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Swedesboro’s a “good fit”

for Woolwich Police

By Michael Williams

SWEDESBORO – After the first six months of shared service with the Woolwich Township Police, Chief of Police Russell Marino said that Swedesboro is a “good fit” for the Woolwich officers.

In June 2009 the borough’s police department was abolished and an agreement was made with Woolwich to provide police services. Marino attended Swedesboro’s regularly scheduled town meeting on Jan. 19 to report on the transition.

“We sort of took it easy for these first six months on the residents,” said Marino, citing the high number of summonses for the area and the low number of written tickets. “We wanted to just let the residents know that we’re here, and why we were stopping them.”

Marino indicated that officers will begin cracking down on speeders, especially those on Kings Highway, in the coming months. He was also concerned with the high number of automotive accidents in the borough area and said that problematic areas will be investigated. Police responded to 25 accidents over the last six months.

In all, Swedesboro accounted for about 25 percent of the Woolwich police’s calls since June.

“I really think this has been beneficial for the Borough of Swedesboro,” said Councilman Salvatore Casella. “One, financially; and two, it has given us better coverage.”

In other business, Councilman George Weeks announced that abandoned properties along and around Water Street have been foreclosed. The vacant properties now belong to the borough and the processes of demolition and rebuilding can now move forward.

“These are properties that have been abandoned for years and years,” said Weeks. “These were not properties that people were living in.”

Weeks was speaking on behalf of Mayor Thomas Fromm, who was out of town on a business trip and absent from the meeting.

In new business, Councilwoman Diane Hale announced that the second annual Blues Jam will be held April 23 and 24 at Rode’s Fireside Restaurant. Nothing about the event has been finalized yet, but the musicians for the event will be determined within the next weeks.

Troop 13 Celebrates 75th Anniversary

SWEDESBORO -- The Boy Scouts of America is celebrating its 100th Anniversary on Feb. 8, and Swedesboro Troop 13 is Celebrating 75 years.

Troop 13 is currently chartered under the Bethesda United Methodist Church on Kings Highway in Swedesboro. During their 75^th year the troop has had four scouts earn the rank of Eagle Scout. Nationally only 4 percent of all scouts across the country earn this rank.

Troop 13 is proud to beat this average with 16 percent of their boys earning this honor in the past year. There are currently two more scouts working on their service projects and completing the last requirements in earning this rank

Are you a Troop 13 Eagle Scout, a Former Scoutmaster or Assistant Scoutmaster? Do you have memories to share? Do you have photos, mementos, or memories about the troop you’d like to share?

We want to hear from you. It’s a great time to celebrate scouting. We will be having a celebration/reunion in March, Please call Clare Beatty at (856) 981-0863 or tbeatty109@comcast.net for more information.

Currently, the troop meets at 7 p.m. on Monday nights in Fellowship Hall at Bethesda United Methodist Church. Troop 13 is a growing troop that lives the “Boy Lead Troop” plan in all its activities.

This means the boys aged 12 to 17, pick, plan, and prepare for all their activities. The adults are there to provide the resources and guidance for a safe program. The boys learn leadership skills while they are having fun with the events they have chosen.

Scoutmaster Craig Borrie always makes sure the boys have a very active and rewarding program that includes lots of fun outdoor activities, scout skills, community service, and rank advancement. In the past 12 months Troop 13 has hiked 38 miles of the Appalachian Trail, gone canoeing, has done rock climbing, camped 26 nights, biked 20 miles in the mountains, gone skiing, and performed several hundred hours of community service projects.

In addition to troop activities, many of the boys in the troop help prepare and attend youth religious retreats and also prepare the chapel for our summer camp – Camp Roosevelt. The boys are also active participants in the Order of the Arrow, Scouting’s Honor Society,

Troop 13 is rich in history and wants to hear about, celebrate, and share this rich history. Thank you Swedesboro.

Committee Endorses Open Space Applications

by Beth S. Biermann

EAST GREENWICH – Sixty seven acres of farmland in East Greenwich Township are closer to being preserved thanks to votes by committee members to endorse two separate applications to Gloucester County.

On Jan. 12, the Township Committee endorsed an application for the preservation of 33 acres of farmland zoned rural residential at the intersection of Cohawkin and Jessup Mill Roads. Another application was endorsed for a property on Union Road that could preserve 34 acres that sit in the middle of 600 acres of existing open space.

Once the property owners submit their applications to the county, the county performs two appraisals and then, if it wishes, will make offers on the property.

The county would pay 75 percent of the purchase price, leaving the township with a 25 percent responsibility. The township would then have the deed to the property as preserved open space.

In other business, the committee voted to award a bid for a plenary retail distribution liquor license. Two bids were received at $351,000 and $285,000. The high bidder was BEZR Homes, LLC.

This was also Republican Committeeman William Bumbernick’s first regular township committee meeting. He has replaced former Democratic Committeeman Frank Aiello who didn’t seek reelection.

The committee remains a Democratic majority by a margin of four to one. Bumbernick will serve as head of the Health and Judiciary departments.

At the earlier reorganization meeting on Jan. 2, Fred Grant was appointed Mayor for a third year and Samuel Giordano, Jr. was appointed Deputy Mayor.

Alcoholic Beverage Ordinance Amendment Introduced

by Beth S. Biermann

WOOLWICH – An amendment to the current township code that will address the regulations covering the sale of alcoholic beverages in Woolwich was introduced by the township committee on Jan. 19.

The current alcoholic beverage section of the township code limits the sale of alcoholic beverages by retail consumption license holders (typically restaurants) to the hours between 10 a.m. and midnight on Sundays and ending at 2 a.m. on all other days. It doesn’t currently address retail distribution license holders.

If adopted, the amendment will limit the hours of retail distribution (commonly liquor stores) between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Sundays and between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. on all other days.

A public hearing on the proposed ordinance amendment will be held at the next regular township committee meeting on Feb. 16.

Spurring the need for this type of amendment is the opening of a restaurant and liquor store in the Woolwich Town Center shopping plaza. Located at the intersection of Auburn and Center Square Roads, the shopping center now has three businesses open. JB Liquors, Huntington Learning Center and Green Tea, an Asian restaurant.

According to Lavender, several other establishments are set to open their doors in the Woolwich Town Center in the near future. Victory Cleaners was scheduled to open on Feb. 1 and In the Village, a full service hair salon, will open sometime in February. Spring will see the launch of Primo Hoagies, Villa Barone (an Italian restaurant) and Century 21.

Talks are also underway between the developer and other companies to fill the remainder of the units, including The Bank, another unnamed restaurant and a coffee shop.

Kingsway Announces Plans For Another Addition To Middle & High School

By Karen E. Viereck

Editor/Publisher

WOOLWICH TWP. – Citing new demographic studies, the Kingsway Regional Board of Education is proposing to add a $30,000,000 addition to the high school and middle school building. No date has been set for a referendum.

In a statement released by Kingsway Altersitz stated, “Knowing the limitations of the economic situation facing the district, the decision will not include the purchase of land, but will include additions and renovations to both building.”

ENROLLMENT

By 2014, Kingsway Principal Ave Altersitz stated that demographics show enrollment in the Kingsway District will reach 3,168 students. Currently there are 2,211 students with 720 in the middle school and 1,501 in the high school. There are 349 tuition students from Logan Township, a non-member of the sending district.

According to figures submitted by Altersitz, district member students from Swedesboro, Woolwich, East Greenwich and South Harrison pay $10,907 per student based on the 2009-2010 school year. Logan Township students pay more per student than district member students. Currently the 349 Logan students pay $4,419,943 in tuition or $12,664.59 per student.

This formula is recalculated every year, using a state formula. This figure can be misleading though, stated Altersitz. “Logan pays more for students who are in special ed classes. Resource room students, multiply handicapped students, and behaviorally handicapped students require more services.”

SPECS

The middle school project will include 17 new classrooms and a gym that will be large enough to use as an auditorium. The music area and cafeteria will be enlarged and an additional room for physical and occupational therapy will also be added.

Altersitz stated that the physical and occupational therapy rooms will be used by special education students. “We are bringing back our multiple handicapped students. We feel that they can be educated in their home school.” She stated, “Out of district tuition and transportation is very costly to the taxpayer.”

Renovations will also be done to the media center to add an additional computer lab.

The proposed renovations will bring over 41,000 additional square footage to the school. Currently the middle school has 34 general instruction rooms, two special education rooms, 15 specialized instruction rooms.

Extensive renovations will be done to the high school building including 20 new classrooms , a three room music suite, renovation of current music rooms into a satellite cafeteria, enlarging the physical education fitness area, renovations to district offices to create a media center at both the south and north end of the building. This will add approximately 36,000 additional square footage.

Currently the high school has 56 general instruction rooms, nine Special Ed/SGI rooms and 24 specialized instructional space.

According to Altersitz, no exterior renovations such as moving parking lots or sports fields will be necessary to accommodate the new footage. The building will be contained within the current sidewalks that surround the buildings.

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