk, if one is available; when on a street with no sidewalk, walk facing the traffic • Before you cross the street, stop and look left, right and left again to see if cars are coming • If at a crossing post, please follow the instructions of the crossing guard, they are there for your safety • Make eye contact with drivers before crossing and always cross streets at crosswalks or intersections • Stay alert and avoid distracted driving – (put the cell phones away.) Bike Riders » Teach your child the rules of the road and practice riding the bike route to school with your child. • Ride on the right side of the road, with traffic, and in a single file • Come to a complete stop before crossing the street; walk
• Car crashes are the No. 1 cause of death for teens. Fortunately, there is something we can do. • Teens crash because they are inexperienced; practice with new drivers every week, before and after they get their license • Set a good example; drive the way you want your teen to drive. SOLICITING UPDATE There are STILL no active solicitor permits at the time of this article. If you have anyone come to your door or see anyone walking around with clipboards and sales materials, contact the Department and we will check them out. SOMERDALE CRIME MAP Just a reminder to everyone that our crime map is available for public view, just go to www.somerdale-nj.com click on Departments, then Police Department and scroll down
and click the “Crime Map” link to view the map. When you click the colored marker, it will display detail of the specific incident. SOMERDALE PARKS & RECREATION FIELDS The governing body & the department of public works does an excellent job in improving our parks and recreation areas, please keep in mind that this is your municipal and state tax dollars at work to improve services to the community and the borough plans on continual improvements. While the below piece is not good news, I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you - as this is our community and if we all work together – it is my hope that we can alleviate the concerns. We have been experiencing vandalism in the Somerdale Parks and Recreation areas, the department has stepped up enforcement and want to remind all parents/guardians of the following: • The equipment in the playgrounds have appropriate ages listed for their use, those over the age are not to use playground equipment meant for younger children. • All park & recreation areas close at dusk and no one is permitted during unapproved hours. • No food or drink, tobacco, cannabis, etc. is permitted in any borough park or recreation area. • Our Department of Public Works does a great job in keeping Somerdale clean – they should not have to send crews out on a regular basis to pick up trash or repair maliciously broken equipment or cover up spray paint. • We have issued warnings and are prepared to ban anyone from the areas if the situation continues or the areas suffer any further damage. Everyone have a great fall and hopefully we’ll be spared this winter!
Police Department News
Lieutenant Sean Plasket recognized for his 20 years of service to the residents of Somerdale L-R: Chief Walsh, Lieutenant Plasket, Lieutenant Usher
Sergeant Brian Usher was promoted to Lieutenant
Corporal John-Paul Massaro promoted to Sergeant
Corporal Alex Keister promoted to Sergeant
L-R: Jacob Usher, Danielle Usher, Lieutenant Usher, Kaitlyn Usher
L-R: Olivia Massaro, John-Paul Massaro
L-R: Mayor Passanante, Councilman Sefchick, Donna Glaeser, Alex Keister
www.somerdale-nj.com
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SOMERDALE FIRE DEPARTMENT 101 Park Avenue, Somerdale, NJ 08083
Dear Neighbors and Friends:
we do respond to an emergency, you will be protected as well.
The Somerdale Fire Department would like to thank you for your past support of our fund drives. The Somerdale Fire Department’s building is owned Through your generosity, we are able to provide the and maintained by our members. We rely heavily on great emergency services you deserve and rely on. this yearly fund drive to help us with building improvements and maintenance. We welcome The Somerdale Fire Department has provided fire volunteers to join us in all aspects of emergency and rescue services to this amazing community and services. If you are interested, please stop by the fire surrounding towns with pride and dedication since department on any Monday night. You can follow us 1924. We remain one of the strongest 100% on Facebook or visit our website (www.somerdalevolunteer emergency services agencies in southern fire.com) for more information. New Jersey. Our members are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and undergo countless hours of We thank you for your past support and hope you training to be prepared in your time of need. Our will donate to this 2023 fund drive. Please make all service keeps your taxes down by eliminating the checks payable to Somerdale Fire Department. All need for an expensive paid department. donations go directly to the fire department and are tax deductible. We are a 501 (c) 3 organization. We are writing to you once again to request your Please look for upcoming information about our financial support. As we prepare to celebrate 100 events and fundraisers in celebration of our 100’th years of service to this community. Our firefighters Anniversary. continue to work diligently to learn new protocols, methods, and practices, and have adopted strict The members of your Somerdale Fire Department guidelines to ensure every member is safe and hope that everyone has a safe and healthy year. protected. These guidelines also ensure that when
Return to:
Somerdale Fire Department 101 Park Ave Somerdale, NJ 08083
Name:________________________________________ Address:______________________________________ Town/ State:_________________________________ Donation Amount:_____$25_____$50_____$100_____Other
www.somerdale-nj.com
@Somerdale-FireDepartment
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The Story of Life Long Somerdale Resident Alfred Edward Hulme Jr. Told By His Daughters, Dixie Lee Hulme, and Darleene Hulme Alfred Edward Hulme Jr., born September 9, 1920 in Somerdale (in the house next to the old Peppino’s Restaurant) to Alfred Edward Hulme Sr. and Hilda (Kinsley) Hulme. Al was the second oldest child of four, Hilda, Alfred, John, and Robert. He attended the Somerdale No. 1 School and only went until the 8th grade. Being born with only one arm, he was shy around people he didn’t know. He loved to play baseball, swim, water ski, golf, and draw. He also played football as a kid on the once open field on Maiden Lane and Hilltop Avenue. He married Magdalena Enderie in November of 1941. They had four children, Nancy Lee, Alfred Nicholas, Darlene, and Dixie Lee. As a family, we wouldn’t go out to eat dinner due to too many people staring at him, so we would order pizza out every Friday night and have Mr Softie afterwards. Most of our family outings were to the Martinique, the Golf Farm, and water skiing on the Delaware River. Before the station was built, my dad worked as an errand boy in Philly. He rode the 51-61 bus from the White Horse Pike into Philadelphia along with his father and his Uncle Bob, who worked at the Philadelphia Inquirer, and Uncle Jake who worked for the TV Guide. They all rode the bus until the Speedline came along in 1969.
Camden County Historical Alliance dedicates the month of October as History Month. As a member of the CCHA, the Somerdale Historical Society along with Letter 8 Media Co. has put together a collection of videos for everyone to enjoy. Take a virtual tour of Somerdale with video and stories about our past.
In Memoriam: Stephanie Ramage- McGee On June 28, 2023 the Somerdale Historical Society lost a member and a dear friend. Stephanie knew so many, from her time as a crossing guard and matron for the Somerdale Police Department, and attendance officer for Sterling High School. She was always active in her community as a volunteer, and made many friends and memories over the years. We were very fortunate to have her as a member of the Historical Society to share those memories. Our dear friend, you will always be remembered. God Bless
He also played baseball as well. He played for the Somerdale Athletic Club and was known as the one armed pitcher. He was offered to join a semi pro team but chose to have his own business and be a family man. Al continued to play baseball until 1953.
The station was built on the corner of the White Horse Pike and Fairview Avenue in 1947 by my dad and my grandfather. My grandfather (Alfred Hulme Sr.) helped my dad build that station physically and financially so my dad would have a lifetime business. It was not easy being a man with one arm to have his dreams come true. The station was a Texaco, then changed to Al’s Save Sum. This was the place that people brought their TV’s to be fixed and cars to be repaired and painted. The Dragmasters repaired their cars at the garage. As you drive up, your car ran over a rubber wire setting off a bell. That would let my dad know he had a customer. My dad built a tubeless tire before any were invented. He was a man of many traits. A wonderful artist, carpenter and a jack of all trades. His motto was “Don’t throw it out, fix it”. My dad was well known in town as an honest and wonderful friend to many, a family man and a lifelong resident of Somerdale. He retired in the fall of 1980. Bartons Radiator stands at that location today. Alfred Edward Hulme Jr. passed away January 5, 1991 and is buried in the Berlin Cemetery, Berlin, NJ.
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