Turkey, football come together at Mullica Township school's Turkey Bowl

From the Press of Atlantic City, November 26, 2009-Rob Spahr, Staff Writer

Two of Thanksgiving's most cherished icons - football and turkey - were celebrated Wednesday morning on a soggy field at the Mullica Township Middle School.

The football game was the annual "Turkey Bowl" flag football contest between the 8th-grade class and members of the faculty. A festively costumed Principal Brenda Harring-Marro was the turkey.

And computer teacher Todd Curll - a devoted Pittsburgh Steelers fan - dressed in drag as a Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader came free of charge.

The game - and the strange costumes worn by some of the staff - were a reward to the students for raising more than $6,000 that will help pay for their yearbooks and annual school trip.

"It gives the students a chance to see that their teachers aren't just concerned with the academics, that they can let their hair down and have fun, too," said Harring-Marro, who spent much of the game dancing to music along the sidelines and cheering on both sides.

The students were also treated to a bizarre half-time relay race between Harring-Marro and Curll, as well as a refreshment stand stocked with hot chocolate and soft pretzels.

Harring-Marro said the game does help the faculty with its efforts inside the classroom.

"By having that mutual respect between the faculty and students, it makes things go smoother on the academic side," she said.

Physical education teacher Scott Newhall, who returned an interception for the first touchdown in faculty's 44-21 win, said the teachers also take on the students in basketball and volleyball every year. But the students have yet to win the coveted Turkey Bowl, he said.

The winless record does not seem to bother the students.

"Winning isn't important," said Jon Newman, 13, who threw for the students' first score of the game early in the fourth quarter. "It's just fun to play in the game."

"The best part is going against the teachers," said Katherine Gulig, 13. "Because when we score a touchdown, we get to mess with the teachers and make fun of them."

The faculty also took turns heckling each other during the game over a public-address system.

"This is just a really fun event where everyone - students and teachers - have a good time," Curll said. "As embarrassing as it is (to dress up like a cheerleader), it's worth it because it rewards them for all of the hard work they put in to raising the money."

Committee Meeting Tonight-11/24/2009-7:00 PM-AGENDA

 TOWNSHIP OF MULLICA

COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA

NOVEMBER 24, 2009

7:00 PM

CALL TO ORDER

SUNSHINE LAW

FLAG SALUTE

ROLL CALL

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:   11/10/2009

FIRST READING:   
Ordinance #14-2009/Street Vacation/Baseball Lane 
Ordinance #15-2009/Street Vacation/Walnut Street

COMMITTEE REPORTS

CORRESPONDENCE

OLD BUSINESS:

NEW BUSINESS:

A. Resolution #116-2009/Refund 4th Quarter Tax Overpayment
B. Resolution #117-2009/Waive Construction Fee/Municipal Roof
C. Resolution #118-2009/2009 Budget Transfers
D. Approve 2010 Gravel Pit License/Kromaier
E. Change December Committee Meeting Date
F. Set Date for 2010 Reorganization Meeting

PAYMENT OF BILLS

PUBLIC DISCUSSION

ADJOURN

Administrators re-evaluate deal to share schools

From the Press of Atlantic City, Friday, 11/20/2009-Rob Spahr, Staff Writer

The Mullica Township and Washington Township school districts entered into a three-year shared-services agreement in 2007, and now each district is trying to decide whether it is something worth continuing.

Under the terms of the agreement, which expires in June, the Washington Township School District pays the neighboring Mullica Township School District an annual stipend for the use of upper-level administrators, including the superintendent, principal and business administrator at its Green Bank School. The district also pays Mullica for its child study team and cafeteria services.

Washington Township paid about $196,500 to have those services in-house during the 2006-07 school year, according to Superintendent Richard Goldberg. The following year, Goldberg said, the district paid Mullica Township just $147,500 to provide for them and has continued to save about $50,000 every year since.

The Mullica Township School District clears $100,000 of that annual payment after having to pay for the additional personnel and stipends for the extra duties required by its staff, Goldberg said.

Board of Education representatives from each district are currently negotiating to determine if that agreement will move forward beyond this school year.

But after some early skepticism from some parents that sharing these services would dilute the services provided to their children, representatives from each school district claim the experiment has been an overwhelming success.

Jeanne Fox-Ford, the president of the Washington Township Board of Education, said she feels her district has saved about $100,000 per year considering all of the extra benefits the agreement has provided to its students.

Students at the Green Bank School now have access to formal musical, technology, art and foreign language instruction.

"We had some teachers who would voluntarily incorporate it into their classes in the past, but it wasn't anything formal," Fox-Ford said. "Now our students get that instruction every week."

Fox-Ford said having access this kind of ancillary instruction better prepares children for the future.

"I think it is incredibly important for our kids," she said. "Even though we only have a handful of kids in each grade level - we send only about a dozen kids on to high school each year - I don't want those kids to feel like they weren't afforded every opportunity or to feel like they are behind all of their peers who have receivedthat kind of instruction for years."

Goldberg admitted that the workload can be demanding at times for the administrators because they have to do everything twice: Two board meetings, two budgets and two schools for which to file all the necessary paperwork to the county and state.

"If the state truly believes in shared services, they should find a way to streamline some of that more," Goldberg said.

But aside from that, Goldberg said the shared-services agreement has provided students of both districts with a better education.

"Our teachers attend workshops together and have shared their ideas and techniques with each other," Goldberg said. "Teachers from each school have learned things from teachers at the other, and what they learned spills over to a better education for our students."

Goldberg said both school districts have been able to cut the costs of field trips, by combining some trips and using Washington Township's school bus for nearby excursions. And even though another agreement has not been finalized, the districts are already discussing the possibility of combining more after-school activities and functions in the future.

Fox-Ford said that she doesn't expect the partnership to end in June.

"Everyone over there are the utmost professionals. They are wonderful people and I'm glad to be able to work with them," Fox-Ford said of Mullica Township's administrators. "As far as choosing a dancing partner, Mullica has been pretty close to perfect."

BOARD OF ED MEETING TONIGHT-7:00 PM

There is a Board of Education meeting tonight, Tuesday, 11/17, at 7:00 PM in the school library.

Congratulations Sue & Anthony

I just wanted to write in and congratulate both Sue Polk and Anthony Gabris for winning the election. They ran a good, clean campaign and both earned their seats for all their hard work. Republican or Democrat didn't matter, it was time for a change here in Mullica and I am sure, as are those who voted for them, they will do a great job and treat the people of Mullica with fairness and the respect everyone deserves regardless of affiliation. They made no unrealistic promises and ran on making a difference. Thank you both for running. We all know the toll it takes on your family with the time spent campaigning and truly appreciate both of you stepping forward. Here's to a "New Day for Mullica"

Ex-Democrat only Republican left on Committee

From the Press of Atlantic City, Friday, 11/13/09-Rob Spahr, Staff Writer

Deputy Mayor William Kennedy changed his party affiliation in April because he could not get along with his fellow Democrats.

"They left me. I didn't leave them," he still insists.

But after a Democratic sweep of the two open Township Committee seats in the Nov. 3 election, Kennedy will be the only Republican left on the five-person committee and will have no choice but to coexist with the people who once called for his resignation.

Kennedy said this will not put any added pressure on him.

"I'm not a devout Republican, just like I was never a devout Democrat. I just do what I think is right. If anything, it puts less pressure on me," said Kennedy of the fact he will no longer represent the tiebreaking vote when the two parties disagree. "Even if I don't agree with something, the vote will still be 4-1."

The rift between Kennedy and the Democratic Party began last year after Democratic Committeeman Michael St. Amour testified that Kennedy was the aggressor in a confrontation and brief physical encounter with a township resident at a school board meeting.

In January, St. Amour and Democratic Committeeman Bernard Graebener then voted to block the township from reimbursing Kennedy's lawyer in that case, which was later dismissed.

The local Democratic Club then called on Kennedy to resign from his position on the Atlantic County Democratic Committee, citing his "desire to not affiliate with the local Democratic Club and local Democratic elected officials."

The letter was signed by 16 people, including St. Amour and Graebener and the newly elected Susan Polk and Anthony Gabris.

St. Amour said, at that time, that Kennedy should have also resigned from the Township Committee because he felt Kennedy had "lost his moral compass" and that St. Amour had lost any confidence in Kennedy's ability to do what's right.

St. Amour said he is willing to put the past behind them.

"I want to look at this as a fresh start for everyone. I plan to be as open as I can to what Bill's ideas are and what Bill's input is," said St. Amour, adding that he felt the Republicans kept him and Graebener in the dark on issues. "I don't want Bill to have to feel the way we have been treated over the last year."

Meanwhile, outgoing Republican Mayor Janet Forman said she does not think the local Republican Club will turn to Kennedy to be its voice and that it will be up to the public to challenge the actions of the Township Committee.

"The two (Democratic) committee people up front got exactly what they wanted from this election. Two handpicked candidates getting elected who don't have opinions of their own," Forman said. "I may not be running for re-election, but I will be here and (outgoing Committeewoman) Kathy Chasey will be here to make sure they stick to their promise of transparency and don't do anything to jeopardize the people of Mullica."

Forman said she is optimistic that Township Committee's new makeup won't do anything to damage the quality of life in Mullica.

"On the important things, we always agree. It was the petty stuff that we disagreed on," she said. "I just hope they don't change Mullica. I like it the way it is. All this 'Keep Mullica Green' stuff is overhyped. Mullica is plenty green and I hope they keep it that way."

St. Amour said next year the Township Committee would take a long hard look at some of the measures passed in the past year to make sure they "made sense or were even necessary."

"I think the outcome of this election shows that the people of Mullica wanted change," he said. "I don't expect any wholesale changes. But I do anticipate for there to be some changes here and there."

Kennedy said he is optimistic that the Township Committee will work well together and even congratulated Polk for her victory prior to Tuesday night's committee meeting.

"This isn't brain surgery," Kennedy told her. "It's not a hard job. We make it hard."

Thank You