With 2025 coming to a close, the Mullica Hill Sun is taking a look at some of the top news stories of the year.
Harrison Township’s new mayor
New committeeman and elected Mayor Adam Wingate (left) was sworn in by former Mayor Louis Manzo last January.
The year kicked off with committeeman Adam Wingate sworn in as mayor.
Having secured a spot on the committee in the 2024 election, Wingate took over last January from Louis Manzo, who served as mayor beginning in 2007. Wingate also served on the committee – from 2020 to 2023 – and is a life-long resident of Mullica Hill.
“As we step into 2025, it’s not just a new year, but also the start of a new era,” he said. “We find ourselves at a crossroads, one full of challenges, but also incredible opportunity. Change is all around us and it’s exciting, but it can feel a little uncertain.
“That’s why I stand here tonight to assure you that no matter what lies ahead, we will navigate this change together with transparency, common sense and a shared vision of the future.”
Wingate’s first year saw a number of changes. The year’s total municipal budget resulted in a 0.5% decrease from the prior year, a rare situation for residents. And the partnership between the community and Inspira Health continued.
““Harrison Township has been my family’s home for three generations,” Wingate noted. “I’ve grown up here and I’ve seen it grow into one of South Jersey’s most desirable communities. Now I have the privilege of raising my own family from just a mile of where I grew up.
“This is more than a place on the map for me, it’s my foundation, and it’s why I’m so passionate about protecting what makes it special and embracing what lies ahead.”
A ‘navigator’ role
Paul Krug, Sarah Noll, Chris Seaver, Christopher Zupsic, Jacob Vaneeuwn and Patrick Mercogliano are members of a new economic committee.
June saw the Harrison Township committee officially reintroduce the Economic Development Committee, an organization dedicated to attracting both small and large businesses to Mullica Hill.
The new panel succeeded the previous body, disbanded a decade ago, and is modeled on a new committee in another town.
“The vision of the economic develepment committee kind of stemmed (from) how Pitman runs theirs, and they’ve had great success and attracted businesses,” said Mayor Adam Wingate.
Committeeman TJ Coakley – a member of the Mullica Hill Business Association for seven years – was named the new panel’s leader.
“Starting a business is no small task,” he noted. “It’s time consuming and often complex. There are numerous regulations, legal steps and township processes involved, and missteps early on can be costly. That’s why a cornerstone of the Economic Development Committee’s support will be what we call the “navigator” role.
“We aim to be a resource and guide for prospective and new businesses, helping them understand the process and avoid unnecessary setbacks.”
The new committee and the business association are classified as separate, with the former attracting new businesses and the latter marketing existing ones. New committee members Sarah Noll, Paul Krug, Chris Seaver, Jacob Vaneeuwen, Patrick Mercogliano and Christopher Zupsic were sworn in last October.
““I want to thank the committee for this opportunity,” said Krug. “We plan to provide the best service we can to the members of the community and do everything we can to make Harrison Township a better place. We look forward to serving.“
Full STEAM ahead
Pleasant Valley School’s Team Unsinkable Bracelet – fourth-graders Gianna Manzo (left to right), Sophie Lynch, Issy Drissel and Adelaide Postlewaite – are shown with their teacher, Natalie Markey, after their win in Atlantic City.
Oct. 21 was a huge day for Pleasant Valley School.
Four students – fourth-graders Gianna Manzo, Sophie Lynch, Issy Drissel and Adelaide Postlewaite – finished first in the New Jersey School Boards Association’s STEAM Tank challenge for elementary schools.
The win in Atlantic City took months of work that began in March, when the girls competed against their classmates and 140 elementary schools in the state. The top three schools each took home a cash prize; Pleasant Valley got $2,500.
“The program gives students the chance to invent, modify or use problem-solving skills to solve real-world problems,” explained the girls’ teacher, Natalie Markey. “Thirteen teams were selected to participate in the regional competition this week. Out of 500 applications, only about 150 groups advanced to the regionals in the elementary-school category.”
The Pleasant Valley students chose to create an unsinkable bracelet that can reduce child drownings. They had to first present a virtual preliminary presentation.
“Made from recycled stainless steel, plastic and eco-friendly rubber,” noted Markey of the device. “The bracelet has a variety of sensors to track water depth (and) movement and has a GPS sensor to set the perimeter for any body of water, increasing parent visibility and location tracking for their child.”
The STEAM judges focused on a number of categories, including innovative use of technology, entrepreneurship, creativity, improvement to the human-built environment, societal impact, sustainability, subject matter and benefits to public health and safety.
