Cherry Hill Sun

Author: eliu

  • New Christmas song brings devotion of family message

    Special to The Sun
    Thomas Raniszewski (left) and Father Edward Niamotka’s (right) new song “The Carpenter’s Son” sung by Drew Seigla debuts this year.

    A few summers ago, Father Edward Niamotka of St. Thomas More in Cherry Hill and his childhood friend Thomas Raniszewski realized they wanted to create a new Christmas song.

    But they wondered, “What angle could we possibly tell the Christmas story from that hasn’t been told?”

    Raniszewski noted that they wrote the song in an unconventional way, as they were never in the same room writing together.

    “He texted me back from a plane trip in the Carribean, and I set it to music,” Raniszewski recalled. “I set that as a template musically for three other verses.”

    But their hard work paid off, and this year, the two celebrated the release of their new song, “The Carpenter’s Son,” which focuses on Joseph’s perspective in the nativity story. To make it sound Christmas-y, the song features pianos, chimes, and flutes.

    “The song is a mesh between a hymn and a carol, meant to be a little bit joyous but it is also reverent and can also be sung in a church. It’s al little more modern and hopefully it brings across the Christmas message,” said Niamotka. ” … A lot of the music you hear at this time is more secular, not religious, but for us to concentrate on the religious mystery that is Christmas and bring out another perspective for St. Joseph.”

    Though the Bible does not give a detailed account about Joseph, the two were both inspired by his character.

    “What hit me was Joseph’s goodness and righteousness, his care for both his newborn child,” Niamotka said. “It’s not his, but he’s a foster child to Jesus and the care for his wife Mary.”

    “To me, I really don’t need to hear any of his words because all I needed to do was look at what he did when presented in these situations and that tells me everything I need to know about the kind of man he was,” said Raniszewski.

    The song was sung by Drew Seigla. Since its official release in September, the song has been covered by the vocal group The Winter Creek, and another pastor friend of theirs has sung the song at church.

    “Spiritually, I hope that (listeners) can hear the message behind the song, about devotion to your family and devotion to your children,” said Raniszewski. ” … If people miss it and don’t get it, if all they fall in love with is the melody and the rhyme and the Christmas-y sound, that’s just as good too and I hope that it becomes something that people want to play.”

    The two are also working on getting the song published as a liturgical piece for churches for next year.

    The song was produced by Jonathan Delgado, and is now available on all major platforms. The proceeds from the download will go towards the South Jersey Catholic Ministries Appeal, and can be heard online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDnudB2Rq6I.

    This article was updated on Jan. 3, 2025.

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  • Thomas Raniszewski

  • Thomas Raniszewski

  • Student contest touches on African American history

    The Cherry Hill African American Civic Association is accepting submissions through Monday, Jan. 6 for its annual Reverend Ivan George Essay Video Poster Contest.

    To compete, township K-12 students submit an essay, poster or video on Black Olympians and Paralympians. Past topics have included African American inventors, African Americans in S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) and African Americans in health care.

    This year marks the 11th essay contest. It is named for George, a long-time member of the civic association who originally proposed the competition. He died in 2020.

    “We’ve had well over 100 entries each year,” said Cathleen Jenkins, financial secretary for the association.

    The winners will be announced at a board of education meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 25, in conjunction with February as Black History Month. Both contest winners and other entrants will be highlighted at next summer’s Juneteenth parade and festival at Croft Farms.

    Jenkins noted that through the years, the essay contest has given students an opportunity to learn more about Black history, both locally and in the broader community. For last year’s theme of African Americans in the community, she found herself and a friend being interviewed by her grandchildren, while other students opted to interview the superintendent of schools.

    The contest has proved to be an educational experience for all, including Jenkins and the parents of essay writers.

    “If you don’t know your history, and I don’t mean as African Americans, I mean as Americans, if we don’t known our history, we may repeat those things,” Jenkins noted. “Sometimes I see people who make blunders. Let’s say they don’t know a derogatory term, because they don’t have anybody from their era to say, ‘Don’t call them that.’

    “Once they learn our history,” she added, “they’re more sensitive to what happened, and you appreciate how far you’ve come, and we appreciate the struggle. We see the accomplishments at the end, but we didn’t know how many people passed over, how many people died, how many people weren’t given their proper due.”

    The essay contest is in partnership with the Cherry Hill library, where judges will review essays later this month. To become a judge, reach out to Jenkins at cathy.jenkins@chaaca.org. To learn more about the contest, visit https://chaaca.org/ova_sev/chaaca-essay-contest/.

  • Student contest touches on African American history

    The Cherry Hill African American Civic Association is accepting submissions through Monday, Jan. 6 for its annual Reverend Ivan George Essay Video Poster Contest.

    To compete, township K-12 students submit an essay, poster or video on Black Olympians and Paralympians. Past topics have included African American inventors, African Americans in S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) and African Americans in health care.

    This year marks the 11th essay contest. It is named for George, a long-time member of the civic association who originally proposed the competition. He died in 2020.

    “We’ve had well over 100 entries each year,” said Cathleen Jenkins, financial secretary for the association.

    The winners will be announced at a board of education meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 25, in conjunction with February as Black History Month. Both contest winners and other entrants will be highlighted at next summer’s Juneteenth parade and festival at Croft Farms.

    Jenkins noted that through the years, the essay contest has given students an opportunity to learn more about Black history, both locally and in the broader community. For last year’s theme of African Americans in the community, she found herself and a friend being interviewed by her grandchildren, while other students opted to interview the superintendent of schools.

    The contest has proved to be an educational experience for all, including Jenkins and the parents of essay writers.

    “If you don’t know your history, and I don’t mean as African Americans, I mean as Americans, if we don’t known our history, we may repeat those things,” Jenkins noted. “Sometimes I see people who make blunders. Let’s say they don’t know a derogatory term, because they don’t have anybody from their era to say, ‘Don’t call them that.’

    “Once they learn our history,” she added, “they’re more sensitive to what happened, and you appreciate how far you’ve come, and we appreciate the struggle. We see the accomplishments at the end, but we didn’t know how many people passed over, how many people died, how many people weren’t given their proper due.”

    The essay contest is in partnership with the Cherry Hill library, where judges will review essays later this month. To become a judge, reach out to Jenkins at cathy.jenkins@chaaca.org. To learn more about the contest, visit https://chaaca.org/ova_sev/chaaca-essay-contest/.

  • Top stories of the year in Cherry Hill

    As we count down to the end of the year, here are some of the top stories from 2024 in Cherry Hill.

    Emily Liu/The Sun
    Residents gather on July 9 at the township municipal building for a public input session on open space.

    Township highlights

    Cherry Hill officially purchased Holly Ravine Farms in January to preserve it as open space, and swore in council members Daniel DiRenzo and Jill Hulnick, who both won re-election in November. Mayor David Fleisher also took office and appointed William Carter III to serve as council president.

    In April, a new dog park opened at Cooper River Park, and in May, the Cherry Hill African American Civic Association and the South Jersey Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta held their annual author and artist expo at Croft Farm.

    The township also began the process of updating its Open Space and Recreation Plan after holding two public input meetings on the issue for residents to offer feedback on what they’d like to see.

    At American Legion Post 372, Cherry Hill West senior Emily Davidson completed her second mural on site, an illustration inspired by World War II. The art competition and scholarship is open to students at East, West and the alternative high-school program. She hopes that more artists participate in next year’s competition and scholarship program, which will be focused on the Korean War.

    Two new benches were also installed at Barclay Farmstead thanks to West senior Gage Angelucci’s Eagle Scout project. In August, the township celebrated National Night Out in spite of pouring rain at the newly renovated community center, and in October, Police Chief Robert Kempf announced his retirement at the end of the year.

    In November, the county also addressed ongoing concerns about the smell of smoke stemming from wildfires in the area due to an ongoing drought, and encouraged people to conserve water.

    Schools news

    The school district swore in a new board member, Quadsia Niaz, in February to fill the vacancy left when Jennifer Fleisher stepped down in December to avoid a conflict of interest, since her husband David Fleisher was elected mayor. The district also received notice from the state that it faced a $6.9-million decrease in state aid, and released a notice to the community.

    In March, a group of 60 students, district staff and community members went to Trenton to advocate for fair funding. Dr. Kwame Morton was also sworn in as the new superintendent after serving in the interim role and after 28 years in public education, including as former principal for Kilmer Elementary School and West High School.

    In April, Cherry Hill West JROTC students fought to keep their program alive for one more year, so there would be more time for the group to achieve the goal of enrolling 100 students. They worked together and called on servicemen from around the country to advocate for their program, which ultimately got the one-year extension. And in May, the district got back $3.1 million in state aid of the $6.9 million lost earlier in the year.

    The passage of the bond referendum in 2023 led to some exciting new opportunities for students, including Cherry Hill East’s first under-the-lights football games at home with a newly renovated field. The board of education opted to relocate the alternative high school to East, amid concerns from the public about trauma and bullying.

    The district also tackled other big issues this year, including elementary-school redistricting and preschool expansion. The latter is part of a five-year plan, and both issues will continue to be discussed into the new year.

    Newsworthy recognition

    There were a number of individuals and teams that made the news in Cherry Hill in 2024.

    Special to The Sun
    Cherry Hill East’s varsity chest team celebrated winning the South Jersey Chess League Championship in February.

    Cherry Hill East’s varsity chess team brought home the gold at the South Jersey Chess League Championship, its first in four years, led by senior co-captains Eitan Koppelman and Jake Unterlack. East’s boys golf team also won the state championships, the first in school history.

    Rosa International Middle School’s Climate Action and Sustainability Team placed third in the New Jersey Student Climate Challenge and was recognized by council for its efforts to increase climate literacy and action.

    Cherry Hill triplets Araam, Gia and Karina Gupta, founders of the nonprofit Little Mentors, began a new initiative called Teddy Talks, where they interview leaders in different professions while continuing to create connections with students internationally.

    East friends Esha Kalikiri and Tulina Elbarouki, founders of the nonprofit A Little More Love, hosted their first social outreach event to bring together patients in long-term care to hear music by the school group Musicians On Call. And East’s Valorant and Valkyrie Valorant e-sports teams won state finals in May.

  • Top stories of the year in Cherry Hill

    As we count down to the end of the year, here are some of the top stories from 2024 in Cherry Hill.

    Emily Liu/The Sun
    Residents gather on July 9 at the township municipal building for a public input session on open space.

    Township highlights

    Cherry Hill officially purchased Holly Ravine Farms in January to preserve it as open space, and swore in council members Daniel DiRenzo and Jill Hulnick, who both won re-election in November. Mayor David Fleisher also took office and appointed William Carter III to serve as council president.

    In April, a new dog park opened at Cooper River Park, and in May, the Cherry Hill African American Civic Association and the South Jersey Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta held their annual author and artist expo at Croft Farm.

    The township also began the process of updating its Open Space and Recreation Plan after holding two public input meetings on the issue for residents to offer feedback on what they’d like to see.

    At American Legion Post 372, Cherry Hill West senior Emily Davidson completed her second mural on site, an illustration inspired by World War II. The art competition and scholarship is open to students at East, West and the alternative high-school program. She hopes that more artists participate in next year’s competition and scholarship program, which will be focused on the Korean War.

    Two new benches were also installed at Barclay Farmstead thanks to West senior Gage Angelucci’s Eagle Scout project. In August, the township celebrated National Night Out in spite of pouring rain at the newly renovated community center, and in October, Police Chief Robert Kempf announced his retirement at the end of the year.

    In November, the county also addressed ongoing concerns about the smell of smoke stemming from wildfires in the area due to an ongoing drought, and encouraged people to conserve water.

    Schools news

    The school district swore in a new board member, Quadsia Niaz, in February to fill the vacancy left when Jennifer Fleisher stepped down in December to avoid a conflict of interest, since her husband David Fleisher was elected mayor. The district also received notice from the state that it faced a $6.9-million decrease in state aid, and released a notice to the community.

    In March, a group of 60 students, district staff and community members went to Trenton to advocate for fair funding. Dr. Kwame Morton was also sworn in as the new superintendent after serving in the interim role and after 28 years in public education, including as former principal for Kilmer Elementary School and West High School.

    In April, Cherry Hill West JROTC students fought to keep their program alive for one more year, so there would be more time for the group to achieve the goal of enrolling 100 students. They worked together and called on servicemen from around the country to advocate for their program, which ultimately got the one-year extension. And in May, the district got back $3.1 million in state aid of the $6.9 million lost earlier in the year.

    The passage of the bond referendum in 2023 led to some exciting new opportunities for students, including Cherry Hill East’s first under-the-lights football games at home with a newly renovated field. The board of education opted to relocate the alternative high school to East, amid concerns from the public about trauma and bullying.

    The district also tackled other big issues this year, including elementary-school redistricting and preschool expansion. The latter is part of a five-year plan, and both issues will continue to be discussed into the new year.

    Newsworthy recognition

    There were a number of individuals and teams that made the news in Cherry Hill in 2024.

    Special to The Sun
    Cherry Hill East’s varsity chest team celebrated winning the South Jersey Chess League Championship in February.

    Cherry Hill East’s varsity chess team brought home the gold at the South Jersey Chess League Championship, its first in four years, led by senior co-captains Eitan Koppelman and Jake Unterlack. East’s boys golf team also won the state championships, the first in school history.

    Rosa International Middle School’s Climate Action and Sustainability Team placed third in the New Jersey Student Climate Challenge and was recognized by council for its efforts to increase climate literacy and action.

    Cherry Hill triplets Araam, Gia and Karina Gupta, founders of the nonprofit Little Mentors, began a new initiative called Teddy Talks, where they interview leaders in different professions while continuing to create connections with students internationally.

    East friends Esha Kalikiri and Tulina Elbarouki, founders of the nonprofit A Little More Love, hosted their first social outreach event to bring together patients in long-term care to hear music by the school group Musicians On Call. And East’s Valorant and Valkyrie Valorant e-sports teams won state finals in May.

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