Going Green

Make It a Day of Service

Participate in one of Gloucester Township's planned MLK Day service activities or create your own.

As you may have heard, Gloucester Township will soon be hosting its second annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, headed up by Gloucester Township Council Vice President Orlando Mercado. The day of service will be held this Monday, Jan. 21, beginning at 9:00 a.m.  Here is a list of the planned service projects, according to Gloucester Township's official website: St.Vincent de Paul Society (Food Bank at St. Agnes Church) – Organization, inventory and collection of donations Gloucester Township Senior Campus I – Zumba with the seniors Camden County Animal Shelter – Assist in the care of sheltered animals Cards for Soldiers – Create cards of hope and thanks to send to our brave men and women PB & J Sandwiches for the Cathedral …

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Delores

12:35 am on Monday, January 21, 2013

“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.   more ›

Pep Boys Applicants to Return Tuesday

They ran out of time during the Township Planning Board's May 22 meeting.

A group looking to bring a Pep Boys franchise to the corner of Blackwood Clementon and Little Gloucester roads will go before the Township Planning Board next Tuesday. It will be the applicants' second trip before the board in three weeks. The May 22 hearing for the proposed 4,988-square-foot automotive service and tire facility was continued after two hours of testimony, according to officials. The applicants are seeking preliminary and final site plan approval. The Pep Boys franchise's would-be neighbors—the owner of the McDonald's franchise at 1505 Blackwood Clementon Rd. and residents in the Woodmill development—object to the proposal and are expected to provide testimony at the June 12 meeting, according to Township Council Vice …

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David Vaccaro

11:37 pm on Saturday, June 9, 2012

Michelle, Let me guess...a militant vegan? And a big believer in mass transit?   more ›

First Gloucester Twp. Council Meeting Since April 23 Confrontation Almost All Calm

The Gloucester Township Council vice president tells residents he's "a public servant, not a public punching bag."

Monday night's Township Council meeting nearly ended without anything close to the contentious, face-to-face verbal sparring between a resident and township official that marked the governing body's April 23 session. Nearly. As the meeting—the first public-action session since April 23—came to a close more than two hours after it began, Council Vice President Orlando Mercado made a few comments alluding to calls from two men for Council to make an apology to the resident involved in the April 23 confrontation. "Tonight, we passed a budget that had a zero increase, we had an audit that had no findings—a clean audit—and our bond rating increased to 'A+.' However, we sat here and talked about people more interested in apologies and text …

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Darren Gladden

3:22 pm on Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Now Now Michelle , let me state this Councilman Mercado action that night earn him my snickered you SEE cause . " I will not stand for a COUNCILMAN putting his PEOPLE DOWN for talking about issue to them '. Now on a real note I have talk to O face to face and he is really not a bad guy. I will state sometimes he walks or runs around with a cocky chip on his shoulders but I know he cares ......…   more ›

Gloucester Twp. 5K Results

The 16th annual run in support of the Gloucester Township Day Scholarship Committee was held on Saturday.

The 16th annual Gloucester Township Day Scholarship Committee 5K was held Saturday. This year's charity race drew 161 runners, about 55 more than last year's race. Jason Simon was the top finisher, completing the 5K course in 17:35. Jacquelyn Cusimano was the top female finisher, at 21:28. Gloucester Township Council Vice President Orlando Mercado, who organized the race as Gloucester Township Day Scholarship Committee member, finished the course in 23:50, good for sixth place in the 30- to 39-year-old male category and 32nd overall. Councilwoman Tracey Trotto completed the race in 51:37, placing her 152nd overall. Black Horse Pike Regional School District Board of Education Vice President Kevin Bucceroni finished 150th overall, with a …

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Run, Gloucester Township!

The 16th annual Gloucester Township 5K is this Saturday, but you still have time to sign up.

The 16th annual Gloucester Township Day Scholarship Committee 5K will be held this Saturday. While it may be a little too late to start a training regimen, there is still time to register for the 5-kilometer race and the accompanying 1-mile fun run/walk. About 100 people are signed up for the race so far, Council Vice President Orlando Mercado, race organizer and a member of the Gloucester Township Day Scholarship Committee, said Monday night. Mercado, who has run in 10 Gloucester Township 5K races, noted the course is a good one for novice runners. "Here's an opportunity for someone to run their first 5K because it's a flat, fast course," he said. The 5K course begins on Chews Landing Road, then heads down Craig Drive, Hider Lane, Victor …

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VIDEO: Community Honors Martin Luther King Jr. with 'Day of Service' Projects

More than 100 volunteers spread out across Gloucester Township to lend a hand in Dr. King's honor on Monday.

Not too bad for the first year. That's how Gloucester Township Council Vice President Orlando Mercado assessed the town's first-ever Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. "I'm overwhelmed by the amount of volunteers we had today," Mercado said around 11 a.m. Monday at Camden County Animal Shelter, one of eight locations where volunteers worked for a few hours. Mercado pitched the idea for a communitywide Day of Service to mark King's official birthday celebration to Mayor David Mayer just two-and-a-half weeks ago, and announced it during the township's annual reorganization meeting on Jan. 2. He thought they'd get 50 or so volunteers for five projects. They got 116, and had to add three projects to accommodate the numbers. "I'm surprised…

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Joshua Berry

6:41 pm on Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Nice work Councilman. I am glad to see MLK being turned into a "Day On" instead of a "Day Off".   more ›

Just Few Days Remain to Register for Glo. Twp.'s MLK Day of Service

With two projects added this week, go to the township website now to sign up for one of seven service projects.

Just a few days remain to pre-register for the township's first community-wide Day of Service project to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Two projects have been added to the township's Day of Service program, which is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Monday at the senior center at the municipal complex. There are now seven service projects, all of which will be conducted in the township. The projects were selected by Council Vice President Orlando Mercado so as to allow people of all ages to participate. The seven projects are: To pre-register for the Gloucester Township's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, go to this page on the official township website. Mercado is hopeful at least 50 residents will join him, Mayor David Mayer and …

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Pete Heinbaugh

7:35 pm on Wednesday, January 11, 2012

It would be great to see a robust turnout for this. Whether or not you can volunteer your time, please be as generous as you are able with donation items on Monday. - non perishable food items for the food pantry - shoes - pet supplies and many other items for the animal shelter (see this link for needed items http://ccasnj.org/you_can_help/donate.html ) See you Monday.   more ›

Five Things You Need to Know ... The Coming Week

Gloucester Township Patch provides a quick rundown of five things you should know heading into the week.

1. The Township Council will meet Monday night at the municipal building. Not including the largely ceremonial Jan. 2 reorganization meeting, it will be the first public-action session of the new Council, with newcomer Tracy Trotto and returning former councilman Sam Siler replacing Crystal Evans and Ken Garbowski. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. 2. Before Council gets down to business, the Timber Creek Regional High School football team will be recognized by township officials for winning the 2011 South Jersey Group 3 title. 3. Pressure is on the township to get the audio working on its live stream, after watchdog Joshua Berry reported during last Wednesday's Council work session that there was no sound for web viewers for …

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Township Calls on Vols for MLK Day of Service

Council Vice President Orlando Mercado hopes to draw 50 volunteers for five different service projects on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Come one, come all—come lend a helping hand. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which will be celebrated on Monday, Jan. 16, this year, has truly become a day for Americans to honor the late civil-rights activist by helping others. In that spirit, Council Vice President Orlando Mercado is hopeful residents will join him, Mayor David Mayer and the rest of Council on one of five service projects he's arranged for the first-ever Gloucester Township Day of Service. "It's an opportunity for people to get involved. It's nonpartisan. It's a chance for people to come out," he said. Given he pitched the idea to Mayer just last week, Mercado said he'd be pleased to get 50 volunteers out for the first-year Day of Service. With a little more planning in …

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Michelle Wolfson

10:50 pm on Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Sounds good. For us, I like the idea of doing cards for our military personnel. This way my kids can come out as well.   more ›

Siler, Trotto Join Council; Bianchini, Mercado Keep Leadership Posts

Sam Siler and newcomer Tracy Trotto were sworn in Monday night.

Four Democrats took oaths of office for seats on the Gloucester Township Council during the municipality's annual reorganization meeting Monday night. Newcomer Tracy Trotto and Sam Siler, a retired Army lieutenant colonel who served on Council in the 1990s, will replace Crystal Evans and Ken Garbowski as members of the township's governing body. "I look forward to working with everyone on Council and in the township, and I look forward to continuing to do great things for Gloucester Township," Trotto said. Before she and her running mates won the November election, Trotto was best known for bringing the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life all-night fundraiser walk to the township a decade ago. Siler spoke about something he knows is …

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