DPW crews clearing storm drains to prevent flooding

The Department of Public Works has been working since Wednesday to clear debris from water inlets and outflows in anticipation of this weekend's heavy rainfall.

Residents should call Police Dispatch to report flood conditions during the weekend, at (856) 665-1200.  The police will dispatch Public Works crews as needed.

AARP senior tax help at Town Hall tomorrow

These sessions will continue every Tuesday and Friday through April 13.
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Haddonfield Road pot holes covered

Pot holes at 50 Haddonfield Road, which had been reported two months ago, are now covered by large metal slates.

The issue had been reported by Kevin, who said:

"Crumbling pavement and potholes on haddonfield Rd. in Cherry Hill. The problem is in front of the Toyota dealership prior to the Church Rd. Intersection."

Read more about this issue, and view the photo gallery, after the jump...

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NJSM Music Education Facts #5

Did You Know?
High school music students score higher on SATs in both verbal and math than their peers. In 2001, SAT takers with coursework/experience in music performance scored 57 points higher on the verbal portion of the test and 41 points higher on the math portion than students with no coursework/experience in the arts.

Source: Profile of SAT and Achievement Test Takers, The College Board, compiled by Music Educators National Conference, 2001.

Did You Know?

College-age musicians are emotionally healthier than their non-musician counterparts. A study conducted at the University of Texas looked at 362 students who were in their first semester of college. They were given three tests, measuring performance anxiety, emotional concerns and alcohol related problems. In addition to having fewer battles with the bottle, researchers also noted that the college-aged music students seemed to have surer footing when facing tests.

Source: Houston Chronicle, January 11, 1998

NJ School of Music 1200 Haddonfield Rd. CherryHill  856.910.0060

www.njschoolofmusic.com

Town Hall, Library open for business today; all services operational

The Cherry Hill municipal building and public library are open for business today, Thursday, Feb. 25. Trash and recycling collection and other township services are also fully operational.

All Recreation Department activities scheduled for Thursday have been canceled; however, the Recreation Department itself is open.

Public Works crews are on hand to treat roadways as conditions require.

For weather- and trash-related questions, call DPW directly at (856) 424-4422. For additional assistance, contact the Mayor's Office at (856) 488-7878.

Safety reminder: Property owners must clear snow, ice from sidewalks

Local ordinance requires that all public access areas be cleared within 48 hours after snow stops falling. However, keeping in mind the massive snowfall seen last week, the property owners have had a significant amount of leeway and ample time to attend to snow removal.

That said, our children are returning to school and life has returned to normal – meaning it is vital, in the interest of public safety, that our sidewalks be cleared as soon as possible. In the coming days, the Township Zoning Officer will be responding to any snow-removal complaints we receive and issuing warnings to those property owners whose sidewalks and other access areas pose a hazard to pedestrians.
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Township DPW keeps an eye on pothole proliferation; asks for community’s help

Ed Note: In addition to reporting potholes using the Township DPW hotline below, you can also use the Fixer Upper tool on the sidebar of this site to submit issues that need fixing. These submissions are automatically relayed to town officials via e-mail.

This particularly harsh winter season has spawned an uptick in the number of potholes affecting municipal roadways. In response, the Department of Public Works (DPW) has launched an aggressive campaign to identify and repair the damaged areas.

Beginning this week, three DPW road crews have been assigned to seek out and fix these potholes, which have been caused by the repeated freezing and thawing of road surfaces in the past two months. Each crew has been assigned a service area, and is touring every inch of the 226 miles of local roadway maintained by Cherry Hill to look for other depressions in the asphalt.

In light of this daunting task, Mayor Platt and DPW Director Steve Musilli are asking for the community’s help. Residents who see a potential problem spot should contact DPW immediately by calling (856) 424-4422. Additionally, potholes can be reported 24 hours a day on the Township Web site, www.CherryHill-NJ.com.
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Cherry Hill officials monitoring weather system

With snow in the forecast for later today and tonight, Township officials are continually monitoring weather conditions.

Crews will be on hand to treat municipal roadways as needed to make conditions safe for travel tonight and during Tuesday morning's rush hour.

Contact the Mayor's Office at (856) 488-7878 or the Department of Public Works at (856) 424-4422 with questions or concerns on Tuesday.

NJSM Music Education Facts: #4

Did You Know?

Research shows that piano students are better equipped to comprehend mathematical and scientific concepts. A group of preschoolers received private piano keyboard lessons and singing lessons. A second group received private computer lessons. Those children who received piano/keyboard training performed 34 percent higher on tests measuring spatial-temporal ability than the others ‹ even those who received computer training. “Spatial-temporal” is basically proportional reasoning – ratios, fractions, proportions and thinking in space and time. This concept has long been considered a major obstacle in the teaching of elementary math and science.

Source: Neurological Research February 28, 1997

New Jersey School of Music : NJSchoolofmusic.com 

1200 Haddonfield Rd. Cherry Hill  856.910.0060

10 Union Street, Medford   609.654.0060

DPW crews continue work to clear trees, debris from roads

Downed trees, limbs reported around Cherry Hill; residents urged to use caution

Conditions around Cherry Hill continue to deteriorate in the wake of today’s storm. Downed trees and limbs are being reported throughout town, and road conditions are treacherous.

In light of these hazardous conditions, Mayor Platt advises residents to take the following precautions to stay safe:

• Stay away from trees and limbs that have fallen or appear to be falling.
• Avoid downed power lines, and report all power outages to PSE&G at the telephone number below.
• Stay indoors as much as possible. Avoid driving and stay off all roadways unless it is absolutely critical.

As of 7 p.m., PSE&G has reported roughly 3,000 customers without power in Burlington, Camden and Mercer counties. Sporadic outages have been reported in Cherry Hill. Crews are working to restore power to affected customers as quickly as possible. More information can be found at: http://www.pseg.com/outagecenter/index.jsp

All power outages should be reported to PSE&G by calling (800) 436-7734.

Municipal road crews and emergency personnel continue working to clear roads and respond quickly to downed trees.

To report any issue, contact the Department of Public Works at (856) 424-4422.

Town Hall, Library, Schools closed Thursday, Feb. 11; trash collection canceled

The Cherry Hill Township Municipal Building will remain closed on Thursday, Feb. 11, to ensure the safety of municipal employees and residents in these treacherous weather conditions. All Township schools and the Cherry Hill Public Library will remain closed, as well, and all recreational programs have been canceled.

This closure affects all non-emergency offices, including the Township’s tax window and Municipal Court. As such, the grace period for first-quarter tax payments has been extended again, to the close of business (5:30 p.m.) on Friday, Feb. 12.Municipal Court sessions scheduled for Thursday have also been canceled, and will be rescheduled through the mail shortly. For more information, please call the Court at (856) 488-7850, when offices re-open.

Trash and recycling collection have also been canceled for Thursday. Wednesday’s trash and recyclables are expected to be picked up on Friday. Thursday and Friday collections have been rescheduled to Saturday, Feb. 13. All collection routes are expected to be back to a normal schedule on Monday, Feb. 15, and operational despite the President’s Day holiday.
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Mayor Platt: Crews continue snow-removal work, prepare for next storm

Once again this winter season, Cherry Hill and surrounding communities face the daunting task of digging out from a record storm that brought more than 27 inches of snow to our region.

While there is still plenty of work to be done, the diligent snow-removal efforts performed by our Department of Public Works through the weekend have allowed us to start the work week relatively unscathed.

From the storm’s onset Friday evening, 43 Township’s snow plows and salt spreaders have been deployed throughout town, and more than 60 of our DPW employees have been on hand, working around-the-clock in an effort to keep more than 226 miles of municipal roadways safe and passable, allowing our lives to continue nearly uninterrupted.

That said, it has already been a long winter, and it appears our work is far from over. Another powerful storm is forecast to move through our area in the middle of this week, and we again expect that accumulation could be significant.
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DPW prepared for impending storm

With snow expected to begin this afternoon and continue through Saturday, the Township’s Department of Public Works is working diligently to ensure crews are ready to respond as soon as the first snowflakes fall.

Salt spreaders have been loaded and will be deployed at the storm’s onset to prevent icing on the 226 miles of roadway maintained by Cherry Hill. All told, some 41 plows and spreaders will be on the road for the duration of the storm to keep our roads as clear and as safe as possible.

Our employees will work around-the-clock through the duration of the storm, with supervisory personnel on hand to monitor road conditions and keep an eye on the most up-to-date forecast. Additionally, administrative staff will be on hand through the storm to answer telephone calls, at (856) 424-4422.
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Free tax help available for seniors through April 13

With tax season upon us, Cherry Hill and the AARP are once again offering a popular, free tax-help program to the Township’s 13,000 seniors.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday and Friday from now until April 13, AARP Tax-Aide Volunteers will be at Town Hall to assist low- and moderate-income seniors in preparing their 2009 state and federal tax returns, as well as Homestead Rebate and Property Tax Reimbursement forms.

No appointments are necessary; however, residents should note that complex returns such as those involving businesses, rental income, or multiple capital gains, will not be prepared through this program. Electronic filing and direct-deposit services will be available to help speed seniors’ returns.
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