2018 proved to be a year to remember for the township
By STEPHEN FINN
The Sun
2018 was an interesting year for Cinnaminson. The township experienced numerous personnel changes within local government, seeing different mayors over the course of a single year. Local schools held a variety of events and celebrated some major victories. The local fire department discovered a hero among its ranks. These represent just a few of the township’s biggest news stories of the year.
Cinnaminson’s rotating cast in the role of mayor
The Cinnaminson Township Committee’s Jan. 3 reorganization meeting saw a significant transition in local leadership that committee members said was a welcome change after a tense year.
Howard “Bud” Evans, whom the committee elected as Cinnaminson’s new mayor, was sworn in alongside Ernest McGill and Ryan Horner, both of whom won in the Republican committee primary in June 2017.
The victory coincided with an internal investigation into committee member Don Brauckmann, who replaced the now-retired William “Ben” Young as deputy mayor after being sworn in.
Acknowledging the troublesome year leading up to the reorganization, the committee members pledged to make 2018 more diplomatic.
“2017 was a tumultuous year for our town, and on June 6 and 7, our voters asserted that they no longer wanted negativity or hostility on our township committee,” McGill said during the committee’s closing remarks. “The four men by my side will stand with me in a united front to bring positivity and togetherness back to Cinnaminson.”
Evans acted as the township’s mayor until Monday, June 18, when he resigned during a township committee meeting. As a technician in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, he was not permitted to hold partisan political office.
He stepped down effective immediately after he said the guard notified him of the work requirement.
Deputy mayor at the time, Brauckmann stepped up to serve as acting mayor in Evans’ absence.
CMS Unity Club making an impact through service in Cinnaminson and beyond
On Jan. 16, the members of the Cinnaminson Middle School’s Unity Club and its adult volunteers packed lunches for Cathedral Kitchen in Camden, where more than 100,000 meals are prepared each year for people in need. Unity, Cinnaminson’s student service initiative, chose the kitchen to kick off its “very busy” 2018 club schedule, according to club supervisor Melissa DeClementi.
More than 50 students, CMS staff members and parents managed to put together close to 1,000 meals to deliver to the kitchen using supplies collected from the community.
“There is no better feeling than the one you get from helping someone in need,” DeClementi said. “And as a teacher, there is no better feeling than watching a student experience that. This is why we do what we do!”
Cinnaminson Fire Department voters OK budget proposal
Cinnaminson voted to pass the fire department’s 2018 budget proposal, which resulted in a small tax increase for homeowners.
The proposal received 156 “yes” votes and 58 votes opposing the budget. The total budget for 2018 was $3,735,242, and the amount to be raised by taxation was set at $3,097,090. For the average homeowner, this amounted to about 83 cents a month or $10 per year based on the average home value of $232,200. In 2017, the rate increased by 3.7 percent, which cost homeowners about $17 a year.
Cinnaminson BOE reassures parents, community in wake of Parkland shootings
On Feb. 20, Superintendent Stephen Cappello issued a statement on behalf of the board of education and the district regarding school safety in an era of mass shootings.
Parents, educators and students across the country faced renewed anxieties about security following the killing of 17 students and staff at Stoneman Douglas Memorial High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14.
“Cinnaminson, as a community and school system, has a commitment to ensure the very best for our young people. Paramount in this charge is a commitment to providing a safe and secure environment to learn, grow and feel supported,” said Cappello. “As superintendent, I’m proud of the measures that our school staff and administration have taken to ensure safety, but I am not naive enough to conceive that it is anything short of a continuum for improvement.”
According to Cappello, the district will continue working with local police to employ best practices and research-based strategies wherever possible. He noted emotional support was available for students experiencing anxiety or distress as a result of the events, and the board is always open to critique and suggestions from parents and community members.
Mr. Cinnaminson competition returns to showcase CHS’ best male talent
Nine contestants took to Cinnaminson High School’s auditorium stage Feb. 22, but only one walked away crowned the new Mr. Cinnaminson.
Mr. Cinnaminson is an annual competition and fundraiser where the men of CHS show off their skills through casual, talent and formal rounds of competition. The top four candidates are then selected to compete in a questionnaire round, and three judges cast their votes for the best contestant.
“Mr. Cinnaminson is put on by the DECA organization at CHS. This is our biggest fundraiser each year, and an event that we very much look forward to. Proceeds from this event help to defray the cost for DECA students to attend the International Career Development Conference, which is in Atlanta, Ga., this year,” said CHS teacher and DECA supervisor Alexis Esposito.
Senior Matthew Abrams stole the show with his performance of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies,” winning the crown and title on the night of the competition, however due to an error in the initial tally count, competitor Liam Wharton was crowned as the true victor the following school day.
Cinnaminson Board of Education approves budget with 2 percent tax increase
At its March 27 meeting, the Cinnaminson Township Board of Education unanimously approved a preliminary budget with a 2 percent tax increase.
With the new budget, residents with an average assessed home of $232,338 paid $91.62 more in school taxes, school officials said. In all, the preliminary budget was nearly $51 million and represented a roughly 1 percent decrease from the previous budget.
Thomas Egan Jr., the district’s board secretary and businesses administrator, and Cappello presented the preliminary budget.
“One of the things we’re most excited about is to present a responsible budget to the public that maintains our high level of instruction and our commitment to excellence without being overly burdensome on the taxpayers,” Cappello said.
School officials said the preliminary budget would maintain all existing programs and activities. The plan also called for the introduction of an engineering and design program at Cinnaminson High School and a new behavior disability program for students in third, fourth and fifth grades at Eleanor Rush Intermediate School.
According to Cappello, it was challenging for the administration to design a budget while staying within New Jersey’s 2 percent tax increase cap.
“We’re very happy to be able to do that while maintaining a fiscally responsible budget to the public,” he said. “We’re doing so within the restraints of the 2 percent cap, so there are no waivers.”
The preliminary budget was officially adopted on April 24.
Cinnaminson students get creative for Invention Convention
Fourth-grade student Samantha Bobrin won first place in her grade level for her contribution to the district’s annual Invention Convention.
She was moved after hearing about the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. The tragedy got her thinking about ways to make students safer in school, and she came up with an interesting solution.
What if classroom doors were equipped with bulletproof screens that could be pulled down in the event of a school shooting?
She designed a model and entered it in Cinnaminson Public Schools’ 33rd annual Invention Convention, which took place Wednesday, March 28, at the Memorial School.
“The problem is there’s a lot of school shootings, and a lot of people are not making it out of them alive,” 9-year-old Samantha said.
More than 70 students in kindergarten through eighth grade participated in the Invention Convention, submitting inventions and ideas, ranging from a contraption to keep seagulls away at the beach to a glow-in-the-dark toilet seat.
“These kids learn problem-solving skills,” said former Cinnaminson teacher Elaine Mendelow, the event’s coordinator. “They learn how to give a presentation. Even a kindergarten kid does research — looking on the Internet to see if the idea that they had has been invented.”
Samantha said her invention would be a cost-effective way to increase security in schools.
Segrest appointed to Cinnaminson Township Committee to replace John McCarthy
On Monday, April 2, real estate investor Albert D. Segrest joined the Cinnaminson Township Committee when he was sworn in during the committee’s work session meeting.
He replaced John McCarthy, who resigned March 18. Segrest was serving the remainder of McCarthy’s unexpired term, which ran until Dec. 31.
Segrest was one of three people nominated by the Cinnaminson Republican Club to replace McCarthy. Members of the township committee made the final decision on McCarthy’s replacement.
“We had several exemplary candidates, but one came to the forefront after some communications with all the members of the committee,” mayor at the time Evans said.
According to Evans, McCarthy was not planning to run for re-election this year and his decision to step down was due to an increasingly difficult work schedule.
Cinnaminson Administrator Michael King files whistleblower lawsuit against township claiming retaliation
Former Cinnaminson Township Administrator and Director of Public Safety Michael “Mickey” King filed a lawsuit on April 12 accusing township officials of retaliating against him for being a whistleblower.
Patricia Barasch, King’s attorney said the complaint, which was filed in Superior Court, alleged township officials unjustly suspended King and planned to fire him for bringing to light wrongdoing and potential criminal conduct against municipal officials.
According to Barasch, the complaint said the disciplinary action against King was in response to information King provided to the FBI, State Police and Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office about actions taken by Cinnaminson employees and officials that he believed could be fraudulent or criminal.
Cinnaminson Township Solicitor Kelly Grant disputed the allegations presented in King’s lawsuit.
“The township did not engage in the conduct alleged by Mr. King,” Grant said in a statement. “This is a frivolous litigation that the township will vigorously defend.”
On April 16, the committee voted to table a pair of measures on the agenda that would have fired King, and hired Township Chief Financial Officer Julia Edmondson as a temporary replacement.
Grant said the decision to table the measures was made after consulting with the municipality’s insurance company.
“The township insurance carrier requires additional time to review the litigation and, therefore, we have decided not to precede with taking any formal action concerning Mr. King’s employment this evening,” Grant said during the meeting.
In a decision announced during the committee’s May 21 meeting, the township reached a $156,000 settlement agreement with King.
King’s employment with the township was terminated and he agreed not to seek further employment with the municipality, according to the settlement agreement, which was acquired by The Cinnaminson Sun through an open records request.
In settling the lawsuit, the township denied any wrongdoing relating to King’s allegations.
Evans read a statement announcing the settlement at the meeting.
“The township committee has acted to approve this settlement, which resolves all existing issues between Mr. King and the township,” Evans said. “As part of that settlement, Mr. King and Cinnaminson Township have mutually agreed that King’s employment relationship with Cinnaminson is concluded, and that King will not seek employment or reinstatement with, apply for future employment or otherwise obtain employment, apply for any position or seek appointment to any position, with Cinnaminson, or any board or authority of Cinnaminson at any time in the future.”
Barasch confirmed the settlement with the township.
“We are pleased with the outcome and believe that the resolution is in everyone’s best interest,” she said in an email. “Mr. King is very much looking forward to pursuing other endeavors now that he has retired from Cinnaminson Township.”
Township committee approved a resolution authorizing the settlement and appointed Edmondson as acting township administrator.
Committee approves 2018 municipal budget with no tax increase
On May 21, township committee approved a 2018 municipal budget with no change in property taxes for residents.
Homeowners with an averaged assessed property of $232,300 paid $1,431 in local purpose tax under the $15 million budget.
“We are having no increase to the local purpose tax and still maintaining all services,” said Edmondson during a budget presentation at the meeting.
According to Edmondson, the township utilized $1.2 million in surplus for the budget, which was about 19 percent of the available surplus. It’s the lowest percentage the municipality has used in 10 years, she said.
Cinnaminson fire lieutenant delivers baby while on vacation
The weekend before Labor Day started like many others before it for Cinnaminson firefighter Philip Drangula. Throughout the summer, he and his wife Michelle take their two kids, Payton and Gavin, on regular trips to Baker’s Acres in Little Egg Harbor.
After that Sunday evening’s dinner, Drangula and his fellow campers heard a scream in the distance. At first they didn’t give it much thought, but within a few minutes Drangula heard his wife’s cousin calling his name.
“The first thing I think of is something happened to one of my kids, we hadn’t seen them in a half hour,“ said Drangula.
He got up and started toward the sound of the voice when he heard “bathhouse now!” Something in the inflection told him something was wrong. On his way to the bathhouse, he heard another neighbor yell “her water broke!” Drangula was now sure that whatever was happening, it wasn’t good.
Upon arriving at the bathhouse, he found the source of the scream. There was a pregnant woman leaning over a picnic table being tended to by members of Drangula’s family and some of their neighbors. She was clearly in pain and it became evident she was going into labor.
Drangula and his family and friends were all she had. Drangula was informed the woman’s water broke and she was having contractions.
Everyone got to work pitching in wherever they could.
“It was real neat the sense of community,” said Drangula. “Everybody stepped up.”
As they started the delivery process, Parkertown Fire Department arrived at the campground to assist. When the head began to emerge, they noticed something was wrong. The umbilical cord was wrapped twice around the baby’s neck.
Fortunately they were able to clear the cord from around the neck and complete the birth. By then, ambulances had arrived. They transferred the woman to a stretcher and she was rushed to a local hospital. According to Drangula, at the time, the mother was in good condition along with her new baby daughter who weighed in at a healthy 7-pounds, 4-ounces.
Drangula is a full-time fireman and part-time EMT. The pregnant woman was lucky he was on scene that day and his training was enough to take control of the situation.
“You’re never off duty. When something happens, 99 percent of us will stop and do something,” said Drangula.
Small band, big sound: CHS takes first at Cavalcade of Bands Association competition
#smallbutmighty became something of a rallying cry for Cinnaminson High School’s marching band. Despite consisting of only 17 band members and one color guard performer (an average high school marching band is made up of almost twice as many members), the band won first place in the Cavalcades of Bands Association for the Independence Division earlier in November, making it state champions.
Following this victory, the band traveled to Hershey Park Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 11 and faced off against other states in the circuit. Once again the “small but mighty” band claimed first place. The school’s marching band hasn’t had a similar victory at this competition since 2004.
Leading up to its winning performances, the band had to compensate for its size by making sure everyone was as prepared as possible. No one performing could just hide in the back the way one could with a larger group. Drum Major April Schultz and Percussion Captain Cody Broadway described their practices as “rigorous.”
“Everyone has to be on point all the time. There’s no room for lack of focus or someone not wanting to be there. Everyone who is in the band wants to be there and wants to win so you really have to be in the moment at all times,” said Broadway.
Township officials weigh pass on legal marijuana sales
On Monday, Nov. 19, committee voted unanimously to introduce an ordinance banning retail sales of marijuana within the township should such sales become legal in New Jersey, which given recent developments at the state level, could be a real possibility.
On Nov. 26, a joint committee in the legislature approved Senate Bill 2703 to regulate, tax and legalize marijuana. The bill will now advance to the floors of the Senate and the Assembly for amendments and final votes before possibly reaching the desk of Gov. Murphy.
Given these developments, many towns are having similar discussions about whether to allow sales within their borders.
Despite the proposed ban, Brauckmann said township officials were listening to both sides of the issue. According to Brauckmann, the proposed ordinance came after they heard from a number of concerned citizens at committee meetings as well as community leaders and and business groups.
“Although nobody can ever speak for every resident, any good elected official should be able to accurately gauge community reactions to any proposals if they have their finger on the pulse of what they believe their residents want and don’t want,” said Brauckmann. “Our committee members truly believed that this kind of use was not something that the majority of our residents wanted mixed in with our existing shopping centers.”
Following the Nov. 19 meeting, Cinnaminson residents took to local social media avenues such as the Facebook page Cinnaminson Neighbors and Friends, a group open only to residents of the township, where a number of discussions were sparked on the topic.
Resident Edward Watson III created a poll on the page to gauge the opinions of his fellow citizens that garnered more than 500 responses. The results of the poll late last week stood at 433 for allowing the legal sale of marijuana in Cinnaminson and 79 against.
“I felt that having a dispensary would benefit Cinnaminson with the taxes it would collect,” said Watson. “I read a lot of posts going back and forth on the topic so I decided to create a poll to get a better understanding of the Cinnaminson residents’ thoughts.”
Watson doesn’t believe the proposed ban accurately represents the wishes of the general public given discussions he has had with other residents and the results of the poll.
According to Brauckmann, however, he and the township committee are also taking these online discussions into consideration.
“Our township committee does keep a close eye on social media pages for community reaction on any issue and this topic was a very polarizing item with strong thoughts on both sides of the debate since the ordinance was introduced. From hearing these comments, we believe there is a segment of our community that feels they weren’t properly represented because we didn’t get their direct feedback on something they are very passionate about,” said Brauckmann.
The mayor encouraged residents to attend the public hearing for the ordinance on Dec. 17 where the proposed ordinance could be either reinforced or reversed based on information that is shared.
