As we come to the end of 2023 and look forward to the new year, The Sun looks back at the top three stories that stood out this year in Medford.
Soccer’s cup runneth over
Earlier this year we met Medford Messi.
Thanks to Brenden Aaronson, Medford is now known internationally. We featured him in a January article headlined “Medford Messi lives the World Cup dream.”
The storyline was too perfect. In a year when Argentine soccer player Lionel Messi won his first World Cup, a kid from South Jersey known as the Medford Messi appeared in his first contest.
From youth soccer in the township, to working his way up through the Philadelphia Union, to playing in the Champions and Premier leagues, Aaronson’s ambitions have kept him looking to the future. In a matter of years, the 22-year old has checked off box after soccer box, most recently as a member of the U.S. Men’s National Team at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
“It definitely took a bit to set in,” Aaronson noted. “… It was pretty nerve-wracking moments coming into games like that, but it was an amazing experience for me, and to be part of a team that made some history was amazing.”
As a kid, Aaronson’s sports interests gravitated toward Europe and watching teams like Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea. A midfielder and winger, one of his early idols was Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard.
Aaronson came from a soccer family; his dad Rusty played college soccer at Monmouth. The elder Aaronson grew up during the height of the original North American Soccer League, even playing in a New Jersey high school all-star game before a New York Cosmos game at Giants Stadium.
Representing Medford in front of millions was unforgettable for the younger Aaronson.
“I love representing my hometown,” he said.
Senior Shawnee teammates Nia Scott and Avery Kessler have managed a rare feat in high-school basketball: Each has reached 1,000 points.
Super seniors
Earlier this year, we met Shawnee High School teammates Nia Scott and Avery Kessler. They were seniors then and had each reached 1,000 points in their basketball careers. We featured their achievements in a February article headlined “Shawnee’s super seniors reach the 1,000-point plateau, and they’re not done.”
It’s rare for a high-school basketball player to reach 1,000 points in a career. Yet Shawnee’s girls basketball squad has not just one, but two, who managed it this season.
Scott and Kessler have breathed life back into a Renegades’ program that is coming off a loss to Cherokee High in this year’s NJSIAA South Jersey Group IV final. But hitting the elusive 1,000-point milestone has only driven the two seniors to reach more highs before they graduate.
“It was definitely really cool and I’m glad that we were able to do that together, because it made it much more special,” Kessler said of the record. “When (Nia) hit it, I was like, I’m next. And we celebrated for each other rather than being in competition with each other.
“It was really special that we hit it in the same season, since we’ve been friends for so long.”
Scott and Kessler are also lifelong teammates: They’ve been playing basketball together since they were kids and have turned into one of the best tandems not just in the Olympic Conference, but in all of South Jersey.
Their success has gone hand in hand with that of the Renegades, who clinched the No. 1 seed in this year’s South Jersey Group IV tournament.
“Hitting 1K wasn’t something I thought about,” Scott acknowledged. “It wasn’t what I focused on, because we had bigger plans with the playoffs, but it was definitely something I was looking at before the season started.
“As it got closer, it was in the back of my mind as something I wanted to accomplish.”
Part of the revived Haines/Tomlinson house will be a museum showcasing local culture, history and the community.
A house is a home
In November, we learned about the Haines/Tomlinson House in an article headline “Turning a house into a home,” by Kathy Chang that appeared in the Nov. 1-8 issue.
Several months ago, the historic Haines/Tomlinson House was up for auction. Now it’s in the hands of the Medford Historical Society. And that’s essentially where it should be, since “it is believed to be the oldest house in what is known as Medford Village,” according to township officials.
The historic structure stands on .801 acres of property that was subdivided from the town hall property acquired by the township in 2018.
“The township had approached us a few years ago to partner with them to preserve and maintain the home,” said Mike Gallagher, first vice president of the historical society.
It was around the time that COVID hit and membership was down.
“It was a real struggle,” Gallagher recalled, noting many society members were disappointed with the delay. “At the time, it was hard to see us take on a new obligation.”
The historical society already oversees the historic Kirby’s Grist Mill and Cross Keys School. When the Haines/Tomlinson House went up for auction in 2023, officials made sure it was deed restricted, following guidelines from the National Park Service’s historic preservation. But it was around that time that historical society members felt they could step in and take on the obligation to preserve the home.
They reached out to township officials and stopped the auction, then discussed a partnership to preserve the home. Medford council then announced by press release on Oct. 4 that the historical society woule acquire ownership of the site.
The home is directly in front of the town hall and library building, at 51 Union St. Historically cited as the Jonathan Haines House, the structure was built in several stages. The front – with its Flemish bond brick façade – came first, around 1760. Haines was a member of the prominent family that settled in the Medford area, known then as Upper Evesham.
Haines/Tomlinson is believed to be the oldest house in what is known as Medford Village. Haines’ grandson, also named Jonathan, built the rear addition in 1820 and made other alterations, including front dormer windows. The house remained in the Haines family until 1917. Some lots were built on by succeeding Haines children, while others were sold to non-relatives.
Through the 1990s, the home’s owners were the late Ephraim Tomlinson II and his wife. “Eph” was Medford mayor for many years and practiced law at home. He was also a noted township historian.
The historical society would like to see the Haines/Tomlinson property become a stable anchor at Medford Village and bring the group’s presence to the heart of the township.
