Cherry Hill Sun

Tag: cherry hill

  • Art show highlights local photographers

    Abigail Twiford/The Sun
    Winner Christine Bondi’s photo, “Firefall,” displayed the natural phenomenon of the Yosemite Firefall two weeks of the year. She accepted her award from Mayor Dave Fleisher at the Fall Into the Arts juried art show.

    One of the township’s annual traditions is the Fall Into the Arts juried art show at Croft Farms-Art Center. 

    The opening reception for the free display of work by local photographers was held on Nov. 3, and the gallery is open for viewing until Thursday. Pieces on display ranged in size, style and subject matter, including portraits, wildlife and natural landscapes, abandoned buildings and abstract images.

    Amy Bash is a member of the Cherry Hill Arts Board who has two of her own pieces on display. 

    “It’s really very dynamic, very colorful, and there’s a lot of talent,” she said. “It’s wonderful to be able to offer this platform as an exhibition for local artists.”

    The show received 185 submissions, with 72 pieces chosen. Photographers could submit up to three pieces each, with a $10 fee per submission that will help fund a scholarship for students at both of the township’s high schools to help them continue their arts education. 

    The opening reception enabled viewers to meet the photographers behind each of the pieces to learn about their inspiration and process. Three winners were chosen from the submissions and were displayed at the back of the gallery along with honorable mentions. Winners got a cash prize and honorable mention artists received a certificate to honor their achievements.

    Abigail Twiford/The Sun
    Winners and honorable mention photographers celebrate their wins with local officials and members of the Cherry Hill Arts Board.

    Mayor Dave Fleisher, Councilwoman Sangeeta Doshi and Assemblywoman Melinda Kane announced each of the winners and presented their certificates.

    “We’ve been doing this for many years, and I can tell you, this is maybe among the best that we have seen,” the mayor said of the exhibit. “The work is absolutely terrific.”

    Third-place winner Christine Bondi’s photo, “Firefall,” was a landscape showing the natural phenomenon of the Yosemite Firefall, when the sun two weeks of the year illuminates Horsetail Fall on El Capitan, making it appear to glow and look like fire.

    “It was the first time that I ever did solo travel …” Bondi recalled. “And so I almost didn’t go on the trip, because I was scared to death to travel by myself. But I survived, and I have the picture to prove it.”

    First-place winner Becky Lewis’ piece, “Ants on Parade,” is a demonstration of extreme macro photography, with the image of a flower as ants walk along the petals. Her process took several hours because she shot close-ups of each part of the flower to later be joined into one image, a technique known as macro stacking.

    “It’s a collection of like 500 pictures together to get every pedal in focus,” Lewis explained, “and then the ants kind of just magically appeared on that. And normally it would wreck the picture, but for whatever reason, the ants were in focus.

    “I can’t recreate it,” she added. “It’s one of a kind.”

    Lewis’ husband James Lewis also entered work into the show. One of his pieces, an image of a room in an abandoned building through an open door – called “Through the Doorway” – got an honorable mention.

    “I realized that there were stories to tell in these buildings,” he noted. “So I started to try and look for the story … A lot of it has to do with mourning. I lost a lot of family members, and it was kind of a way to express my feelings of grief, a process of working through it.” 

  • Township answers the need for food donations

    Abigail Twiford/ The Sun
    The township’s Thanksgiving food drive benefits its food pantry and one at Jewish Family and Children’s Services of Southern New Jersey.

    Cherry Hill’s annual Thanksgiving food drive began on Nov. 1 and will continue through Sunday, Nov. 23.

    The drive will benefit the township food pantry and the pantry at Jewish Family and Children’s Services of Southern New Jersey. In addition, three dropoff locations have been set up at the townshp, Croft Farm and the municipal building. The latter two accept donations Monday through Friday until 5 p.m., while the library accepts items all week during its hours of operation.

    The township has run the holiday food drive for several years. But this year, it holds special significance as it coincides with the ongoing federal government shutdown and the resulting cuts to SNAP benefits.

    “This drive is more important than ever, with the government shutdown and SNAP benefits in peril,” said Mayor Dave Fleisher. “There are more people at risk.”

    Suggested donations include canned goods, snacks, bread and staple foods like dry pasta and rice. SNAP recipients can’t buy personal hygiene products or baby items like diapers with their benefits, so the food pantries will accept them for donation.

    “The pantries give us what their most needed items are, and then we share those suggestions with people,” said the mayor’s deputy chief of staff Megan Brown.

    The township-run food drive isn’t the only one going on in Cherry Hill. The school district is accepting donations for the pantry at the Lewis Administration Building through Friday, Dec. 19.

    “I’m convinced, especially this year, that Cherry Hill will rise to the occasion,” the mayor emphasized. ” … People are in need, and our community will deliver.”

    Township officials have also gathered a list of other local organizations and businesses running drives.

    “We’re trying to spread our reach as far as we can,” Brown noted.

    The township is also encouraging residents who can spare the time to volunteer with the pantries. The increased demand caused by SNAP cuts will also increase the need for volunteers to sort and distribute donated items.

    “It’s just important for people to know that there are places where they can volunteer and help make a difference,” Brown said.

  • Second read on solar measure postponed

    Courtesy of Cherry Hill Township
    Mayor Dave Fleisher at the Nov. 10 council meeting. The ordinance was approved on first reading at council’s last session on Oct. 27.

    Township council has postponed until December a second reading and public hearing on an ordinance that would amend township zoning regulations on solar energy.

    The ordinance was approved on first reading at the last council session on Oct. 27. If it eventually passes, the measure would repeal and replace the township’s existing section on solar energy to update standards for various types of installations.

    The change would be made with the goal of supporting solar projects that are both a part of the state’s Community Solar Energy Program and that provide benefits to the program’s subscribers, including residents who have low or moderate incomes.

    New standards would also facilitate the development of projects that serve the on-site energy needs of a property’s principal use, whether residential, commercial or public. The ordinance also outlines standards for all ground-mounted solar systems: They cannot exceed 12 feet in height and must be screened off from adjacent property lines and public roads, sidewalks and trails with landscaping or opaque fencing.

    The new second reading and public hearing on the issue will take place at the Dec. 8 council meeting.

    Council also approved two redemption amusement games licenses for the 2026 calendar year for Chuck E. Cheese and Lucky Strike Bowling.

    Since the October council meeting was the first after election day on Nov. 4, Mayor Dave Fleisher spoke about the reelection of council President William Carter III. Councilwomen Sangeeta Doshi and Jill Hulnick congratulated newly elected member Rob Connor, who will join the body in January.

    “Tremendous progress has been made over the last two years, which would not be possible without the leadership and partnership of all of our council members, including those who were reelected last week,” said Fleisher.

    He also addressed the issue of food insecurity in the community caused by the government shutdown and the resulting delay in November’s SNAP allotment, and asked for donations to the township’s Thanksgiving food drive, which runs through Sunday. The shutdown ended last week.

    “Food insecurity is not a new problem in our community,” Fleisher explained. “Uncertainty that has surrounded the SNAP nutritional program … has created even greater urgency for our residents in need at this time of year.”

    Several council members echoed the mayor’s sentiment, emphasizing the need for donations.

    “It’s a wonderful time to give back, and I know my family cleaned out our pantry last weekend and had a lot of good giveaways for those in need,” Doshi said, “so hopefully the community can help with that.”

    The mayor and several council members also made their gratitude for veterans and active-duty service members known in honor of Veterans Day. 

    “I sincerely hope that our veterans are appreciated and supported, because they certainly do deserve it,” said Councilman Daniel DiRenzo.

  • ‘No one should be going hungry in our country’

    Courtesy of Camden County Board of Commissioners
    Camden County Commissioner Virginia Betteridge unloads bags for produce while helping distribute food to constituents.

    Across the nation, the Nov. 1 cuts to SNAP benefits resulting from the shutdown of the federal government have increased the need for food pantries to provide for those experiencing food insecurity.

    Camden County is no different, with the board of commissioners holding an emergency food distribution event at Camden County Community College on Nov. 12, assisting SNAP recipients, as well as federal workers who had to either stop working, or if considered essential, work for over a month without a paycheck.

    Approximately 75,000 county residents receive SNAP to help them afford food, with about half of all recipients being children and another third having a disability. 

    Though the government reopened on Nov. 12, the impact of the delayed pay and SNAP benefits was still felt by many.

    “The billions in SNAP that was held up can’t be replaced by the few million we’ve put in it,” said New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Ed Wengryn.

    “… People should continue to donate to our food banks, our pantries, our soup kitchens, and everybody who helps feed the hungry, because it is an unending need, particularly in these times of higher cost for everyone.”

    In order to receive the emergency food donations, participants were required to provide proof of residence in Camden County and show either their SNAP benefits card or their federal employee ID.

    Food was provided by the Food Bank of South Jersey and Farmers Against Hunger, with all recipients receiving a bag of produce and a care box of nonperishable food and ingredients that would be able to create a full meal, including rice, canned vegetables, pasta, peanut butter, cereal and applesauce.

    Apples, oranges, peppers and sweet corn were provided to families, with all of the produce except the oranges being locally grown in South Jersey. 

    Courtesy of Camden County Board of Commissioners Volunteers load apples into bags to be given out to SNAP recipients and government employees.

    Linda Palmquist was one of the Food Bank of South Jersey volunteers present for packaging and handing out the donations.

    “Volunteering today was very easy,” Palmquist noted. “It was very organized…

    “It’s ridiculous that we should have hungry people in this country, ever.” 

    Volunteers gathered from 1 to 3 p.m. to begin packaging the produce into fabric bags and piling the bags onto pallets next to the pallets of care boxes, allowing for an organized distribution of the supplies.

    Camden County Community College dietary technician student Whitney Robinson was another volunteer, who felt compelled to help during her free time.

    “No one should be going hungry in our country, especially since we have a surplus,” she said. “… There’s a big disparity between children and the elderly. Everyone, in general, just needs to have nutritious food.”

    The event was conducted in a drive-thru only format, with recipients being required to be in a car to receive the food on a first-come, first served basis.

    Public officials from the county, state and local levels, as well as leaders from the Food Bank of South Jersey and the New Jersey Agricultural Society were all in attendance, joining food bank volunteers in handing out the donations.

    Officials also emphasised that with most New Jersey schools being closed the first week of November, food insecure students were even more vulnerable, and they commended the efforts of local school districts in combating hunger.

    “They cared enough to bring their staff in and to make sure that no student was hungry last week,” said Camden County commissioner Virginia Betteridge.

    As families drove up in two lines on either side of the pallets of food, volunteers and officials opened the trunk or backseat of each vehicle.

    Distribution of the supplies began at 3 p.m. and lasted until 5 p.m., with all of the supplies going to those in need throughout the county.

  • Township vet gives back to the community

    Courtesy of Rodney Sykes
    Rodney Sykes joined the Navy right out of high school and was stationed aboard the USS Missouri.

    A township resident and Navy vet will be among those celebrated on Veterans Day this year for his military career and contributions to the community, including aiding the homeless.

    Rodney Sykes joined the Navy right out of high school – serving from 1984 to 1990 – and was stationed aboard the USS Missouri. He chose to continue a family legacy of military service started by his grandfather.

    “I kind of knew exactly that I was going to do that anyway,” he said. “I went into ninth grade knowing that, and it’s simply because all the guys from my grandfather on served in the military, so in my mind, that was just what I needed to do.”

    The Missouri was being re-activated, so its sailors essentially took an unused ship and updated it.

    “We retooled it, modernized it, brought it back to life and became the crew of it,” Sykes explaned.

    Shortly before the Gulf War began in 1990, Sykes and his fellow servicemen were assigned to Kuwait protection duties guarding oil ships in the Persian Gulf. After six years in the Navy, he worked as a hospital corpsman and in the medical unit at the now-closed Philadelphia Naval Base.

    After he left the military, Sykes returned to his native Philadelphia and began a career in the corporate world, with 25 years at companies that included Tesla, Lexus and Bridgewood Health and Fitness.

    “That really helped me get a better understanding or a better foothold on what it’s like to be service- oriented …” he noted. “It helped me actually, you know, come to where I am today in terms of what my values are.”

    Sykes now owns his own franchise of Lawn Squad, a lawn care and weed control service company, with his garage located in Moorestown. He emphisized that his favorite part of his role as owner is being able to handle problems.

    Sykes also gives back to the community in a variety of service projects, including Habitat for Humanity and the Navy Foundation. And handing out Wawa gift cards to the homeless is also a key in his life.

    “I’ve had a chance to actually stop and talk with them,” Sykes pointed out. “And it’s something that people I think need to try to do, just to converse, give them five minutes to just ask them, ‘Hey guys, I’m sorry for your situation, but what is it that you need right now?’ And I’ll tell you, you know, that’s been helpful.

    “It’s always been in my heart to be involved with them more so than anything else.”

  • Scouting America to honor women of achievement

    Courtesy of Scouting America
    Chris Aziz – whose husband and sons are also Scouts – is this year’s Woman Scouter of the Year.

    The Scouting America Garden State Council will hold the 2025 Women of Achievement Awards Reception to celebrate the accomplishments of Scout women on Thursday at the Legacy Club in Cherry Hill.

    Seven women from six South Jersey counties and one Woman Scouter of the Year will be honored for leadership and community service.

    The idea behind the event is so that younger scouts can see what they could one day aspire to become, with leadership and inspiration being the main focus and message of the event.

    This year’s Woman Scouter of the Year is Chris Aziz, a longtime Scout and volunteer.

    Aziz has various scouting accolades and has attended the National Jamboree.

    Aziz is also married to an Eagle Scout and both of her sons have attained their Eagle rank. 

    “Honoring these extraordinary women highlights the incredible impact leaders can have on both their communities and on the next generation of Scouts,” said Patrick Linfors, Scout executive and CEO of the Garden State Council.

    The other six Scouts being celebrated are government officials, educators and community organization leaders.

    The Camden County winner is Janice Campbell, founder and president of the Tri-State Canine Response Team, who also advocates for various youth services initiatives and is a recipient of the Governor’s Volunteerism Award.

    Burlington County’s winner is Keisha Stephenson Taylor, the National Academy Foundation’s senior director of alumni and post-secondary engagement, who has more than 20 years of experience supporting youth programs.

    Provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at Rowan University Dr. Vojislava Pophristic is Gloucester County’s award recipient for her work developing educational programs that aid Scouting’s mission of fostering personal growth.

    Amy J. Mahon won for Cape May County. A partner and COO at Reich Asset Management LLC and the president of the Love of Linda Cancer Fund, she mentors young people in philanthropy and civic engagement.

    The winner for Cumberland County is Dawn S. Hunter, executive director of the Greater Vineland Chamber of Commerce, who creates opportunities for scouts to serve their communities.

    Candice Racite is the associate vice president of industry engagement at Rowan College of South Jersey and Salem County’s awardee for her empowerment of youth through educational partnerships that develop leadership.

    Honoring the seven women is particularly important since Scouting America is the new name for the Boy Scouts of America. The idea is to help young Girl Scouts be empowered to engage in their communities.

  • Cherry Hill Calendar

    Wednesdays

    Barclay Farmstead public tours Noon to 4 p.m. Barclay Farmstead, 209 Barclay Lane (off West Gate Drive). For more information, visit Barclay Farmstead: A Living History Museum | Cherry Hill Township, NJ. 

    Nov. 5 to 12

    Happenings at the Cherry Hill library at 1100 Kings Highway North. For more information, call (856) 667-0300 or email info@chplnj.org. 

    Nov. 1 to 23 – Cherry Hill Township Food Drive.

    Nov. 12 – 10:30 to 11 a.m. – Tales for Twos.

    Nov. 12 – 3 to 8 p.m. – Friends Book Sale: Early Access for Friends.

    Nov. 13 – 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. – Friends Book Sale: Open to the Public.

    Nov. 13 – 10:30 to 11 a.m. – Little Bookworm’s Story Time.

    Nov. 14 – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Friends Book Sale: Open to the Public.

    Nov. 14 – 11 to 11:30 a.m. – Art Explorers.

    Nov. 15 – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Friends Book Sale: Open to the Public.

    Nov. 15 – 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. – Weekend Wiggles: Baby Story Time.

    Nov. 15 – 1 to 2:30 p.m. – Walk-Ins Welcome: Teens Two-Hand Touch Football.

    Nov. 16 – 1 to 5 p.m. – Friends Book Sale: Open to the Public.

    Nov. 16 – 1 to 5 p.m. – National Novel Writing Month: Come Write In!

    Nov. 17 – 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. – Little Wiggles: Baby Story Time.

    Nov. 18 – 10:30 to 11 a.m. – Rhyme Time.

    Nov. 18 – 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. – LEAP Intermediate.

    Nov. 18 – 4 to 5 p.m. – Library Board Meeting.

    Nov. 18 – 7 to 8:30 p.m. – REV 250: Indian King Tavern.

    Nov. 19 – 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. – Friends of the Library Meeting.

    Nov. 19 – 10:30 to 11 a.m. – Tales for Twos.

    Nov. 19 – 7 to 8 p.m. – Crafter Hours: Tissue Paper Stained Glass Turkey Craft.

    Nov. 19 – 7 to 8 p.m. – How to Hunt the Jersey Devil with Tony DiGerolamo.

    Camden County events

    For more information visit www.camdencounty.com.

    Nov. 12 – noon to 1 p.m. – Board of Social Services Meeting, Board of Social Services, 101 Woodcrest Road, Suite 161, Cherry Hill.

    Nov. 12 – noon to 2 p.m. – Billiards & Bowling for Seniors, 30 Strikes Lanes, 501 White Horse Pike South, Stratford.

    Nov. 12 – 6 to 7:30 p.m. – Camp Sunny Side Online, Virtual Event.

    Nov. 13 – noon to 1 p.m. – Board of Commissioners Meeting, Camden City Hall, 6th Floor 520 Market St., Camden.

    Nov. 13 – 6 to 9 p.m. – “A Place of Honor” Premiere: A Film on the Creation of the NJ Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Scottish Rite Auditorium, 315 White Horse Pike, Collingswood.

    Nov. 13 – 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. – Fall Music Series: An Evening of Jazz with Abe Speller, M. Allan Vogelson Regional Branch Library: Voorhees, 203 Laurel Road, Voorhees.

    Nov. 13 – 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. – disABILITIES Yoga, Camden County Environmental Center, 1301 Park Blvd., Cherry Hill.

    Nov. 13 – 7 to 8 p.m. – Fall Music Series: Faoilean, William G. Rohrer Memorial Library- Haddon Township Branch: Haddon, 15 MacArthur Blvd., Westmont.

    Nov. 15 – 8 a.m. to noon – Shred of a Cause, Animal Welfare Association, 509 Centennial Blvd., Voorhees.

    Nov. 15 – 12:30 to 5 p.m. – STEM Day, Animal Welfare Association, 509 Centennial Blvd., Voorhees.

    Nov. 17 – 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. – Senior Line Dancing Classes, Pine Hill Senior Center, 131 East 12th Ave., Pine Hill.

    Nov. 17 – 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. – disABILITIES Dance Class, Virtual Event.

    Nov. 18 – 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. – Coffee Talks for Caregivers, Virtual Event.

    Nov. 18 – 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. – disABILITIES Martial Arts, Camden County Environmental Center, 1301 Park Blvd., Cherry Hill.

    Nov. 19 – 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. – Annual Caregivers Conference, Camden County College Blackwood Campus, 200 College Drive, Gloucester Township.

    Wednesday, Nov. 12

    Wellness Walk 9 to 10 a.m. at the township mall.

    Fall Into the Arts Juried Photography Show: Open Gallery 4 to 7 p.m. at Croft Farms-Arts Center.

    Thursday, Nov. 13

    Men’s Health & Sports trivia night 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Carmen Tilelli Community Center.

    Board of Fire Commissioners workshop meeting 7 to 9 p.m. at 1100 Marlkress Road.

    Fall Into the Arts Juried Photography Show: Open Gallery 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Croft Farms-Art Center.

    Rent Review Board 6 to 10:30 p.m. at N. John Amato Council Chambers and via Zoom.

    Monday, Nov. 17

    Planning Board meeting 7:30 to 11 p.m. via Zoom.

  • Township hosts annual rabies clinic

    Eric Johnson’s dog Daisy gets a treat from Katherine Barrett of Evesham Veterinary Clinic.

    The township hosted its annual free rabies clinic on Oct. 25 in Challenge Grove Park, across from the Croft Farm dog park.

    While the state’s Department of Health enables municipalities to receive vaccines for free clinics, the local areas themselves do all the advertising and organization. Cherry Hill has offered the clinics for several years.

    Katherine Barrett of Evesham Veterinary Clinic was stationed at the park’s pavilion, inoculating dogs against the rabies virus with the help of some clinic technicians who helped keep the animals still as they received the shots.

    “We’re making sure everyone’s vaccinated for rabies, since obviously rabies can kill,” said Barrett.

    She explained the danger of rabies, not only to an animal’s health, but also to their owners and other humans in the community.

    “If your pet gets it, then if they happen to, God forbid, lick you and you have a little cut on your hand,” Barrett noted, “they can transmit it just through their saliva. Them giving you their kisses can transmit it, so protect yourselves by protecting them.”

    Before the vaccinations, several township employees got pets registered and licensed with Cherry Hill for the 2026 calendar year, an annual requirement.

    The clinic’s location across from the Croft Farm dog park made it convenient for canine owners already there to make their way over and get vaccinated. Dog treats were on hand to calm and reward the animals. 

    Township resident Eric Johnson brought his dog, a 7-year-old red fox lab named Daisy, after hearing about the clinic on Facebook.

    “We basically have been living here in Cherry Hill for a long time,” he said. “So having the facilities and the services available to us, and allowing our dog to take advantage of it like this, has been great. Her health is important to us.”

    The clinic was also open to cats, though ferrets and other companion mammals require a different type of vaccine or larger doses. Emma Lindsley, another Cherry Hill resident, brought her two tabby cats, John and Ringo.

    “I saw the flyer on the mayor’s weekly newsletter email,” she stated. “I realized I needed to get their rabies vaccinations. I was free today, so I decided to come out. Free vaccines are definitely very helpful, especially when there’s two of them.” 

    Resident Emma Lindsley brought her cats – John and Ringo – to the clinic for shots from Katherine Barrett, who administered the vaccines through the holes in their carriers.

    Thirty seven pets were vaccinated during the two-hour clinic and each shot is good for three years. Vaccinations outside of a clinic can cost between $40 and $75 per pet.

  • School of Rock youth score and perform ‘Nosferatu’

    Abigail Twiford/The Sun
    Rob Sciortino (center) and eight student composers performed “Nosferatu” on Oct. 25 at Camden County College.

    The Cherry Hill School of Rock combined a screening of the silent-film horror classic “Nosferatu” on Oct. 25 with a score composed and performed by eight students from the school’s township and Deptford locations.

    While F. W. Murnau’s 1922 film had no sound, the students coordinated their music with the movie as it played on a screen at Camden County College. All of the music was instrumental and utilized guitar, bass, keyboard and drums.

    While School of Rock music director Rob Sciortino and general manager Trisha Simon have long had the idea of composing a score for “Nosferatu,” it took finding the right students to make it a reality.

    “So you kind of need, like, a perfect storm of really super creative, organized kids,” Simon explained, “because you don’t realize how much like home-worky stuff goes into writing a score for a film.”

    The students involved in the “Nosferatu” project had to be skilled musicians with an understanding and command of their instruments who also had to write non-lyrical music. 

    To bring the show to life in the Halloween season, students from the school’s summer season were called on and met twice for two-hour rehearsals to prepare for the October screening. Meanwhile, last year’s film remake of “Nosferatu” made it relevant again.

    “Step one was to break the film into acts,” Simon noted. ” … They (students) sort of collectively decided which parts of the film they wanted to do, so all of them were assigned specific portions of the film for which to write their own score.”

    The student composers watched the film together and timed each scene to make sure the music and the unfording movie were simultaneous.

    “It was a lot of learning how to cue music with time stamps, along with the score and marking things like that,” Sciortino poined out. “It was just a lot of work for the students, just week after week progressing.” . 

    The eight students performed for every section of the film.

    “It was one of the first times they were going to write things for other people to perform,” Sciortino said. “It was a big practice in musical communication, in a way that I think is a little different than the way rock and roll musicians usually communicate with each other.”

  • EV stations, solar program addressed by council

    Courtesy of Cherry Hill Township
    Resident Jeffrey Tabello speaks during public session at an Oct. 27 council meeting about increasing no-parking zones on Europa Boulevard.

    Township council approved resolutions for renewable-energy initiatives at its Oct. 27 meeting, including the purchase of four new electric vehicle charging stations.

    The stations will be installed with accessories under the Educational Services Commission of New Jersey (ESCNJ) cooperative pricing system. The stations’ seller is Hamilton-based Bryan Electric, and the purchase is not to exceed $435,984, with $280,000 of the cost offset by state and utility incentives.

    Two Level 2 and two Level 3 charging stations are expected to be constructed at town hall. While they will primarily serve township vehicles, there are plans to allow use by people outside Cherry Hill at specific times and days of the week.

    In her public remarks at the meeting, Councilwoman Jennifer Apell praised fellow member Sangeeta Doshi for her role in advocating for the stations.

    “I’m going to say it because she won’t say it herself, but we should be calling this the Sangeeta Doshi charging station,” Apell said, “because Sangeeta has really been a champion for this. I have to say in every Green Team meeting that we have had, she has pushed for these EV charging stations.” 

    Council also approved a resolution to consult with Gabel Associates Inc. for evaluation and implementation of a community solar program. The measure also authorizes requests for proposals from solar developers to fund, install and operate an energy system at no cost to the township.

    Another ordinance approved on second reading will prohibit parking on certain streets throughout the community at all times. During the meeting’s public session, Jeffrey Tabello of the township’s Europa section spoke in support of the ordinance and asked it to be extended to his neighborhood.

    Several of his neighbors were at the meeting to support the measure. They are also asking the township to increase no-parking zone space and address safety concerns caused by cars from people who don’t live in Europa parking near its entrance, blocking it and making exits less visible. 

    “Our priority is safety, access for fire trucks, emergency vehicles, snow plows,” Tabello explained. “Getting around the median looks like it’s going to be addressed in this ordinance, and we’re just looking to see if we can make it a little bit more restrictive to address the geometry of the roadway on the south side of Europa Boulevard.”

    No decision was made on the issue but council indicated it would discussed further at future meetings. The next council session will be on Monday.