We trust that most of you had a pleasant Independence Day, and hopefully some were able to enjoy a long holiday weekend. According to our chief of police, it was relatively uneventful throughout our township with fortunately no major incidents to report on or around July 4.
We want to congratulate long-time resident and friend, Linda A. Galella on her recent appointment to a New Jersey Superior Court judgeship. Linda and her husband, Matt have lived in Mantua for almost thirty years and have raised their family in our community. Linda was a member of the Mantua Township Board of Education, and most recently served as the Solicitor for the Township’s Land Use and Rent Leveling Boards. Linda will make a great superior court judge, and we’re certainly proud of her accomplishment. Best regards, Judge Galella!
We’d like to thank resident George Gaughan for donating an AED (Automated External Defibrillator). This AED will be placed at our Community Center on E. Mercer Avenue. Everyone in town seemingly knows George, as he was always very active as a volunteer and business owner within the community before his well-deserved retirement a couple years ago. Most recently, George was a guest on Mayor’s Message Video 3 and discussed his battle with heart disease.
On Thursday, June 29, the Gloucester County Mayors Association held its monthly meeting at Schileens Pub in Westville at their banquet room. The bi-partisan organization brings our county mayors together in an effort to work for the common good of all our constituents. Our guests at this meeting were public works superintendents and their administrative staff. Our PW Superintendent, Glenn DeMers and Deputy Municipal Clerk, Pam Levine attended as my guests. There was an overwhelming amount of camaraderie in the room, and a tremendous dialogue amongst those in the public works field who are always working cohesively to ensure that optimum services are provided county wide throughout neighboring communities.
Did you know that Mantua Township participates in Gloucester County’s Straight to Treatment’ program? Straight to Treatment allows anyone battling drug addiction to walk into a participating police agency to request help. In other words, if you or someone you know suffers from drug addiction, the Mantua Township Police Department will provide assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To identify treatment solutions, a service provider can be reached in-person at our PD on Thursdays from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. or by calling (856) 766-8870. The sole purpose of this program is to provide help. There is no cost, and no health insurance is needed. Those seeking help will not be arrested. Just come into the police department and complete the application process and a treatment provider will help those seeking assistance.
You may have been impacted by the on-going road construction on Mantua Boulevard in the Sewell section of our community. Mantua Boulevard is a county roadway, and therefore, oversight for this project is through the Gloucester County Engineer’s Office. The county is in the process of replacing storm sewer pipes at this location. According to the County Engineer, this project will be on-going until the end of next week, at the earliest. Please expect continued delays, lane closures and minor detours around the work site until at-least July 14. Our police department will continue to be on-scene daily in order to assist with your travel and safety needs. We thank you for your ongoing patience in this matter, and certainly apologize for any inconveniences that this may create.
Upcoming Township Meetings and Events:
- The next Township Committee Meeting is Monday, July 10 at 6:00 p.m. at the Township Building.
- Our blood drive at the Mantua Township Municipal Building on Main Street will be held on Tuesday, July 11 from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. To schedule an appointment to donate please call 1-800-REDCROSS or go to RedCrossBlood.org. In the “Find a Blood Drive” box at the top right, enter the code: Mantuatownship.
- Saturday, July 15 is the next Convenience Center Drop Off at our Public Works facility between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
On behalf of Deputy Mayor Pete Scirrotto and myself, and the entire Township Committee – we look forward to continuing our service with honesty, integrity and trustful leadership.
