The last few weeks have been busy but exciting for residents across Cherry Hill — and for myself and the members of township council.
Since the beginning of June, we’ve completed or begun a number of upgrades to township recreational facilities, improvements that will ultimately enhance Cherry Hill’s vast array of outdoor recreational offerings and encourage more residents across all age groups to become active and involved in the community.
This week, I’d like to highlight several of those projects.
On June 19, I was proud to join members of council, Camden County Freeholder Jeff Nash and dozens of families from the Erlton South neighborhood to celebrate the grand re-opening of Erlton Park, located at Park Boulevard and Jefferson Avenue.
Funded almost entirely by a $25,000 Camden County grant, the township this spring installed new playground equipment for children ages 2 to 5; new swings; and new nets on the basketball and tennis courts and hockey rink.
Additionally, the park received fresh landscaping and a resurfaced softball field and tennis court. The event served as an unofficial “first day of summer” celebration for neighborhood children, who played on a moon bounce and enjoyed ice cream courtesy of Mister Softee.
The following day, the township re-dedicated the Babe Ruth Field behind the Municipal Building in honor of longtime local businessman Charles Foulke Jr. Through the generosity of Mr. Foulke’s son, Charlie, the field received a total overhaul this spring — including new sod, new dugouts and backstop, improvements to the fieldhouse, drainage upgrades and a beautiful, state-of-the-art outfield scoreboard bearing the name “Foulke Field.”
These improvements give the players on the Cherry Hill West Babe Ruth team a beautiful and, most importantly, safe surface on which to play — and my hope is that it will reinvigorate interest in the team, which in 1989 brought Cherry Hill a World Championship, and return the facility and league to their former glory.
And there are two additional projects slated for completion in the coming weeks.
At DeCou Park, off Evesham and Cropwell roads, construction is underway on a 3,000-foot multi-use trail that will connect residents of our Short Hills neighborhood (and Evesham Road) to the Rotary/DeCou sports complex, increasing safety and accessibility and greatly enhancing the recreational opportunities available to residents in that area. Funded entirely by a Camden County grant, this work is expected to be completed in mid-July.
Finally, the heavily utilized Croft Farm Arts Center is being renovated to include a repositioned stage, updated bathrooms and seating for an additional 75–100 visitors — which will enable more residents of all ages to attend the countless free and low-cost programs scheduled in the building all year long.
Those upgrades are expected to finish by the end of August.
Council and I are committed to continuing to invest in our parks and recreational facilities, which serve countless residents across all age groups, 365 days a year. From our 52 public parks to our historic sites at Croft Farm and Barclay Farmstead, these facilities promote physical activity and an appreciation for local art, music and culture among residents of all ages — and they are an invaluable part of what makes Cherry Hill such a special place to live and play.
Much of the work completed this summer has been made possible by the generosity of the Camden County Board of Freeholders, who have awarded Cherry Hill several grants in the last 18 months.
Their support — and the support of nearly $2 million in additional state and federal grant funding that we’ve secured since January 2012, allows my administration to continue investing in our community, and making Cherry Hill an even better place to live and play, without adding to the local tax burden. I am committed to continuing to seek alternative funding sources for other, similar projects as we move forward.
As always, we welcome residents’ feedback.
If you have suggestions on ways to improve a park in your neighborhood, e-mail the Recreation Department at [email protected], to start a dialogue.
For all other questions, concerns and suggestions, call my office at (856) 488–7878, or e-mail me at [email protected].
