As the year draws to a close, Berlin residents can reflect on what has unfolded throughout the borough during 2017.
Whether it’s the borough’s 90-year anniversary, the police department’s first K-9 unit or a change in pastors, The Sun has recapped the biggest events that made headlines this year.
New members on Council, local and regional BOE
Jim Pearce and Dan MacDonnell took their oath of office as they were sworn in as members of the Berlin Borough Council in January. This is Pearce’s third term and seventh year on council and MacDonnell’s first term. Pearce was also chosen as president.
“So many people were there that I have only met because they’ve reached out to support us, but I didn’t know them,” he said. “But they were so happy with the job we were doing; they started supporting me without having ever met me. I’m really humbled by that. They are there because they like the job we are doing and are very passionate about it.”
Lisa Kehoe was sworn into her first three-year term on the Berlin Borough School District’s board.
The board chose Rebecca Holland as the board president for 2017. Linda Welte was chosen to serve as vice president.
“I’m really looking forward to my next term,” said Holland, who’s serving her second term. “Our priority is to keep focusing on our academics as far as curriculum, aligning it with common core and aligning it with Eastern Regional High School so our students are better prepared when they get there.”
Jude J. Brown of Voorhees was elected to his first term on the Eastern Regional board. Hillary J. Garr of Voorhees was elected to her 19th year on the board, and Bob DeCicco was elected to his 40th.
Eastern Regional football coach resigns
Daniel Boguszewski stepped down from his three-year position as the high school’s football coach in January. Eastern had its best record under Boguszewski in 2016, improving to 4–6 after going 1–9 the previous two seasons.
“I had a great group of guys. The biggest thing I always asked for when we tried to establish a coaching staff was loyalty, and these guys were second to none,” he said. “They were extremely supportive through thick and thin, and they were willing to do whatever for the better of the program and the kids.”
In March, Voorhees resident John Doherty was appointed as the new head coach. Doherty was the head football coach at Paul VI High School from 2003 to 2015. During his tenure, the program had 10 playoff appearances and won seven conference titles.
“I know there’s been some good things going on despite their record the last couple years,” he said. “I think one of the biggest things is trying to really get the football program to grow within the community and get more kids out for the sport. I think you’ve seen it all around the country — football is taking a hit with concussions. I just think it’s important to let people know we’re teaching football the safe way and the positives and how much you can learn from playing football.”
A.J. Dixon Vets and Friends Center opens in Berlin Borough
Jackie Dixon, a champion for local veterans, renamed the A.J. Dixon Resource Center on the White Horse Pike to the A.J. Dixon Vets and Friends Center. Its new mission is to provide resources for veterans, servicemen, servicewomen and their families throughout Camden County.
The grand opening was attended by Freeholder Bill Moen and Director of the Camden County Office of Veteran Affairs Floyd White, as well as Berlin Borough Mayor Jim Bilella and members of Berlin Borough Council.
Contributing to her shifting gears, Dixon witnessed how being overseas affected A.J., and she thinks he would have had issues to deal with, such as post traumatic stress disorder.
“Because he was not able to come back, I want to help those that are maybe dealing with some of the same issues he had to deal with,” she said.
Officers promoted and sworn into Berlin Police Department
At the March Council meeting, Det. T.J. Varano was promoted to sergeant, and Arthur Knapp was sworn as Class II part-time officer.
Chief of Police Michael Miller said the department received nine applications for the sergeant position, which was the most ever submitted in the department’s history.
Varano had been with the department for seven years.
“It’s nice to move into a role where you can share things that you’ve learned with them and push some other ideas I’ve gained throughout the years since I’ve started,” he said. “Some ideas that maybe I’ve come up with that I want to push along to the younger guys, and now I’ll have that opportunity being in a supervisor role to work with the other supervisors and be able to basically help keep making the police department better and better.”
Opioid addiction in Berlin
The national opioid epidemic continues to plague Berlin.
Four years ago was an eye-opening year for the police department, as 119 narcotics arrests were made in 2013 — more than the previous four years combined. The number has climbed steadily each year, increasing to 143 in 2016, according to the Berlin Borough Police Department.
In Camden County alone, 191 drug overdose deaths were recorded in 2015, encompassing 115 heroin and 53 fentanyl, according to Jefferson Health pharmacist Bill Lynch. Local police officers spoke to The Sun in March about heroin’s impact on the borough.
“It’s almost like a traffic ticket, it’s that common,” Det. Michael Scheer said.
The department said it is now common to see somewhere between 50 and 70 bags of heroin come in at one time.
They also said, from what they’ve witnessed, the drugs do not discriminate, as local overdose victims have been from all racial and socioeconomic demographics, including both old and young, men and women.
Berlin Borough has particularly found itself in the crossfire of local drug trades. Major routes such as the White Horse Pike, Cross Keys Road and Route 73 run through the borough, and many of these passageways are used enroute to places such as Camden, Philadelphia and Atlantic City. Many arrests are not Berlin residents but dealers traveling through the town. Criminals have actually been advised by one another “not to go through Berlin.”
Bobby Rydell visits The Vault
In April, the 1960s teen idol stopped in Berlin to hold a Q&A with fans and sign copies of his autobiography, “Bobby Rydell: Teen Idol on the Rocks: A Tale of Second Chances.”
Rydell talked to the collosal crowd as if he were reminiscing with old friends. The audience asked about Rydell’s life and his interactions with other celebrities. He recalled stories of working with drummer Buddy Rich and a missed opportunity where he didn’t take a picture with The Beatles before they rose to fame.
Rydell reflected on his childhood in South Philly.
“Next to the movie theater and the ice cream parlor,” Rydell said nostalgically. “I wonder if those places are still there.”
“Always in Style” celebrates survivorship in Berlin
In April, the Paris Caterers hosted an uplifting fashion show, shedding light to seven women who have overcome some form of sorrow — from cancer to addiction.
The event was presented by SJBCC and the Women of Hope Resource Center, and was sponsored by MD Anderson Cooper.
The survivors included Loretta Mikulski, chair of the SJBCC.
“Seventeen years ago, they told me I would live three years,” Mikulski said.
Before the models told their stories, Bilella read a proclamation celebrating April 6 as Survivor’s Day.
“We want those who are enduring [difficult circumstances] to know that there is hope, they have support, and they can survive,” he read. “We are not recognizing survivors, but thrivers.”
Berlin police adds K-9 Unit
The borough’s police department added its first K-9 unit over the summer.
K-9 Radko is responsible for sniffing out the scent of marijuana and other drugs, as well as assisting in patrols and searches for missing people.
Officer Steven Palma trained the dog at K-9 academy in Gloucester Township.
Palma was selected to train the dog based on a presentation detailing why he was suited to raise the canine.
Before moving to Gloucester Township, Radko lived in the Czech Republic, where he was already being trained.
Adding Radko to the force was a relatively quick process.
Miller said the department has been trying to install a K-9 unit for at least 10 years, and finally received an opportunity when Gloucester Township said it would be starting the K-9 Academy.
“We were able to take the [idea of getting a dog] from concept to reality in about a week,” Miller said. “Having a K-9 unit is something we’ve been aspiring to for a long time. It’s an honor to have the first canine in Berlin Borough, and he will be important for public safety.”
Downtown Berlin Revitalization Committee aims to make Berlin a destination
Throughout 2017, the DBRC aimed to revamp storefronts along the White Horse Pike, as part of its overarching vision to embrace the borough’s future with a “vision for creative retail, eateries, the arts and outdoor living.”
Maggie’s Bake Shop was the first recipient of the facade renovation series.
Before the shop opened in October 2016, the building was comprised of mundane white stones on the outside. Currently, it is adorned with banana cream-colored stripes.
“We want to give the building an identity,” said Cindy Williams, program director for the DBRC.
In the façade program, downtown property and business owners may apply for rehabilitation of building facades, including branding and marketing assistance. The goal of the program is to boost business downtown.
The program is funded through downtown community partners, sponsors and grants in partnership with the borough.
The DBRC hopes to eventually redesign 25 businesses a year.
Eastern School District sets budget for 2017–2018 school year
For a Berlin Borough homeowner with an average assessed home value at $233,700, the annual Eastern Regional school tax bill increased about $113 from 2016.
Residents of Berlin Borough contribute $4,163,930 to the fund.
The local tax levy increased 2 percent from the prior year. The budget totaled $38,151,704, $25,051,830 of which will be raised by local taxes, compared to last year’s $24,560,618.
From the total budget, $36,779,454 goes toward the general fund, which includes costs for daily operations and capital projects, and $441,750 goes toward the special revenue fund, which accounts for grants from state and federal agencies.
Ongoing initiatives included in the budget are Camden County College Option 2, the iPad initiative and an expansion of AP courses offered.
Marie Fleche Library celebrates 60, borough celebrates 90
In 2017, the local library marked its 60th year of providing literature to the borough. The milestone fell on the heels of its expansion into the hotel next door in April.
Just a few weeks later, the borough observed its 90-year-old incorporation.
In May, residents gathered in the courtyard outside the municipal building to commemorate the dual anniversaries.
“In the old days, the library used to be the place you would go to do some research,” Bilella said in his opening remarks. “They’re not that way anymore. They’re more of a media center, a gathering place and a place of activity.”
Former mayor and library trustee Millard Wilkinson, Jr. said in his remarks that what started out as a reading room with 60 volumes has evolved into the library today, which served almost 21,000 people last year.
Officials also reflected on the history of Berlin that actually extends well beyond 90 years, as Berlin once served as a rest stop for travelers enroute to the Shore from Philadelphia.
According to legend, a band of sailors wrecked their vessel off the coast of South Jersey, resulting in their travels on foot along an Indian trail to what is currently Camden. After finding a clear stream to refresh, the sailors said, “Here you are, though long-a-coming.”
Old postal records show the office was established as Long-A-Coming in 1812.
Though the exact transition from Long-A-Coming to Berlin can’t be tracked, the town was briefly known as Magnolia, according to records from Feb. 5, 1867. It was finally named Berlin a few months later on May 7, 1867.
Due to shifts in land divisions, the Borough of Berlin was not officially formed until 1927.
“We’re looking to capitalize on our history,” Bilella said of the town’s ongoing redevelopment. “We’re very excited the borough is 90 years old.”
Eastern Regional Vikings make history with the program’s first sectional title in 2017
In June, Eastern Regional High School girls lacrosse won their first South Jersey Group IV championship in program history, finishing the year 14–6 and advancing to the state championship game.
Their success resurrected in light of last year, which marked their worse season in a decade.
Eastern’s defense was much improved from last year. The Vikings held the opposition to 10 goals or fewer in 14 of its 20 games this season, while in 2016, Eastern allowed double-digit goals in all but five games.
With almost the entire 2016 team returning in 2017, the Vikings entered the season with a lot more confidence.
Senior defender Brittany Geis attributes that confidence both to the experienced returning players and a group of freshmen who gave the team a major boost this season. Freshman Kara Heck led Eastern in scoring, while fellow freshman Anacapri Slack became an anchor on defense.
“Our freshmen that we had this year came in confident, so they didn’t lack that confidence,” Geis said. “The whole team brought that confidence level to the field.”
Head coach Katie Lee felt the 2017 team’s success will have a positive impact on the team for many years ahead.
“This is just setting the tone in Voorhees and saying lacrosse can be as good as any other program in this town,” Lee said. “For a long time, I think people underestimated what we could do and what our potential was.”
Change of pastors at Berlin Centenary United Methodist Church
On Sunday, June 9, the Rev. June Stitzinger-Clark gave her final sermon at UMC after serving as the congregation’s pastor for eight years. Before commencing her ministry career in 1990, Stitzinger-Clark served others in a scope of ways.
“It’s certainly something I’ve always felt was important to do,” Stitzinger-Clark said of her work helping others. “I think fulfilling life means connecting to God and loving our neighbor as ourselves.”
She joined the military at age 18 during the height of the Vietnam War in the late 1960s, during which time she served most of three years as an information specialist in Oklahoma at Fort Sill.
She eventually found her way into social work as a teacher, counselor and program director for several nonprofits, including work in the Battered Women’s Movement and helping the team that pushed for the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act of 1984, which, among other changes, made it easier for women to obtain restraining orders against abusers.
Stitzinger-Clark went on to help train officers at the police academy in Camden regarding the new laws, and around that time she also began serving six years in the U.S. National Guard as a chaplain’s assistant.
She ended her career in social work in the late 1980s as the director of the New Jersey Coalition For Battered Women.
After meeting with her pastor and district superintendent in the Methodist Church, she began to take a few courses at seminary and was on the path she would follow for nearly 30 years.
“I thought ‘OK, Lord, this is what you want me to do, and we’ll do this together,’ and so the next year I was appointed to my first church,” Stitzinger-Clark said.
Following her departure, the Rev. Sung Chun Ahn began his pastorship at UMC in July.
Like Stitzinger-Clark, the South Korea native has also served others through a variety of channels. In fact, he has marked his life by a series of revelations, all of which have somehow fostered his mission of serving marginalized people.
His good deeds have spilled across the Pacific, as he has fed impoverished people from China to Camden.
Inspired to further his charity to those in need, Ahn spent a year at New Brunswick Theological Seminary and eventually received his master’s of divinity degree from Drew Theological School in 2009.
For nine years, he served as an associate pastor and music director of First Korean UMC, where he led young adult and high school Bible studies and oversaw community center programs.
After devoting nearly a decade to First Korean, Ahn felt it was time to shift his religious leadership to a new community, leading to his position at UMC. He was especially enchanted by the Berlin church, because of its appeal to children and adolescents — a subject close to his heart.
“I believed the church had the possibility to reach out to young people,” Ahn said. “My vision and the church’s vision matched.”
Department of Public Works launches app to receive work requests
In July, the borough immersed in innovation with the Department of Public Works’ new website, berlin.mobile311.com, optimized for computer, smartphone or tablet use.
The purpose of the application is to notify the DPW about non-emergency pothole repairs, field and playground issues, streets and signs issues, sanitation/recycling issues and snow removal.
Citizens can create an account, login and report issues to the DPW that are automatically converted to work requests, which are then routed to the DPW. The application allows for the attachment of photos and notes to the requests. Through the application, users can track requests and see comments entered by the DPW in response.
“We’re always looking for ways to be more efficient,” Bilella said about the new website. “This application takes advantage of newer technologies to engage the public better.”
The website is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to make a report. The DPW’s normal hours of operation are Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. If a request is received outside the normal hours of operations, the DPW will view the report on the next business day.
Water- and sewer-related issues are not to be reported through this new website. To report water- and sewer-related issues, call (856) 767–0056 between the hours of 6 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.
If you need help setting up the application, call (856) 767–7777 ext. 316 or ask any employees inside Borough Hall at 59 S. White Horse Pike.
A revamped Rotary
As Rotary International witnesses dwindling membership across the globe, a local chapter is working toward modernizing the club.
“Rotary International has realized a lot of its rules and guidelines that were in place were actually hindering them,” said Ben Gindville, who was inducted as president of the Berlin group in July. “Over the past year, they basically have thrown the book away.”
Gindville, who has been a club member for six years, has noticed membership decrease by nearly half, plummeting from roughly 40 to around 20 in the past half-decade. This decline tends to stem from outdated standards, such as mandatory attendance at meetings.
After Rotary International passed new guidelines that ultimately strip the guidelines themselves, the Berlin Rotary took up the opportunity to experiment.
The club has developed a presence on social media. In late August, the club launched an updated website.
The club has also started a monthly fellowship event, in which members’ friends and families of all ages are welcomed to meetings, in hopes of gaining participants.
Although the club strives to mend an age gap, it maintains a spectrum of professionals, from environmental scientists to insurance agents.
“I think where we, as a club, have fallen short is not getting ourselves out there enough, we’re not portraying what we do,” Gindville said. “My big push is reaching out to millennials.”
Cub Scouts return to Berlin
Scoutmaster Mike McCormick was determined to revive a Cub Scout Pack in Berlin.
While Troop 48 has scouted around Berlin since 1964, over the past few decades, Cub Packs have come and gone throughout the borough.
“When you’re in your mid-30s, like I am, and you look back and remember this thing you did as a kid and it still sticks out, that’s a sign it really was worth doing,” McCormick said. “I’m starting it, because I know my son could have as good a time as I had in Cub Scouts.”
In September, McCormick kicked off Pack 48 alongside Irene Sullivan, a former den leader of Pack 55.
The new pack’s innovations simply lie in instilling of Scouting institutions.
Sullivan and McCormick share a chief objective of exposing the kindergarten through fifth-grade children to the great outdoors, planning both a spring and fall campout, as well as a series of nature walks and hikes.
Aside from tuning in with nature, Pack 48 aims to foster relationships with local public servants by taking the Cubs on field trips to police and fire stations.
“It does bring a sense of community to the Cub Scouts,” Sullivan said. “It introduces them to giving back to their community and being a part of their community, something a little bigger than their own family unit.”
Eastern Regional Board of Education expresses PARCC exam concerns
Administered by the state Department of Education, this is the first school year in which incoming freshmen must pass both Algebra 1 and English 10 PARCC exams by the end of their high school career to graduate. Even if students pass Algebra 1 and English 10 courses, they will not be eligible for graduation without passing the PARCC exams.
In 2017, 103 of the 516 graduating students met the PARCC requirements.
Aside from Eastern Regional, students across the state are struggling to meet the PARCC requirements.
In 2017, only 28 percent of the eighth-grade students who took standard mathematics, instead of algebra, passed the PARCC exams throughout the state. Therefore, 72 percent of students entering ninth-grade Algebra 1 could not pass basic eighth-grade math.
However, 177 students in Berlin, Voorhees and Gibbsboro, all of whom filter into Eastern Regional, took the Algebra 1 assessment in eighth grade. Some 92 percent of them scored at a level 4 or 5, compared to 40 percent for statewide ninth-grade students.
“It’s going to very interesting. We’ve created a graduation requirement in which more than 60 percent of the state’s students cannot pass,” said Robert Cloutier, Eastern Regional’s director of curriculum, instruction and professional development.
However, Phil Murphy, New Jersey’s next governor, plans to end the state’s reliance on PARCC tests as a requirement for graduation, according to his campaign platform.
Council adopts Simone Farm Ordinance
In October, Berlin Borough Council passed the Simone Farm acquisition upon second reading.
The deal, which has been in motion for more than a year, is a joint purchase between the borough and the Berlin Farmer’s Market of a 24-acre parcel at 41 Clementon Road.
A property previously zoned as residential, the deal will prevent the construction of nearly 90 single-family homes.
The Berlin Farmer’s Market will acquire 10 acres, which will be zoned commercial.
The remaining 14 acres, owned by the borough, will be zoned as open space.
“This has to do with reducing some of the density within the town overall,” Bilella said. “We didn’t feel that Clementon Road could support another 90 houses.”
Soccer Pathway Lighting breaks ground
On the heels of the Simone Farm decision, nearly 80 four-foot bollard LED lights were installed along two concrete paths that weave around the northern and eastern parameters of the Franklin Avenue Fields in November. The trails give way to the Berlin Community Center, Berlin Community School and, eventually, the revamped Berlin Farmer’s Market.
Satisfying both safety and recreational goals, the pathway is one component in the borough’s master vision regarding open space.
The project was championed by Councilman Mike Buchanan, the chairman of Health and Recreation, alongside Dr. Tony Lafferty, who resides next to the field, and Berlin Soccer Club Treasurer John Cole.
Satisfying both safety and recreational goals, the pathway is one component in the borough’s master vision regarding open space.
“Illumination on paths is certainly a safety addition and consideration and mitigation for any types of nefarious activity,” Buchanan said. “We want to channel a safe route to the business corridor. … The lighting provides more recognition to use that path.”
Millard Wilkinson Jr. reflects on 20 years of mayorship
In October, former mayor Millard Wilkinson Jr. sat down with The Sun to discuss his continuing impact on the borough. From working as a volunteer firefighter in the 1950s to acting as mayor for two decades, Wilkinson has accumulated decades of service to Berlin.
Of his assortment of accomplishments, he is most proud of saving the old Long-A-Coming hotel, which dates to the 1820s, when the building faced potential demolition in the 1990s.
He proposed a referendum to turn the Marie Fleche Memorial Library into a municipal library. This transformation saved local taxpayers more than $250,000 a year, according to Wilkinson. He is currently president of the library, as well as a trustee.
Wilkinson said he attributes his influences to his unwavering desire to assist the community.
“There are too many people in politics that are there to be served, rather than to serve,” Wilkinson said. “And that was never my interest or reason in politics. Service above self has been my motto in politics.”
Two Berlin First incumbents retain their seats on Borough Council
In November’s election, Berlin First candidates and current Councilmen Leonard Badolato and Richard Miller finished ahead in the race to keep their seats, beating Republican candidates Joseph A. Adolf and Nick D. Maccaroni.
The unofficial results from the Camden County website report Badolato with 874 votes and Miller with 892 votes, ahead of Adolf’s 485 votes and Maccaroni’s 506 votes.
In the Berlin Borough Board of Education election, four candidates were vying for three seats. The winners include Jocelyn Lewis, with 732 votes, Francis J. Ballak with 630 and Francine M. Viscome with 700.
In the Eastern Camden County Regional School District Board of Education election, only one seat was up. As the only candidate, incumbent Gail David keeps her position on the BOE.
‘The Voyager’ clinches GSSPA Overall Excellence in the state
Eastern Regional High School’s “The Voyager,” an online and print publication, won 25 awards at the 2017 Garden State Scholastic Press Association Awards in October, including Overall Excellence in the state for Division A.
The assortment of achievements encompassed second place for the Distinguished Journalism Award and four first-place awards — the most top prizes ever achieved by the 52-year-old school paper.
Based upon three issues this year — March, May and June — “The Voyager” clinched 317 out of 320 points in the Coverage category, 345 out of 350 points in Writing/Editorial and 308 out of 315 points in Design.
Although the paper publishes seven to 10 issues each school year, the staff selected these three issues to represent their best work.
“We’ve always been pretty diverse in our article choices, but I think those were the editions that showcased that the most,” said junior and managing editor Srishti Ramesh.
Two Eastern Junior Vikings teams strive for national wins
Two EJV football teams, the 100- and 115-pound teams, ended their most successful seasons in the program’s history by playing in the Pro Football Hall of Fame National Youth Championship in Canton, Ohio, a few weeks ago.
Since winning a few games in recent seasons, the teams started rigorous practices back in August, making them into determined players once games started in mid-September.
Their results were a testimony to their efforts, as the 100’s went undefeated this season with a record of 11–0, while the 115’s reached a 10–1 record.
As the season progressed, both teams went on to clinch league and regional championships from mid-November through early December.
In the league championship game against Burlington Township, the 100’s dominated their opponents, 20–0. After clinching this title, they were invited to play in the Chesapeake Regional Championship in Middletown, Del. The 100’s emerged with a 27–0 win over the Salem Rams and a 20–0 win over Paulsboro.
Concurrently, the 115’s ended their season with a league championship over Medford before also securing a regional championship title in Delaware. The 115’s out-scored teams 331–47 throughout the year. In a 10-game season, that record averages a score of 33–5 a game.
“There was so much talent on the team, it was getting the kids to be unselfish,” said Jamie Russen, vice president of the program and head coach of the 100’s. “It taught them how to be teammates and not care who got the ball, who got a touchdown, because they were going to do it anyway. When there’s a lot of talented kids, there’s only one football on the field.”
