February 4, 2022

A Message from the Mayor

Dear Neighbor:

As we commemorate Black History Month this February, I want to urge you all to take some time to read, watch or listen to some of the excellent books, documentaries and podcasts available now that explore the history and stories of Black Americans throughout U.S. history. There are also events taking place throughout the region to celebrate Black History Month that you can join in.

The Cherry Hill Public Library is a great place to start. On Thursday, February 17 at 2 p.m. they will feature the documentary “Prom Night in Mississippi.” In 2008, Charleston High School in Charleston, Mississippi, held its historic, first-ever integrated Senior Prom. The prom was funded by Morgan Freeman, a Charleston resident, and exposed racial tension in the town, mainly among administrators and parents of the students of the high school.

In addition, their Movie Monday on February 28 at 2 p.m. will feature “Respect.” Following the rise of Aretha Franklin's career from a child singing in her father's church's choir to her international stardom, "Respect" is the remarkable true story of the music icon's journey to find her voice.

They will also have two Story Times for families on February 24 that will highlight Black History Month. You can join in person or virtually at 11 a.m. or 2 p.m. for stories, finger plays, and songs highlighting Black History Month. Morning and afternoon sessions feature the same stories and activities. To learn about these upcoming events and more, please visit their website.

I also want to wish everyone who celebrates a Happy Lunar New Year. After a challenging two years of navigating this pandemic, I am hopeful that this year will live up to its sign as the year of the tiger by bringing bravery, courage and strength to those in need.

Please continue to stay safe.

Sincerely,

Susan Shin Angulo

Township News & Events

Mayor Visits Camden Catholic During Catholic Schools Week

Mayor Susan Shin Angulo was pleased to join Camden Catholic High School students, faculty and staff for a special mass Wednesday morning in celebration of Catholic Schools Week. She also had the opportunity to learn more about the school's innovation lab and speak to a history class about civic engagement and local government.

Thank you Camden Catholic and Happy #catholicschoolsweek !

Tax Bills Mailed Out on January 21 - Grace Period Extended

Cherry Hill's 2022 first half tax bills were mailed on January 21, 2022. Residents will receive an extended grace period as a result of the delayed mailing. The grace period will be extended until February 15, 2022. Please be advised that payments received after that extended date will be charged interest back to February 1st. The amounts are currently available on our website.

As a reminder, payments can be made by mailing a check to the Cherry Hill Township Tax Collector's Office, 820 Mercer Street Cherry Hill, NJ 08002 or by physically dropping off your cash or check payment at the Cherry Hill Municipal Building, Tax Collector’s Office, 820 Mercer Street. Payments can also be made by credit card, debit card or electronic check (e-check) on the Township’s website.

To view or pay your bill online, please visit the Township's homepage, CHNJ.gov and click on the link that says "Pay Tax/Sewer Bills“

If you have any questions, please contact the Tax Office at 856-488-7880

Dueling Pianos

Enjoy an evening of fun and music with the Dueling Pianos featuring Tony T. (Anthony Decarolis) and Wildman Joe (Joe Marchetti) as they perform energetic sing-along classics for all ages. Their entertaining style of interacting with the audience has everyone singing, clapping and partying along. The event will take place on Friday, March 4 from 7-9 p.m. at Croft Farm Arts Center. To purchase tickets, follow the link below.

Learn More

Home Smoke Alarm Program

The Cherry Hill Fire Department has a smoke detector program to help residents ensure they have safe, working alarms. Please call the Fire Marshal’s office at 856-429-7441 or visit our website to set up an appointment.

A CHFD representative will arrange to visit your home in order to evaluate your existing alarms. If you do not have working smoke alarms on each level of your home, they will be installed at that time.

PLEASE NOTE: homes constructed after 1977 are required to be equipped with hard-wired (electric) smoke alarms. Hard-wired smoke alarms CANNOT be replaced with battery operated alarms.

Learn More

Upcoming Township Meetings

Planning Board Meeting - Monday, February 7, 2022

Township Council Meeting - Monday, February 14, 2022

In order to join the meeting virtually, please refer to the log-in information and links on our website under the calendar section.

Department of Public Works

Household Hazardous Waste Collection

The Camden County Board of Freeholders presents a free Household Hazardous Waste Collection event in Cherry Hill on Saturday, March 26 from 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. The event will be held at the Cherry Hill Public Works Complex (1 Perina Boulevard). Collections are held rain or shine. All residents must remain in their vehicles throughout the event. All material to be dropped off should be placed in the rear cargo area of the vehicle only (not in the passenger seating area.) This event is for Camden County resident only. Businesses will not be accepted.

For more information call the Camden County Division of Environmental Affairs at 856-858-5241.

Senior Living

Senior Fraud Scams

Imposter frauds and criminal scams are on the rise, but there are ways that you can protect yourself from falling victim to fraud. We share a few tips below, but encourage you to visit https://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/Fraud for even more helpful information:

Don’t answer calls from unknown numbers. Let the caller leave you a message and then you can decide to return the call or not.
If you get a suspicious message from your bank, credit card or utility company, do not return the call using the phone number provided. Instead, find the contact information on your most recent statement or bill or look up the company phone number.
Don’t be coerced by urgent action or scare tactics. If a caller insists that you ‘must act immediately’ or ‘keep something confidential’ be suspicious.
Be wary of anyone asking for payment in the form of gift cards.

If you feel that you’ve been a victim of fraud or if you have a question you can contact the New Jersey Department of Consumer affairs by visiting its website or by calling 1-800-242-5846 (toll free within New Jersey) or 973-504-6200.

AARP Senior Tax Help- By Appointment Only!

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide services will again be available to Cherry Hill area residents from February 1 through April 12 - with a different twist for 2021: There will be no on-site traditional tax preparation where the taxpayer sits with an AARP Tax-Aide during the tax preparation process.

Instead, taxpayers will have the choice of 2 service models:

Same Day Drop-Off: Taxpayers interact with an IRS-certified Tax-Aide in a 20-30 minute in-person and socially distanced meeting. During the appointment, the Tax-Aide will complete the intake process and write a receipt for all tax documents collected. These meetings, available by appointment only, will take place in the Municipal Building in Room 208 on Tuesdays and Fridays, 10am to 2pm.

Before the taxpayer leaves, they will make a follow-up appointment to return the same day to review the printed tax return, sign an authorization for AARP Foundation to file the return electronically, and acknowledge their receipt of the original tax documents.

Taxpayers can only make appointments by accessing the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide Site Locator for Cherry Hill at: www.aarpfoundation.org/Tax-Aide after January 15th. Taxpayers will receive an automatic confirmation email. A follow-up email from aarp.cc.pt@gmail.com will include the links to documents to be printed, completed, and brought to the drop-off site. If you do not have a printer, packets containing all required documents will be available for pick-up at the Community Center and the Municipal building.

If there are no appointments available, taxpayers can add themselves to the appointment waitlist. An AARP Foundation Tax-Aide will contact waitlisted taxpayers by phone as appointments become available.

Self Preparation: Under this model, AARP Foundation Tax-Aide provides taxpayers with free access to software so they can prepare their own taxes. Taxpayers can also request help from an IRS-certified counselor to coach them through the process by phone or through computer screen-sharing. Participants can only request virtual tax prep assistance through the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide's website www.aarpfoundation.org/Tax-Aide. Participants must provide a private email address to use this model.

Please do not contact this site about any of the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide service offerings. They are wonderful, supportive hosts, but they are not AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteers.

Cherry Hill Public Library News & Events

Hours of Operation:

Monday – Wednesday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Thursday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Stay Safe and Use Contactless Pickup!

Place an item on hold, and when notified of its availability, call 856-667-0300 x2 to schedule your Contactless Pickup date & time. Your items will be placed at the end of the Circulation Desk near the front doors on your scheduled date/time. Staff will do their best to accommodate for specific days/times based upon availability of requested materials. Email our librarians for more info or to request items.

Masks are required for all individuals, regardless of vaccination status. Do not forget to wear masks during indoor programs.

Valentine’s Day Book Match

Our librarians will help you fall in love with carefully curated book selections. Click this FORM and get “matched” with recommended books based upon your interests.

Book Donations

Donations of new or gently used books and other materials are accepted. Drop off items at the side entrance (closer to Friendship Grove) Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Please do not bring donations into the building through the Main Entrance. For more information, click here.

Vendors Needed for Craft Fair

Calling all crafters, artists, and other makers of homemade goods! Register to be a vendor today. CHPL Craft Fair is Sunday, March 20 from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. $25 per vendor spot.

Jewelry Donations

New or gently used jewelry and accessories are also needed including bracelets, necklaces, earrings, rings, purses, wallets, and more. Please drop off in the Admin Office. Items will be used in the upcoming Gently Used Jewelry & Accessory Sale on Saturday, April 30. All proceeds benefit the library.

Baking Supplies Donations

CHPL is starting a new collection. If you have clean, gently used baking accessories like measuring cups, trays, baking sheets, etc. that you don’t need – we are accepting them! Please drop off in the Admin Office.

February Fundraiser – Register Now!

Candy Bingo for All Ages!

Saturday, February 26 from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Conference Center, Lower Level

Play five rounds of Bingo while enjoying lots of candy! Candy and gift cards will be awarded each round. $10 per person registration fee. Registration required.

Upcoming Programs:

Mindfulness Mondays

Monday, February 7

10 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Join us by the Character Corner on the YS floor each Monday and find new Mindfulness Activities for children and families. Take a mindful moment out of your day with breathing exercises, read-alouds, yoga positions, and more. No registration required.

In Person Barking Book Buddies

Monday, February 7

6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Children’s Story & Craft Room, Upper Level

This program meets inside the library. Take a turn reading to a therapy dog! Fifteen minute in person sessions are available between 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Presented in partnership with Tri-State K-9 Response Team. In person attendees will be required to wear a face mask. Grades K - 5. Register here, limited space available.

Broadway Returns

Monday, February 7

7 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Theater enthusiast Brian Stoll will discuss all things Broadway beginning with an update on the current state of Broadway. He will also share the history and importance of the Broadway Playbill as well as money-saving tips on how to see Broadway shows for under $50. This program is VIRTUAL. Registration required.

Baby-Sitters Club: The Book Club

Tuesday, February 8

6 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Hybrid Program

Join us for a new meeting of the BSC book club! If you've watched the new Netflix Babysitter's Club series, checked out the graphic novels, or read the original books, then you won't want to miss our BSC book club. We will be discussing, Kristy and the Snobs, and having fun with trivia. Registration required.

Teens Discord: Jackbox

Tuesday, February 8

7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Take a break and join us to play some Jackbox Games through our Discord! Games are limited to a certain number of players, so make sure to hop onto the Discord at 7:30 p.m. to snag a spot or just hang with us and have fun watching. Learn more.

Rhyme Time Live on Zoom

Wednesday, February 9

10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

The fun doesn't end just because winter has begun! We're moving Rhyme Time onto Zoom! Develop baby's motor, sensory, and social skills through exploration of short books, rhymes, songs, and more! Registration required.

Animal Crossing Open Hours

Wednesday, February 9

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Animal Crossing New Horizons players of all ages are invited to open play at CHPL Cove. Pick fruit, catch bugs, visit our virtual branch and museum, and swap recipes, fossils, furniture and clothing! Add the library's Nintendo Friend Code, SW-7377-8544-2015, then once playing ACNH, visit your airport, and select "visit through online play" to find us. Learn more.

Story Time

Thursday, February 10

2 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Join us for stories, finger plays, and songs. Meet inside the library or on Zoom. Registration required. Masks required in the library.

Facebook and Other Social Media

Thursday, February 10

2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Computer Lab, Lower Level

Learn how to set up a Facebook account if you don’t have one yet. Learn how to update your profile, how to post, and stay safe. Privacy features and concerns about being hacked will be discussed. Learn how to search for friends. We will review other social media sites like Twitter and Instagram. Registration required.

A Happier You: Local Author Dr. Scott Glassman Discusses How to Transform Negativity into Positivity

Saturday, February 12

2:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Half Conference Center, Lower Level

How do we tap into our capacity for positivity and start opening reliable pathways into feeling good? Register for this book discussion as Dr. Glassman delves into the answer in his book, A Happier You: A Seven-Week Program to Transform Negative Thinking into Positivity and Resilience. In his book, Dr. Glassman offers a systematic seven-week approach to begin developing the habits you need to turn the ‘negativity effect,’ our tendency to get caught up in the stresses of life, into a ‘positivity reflex.’ It's a practical approach with step-by-step exercises that enables you to build your own powerful, personalized positivity routine. Registration required.