Cloudy with rain developing after midnight Want to get a weekly summary of New Jersey news from dozens of trustworthy news sites and not just one who has five decades in the news business and now publishes local site 70and73.com The proposed warehouses would be built on North Lenola Road in Moorestown on the wooded lot in the yellow border This 1965 aerial photograph shows the lot on North Lenola Road in Moorestown in red Most of the agricultural and open land has given way to industrial development A developer proposes to clear-cut 227 of the 236 trees on a heavily wooded lot to build two warehouses in the mostly industrial area on North Lenola Road in Moorestown is scheduled to go before the Township Planning Board on December 5 for preliminary and final site plan approvals and a design exception/waiver of the town ordinance prohibiting the removal of more than 60% of the tree canopy A tree inventory of the 4.83-acre lot included with the proposed plans shows mostly oak Many municipalities across New Jersey have begun to crack down on tree removal and have either adopted a model New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection tree removal ordinance or have written their own The DEP's goal is to improve storm water management but not enough to satisfy the 208 replacement trees required under the Moorestown ordinance the developer would make a payment-in-lieu to the Township rather than replace all the trees Aerial photographs of the area around the lot at 880 North Lenola Road area included in the application package show mostly farms and open land more than 50 years ago Warehouses and other industrial properties have since been developed two warehouses would be built on the land: one 37,500 square feet in size and the other 10,000 square feet The Planning Board meeting is scheduled at 7 p.m on December 5 at Town Hall Council Chambers there are no recent results for popular images there are no recent results for popular videos Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardWarehouse plan would cut down all but nine of 236 trees on a site in Moorestown Moorestown considers a proposal to build two warehouses and cut down all but nine of the 236 trees on the site on North Lenola Road Moorestown is considering whether to allow a warehouse developer to cut down 227 of the 236 trees on a five-acre North Lenola Road property The Marlton-based developer is proposing to construct two separate buildings with 37,500 and 10,000 square feet of flexible warehouse The site would include 84 off-street parking spots and 30 loading spaces The payment is generally set at $350 per tree (potentially $79,500 in this case) The township planning board’s final review of the site plan application by 900 Lenola Road LLC was postponed from Thursday due to procedural issues unrelated to the trees “I have been approached by numerous residents expressing concern about this project and the removal of so many trees,” said John Gibson, who chairs the advisory Moorestown Tree Planting and Preservation Committee “Removal of 60% of the trees is bad enough the developer wants to exceed that amount,” Gibson said “The committee is definitely against granting a waiver of the removal of more than 60% of the trees and we are definitely in favor of replacement trees.” The developer did not respond to requests for comment Township officials expect a planning board vote will be rescheduled after the developer files the required public notifications Mayor Nicole Gillespie said it would not be appropriate for her to comment on a matter in advance of a vote by the planning board But she noted that the board “does have the option to reject the waiver that is being requested and/or require the developer to plant replacement trees.” which is within a Business Park Zoning District that was established 32 years ago But local environmentalists are concerned that official approval of a near clear-cutting of trees on the site could set a precedent “I can understand the necessity of developing a parcel, but owners ought to be considerate of the impact it’s going to have,” said Barbara Rich, a longtime advocate in Moorestown who serves on the township’s Environmental Advisory Committee “We know that these trees are not old-growth trees, and that the site is surrounded by existing warehouse and trucking operations,” said Mark Pensiero, president of Save the Environment of Moorestown “But why have a tree-preservation ordinance if an exception for tree removal on this scale can be approved?” » READ MORE: Threatened birds and bees discover the new oasis of Swede Run Fields in South Jersey who sits on the environmental advisory committee said he and other members “share the concern” about the potential tree removal Balikov said members informally discussed the matter but have not yet reached a consensus said preserving trees ought to be not just a goal but a given in Moorestown where leafy residential streets and verdant landscapes are a source of community pride While she didn’t suggest the designation could be lost Rich said Moorestown’s trees “should always be a priority in our planning process.” MOORESTOWN — Being in the Garden State has some advantages for local residents most farmers markets offer a range of fruits plants and other fresh-grown goods at road-side locations Here are two you'll find on Lenola Road in Moorestown Lew's Farm Market offers plenty of fresh goods and plants Items available during a recent visit were strawberries Lew's Farm Market also has a large arrangement of flowers for sale With plenty of Jersey Fresh crops and fruits Browning/Hess Farm also adds homemade honey into the mix You'll also find plenty of plants and flowers Nick Butler is an impact reporter for the Courier Post the Daily Journal and the Burlington County Times covering community news in South Jersey Partly cloudy skies early will become overcast later during the night The colored area of the map shows the properties in the Area in Need of Rehabilitation in the Camden Avenue corridor The yellow line shows the stretch of Camden Avenue from Revere Avenue to the Maple Shade line that the Township Council declared an Area in Need of Rehabilitation A plan to designate part of Camden Avenue in the Lenola section of Moorestown as an Area in Need of Rehabilitation was unanimously approved by Township Council on Monday night The move focuses attention on a less-than-one-mile stretch of Camden Avenue from Revere Avenue to the Maple Shade border that encompasses 33.25 acres and contains 67 properties who was the only Council member to comment on the plan spoke in favor and said: "I think that Lenola has been an area that has not seen this investment for quite some time." He said he believes the declaration and potential resulting development will impact the entire neighborhood who chairs the Township Economic Development Advisory Committee was the only member of the public to comment "We definitely support this," Hines told Council "We think these are the tools that are needed to help to revitalize and encourage economic growth." Hines also was the only member of the public to speak at the August 3 Planning Board meeting when the Camden Avenue plan was approved and recommended to Council a rehabilitation determination focuses a municipality's redevelopment efforts on specific properties and may include tax abatements for improvements by owners also acting on a Planning Board recommendation from August 3 unanimously voted to designate 428 South Church Street The property of less than an acre includes a vacant MOORESTOWN — Residents got their first look at the new plans to renovate a portion of Camden Avenue in the Lenola section of town last week The township received a $971,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation's share of the federal Transportation Alternatives Program to fund the first phase of the revitalization project of the Lenola Town Center's Camden Avenue corridor last summer of the Taylor Design Group which was chosen as the planner for the project unveiled the designs that included new lighting fixtures improved sidewalks with handicap accessibility bicycle lanes and an additional turn lane onto New Albany Road The goal of the project is to make the area more pedestrian-friendly and inviting “Almost all of this (area) is difficult for pedestrians and even worse for bicycles,” Taylor said about Camden Avenue It also would include some tree planting and other types of shrubbery to brighten up the walkways along the avenue from the end of the Pennsauken Creek to the intersection of Lenola Avenue The grant also would help fund other items While slightly different than other sections of town the new features would match with the lighting fixtures to create a continuous design through the area “We don’t want to recreate Main Street,” he said highlighting that the Lenola section was its own unique section of town Township Manager Thomas Neff said the presentation was “a concept plan” that could be altered based on suggestions “The purpose of this is to get feedback,” he said the goal is to start construction next summer Resident Kathy Logue said she was glad to see the area finally being addressed “I am more than thrilled to see all these tree planters,” she said Other residents raised questions about how traffic flow would work with the additions of the bicycle lanes but many were pleased that the project was moving forward Taylor said the hope is that the bicycle and slightly narrowed traffic lanes will cause motorists to slow down The grant is just the first part of the township’s plan to revitalize the section the Lenola Advisory Commission was formed to analyze and address issues facing that area The commission stemmed from decades of discussion and studies, with little to no action being taken. Township Council created an ad hoc committee in 2015 to address the findings of the commission and formally work to come up with solutions including securing grant funding for a least a portion of the project The goal is to complete the first phase and then apply for a second grant that would take the “vibrancy efforts” further up Camden Avenue and include a section of New Albany Road The improvements also would help spur business growth in the area A moving company is taking more than 54,000 square feet of industrial space in Moorestown under a newly announced transaction by NAI Mertz the brokerage firm said ASGS-All Season Movers is expanding its footprint as part of the full-building lease at 923 North Lenola Road NAI Mertz Senior Vice President Jonathan Klear represented the landlord “The property received an enormous number of inquiries within a few short weeks from when marketing commenced represented by Hunter Durant via their NJ affiliate was then selected for a direct deal with the landlord,” Klear said “ASGS currently occupies a facility in northern New Jersey and was looking for an additional southern New Jersey location to cater to its growing client base.” the building features more than 8,000 square feet of office space 24- to 31-foot ceiling heights and wide column spacing Other features include six loading docks with two levelers one electric drive-in door and fenced outdoor storage has been covering New Jersey commercial real estate for 13 years Many industry leaders view him as the go-to real estate reporter in the state a role he is eager to continue as the editor of Real Estate NJ He is a lifelong New Jersey resident who has spent a decade covering the great Garden State Greek Real Estate Partners has gained a seal of approval for one of its key divisions thanks to a new accreditation from the Institute of Real Estate Management All RIGHTS RESERVED Copyright 2023 Real Estate NJ 101 Eisenhower Parkway Roseland Our site uses cookies. Learn more about our use of cookies: cookie policy 2023 at 10:45 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}An emergency-services unit in Moorestown will shut down soon because of financial difficulties NJ — An emergency-services unit in Moorestown The Lenola Fire Company Emergency Unit will cease operations at 6:30 p.m The Moorestown First Aid and Emergency Squad will assume responsibility of Lenola's coverage of emergency medical services Countless professionals and volunteers have served Lenola's emergency unit since its founding in 1957 The operation has been funded through medical billing and donations which are no longer sufficient to maintain the service gets funded through the same means and doesn't rely on township tax dollars Lenola EMS expressed confidence in the Moorestown squad assuming responsibility of the area "Moorestown FA&ES is prepared to provide the entire Township of Moorestown with the highest quality emergency care and transportation that our residents and businesses have relied on for over 80 years," Lenola EMS Station 318 said on social media "The community can be assured that an ambulance Visit the website of the Moorestown First Aid & Emergency Squad to find out more or donate Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Tom DiPaolo was introduced to firefighting early in life his neighbors — husband and wife Ginny and Rob Konecsny — were volunteer firefighters The young man’s curiosity was piqued and he eventually joined the Lenola Volunteer Fire Company is even more proud of the fact that the company is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year 10 is to include bouncy houses for the kids it’s always been 100% volunteer and it’s a lot of generations that grew up in the area and have gone through it so I think that’s a testament to the longevity of the company,” said DiPaolo Lenola Volunteer Fire Company vice president and battalion chief and a fulltime fire inspector with Moorestown Fire District 2 then their kids join and then their kids join and so on and so on The Lenola area of Moorestown is such a tightknit community Even if you’re a first generation like I am DiPaolo credits conversations with the Konecsnys — both life members and he a retired Moorestown police officer — for steering him toward firefighting I was kind of like essentially right next to the emergency services side of the town and seeing them come and go.” The Lenola Volunteer Fire Company quickly became the center of the community after it was founded in 1922 Ava Gardner and Judy Garland were born and the U.S has been with the Lenola Volunteer Fire Company He's also a fire investigator and fire inspector for Moorestown Fire District 1 “Lenola’s one of those communities that you don’t see much anymore There hasn’t been a lot of development," said Carruthers fourth generations families that have grown up and continue to live in the community especially being part of the fire department You get to know a lot of the different families You’re liable to be invited over someone’s house for dinner The 100th anniversary celebration was on tap to kick off at noon and begin with an opening ceremony with guest speakers and several presentations we’ll release everybody into the festivities,” he shared which is like a car show but for fire trucks They were hoping for about 300 to 400 people to show up throughout the day There's still work to be doneDiPaolo says they have about 17 to 25 active members There are five women who are part of the company including Lenola Volunteer Fire Company fire police Capt They average about 300 to 350 calls per year which “technically isn’t a lot compared to some other surrounding stations like Cinnaminson More:Walter Miller III named new Evesham police chief “We have a lot of older guys that are still around and help out administratively,” DiPaolo added “Then we have a number of life members (those who've been with the department for 20 or more years) who are in the area but are not active anymore." getting new volunteers to join is always a focus because most of our members have regular daytime jobs But that’s one of the struggles with volunteerism volunteer fire departments seem to be dwindling.” They proactively trying to tackle that issue by giving a pretty hard push out to the community saying they need members we can continue that and stay afloat,” he added “We’re doing OK so far but there’s still work to be done Going up and hanging out with the other members Celeste E. Whittaker is a features reporter for the Courier Post, Daily Journal and Burlington County Times. The South Jersey native started at the CP in 1998 and has covered the Philadelphia 76ers, college and high school sports and has won numerous awards for her work. Reach her by email at  cwhittaker@gannettnj.com. Follow her on Twitter at @cp_CWhittaker Help support local journalism with a digital subscription MOORESTOWN — The township is seeking federal grant money to help spur economic development in an area that has failed to see growth has been targeted as in need of improvement for years "Redeveloping the town center at Lenola has been discussed for decades at this point," said Deputy Mayor Victoria Napolitano who is on an ad hoc committee tasked with the district's redevelopment Napolitano said talk of the district has made its way onto master plans and into a lot of Township Council meetings and are working with the county to hopefully gain some traction the Burlington County Board of Freeholders endorsed a 2016 Transportation Alternative Program grant submitted by the township Township Manager Scott Carew said Moorestown is seeking a $900,000 grant funded through the Federal-aid Highway Program The money would go toward streetscape improvements on Camden Avenue "This would allow us to take a huge step forward to what we've been talking about planning for the last 18 months to help the Lenola Town Center District to reach its potential," Carew said The municipality was previously denied a planning grant from the county at the beginning of the year for the same project consist of sidewalk and streetscape improvements on Camden Avenue from the Maple Shade border at Route 73 to Lenola Road Drawings of the township's vision show a line of trees and other shrubbery extending along the road "It will make it a more attractive place for people to walk and hopefully that will draw in more businesses," Napolitano said She said traffic-calming was another major area of concentration that will lead to moving along development in the Lenola district with no trees and wide lanes that encourage people to drive through bike lanes to narrow driving lanes and crosswalk bump-outs to narrow intersections will bring a slower pace of driving through the neighborhood because there are a lot of people in that area that could be shopping there and we want to make it a more pedestrian-friendly area," Napolitano said There are currently a few places to shop in the district that are rivaled by vacant storefronts and blocks of land One shopping center on Camden Avenue has a Retro Fitness 7-Eleven and the White House Restaurant at Lenola Road and Camden Avenue Carew said the township has control only over the public areas but he hopes improved aesthetics and walkability will spark private growth The municipality was recently successful in its application to the New Jersey Department of Transportation for the purchase and installation of a bus shelter on Camden Avenue The shelter will go in front of the pocket park next to McDonald's "The Lenola Town Center District is no less important than the Main Street District Myself and the Town Council have made the commitment to see these deals come to fruition," Carew said "It is a great neighborhood filled with residents extremely passionate about it." Brian Woods: 609-410-9962; email: bwoods@calkins.com; Twitter: @woodsb42 2024 at 1:14 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Super Buy Rite plans to open in Moorestown sometime this spring NJ — A liquor store is expected to open soon at Moorestown Mall marking the township's first since such businesses became legal in the historically dry locale Super Buy Rite plans to open sometime this spring Buy Rite Wine & Liquor has about 50 locations throughout New Jersey Moorestown's store will be located at 675 S Lenola Rd the Township Council approved the place-to-place transfer of a license that will allow Super Buy Rite to sell alcohol from the Moorestown location — another sign of progress toward opening day the retail liquor license was registered to the address of a former Buy Rite location in Somerset Moorestown was a dry town for much of its history with a ban on liquor sales lasting nearly eight decades after Prohibition ended in 1933 Voters passed a repeal of the ban in a 2011 referendum the Township Council passed an ordinance that permitted liquor stores in Moorestown The ordinance restricted them from operating within 200 feet of residential zones effectively consolidating them to the Moorestown Mall area and other business districts PREIT, which owns several malls throughout the Mid-Atlantic, declared bankruptcy in December for the second time in three years PREIT executives have touted Moorestown Mall's redevelopment as a company bright spot has long been the top performer in PREIT's mall portfolio MOORESTOWN – Township officials have named the former headquarters of a technology firm as an alternative site for an affordable housing development here Superior Court Assignment Judge Ronald Bookbinder made a preliminary ruling in favor of retaining the restrictive covenant at the proposed 75-unit “Pennrose Site” along Route 38 and gave the township a deadline of May 19 to identify an alternative site Some 64 homeowners in Moorestown and Mount Laurel who live adjacent to that proposed site were sued by the developer, Pennrose Properties, in an attempt to eliminate the 1940s deed restriction requiring a minimum half-acre building lots on its project site All of the neighbors with the same property restriction were named as defendants in that case The former headquarters of Miles Technologies on Route 38 East near the Moorestown Mall, is the township's alternative site The firm left the site when it relocated to Lumberton wanted the restrictive covenant invalidated so it could get the proposed Moorestown Crossings project done The project can only now move forward if the covenant is lifted by the judge Residents challenged the legality of rezoning to allow the project which was to include 75 affordable multi-family units in four stories on deed-restricted vacant land adjacent to existing single-family homes on the 10.5 acre property The project was proposed for Route 38 and South Church Street bordered by Meadow Drive and Hooten Road The township says several factors make the Miles Technologies site a viable alternative including the fact that it is located near public transportation and it would be eligible to compete for federal tax benefits The current owner of the property has been trying to sell or re-purpose the site “We have an updated settlement agreement in place with Moorestown that will be reviewed by the court next month at a Fairness Hearing,” said Anthony Campisi a spokesperson for Fair Share Housing Center Pennrose has "a few more weeks to secure approvals to move forward with that site and if it doesn’t then the township has identified the additional site The township would need to acquire the property and work with a developer on a 100 percent affordable development Bookbinder's opinion stated the longtime covenant was valid and that the township is obligated to provide realistic opportunities for affordable housing But he also wrote that if alternatives could not be found then the parties could return to court to determine if the restrictive covenant could be lifted the Diocese of Trenton notified the township in February that it no longer intends to build a church on a property it owns on Centerton Road and offered to make the property available The township said that “the proposed use of the property by its owner .. triggered an additional obligation on the part of the Township to provide affordable housing To accommodate the additional affordable housing requirement in the most reasonable cost-efficient manner the filing proposes that the Diocese site be rezoned for up to 83 dwelling units with 20 percent designated as affordable housing to be paid for by the developer of the site." It added the site would not be a viable alternative to the Pennrose project "because the site would not qualify for federal tax credits have been borne by Moorestown property taxpayers." Moorestown reached an affordable housing agreement with the Fair Share Housing Center last year that calls for roughly 350 additional affordable housing units to be built by 2025 There are credits given for existing affordable housing and other credits as well The Moorestown affordable agreement includes: Two newly-created programs called accessory apartment and market to affordable will have 45 total units There will be 17 affordable units at the Diocese of Trenton site on Centerton Road in an inclusionary development overlay zoning will be applied to Moorestown Mall Kmart Center and Lenola Shopping Center under the “unmet need" mechanism Each location would be able to potentially build market-rate housing as well as affordable housing Whittaker: @cp_CWhittaker; 856-486-2437; cwhittaker@gannettnj.com Stay up on the latest Moorestown news—sign up for Patch's daily newsletter or "like" us on Facebook here the township has reached an agreement with an affordable housing advocate and other developers to move forward with a plan to quickly create over 300 more affordable units in town by 2025 and possibly hundreds more if additional redevelopment occurs The agreement between Moorestown and the Cherry Hill-based Fair Share Housing Center was reached last week and is the latest of dozens of similar settlements the nonprofit group has entered into with other New Jersey towns as it continues to intervene in affordable housing court cases across the state as part of a judicial takeover of housing compliance mandated by the New Jersey Supreme Court Moorestown’s agreement specifies that the town has an obligation to create 621 low-and moderate-income units from prior years most of which have already been satisfied through prior development and credits which is expected to reflect housing needs from 2015 through 2025 a total of 337 units are expected to be developed over the next seven years mostly on five vacant parcels owned by the township or developers who also intervened in Moorestown’s court proceedings The rest of the town’s obligation is expected to be met through a mix of group homes for special needs residents creation of affordable “accessory apartments” and a program where the township will purchase market rate homes in town and make them available for purchase or rent as affordable units The final component of the agreement is for the town to rezone the Moorestown Mall and Kmart shopping center from commercial only to mixed use in anticipation that builders may be interested in redeveloping those sites as a mix of businesses and housing the agreement anticipates the mall site could accommodate as many as 1,065 residential units which specifies that development could include four-floor buildings with commercial space still occupying the ground floors Twenty percent of the units at all three sites would be required to be reserved as affordable There are no immediate plans for redeveloping the three sites but Moorestown included those properties and the expected zoning changes in order to create the opportunity for more affordable units to be created Moorestown Mayor Stacey Jordan said the final plan amounts to the best possible outcome and represents a significant reduction from the 1,600-plus affordable units the housing advocate initially wanted but I think we were able to balance our obligations and make sure we got the best possible deal for our residents,” Jordan said Tuesday “I don’t think there’s a better deal out there we could have got.” said the agreement featured compromise from all sides but would allow for additional affordable units to be developed in town quickly Both sides compromised on this,” Campisi said While about 300 of the affordable units are designated from the mall and other redevelopment sites that appear far into the future Campisi said the organization still viewed them as realistic opportunities where more affordable housing could be created “Does this mean the Moorestown Mall will be redeveloped tomorrow But it puts the legal mechanism in place of it to be redeveloped there will be a substantial affordable component,” he said Jordan said the proposed zoning changes at those sites makes a mixed-use development possible but she reiterated that there are no immediate plans for those sites to be redeveloped “But it allows Moorestown to still control what will be built there too The more immediate development will likely occur on several tracts of vacant land in town designated for residential development with affordable units included The town negotiated with both Fair Share and several other developers interested in developing in the town to come up with the final locations and numbers for both market rate units and affordable ones Moorestown’s agreement is one of over a dozen settlement agreements Fair Share has reached with towns seeking court-approval for affordable housing plans which are required for towns seeking to comply with the Supreme Court’s Mount Laurel decisions establishing that New Jersey towns have a constitutional obligation to provide opportunities for adequate affordable housing The court mandates stem from litigation that began in the 1970s when housing advocate Ethel Lawrence and the NAACP sued Mount Laurel for using zoning to keep out low-income housing Achieving compliance has been challenging and has sparked years of debate including a 2015 Supreme Court ruling ordering lower courts to take over affordable housing compliance from the state Council of Affordable Housing the agency created by the Legislature to enforce the housing laws and mandates The takeover stemmed from COAH’s failure to craft adequate rules and quotas for how many low- and moderate-income homes towns must zone and plan for municipalities must submit housing plans to Superior Court to review The plans are expected to spell out how many affordable homes and apartments the town expects will be developed over the next decade approximately where the development is expected and what steps the town plans to take to encourage the development the town will be granted protection from lawsuits by developers and nonprofits that can force it to approve low-income housing if there isn’t adequate housing available or planned Fair Share has acted as an intervener in the vast majority of the cases in order to argue for additional affordable units or other changes if it believes the plan the town submits is inadequate While Moorestown is not the first New Jersey municipality to enter into an agreement with the nonprofit concerning its housing plan Campisi said the final deal with Moorestown is considered one of its most important “We said from the beginning that Moorestown was one of the our highest priorities,” he said “This is a significant agreement that will lead to the hundreds of affordable houses.” Jordan said the town’s objective was never to keep out affordable housing but rather to make sure it was developed appropriately and in a manner that didn’t overburden the town’s taxpayers with rising expenses for schools “We’ve always been at the forefront on affordable housing,” the mayor said But we’ve always wanted to do in in a way that’s responsible.” MOORESTOWN - A driver was killed Tuesday after he struck a parked semi-trailer behind a HomeGoods store igniting a blaze that four fire departments worked to extinguish struck the side of the trailer — which was parked in a loading dock — and his vehicle partially slid underneath it Moorestown Police said in a news release.  and Mount Laurel fire departments responded It took some time to put out the fire because the trailer was packed with cardboard Moorestown police are investigating the crash and the identity of the driver with the assistance of the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office Sheri Berkery: @SheriBerkery; 856-486-2673; sberkery@gannettnj.com 2013 at 4:45 am ETCindi Lucas-Youmans made a startling discovery when she looked out her kitchen window last Wednesday morning and spotted a fox-like creature standing in her backyard which was standing only a few feet from the chickens Lucas-Youmans keeps in her backyard the animal trotted back into the wooded area abutting her Lenola Road yard Lucas-Youmans' cat had slipped out the back and said she'd seen the same fox-like animal facing off against the feline "So she grabbed my cat and walked past this animal—which I can't believe she did—and brought it to me," said Lucas-Youmans After scanning pictures online later in the week she realized what she saw was more than likely a coyote—a not-all-that surprising conclusion according to Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) spokesman Larry Ragonese you wouldn't even know you have coyotes living near your house." He said coyotes have been seen roaming the rural and even urban areas of New Jersey for years—all 21 counties and more than 400 municipalities have documented sightings Lee Lieber said the department has received reports about coyotes and foxes in the past the coyote in Lucas-Youmans' yard was searching for food and not just for itself—many coyotes bear litters this time of year coyotes are rarely aggressive toward humans Lucas-Youmans and her neighbors have been on the lookout since last week but there haven't been any further coyote sightings "I grew up in Center City Philadelphia," she said The DEP offers some guidelines to avoid potential conflicts with coyotes: Visit this Division of Fish and Wildlife website for more information about coyotes Eric Tieniber was driving on Main Street when he saw smoke coming out of the roof of the east wing of the Community House on Nov Tieniber ran into the burning building to alert the staff and the guests inside the building He then called 9-1-1 and helped evacuate approximately 40 people who were in the building at the time of the fire He was among the people recognized for their heroic acts during the Moorestown Council meeting Monday night at town hall The following is a list of all first responders honored Moorestown Police Department: Sergeant Richard Gunning Moorestown Relief Engine Company Volunteers: Zackery Booth Lenola Volunteer Fire Company: Robert Grant Moorestown and Lenola Emergency Service Volunteers: Dan Sheilds Cinnaminson Fire Department Volunteers: Scott Stavely Delran Fire Department Volunteers: Joseph Cunningham Evesham Fire Department Volunteers: John Behnke Mount Laurel Fire Department Volunteers: John M Palmyra Fire Department Volunteers: Michael Stokes Riverton Fire Department Volunteers: Scott Reed Willingboro Fire Department Volunteers: Ken Sitzenstock Council also authorized a $2,750 donation toward the rehabilitation of the Community House The donation is the money the township would’ve paid for the use of the Community House for its annual Boards and Committees dinner that was canceled in the wake of the fire earlier this month Pictured: Eric Tieniber is honored by Moorestown Mayor Victoria Napolitano MOORESTOWN — Hundreds of children swarmed Jeff Young Field on Saturday morning in search of hidden eggs taking part in an Easter tradition that is nearing 80 years old At the word "Go!" kids raced through the infield dirt and dark green grass of the field on North Lenola Road and grabbed every plastic egg full of treats they could find The scramble marked the second year that two long-running Easter egg hunts were merged into one and the Moorestown Business Association for 23 The two organizations partnered for the first time last year to organize one big hunt in town "It's great for the kids," said Joe Horwitz "It's really grown throughout the past 10 years," he said of the egg hunt "We probably have double the amount of kids since we moved it (to Jeff Young Field)." He and other organizers estimated more than 1,000 attendees showed up Saturday MBA President Don Powell agreed that the joint venture was a good idea "This is a much better venue for it," he said kids played on the slides and swings in the adjoining park or lined up for face painting and balloon animals it's a brand new Easter weekend rite for the Lee twins — kindergartners Chance and Lukas They came to the hunt with their grandmother Their family recently had a house built there and moved in just two months ago Chance and Lukas had a simple but sensible answer but his brother said competition was fierce as he was sometimes on the losing end when he and another child grasped for the same egg made his debut at the local hunt Saturday as well He was at a disadvantage because he didn't arrive quite in time for the start But he was content with the few eggs he captured and with the blue balloon sword he wielded except to say the pink balloon animal she held was Sisters Myra and Ruhi Abrol — ages 4 and 8 respectively — were also rookies to the hunt as Ruhi clutched her balloon animal — a purple teddy bear with a big red heart — but they agreed the search for eggs had been fun Joe Green: 609-871-8064; email: jgreen@calkins.com; Twitter: @JoeGreenBCT A Moorestown man was sentenced to three years in state prison for robbing a Susquehanna Bank on the same street where he lived a crime that he said was prompted by family responsibilities appeared Friday before Superior Court Judge Terrence R Cook at the Burlington County Courthouse in Mount Holly Walters has been held in the jail on $25,000 bail since the Oct Walters cares for his disabled mother and was motivated by the need to contribute to the household The defendant will also have to pay back $2,373 and serve 85 percent of the sentence under the No Early Release Act for violent crimes Authorities discovered a note in Walters’ pocket that indicated a bomb was nearby Weiler noted that it was not a violent crime Cook said he balanced the need to deter the public from committing crimes with the fact that the defendant had no criminal history at the bank on South Lenola Road when Walters passed a note to a teller demanding money but did not display a weapon He was given an undetermined amount of cash and was seen walking in the direction of Kings Highway The FBI released a surveillance photograph of the suspect dressed in a gray baseball cap with a Philadelphia Eagles logo authorities recovered $1,200 of the stolen money Asked if he wanted to make a statement before his sentencing “I would like to apologize to the victims of the crime.” Jeannie O’Sullivan: 609-267-7586; email: josullivan@calkins.com; Twitter: @jeannieosulliva Matt Kilmer and Matt Geiger were recognized by Moorestown Council during its meeting Monday night at town hall Cinnaminson was one of seven fire companies outside Moorestown that responded to the fire on Nov none of the 40 people who were in the house at the time of the fire were injured Good Samaritan Eric Tieniber was also honored for his efforts Monday night He was driving on Main Street when he saw smoke coming out of the roof of the east wing of the Community House Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. 2011 at 11:49 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Patricia Daily a Moorestown resident and the longtime librarian at Mary Roberts Elementary School She was the mother of Stephen (Lauren) Daily She was the sister of Mary Jane Calloway of Cinnaminson and Carol Valentine of Florida Memorial contributions may be made to the library or Lenola Emergency Squad A study has found that Ocean City is the happiest city in New Jersey walking on the Ocean City Boardwalk in the middle of summer with a Kohr Brothers Ice Cream cone in their hand The folks at Homesnacks.com came up with the list of the 10 Happiest Cities in New Jersey Here's what the editors said about Ocean City: having a solid family life is a good indication of how happy someone is Lots of the residents of Ocean City aren’t missing out on love; more than 17% of them are married the average commute time here is only about 29 minutes each way That means a lot more time with the spouse and kids." The only other Atlantic City area city to appear on the top 1o list is Margate How could you not be happy in a town with a giant elephant guarding your beach "If you want to see a bunch of happy people It seriously looks like something out of a commercial." Brigantine is the 16th happiest place in New Jersey The most miserable place in New Jersey: Fort Dix SOURCE: Homesnacks.com Gallery Credit: Joe Kelly Ocean City named happiest city in New Jersey\nRead More The folks at Homesnacks.com came up with the list of the 10 Happiest Cities in New Jersey SOURCE: Homesnacks.com