Our Voorhees community has been very active in the beginning of 2013.
On Jan. 14, local elected officials gathered at Virtua Medical Campus to celebrate Teen
Cancer Awareness Week and honor the great work of the Alicia Rose Victorious Foundation for improving the quality of life of teens with life-threatening illnesses.
On the morning of Jan. 15, I attended the Voorhees Township Public Schools Key Communicators Roundtable. It is a discussion of key opinion leaders in our community who identify public opinion about the schools and pass along accurate information about the schools to the community. We discussed the very important topic of school safety and security. That same afternoon, I attended a roundtable led by Sen. Jim Beach involving area mayors and police departments to discuss specific ways to improve and fund the safety of our schools.
On Jan. 16, I was honored to be the guest speaker at the Voorhees Business Association’s (VBA) monthly meeting to discuss the state of Voorhees business. The VBA provides networking opportunities for businesspersons in and around Voorhees. The VBA is an important and vibrant part of our community and supports many worthy causes. Later in the day, I was pleased to be part of the grand opening of the Power-Back Genesis Rehabilitation facility on Route 73. It is a beautiful state-of-the-art complex that brings many new jobs to Voorhees.
The following evening, I was happy to be part of the fourth annual Voorhees Breakfast Rotary Club Community Awards Dinner honoring Leta Strain as the 2012 Voorhees Citizen of the Year, Dr. Joseph Perno as the 2012 Voorhees Business Person of the Year and Heidi Cullen as the 2012 Voorhees First Responder of the Year. The Voorhees Breakfast Rotary Club has worked passionately and tirelessly since its inception in 2002 for the betterment of the Voorhees community.
On Jan. 21, I helped welcome Momma’s Home Made to Voorhees. It is a family-owned business specializing in delicious soul food and famous applesauce.
On the evening of Jan. 25, I had a great time at the Voorhees Business Association’s Voorhees Bowling for the Arts. More than 200 people attended to raise money for improvements at the Voorhees Middle School Theater. It was another great job by our VBA. On the same evening, the Camden County Freeholders awarded Freedom Medals to Voorhees residents, Roland de Castro and Hannah Oh.
The following day, the new Verizon Wireless store on the corner of Route 73 and Cooper Road held its grand opening. That evening, I attended the Pakistani American Society of South Jersey New Year Celebration at the Royal Palace in Voorhees. I am so proud to be the Mayor of such a diverse community.
At the Township Committee meeting on Jan. 28, I was honored to swear in five new officers of the Voorhees Township Police Department. We welcomed Michael Perez, Anthony Lynn, Kevin Branagan, Richard Graham III and Bryan Foster to our police force.
On the evening of Jan. 29, I enjoyed spending time with Voorhees Cub Scout Pack 127 at Signal Hill School. We had a great discussion about our community and I fielded many interesting questions. Like my dad always said, “Out of the mouths of babes.”
On the evening of Feb. 26, I was privileged to be part of the Camden County Medical Society Golden Merit Awards Dinner at The Mansion in Voorhees. Dr. Daniel Colombi, Fred Dorey, Frank Petrovich and Ashokkumar Patel were honored for 50 years of practicing medicine.
On the evening of Feb. 8, I was honored to be sworn in as the second vice president of the Camden County Mayor’s Association by Sen. Donald Norcross. The CCMA meets monthly to allow area mayors to share information and discuss common issues and concerns.
