Check out what were some of the other top stories in Cherry Hill from the month of November.
Election Day 2016 was one of the biggest days of the year for citizens all across the United States. In Cherry Hill, more than 68 percent of registered voters went to the polls to cast their vote for President of the United States as well as other government seats.
Locally, residents voted for one council candidate to fill a one-year, unexpired term on Cherry Hill Township Council. Democratic candidate Carolyn Jacobs won the election, earning 59.61 percent of the vote. She bested Republican candidate Rick Short, who earned 40.32 percent of the vote.
After winning the election, Jacobs vowed to listen to residents’ concerns about any issue arising in the township.
“Any and all decisions that I make are with the best interests of the Cherry Hill citizens at heart,” Jacobs said.
Short was disappointed he lost the election, saying there are a number of areas where Cherry Hill Township has issues. Some of Short’s issues included traffic, overdevelopment and lack of state funding for schools. He said with one-party rule, many of the issues in the township are not being fixed.
“Nothing ever changes,” Short said. “Nothing ever improves.”
The Cherry Hill Board of Education election had a crowded field, with seven candidates vying for three seats. On Election Day, voters elected newcomers Ruth Schultz and Edward Wang, and incumbent Jane Scarpellino, to three-year terms on the board.
Schultz led the way with 20.05 percent of the vote, Scarpellino finished in second place with 19.71 percent, and Wang finished in third place with 17.82 percent.
Cherry Hill residents voted overwhelmingly for Hillary Clinton in the U.S. presidential election. About 62.5 percent of Cherry Hill voters chosen Clinton for president, while just 31.9 percent of voters chose Donald Trump.
Locally, residents will have a lot to vote for again in 2017. While voters across New Jersey will choose the next governor of the state, Cherry Hill voters will also have a chance to vote for four members of Cherry Hill Township Council next November.
Other top stories from the month of November:
Nov. 26 — Cherry Hill West becomes one of the first high schools to perform “School of Rock” musical
In the first two weekends of December, Cherry Hill High School West became one of the first schools in South Jersey to perform “School of Rock,” a Broadway musical based on the movie of the same name. The musical had only opened on Broadway in December of 2015 and its rights were released to schools shortly thereafter.
Prior to the opening of the show, the Cherry Hill Sun sat down with members of the cast to talk about the show. For many students, playing the characters they loved in the movie was a dream come true. Senior Edward Nogowski, playing the role of Finn, was pumped to try out for a musical for the first time when he found out “School of Rock” was coming to Cherry Hill West.
“I was 100 percent down for it,” Nogowski said. “I auditioned and got the role.”
The show also included numerous middle school students, including Charlie Bove, playing the role of Zack.
“I heard that they needed a guitarist,” Bove said. “My elementary school teacher recommended me for the part, so I came in and played one of the songs and got the part.”
Nov. 21 — Cherry Hill police officers sport a new look, raise funds for No-Shave November
During the month of November, many Cherry Hill police officers were sporting a new look for a good cause. Throughout the month, the Cherry Hill Police Benevolent Association held a No-Shave November fundraiser, raising funds to donate toward a variety of nonprofits dedicated to fighting cancer and raising awareness about the disease.
Sgt. Christopher Branda of the Cherry Hill Police Department helped bring the fundraiser to Cherry Hill for the first time in 2016. He said many members of the police department were excited to participate. “The guys who could grow beards were very receptive to it,” Branda said. “It was something fun to do, but it’s also something you can raise money for cancer research and awareness.”
By the end of the month, the PBA had raised more than $4,000.
Nov. 8 — Veterans share stories of time in the military at Spring Hills Cherry Hill Assisted Living
A number of Veteran’s Day ceremonies took place in and around Cherry Hill during the second week of November. One of these ceremonies took place at Spring Hills Cherry Hill Assisted Living on Nov. 7.
During a special ceremony, five Spring Hills residents were honored for their military service. The veterans received either the Camden County Military Service Medal or the Korean War Service Medal.
The Cherry Hill Sun spoke to some of the veterans honored at the ceremony about being honored.
“We don’t go around bragging about it,” World War II veteran Ernest Franciotti said. “With them doing this, it’s nice. It makes me feel good.”
“It’s very humbling,” World War II veteran Eugene Venuto said. “I’m very happy.”
Nov. 23 — Cherry Hill mother determined to help daughter afflicted with rare disorder
Cherry Hill resident Meredith Schalick wanted to do her part to support research for Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood in 2016. Her daughter, Emilia, was diagnosed with AHC at the age of 2. AHC is a neurological disorder where repeated episodes of paralysis occur on one side of the body.
With there not being a cure for AHC and limited treatment options, Meredith decided to hold a fundraiser in hopes better treatment may be found for her daughter. Meredith organized a fundraiser at Painting with a Twist on Dec. 1, with all proceeds going to the Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood Foundation.
Meredith was able to easily exceed her goal of $5,000. More than $12,000 was raised on Meredith’s fundraising page, with donations still coming in during the final week of 2016.
