On Dec. 11, there was a mayors’ briefing in Ewing led by the New Jersey State Police, the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security regarding the mysterious drone sightings.
Here are the very main points from this briefing:
- There is an active federal investigation being led by the FBI.
- According to that agency there are no known specific or credible threats related to these drone sightings.
- At this time, it is unclear who is operating these drones.
- Suspicious drone activity should be reported to the Mantua police department, or more importantly to the NJOHSP’s Counter Threat Watch Unit at (866) 4-SAFE-NJ (866-472-3365) or email New Jersey Homeland Security at tips@njohsp.gov.
I was unable to attend this briefing, however this information was obtained by Mayor Michael Razze of Pitman who attended, and has briefed members of the Gloucester County Mayors’ Association. To date, no information has been provided by a higher authority giving an explanation to the drone sightings. I will update the community with any important information that may follow and become available.
On Dec. 14, I was humbled to be a part of the Wreaths Across America ceremony at the beautiful Wenonah Cemetery for the second straight year. Commissioner Director Frank DeMarco, Commissioner Denice DeCarlo, Wenonah Mayor Jessica Doheny and I spoke at the ceremony. It was truly uplifting that the Mantua and Wenonah communities partnered again during this holiday season to recognize our very own, who honorably served our country and are laid to rest here at this exquisite burial place.
The wreath laying ceremony was not only heart warming, it’s was a symbolic gesture to honor and remember the sacrifices made by our perished military, and to continually pay respect and gratitude for their service to the United States of America.
Please let us not forget the families of our fallen heroes, and our current military here and afar, during this most wonderful and blessed time of year
At our Dec. 16 township committee meeting, John “Jack” Steen was appointed to fill the vacant committee seat resulting from the recent retirement of Pete Scirrotto. The appointment is for a one-year unexpired term ending Dec. 31, 2025.
I administered the oath of office to Committeeman Steen as his wife Nicole, and sons Jaxen and Gaven stood by his side. Steen is a 15-year resident of Mantua Township and was born and raised in South Jersey.
Committeeman Steen has a BS degree from St. Joseph’s University and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Rutgers University. He works for the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business as a software engineer.
Jack is known for his involvement with Mantua Little League, where he’s served on the board for seven years, and the last three as president. Nicole Steen is a teacher at Centre City School in our Mantua school district.
The township committee and I are thrilled that Jack wants to expand his passion for community service in Mantua by serving as a committeeman. We are blessed to have him and welcome him aboard.
Also at this township committee, we adopted an ordinance for rental registrations. This ordinance will enact registration requirements for short- and long-term rentals within the municipality, and will also prohibit the lease or rental of amenities within a residential dwelling.
In addition to the implementation of landlord registration fees for rental properties, another main focus was to limit short-term rentals for a term of no less than 30 days, and prohibit short-term rentals to anyone younger than 21. The leasing or renting of any amenity, feature, accessory or appurtenance associated with a dwelling is now prohibited under this ordinance. This prohibits the leasing of residential swimming pools and/or any other amenity tied to a residential dwelling.
The township committee and I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah. I’m hopeful that you’ll be spending time with family and enjoying some relaxation after the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.
Upcoming township meetings and events:
- Monday through Friday, Jan. 3, is bulk trash pickup on your normally scheduled trash day.
- Wednesday, Jan. 1, is a holiday and municipal offices will be closed for business.
- Monday, Jan. 6 at 5 p.m. is the township committee’s reorganization meeting.
On behalf of the entire township committee, we look forward to continuing our service with honesty, integrity and trustful leadership.
