As the year draws to a close, Gloucester and Winslow residents can reflect on what has unfolded throughout the townships during 2017.
Whether it’s the installation of a bikeshare program or the grand opening of a baseball field, The Sun has recapped the biggest events that made headlines this year.
Orlando Mercado and Tracey Trotto sworn in as Council president and vice president
In January, re-elected Gloucester Township council members Orlando Mercado and Tracey Trotto were sworn into office. Mercado started his second year as president, while Trotto started her second year as vice president.
In addition, Daniel Hutchison was appointed to the Planning Board and Stephanie Roberts, Joanne Carr, Lucy Middlecamp, Robert Irvine, Jeff Lilley, Jasmine Robinson and Katrina Hauserman were appointed to the Historical and Scenic Preservation Committee.
Kelly Matthews was appointed to the Housing Authority, and Kevin Bucceroni and Carmen Scarduzio were appointed to the Zoning Board of Adjustment, with Michelle Scully and Ken Treger as the alternates.
Gloucester Township BOE adds new member
At the beginning of the year, three new school board members were sworn in at the district’s annual reorganization meeting.
Jennifer O’Donnell was sworn in as a newly elected member. Joseph Angeloni and Tracey Lynch were re-elected to three-year terms.
MaryJo Dintino was selected as president, and Mark Gallo was selected as vice president.
Gallo was also selected to be the delegate to the New Jersey School Boards Association, Dintino was selected as the Camden County School Boards Association Executive Committee member, and Mary Johnson was selected as the Camden County Education Services Commission member.
Black Horse Pike Regional School District starts carrying Narcan
In February, the Board of Camden County Freeholders and the Camden County Addiction Awareness Task Force introduced legislation implementing the supply of Narcan in the Black Horse Pike Regional School District — serving Timber Creek Regional High School, Triton Regional High School and Highland Regional High School.
In 2015, the board of freeholders formed the Camden County Addiction Task Force, which holds community awareness events and works with local law enforcement to promote educational events and programs. This task force was created due to the addiction epidemic taking place in Camden County.
According to Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli, 1,228 people in Camden County overdosed in 2015 and 2016, resulting in 358 deaths. In 2016, more than 50,000 people died of an overdose in the United States.
Shortly after the task force was created, it worked with every police department in Camden County to be trained on Narcan and have it readily available.
Black Horse Pike Regional School District Superintendent Brian Repici said addiction is a mental health issue that does not discriminate.
“This impacts children and families we serve, and as an educational institution, we want to make sure we are fully prepared and able to demonstrate our utmost care for those battling addiction and for those family members battling addiction,” he said.
The district’s nurse, Christa Moore, had a $600 Narcan kit on hand with two doses of the medicine, and said her role is to be ready for any health concern or emergency.
“This can literally be the difference between life and death,” she said.
Timber Creek girls track team captures school’s first State Group 3 Championship
After the Winslow Township girls indoor track team won the Group 3 sectional title for the fifth straight year, the runners made history when they captured the school’s first State Group 3 championship.
Over the winter, the team also won the Millrose Games in New York. At those games, the 4×4 team of Flora Ahiarakwe, Shakira Dancy, Iyianna Williams and Janeya Hammond won the race and ran the third-fastest time in Millrose Games history. It was the fastest time a South Jersey team ran the race since Woodrow Wilson High School in 2006.
At the state games, the 4×400 relay team of senior Kai Starnes, her twin sister Adia, Tierra Hooker and Cheyenne Sovae-Beattie came in third place with a time of 4:02.84 to secure the title.
“At sectionals, we came in second (place), so we knew we were in a pretty good position, but they were teams we haven’t raced against before,” Starnes said. “I was nervous because I was anchoring, but I was determined, and I knew we could finish strong.”
Sicklerville resident continues to serve as CEO of the Food Bank of South Jersey
Valerie Traore, who has lived in Sickerville for 12 years, sat down with The Sun to reflect on her 25-year mission to feed the hungry.
Knowing what it was like to not have food on the table while growing up, Traore’s goal as CEO of the Food Bank of South Jersey is to make sure no child goes hungry.
She’s been in the food bank industry for almost three decades and worked in cities such as Baltimore, Chicago and New York before coming to the Food Bank of South Jersey in 2009.
The Food Bank provides food to people in Camden, Burlington, Gloucester and Salem counties. Traore said there are about 200,000 people who are not sure where their next meal is coming from.
“First and foremost is to make sure no one goes hungry because that needs to be a right we all have as human beings, is that we need to have access to food whether we can afford it or not,” she said. “We need to have access to it because food is what we need in order to live. Children need it in order to learn, seniors need it in order to preserve their lives, and all of us that fall in between, we need it in order to have these healthy and productive lives.”
The Food Bank of South Jersey takes the surplus from the food industry — manufacturers, wholesalers and the government. The amount of surplus food is about 12 million pounds.
Then, the bank distributes it to about 250 food pantries, meal kitchens, after-school programs and senior programs who provide that to people in need in their community
Traore and her staff are constantly coming up with up new ideas to raise money, help other organizations and businesses and educate others how to create healthy meals.
In 2012, Traore came up with a creative way to help farmers in South Jersey and bring more money to the food bank — taking 850,000 pounds of bruised peaches that farmers cannot sell and throw away, and turn them into something profitable.
Gloucester Township honors residents for Women’s History Month
At the March 27 Council meeting, the township recognized seven local women active in the community.
From adolescents to adults, the altruistic ladies have performed an assortment of services.
Mayor David Mayer honored 13-year-old Tory Kenuck with the township’s first-ever Wild Life Advocate Award.
Next, the board handed out its Women’s History Month awards. The recipients were called up one by one as their accomplishments were read.
Judy Guido was recognized for her extensive involvement in the community. Serving as a Girl Scout troop leader and a member of the PTA and other committees for several schools, Guido helped form the Special Parents and Kids Network in 2013.
Kasha Giddins has been involved with public schools for much of her career. She returned to her alma mater Highland Regional High School as an aide after graduating college. Since then, she has moved up to be the principal of Timber Creek High School.
Donna Romond was nominated for serving as a guiding voice and counselor to students at Triton Regional High School — despite that not being in her job description. She has worked for the Black Horse Pike Regional School District since 1998, and serves as the principal’s secretary.
Two of the honored women brought their musical talents to the meeting. A high school junior, Azana Washington, started the meeting by singing the national anthem.
Washington was accepted to Benedict College with a $30,000 scholarship, and recently received an award of excellence from the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists.
Next, Anneliese DeFinzio from Highland Regional High School performed the song “Tomorrow” from her school’s production of “Annie,” in which she played the titular role.
Kelly Matthews was honored for her extensive volunteer work around the township. She serves as the chairperson of the Juvenile Conference Committee, which mediates with juveniles before they go to the juvenile detention center. She is also the chairperson for the Gloucester Township Housing Authority, where she assists seniors and low-income families with affordable housing opportunities.
Jennifer Woods was nominated for her work with the Glendora Little League, where she’s served as president, vice president, secretary and is now treasurer.
Lisa Roberts was honored for her work as an English language-learning teacher at Triton Regional High School.
Police and citizens honored at eighth annual Gloucester Township Police Awards
Officers and residents from across the region were recognized for their humanitarian work at April’s police awards.
Det. Bernard Dougherty was named Police Officer of The Year. Serving the department since 2004, Dougherty became a detective in 2011.
He received four outstanding police work letters, three police service citations, six distinguished unit citations and three merit awards. Dougherty was nominated by Lt. James Schriver, who noted his relationships with the community. Dougherty was credited for helping turn around the life of a young woman suffering from addictions, who now helps others suffering from addictions. Schriver was then honored with the Police Supervisor of the Year award. Schriver has been working with the department since 1997, and served as a detective sergeant from 2010 to 2016.
Special Police Officer David Honey received the Special Officer of the Year award. Honey has worked for the department since 2003, and was commended for his strong work ethic and being a “great example for other officers.”
Honey helps manage many events around the township, such as Gloucester Township Day and take your child to work day.
Telecommunicator Melissa Maxwell received the Police Dispatcher of the Year award. She began her career with the department in 2013, and was nominated for her efforts to “make the communications center a better place for all of her fellow coworkers.”
Other awards given to officers included numerous merit awards and police service citations, as well as numerous citizen hero awards.
Numerous Distinguished Unit Citations were given to groups of officers who worked together to handle situations such as recovering illegal firearms, catching suspects involved in burglaries and shopliftings, and apprehending individuals illegally using marijuana.
The Gloucester Township Citizen Police Academy recognized more than 40 graduates who were awarded with tokens that displayed words such as “honesty, respect, fairness, compassion, integrity and courage.”
“Be somebody’s hero today,” GTPD Chief Harry Earle said at the ceremony. “Every member of the Gloucester Township Police Department is dedicated, caring, compassionate and is a hero.”
Gloucester Township 5K raises more than $10,000 for graduating seniors
On a chilly morning in April, 140 people gathered at Veterans Park on Chews Landing Road to participate in the 21st Annual Gloucester Township Scholarship 5K.
The run benefits scholarships for graduating high school seniors from Gloucester Township. The race is one of multiple year-round events with proceeds that go to the Gloucester Township Scholarship Committee.
Council President Orlando Mercado directed the race for the sixth time this year, though he has participated in the race since 1999. He said he expected this race to produce 10 $1,000 scholarships but the total spilled slightly over the goal, summing to exactly $10,767.
Field of Dreams helps dreams fly high
At the end of April, Gloucester Township’s Field of Dreams came to fruition.
The grand opening welcomed approximately 40 young baseball players who normally would not have been given the opportunity to participate in America’s favorite pastime. The field was built specifically for children with special needs who want to remain active and a part of the community.
As the liaison for parks and recreation, Councilman Michael Mignone spearheaded the program after realizing an unused softball field at Peter Cheeseman Road and Hickstown Road could be put to better use.
“Now, no one will be left out of this great game,” Mignone said. “It gives people with special needs the opportunity to make special memories.”
Eight games were scheduled through mid-June. Each game ran between an hour and an hour and 15 minutes. Games do not have losers, just winners, and no scores are kept.
Games are comprised of two innings, and each player is given the opportunity to bat once per inning. There are no outs; players who miss the three swings they are allotted will be able to hit the ball off a tee and run to first base.
Once all team members have swung, the final batter of the inning scores a grand slam and runs around the bases.
“This is not to be competitive,” he said. “This is to play the game of baseball, and more importantly to teach the game of baseball.”
Students build garden in Winslow Township Middle School after receiving $15,000 grant
In the spring, Winslow Township Middle School won a $15,000 grant from BernzOmatic, a torch manufacturing company, that allowed the courtyard to be converted into an outdoor space that will function both as a garden and a teaching area.
The school also used the money to update an old computer lab into a maker space that will teach students how to design and create a variety of projects.
Environmental STEM teacher Ross Cruz submitted the school’s application for the grant. After seeing the success of his first year teaching the course, he wanted to expand it.
“It’s going to impact kids here, it’s going to impact kids coming up, and it could change the direction of the curriculum throughout the district,” Cruz said.
Cruz said the area will serve as an outdoor classroom next year, where he will continue teaching his environmental STEM course, or teachers can simply teach a class outdoors.
In the indoor workshop room, students will learn to design projects online and gain the necessary skills to create them.
Gloucester Township opens Timber Creek Solar Park
For the past two years, the township has worked on the construction of a solar park, and in mid-July the sustainability project finally saw the light of day.
The solar park, located at 300 Somerdale Road, was a power purchase agreement. This means the developer, Marina Energy LLC, financed, designed and constructed the solar park at no cost to the township. The township then buys the energy from the developer, who sells it back to the electric company since it is required by law to produce so much clean energy. So, the township is saving money and using clean energy.
The developer leases the land from the township, which will yield $830,000 in lease payments over the next 10 years.
The park is estimated to produce 4,428,150 kWh per year. It has 10,566 solar panels and adds an environmental benefit of saving 3,179 tons of carbon dioxide per year, which is equivalent of CO2 offset of 79,706 trees.
“I look at it as reducing the cost of government and doing good for the environment,” said Mayor Dave Mayer said.
Town puts wheels in motion to add bike share
In August, Gloucester Township launched its bikeshare program, which provides both recreationally and environmentally beneficial transportation to the community.
The kiosk, located at the corner of West Church Street and Washington Avenue, houses 10 glistening white cruiser bicycles, each adorned with brown leather seats and silver bells.
The maintenance of the bikes and parking station is managed by Gloucester Township Public Works.
The rental is free, encouraging residents to exercise and soak in the final few weeks of summertime. Participants must download and sign-up with Movatic, a smartphone app, that grants access to and gives availability of the bikes. The bikes’ locations are monitored through the app.
The 10 bikes are protected with solar-powered Bluetooth locks. Although they’re free to use, bikes must be secured with credit cards.
The program, which costs $25,000, was purchased through the Camden County Open Space Grant, which preserves parks, natural areas, historic sites and farmland, not only for their scenic value, but for their use and enjoyment, according to Camden County’s website.
Aside from recreational development, the bike program’s installation works in tandem with other advancing aspects of the township. As Gloucester Township undergoes financial gains, it’s important the township’s greenery germinates simultaneously.
“There always needs to be balance in the community,” Mayer said. “As we’re seeing commercial and economic growth, we have to balance that out with open space.”
Gloucester Township analyzes 2017 PARCC assessments
At the September BOE meeting, Gloucester Township Public Schools teachers and parents reflected on the 2016–2017 year, specifically deconstructing areas of strengths and weakness in math and English/language arts/literacy among elementary and middle school students.
Based upon the spring PARCC assessments, the school district has made significant improvement since 2015, surpassing its own averages in most grades for both subjects.
In mathematics, the percentage of third graders who met the standard or better (levels four and five) jumped from 35.2 percent in 2015 to 51.5 percent in 2017.
In English/language arts/literacy, the percentage of third graders who scored a level four or five was 38.1 percent in 2015, compared to 50.2 percent in 2017.
In English language arts/literacy, the percentage of eighth graders who scored a level four or five was 34.9 percent in 2015, compared to 50 percent in 2017.
While similar growth appears across the board in all the elementary and middle schools, there was a hiccup in fourth grade across the district, as 36.2 percent scored at levels four or five in mathematics in 2016. That figure fell to to 35.5 percent in 2017. In English/language arts/literacy, the figure fell from 51.6 percent in 2016 to 48 percent in 2017.
Compared to statewide averages, the district continues to fall slightly behind. Most grades are a few percentage points shy of the state average, as the percentage of levels four or five scores for fifth-grade ELA was 58.9 across the state and 56.1 in Gloucester Township. Some grades show larger gaps, as the percentage of level four or five scores for seventh-grade ELA was 59.2 across the state and 46.9 in Gloucester Township.
The statewide goal is to reach 80 percent proficiency or better in all subgroups by 2030, according to the state’s Every Student Succeeds Act.
Council honors local Hispanics
From President’s Trump’s decision to end DACA to the natural disasters battering the Caribbean, in light of afflictions impacting Hispanics this year, the township felt particularly moved to recognize the honorees’ contributions to the South Jersey community.
At their mid-September meeting, Council celebrated accomplishments of Hispanic residents, commending a scope of Samaritans from eighth-graders to ministers.
In a proclamation, Mercado declared Sept. 15 to Oct. 16 Hispanic Heritage Month in Gloucester Township.
“During National Hispanic Heritage Month, we celebrate the accomplishments of Hispanic Americans who have helped shape our great nation,” Mercado said.. “We are grateful for the many contributions Hispanic men and women make to our society and the vibrancy they weave into our American culture.”
Gloucester Township Council approves resolution to file a tax appeal for property value assessments
In November, Gloucester Township Council passed a resolution to file a tax appeal for the 2018 Director’s Ratio issued by the state. Council is hoping to exclude vacant or distressed homes from the ratio, otherwise it could lose tax appeals from residents who could use these “distressed sale” homes as comps.
On Oct. 1, the state’s division of taxation released this ratio for the 2018 tax year, which was calculated to 100.7 percent.
The appeal will dispute these findings to the tax court by Jan. 1. The appeal challenges the state court’s upholding of the true definition of a “distressed sale.” If certain properties are, in fact, vacant or distressed homes, they should not be counted toward the ratio, according to the township.
The issue can come into play with tax appeals and the distribution of school aid if distressed properties are considered “legitimate.”
Council aims to receive a fairer percentage, so it doesn’t overpay, as Gloucester Township has several distressed and abandoned properties the state is qualifying as “legitimate sales,” which affects the township’s ratable base.
In particular, there is a distressed group of sales, encompassing six properties in Gloucester Township the state is deeming as legitimate, according to Tax Assessor Chuck Palumbo. The sales are 40 percent below the the market value, according to Palumbo.
“The idea is to classify them as, what the state should be calling them, as ‘non-usable’ sales,’” Palumbo said.
Mayor Mayer and council members retain their seats in November election
Dave R. Mayer will remain as the mayor of Gloucester Township.
The unofficial election results from Camden County’s website reported Democrat Mayer received 7,121 votes, beating Republican Frank J. Radisch III, who had 4,697 votes.
Two Gloucester Township Council Democrats will retain their seats, as Councilwoman Michelle L. Winters earned 6,926 votes, and Councilman Dan Hutchison won 6,443. Democrat Scott D. Owens earned a seat on Council with 6,344 votes.
These three defeated Republican candidates Peter D. Heinbaugh, who earned 4,411 votes, Jennifer O’Donnell, who clinched 4,706, and Rhoda D. Montana, who had 4,405 votes.
Three positions were open for the regional board of education. Joyce W. Ellis, Kevin J. Bucceroni, Sr. and Jill Dawson were the only candidates on the ballot.
Three positions were also open for the local board of education. The three winners include incumbents Mark Gallo with 4,362 votes, Mary Jo Dintino with 4,715, and MaryAnn Johnson with 4,052.
Winslow Township High School marching band sweeps competitions
Throughout the fall, the Winslow Township High School marching band clinched first place in eight competitions across the region, including the Atlantic Coast Championship on Nov. 4, the final competition in the Tournament of Bands circuit, which consists of 250 marching bands.
The award-winning repertoire, “Do You Want To Be Healed?,” encompasses 49 musicians, 15 color guard members, four songs and a conversation about racism in America.
From “Wade in the Water” to “Shut Up and Dance,” songs were bridged together by quotes of activists and artists such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Maya Angelou.
Some of the profound sayings were pre-recorded and played on sound files, while others were delivered live. Along with vocalists and violinists, the sound mixes were one of a few unconventional marching band mediums featured throughout the performance.
“We push against this racism issue all the time and it occurred to me that a lot of people, especially with what’s going on currently in our country, don’t really want to be healed of their racial tendencies,” said marching band director David Parkhurst. “I started to choose some songs that fit the scriptural aspect and the racial aspect.”
Along with winning eight first-place titles and nine specialty awards, for the first time the band “beat 90,” exceeding 90 points in a competition.
The band reached this milestone in the shadow of a racial incident at Washington Township High School, which hosted the Chapter 1 Championships in mid-October. During the incident, police responded to a disturbance at the school instigated by racial comments made by students on social media.
Students say they were fueled by the incident, intensifying the technicality, musicality and deliverance of the message, which could be attributed to their scoring of 91.54 points.
“You can feel the crowd feeling us. Our goal was to bring the crowd in with us. You can watch their emotions change as we change through the songs,” assistant drum major Tyron Goodman said.
Winslow Township High School graduate makes two Forbes 30 Under 30 lists
In November, Sicklerville native Iyore Olaye, the valedictorian of WTHS’s 2012 graduation, was named on two of Forbes’ 2018 30 Under 30 list — a compilation of entrepreneurs, changemakers and experts who excel in various fields across the United States. Olaye was acknowledged in the Retail and Ecommerce and the Youngest categories.
The 22-year-old technology innovator was recognized for leading the creation of the haircare line FORM, an offshoot of Walker and Company, which specializes in health and beauty for people of color.
She connected with the company through the Kessler Fellowship offered at Cornell University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical and biomolecular engineering.
From creating algorithms to formulating with chemicals, Olaye channeled not only empirical but personal experience into the 21-product start-up.
“One thing women have been continuously experiencing is that they’re unsure of what to do with their beauty needs, they’re unsure what to use and they just feel very overwhelmed,” Olaye said. “My goal throughout my career is to really create solutions that people can align with and solving issues within the beauty space, especially for people who their issues tend to go under-solved.”
Olaye’s desire to recognize problems and create solutions, particularly for minorities, not only echoes in her ecommerce work but also in charity, as just this year she founded the I.N.O. Scholarship to support students during their freshman year, one of the most challenging collegiate years for S.T.E.M. students.
Aside from Olaye’s initials, “I.N.O” has a dual meaning. Although she resides in San Francisco, Olaye awarded the inaugural fund to a WTHS student at graduation this June.
“The acronym also says ‘I know’ … ‘I know I can do whatever I put my mind to’,” Olaye said. “I know I can overcome any challenge that can come my way.”
CCTS Turfgrass team wins second place in statewide FAA competition
The Camden County Techical Schools turfgrass team cliched second place at November’s Turfgrass Competition — a career development event through the New Jersey FFA, previously known as the Future Farmers of America.
The participants included four members of the CCTS’ career program, which teaches students about horticulture skills such as hardscaping, pond construction, water features, irrigation systems and turf maintenance.
The competition encompassed comprehension-based components, including memorizing and identifying more than 25 agriculture concepts, including insects, pesticides, diseases, turf species, physical disorders and weeds. One minute was given to identify each article.
The other phases required participants to handle equipment calibration, practices to withstand stress conditions and pesticide level evaluations.
Not only did the competition require extensive science-based understanding, such as determining chemical PH levels, but it also entailed knowledge about state Department of Environmental Protection regulations, determining which fertilizers can lawfully be used.
The Camden Tech East FAA Chapter competed among nine other schools across the state at Rutgers University, earning 605.5 points. Last year, the team took third place.
“It just shows you — it’s not just what people think of that ‘you’re just planting a plant.’ It adds a bigger factor to it. It’s a lot harder than you think,” ,” said senior Kaitlyn Parkhill, president of the FFA turfgrass team.
National charity makes Disney trip possible for two ill Sicklerville children
In early December, the Mantoans, a Sicklerville family, received somewhat of a holiday miracle when Baking Memories 4 Kids showed up at their doorstep. The national charity utilizes the sales of chocolate chip cookies to send children with life-threatening or terminal illnesses and their families on all-expense-paid, week-long vacations to all the Florida theme parks,
The organization, founded by New York-based testicular cancer survivor Frank Squeo in 2012, sent nearly 45 children on trips in 2017 alone, including Teddy, 7, and Fulton, 9, Mantoan who are surviving with type 2 Spinal Muscular Atrophy, causing the brothers to be wheelchair bound.
“I was very sick, too, one time, and I was able to make it through for one reason only,” Squeo said. “I was born to be standing here on your driveway this day in 2017, so I can give you guys this trip.”
In February, the family will visit theme parks such as Disney World and SeaWorld, where they’ll receive an assortment of accessible accommodations, including jumping ahead of long lines and staying in a one-floor resort that provides a special pool with wheelchair accessibility.
Squeo and his team were escorted to the home by the Winslow Township Fire Department, which helped to make the day possible.
“This is just an amazing experience. The emergency services should not just come in contact with people on their worst days,” Winslow Township Fire Department Chief Marc Rigberg said. “And we pride ourselves here in Winslow Township for being very integrated into our community.”
