Cherry Hill Sun

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  • 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. 

    Oct. 8 to 15 

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

    Through Oct. 12 – CHPL Halloween Costume Swap Collection.

    Oct. 8 – 10:30 to 11 a.m. – Tales for Twos.

    Oct. 8 – 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Microsoft Excel for Beginners.

    Oct. 8 – 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. – Learning How to Play American Mah Jongg.

    Oct. 8 – 7 to 8 p.m. – Mending with Meaning.

    Oct. 9 – 10:30 to 11 a.m. – Little Bookworm’s Story Time.

    Oct. 9 – 2 to 3 p.m. – Adult Crafting Program: Spooky Image Transfer Votives.

    Oct. 9 – 7 to 8 p.m. – Concoctions Book Club: How to Sell a Haunted House.

    Oct. 10 – 2 to 3 p.m. – Using Your Library Account Online.

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

    Oct. 13 – All Day – LIBRARY CLOSED for Columbus Day.

    Oct. 14 – 10:30 to 11 a.m. – Rhyme Time.

    Oct. 14 – 10:30 a.m. to noon – Using Your iPhone/ iPad: What are the New Features of iOS 26? Part 1.

    Oct. 14 – 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. – LEAP.

    Oct. 14 – 2 to 3:30 p.m. – Needlework Meetup.

    Oct. 14 – 4 to 5 p.m. – Citizenship Preparation.

    Oct. 14 – 7 to 8:30 p.m. – CHPL Book Club: The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman.

    Oct. 15 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Halloween Costume Swap.

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

    Oct. 15 – 10:30 to 11 a.m. – Tales for Twos.

    Oct. 15 – 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – File & Folders: Keep your computer organized.

    Oct. 15 – 5 to 8:30 p.m. – Halloween Costume Swap.

    Oct. 15 – 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. – Learning How to Play American Mah Jongg.

    Oct. 15 – 7 to 8:30 p.m. – Crash Course on Media Literacy Skills.

    Camden County events

    For more information visit www.camdencounty.com.

    Oct. 8 – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Flu Shot Clinic- Senior Health Fair, The Forum Wedding & Catering Hall, 109 N. Black Horse Pike, Blackwood.

    Oct. 8 – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Senior Health Fair & Annual Flu Shot Program Launch, The Forum Wedding & Catering Hall, 109 N. Black Horse Pike, Blackwood.

    Oct. 8 – noon to 2 p.m. – Billiards & Bowling for Seniors, 30 Strikes Lanes, 501 White Horse Pike South, Stratford.

    Oct. 9 – 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Seniors Pickleball, DeCou Park Pickleball Courts, Evesham and Crowell Roads, Cherry Hill.

    Oct. 9 – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Senior Golf Lessons, Camden County Driving Range, 8001 S Crescent Blvd., Pennsauken.

    Oct. 10 – 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. – Carol Norcross Senior Center, 512 Lakeland Road, Blackwood.

    Oct. 11 – 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Top Rod Bassmasters Annual Cooper River Open Buddy Bass Tournament, Cooper River Park, 5300 North Park Drive, Pennsauken.

    Oct. 11 – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Barrington Harvest Festival, Down Clements Bridge Road, Barrington.

    Oct. 11 – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Seniors Painting Party, Camden County Environmental Center, 1301 Park Blvd., Cherry Hill.

    Oct. 11 – 4 to 8 p.m. – Second Saturday, 678 Haddon Ave., Collingswood.

    Oct. 11 – 7 to 10:30 p.m. – Camden County 4-H Haunting, Camden County Office of Sustainability, 508 Lakeland Road, Blackwood.

    Oct. 12 – 8 to 11 p.m. – American Harmony starring The Letterman, The Association, & The Vogues, Scottish Rite Auditorium, 315 White Horse Pike, Collingswood.

    Oct. 14 – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Senior Golf Lessons, Camden County Driving Range, 8001 S Crescent Blvd., Pennsauken.

    Oct. 14 – noon to 1 p.m. – Board of Commissioners Caucus Meeting, Camden City Hall, 6th Floor 520 Market St., Camden.

    Oct. 14 – noon to 2 p.m. – Bocce Ball for Seniors, Louis F. Cappelli, Sr. Bocce Ball Court, 5300 N Park Drive, Pennsauken.

    Oct. 14 – 4 to 7 p.m. – Flu Shot Clinic, Bellmawr Senior Center, 29 E. Browning Road, Bellmawr.

    Oct. 14 – 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. – disABILITIES Martial Arts, Camden County Environmental Center, 1301 Park Blvd., Cherry Hill.

    Oct. 15 – 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. – Senior Line Dancing Classes, Wayne Bryant Community Center, 323 E Charleston Ave., Lawnside.

    Oct. 15 – 4 to 7 p.m. – Flu Shot Clinic, Cold Spring School, 1194 Market St., Gloucester City.

    Oct. 15 – 6 to 7:30 p.m. – Camp Sunny Side Online, Camden County Environmental Center, 1301 Park Blvd., Cherry Hill.

    Wednesday, Oct. 8

    Red Coats on Kings Highway 7 p.m. at Cherry Hill library.

    Senior Coffee and Connections 9 to 11 a.m. at Carmen Tilelli Community Center.

    Thursday, Oct. 9

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

    Sunday, Oct. 12

    Opera from Around the Globe: Ensemble Series 3 p.m. at Croft Farms-Arts Center.

    Tuesday, Oct. 14

    Township council meeting 7 to 9:30 p.m. at N. John Amato Council Chambers and via Zoom.

  • National program promotes literacy in children

    Courtesy of Cherry Hill Public Library. Sharon Clarke reads a story to 2025’s graduates from the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten Challenge.

    Libraries throughout the country serve those of all ages, operating as a resource to develop a love of reading in younger generations.

    One national program that seeks to create a habit of reading before children even enter elementary school is the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten Challenge, which the Cherry Hill Library participates in.

    Program graduates – or those who reach the goal – are celebrated with an annual pizza party in September of each year, marking the end of one year of the challenge before another begins.

    The program runs year round for children as young as infants up until 5 years of age, with parents signing up their children at the desk and receiving their first reading log, which features 100 books that can be colored in as the children read them. 

    Parents who wish to sign up their children for the challenge must have a library card and fill out a form with their child’s information.

    Once one log is completed, the children return it to the library and receive another, until 10 logs are completed.

    After the first 100 books are read, participants have a picture of their face taken and receive a paper worm that they are able to put on the board that tracks all of the readers participating in the challenge. 

    The photo of their face is placed on the worm to keep track of each individual’s progress throughout the program. 

    Abigail Twiford/ The Sun The current progress board for the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten Challenge.

    Sharon Clarke and Jacquie Daddato run the program for Cherry Hill’s participants. 

    “After the first 100, we take their picture, and their worm goes on the board… they can see their progress going up to 1,000 and then once they reach 1,000, they get an invitation to a pizza party, which Jacquie and I do to run together,” said Clarke.

    Once they reach 1,000 books, a larger picture is taken of each child and it goes up on the wall above the progress board until the party. 

    “They get that as one of their prizes for finishing their 1,000 books, [which is] their graduation photo,” said Daddato.

    At the party, which was held on Sept. 6 this year, the kids have stories read to them and Clarke gives a proclamation on the achievement, with each child receiving a button and a signed and laminated copy of the proclamation of their success.

    The party also gives the children the opportunity to enjoy cookies, music and a photo booth station. 

    Cherry Hill has participated in the program for a number of years, though the parties for graduates were not able to be run during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. They did a bigger party to celebrate those years.

    “… Everybody got celebrated that did that, once we were able to,” Daddato said. “It’s a good time. The kids really look forward to it. The parents are very, very happy and appreciative.”

    Though the program is national and does have a model for how it can be run, not every library does it the same way, with some libraries offering different rewards for reaching the goal.

    This year, Cherry Hill saw a total of 36 graduates with 27 coming out to attend the party. 

    Books that are read more than once can be logged multiple times and still count towards the total. 

    “If they read the same book 17 times, they check it off 17 times,” said Daddato.

    In addition to promoting early literacy, the program also serves as a way to help parents and children bond with one another.

    “Most people don’t even realize they’re doing it…,” Daddato points out, noting her friend reads her daughter five books a night.

  • ‘We have such a quality group’

    The Cherry Hill Public Library has seen a number of staff changes and promotions over the last several months, with major departments seeing new leadership following promotions.

    Tierney Miller, formerly the head of reference and adult services, took over as library director in mid-June of this year. She takes the many internal promotions and staff changes as a positive sign, with people moving from part-time to full-time roles or transitioning into leadership positions. 

    “… We have such a quality group of professionals here who really like working here, who care about the community that they work for and with, and want to continue their career here in Cherry Hill,” Miller said. “And we’re really lucky to have them.”

    Photos courtesy of Cherry Hill Public Library.
    Tierney Miller is the new director for the Cherry Hill Public Library.

    Miller said her transition has been wonderful with the support of all the staff and the Friends of the Library.

    Miller’s new role involves her getting out into the community, as well as helping out in various departments whenever needed. She is the face of the library.

    “As the director of such a large organization, it can be easy to pull back and get siloed away from the public,” she explains. “And I have no desire to do that. I’ve worked with the public for a really long time, and I think the best way to stay connected to the patrons and the staff is to continue to work in various departments, see what issues come up, see what people are happy about.”

    So far, the most challenging part has been getting used to being the leader of the organization that she’s worked in for so long.

    “I value so much in terms of working collaboratively and in a team-oriented way, with people figuring out the balance of how to keep the spirit of that going, while also recognizing that the buck stops with me,” Miller said.

    Her favorite part so far has been getting the opportunity to see and connect with more of the library staff.

    She hopes to increase the library’s mission to become more sustainable. In her previous role, she started a sustainability community.

    “Sustainability is really important to me,” Miller said, “and I feel like libraries are positioned really well to be exemplars of sustainability in the community… people reusing materials over and over again, rather than using and discarding them.”

    She also hopes to lead the library in developing more ways to build community at the library.

    “I think that a lot of people of all ages are struggling with isolation, loneliness, feelings of division, and the library can be a place for them to come to connect with others,” Miller said. “… to sit down with like-minded people, maybe get creative and find others that make them feel a little less alone.”

    Kelly Shesko took over as head of reference and adult services following Miller’s promotion to director.

    Kelly Shesko takes on leadership in reference and adult services. She is a Cherry Hill resident and has worked in the library for the adult services department for six years, having previously gained experience at six library systems across four states before deciding to stay in Cherry Hill.

    The role she is taking over involves coordinating all programming for adults at the library, handling scheduling, staffing and payment for performers and speakers, as well as figuring out what makes a good library program versus what may not.

    The role also involves all collections of print, audio, databases, periodicals and all other materials for adults throughout the library. 

    Jasmine Riel took over the role of supervisor of youth services following the retirement of previous supervisor Erica Moon.

    The youth services department is also under new leadership following the retirement of former supervisor Erica Moon.

    Jasmine Riel, a Cherry Hill native who graduated from Cherry Hill High School West in 2011, has taken over in the position, having worked at the library since 2015. She previously worked as the teen librarian in the department.

    The role involves Riel handling all programming for library patrons from infancy to 18 years of age, as well as outreach for school visits and youth oriented events around the community.

    Talie Meza is the new teen librarian.

    A new teen librarian, Talie Meza, recently began working in the department as well, coming to Cherry Hill from the Burlington County Library System where she worked as a Digital Learning Library associate.

  • League of Women Voters, PTA host school board forum

    Courtesy of Cherry Hill Public Schools
    Candidates Collin Duckett (left), Candi Cummings, Adam Greenbaum and Gina Winters sit on a Board of Education forum hosted by the Cherry Hill Zone PTA and League of Women Voters on Set. 21. Janet Fisher Hughes from the League of Women Voters served as the moderator.

    Cherry Hill Township will see three Board of Education seats up for election or re-election on Nov. 4, with five total candidates running for the available seats.

    Two of them, Board President Gina Winters and Board Vice President Adam Greenbaum, are both incumbents running for reelection, while the other three candidates – Collin Duckett, Candi Cummings and Brandi N. DeVeaux – running for new seats.

    In order to help voters be better informed and acquainted with the five candidates, the Cherry Hill Zone PTA and League of Women Voters hosted a candidate forum with a virtual audience on Sept. 21.

    Four candidates were in attendance, with DeVeaux not able to attend in person and instead opting to answer all of the questions on her campaign’s Facebook page.

    Janet Fisher Hughes of the League moderated the forum, with fellow member Marilyn Bergen keeping time.

    Each candidate was given a chance to introduce themselves and explain why they wanted to run and what they would hope to accomplish in the role should they be elected, with Fisher Hughes reading the statement for DeVeaux when it was her turn. 

    The order in which the candidates were to speak was randomly selected with Duckett going first, and each received two minutes to complete their statements. 

    Each candidate offered their perspectives on why they want to be elected, from Duckett’s position as a recent graduate from the district, to the role the rest of the candidates play in PTA’s or generally in their own children’s educations within the district.

    The first three questions asked the candidates for their connection to the district, goals if elected, and whether or not they had any conflicts of interest that would impact their ability to fulfill their duties in the position.

    All five candidates stated that they have no conflicts of interest, though goals and connections to the district varied. 

    Winters said that her goal would be to see the bond referendum projects through to completion including the preschool expansion and see the five-year strategic plan through.

    “I think our five year strategic plan that was community driven and the board voted on is something to look forward to in the next five years to really drive progress in the district forward on areas such as academic achievement, facilities, special education and all the things that we know we need to do to make our schools even better than they are right now,” she said.

    Duckett, who was next to speak, said he would focus on making the school climate and environment more inviting to students and responsibly budgeting to allow students to have what they need.

    “I want to turn school into not something that the students necessarily view as a seven-hour chore that they have to do every day, but rather a home away from home,” he explained.

    Cummings’s goals would be to maintain and set even higher standards for academic achievement, increase teacher support and create lasting community partnerships.

    ” … Teacher support is a critical resource, training, respect and empowerment are all things that we really need to instill in our teachers,” she said.

    Greenbaum plans to focus most on funding and fiscal responsibility.

    “Every year our district doesn’t get our fair share, and every year we have to rise to the challenge to figure out, how do we best support our students with limited and diminishing funds each year,” he said.

    On her Facebook page, Deveaux listed her top goals as ensuring timely and equitable support for special education, transparency and accountability from the board and handling the budget.

    “I will work to protect critical programs in the face of budget cuts,” she said. “I will work to prioritize funding for essential programs.”

    Questions touched on a variety of different topics that have been surrounding Cherry Hill schools as well as the educational landscape more broadly, with the community having the opportunity to send in questions before the beginning of the forum.

    All candidates answered that they support the Freedom to Read Act that was passed into law last year. Each candidate also uniquely addressed concerns like AI in the classroom.

  • 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. 

    Oct. 1 to 8 

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

    Through Oct. 12 – CHPL Halloween Costume Swap Collection.

    Oct. 1 – 10:30 a.m. to noon – Wi-Fi: What is it? Good? Dangerous? What you need to know.

    Oct. 3 – 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. – CHPL Family Costume Party.

    Oct. 4 – 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. – Yoga for Everyone.

    Oct. 4 – noon to 2 p.m. – Dungeons & Dragons for Teens.

    Oct. 5 – 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. – CHPL Flea Market 2025.

    Oct. 5 – 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. – Artist Reception: Flora.

    Oct. 6 – 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. – Little Wiggles: Baby Story Time.

    Oct. 6 – 2 to 4 p.m. – Monday Movie: “Mother’s Instinct.”

    Oct. 6 – 6 to 8 p.m. – Intro to Web Development: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

    Oct. 6 – 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. – Barking Book Buddies.

    Oct. 7 – 10:30 to 11 a.m. – Rhyme Time.

    Oct. 7 – 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. – LEAP.

    Oct. 7 – 4 to 5 p.m. – Citizenship Preparation.

    Oct. 7 – 7 to 8 p.m. – The Power of Personal Branding & The Art of Brand Positioning.

    Oct. 8 – 10:30 to 11 a.m. – Tales for Twos.

    Oct. 8 – 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Microsoft Excel for Beginners.

    Oct. 8 – 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. – Learning How to Play American Mah Jongg.

    Oct. 8 – 7 to 8 p.m. – Mending with Meaning.

    Camden County events

    For more information visit www.camdencounty.com.

    Oct. 1 – noon to 2 p.m. – Billiards & Bowling for Seniors, 30 Strikes Lanes, 501 White Horse Pike South, Stratford.

    Oct. 2 – 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Seniors Pickleball, DeCou Park Pickleball Courts, Evesham and Crowell Roads, Cherry Hill.

    Oct. 2 – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Senior Golf Lessons, Camden County Driving Range, 8001 S Crescent Blvd., Pennsauken.

    Oct. 3 – 6 to 9 p.m. – Movies in the Park: Mean Girls, Haddon Lake Park, Hillside and South Park Avenue, Haddon Heights.

    Oct. 4 – 8 to 11 a.m. – Ike’s Hook Em Early Fishing Event, Haddon Lake Park, Hillside and South Park Avenue, Haddon Heights.

    Oct. 4 – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Collingswood Book Festival, Downtown Collingswood, 678 Haddon Ave., Collingswood.

    Oct. 4 – 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Camden Family Festival, Coopers Poynt Waterfront Park, Delaware Ave., Camden.

    Oct. 4 – noon to 5 p.m. – Brooklawn Fall Festival, Brooklawn.

    Oct. 4 – 8 to 11 p.m. – Floyd Nation: Wish You Were Here Tour, Scottish Rite Auditorium, 315 White Horse Pike, Collingswood.

    Oct. 5 – 6:45 to 9 p.m. – A Grandparents Night at the Movies, Veterans Memorial Park, 1261 Chews Landing Road, Blackwood.

    Oct. 7 – 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. – Senior Line Dancing Classes, Pine Hill Senior Center, 131 East 12th Ave., Pine Hill.

    Oct. 7 – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Senior Golf Lessons, Camden County Driving Range, 8001 S Crescent Blvd., Pennsauken.

    Oct. 8 – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Flu Shot Clinic- Senior Health Fair, The Forum Wedding & Catering Hall, 109 N. Black Horse Pike, Blackwood.

    Oct. 8 – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Senior Health Fair & Annual Flu Shot Program Launch, The Forum Wedding & Catering Hall, 109 N. Black Horse Pike, Blackwood.

    Oct. 8 – noon to 2 p.m. – Billiards & Bowling for Seniors, 30 Strikes Lanes, 501 White Horse Pike South, Stratford.

    Sunday, Oct. 5

    Barclay Farmstead First Sunday Open House 1 to 4 p.m. at Barclay Farmstead.

    Monday, Oct. 6

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

    Wednesday, Oct. 8

    Senior Coffee & Connections 9 to 11 a.m. at Carmen Tilelli Community Center.

    Red Coats on Kings Highway 7 p.m. at Cherry Hill Public Library.

  • Township library co-hosts voter registration effort

    Along with this year’s gubernatorial race in November, Cherry Hill will hold elections for the board of education and the township council.

    As part of an effort to keep people engaged in every election and not just the presidential contests, the League of Women Voters visited the township library on Sept. 16 to mark National Voter Registration Day, a non-partisan observance the league started in 2012. 

    Joan Divor is co-president of the league’s Camden County chapter.

    “The overall goal is to empower people, because your vote is your voice,” she noted at the library. “And we want to get out the vote, increase the number of people that are ready to vote and that will vote. It’s a big election in New Jersey this November.”

    During the voter observance, volunteers get involved in their communities, reaching out to people in person and online to encourage election registration.

    League members at the library approached patrons and asked them if they were registered, and answered any voter questions and concerns. Along with getting out the vote, the volunteers also helped ensure that registrations were updated and provided information on polling locations and candidates.

    “One of the things that attracted me to the league is all the ways they find to get out and get people to vote and strengthen our democracy,” noted league member Bobbie Doose.

    The league also regularly appears outside the Camden County Courthouse following naturalization ceremonies to get new citizens registered, and visits correctional facilities to register those inmates elegible to vote.

    “If you want to have a choice in who’s representing you, you have to use your vote,” Divor explained. “That’s the way you choose … The more people vote, the more that the elected officials will be accountable, and the more likely we are to get the elected officials that we want.

    “It’s going to be decided by the voters, not the people that stay home.”

    Elections in New Jersey will be held on Nov. 4. To check a current voter registration status, visit nationalvoterregistrationday.org.

  • The freedom to read

    There are about 1.8 million people in the U.S. in correctional facilities, including state and federal prisons, local jails, juvenile detention centers and immigration detention facilities, according to the Prison Policy Initiative.

    That’s why Freedom Reads has made it a mission to put hand-crafted bookcases called Freedom Libraries into the hands of inmates across the country. The national organization installed the first of its county-level facilities at the Camden County Juvenile Detention Center on Sept. 15. 

    Tyler Sperrazza is the chief production officer for Freedom Reads.

    “Our entire mission is about bringing dignity to those who are incarcerated,” he explained, “and reminding them that the walls between the inside and the outside can be more porous, and books are the way to do that right.” 

    The county detention center got one Freedom Library for its female housing unit and another for the male unit. The facility currently houses four female and 28 male residents between the ages of 13 and 21.

    Elizabeth Cheer is the site education supervisor for the center. She first approached the Freedom Reads team at a conference of individuals who work on prison re-entry.

    “This is the proudest moment of my career, bringing these libraries,” she said. 

    Reginald Dwayne Betts, founder and CEO of Freedom Reads, was passed a copy of “The Black Poets” while incarcerated as a teen. The experience inspired him to move forward with his life by writing his own poetry. Betts got published before his release from prison and later became a lawyer. 

    Betts was then inspired to create Freedom Reads, with the goal of putting a Freedom Library in every correctional facility housing unit in the nation. So far, the organization has created 515 libraries in 51 adult and youth prisons, and stocked them with more than 278,500 books. 

    Several members of the Freedom Reads team, many former prisoners themselves, were on hand for the Camden County presentation. Library coordination manager David Perez DeHoyos explained the emotional impact that being incarcerated can have on an individual.

    “It’s disorienting,” he noted. “It’s kind of, in a way, traumatizing, like the shell shock of being out, free in the community, then suddenly behind bars. So there’s … an isolation to it.” 

    Some of those present for the county unveiling designed and built the detention center bookcases, which are carefully created to be welcoming while allowing for conversation and book sharing.

    “Imagine some of the stuff that these kids have been through, and then all of a sudden, they can read a book, and they can be in a different place, in a mindset …,” County Commissioner Jonathan Young observed. “We’re just hoping that this is something that may be a calming agent for them.

    “This is something that maybe really starts to turn their life around.”

    That the books are new paperback copies is an important aspect of Freedom Reads.

    “We want to make sure that we’re showing folks on the inside that they are valued in a way, that they deserve new books, and they deserve to be the first person that’s opened that book and read that book,” Sperrazza pointed out. “We … want them to be able to have that experience.” 

    The library bookcases are filled with titles carefully selected to best serve the needs of the center’s juvenile residents. They include young adult books of several different genres: science fiction, poetry, non-fiction and literary classics.

    The Freedom Library unveiled at the Camden County Juvenile Detention Center on Sept. 13 has a curated selection of books and genres.

    “I really just want them to have their horizons open and to learn about things that maybe they didn’t even know existed before hand,” Cheer emphasized, “and just also to understand that people care about them enough to have brought these books, these libraries and this knowledge to them.”

    One of the female juveniles at the center – identified only as JB – was offered recommendations from a member of Freedom Rides based on books she enjoyed.

    David Perez DeHoyos of Freedom Reads and a detention center juvenile indentified at JB discuss books at the new Freedom Library.

    During an an assembly-style presentation for inmates at the center, each of the formerly incarcerated members of the Freedom Reads team stepped up to the podium to share how books changed their lives. 

    Kevin Baker, another library production manager for the organization, shared a story about one library that was met with hostility and aggression by inmates – until the books appeared.

    “I watched grown men go from violence to compassion and gratitude in 21 minutes,” he recalled, “because of these books.”  

  • District cuts ribbon on all-purpose rooms

    Abigail Twiford/The Sun
    Board of education president Gina Winters and Superintendent Dr. Kwame Morton helped celebrate the new room at Kingston Elementary.

    Among major construction work at township school buildings this summer was the building of new all-purpose rooms in six of the district’s 12 elementary schools: Clara Barton, James Johnson, Kingston, A. Russell Knight, Horace Mann and Joseph D. Sharp.

    The rooms were among projects paid for with a $363-million bond referendum passed by Cherry Hill voters in 2022. To celebrate their openings, the district held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Kingston on Sept. 18.

    While the all-purpose rooms have been in use by students and staff since the beginning of the school year, the ribbon cutting marked their official openings. They have a number of features that will help the schools run programs and activities for the entire student body.

    At Kingston, the new room consists of a full-size basketball court with a built-in stage accessible for those with disabilities. Its stage has a light system with different functionalities and the room has an integrated audio-visual system with Bluetooth connectable speakers, a projector and a drop-down screen. 

    It can be secured from the rest of the building using locked doors, has storage and office space for a physical education teacher and custodial staff and a single-use bathroom. 

    “It’s a game-changer in terms of a whole group assembly location we didn’t fit real well in,” noted Kingston principal Dr. William Marble. “It wouldn’t fit real well in the former APR. So to have that, and again, in a climate-controlled environment, is really phenomenal.  

    “In the past,’ he added, “we just limited that to a couple of grade levels so that we could fit them in that assembly. We can do a whole school assembly this year.” 

    Superintendent Dr. Kwame Morton began the ribbon cutting with a story about how he spoke with some of the fourth graders outside for recess before the ceremony. They asked him if those who paid for the new room would be there.

    “I thought for a second and I said yeah,” Morton recounted. “And then – in a young lady’s infinite wisdom – she said, ‘My parents have to pay for this.’ And I said, ‘You are absolutely correct.’ And that’s exactly why we’re here.”

    Morton thanked people who played a role in getting the referendum passed and the all-purpose rooms built.

    “This is the story of us,” he explained. “This is the story of Cherry Hill, and who Cherry Hill is, and what we’re all about, that is a unified community which is highly supportive of its schools and of its students.”

    Board of education president Gina Winters recalled the hard work that went into getting the referendum passed. A 2018 referendum to improve the schools was rejected by voters, so when the district was drafting the 2022 measure, community members were asked why the prior referendum had failed.

    “The board engaged all corners of the community to identify our collective aspirations for our schools,” Winters pointed out. “The decision was made to do something audacious. As one former board president told me, ‘If you have a choice between safe and bold, choose bold.’”

    Current and former members of the board gathered as Morton and Winters used an oversized pair of scissors branded with school district colors of purple and red scissors to cut the ribbon.

    Kingston students play in the new all-purpose room following the ribbon cutting.

    Kingston students then made their way to the room’s basketball court.

  • 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. 

    Sept. 24 to Oct. 1

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

    Sept. 15 to Oct. 12 – CHPL Halloween Costume Swap Collection. 

    Sept. 24 – 10:30 to 11 a.m. – Tales for Twos.

    Sept. 24 – 2 to 4 p.m. – Lego Challenge!

    Sept. 24 – 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. – Learning How to Play American Mah Jongg.

    Sept. 24 – 7 to 8 p.m. – Crafter Hours: Masking Tape Painting.

    Sept. 24 – 7 to 8:30 p.m. – Fall into Poetry with Suzanne Gili Post.

    Sept. 24 – 7 to 8:30 p.m. – Selling Merchandise Online: Create a Passive Income Stream.

    Sept. 25 – 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. – Microsoft Word for Beginners: Just the Basics.

    Sept. 25 – 2 to 4 p.m. – Must Watch Documentary: Banned Together.

    Sept. 26 – 10:30 to 11 a.m. – Music and Movement.

    Sept. 27 – 11 a.m. to noon – Sound Bath Meditation.

    Sept. 27 – 2 to 3:30 p.m. – Needlework Meetup.

    Sept. 28 – 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. – To Broadway and Back: A Concert with Lisa Gutkin.

    Sept. 29 – 3:45 to 4:30 p.m. – Decorate Your Backpack (or a Pencil Case).

    Sept. 29 – 6 to 8 p.m. – Mocktail Mixology Workshop: Library Fundraiser Event!

    Sept. 29 – 6:30 to 7 p.m. – Night Owls.

    Sept. 30 – 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. – LEAP.

    Sept. 30 – 7 to 8 p.m. – iPhone Photography.

    Sept. 30 – 7 to 8:15 p.m. – Poetic Mindfulness: An Innovative Blend of Poetry, Mindfulness, and Self- empowerment.

    Oct. 1 – 10:30 a.m. to noon – Wi-Fi: What is it? Good? Dangerous? What you need to know.

    Camden County events

    For more information visit www.camdencounty.com.

    Sept. 24 – noon to 2 p.m. – Billiards & Bowling for Seniors, 30 Strikes Lanes, 501 White Horse Pike South, Stratford.

    Sept. 24 – 6 to 7:30 p.m. – R.E.A.L Sports Golf, Camden County Driving Range, 8001 S Crescent Blvd., Pennsauken.

    Sept. 24 – 6 to 7:30 p.m. – Camp Sunny Side Online, Virtual Event.

    Sept. 25 – 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Seniors Pickleball, DeCou Park Pickleball Courts, Evesham and Crowell Roads, Cherry Hill.

    Sept. 25 – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Senior Golf Lessons, Camden County Driving Range, 8001 S Crescent Blvd., Pennsauken.

    Sept. 25 – 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Senior Prize Bingo, Wayne Bryant Community Center, 323 E Charleston Ave., Lawnside.

    Sept. 25 – 5 to 8 p.m. – Year of the Arts Opening Reception, Stedman Gallery- Rutgers University, 3rd St., Camden.

    Sept. 25 – 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. – disABILITIES Bocce Ball, Camden County Environmental Center, 1301 Park Blvd., Cherry Hill.

    Sept. 26 – 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – 9th Annual Recovery Softball Tournament, Valleybrook Fields, 200 Golfview Drive, Blackwood.

    Sept. 26 – 6 to 8:30 p.m. – Together in Song Sing Along and Dancing in the Park, John H. Adler Memorial Park at Challenge Grove, 101 Bortons Mill Road, Cherry Hill.

    Sept. 27 – 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Miracle League Baseball, Boundless Field at John Adler Memorial Park at Challenge Grove, 101 Bortons Mill Road, Cherry Hill.

    Sept. 27 – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Delaware River Festival, Wiggins Park, 2 Riverside Drive, Camden. 

    Sept. 27 – 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. – 29th Annual Woofstock Festival, 2400 Voorhees Town Center, Voorhees.

    Sept. 27 – 7 to 10 p.m. – Arturo Sandoval: Year of the Arts, Walter K. Gordon Theater, 314 Linden St., Camden.

    Sept. 28 – 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Miracle League Baseball, Boundless Field at John Adler Memorial Park at Challenge Grove, 101 Bortons Mill Road, Cherry Hill.

    Sept. 29 – 4:30 to 7 p.m. – Seniors After Hours Ceramics Class, Carol Norcross Senior Center, 512 Lakeland Road, Blackwood.

    Sept. 29 – 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. – disABILITIES Dance Class, Camden County Environmental Center, 1301 Park Blvd., Cherry Hill.

    Sept. 30 – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Senior Golf Lessons, Camden County Driving Range, 8001 S Crescent Blvd., Pennsauken.

    Oct. 1 – noon to 2 p.m. – Billiards & Bowling for Seniors, 30 Strikes Lanes, 501 White Horse Pike South, Stratford.

    Thursday, Sept. 25

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

    Saturday, Sept. 27

    National Public Lands Day (NPLD) 9 a.m. to noon at Croft Farm.

    Sunday, Sept. 28

    Ballet in the Park: “Peter and the Wolf” 3 to 5 p.m. at Croft Farm.

    Monday, Sept. 29

    Township council meeting 7 to 9:30 p.m., N. John Amato Council Chambers and via Zoom.

  • Library hosts WHYY for book banning talk

    Abigail Twiford/ The Sun One of the small groups discussing the different aspects associated with book banning during the WHYY event.

    The Cherry Hill Public Library and WHYY both aim to be channels for members of the public to share opinions and voice opposing viewpoints in a safe and respectful way.

    This was demonstrated by the library hosting WHYY for a conversation on book banning on Sept. 10.

    According to the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, it tracked 821 attempts to ban library materials or services last year, with 2,452 unique titles challenged. 

    While these numbers are lower than those in 2023, they are still higher than reported ban attempts before 2020, which is one of the reasons why WHYY decided on the topic for the talk.

    They began their event with moderator Brisa Luzzi Castro, a community convener at WHYY and Tony Cuffie, senior manager of community and engagement at the organization showing the group a “60 Minutes” piece of book banning throughout the nation.

    After showing the piece, the group was given a hand out outlining agreements to participate in the discussion and five questions.

    “We’re out with you today to share our perspectives, but listen to the perspectives of others, and be willing to be here with an open mind, listening to some of these, of the lived experiences of the folks who are sitting next to us,” said Castro. 

    The rules for the group included to come with an open mind, listen to learn from others, respect the other speakers, no personal attacks and an acknowledgement that facts are universal while opinions are subjective.

    “It’s all a matter of one’s perspective in terms of how they think to solve the challenge,” Cuffie said, adding there’s no right answer.

    The audience was broken into four small groups for a 20 minute small group discussion to discuss the five provided questions.

    The questions consisted of why the individual wanted to participate, the biggest challenges related to the issue, key groups or issues related to the issue that are often missed, what they feel people with opposing viewpoints get wrong and what they would like key stakeholders to change or improve about the issue. 

    Conversations featured people saying that librarians are not being defended, parents having the right over their own children’s educations but not rights over all public school curriculum, lack of respect for one another fueled by social media and the need to hear other perspectives.

    Kathy Hogan is a Cherry Hill resident and lawyer who came out to share her views and hear those of others.

    She shared similar views in attendance, noting that it is important for maintaining freedom of speech to not allow a few people to ban works based on their own views. 

    Many in the group also said that due to this similarity in views, they thought it would have been more productive to have more people with varying views. 

    “It’s so important, especially now for communities to get together,” Hogan said.