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Local support key to sustaining markets

shopsmlogo Small businesses are the backbone of the community but customers are the heart that keeps them vibrant. Genuardi’s closing on Aug. 4th points to the struggle to survive as a supermarket in today's world. Imagine the struggle local retail grocers - like McFarlan's in Merchantville - confront each day. Groceries can now be purchased at stores that never carried food before. There is so much competition in the industry these days - drugstores, Walmart, Target and Sears have aisles of grocery and dairy products. Shop small, shop local, support Merchantville businesses.

Transparency missing before and during merger meeting

Transparent: free from pretense or deceit; easily detected or seen through : obvious; readily understood; characterized by visibility or accessibility of information especially concerning business practices. "Transparent" was a term repeatedly uttered and penned by Bernie Platt, Rich James and those spearheading the efforts of the quasi-merger study commission during their opening meeting on December 6th. Yet, to date there has been very little evidence of transparency about the actions taken by Cherry Hill mayor, Bernie Platt, and others to manipulate the DCA application process in order to block a joint application with our elected Borough government in favor of a hybrid application with a petition group.

The 92nd neighborhood

There are currently ninety-one identified neighborhoods in Cherry Hill Township. A comment posted on the online petition "supporting the goal of requiring Merchantville Borough Council to take the steps necessary to begin a merger with Cherry Hill NJ to save our community," is from a resident proclaiming, "As to those who say, we would lose our identity, I say consider this: We all recognize specific areas of Cherry Hill such as Erlton, Barclay Farms, Wexford Leas, etc. and that could be the same as Merchantville area of Cherry Hill. I say, "Go for it!" .

Cherryville, formerly historic Merchantville, NJ

A municipal merger means the dissolution of a municipality and its absorption by another existing municipality. A merger between Merchantville and Cherry Hill would result in the rights, powers, duties, assets, and liabilities of the dissolved municipality, Merchantville being taken over by Cherry Hill. Merger of municipal governments is a complex matter and requires a substantial commitment of time and resources. The advantages and disadvantages of merging municipal governments will vary greatly depending on the communities that are involved and the type of municipalities proposed for merger. It is important to carefully explore the pros and cons, costs and benefits, of a merger, carefully think about what a merger will and won't accomplish and the length and breadth of processes involved before initiating any petition development effort. While the preparation and processes of a merger ends with an official declaration the outcomes of municipal mergers take years, if not decades, to fully emerge.

Taking on the root issue

Looking for a high caliber K-12 public school choice with fiscal and academic accountability, autonomy and local control. Tired of the sending-receiving nightmare and undercurrent of town consolidation?

Why not harness all the concern, interest, intellect and energy in town to undertake a serious investigation of the charter school option. http://www.njcharterschools.org. Parents, community leaders, businesses, teachers, school districts, educational entrepreneurs, and municipalities can submit a charter school proposal to their state's charter authorizing entity. A charter school is an independent public school that operates independently of the district board of education. In effect, a charter school is a one-school public school district. There are thousands of charter schools across the United States-each created with their unique mission and purpose.

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