Burzichelli discusses state aid cuts in the schools

I recently received a telephone call from state Sen. John Burzichelli, who represents Mantua Township as part of his district. Sen. Burzichelli reached out in response to my previous article referencing the governor’s proposed budget and the proposed decrease in state aid that could adversely impact the township and Clearview Regional school districts.

Sen. Burzichelli spent about a half hour discussing this matter with me over the phone. He emphasized that the governor’s proposed budget will now go to the legislators, and that his office will advocate for our school districts. Although there are no guarantees, I’m confident that our district representatives will fight for our community and will stay fully engaged in an effort to advocate for a more equitable situation for our schools.

It should be noted that the state budget does not get adopted until June 30. So please be patient as the system runs its course through the legislative process, and we await the final budget outcome.

There have been inquiries regarding safety at the intersection of County Road 553 (Woodbury-Glassboro Road) and the entranceway to the Timbercrest Development. With the anticipated influx of traffic due to the grand opening of the Edelman Fossil Park & Museum at Rowan University, and other commercial development in the immediate area, local residents have been requesting a traffic light at this location.

I made a formal request to the Gloucester County Engineer’s Office asking that a traffic study be completed at this location over the next six to 12 months to determine if a traffic signal is warranted or not. The county has agreed to hire a consultant to conduct this study.

On March 10, the township committee recognized March 2025 as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and honored a very good friend and long-time resident, Patricia Peterson. Patricia has been a resident of Mantua since 1991 and has been fighting stage IV colon cancer since 2018. 

She embodies the bravery, strength, and resilience needed to handle such obstacles, and the township of Mantua will keep Patricia and her family in its thoughts and prayers as she continues her fight. Committeemen Jack Steen and Jay Snyder and I presented Patricia’s husband, Tom, and her daughter, Chris Rainey, with a township proclamation at our monthly committee meeting.

Committeeman Steen and I stopped by Mantua’s VFW Post 7679 for Coffee with a Vet on March 11. Post Cmdr. Martin Valdez and senior Vice Cmdr. Charles Thorp invite residents to stop by to learn more about the local VFW and to grab a free cup of coffee.

Coffee with a Vet is held the second Tuesday of every month between 11 a.m. and noon at Post 7679, 8 New York Ave. (Main Street and New York Avenue). Committeeman Steen and I had a great time chatting with our veteran friends. We encourage you to swing by the VFW on any second Tuesday to thank our local heroes and to get more engaged in the community.

On March 20, I and committee members Lukens, Steen and Snyder were extremely honored to be a part of the Edelman Fossil Park & Museum VIP ribbon cutting ceremony. 

We are officially on the “map” with a world renowned fossil park & museum right here in our own back yard behind Lowe’s. Who would have thought that deep beneath this former marl pit was the home of 50,000 – 66 million year old fossils including sharks, sea turtles and mosasaurs from the cretaceous period.

This once hidden Mantua gem is expected to attract approximately 200,000 visitors annually, and will provide jobs to locals, educate our youth, and help boost our economy. This is a win-win for our great community.

On March 24, committee members Eileen Lukens, Township Administrator Jennica Bileci and I attended the Country Gardens’ 55-plus Community HOA meeting. We met with board members and a crowd of about 50 attendees to introduce ourselves and to address resident concerns. It’s always a pleasure to interact with members of our community on a more personal level.

Lukens, administrator Bileci and I attended the monthly Gloucester County Mayors Meeting hosted in Mantua at Carolina Blue on March 26. This meeting honored our clerks/administrators for their hard work. An Atlantic City Electric (representative) was our guest speaker, and answered questions about the recent rate increases impacting our residents here in Mantua and around the county.

During the month of February, the Mantua police department handled 2,450 calls for service, made 53 arrests, issued 139 motor-vehicle summonses, handled 159 investigation reports and investigated 38 motor-vehicle crashes.