Cherry Hill Sun

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  • Update on projects at township schools

    The township school district spent part of summer preparing for the 2025-’26 academic year with new curriculum plans and construction projects across its schools.

    Among them was the adoption of a five-year strategic plan to provide a blueprint of the district’s vision, mission, goals and core values going forward, along with specific actions and strategies.

    “It is a lengthy document, quite a bit of information there,” said Superintendent Dr. Kwame Morton, “but that truly frames the direction for the next five years.”

    The district has established what it calls the Portrait of a Graduate to outline attributes and characteristics it hopes students will attain as they progress through the school system.

    “The attributes and characteristics are needed to be successful while they’re with us absolutely,” Morton explained, “but more importantly, those that they (the students) need to be successful in this uncertain future world … to help them to become future ready.”

    Several construction projects are underway, the result of a $363 million bond referendum approved in 2022 to address infrastructure and modernization of facilities. 

    Of the 12 elementary schools in the township, six had smaller all-purpose rooms for large gatherings. To improve safety, those spaces were expanded at Clara Barton, A. Russell Knight, James Johnson, Horace Mann, Joseph D. Sharp and Kingston elementary schools. 

    “We were floored by just how outstanding the project had really come together,” Morton enthused. “I was floored by just the amount of space that was added.”

    Estelle V. Malberg Early Childhood Education Center has three significant projects ongoing. The building’s facade is being redone, a new bus loop to alleviate congestion has been installed and one wing of classrooms now has more bathrooms.

    “Historically, a part of the building had bathrooms inside of the rooms,” Morton said. “There’s another section that did not have bathrooms inside, so the bathrooms have been added.”

    An expansion is happening at the back of Malberg to add eight preschool classrooms, partly the result of aid from the state. Joyce Kilmer Elementary also had its bus loop updated and is getting eight additional classrooms to accommodate preschoolers. 

    “I think it’s going to be absolutely needed with the additional students that will be joining preschool, but absolutely needed for that community,” Morton emphasized. “So that’s a great enhancement and upgrade.”

    West High now has an accessible walkway for the disabled around its stadium.

    “Let’s say an individual came in their own wheelchair,” Morton offered. “Up to a certain point, there was concrete, but after that, in order to access the next point, (people) would have to go over grass and rocks, and it’s just not really conducive at all. So that accessibility issue has been solved.”

    J. F. Cooper Elementary will get a new vestibule and Rosa International Middle School will see an addition to its building that will accommodate a new cafeteria and meeting space. It, too, will have a new vestibule and new locations for its main offices.

    Work at Carusi Middle School is expected to continue for several years.

    “The entire building literally is being stripped down to the studs, almost, and sort of being rebuilt,” Morton reported.

    The project involves asbestos abatement, improved lighting, new walls and a complete upgrade to the locker room and gymnasium facilities. 

    “In order to get this done, the scope of the work requires that it be done in phases,” Morton pointed out. “We can’t shut the building down, because they have 900 kids who attend Carusi.”

    The sixth-grade wing at the school has been shut down as construction projects continue. That has necessitated use of two separate and revived temporary classroom units.

    “The kids just had orientation this week and had a chance to visit the units,” Morton said. “They are receiving rave reviews just by the niceness and the newness of them … So many people mistakenly think of them as like trailers, but they are far from trailers.”

    All district schools have undergone extensive cleaning, disinfection and repairs on furniture by the custodial staff.

    Courtesy of Cherry Hill Public Schools
    Work on the main office of Carusi Middle School is part of an overall renovation at the building.

  • ‘A lifelong dream’

    Photos by Abigail Twiford/The Sun Several of Debbie Lynch’s watercolor works on display on one of the tables in the conference center.

    The lower level of the Cherry Hill Public Library features an art gallery. The walls are lined with works of art that are switched out on a monthly basis, each new exhibit displaying the works of a different local artist.

    For the month of August, the gallery features the works of Debbie Lynch, whose works feature a heavy emphasis on nature, color and animals. 

    After spending five years teaching science and 17 years as an elementary art teacher, Lynch retired, now spending her time working on her art, having always wanted to have the opportunity to display her work. 

    “It’s always been my dream to work on my paintings and to have the opportunity to exhibit them,” Lynch said. “Yeah, so this is a lifelong dream being fulfilled.”

    As a Cherry Hill library patron, Lynch would often visit the gallery, which is what gave her the idea to ask about potentially getting her own work displayed there. After asking about it and giving some examples of her work a year and a half ago, August 2025 was her month to display.

    “I’ve been over the moon since,” she said.  

    Lynch’s artist reception at the library, titled “Exhibit Number One, My Journey’s Just Begun,” was held on Aug. 16, where she met with friends, fans and viewers.

    The walls of the hallways were adorned with Lynch’s acrylic paintings, while half of the conference center was set aside to display her watercolor works, painted vases, and painted coasters. 

    Her style of painting – with its use of color and the way shapes and textures are utilized and painted – are reminiscent of Vincent Van Gogh and Gustav Klimt, two of her inspirations, along with Canadian artist Alex Demers, who also often features animals as her primary subjects.

    One of Debbie Lynch’s paintings featuring a horse titled “Starry Night Stallion.”

    “I love color … sometimes I just go off the grid and just kind of go abstract and crazy, I just love to play with color,” said Lynch. 

    Her paintings largely feature forests, cats, horses and sometimes fantastical elements like fairies and dragons. 

    “I wanted to show a variety of what I can do,” said Lynch. 

    Some of the pieces also feature hidden images, like “The Cat, the Moon and Friends,” which shows a cat sitting in a tree illuminated by the moon, with the shapes of several black cats hidden among the tree’s roots. 

    The acrylic painting “The Cat, the Moon and Friends” hanging on the wall of the library’s art gallery.

    “This one sold as soon as I painted it,” said Lynch, referring to the work. “But I said, I need to hang onto it for my show.”

    Cats and dogs are some of her favorite subjects. She has two black cats and a lab mix. Horses are another favorite subject of Lynch, and are featured in a number of her pieces as well.

    Her watercolor works were set on a table in the conference center, with visitors sifting through the different works to look at the range of subjects Lynch took on, with some viewers purchasing pieces as well. 

    Besides her love of animals, her passion for gardening is also present in much of her art, with several paintings displaying a variety of plants, trees and flowers. Each of the painted vases on display had flowers painted on them.

    Another piece on display was a painted stool that bore a note telling spectators to ask about the work.

    While it looks like a stool now, it started its life as a plant stand in the 1960s, once having three tiers, though over time it became just a one level stool-shaped structure. Lynch inherited the stool from her mother last March.

    Several of Lynch’s works on display, including the painted stool.

    “She used to just put her feet on it and I thought, ‘I can do something with this … ’ So I filled in the hole with a little bit of work, and I hand painted it, and now it’s a decorative footstool. It was once a 1960s plant stand, and it’s been reborn,” said Lynch.

    While this was her first art display, Lynch hopes to have more in the future. She is already in talks with other local art displays and galleries.

  • Pop-up park story times wrap up for the summer

    Abigail Twiford/The Sun
    Youth Services librarian Katie Helf (left) reads one of the books to the audience as Adult and Youth Services librarian Kristin Redmond leads the kids in accompanying activities.

    Story times are a staple for young children at libraries around the country, giving kids an early introduction to reading.

    The Cherry Hill Public Library holds story times on a regular basis, though some of them are done with a twist.

    In the summer months, the library holds a series of story times in some of the township’s parks, alternating week to week between the Barclay Farmstead and Croft Farms called Pop Up Story Times.

    The seasonal story times are the result of a partnership between the library and the township’s Parks and Recreation department, a collaboration that has been ongoing since the pop up story times first started in 2016. 

    This year, they were held every week on Friday mornings from June 27 to Aug. 15 to overlap with summer reading. The theme, Color Our World, heavily inspired the story selection each week.

    Each week featured a different theme based around the idea of different forms of art, including painting and music. Microphones were used to make sure everyone could hear, no matter how far they were from the two speakers.

    Story times not only included reading and showing illustrations from the chosen materials, they also featured activities throughout the event to keep the children engaged.

    Youth Services librarian Katie Helf and Adult and Youth Services librarian Kristin Redmond began each meeting by leading the gathered children and their caretakers in song, often using nursery rhymes or variations of them to get them further invested before beginning the readings.

    The park-based story times were originally created as a way of raising more awareness of the library and the number of different programs it holds among residents of the township.

    “We moved around to different parks, trying to engage people in the different neighborhood parks,” Redmond explained. ” … If they happen to be here playing on the playground, they would say, ‘Let’s listen to this story time’ to hopefully engage them and get them to come to the library.”

    Each week, the story times saw a turnout of around 100 people, with the final week seeing 130 people come out.

    “We’re grateful for everybody who comes out and supports the program,” Helf said. 

    The final week, held on Aug. 15, had the theme of music and sounds.

    To go along with this theme, they read “Music is in Everything” by Ziggy Marley and “This Musical Magical Night” by Rhonda Gowler Greene and James Rey Sanchez. They also sang songs between the stories. 

    Children were encouraged to join in on the sounds showed and call out the different colors that appeared.

    Cara Dunn was one of the Cherry Hill residents who brought her children out for the story times, meeting up with a group of cousins and friends.

    “We’ve been here every time they’ve had it in Barclay farms this summer,” Dunn said. “We enjoy that it’s good for all ages, and the kids can roam and have snacks.”

    Each story time session wrapped with a final song as children and their parents sang along.

  • Council supports proposed ‘Green Amendment’

    Courtesy of the Cherry Hill Township Facebook page.

    Cherry Hill became the latest municipality to support the proposed “Green Amendment” to the state’s constitution.

    “Council and I are also pleased to support the proposed green amendment to the New Jersey constitution, which will provide our residents additional constitutional rights to clean water, air and a healthy environment,” Mayor David Fleisher said during a council meeting on Aug. 19.

    This support on the municipal level will encourage the state legislature to take action on the pending legislation regarding the amendment, which will then put the proposed amendment on the ballot to be decided by New Jersey voters.

    In response to the news, several members of the Pinelands Preservation Alliance, as well as other local and statewide organizations focused on ecological health like the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions, came out to express their gratitude for the support.

    “Thank you for passing resolutions for the green amendment,” said Steven Elliot, who works as water use specialist for Pinelands Preservation Alliance and the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions. “It’s an important step, and you’re taking on a leadership role. It’s really about starting a conversation and placing the values of pure air, clean water and healthy environments at the same level as our right of free speech.”

    Councilwoman Sangeeta Doshi commented on her own appreciation for the township’s support of the proposed green amendment.

    “It’s about clean energy and clean air, and I think everybody wants clean air for their children and families,” she said.

    In other news, the council made a move to approve on first reading a township zoning ordinance to establish a new residential inclusionary mixed use overlay zone.

    This would allow for an amendment to the existing zoning ordinance to create a new zone at 2100 to 2110 Route 38, which will allow for mixed use development including a minimum of 20% affordable housing units to meet the township’s obligations.

    Another decision from the meeting involved an ordinance amendment that will modify fees associated with certain required documents, as well as amending certain licensing provisions associated with massage parlors and other massage providers.

    During the public comment period, township resident Susan Wolf raised concerns about zoning violations in her neighborhood, alleging that some of the houses in her area were being rented out as multiple apartments despite being zoned as single family residences.

    “People are buying them to rent them out … One became an Airbnb, which I didn’t even know was allowed, and then they changed to the apartments, four apartments within one house … I’m really concerned … it seems to me like it’s happening more and more,” she said.

    Wolf also raised concerns about the use of pesticides around the community, specifically around the health and environmental impacts associated with the sprays, as well as speeding in the area.

    Fleisher thanked Wolf for bringing her concerns to the council, promising to look into them and giving reassurances that the police would address the issue of speeding and that the zoning violations would be investigated through the proper channels.

    Remote callers during the meeting expressed concern over the removal of trees in the township and asking about when they would be replaced, thanked the council for holding the National Night Out at Cherry Hill High School East and called in to relay their gratitude for the public works department’s removal of overgrown foliage.

    The next township council meeting will be held on Sept. 8 in the N. John Amato Council Chambers and via Zoom.

  • 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. 3 to 10

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

    Sept. 1 to 14 – All Day – Cradles to Crayons Donation Drive. 

    Sept. 3 – 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Backup Your PC: Protect Your Information.

    Sept. 3 – 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Work it Out @ Your Library: Create, Test, Improve!

    Sept. 4 – Little Bookworm’s Story Time.

    Sept. 6 – 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. – Yoga for Everyone.

    Sept. 6 – noon to 2 p.m. – Dungeons & Dragons for Teens.

    Sept. 6 – 1 to 3 p.m. – Artist Reception: Petals & Pollinators.

    Sept. 7 – 3 to 4 p.m. – Barbershop Quartet Performance.

    Sept. 8 – 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. – Little Wiggles: Baby Story Time.

    Sept. 8 – 2 to 4 p.m. – Monday Movie: “September 5.”

    Sept. 8 – 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. – Barking Book Buddies.

    Sept. 9 – 10:30 to 11 a.m. – Rhyme Time.

    Sept. 9 – 2 to 3:30 p.m. – Needlework Meetup.

    Sept. 9 – 7 to 8:30 p.m. – CHPL Book Club: James by Percival Everett.

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

    Sept. 10 – 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Internet Basics.

    Sept. 10 – 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Work it Out @ Your Library: Create, Test, Improve!

    Sept. 10 – 6 to 8 p.m. – CHPL Teens on Twitch.

    Sept. 10 – 6:30 to 8 p.m. – WHYY Bridging Blocks: Book Banning: Censorship or Protection?

    Sept. 10 – 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. – Learning How to Play American Mah Jongg.

    Camden County events

    For more information visit www.camdencounty.com.

    Sept. 3 – 9 to 10:30 a.m. – Morning Yoga, Cooper River Park, 5300 North Park Drive, Pennsauken.

    Sept. 3 – 9 to 11 a.m. – Professional Development Training Series: Crisis De-escalation, Camden County Office of Sustainability, 508 Lakeland Rd., Blackwood.

    Sept. 3 – 6 to 7:30 p.m. – R.E.A.L Sports Golf, Camden County Driving Range, 8001 S Crescent Blvd., Pennsauken.

    Sept. 3 – 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. – Karina Rykman plus David Bakey: Sundown Music Series, Haddon Lake Park, Hillside and South Park Ave., Haddon Heights.

    Sept. 4 – 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Military Community Hiring Event, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, 3021 McGuire Blvd., Lakehurst.

    Sept. 4 – 6 to 7 p.m. – Afternoon Yoga, Cooper River Park, 5300 North Park Drive, Pennsauken.

    Sept. 5 – 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. – Cardio on the Cooper, Cooper River Park, 5300 North Park Drive, Pennsauken.

    Sept. 6 – 3 to 10 p.m. – Barrington Brews & Brats, Beats & Eats, 102 W. Gloucester Pike, Barrington. 

    Sept. 7 – 9 a.m. to noon – Travis Manion Foundation 9/11 Heroes Run, Cooper River Park, 5300 North Park Drive, Pennsauken.

    Sept. 7 – noon to 6 p.m. – New Jersey Gay Pride “Out in the Park” Festival, Cooper River Park, 5300 North Park Drive, Pennsauken.

    Sept. 8 – 4:30 to 7 p.m. – Seniors After Hours Ceramics Class, Carol Norcross Senior Center, 512 Lakeland Road, Blackwood.

    Sept. 8 – 6 to 7 p.m. – Mindful Monday Yoga, Cooper River Park, 5300 North Park Drive, Pennsauken.

    Sept. 8 – 8 to 10 p.m. – Ruben Studdard: My Tribute to Luther: Sunset Jazz Series, Wiggins Park, 2 Riverside Drive, Camden.

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

    Sept. 9 – noon to 2 p.m. – Bocce Ball for Seniors, Louis F. Cappelli, Sr. Bocce Ball Court, 5300 N Park Drive, Pennsauken.

    Sept. 9 – 4:30 to 7 p.m. – Seniors After Hours Ceramics Class, Carol Norcross Senior Center, 512 Lakeland Road, Blackwood.

    Sept. 9 – 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. – Zumba, Cooper River Park, 5300 North Park Drive, Pennsauken.

    Sept. 10 – 6 to 7:30 p.m. – R.E.A.L Sports Golf, Camden County Driving Range, 8001 S. Crescent Blvd., Pennsauken.

    Sept. 10 – 6 to 8 p.m. – 9/11 Medal Ceremony for Veterans and First Responders, Cooper River Park, 5300 North Park Drive, Pennsauken.

    Sept. 10 – 7:30 to 10 p.m. – The Tisburys plus The Describers: Sundown Music Series, Haddon Lake Park, Hillside and South Park Avenue, Haddon Heights.

    Thursday, Sept. 4

    Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting 7:30 to 11 p.m. via Zoom.

    Sunday, Sept. 7

    Barclay Farmstead First Sunday open house 1 to 4 p.m. at Barclay Farmstead.

    Monday, Sept. 8

    Township council meeting 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., N. John Amato council chambers and via Zoom.

  • 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. 

    Aug. 27 to Sept. 3 

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

    All Summer- Library Closed on Sundays

    Aug. 27 – 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Microsoft Word: Part 3. 

    Aug. 29 – 2 p.m. – Library Closing Early for Labor Day.

    Sept. 1 to 14 – Cradles to Crayons Donation Drive. 

    Sept. 1 – All Day – Library Closed for Labor Day.

    Sept. 3 – 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Backup Your PC: Protect Your Information.

    Sept. 3 – 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Work it Out at Your Library: Create, Test, Improve!

    Camden County events

    For more information visit www.camdencounty.com.

    Aug. 27 – 9 to 10:30 a.m. – Morning Yoga, Cooper River Park, 5300 North Park Drive, Pennsauken.

    Aug. 27 – 3 to 5 p.m. – Open Gym and Swim, Majorie and Lewis Katz Community Center, 1725 Park Blvd., Camden.

    Aug. 27 – 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. – Wheatus plus Bren: Sundown Music Series, Haddon Lake Park, Hillside and South Park Ave., Haddon Heights.

    Aug. 28 – 9 to 10:30 a.m. – Trail Buds, Camden County Environmental Center, 1301 Park Blvd., Cherry Hill.

    Aug. 28 – 5 to 6 p.m. – disABILITIES Boxing Class, TKO Fitness, 1615 Kings Highway North, Cherry Hill.

    Aug. 28 – 5 to 11 p.m. – Remembrance and Hope Memorial Vigil, Timber Creek Park, 236 Taylor Ave. and Chews Landing Rd., Blackwood.

    Aug. 28 – 8 to 10 p.m. – Yacht Rock Gold Featuring Elliot Lurie: Twilight Music Series, Cooper River Park, 5300 North Park Drive, Pennsauken.

    Aug. 29 – 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. – Cardio on the Cooper, Cooper River Park, 5300 North Park Drive, Pennsauken.

    Aug. 29 – 9 a.m. to noon – Parks and Rec Regrow, Camden County Environmental Center, 1301 Park Blvd., Cherry Hill.

    Aug. 29 – 7 to 10:30 p.m. – Moana 2: Movie Night, Gateway Park, 2798 Admiral Wilson Blvd., Pennsauken.

    Aug. 31 – 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Antique Fire Apparatus Show, Cooper River Park, 5300 North Park Drive, Pennsauken.

    Aug. 31 – 2 to 3 p.m. – Together in Song, Virtual Event.

    Sept. 2 – 4:30 to 7 p.m. – Seniors After Hours Ceramics Class, Carol Norcross Senior Center, 512 Lakeland Rd., Blackwood.

    Sept. 2 – 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. – Zumba, Cooper River Park, 5300 North Park Drive, Pennsauken.

    Sept. 3 – 9 to 10:30 a.m. – Morning Yoga, Cooper River Park, 5300 North Park Drive, Pennsauken.

    Sept. 3 – 9 to 11 a.m. – Professional Development Training Series: Crisis De-escalation, Camden County Office of Sustainability, 508 Lakeland Rd., Blackwood.

    Sept. 3 – 6 to 7:30 p.m. – R.E.A.L Sports Golf, Camden County Driving Range, 8001 S Crescent Blvd., Pennsauken.

    Sept. 3 – 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. – Karina Rykman plus David Bakey: Sundown Music Series, Haddon Lake Park, Hillside and South Park Ave., Haddon Heights.

    Wednesday, Aug. 27

    Wellness Walk 9 to 10 a.m. at Cherry Hill Mall. 

    Thursday, Aug. 28

    Al Fresco Affair Food Truck Festival 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Croft Farm.

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

  • Fire department gets funds for new facility

    Abigail Twiford/The Sun
    The current training setup in the back of the township fire complex, including the foundation where the new training facility will be constructed.

    Township and New Jersey officials announced on Aug. 1 that the Cherry Hill Fire Department will get $2 million in state funding for a new training facility.

    The facility will be built with the intention of supporting multi-disciplinary training, including live fire and other scenario-based training. It will serve not only the township fire and police departments, but also other fire departments and partner agencies in the region.

    Those include the Pennsauken, Collingswood and Voorhees fire departments, Westmont Fire Company No. 1, the Camden County Zone 5 Critical Incident Tactical Team and New Jersey State Police Teams Unit-South. 

    The new facility will be a permanent structure to replace the temporary building that was used for live fire training. Once it became clear that modular structure was no longer fit for necessary training, the fire department approached the state about funding a building with permanent capacity.

    “We have to rebuild,” said Fire Chief Wade Houlihan. “So that’s what this was, this was a rebuild. Once we started planning it, we got in a position of saying this is the direction we want to go, that’s when we pitched it …

    “This is what we need to be doing to support our regional operation and our regional training that we do,” he added. “And the state was like, ‘This is a clean hit for us. This is an easy hit. This is stuff we like to support.’” 

    Funding for the project was also advocated for by several members of the state Assembly, including Majority Leader Louis Greenwald, Assemblywoman Melinda Kane and Deputy Majority Whip James Beach.

    The first step in building the new training center was the demolition of the previous facility by the department. That left behind only a footprint that will be used as part of the new structure’s foundation.

    The first diagrams and renderings of the new building have already been created, though nothing has been finalized. Several plans are being considered and the designs will take into account the needs of both the township’s police and fire departments and its partner agencies.

    Houlihan noted that being on the ground level of the project has its advantages. 

    “The good news is that at ground level, we have the ability to say, ‘What does this funding get us?”’ he explained. “And it puts us in such a solid, good position, much better than if we were to just go with our tax base and go with our budget.” 

    The fire department hopes to get a minimum of 20 years and up to 40 years out of the new structure; the old one lasted about 10 years.

    “The lifespan of that type of modular building is about 10 to 15 years,” Assistant Fire Chief Brett DeLuca pointed out, “so we pretty much exhausted that. The building that we had previous to that was close to 40 years old, so that’s what we’re trying to replicate here.” 

    In the short term – while the facility is still in the planning phase – the fire department is using a collection of cargo containers that can be arranged into simulation buildings for scenario trainings when needed, though they can only be used on a temporary basis. 

    “It’s the center of the training academy,” Houlihan said of the building project. “It’s going to be the center point, and that’s crucial. To have a solid, workable centerpiece that we can get behind is going to be great for us.”

  • Library lets young artists compete with their art

    Abigail Twiford/The Sun
    Art contest attendees review works on display outside the library. The theme was “Color Our World,” as it was for the summer reading program.

    Summer reading for all age groups at the Cherry Hill library has come to an end.

    A final event for the kids and teens who participated in the seasonal challenge was an art contest on Aug. 12 based around the 2025 reading theme, “Color Our World.”

    Katie Helf is a youth service librarian.

    “We just wanted to have a good night to celebrate art at the end of our summer reading program, and then give families a good place to gather and have fun playing some of the games, vote on the art and have just a nice family event,” she said.

    The contest was separated into divisions based on the wide range of ages present. One was for kids 7 to 9, one for preteens 10 to 12, another for participants 13 to 15 and the last for teens 16 to 18. 

    The contest took place under a tent outside of the library called Friendship Grove, with art pieces lined up on tables on either side. Another table was set up at the back of the tent for refreshments, with seating available in the center. 

    The library received a total of 25 submissions for the contest, most in the division of 7- to 9-year-olds.

    “We had 25 art submissions, which is wonderful,” Helf noted. “And everybody who’s here seems to be having a wonderful time.” 

    The works ranged in style and medium, including several drawings and paintings – some featuring mixed media elements – a photograph and a three-dimensional sculpture. Next to each piece was a tag with the artist’s name, age division, title of the piece and the inspiration behind it.

    To decide the winners in each category, the young artists themselves, parents and family members and passersby who chose to drop by got paper ballots to make a selection from each age division. Teen library volunteers tallied the votes.

    Each winner received a $25 gift card to Maple Shade Arts & Drafting, while first- , second- and third-place winners could have their work displayed in the library. 

    The youngest winner – from the 7- to 9-year-old group – was Will Zemaitis, for his painting, “Peace Begins With Me,” a circular canvas split down the middle by a rainbow peace sign, with day depicted in the gaps on one side of the symbol and night on the other. 

    Courtesy of the Cherry Hill library.
    Will Zemaitis shows off his winning painting after the art contest, called “Peace Begins With Me.”

    His father, Dan Zemaitis said the family’s faith helped inspire elements of his son’s artwork.

    “We’re Quakers, and so that’s why he went with the peace sign,” he explained. “He also picked the night and day and the Yin and Yang part of it. So it was great. We’re really excited.” 

    Winning pieces from the other divisions included a painting of a landscape called “Eyes of Illusion” and a work titled, “Color Within,” by Jimin Jun, from the 13- to 15-year-old category. 

    “I believe that inside of our hearts there’s endless colors that can bloom and flow out,” she said of her inspiration. “The world becomes more colorful and warm.” 

    Courtesy of the Cherry Hill library.
    Jimin Jun displays her art piece after being announced as the winner for the 13 to 15 division.

    The event ended with winners given a choice to take their works home or have them displayed in the library.

  • Side by Side with domestic violence victims

    Domestic violence rates saw a record spike during COVID, when victims and their abusers were in close quarters at home. While that’s no longer the case, support remains crucial.

    Three towns are playing their part. In Cherry Hill, Haddonfield and tiny Tavistock, police are working with the Side by Side Domestic Violence Response Team to help survivors navigate resources available to them. The team operates 24/7 to take calls either through its specific phone line or to respond when police get a domestic violence call.

    The response team has been ongoing since the late 1990s, when it was created by attorney Nancy Hatch in partnership with former mayor Susan Bass Levin. It is now mandated by the state attorney general that every municipality have a team. Side by Side is unique in that it has a specific name.

    Beth Hastings is the coordinator for the program. 

    “People should know that the services are available,” she noted. “A lot of times people don’t even know that our services are there.” 

    According to the most recent data from NJ.gov, 2023 marked a five-year high in domestic violence incidents reported to police in the state, at 70,828, compared with 67,512 cases in 2022. Nationally, statistics show that for the first half of 2025, incidents are up by 3% compared with the same period last year. 

    Ten volunteers currently make up Side by Side and each undergoes 40 hours of training, after which they can speak with victims in a confidential capacity. Volunteers are not counselors, but rather sources of support who provide information and give victims the emotional space to express their feelings in the moment. 

    Some volunteers can also be cross-trained on non-fatal strangulation, human trafficking and sexual assault. The team is available to help both men and women in either same-sex or opposite-sex relationships who experience violence at the hands of a partner. Volunteers will meet victims at a hospital or police department without pressuring them to make a specific decision.  

    For clients who don’t want to leave their relationships, the team can help create a safety plan, while giving the client control of how they manage their situation without judgement. 

    “We’re just empowering them with information,” Hastings explained, “or we’re just the shoulder to cry on or to listen … We never want to push anything on them.” 

    Clients who do want out of their relationships face major concerns like housing, legal services and the safety of children or pets. Side by Side can connect them with safe houses and shelters, walk them through what to expect from a restraining order or how to contact a pro bono lawyer. 

    For the most part, when the Side by Side team is dispatched by the police, officers have already contacted the units that specifically handle child abuse.

    “There are male victims, female victims, children,” Hastings pointed out. “We don’t counsel the children, though. We only counsel the adults.”

    For clients who need someplace for their pets while they’re in a shelter or safe house, Side by Side partners with Services Empowering the Rights of Victims (SERV) to offer safe, temporary options. 

    “A lot of clients won’t leave because of their animals, because the animals support them,” Hastings pointed out.

    Clients who want more information can also receive a pamphlet with resources and information on staying safe, or find the pamphlet online at the Cherry Hill police website, under the Domestic Violence link in the Programs and Services section. 

    If you or someone you know is in immediate danger of domestic violence, call 911. To contact Side by Side directly for non-immediate services, call (856) 432-8869. To reach SERV, call (866) 295-7678.

  • Cherry Hill Calendar

    Wednesdays

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

    Aug. 20 to 27 

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

    All Summer- Library closed on Sundays

    Aug. 20 – 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Microsoft Word: Part 2.

    Aug. 20 – 2 to 4:40 p.m. – Oscar nominee, “Wicked: Part 1.”

    Aug. 20 – 7 to 8:30 p.m. – End-of-Life Planning Class: Advice on Leaving Clear Instructions for Your Loved Ones.

    Aug. 21 – 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. – Ready, set, kindergarten!

    Aug. 21 – 2 to 4:30 p.m. – Oscar nominee, “A Complete Unknown.”

    Aug. 22 – 2 to 4:15 p.m. – Oscar nominee, “Emilia Perez.”

    Aug. 25 to 30 – Paws Give Me Purpose collection.

    Aug. 25 – 6 to 8:30 p.m. – Blueprint for Success: Building a Powerful Business Plan.

    Aug. 26 – 11 a.m. to noon – Microsoft PowerPoint for beginners.

    Aug. 26 – 2 to 3:30 p.m. – Needlework meetup.

    Aug. 27 – 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Microsoft Word: Part 3. 

    Camden County events

    For more information visit www.camdencounty.com.

    Aug. 20 – 9 to 10:30 a.m. – Morning yoga, Cooper River Park, 5300 North Park Drive, Pennsauken.

    Aug. 20 – 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Camden Strong Clean Up, Elijah Perry Park, 9th and Ferry Ave., Camden.

    Aug. 20 – 3 to 5 p.m. – Open Gym & Swim, Majorie and Lewis Katz Community Center, 1725 Park Blvd., Camden.

    Aug. 20 – 6 to 7:30 p.m. – R.E.A.L Sports Golf, Camden County Driving Range 8001 S Crescent Blvd., Pennsauken.

    Aug. 20 – 6 to 7:30 p.m. – Talk to a Lawyer at REAL Golf, Camden County Driving Range, 8001 S Crescent Blvd., Pennsauken.

    Aug. 20 – 7:30 to 10 p.m. – The Tisburys plus The Describers, Sundown Music Series, Haddon Lake Park, Hillside and South Park Ave., Haddon Heights.

    Aug. 21 – 9 to 10:30 a.m. – Trail Buds, Camden County Environmental Center, 1301 Park Blvd., Cherry Hill.

    Aug. 21 – noon to 1 p.m. – Board of commissioners meeting, Camden City Hall, 6th floor, 520 Market St., Camden. 

    Aug. 21 – 5 to 6 p.m. – disABILITIES Boxing Class, TKO Fitness, 1615 Kings Highway North, Cherry Hill.

    Aug. 21 – 8 to 10 p.m. – 4 Peace of Mind: Twilight Music Series, Cooper River Park, 5300 North Park Drive, Pennsauken.

    Aug. 22 – 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. – Cardio on the Cooper, Cooper River Park, 5300 North Park Drive, Pennsauken.

    Aug. 22 – 9 a.m. to noon – Parks & Rec Regrow, Camden County Environmental Center, 1301 Park Blvd., Cherry Hill.

    Aug. 22 – 7:30 to 11 p.m. – Safari Sam/ Mufasa: The Lion King, Lindenwold Park, 1000 United States Ave., Lindenwold.

    Aug. 23 – 2 to 10 p.m. – Summer of Love: ’60s, ’70s, ’80s Music Fest, Haddon Avenue, Westmont.

    Aug. 23 – 6 to 10 p.m. – Everyday People, New Brooklyn Park, Sicklerville.

    Aug. 24 – 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. – Senior line-dancing classes, Lindenwold Senior Center, 2119 S. White Horse Pike, Lindenwold.

    Aug. 24 – 2 to 3 p.m. – Together in Song, virtual event.

    Aug. 25 – 4:30 to 7 p.m. – Seniors after-hours ceramics class, Carol Norcross Senior Center, 512 Lakeland Road, Blackwood.

    Aug. 25 – 6 to 7 p.m. – Mindful Monday Yoga, Cooper River Park, 5300 North Park Drive, Pennsauken.

    Aug. 25 – 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. – disABILITIES Dance Class, Camden County Environmental Center, 1301 Park Blvd., Cherry Hill. 

    Aug. 25 – 8 to 10 p.m. – Stanley Clarke Band: Sunset Jazz Series, Wiggins Park, 2 Riverside Drive, Camden. 

    Aug. 26 – 9 to 10:30 a.m. – Summer Sprouts, Camden County Environmental Center, 1301 Park Blvd., Cherry Hill.

    Aug. 26 – 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. – Senior line-dancing classes, Carol Norcross Senior Center, 512 Lakeland Road, Blackwood.

    Aug. 26 – 1 to 3 p.m. – Virtual crisis response training series.

    Aug. 26 – 4:30 to 7 p.m. – Seniors after-hours ceramics class, Carol Norcross Senior Center, 512 Lakeland Road, Blackwood.

    Aug. 26 – 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. – Zumba, Cooper River Park, 5300 North Park Drive, Pennsauken.

    Aug. 26 – 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. – disABILITIES Arts & Crafts, Camden County Environmental Center, 1301 Park Blvd., Cherry Hill.

    Aug. 27 – 9 to 10:30 a.m. – Morning yoga, Cooper River Park, 5300 North Park Drive, Pennsauken.

    Aug. 27 – 3 to 5 p.m. – Open Gym & Swim, Majorie and Lewis Katz Community Center, 1725 Park Blvd., Camden.

    Aug. 27 – 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. – Wheatus plus Bren: Sundown Music Series, Haddon Lake Park, Hillside Avenue and South Park Avenue, Haddon Heights.

    Thursday, Aug. 21

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

    Zoning Board of Adjustment Meeting 7:30 to 11 p.m. via Zoom.

    Wednesday, Aug. 27

    Wellness Walk 9 to 10 a.m. at Cherry Hill Mall.