Each year, here at Elauwit Media, we like to take a look back at the year that just went by. Here, therefore, is a look back at how we covered Voorhees in 2011.
In January, a long talked about initiative was finally approved, as the township will no longer employ its own emergency dispatchers.
At the last township committee meeting of 2010, members unanimously agreed to merge its dispatching system with Camden County’s.
The new program will likely save Voorhees more than $400,000 annually, Mayor Michael Mignogna said. The county has also agreed to look at the employees in the local dispatch and consider them for employment, he said.
Most of the municipalities in Camden County have merged with the dispatch system, according to township representatives.
The county assured Voorhees its former dispatchers would have an opportunity to be hired at the county dispatch department when the merger went through, Voorhees Township Administrator Larry Spellman said.
Of the five dispatchers in the township, one was retiring and the other four planned to apply for county dispatch positions.
The county said it hire 10 new dispatchers, Spellman said, of which four hopefully would come from the township dispatch.
The county couldn’t promise them that they’ll be hired, he said, because the potential employees have to pass a county test and a background check before being hired.
Residents in Voorhees paid county taxes that fund the county dispatch system.
The county and the township have also worked through some compatibility issues regarding software and hardware for the system.
Spellman said it’s unknown right now what the schedule would be for the current municipal police department. An officer or a dispatcher would still be needed at the police department each day to handle walk-in appointments and residents who want to make reports in person.
Also in January, county and local officials gathered to discuss the viability of creating countywide police and fire forces.
The proposed shared-services agreement model would allow municipalities to choose to join and then pay for the services to their community.
Across the state, both Gov. Christie and the Legislature were calling for less home rule and more shared services as a way of delivering essential services while providing relief to taxpayers.
In February, the Voorhees Planning Board approved plans for a new fire station.
The new station will be built at the site of the existing station at 2002 South Burnt Mill Road.
The state-of-the-art, 19,000 square-foot station, will be about 10,000-square feet larger than the existing one, and drastically update the facilities.
“We’ll have full facilities at the new station,” Fire Chief Jim Pacifico said. “New bunk rooms, gear rooms, training spaces, offices and a community room for the public and outside organizations. This will enable us to expand certain programs, and gives us a specific place for the Virtua Paramedic truck, giving residents quicker access to life support services.”
The new station will be fully ADA compliant.
In March, the 2011 Voorhees Fire District budget passed 533–475 in the recent fire district election.
The nearly $7.5 million budget was a decrease of 3.15 percent over the 2010 budget.
Pacifico said that a utilization of excess funds helped in keeping to a zero percent increase.
“We try to balance the budget each year,” Pacifico said, “so there is zero tax increase.”
Not included in the funds, and for good reason, is the district’s plans for a new fire station.
“The new station was a line item approved by voters in 2008,” Pacifico said. “And we have been sitting on those funds since.”
And the plans were picking up steam, and were expected to be released in about a month.
“Right now we have all the approvals from the township,” Pacifico said, “and are waiting for the architects and engineers to put together a final bid package.”
In the election for the two seats up for grabs on the Board of Commissioners, incumbents Robert J. Dougherty and Robert J. Caruso, retained their seats. Dougherty was the highest vote getter with 572, Caruso was close behind at 556.
Also on the ballot Scott Minghenelli tallied 517 votes, and Bruce Krapf 498. This year’s turnout was up from last year.
“The turnout was higher than average,” Pacifico said. “That usually happens in years with two seats up.”
In April, seven township residents formed Voorhees Organization Interested in Continuing excellent Education (VOICE) because of the defeat of the previous year’s budget.
VOICE was getting out into the community during budget season to spread information about the 2011–12 document.
Every day the members of VOICE attended municipal meetings, social functions and sporting events to educate Voorhees voters on the K-8 budget.
“We’re a group of parents in the K-8 school district who are really concerned that people understand what it is they’re voting for,” said Kim Stroemel, one of the group’s founders. “People think they’re going to save so much money in taxes if they vote it down but that’s just not the case.”
In May, the committee held its last meeting at the 38-year-old township hall at 620 Berlin Road.
The new municipal hall at Voorhees Town Center was opened for business at 8 a.m. on Monday, May 16.
Mignogna said the new township hall would likely serve residents well, but it was also sad to close the books on the old town hall.
“This is the final public meeting here at the hallowed town hall. It’s served the community well for many years,” he said. “But it is time for a change.”
The old township hall will remain at the site until it can be sold to the highest bidder, township representatives reported.
The township doesn’t have to make a payment to the Voorhees Town Center for two years, Solicitor Howard Long said, so it can hold onto the property until the real estate market improves.
The committee members reported that there have been several major businesses that have inquired about purchasing the property, but they could not reveal their identities to the public yet. The property is currently valued at $2.5 million.
In June, after 50 years of serving food to the township, the Kokolis brothers called it quits at the Country Club Diner.
The four brothers, who opened the diner in 1961, served their last dinner on Sunday, June 5.
Christos Kokolis, 86, said he and his three brothers came to this country from Greece in 1955.
After working for several years at a few other eateries, Kokolis said that the diner became available for purchase in 1961.
The four brothers have worked side by side in the diner for nearly five decades, Kokolis explained.
Nick, Spiros, Christos, and Harry — the four brothers between the ages of 77 and 86 — have been co-owners of the diner throughout its lengthy existence in Voorhees.
Despite its popularity, Kokolis explained that it was time to turn off its grill and shut down its deep fryers. The economy has been tough lately, he said, and none of the brothers’ 12 children had any interest in continuing the business.
Also in June, the Voorhees Township Committee voted in favor of a $25.8 million budget for 2011.
The recent vote was 4–1 with Committeeman Michael Friedman casting the lone dissenting vote.
Mignogna said the budget was $1,208,031 below the 2 percent tax cap levy instituted by Christie.
Among the seven-page document were several reasons as to why municipalities in Camden County should consider joining a proposed countywide police force.
The document also provided some details on how such a police force would exist and operate.
“A county police department provides the opportunity to reduce the cost of police services to taxpayers, putting more police officers on patrol, and streamlining police services,” the document reads. “To county residents, the local division of the county police department serving their communities will look and operate much like their existing police department and offer the same quality service. The difference is that the CCPD will be more effective and cost-efficient.”
In July, Voorhees officials expressed wishes to have the history section of the Voorhees Township website updated.
So what were the most dramatic developments in Voorhees’ history?
The railroad coming through the Kirkwood and Ashland sections of town in 1854 had a profound impact on the township.
It turned a community of farmers and millers into a destination for vacationers, and eventually permanent residents who could commute to Camden and Philadelphia (Camden was once the home to 10 major industries which employed more than 40,000).
The second major development was the high-speed line in the 1960s to Philadelphia. This reinforced Voorhees’ position as a bedroom community for Philadelphia.
These both triggered significant residential real estate and business growth.
And what does Borbe think is the most interesting part of Voorhees’ history?
“The Echelon Airport (site of the former Echelon Mall) might not have been the most significant economic development, but the romantic story of Rogers and Jeanette Smith, the young couple who built it and ran it for several years, and the significant and tragic events surrounding their lives would make a great movie,” Borbe said. “I am privileged to have had the opportunity to interview Jeanette Smith.”
In August, there was one new school policy to make students feel safe.
Recent changes in the law concerning harassment, intimidation and bullying have made it necessary for the Voorhees Township Board of Education to revise its harassment, intimidation and bullying policy.
New requirements state that the policy needed to be revised and submitted to the county superintendent by Sept. 1.
The law requires the board to implement a new policy, appoint a district anti-bullying coordinator and an anti-bullying specialist at each school.
All staff members will be trained in prevention and response to incidences of harassment, intimidation and bullying that occur in school and off school premises.
September marked a milestone for Eastern High School’s varsity field hockey coach Danyle Heilig.
She reached her 300th-career coaching victory.
“It’s exciting,” Heilig said. “I’m proud of it from a personal standpoint.
“I think that’s an outstanding accomplishment for all the girls who have been involved in the program, and I am very proud of what we’ve accomplished here,” she added.
But it was all business for the coach as she went into the team’s first home game.
“The fact that it’s my 300th is about as far away from my mind as you can imagine,” Heilig said. “It’s more about the kids.
“I worry more about the team than I do about myself getting 300,” she added.
The team worked hard over the summer and got together a handful of times.
“The kids have worked hard over the summer in preparation for the 2011 season,” Heilig said.
Of the 300 wins she has garnered, 14 were at Haddon Heights Senior High School. Heilig is now in her 13th year with Eastern.
In October, Voorhees was looking to save almost $140,000 on municipal trash disposal.
The township joined with seven other municipalities in a joint-purchasing effort that brings the cost of dealing with trash down from $65 per ton to $52.50 per ton.
The new agreement started Nov. 1, and ends Dec. 31, 2012.
Spellman said the agreement helps with next year’s budget.
And it’s the budget voters in Voorhees and all over were concerned with.
Charter schools were on everyone’s mind in November.
Voorhees followed suit with Cherry Hill in appealing a decision to allow a charter school to be located in the area.
Regis Academy would be located in Cherry Hill and receive students from Somerdale, Lawnside, Cherry Hill and Voorhees.
Superintendent of Schools Raymond Brosel did not think the town needs a charter school.
“Our children are receiving appropriate and excellent education,” Brosel said. “Our district is a high performing district.”
The charter school would cost Voorhees $727,000 a year. There is no funding from the state to help defray the cost.
Also in November, both incumbents kept their seats on the Voorhees Township Committee.
Democrats Michael Mignogna (who is mayor) and Harry Platt defeated Republicans Jody Raines and Ron Richards.
The final vote was Mignogna, 2,754; Platt, 2,700; Richards, 2,058; and Raines, 2,065.
“I was humbled by the overwhelming show of support in the election,” Mignogna said. “The residents of Voorhees are well-informed and intelligent.”
In December, the township committee unanimously spoke out against the placement of charter schools in the immediate area. All members are against a proposed charter school, Regis Academy, and said they support the appeal made by the school board. Also in December, in an effort to curb increased violence in the City of Camden, the governor ordered the deployment of state troopers during the worst times, days and locations where crime has skyrocketed in the city.
The push for more visible uniformed officers on city streets has also propelled Camden County freeholders and mayors to plan to establish a countywide police force, which would include a metro division responsible for policing the City of Camden.
