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The Cherry Hill Sun
West stages ‘The Sound of Music’
The hills are alive with “The Sound of Music” at Cherry Hill West. The tale of an Austrian family fleeing the Nazis during World War II is based on the true story of the Von Trapp family of singers. The West version of the show will feature elementary- and middle-school students in the children’s parts.
Samaritan gala raises record amount
Samaritan’s 2024 Celebration of Life Gala in Cherry Hill raised $275,000 last month to support the nonprofit’s life-enhancing services. “We are really pleased to honor, recognize and celebrate folks and organizations in the community that are actively engaged and giving back,” said Chris Rollins, chief development officer of Samaritan.
Letter to the Editor: James Camilli
This is a reply to letter dated Feb. 19. Yes volunteerism is always valuable and important, but we should not overlook the role of government, particularly in the U.S. I say “particularly” because the U.S. has seen a constant degrading and downsizing of government, especially our federal government, ever since the last century. And this government default has resulted in the worsening of many, many social problems.
Board of ed swears in new member
The Cherry Hill school board swore in new board member Quadsia Niaz at its Feb. 27 meeting to fill the vacancy created when Jennifer Fleisher’s retired in December. “In my new role, I will focus on upholding and enhancing the quality of education for every student in our district,” said Niaz. “I am dedicated to promoting academic achievement, ensuring that the needs of our special-education students are met with compassion, effectiveness, and fostering strong connections with our community through meaningful outreach initiatives.”
Letter from the school district on state aid reductions
The following is a letter from Thursday, Feb. 29 from the Cherry Hill Public Schools originally published on the district website. The Cherry Hill School District has been informed by the state of New Jersey that our general fund state aid for the 2024-2025 school year will be $29,477,245. This, in comparison to our 2023-2024 school year’s state aid of $36,377,427 is a $6.9 million decrease. We are shocked that the state, having increased our aid consistently during the last four years after decades of staggering and harmful underfunding, has cut our aid to less than what we received in 2022-2023. This decrease in funding is undeserved considering our steady enrollment. I have already begun the process of working with local and state leaders to obtain reasons for these cuts and to plan next steps.
Moorestown man faces obscenity charges
A 60-year-old Moorestown resident and tennis instructor faces an obscenity charge involving a minor after he allegedly showed her a naked photograph of himself, according to police and local prosecutors. Ovidiu V. Dragos was arrested on Feb. 26 and charged with promoting obscene material to the minor, a 15-year-old female,...
Roadwork to close road in Cherry Hill
PSE&G will be continuing to replace utility poles on Burnt Mill Road in Cherry Hill from Monday March 4 to Friday March 8 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. daily. There will be a full road closure of Burnt Mill Road between Woodcrest Road and 7th Avenue. “Motorists should plan...
Sign of the Pines: Learning about an historic area
The It’s a Sign of the Pines event will mark its 19th year with a celebration of the Pine Barrens next month. The idea began as a conversation among friends sitting in a Piney bar about how they could bring like-minded people together to celebrate and maintain the cultural richness of the Pine Barrens.
East students perform ‘Mean Girls’
Cherry Hill East students recently gave their opening performance of the musical “Mean Girls,” based on the popular 2004 movie by the same name. “Almost 20 years since its initial release, ‘Mean Girls’ remains a relevant, irreverent and honest look at navigating high school,” said East theater director Peter Gambino. “The musical is a faithful adaptation of the film and features a large, female-driven ensemble and a track listing of catchy music.
Springdale Road in Cherry Hill Township to reopen Friday after utility work
Springdale Road will reopen at 4 p.m. on Friday, March 1, after being closed due to a major water line repair by New Jersey American Water. The work activity was located between Route 70 and Kresson Road and was completed in 11 days. “After experiencing some disruptions with this closure...
Apply for Barclay scholarships
All Cherry Hill high-school seniors are invited to apply for the Friends of Barclay Farmstead Scholarship, a merit award worth $500 each for two individuals. Applicants must be residents of the township and applications must be received by Monday, April 8, to be considered. The scholarship will be awarded at relevant graduation ceremonies.
Do we need another hero? Yes, because just one can enhance our lives
The late Tina Turner performed the song “We Don’t Need Another Hero” in the 1985 film “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.”. While the context of the tune is a post-apocalyptic landscape of people searching for a hero, a savior, according to oldtimemusic.com, its overarching message is that we need the strength to rise above adversity and find the hero in ourselves.
Musical contest sends message on substance abuse
The “Your Song! Your Voice! Shout Down Drugs competition,” organized by the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDNFJ), is a platform for high-school students to showcase their musical talents while sending a message about substance use prevention. As the competition gears up for its 20th season, PDNFJ...
Students call for abolishment of high-school ranking system
Students at Cherry Hill East called for reexamining and abolishing the class-ranking system during public comment section at the Feb. 13 board of education meeting. The request followed a recent article published in their student newspaper Eastside, with the headline, “Honoring Excellence or Diluting Distinction.” It was co-written by Isabelle Berger, Matt Berkery, Gia Gupta, Karina Gupta, Sophia Liu and Matthew Rentezelas and published in January.
The gift of time: Volunteers are crucial to the community
Volunteerism is alive and well in South Jersey. Three married couples were recently cited for their volunteer service in one area fire department, including providing meals for firefighters and even playing Mr. and Mrs. Claus at Christmas. One volunteer is known as “mom” around the firehouse. It happens...
A message to millions
Civil rights activist Dr. Clarence B. Jones delivered his first major speech as the Palmyra High School Class of 1949 valedictorian, urging his fellow students to reach for their dreams. In 1963, he wrote some of the most famous words in history, from the “I Have a Dream” speech by...
Like a good neighbor
More than 800,000 New Jersey residents struggle with hunger, according to the organization Feeding America, nearly 200,000 of them children. The Food Bank of South Jersey (FBSJ) in Pennsauken serves that need in Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Salem counties. Among its partners in the effort is State Farm Insurance, which has provided the food bank with $74,000 in funding since 2017. The company also provides FBSJ with volunteers, according to a press release.
Camden County public works prepare for fast moving winter storm
As a winter storm is set to move through the region early Saturday morning, the Camden County’s Department of Public Works (DPW) is working to prepare the county’s 1,200 lane miles of road ahead of time. “Snow is set to begin falling overnight but should be moving out...
Hazardous waste collection
Camden County will host a hazardous waste collection on Saturday, March 23, at the Cherry Hill Department of Public Works complex. From 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., residents are invited to safely dispose of items like household cleaners, expired chemicals, paints and more to ensure the potentially harmful materials are handled responsibly.
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