Cherry Hill Sun

Author: acountryman

  • ‘It’s been a special season’

    Courtesy of Cherry Hill Legion Post 372
    Celebrating their win in the New Jersey American Legion championship on July 28 were players and coaches on the Cherry Hill team, including Luis Sanchez III, Andrew Bechtel, Grant Fournier, Matt Korbich, Mason Kelleher, Aiden Ryder, Brian Martello, Brett Chiesa, Noah Harvey, Jordan Henriquez, Josh Litsky, Ricky Orlandini, Aiden Emrich, Brett Gabel, Chris Ahrens, Jack Barletta, Zach Smith and Anthony Alessandroni and coaches Bo Gray, Kyle Bordner, Ron Krowiak and John Gray.

    Just as David knocked out Goliath in dramatic fashion, the Cherry Hill Post 172 baseball team won the New Jersey American Legion Championship with a walk-off single against perennial powerhouse Brooklawn on July 28 at the Wood-Ridge Athletic Center.

    “All I can remember is seeing their third baseman dive for the ball and it rolling into left field,” third baseman Brett Chiesa recalled. “We all came sprinting out of the dugout and dogpiled on top of Anthony Alessandroni in celebration. It was a memorable moment for sure.”

    With the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning, tournament MVP (Most Valuable Player) Anthony Alessandroni of Cinnaminson High laced a single to score Luis Sanchez III of Cherry Hill West for a 6-5 win and the team’s first state championship.

    “It was fantastic,” Chiesa said. “The whole reason to play summer ball against skilled opponents is to make you a better player. Winning against a very good Brooklawn team makes the win even better.”

    Brooklawn Legion Post 72 has won 32 state titles and the national American Legion World Series four times.

    Major keys to the success of the Cherry Hill team this season have been its excellent defense, quality pitching and timely hitting.

    “Our defense has been spectacular all year,” Chiesa noted. “We focus on doing the little things right, hitting the cutoffs, back-picking runners and making all the routine plays. We’ve had guys play out of position at times, but all of them have had the ‘next man up’ attitude and have been great.”

    Chiesa will play baseball next year at Rowan University, after helping Cherokee High win the NJSIAA Group 4 State Championship in June. Joining him there will be legion players Jake Bartletta of Rancocas Valley and Aiden Ryder of West High.

    “It’s been a special season,” Chiesa related. “To win both the Group 4 and American Legion state titles has made it a memorable last six weeks. Leadership and accountability are two big qualities players have in both of these programs.

    “We play the game with intensity and for each other,” he added. “Being able to do the little things correctly – such as moving runners over with sac bunts – has allowed us to get insurance runs that led to victories. Preparation is another big one. Knowing what to do in different situations allows us to play the game stress-free.

    “Lastly, pitching and defense are the backbones to winning. Throwing strikes and making routine plays has been a key to success all year.”

    In the title game against Brooklawn, Cherry Hill scored five runs in the first inning when Chris Ahrens of Shawnee and Noah Harvey of Cinnaminson both singled. Chiesa knocked in the first run on a fielder’s choice, and then his Cherokee teammate, Mason Keleher, knocked in the second run with a double.

    Sanchez knocked him in with a double, and with two runners on base, Brian Martello of West blasted a big, two-run double. Brooklawn clawed back, tying the game in a fourth inning that featured a three-run home run by Mason Myers of Paul VI. The game remained tied until Alessandroni’s walk-off single.

    The Cherry Hill Legion state championship team players are: Luis Sanchez III, Andrew Bechtel, Grant Fournier, Matt Korbich, Mason Kelleher, Aiden Ryder, Brian Martello, Brett Chiesa, Noah Harvey, Jordan Henriquez, Josh Litsky, Ricky Orlandini, Aiden Emrich, Brett Gabel, Chris Ahrens, Jack Barletta, Zach Smith and Anthony Alessandroni.

    The coaches are Bo Gray, Kyle Bordner, Ron Krowiak and John Gray.

    “Congratulations to our Cherry Hill American Legion Post 372 youth baseball team for becoming the 2025 New Jersey state champions,” post officers stated on the website. “This outstanding achievement is a testament to the hard work, dedication and talent of each member of the team.

    “We are incredibly proud of our tournament MVP, Anthony Alessandroni, whose remarkable performance propelled us to this victory,” they continued. “As we gear up for regionals in Maryland, a huge round of applause to Bo Gray, our amazing coaches, and the entire team for their unwavering commitment to success. Job well done, young men.

    “Let’s keep the winning spirit alive.”

    If Cherry Hill does well at the regionals in Ridge, Maryland – which continue through Saturday – the team will advance to the American Legion World Series beginning Aug. 14 in Shelby, North Carolina, featuring the best teams in the country.

    Post 372’s director of American Legion baseball Bo Gray was a legendary player for the amazing Cherry Hill West baseball team that won four consecutive state championships from 1989 to 1992. During those years, Gray was perfect on the mound, with a 30-0 record.

  • ‘It’s been a special season’

    Courtesy of Cherry Hill Legion Post 372
    Celebrating their win in the New Jersey American Legion championship on July 28 were players and coaches on the Cherry Hill team, including Luis Sanchez III, Andrew Bechtel, Grant Fournier, Matt Korbich, Mason Kelleher, Aiden Ryder, Brian Martello, Brett Chiesa, Noah Harvey, Jordan Henriquez, Josh Litsky, Ricky Orlandini, Aiden Emrich, Brett Gabel, Chris Ahrens, Jack Barletta, Zach Smith and Anthony Alessandroni and coaches Bo Gray, Kyle Bordner, Ron Krowiak and John Gray.

    Just as David knocked out Goliath in dramatic fashion, the Cherry Hill Post 172 baseball team won the New Jersey American Legion Championship with a walk-off single against perennial powerhouse Brooklawn on July 28 at the Wood-Ridge Athletic Center.

    “All I can remember is seeing their third baseman dive for the ball and it rolling into left field,” third baseman Brett Chiesa recalled. “We all came sprinting out of the dugout and dogpiled on top of Anthony Alessandroni in celebration. It was a memorable moment for sure.”

    With the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning, tournament MVP (Most Valuable Player) Anthony Alessandroni of Cinnaminson High laced a single to score Luis Sanchez III of Cherry Hill West for a 6-5 win and the team’s first state championship.

    “It was fantastic,” Chiesa said. “The whole reason to play summer ball against skilled opponents is to make you a better player. Winning against a very good Brooklawn team makes the win even better.”

    Brooklawn Legion Post 72 has won 32 state titles and the national American Legion World Series four times.

    Major keys to the success of the Cherry Hill team this season have been its excellent defense, quality pitching and timely hitting.

    “Our defense has been spectacular all year,” Chiesa noted. “We focus on doing the little things right, hitting the cutoffs, back-picking runners and making all the routine plays. We’ve had guys play out of position at times, but all of them have had the ‘next man up’ attitude and have been great.”

    Chiesa will play baseball next year at Rowan University, after helping Cherokee High win the NJSIAA Group 4 State Championship in June. Joining him there will be legion players Jake Bartletta of Rancocas Valley and Aiden Ryder of West High.

    “It’s been a special season,” Chiesa related. “To win both the Group 4 and American Legion state titles has made it a memorable last six weeks. Leadership and accountability are two big qualities players have in both of these programs.

    “We play the game with intensity and for each other,” he added. “Being able to do the little things correctly – such as moving runners over with sac bunts – has allowed us to get insurance runs that led to victories. Preparation is another big one. Knowing what to do in different situations allows us to play the game stress-free.

    “Lastly, pitching and defense are the backbones to winning. Throwing strikes and making routine plays has been a key to success all year.”

    In the title game against Brooklawn, Cherry Hill scored five runs in the first inning when Chris Ahrens of Shawnee and Noah Harvey of Cinnaminson both singled. Chiesa knocked in the first run on a fielder’s choice, and then his Cherokee teammate, Mason Keleher, knocked in the second run with a double.

    Sanchez knocked him in with a double, and with two runners on base, Brian Martello of West blasted a big, two-run double. Brooklawn clawed back, tying the game in a fourth inning that featured a three-run home run by Mason Myers of Paul VI. The game remained tied until Alessandroni’s walk-off single.

    The Cherry Hill Legion state championship team players are: Luis Sanchez III, Andrew Bechtel, Grant Fournier, Matt Korbich, Mason Kelleher, Aiden Ryder, Brian Martello, Brett Chiesa, Noah Harvey, Jordan Henriquez, Josh Litsky, Ricky Orlandini, Aiden Emrich, Brett Gabel, Chris Ahrens, Jack Barletta, Zach Smith and Anthony Alessandroni.

    The coaches are Bo Gray, Kyle Bordner, Ron Krowiak and John Gray.

    “Congratulations to our Cherry Hill American Legion Post 372 youth baseball team for becoming the 2025 New Jersey state champions,” post officers stated on the website. “This outstanding achievement is a testament to the hard work, dedication and talent of each member of the team.

    “We are incredibly proud of our tournament MVP, Anthony Alessandroni, whose remarkable performance propelled us to this victory,” they continued. “As we gear up for regionals in Maryland, a huge round of applause to Bo Gray, our amazing coaches, and the entire team for their unwavering commitment to success. Job well done, young men.

    “Let’s keep the winning spirit alive.”

    If Cherry Hill does well at the regionals in Ridge, Maryland – which continue through Saturday – the team will advance to the American Legion World Series beginning Aug. 14 in Shelby, North Carolina, featuring the best teams in the country.

    Post 372’s director of American Legion baseball Bo Gray was a legendary player for the amazing Cherry Hill West baseball team that won four consecutive state championships from 1989 to 1992. During those years, Gray was perfect on the mound, with a 30-0 record.

  • ‘This is a benchmark moment’

    Albert J. Countryman Jr./The Sun
    Professional wine connoisseurs Daniele Raspini (left to right), Michelle Padberg, New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Ed Wengryn and Edward Miller at the Terroir New Jersey Wine Showcase on July 19.

    Winemakers William Alexander and Edward Antill won Great Britain’s Royal Society award of 200 pounds in 1758 for producing a quality wine similar to those England had been purchasing from France, marking the beginning of the New Jersey wine industry.

    Master vintner Louis Nicholas Renault of France bought land in Egg Harbor City in 1864, and by 1870, had introduced New Jersey champagne. His Renault Winery later won prizes for excellence and became the largest distributor of champagne in the U.S.

    “The Renault Winery is the oldest in the country,” said Scott Doninni, owner of the Auburn Road Winery in Pilesgrove, who participated in the Terroir New Jersey Wine Showcase on July 19 at the Camden County Sustainability Center in Blackwood.

    “New Jersey had a very significant wine culture and industry before being devastated by Prohibition,” noted Doninni, who received valuable tips and information about growing wine from 12 world-renowned connoisseurs at the wine showcase, sponsored by the Camden County Board of Commissioners.

    “This showcase is excellent,” he added. “It’s good for all the wineries in New Jersey.”

    Doninni and his wife, Julianne, grow eight varieties of grapes and produce 16 wines on 23 acres of land they purchased in 2001 after retiring as lawyers in Philadelphia. They were thrilled to learn more from national and international wine experts at the showcase.

    “This is a benchmark moment for all of us,” Doninni explained, adding that the wine connoisseurs were very serious and professional about “assessing our progress.”

    New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Ed Wengryn said he was happy to be part of the showcase and is pleased with the growth of the state’s wine industry.

    “This shows that using only New Jersey grapes we can produce quality wines,” he related.

    After Prohibition, New Jersey provided only one winery license for each million residents, and they were practically impossible to obtain. By 1981, the state had just seven wineries – and everything changed. That year, the state approved the Farm Winery Act, the first of several efforts by the legislature to relax Prohibition-era restrictions and craft new laws to facilitate the alcoholic beverage industry’s growth and provide new opportunities for winery licenses.

    The industry has boomed since then. By 2014, there were 48 licensed and operating wineries in the state; as of this year, there are 73.

    “The goal of the showcase is to set benchmarks of quality for the state,” offered Sharyn Kervyn de Volkaersbeke, owner of KdV Wine Services in Voorhees. Terroir New Jersey appointed her to manage the event “based on her extensive expertise, reputation and credentials, which are well aligned with our mission, thereby ensuring that the goals will be met and surpassed.”

    “The mission of the Showcase is to acknowledge and celebrate excellence in winemaking among wins produced in New Jersey,” Volkaersbeke pointed out. “It aims to establish and solidify New Jersey’s reputation as a premier destination for quality wine.”

    Winery owners at the showcase sat at long tables in the meeting room across from the connoisseurs, who were divided into four groups of three. They tasted the wines and rated them for clarity, purity, intensity, complexity, aroma, length, harmony and overall quality.

    “I’m a New Jersey wine virgin,” said Master of Wine Martin Moran, who has lived in Dublin, Ireland, for the past 30 years and has traveled the world helping winemakers improve their products. “This is my first time here. Some of the classic wines here are really good. The varieties unique to New Jersey are getting better.

    :This state has a great future in winemaking.”

    Moran studies the production of wine from “the grape to the glass,” including the soil and what types of grapes work best. During the showcase, experts independently assessed each wine in a blind format base and identified key quality indicators.

    Wines that achieved a predetermined minimum evaluation rating will be designated as Showcase Selection wines and will be widely promoted at upcoming events, said Camden County Commissioner Al Dyer.

    “New Jersey, and Camden County specifically, is becoming a world-class wine destination, boasting bountiful vineyards and successful wineries,” Dyer emphasized. “We are thrilled to welcome this group of wine experts to the sustainability campus, home to our very own Camden County Vineyard, to test the very best wines that New Jersey has to offer.”

    “We are honored to hold the Terroir Showcase at our state-of-the-art Sustainability Center, which is where our Lakeland Vineyard is located,” said Commissioner Jonathan Young, liaison to the Office of Sustainability. “Our vineyard has produced bountiful harvests season after season, and this past fall, a fourth crop of chambourcin grapes from the vineyard was produced and delivered to Saddlehill Winery in Voorhees.

    “Camden County is quickly becoming a world class wine destination, so we couldn’t think of a better location to host such a prestigious event.”

  • ‘This is a benchmark moment’

    Albert J. Countryman Jr./The Sun
    Professional wine connoisseurs Daniele Raspini (left to right), Michelle Padberg, New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Ed Wengryn and Edward Miller at the Terroir New Jersey Wine Showcase on July 19.

    Winemakers William Alexander and Edward Antill won Great Britain’s Royal Society award of 200 pounds in 1758 for producing a quality wine similar to those England had been purchasing from France, marking the beginning of the New Jersey wine industry.

    Master vintner Louis Nicholas Renault of France bought land in Egg Harbor City in 1864, and by 1870, had introduced New Jersey champagne. His Renault Winery later won prizes for excellence and became the largest distributor of champagne in the U.S.

    “The Renault Winery is the oldest in the country,” said Scott Doninni, owner of the Auburn Road Winery in Pilesgrove, who participated in the Terroir New Jersey Wine Showcase on July 19 at the Camden County Sustainability Center in Blackwood.

    “New Jersey had a very significant wine culture and industry before being devastated by Prohibition,” noted Doninni, who received valuable tips and information about growing wine from 12 world-renowned connoisseurs at the wine showcase, sponsored by the Camden County Board of Commissioners.

    “This showcase is excellent,” he added. “It’s good for all the wineries in New Jersey.”

    Doninni and his wife, Julianne, grow eight varieties of grapes and produce 16 wines on 23 acres of land they purchased in 2001 after retiring as lawyers in Philadelphia. They were thrilled to learn more from national and international wine experts at the showcase.

    “This is a benchmark moment for all of us,” Doninni explained, adding that the wine connoisseurs were very serious and professional about “assessing our progress.”

    New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Ed Wengryn said he was happy to be part of the showcase and is pleased with the growth of the state’s wine industry.

    “This shows that using only New Jersey grapes we can produce quality wines,” he related.

    After Prohibition, New Jersey provided only one winery license for each million residents, and they were practically impossible to obtain. By 1981, the state had just seven wineries – and everything changed. That year, the state approved the Farm Winery Act, the first of several efforts by the legislature to relax Prohibition-era restrictions and craft new laws to facilitate the alcoholic beverage industry’s growth and provide new opportunities for winery licenses.

    The industry has boomed since then. By 2014, there were 48 licensed and operating wineries in the state; as of this year, there are 73.

    “The goal of the showcase is to set benchmarks of quality for the state,” offered Sharyn Kervyn de Volkaersbeke, owner of KdV Wine Services in Voorhees. Terroir New Jersey appointed her to manage the event “based on her extensive expertise, reputation and credentials, which are well aligned with our mission, thereby ensuring that the goals will be met and surpassed.”

    “The mission of the Showcase is to acknowledge and celebrate excellence in winemaking among wins produced in New Jersey,” Volkaersbeke pointed out. “It aims to establish and solidify New Jersey’s reputation as a premier destination for quality wine.”

    Winery owners at the showcase sat at long tables in the meeting room across from the connoisseurs, who were divided into four groups of three. They tasted the wines and rated them for clarity, purity, intensity, complexity, aroma, length, harmony and overall quality.

    “I’m a New Jersey wine virgin,” said Master of Wine Martin Moran, who has lived in Dublin, Ireland, for the past 30 years and has traveled the world helping winemakers improve their products. “This is my first time here. Some of the classic wines here are really good. The varieties unique to New Jersey are getting better.

    :This state has a great future in winemaking.”

    Moran studies the production of wine from “the grape to the glass,” including the soil and what types of grapes work best. During the showcase, experts independently assessed each wine in a blind format base and identified key quality indicators.

    Wines that achieved a predetermined minimum evaluation rating will be designated as Showcase Selection wines and will be widely promoted at upcoming events, said Camden County Commissioner Al Dyer.

    “New Jersey, and Camden County specifically, is becoming a world-class wine destination, boasting bountiful vineyards and successful wineries,” Dyer emphasized. “We are thrilled to welcome this group of wine experts to the sustainability campus, home to our very own Camden County Vineyard, to test the very best wines that New Jersey has to offer.”

    “We are honored to hold the Terroir Showcase at our state-of-the-art Sustainability Center, which is where our Lakeland Vineyard is located,” said Commissioner Jonathan Young, liaison to the Office of Sustainability. “Our vineyard has produced bountiful harvests season after season, and this past fall, a fourth crop of chambourcin grapes from the vineyard was produced and delivered to Saddlehill Winery in Voorhees.

    “Camden County is quickly becoming a world class wine destination, so we couldn’t think of a better location to host such a prestigious event.”

  • ‘Reclaiming Camden’s story’ with tavern restoration

    Albert J. Countryman Jr./The Sun
    Breaking ground to launch renovations to the historic Benjamin Cooper Tavern on July 7 were Camden Councilwoman Jannette Ramos (left to right), Assemblyman Bill Moen, Congressman Donald Norcross, Camden Mayor Vic Carstarphen, council President Angel Fuentes and Councilwoman Nohemi Soria-Perez.

    On a lonely stretch of overgrown ground just north of the Ben Franklin Bridge stands a building built in 1734 that played a major part in the Revolutionary War.

    Built by the grandson of Camden’s founder, William Cooper, the Benjamin Cooper Tavern offered food and beverages to people crossing the Delaware River from Philadelphia on the Cooper’s Point Ferry. It continued to serve as an inn, tavern and ferry headquarters, and was the center of many battles in South Jersey during the English army’s Philadelphia Campaign of 1777 and 1778.

    “Welcome to North Camden,” the city’s mayor, Vic Carstarphen, said during July 7 groundbreaking ceremonies for a $4-million restoration project to the historic building at 75 Erie Street. “Today we are reclaiming Camden’s story.”

    The objective is to transform the building into the American Revolution Museum of Southern New Jersey ahead of America’s 250th birthday next July.

    “The Coopers have a long history in Camden,” the mayor noted, “and the city has played a huge role in maritime history. It is great timing to begin this work with the 250th anniversary approaching.”

    “This is a great day,” added Councilwoman Jannette Ramos. “We are reclaiming a piece of Camden’s soul. This is a new chapter of preserving and protecting our history.”

    “It is so good to be here,” said Congressman Donald Norcross, who helped get a $500,000 grant from the Community Development Fund for the project. “This piece of land is so important. This tavern is about the story of our country.”

    “I coached for four years with the North Camden Little League, and passed this building hundreds of times,” relayed state Assemblyman Bill Moen, who was able to obtain a $650,000 state grant to help restore the tavern. “Thanks to the Camden County Historical Society for giving us guidance.”

    “We are honored and very excited (about the restoration),” said Jennifer Fleisher, a member of the Camden County Board of Commissioners that awarded a $350,000 grant to help fund the project.

    “The Benjamin Cooper Tavern is one of Camden City’s most significant historic sites, so it is imperative that we preserve it for generations to come,” Commissioner Jeffrey Nash said. “This project will keep an important piece of regional history alive and will allow residents and visitors to learn more about the history that surrounds them on a daily basis. We are thrilled to see this project move forward and cannot wait to visit the museum once it is completed.”

    “This is the most historic surviving building in Camden,” noted Chris Perks, president of the Camden County Historical Society’s board of directors, who secured a 30-year lease for the property and got a $1.4-million grant from the New Jersey Historic Trust.

    Society Executive Director Jack O’Byrne said the organization learned that someone had purchased the 17-acre industrial site the tavern was on and “we were concerned that they may have plans to demolish it. The owner was supportive of our plan to raise money to restore it and create the new museum.”

    The building was in terrible shape and there was a 2012 fire that tore through the roof. The temporary roof was put on two years later, so the interior was exposed to the elements all that time, according to O’Byrne.

    “It’s amazing that the floors did not collapse and the walls didn’t cave it,” he marveled, adding that the original 1734 building is all there, as well as the 1830 expansion and the 1917 wing. “In February 2024, we started the stabilization of the interior and restoration of the exterior.”

    The skirmish at Cooper’s Ferry happened in March of 1778 and the Hessians came and went through there for the Battle of Red Bank. Some 15,000 troops went through during the evacuation of Philadelphia on the way to the skirmish in Haddonfield and the Battle of Monmouth. The New Jersey Militia attacked the British encampment there, and 32 were taken prisoner or killed at the site.

    Plans for the museum include displays about the many Revolutionary War battles and skirmishes in South Jersey during the Philadelphia Campaign.

    “We’ll finish the exterior masonry and the first-floor interior and open before July 4, 2026,” O’Byrne projected. “When we first did our preservation plan in 2021, the estimate to complete the project was $2.9 million.

    “Because of construction increases, inflation, tariffs, etc., the final cost will be closer to $5 million, and we still need to raise $1.5 million more to finish. If we raise the additional funds, we can finish the project by the 250th anniversary of the British occupation of Philadelphia in September 2027, which is the start of our local American Revolution history.”

    In the early 19th century, the Benjamin Cooper House served as a pleasure garden and was open to the public in spring and summer. It was the last ferry tavern in Camden and a saloon in its later years that was known as the Old Stone Jug.

    In the 21st century, it will become a museum, thanks to a group effort by the Camden County Historical Society and local, county, state and federal agencies, and it will continue its life teaching future generations about U.S. history.

  • ‘Reclaiming Camden’s story’ with tavern restoration

    Albert J. Countryman Jr./The Sun
    Breaking ground to launch renovations to the historic Benjamin Cooper Tavern on July 7 were Camden Councilwoman Jannette Ramos (left to right), Assemblyman Bill Moen, Congressman Donald Norcross, Camden Mayor Vic Carstarphen, council President Angel Fuentes and Councilwoman Nohemi Soria-Perez.

    On a lonely stretch of overgrown ground just north of the Ben Franklin Bridge stands a building built in 1734 that played a major part in the Revolutionary War.

    Built by the grandson of Camden’s founder, William Cooper, the Benjamin Cooper Tavern offered food and beverages to people crossing the Delaware River from Philadelphia on the Cooper’s Point Ferry. It continued to serve as an inn, tavern and ferry headquarters, and was the center of many battles in South Jersey during the English army’s Philadelphia Campaign of 1777 and 1778.

    “Welcome to North Camden,” the city’s mayor, Vic Carstarphen, said during July 7 groundbreaking ceremonies for a $4-million restoration project to the historic building at 75 Erie Street. “Today we are reclaiming Camden’s story.”

    The objective is to transform the building into the American Revolution Museum of Southern New Jersey ahead of America’s 250th birthday next July.

    “The Coopers have a long history in Camden,” the mayor noted, “and the city has played a huge role in maritime history. It is great timing to begin this work with the 250th anniversary approaching.”

    “This is a great day,” added Councilwoman Jannette Ramos. “We are reclaiming a piece of Camden’s soul. This is a new chapter of preserving and protecting our history.”

    “It is so good to be here,” said Congressman Donald Norcross, who helped get a $500,000 grant from the Community Development Fund for the project. “This piece of land is so important. This tavern is about the story of our country.”

    “I coached for four years with the North Camden Little League, and passed this building hundreds of times,” relayed state Assemblyman Bill Moen, who was able to obtain a $650,000 state grant to help restore the tavern. “Thanks to the Camden County Historical Society for giving us guidance.”

    “We are honored and very excited (about the restoration),” said Jennifer Fleisher, a member of the Camden County Board of Commissioners that awarded a $350,000 grant to help fund the project.

    “The Benjamin Cooper Tavern is one of Camden City’s most significant historic sites, so it is imperative that we preserve it for generations to come,” Commissioner Jeffrey Nash said. “This project will keep an important piece of regional history alive and will allow residents and visitors to learn more about the history that surrounds them on a daily basis. We are thrilled to see this project move forward and cannot wait to visit the museum once it is completed.”

    “This is the most historic surviving building in Camden,” noted Chris Perks, president of the Camden County Historical Society’s board of directors, who secured a 30-year lease for the property and got a $1.4-million grant from the New Jersey Historic Trust.

    Society Executive Director Jack O’Byrne said the organization learned that someone had purchased the 17-acre industrial site the tavern was on and “we were concerned that they may have plans to demolish it. The owner was supportive of our plan to raise money to restore it and create the new museum.”

    The building was in terrible shape and there was a 2012 fire that tore through the roof. The temporary roof was put on two years later, so the interior was exposed to the elements all that time, according to O’Byrne.

    “It’s amazing that the floors did not collapse and the walls didn’t cave it,” he marveled, adding that the original 1734 building is all there, as well as the 1830 expansion and the 1917 wing. “In February 2024, we started the stabilization of the interior and restoration of the exterior.”

    The skirmish at Cooper’s Ferry happened in March of 1778 and the Hessians came and went through there for the Battle of Red Bank. Some 15,000 troops went through during the evacuation of Philadelphia on the way to the skirmish in Haddonfield and the Battle of Monmouth. The New Jersey Militia attacked the British encampment there, and 32 were taken prisoner or killed at the site.

    Plans for the museum include displays about the many Revolutionary War battles and skirmishes in South Jersey during the Philadelphia Campaign.

    “We’ll finish the exterior masonry and the first-floor interior and open before July 4, 2026,” O’Byrne projected. “When we first did our preservation plan in 2021, the estimate to complete the project was $2.9 million.

    “Because of construction increases, inflation, tariffs, etc., the final cost will be closer to $5 million, and we still need to raise $1.5 million more to finish. If we raise the additional funds, we can finish the project by the 250th anniversary of the British occupation of Philadelphia in September 2027, which is the start of our local American Revolution history.”

    In the early 19th century, the Benjamin Cooper House served as a pleasure garden and was open to the public in spring and summer. It was the last ferry tavern in Camden and a saloon in its later years that was known as the Old Stone Jug.

    In the 21st century, it will become a museum, thanks to a group effort by the Camden County Historical Society and local, county, state and federal agencies, and it will continue its life teaching future generations about U.S. history.

  • Giving the gift of time – and nutrition – to seniors

    Albert J. Countryman Jr./The Sun
    St. John of God staff members in front of its mobile food pantry prepare to distribute fresh produce to seniors. Shown are Karen Sapio (left to right), Linda Bradford, Michael Myers, Douglas Agren, Jen Hope and Jeff Sanders.

    Senior citizens born between 1925 and 1960 have lived through turbulent times, seen incredible advances in technology, watched men land on the moon, and worked hard most of their lives.

    Those approaching 100 were children of the Depression. As they became young men, many fought in World War II and the Korean War, watching friends die on the battlefield and returning home scarred by the ravages of combat. Their wives contributed to the war effort by working in factories and buying groceries with ration stamps.

    Their children are Baby Boomers, born during the Cold War, hiding under desks in case of nuclear war and losing their innocence forever with the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. Those drafted had to fight in Vietnam, while some chose to protest at home.

    Then eventually faced reality, got jobs, raised families and watched technology explode from land lines with party lines to mobile phones that are powerful computers. Through it all they paid taxes, assured there would have enough money from Social Security to retire comfortably.

    Not always true – especially with the high cost of living.

    “Many seniors are coping with the loss of a spouse, which can be both emotionally and financial challenging,” said Arlene Kreider, executive director of Senior Citizens United Community Services Inc. (SCUCS) of Camden County in Audubon. “They are often combating feelings of loneliness mixed with the realization that they now have to adjust to a single income.

    “The rising costs of food, medications and out-of-pocket medical care only enhance the problem,” she added. The SCUCS mission is “to enhance the quality of life and encourage independence of senior citizens.”

    Its programs for seniors include Respite Care (offering relief to caregivers), a short term Personal Care Program (assistance with bathing, dressing, meal prep, laundry, etc.), Housing Counseling, Benefits Counseling, SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) Counseling, a Food Pantry, a Lending Closet (medical supplies such as walkers, rollators, wheelchairs etc), Sen Han Transportation and the Trips/Recreational Tours and Travel program whereby seniors take day trips and week-long vacations for a reasonable price.

    “Our trips offer an opportunity for seniors to explore new places in a relaxed manner, knowing that all the arrangements have already been taken care of,” Kreider explained. “Friends and couples can travel together and it offers an opportunity for new friendships to be formed.”

    Some residents of the Gloucester Towne senior complex in Gloucester City struggle to buy more non-processed foods and fresh fruit and vegetables, especially if they have to walk to the grocery store. But they got a break on June 18, when the St. John of God mobile food pantry arrived at the complex.

    Staff members Karen Sapio, Linda Bradford, Michael Myers, Douglas Agren, Jen Hope and Jeff Sanders greeted the seniors with plenty of fresh produce.

    “A lot of people can’t get out and purchase their food,” noted Sapio, the pastoral care coordinator, adding that the donations were provided by Murphy’s Farm Market in Swedesboro, Grasso Girls in Mullica Hill and Pikser’s Bakery in Westville. They included potatoes, squash, corn on the cob and fresh rolls.

    “We also give out personal-care items,” she added, “like toothpaste, shampoo and adult diapers.”

    “It’s hard for some of the seniors to get to the store,” added Hope, an accountant with St. John of God whose mother, Nancy, lives in Gloucester Towne. “This is an opportunity for them to get fresh, healthy produce.”

    There are many programs in Camden County that assist senior citizens. For information about the mobile pantry, go to www.sjofcs.org. For information about SCUCS programs go to www.scucs.org.

    For information about services provided by the county board of commissioners, visit www.camdencounty.com and click on senior-disabled services.

  • Giving the gift of time – and nutrition – to seniors

    Albert J. Countryman Jr./The Sun
    St. John of God staff members in front of its mobile food pantry prepare to distribute fresh produce to seniors. Shown are Karen Sapio (left to right), Linda Bradford, Michael Myers, Douglas Agren, Jen Hope and Jeff Sanders.

    Senior citizens born between 1925 and 1960 have lived through turbulent times, seen incredible advances in technology, watched men land on the moon, and worked hard most of their lives.

    Those approaching 100 were children of the Depression. As they became young men, many fought in World War II and the Korean War, watching friends die on the battlefield and returning home scarred by the ravages of combat. Their wives contributed to the war effort by working in factories and buying groceries with ration stamps.

    Their children are Baby Boomers, born during the Cold War, hiding under desks in case of nuclear war and losing their innocence forever with the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. Those drafted had to fight in Vietnam, while some chose to protest at home.

    Then eventually faced reality, got jobs, raised families and watched technology explode from land lines with party lines to mobile phones that are powerful computers. Through it all they paid taxes, assured there would have enough money from Social Security to retire comfortably.

    Not always true – especially with the high cost of living.

    “Many seniors are coping with the loss of a spouse, which can be both emotionally and financial challenging,” said Arlene Kreider, executive director of Senior Citizens United Community Services Inc. (SCUCS) of Camden County in Audubon. “They are often combating feelings of loneliness mixed with the realization that they now have to adjust to a single income.

    “The rising costs of food, medications and out-of-pocket medical care only enhance the problem,” she added. The SCUCS mission is “to enhance the quality of life and encourage independence of senior citizens.”

    Its programs for seniors include Respite Care (offering relief to caregivers), a short term Personal Care Program (assistance with bathing, dressing, meal prep, laundry, etc.), Housing Counseling, Benefits Counseling, SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) Counseling, a Food Pantry, a Lending Closet (medical supplies such as walkers, rollators, wheelchairs etc), Sen Han Transportation and the Trips/Recreational Tours and Travel program whereby seniors take day trips and week-long vacations for a reasonable price.

    “Our trips offer an opportunity for seniors to explore new places in a relaxed manner, knowing that all the arrangements have already been taken care of,” Kreider explained. “Friends and couples can travel together and it offers an opportunity for new friendships to be formed.”

    Some residents of the Gloucester Towne senior complex in Gloucester City struggle to buy more non-processed foods and fresh fruit and vegetables, especially if they have to walk to the grocery store. But they got a break on June 18, when the St. John of God mobile food pantry arrived at the complex.

    Staff members Karen Sapio, Linda Bradford, Michael Myers, Douglas Agren, Jen Hope and Jeff Sanders greeted the seniors with plenty of fresh produce.

    “A lot of people can’t get out and purchase their food,” noted Sapio, the pastoral care coordinator, adding that the donations were provided by Murphy’s Farm Market in Swedesboro, Grasso Girls in Mullica Hill and Pikser’s Bakery in Westville. They included potatoes, squash, corn on the cob and fresh rolls.

    “We also give out personal-care items,” she added, “like toothpaste, shampoo and adult diapers.”

    “It’s hard for some of the seniors to get to the store,” added Hope, an accountant with St. John of God whose mother, Nancy, lives in Gloucester Towne. “This is an opportunity for them to get fresh, healthy produce.”

    There are many programs in Camden County that assist senior citizens. For information about the mobile pantry, go to www.sjofcs.org. For information about SCUCS programs go to www.scucs.org.

    For information about services provided by the county board of commissioners, visit www.camdencounty.com and click on senior-disabled services.

  • Ciattarelli will face Sherrill in governor’s race

    Gubernatorial hopefuls Mikie Sherill, a Democrat, and Jack Ciatterelli, a Republican, will face each other in the Nov. 4 general election.

    Sherill defeated Sean Spiller, Steve Sweeney, Steven Fulop, Ras J. Baraka and Josh Gottheimer in the Democatic primary election on June 10, while Ciattarelli defeated Justin Barbera, Bill Spadea, Mario M. Kranjac and Jon Bramnick.

    STATE ASSEMBLY

    Running unopposed in the primary election for two seats in the assembly’s District 5 representing Camden and Gloucester counties were Democrats William F. Moen Jr. and William W. Spearman. They will face Republicans Constance Lee Ditzel and Nilsa Gonzalez in the general election.

    In the 7th District representing towns in Burlington County, candidates in the primary ran for two assembly seats. Democratic incumbents Carol Murphy and Balvir Singh beat candidate Eric Holliday and will face Republicans Dione Johnson and Doug Dillon, who ran unopposed.

    CAMDEN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

    After running unopposed in the primary for two seats on the Camden County Board of Commissioners, Democrats Edward T. McDonnell and Colleen Bianco Bezich will face Republicans Christian A. Navarro and Robert Stone in November. Democrat Jennifer Fleisher will face Republican Shane Bernat for one unexpired seat.

    COUNTY SURROGATE

    Democrat Michelle Gentek-Mayer will run against Republican Adam Nieves in November to become the county surrogate. Republican Adam Nieves is running unopposed.

    GLOUCESTER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

    Democrats Frank DiMarco and Denice DiCarlo ran unopposed in the primary and will face Republicans Jonathan Sammons and Bryon Driscoll in the general election for two seats on the Gloucester County Board of Commissioners.

    BURLINGTON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

    Democrat Allison Eckel will run for a full term on the Burlington County Commissioners against Republican Joe Abegg in November. Democrat Randy Brolo will face Nick Pawlyzyn for an unexpired term.

    BURLINGTON COUNTY SHERIFF

    Democrat James Kostoplis will face Republican Erik Johnston in the race for Burlington County sheriff.

  • Ciattarelli will face Sherrill in governor’s race

    Gubernatorial hopefuls Mikie Sherill, a Democrat, and Jack Ciatterelli, a Republican, will face each other in the Nov. 4 general election.

    Sherill defeated Sean Spiller, Steve Sweeney, Steven Fulop, Ras J. Baraka and Josh Gottheimer in the Democatic primary election on June 10, while Ciattarelli defeated Justin Barbera, Bill Spadea, Mario M. Kranjac and Jon Bramnick.

    STATE ASSEMBLY

    Running unopposed in the primary election for two seats in the assembly’s District 5 representing Camden and Gloucester counties were Democrats William F. Moen Jr. and William W. Spearman. They will face Republicans Constance Lee Ditzel and Nilsa Gonzalez in the general election.

    In the 7th District representing towns in Burlington County, candidates in the primary ran for two assembly seats. Democratic incumbents Carol Murphy and Balvir Singh beat candidate Eric Holliday and will face Republicans Dione Johnson and Doug Dillon, who ran unopposed.

    CAMDEN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

    After running unopposed in the primary for two seats on the Camden County Board of Commissioners, Democrats Edward T. McDonnell and Colleen Bianco Bezich will face Republicans Christian A. Navarro and Robert Stone in November. Democrat Jennifer Fleisher will face Republican Shane Bernat for one unexpired seat.

    COUNTY SURROGATE

    Democrat Michelle Gentek-Mayer will run against Republican Adam Nieves in November to become the county surrogate. Republican Adam Nieves is running unopposed.

    GLOUCESTER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

    Democrats Frank DiMarco and Denice DiCarlo ran unopposed in the primary and will face Republicans Jonathan Sammons and Bryon Driscoll in the general election for two seats on the Gloucester County Board of Commissioners.

    BURLINGTON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

    Democrat Allison Eckel will run for a full term on the Burlington County Commissioners against Republican Joe Abegg in November. Democrat Randy Brolo will face Nick Pawlyzyn for an unexpired term.

    BURLINGTON COUNTY SHERIFF

    Democrat James Kostoplis will face Republican Erik Johnston in the race for Burlington County sheriff.