Catch up on the biggest stories in Moorestown this week.
A new wing of the Moorestown Community House was unveiled, and two MHS students are bringing something special to an upcoming production of The Nutcracker. Catch up on everything from the past week in the Weekly Roundup.
Volunteer effort brings old wing of Community House new life
On Tuesday, Dec. 5, the Moorestown Community House was abuzz as members of the Moorestown Garden Club and community volunteers worked together to prepare the Community House for its Cooks Tour of Moorestown debut. Dec. 6 not only marked the Community House’s first appearance on the tour but the unveiling of the newly renovated wing that was once home to the original Moorestown Library. The renovations were completed at the end of November — just in time for the house’s Cooks Tour debut. The annual Cooks Tour features Moorestown homes decorated for the holidays, with proceeds going toward oncology services at Virtua Memorial, a non-profit medical center in Mt. Holly.
26th annual production of The Nutcracker holds special significance for two Moorestown ballerinas
On Dec. 15, 16 and 17, the two Moorestown girls, along with a cast of close to 80 dancers, will perform in the South Jersey Ballet Theatre’s 26th annual production of “The Nutcracker” at Voorhees Middle School. This year’s performance is of special significance to both Kasey Hogeboom and Elizabeth Safaryn. For Hogeboom, a junior at Moorestown High School, this will be her first time stepping into one of the lead roles, as she takes on the part of the Sugar Plum Fairy. For Safaryn, a senior at MHS, this production marks her 13th and final season before she graduates, with her dancing the role of Dew Drop Fairy.
Merchel ‘manages’ two roles to make Moorestown run smoothly
In his dual role as both Township Manager and Chief Financial Officer, Thomas Merchel is making sure things run smoothly in Moorestown. Walk into Town Hall and you may find Thomas Merchel in one of two places. With a dual role as Moorestown’s director of finance and township manager, he’s a man with two offices, two nameplates and two times the demands on his time. Following former Township Manager Scott Carew’s resignation last January, Moorestown Township Council appointed Merchel, who was already serving as chief financial officer at the time, to the position. Merchel said since taking on the dual position, there’s been no such thing as a typical day.
