Town Council, the police department and the MTPS have a lot planned for the New Year.
The New Year is a time for reflection on the past, and planning for the future. In Moorestown, this reflection has led officials and prominent figures within the township to determine what elements of the community need improvement, and how this change can be facilitated.
Town Council
Councilwoman Victoria Napolitano anticipates the New Year will be a productive one for Moorestown. She explained this is because council has the opportunity to build on the momentum from the last several years, and will be able to make progress on a number of projects.
“We will see continued improvements to our township’s infrastructure,” Napolitano said. “We will also see the opening of Moorestown’s first dog park, as well as improvements at other recreation sites, such as Strawbridge Lake Park. And, as always, council will be looking for innovative ways to utilize our township staff and resources to serve our residents the best we can, while keeping our municipal tax rate among the lowest in Burlington County.”
Councilwoman Lisa Petriello added that, while she cannot speak for the rest of council, she would like to see the township move forward smartly and transparently while resolving water quality issues, infrastructure rebuild and water main replacements. She would also like to see steady progress on Strawbridge Lake and more attention to open space maintenance.
“As always, I am interested in involving the community in our work as well as working productively with our township committees,” Petriello said. “Videotaped and publicly broadcasted council meetings would also be a much welcomed change in 2017.”
She added a sustainable budget should be a focus, as well as finding opportunities to fund appropriate township activity through available grants. She explained that, in her opinion, contracting with a professional grant writer could prove advantageous.
“We also need to place greater focus on spurring business development and improving the appearance of all our business districts,” Petriello said. “Hopefully, the NJDOT Transportation Alternatives Program grant applied to by the township in November comes through.”
She hopes this grant would help kick-start Lenola development. Ultimately, while Petriello sees a lot of work ahead for town council, she commented that its work should always be as transparent as possible.
“It is a great honor joining town council in January 2017 and to have this opportunity to shape our community moving into the next year,” newly elected member of council, Mike Locatell, added. “I believe that 2017 will be a positive and productive year for the township. In keeping with a campaign pledge made by myself and Victoria, we will make sure town council meetings will be recorded and posted online to increase access and ensure transparency between our residents and their elected officials.”
Locatell explained the new street hockey rink at Wesley Bishop Park and Moorestown’s first dog park are both nearing completion. He believes both projects were made possible due to grant money council obtained from the county’s Open Space Fund. Locatell added that, as a part of council, he will work to see the town’s leadership continue to seek grant monies from the county, state and federal governments in an effort to provide cost-savings for these types of projects and benefit every township resident.
The councilman also wishes to see council continue upgrading its aging infrastructure. He commented that council will also be working closely with the Moorestown Business Association and its small business owners to keep the local economy heading in the positive direction Moorestown has enjoyed over the last few years.
Moorestown Police Department
As the Moorestown Township Police Department moves into 2017, it is going to begin a major project — being an accredited department by the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police. This will involve the validation and evaluation of all facets of the department’s operations, including facilities, day-to-day operations, policies and procedures and interaction with the public.
Additionally, accredited status will represent a significant professional achievement, because accreditation acknowledges the implementation of policies and procedures that are conceptually sound and operationally effective.
Furthermore, with the blessing of town council, the department will be begin the reinstitution of its K9 unit in 2017. Ptl. Kevin Sloan will be attending the Atlantic County Law Enforcement K9 Training Academy beginning in the spring with his K9 partner for a dual track program to be certified as a K9 Patrol Team as well as Drug Interdiction Team.
“We will continue our outreach to the community through social media and direct interaction on a daily basis with our residents and visitors,” Chief Lee R. Lieber said.
Moorestown Township Public Schools
In 2017, the Moorestown school district will have its goals focused on three areas. The first, innovation, will encompass a continued focus on technology integration, 1:1 laptop program in grades six through 12 and STEM/Robotics learning opportunities. The second area will be targeting instruction and interventions for meeting the learning needs of all students by collecting and analyzing data and then aligning instruction.
Lastly, working with students to develop self-awareness, confidence, personal responsibility, social mindfulness and more will be a priority to develop a balance between strong academic, social and emotional skills.
“Construction-wise, we have another full summer with significant renovation at the Upper Elementary School, ongoing HVAC work at our high school and paving projects at the William Allen Middle School and at the high school,” Superintendent Scott McCartney said.
McCartney added the district is very excited to be bringing Education, Sports, and Fun camps to its schools this summer. He said these ESF camps have been a significant win-win for students, the community and a part of the district’s ongoing revenue generation program to help offset costs of operation.
To that same end, in the New Year the district will be increasing its efforts to market its tuition student options for additional revenue. To date this year, its revenue generation programs have netted more than $500,000 to offset costs, maintain staffing and programs as the district builds the 2017–18 budget.
MTPS also welcomed Joanne D’Angelo as its new school business administrator/board secretary on Dec. 23, along with James Heiser who will be assuming the position of assistant school business administrator as of Monday, Jan. 9. Heather Hackl replaced the retiring Ray Kelly as assistant principal at William Allen Middle School as of Monday, Jan. 2.
Moorestown Library
Moorestown Library staff hopes 2017 will shape up to be another exciting year, full of events for every age and interest. For adults, the library is planning events around dancing, films, astrology, opera, investing, book discussions and aromatherapy and relaxation techniques.
If finding a new job is a resident’s New Year’s resolution, they are encouraged to sign up for the Career Strategies series offering tips on resume writing, interviewing, networking, salary negotiation and how to use LinkedIn to make professional connections.
For history buffs, Moorestown Library is now partnering with the Historical Society to offer a speaker series on interesting topics of local history. People who enjoy outdoor recreation will be interested in programs presented by the Burlington County Parks System and another series presented by REI Outdoor Programs on enjoying the great outdoors in winter.
There will also be plenty of fun in store for kids and teens in the New Year. In February, the library will kick off its annual Winter Reading Challenge, inviting kids of all ages to report on books for chances to win gift cards to Barnes & Noble, Build-A-Bear and Happy Hippo.
Then, during Spring Break, kids can drop in every day to make colorful crafts inspired by Eric Carle’s books.
This year’s Summer Reading theme, “Build a Better World,” will have kids dreaming about everything from constructing skyscrapers to protecting the environment to building friendships across cultures. Each season will be packed with fun adventures such as story times, drop-in crafts, Crazy 8s Math Club and Crafternoons for kids in fourth grade and up.
Lastly, book shoppers will want to mark their calendar for the library’s quarterly book sales. In 2017, book sales will be held on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 3 and 4; June 9 and 10; Sept. 15 and 16; and Dec. 1 and 2. Check out www.moorestownlibrary.org for updates all the library happenings throughout the year.
Moorestown Business Association
For 2017, the MBA board will be looking to refine and expand its focus.
It will also continue to host a variety of activities on Main Street, as it represents the “heart” of the Moorestown community.
“In addition to the traditional events that have happened in the past, we will be looking to add events such as a restaurant week,” MBA President Steven Pazienza said. “We want to include the children in our schools to give them an opportunity to learn about business and help the entire community realize why we need to support Moorestown businesses. ‘Is there a Moorestown option?’ should be a question that township residents ask themselves before spending money.”
Additionally, the MBA has already started the process with the township manager and town council to resolve the parking problem on Main Street. Ultimately, the organization’s goal is to ensure a ready turnover of parking spots throughout the day to support merchants. At night, the MBA believes the township needs to be sensitive to those who live on Main Street, while having the option to clear the street for the bi-weekly street cleaning, plowing during snow storms, parades and other town-wide events.
“We are also looking to work with the Garden Club to improve some of the planting areas in our shopping districts so that they are more functional and attractive,” Pazienza said.
Further, the MBA hopes to work more with the other service organizations throughout the community in the upcoming year. While the organization believes the arts have been underutilized, it notes they unquestionably offer an incredible opportunity to enhance many aspects of life in Moorestown and benefit all residents. Similarly, The Rotary Club, Lions Club and Historical Society do so many great things, and through collaborative efforts, the MBA is confident it can accomplish even more.
“We are also looking to embrace our other business sections in town, with an emphasis on Lenola and the Moorestown Mall,” Pazienza said. “We will be posting more helpful business-oriented information on a regular basis, highlighting multiple areas including commercial real estate, labor law and capital options utilizing member professionals.”
He explained the MBA plans to rotate its Spotlight Program between highlighting established businesses in addition to an introduction of new members to help grow their respective business when they are the most in need. The MBA will also be adding informative and beneficial member events, including tours of Moorestown businesses that are leaders at the regional and national level, and seminars focusing on business topics of interest.
“The key to how much we can achieve is directly proportional to the amount of individuals willing to volunteer their time,” Pazienza said. “We are hopeful that there will be a significant increase in the numbers of individuals giving a few hours each year.”
