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Southern Exposure

by Andrew Anastasio, Kaytlyn Mroz

Go Figure

539: Number of tickets issued this year in Evesham Township as of early March for using a cell phone while driving.

$50,000: Amount a former Woodbury city employee is charged with stealing in cash from city hall, officials say. The Pitman woman turned herself in to police last month.

20: New Jersey’s ranking in a list of the most active states in winter months, according to data from Fitbit. In the summer months, the Garden State is ranked the 15th-most active state.

Forty: Number of hate groups in New Jersey, the fourth-highest state in the country, according to a new report by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Of those, 5 are located in Burlington County.

$2 Million: Amount of the fundraising goal of the YMCA of Burlington and Camden Counties. The nonprofit will use the money to provide things like summer camp, swimming lessons and career prep to about 30,000 people in 50 communities.

254,316: Number of New Jersey residents who signed up for health insurance in 2015 under the Affordable Care Act (as of Feb. 22), up from the 162,000 who signed up in 2014.

Twenty-Three: Number of craft beer breweries in the state, up from just the 8 that existed before Gov. Christie signed legislation that lessened sales restrictions on craft beers in 2012.

3:27.02: Amount of time it took West Deptford resident Andrew Morris to run the 6th annual Antarctica Marathon.

Hit or Miss

This month, Haddon Township native Tom Turcich will set out on his “World Walk,” a five-year journey across seven continents in honor of his late friend, Ann Marie Lynch. Turcich will tweet, blog and post photos.

Evesham Township police announced the launch of a new online crime reporting tool, the Online Reporting of Crimes and Activities system, which allows residents to report crime—without the presence of an officer.

Cristin Milioti, the mother on How I Met Your Mother and past South Jersey Magazine cover star, joined the cast of FX’s Fargo.

A Paulsboro mail carrier was attacked by an 8-10-month-old golden pit bull. The mail carrier was not seriously injured, but did have to undergo rabies treatments, since the dog’s vaccination records couldn’t be located or verified.

Officials with the Marine Mammal Stranding Center received 40 calls over eight days with regard to seals being spotted on beaches in places like Avalon, Ventnor, LBI and more.

A GCIT English teacher has been arrested for allegedly secretly recording as many as nine female students over the course of two years.

Datebook

4/10
Don’t miss your chance to Rock Around the Clock with Bill Haley’s Comets during a special performance that includes Emmy Award-winning TV host and comedian Dave Konig opening the show. 8 p.m., The Broadway Theatre, 43 S. Broadway, Pitman, TheBroadwayTheatre.org, $35-$45

4/16
Enjoy the sounds of singer-songwriter and five-time Grammy Award winner Mary Chapin Carpenter at the Scottish Rite Auditorium for her only local performance. 7:30 p.m., 315 White Horse Pike, Collingswood, (856) 858-1000, Collingswood.com, $29.50-$59.50

4/17
Travel under the sea with Ariel, Sebastian and the Moorestown Theater Company as they present a production of The Little Mermaid Jr. during a special two-night engagement. 7:30 p.m., 23 W. Prospect Ave., Moorestown, (856) 778-8357, MoorestownTheaterCompany.org, $10

3 Things You’ll learn

An oral drug testing product created by two South Jersey residents may also be a breakthrough for the health care industry. Page 34

Master Chef Junior finalist and West Deptford resident Andrew Zappley, 12, signed up to be a contestant on the reality cooking show without his parents’ knowledge. Page 42

Mike Trout spends a lot of his time in South Jersey with his family and enjoys hunting and fishing. Page 58

Did You Hear?

“Late spring or early summer.”
—Gov. Chris Christie on when he would announce whether he will run for President.

Street Level

Burlington County: Mount Laurel
An armed robber who held up an Evesham T.J. Maxx store in January has been arrested. Police say the man, wearing a mask, threw a rock through a glass case, grabbed watches worth a total of $26,000, and then was tackled by an Air Force officer shopping with his wife in the store, dropping the watches and losing his mask. DNA evidence linked him to the crime.

Camden County: Cherry Hill
A man was apprehended in Cherry Hill after allegedly stealing the vehicle of a woman he met through the online dating website OkCupid during their first date. The car— with the easily identifiable license plate “JSRYGRL”— was found two weeks later in Cherry Hill. The man was arrested by police.

Gloucester County: Deptford
The owner of a landscaping company in Sewell was sentenced to a year and a day in prison for evading taxes on more than $2 million in business receipts, officials said.

Voice & Vent

This month, on page 74, we asked local residents, educators and business people to give us their opinion on Gov. Chris Christie at this point in his second term and with a possible presidential run looming in the near future. Share your opinion by visiting SouthJersey.com’s Voice and Vent section and answering:
“Do you think Gov. Chris Christie would make a good presidential candidate?” Click on “Submit” to make your vote count. Next month, we’ll report back on what our readers are thinking.

Last month, we asked:
“Do you think the corporate tax breaks given through the Grow NJ program are going to help New Jersey’s economy?”
64% of you said Yes
36% of you said No

People: Mini Golf Masterpiece

Most 14-year-olds’ plans for the summer include hanging out with friends, playing sports, maybe going swimming at the local pool. But Jonathan Moraglia (pictured), an eighth-grader in Medford Lakes, does something amazing each summer—he builds his own 18-hole mini golf course.

Moraglia has been making mini-golf courses in the backyard of his parents’ home for five years. He crafts the course from other people’s trash, and wood, which his dad cuts for him. In fact, that’s the only help Moraglia gets at all from his parents. He designs, builds and mans the mini golf course himself each year. For 25 cents, mini golf aficionados can play on Moraglia’s course, open May 1 through Oct. 1.

Tell me how you came up with the idea to build a mini golf course. How many people play on your course each year?
One day I felt like playing mini golf, so I got some wood, a ball and a club. I made a hole and then made another and another and soon had a course. Hundreds of people play every year; and each year gets more popular than the last.

What are you planning for this year’s course?
I mostly plan for important holes such as the last hole and bonus hole. When I am making the course, I just go with the flow and do whatever I am thinking; and it always comes out great.

What do you buy with your earnings from your golf course?
I [buy] rare video game-related items at flea markets for cheap. I know everything about all video games—new and old—and what prices are for each item. I then sell the games on eBay and pull in around $400 per month.

Is there a professional golfing career in your future? Maybe an engineering job?
Yes, I am pursuing an engineering or draft and design [degree.]

Find Moraglia’s full interview on SouthJersey.com.

Names to Know
Local people making a difference in South Jersey and beyond

Rabbi David has celebrated his religious beliefs with congregants of Temple Emanuel for 40 years, and will commemorate his anniversary—and the temple’s 65th—this month. As senior rabbi, David has been a major proponent of being open to interfaith families and focusing on the special needs community.

Doane Academy senior Newman recently saved the historic 1910 Dentzel Carousel, set to be broken, divided up and sold at auction. The carousel was rescued through his relentless campaigning, which managed to raise $1,350—supplemented by $150 by Doane Academy. The town of Seaside Heights eventually protected the carousel; Newman then donated the entire collected sum to the Burlington Island Scholarship Fund.

Hourani, a civil engineer and Medford resident, recently created a YouTube video about Shark Tank star Mark Cuban’s Cyber Dust app. The video went viral, and was even viewed by the billionaire entrepreneur himself, who posted it on several of his personal social media accounts. Hourani has used this as motivation to continue creating YouTube videos, now focusing on a project, ScrapTV.

Karasik, a fifth-grader at Wedgewood Elementary School, won the Library Lottery Reading Challenge and was able to serve as Librarian for a Day. The challenge was part of the Read Across America program, prompting students to read by offering them a ticket for every 10 minutes they dedicated. As “librarian,” Karasik spent the day leading lessons, checking out books and even leading a book hunt.

Haddonfield native Ade, a Korean War veteran, raised $20,000 to send two World War II Marines back to Iwo Jima, where they had served during war. Ade raised enough money to cover airfare, hotels and travelling for both men—one of whom was Haddon Township 91-year-old John Lauriello—during their 10-day trip to Japan last month.

The Moorestown resident has been named to the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey (UWGPSNJ) Regional Board of Directors. McElhill, a partner at Archer & Greiner PC, has been volunteering for 24 years with United Way. She is an individual who leads in her field of expertise with experience, creativity and a knack for helping strengthen communities throughout the region.

Do you know a local person who is doing great things? Let us know by e-mailing Rachel@SouthJersey.com.

Published (and copyrighted) in South Jersey Magazine, Volume 12, Issue 1 (April, 2015).
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