PATCO Unveils Brand New Elevator at Haddonfield Station

Ribbon-cutting ceremony marks next step in progression of expansive elevator project

Pictured left to right are DRPA CEO and PATCO President John Hanson, PATCO General Manager John Rink, Haddonfield Mayor Neal Rochford and Borough of Haddonfield Commissioner Colleen Bianco Bezich.

Commuters in Haddonfield received an early holiday gift Thursday morning as PATCO held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the official opening of the station’s elevator.

The event was at the Haddonfield Station on December 19, 2019.

“Today is an exciting time to be here, cut the ribbon and put this elevator in service for our riders here in Haddonfield,” said PATCO General Manager John Rink.

Rink was joined by DRPA CEO and PATCO President John Hanson, Haddonfield Mayor Neal Rochford, Borough of Haddonfield Commissioner Colleen Bianco Bezich, as well DRPA Senior Engineer Elisabeth L. Klawunn.

“I consider this an awesome day in Haddonfield’s history. This Speedline has been such a vital part of our economic wellbeing,” said Mayor Rochford. “I know earlier this year PATCO celebrated their 50th anniversary and it’s nice to see so much work still continuing to make this such an awesome transportation system.”

Hanson stressed the importance of leaving the PATCO train line in better shape than it was received for the future employees of DRPA and PATCO.

“Sometimes people like to rest on their laurels after 50 years, but this is only getting better and better and it is an economic driver within the South Jersey community,” said Mayor Rochford.

Mayor Rochford is excited for the residents of Haddonfield to take advantage of the new elevator.

“We also have a very robust shopping district, so I’m hoping people will come over to Haddonfield to shop and bring all those packages. Before they had to go down the steps or elevator, now they can just get onto this very nice elevator and it will be very convenient for them,” said Mayor Rochford.

Hanson added his appreciation for all those involved in making the Haddonfield elevator a reality.

“I’m very proud of the PATCO team. I’m very proud of the DRPA team in doing this work,” said Hanson.

Last year, construction began on a

$31 million project

to install elevators in all currently unequipped PATCO train stations. The Ashland, Haddonfield, Westmont and Collingswood Stations will each receive one elevator, while the City Hall and 12/13th & Locust Stations will have two elevators installed. The Ashland elevator is scheduled to open next, followed by Westmont.

Upon completion in 2022, all 13 PATCO stations will be fully accessible to individuals with disabilities and those using wheelchairs, strollers and bicycles.

DNREC’s Natural Resources Police deliver 585 toys

to U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program

DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Sgt. Brooke Mitchell, Officer Rebecca Schuman of the Environmental Crimes Unit, and Cpl. David Redgraves and Cpl. Andrew Manning of Delaware State Parks Natural Resources Police delivered 270 toys to the Dover Toys for Tots facility in Dover Dec. 16. DNREC photo/Joanna Wilson.

DOVER (Dec. 18, 2019) – After a statewide gift-giving campaign throughout the holiday season, DNREC Natural Resources Police units from Delaware State Parks, the Division of Fish & Wildlife, and the Division of Community Affairs’ Environmental Crimes Unit have delivered 585 toys to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program in Delaware to provide gifts for less fortunate children in local communities for the holidays.

“Toys for Tots ensures that less fortunate children can awaken to presents in this season of giving, and I am proud that DNREC’s three Natural Resources Police units stepped up to make that a reality for hundreds of Delaware families,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “Thanks to the dedication of Cpl. Andrew Manning of our Parks Natural Resources Police and all the other officers who took part in this campaign, DNREC has helped make a difference.”

The three Natural Resources Police units placed Toys for Tots donation boxes in locations statewide, including DNREC offices and state parks, to collect new, unwrapped toys suitable for boys and girls of all ages.

In Sussex County Dec. 13, DNREC Natural Resources Police officers met Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Marine Patrol vessel Alpha at the Indian River Marina to pick up toys collected from six Sussex donation locations and deliver them to the Sussex Toys for Tots facility. They collected 315 toys, which will be among those distributed to children in 1,038 Sussex families.

A total of 270 toys collected in Kent and New Castle counties were delivered Dec. 16 to the Dover Toys for Tots facility for distribution. The Kent County facility is serving more than 1,200 children, with a waiting list.

DNREC Natural Resources Police officers gathered Dec. 12 at Indian River Marina near Rehoboth Beach to pick up toys collected from six Sussex donation locations for Sussex County families through their participation in the US Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots program. They collected 315 toys, which will be among those distributed to less fortunate children in 1,038 Sussex families. Pictured aboard Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Marine Patrol vessel Alpha, are Fish & Wildlife Officer Billy Adkins (in back); Environmental Crimes Unit’s Lt. John McCarty; Delaware State Parks’ Cpl. Andrew Manning and Lt. Bryan John; Fish & Wildlife Chief Drew Aydelotte and Sgt. Brooke Mitchell; ECU Officer Rebecca Schuman; Fish & Wildlife Lt. Casey Zolper; and special guest Santa Claus (Fish & Wildlife Cpl. Josh Hudson), with K-9 Officer Rosco. DNREC photo/Shauna McVey.

Avalon Receives $177,000 NJDOT Grant for Reconstruction of Portion of 69th Street

AVALON, NJ–The Borough of Avalon is receiving a $177,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation. The grant will be used for the Borough’s reconstruction of a portion of 69

Street between Dune Drive and Ocean Drive. The project is expected to begin in 2020.

“We are very appreciative of the Department taking a close look at this project and providing funding to help defray costs for municipal taxpayers”, said Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi. “Avalon has been fortunate to submit competitive grant applications in prior years. These grants allow the Borough to repair and replace necessary infrastructure”.

Since 1997, the Borough of Avalon has secured approximately $2.9 million from the New Jersey Department of Transportation for various street projects. Last year, the Borough received a $150,000 grant from the program for the reconstruction of a portion of 68

Street.

In 2019, the Department received 661 applications that requested more than $368 million for projects. Funding comes from the Transportation Trust Fund which is supported by the State gasoline tax. $161.25 million was allocated to projects throughout the State of New Jersey for the NJDOT’s Fiscal Year 2020 Municipal Aid Program. The application for the grant was made by Avalon municipal engineer Thomas Thornton of Mott MacDonald and previously authorized by the Avalon Borough Council.

MRC Volunteers Strengthen Communities during the Holiday Season and Beyond

The holiday season is a time for giving. We spend hours (sometimes weeks, months…) searching for and picking out the perfect gifts for friends and family. Many of us donate to non-profits and charitable organizations. We even give to ourselves – often taking important time off to unwind and connect with our loved ones.

The holidays also offer an opportunity to give our time and skills to volunteer organizations and think of new ways to connect with our communities. This holiday season, consider donating your time to improve the health of your community by volunteering with the

Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)

The MRC is a national network of more than 175,000 volunteers located throughout the United States and its territories. MRC units organize, train, and utilize local volunteers to prepare for and respond to emergencies. MRC volunteers include medical and public health professionals as well as other community members without healthcare backgrounds.

Although volunteering is important all year, winter typically brings a predictable but dangerous series of threats to community health across the country: colder temperatures, winter storms, and power outages.

In January and February 2019, MRC volunteers from across the country – from the Pacific Northwest to New England to the Gulf Coast – devoted more than 700 hours in response to these winter emergencies.

To help their communities weather the storms, MRC volunteers staffed warming centers and overnight shelters; provided call center support at emergency operations centers; assisted with charging stations during extended power outages for residents to charge electricity-dependent equipment and devices; and performed door-to-door wellness checks on residents who may be home bound and without power.

In addition to weather-related events, many MRC units are busy during the winter months keeping their communities healthy by combating the flu virus. MRC volunteers administer vaccines and provide logistical support at hundreds of flu clinics in their local communities, including those held at community events, health departments, and schools. These events provide MRC units with opportunities to test their capabilities to respond to a pandemic or other incident requiring mass dispensing.

All of these activities build communities that are healthier, better prepared, and more resilient. If you are interested in serving your community – whether this holiday season, this winter, or any other time throughout the year – I invite you to

find an MRC unit near you

, talk to your local coordinator, and ask what their needs are and how you may be able to serve.

Glassboro Public Schools Donate $1,200 to Patients of Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center

Glassboro, NJ –

Students and staff of Glassboro High School (GHS) and Glassboro Intermediate School (GIS) recently made a special donation to Jefferson Health’s Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center – Washington Township. The Glassboro Public School District collectively raised and donated $1,200, following a collaborative fundraising effort between the schools, which included a dress-down day, along with special help from the GHS Field Hockey Team and the GIS Girls Learning Our Worth (GLOW) club’s pink-ribbon sale.

Shown in front of Glassboro faculty and high school students, with the check at GHS are, from left:

Michele Gaguski, MSN, RN, Cancer Services Administrator; Michele Keating; LaVonyia Mitchell, GIS Principal; Brittinee Garcia, GIS Counselor and GLOW Advisor; Tamara A. LaCouture, MD, Radiation Oncology Medical Director; and Jennifer Baiada, Special Events Coordinator, Jefferson Health Foundation – New Jersey.

Funds raised — presented to the Jefferson Health Foundation – New Jersey — will go toward the Cancer Center’s Hope & Healing Patient Assistance Fund, which helps oncology patients struggling to pay bills or in need of transportation during treatment. The donation marked the Glassboro Public School District’s fourth donation to the Cancer Center since 2016, totaling more than $3,000. This year’s donation doubled their donation from last December; the donations are in honor of GHS Math Teacher & STEM Academy Chair Michele Keating, a cancer survivor who, in 2015, received treatment at the Cancer Center.

Camden City Mayor Moran & Freeholder Rodriguez thank the SJ Federal Credit Union

CAMDEN CITY, NJ–Mayor Frank Moran & Freeholder Carmen Rodriguez thank the South Jersey Federal Credit Union for their partnership & ongoing support of the annual Teddy\’s Toys holiday event on December 17, 2019 at Adventure Aquarium along the Camden Waterfront

Miss America 2020 Competition Preliminary Hosts and Judges Announced

Preliminary and Final Night Competition

to be Streamed Live for the First Time.

Uncasville, CT (December 10, 2019)

–

For the first time in Miss America history, the

2020 Miss America Competition

Preliminaries

will be live-streamed from the Mohegan Sun Earth Expo at 7:00 PM ET on Sunday, December 15, and Monday, December 16.

The live stream will be produced by JC Productions and is sponsored by Dakota State University.

In addition, the

2020 Miss America Competition

broadcast will simultaneously be streamed on

NBC.com

on Thursday, December 19, at 8:00 PM ET.

Viewers can now watch, on multiple platforms, the new exciting, interactive, and dramatic selection process

of one young woman who will earn a job with a six-figure salary and the crown of Miss America

The Miss America Organization is also pleased to announce the preliminary hosts and judges for the two nights of preliminary competition.

The preliminary competition hosts are:

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Dorothy Benham

Miss America 1977

Monday, December 16, 2019

Susan Powell

Miss America 1981

This year, our judging panel looks different than in years past, reflecting the importance of an exciting format that allows the judges to spend more time getting to know the 51 candidates. Each woman will engage with the preliminary panel of judges in a private interview before the on-stage elements of competition, painting a more in-depth picture of who she is and what she plans to do in this iconic role.

Our world-renowned and distinguished panel of preliminary competition judges are:

Anthony Barfield

Paying tribute to Nia Franklin, Miss America 2019’s social impact initiative that focuses on music composition and advancing the arts in education, the Miss America Organization welcomes Anthony Barfield.

Anthony is the founder of Velocity Music, a music production company based in New York City.

Having worked with artists including Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, and Young M.A, Anthony is a leader in hip-hop and R&B.

Anthony has scored music for film, television, and video games for companies such as EA Sport and Genentech, and recently signed a record deal with Polo Grounds Music,

a subsidiary of Sony’s RCA Records.

Anthony holds degrees from The Juilliard School and The Manhattan School of Music, where he earned his B.M. and then M.M. in trombone performance. He has performed at the Kennedy Center and at Carnegie Hall, where his composition \”Here We Rest\” was premiered at the New York Wind Band Festival.

He currently lives in New York City with his wife, Alaina, and Pug, Gouda.

Holly Pelham Davis

Recognizing the importance of physical, emotional, and mental well-being, the Miss America Organization welcomes Holly Pellham Davis as our second judge for Miss America 2020 preliminaries.

Holly’s career as a model and actress spans over three decades and naturally led to her founding Clean Fresh Living, where she serves as CEO.

Promoting organic living, Holly and her company are focused on sharing knowledge and building awareness of the importance of healthy living.

Having taken this message to television audiences, Holly has also served as a spokesperson for the

Made in America

and

Made in the USA

campaigns, serves on the board of Constituting America, and has helped raise millions of dollars for a variety of charitable causes.

Holly resides with her husband and two children in Dallas, Texas.

Stephanie S. Streett

Focusing on the importance of the new Miss America advancing her social impact initiative to a broad range of audiences, the Miss America Organization is proud to welcome Stephanie Streett.

Stephanie is the executive director of the Clinton Foundation, overseeing the strategy and management of the Clinton Presidential Center, which provides extensive educational and cultural opportunities for visitors of all ages.

She served in the Clinton White House for eight years, first as Deputy Assistant to the President, and then as Assistant to the President and Director of Scheduling.

Prior to her White House assignments, she worked on Capitol Hill as a staff member for the United States Senate Committee on the Budget.

Stephanie oversees for the Clinton Foundation the Presidential Leadership Scholars program, a unique collaboration between the presidential centers of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon Baines Johnson.

This first of its kind leadership development program produces bold and principled leaders committed to solving the world’s greatest challenges.

She and her husband, Don Erbach, are the proud parents of three teenage daughters and live in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Live Streaming

###

The Miss America Organization, a 501(c)4 works to empower young women through education and service. Miss America candidates contribute tens of thousands of community service hours annually and have raised over $19 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and Miss America scholarships since 2007. The Miss America Foundation, a 501(c) (3), provides academic, community service, and other scholarships to young women.

Rutgers‒Camden Nursing Students Visit Elderly Camden City Residents

TO THE POINT

CAMDEN – Yaazmyn Rosa’s weekly visit to Camden’s Northgate II affordable housing complex to help residents manage their healthcare needs is one of the most rewarding and inspiring experiences in her education at

Rutgers University‒Camden

Rosa and her classmates in the

accelerated bachelor of science in nursing program

are among a team of health care workers and social workers who provide in-home consultations to solve complex care issues for elderly residents.

“What you’re learning in class, you’re able to put it in practice,” says Rosa, of Moorestown, who is graduating in January 2020.

Working alongside Northgate II social workers, the Rutgers–Camden students conduct health assessments using the “Age-Friendly 4Ms Framework,” a national movement sponsored by the John A. Hartford Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. The framework evaluates what matters to the individual regarding medication, mentation, and mobility. Students check for health issues common to elders, including depression, dementia, and risk for falls; review medications; and advise residents on health-related issues that are important to them.

Some aspects of the assessment lend themselves more to the strengths of the social work staff, while some assessments require someone with a nursing background.

“I think a lot of these senior citizens don’t know where to start” when faced with many health and social problems. “I think having someone to talk to and go through the assessment process with them is important,” says nursing student Emily Kahn of Cherry Hill. “We ask them, are you able to do these things by yourself? Just because a person looks like they are able to take care of themselves, and bathe themselves, and clean their house, and get themselves dressed in the morning, doesn’t always mean they feel confident doing so.”

Since 2018, Rutgers School of Nursing‒Camden students have had the opportunity to work with

Northgate II

residents through the

New Jersey Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program

(NJGWEP), led by the Rowan School of Osteopathic Medicine (SOM). It is a unique partnership between Rowan and the Rutgers School of Nursing‒Camden to provide interprofessional experiential learning to students in managing elderly residents’ complex care issues.

The experience at Northgate II is educational, rewarding, and helps to boost the students’ confidence in their nursing skills.

“All of us started there thinking, ‘we don’t know what we are doing,’” says Kahn. “It was nice to work together as a team, and say, ‘ok, I can explain this’ and ‘I can help them with these issues.’”

The NJGWEP, funded by a $3.75 million grant to the Rowan SOM from the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, supports grantees in developing a health care workforce that is prepared to integrate geriatric practice into primary care and promote best practices in caring for older individuals. The program provides a framework that allows residents and their families to participate in decision-making and is based on person-centered care.

Sometimes working with the residents requires simply providing some education or educational materials about how to handle a health issue, or ways to stay safe in their homes. In other instances, students may recommend that a resident have a follow-up visit with their primary care provider because they are having issues with memory, or having trouble walking, or could benefit from a medication review.

Rosa and her classmate Carmen Iossa successfully collaborated to help a patient who had numerous questions and concerns about his health issues.

“What I didn’t know, Carmen would provide the answer,” says Rosa. “When he didn’t know something, someone on the team would pick up on it, and by the end of the interview, the patient was happy. He got answers to all of the questions he had.”

“The program builds interprofessional collaboration into the experience,” says

Margaret Avallone

, a clinical assistant professor at the Rutgers School of Nursing‒Camden and leader of the project for Rutgers–Camden’s involvement in the NJGWEP grant. “Learning to work in teams is so important because that is how they’re going to work after they graduate.”

Iossa says working with the Northgate II residents has given him new experiences that will be useful throughout his career. One of Iossa’s patients did not speak English. “It was a good experience for me, because a lot of times you’re not going to speak the same language as a patient,” says the Cherry Hill resident who will graduate in January. Iossa worked with a Spanish-speaking social worker who interpreted as they arranged a home health aide for a patient who had suffered two strokes and was no longer able to perform basic daily activities. Now, the home health aide comes to the man’s home five days a week, doing chores such as cleaning his apartment.

“That was an accomplishment,” says Iossa. “He had a lot of stuff in his apartment, and clutter in the corner, where there is a cord that he can pull to alert the building staff that he needs assistance. If he fell down, there’s no way he would have been able to get to it to call for help.”

SJ Gas 2019 First Responders Grant Program Winners

FOLSOM, NJ,

December 11, 2019 – Today South Jersey Gas, a subsidiary of South Jersey Industries (NYSE: SJI), announced the winners of its annual

First Responders

Grant Program

. This year, seven grants totaling over $30,000 were awarded to local first responder

departments.

“At South Jersey Gas we’re proud to support the hardworking, dedicated first responders who serve our communities every day,” said Dave Robbins, president of South Jersey Gas. “We are proud to partner with this year’s winners and support their continued efforts to make out neighborhoods better, safer places to live and work.”

The 2019

First Responders Grant Program

recipient departments and projects include:

Deptford Fire Department

– to purchase combustible gas detection equipment and a gas monitoring meter.

Egg Harbor City Fire Department

– to purchase protective hoods and gloves.

Heislerville Volunteer Fire Company

– to purchase protective fire helmets and hoods.

Reliance Fire Company

– to purchase SCBA masks and cylinders.

Runnemede Fire Company No. 1

– to purchase protective hoods.

Tabernacle Fire Company No. 1

– to purchase a thermal imaging camera and a gas monitoring meter.

Woodbine Volunteer Fire Department

– to support the purchase of a dual-band radio.

Through the

First Responders Grant Program,

South Jersey Gas provides critical support to help operations, improve safety measures and/or provide training at local first responder departments. With applications from first responder departments that serve municipalities across the utility’s service area, South Jersey Gas conducts a thorough and competitive selection process to determine the grant recipients.

The

First Responders Grant Program

will be offered again in Fall 2020. Program information is available on the South Jersey Gas website at:

southjerseygas.com/community

About South Jersey Gas

South Jersey Gas, subsidiary of SJI (NYSE:SJI), delivers safe, reliable, affordable natural gas and promotes energy efficiency to approximately 385,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Salem, and portions of Gloucester, Burlington and Camden counties in New Jersey. For more information, visit

southjerseygas.com

Mount Holly Township Hosts 2019 Holiday Tree Lighting

Mount Holly, NJ

– Come celebrate the most wonderful time of the year at Mount Holly’s Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony on Friday, December 6, 2019 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Mount Holly’s downtown district will be transformed into a Winter Wonderland for this family-friendly event, sponsored by Mount Holly Township. This event is free and open to the public.

The celebration will feature live performances from a variety of acts, including but not limited to the Lumberton school of music, Mount Holly Township School children’s choir, Dansation School of Dance and more.

Santa, Mrs. Claus and their elves will also make an appearance, helping to light the township’s Holiday Tree, located at the intersection of Washington and High Streets, with more than 3,000 lights. Once the tree is lit, all will be invited to have their pictures taken with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

WHAT:

Mount Holly Township’s Annual Holiday Tree Lighting and Celebration

WHEN:

Friday, December 6, 2019 –

rain or shine

6 to 9 p.m.

WHERE:

Downtown Mount Holly

High Street and Washington Street

DETAILS:

Several roads will be closed throughout the evening’s event to accommodate pedestrian foot traffic. Road closures begin at 5:00 p.m., and include: High Street from Rancocas/Garden to Washington Street; and Mill Street from Pine to Park Drive. Alternate routes will be made available, and Mount Holly Police Officers will be onsite to direct traffic around the closures, and will provide members of the media guidance as to where they should park.

Media will have access to closed roads – Pine Street/Mill Street to Washington Street/Park Drive – and will be allowed to pull right into the event for easy loading/unloading and use of equipment. Please note: free, designated Media parking will be available in municipal lots – ideal lot location is the far back municipal lot, one block away from tree lighting location.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

5:00 p.m. – Roads Close (High St. from Garden to Mill/Washington & Mill Street at the T)

6:00 p.m. – Announcements, words from our Sponsors

6:00 p.m. – RCBC Chamber Choir

6:35 p.m. – Dansations School of Dance

6:45 p.m. – Santa and Mrs. Claus Arrive

7:00 p.m. – Tree Lighting with Santa Claus (Free Hot Chocolate and cookies, while supplies last)***Sponsored by The Woman’s League

7:00PM – The Bolongos

7:30PM – Mount Holly Township School Children’s Choir

7:00 – 9:00 p.m. – Take a picture with Santa and Mrs. Claus

8:45 p.m. – Last Chance to see Santa

9:00 p.m. – Event Ends