is

su
e!
Ga
rd
en
&
H
om
e
www.tabernaclesun.com

Harlem
Wizards
bring skills
to Seneca

FREE

MARCH 30APRIL 5, 2016

BOE presents
tentative budget
with tax increase

Easter egg hunt

Residents with average assessed home would

see a $106.98 increase from Tabernacle schools

Event is fundraiser
for Tabernacle students
injured in accident

By SEAN LAJOIE
The Sun

By SEAN LAJOIE
The Sun
Last week, Seneca High School
finally hosted its annual highflying, action-packed basketball
game with the Harlem Wizards
after it was rescheduled due to
Winter Storm Jonas in January.
The Wizards took on a team
that consisted of teachers and
students from Seneca, Tabernacle, Shamong and Chatsworth
schools in this family fun event.
The bleachers were filled, and the
Wizards DJ had the fans on their
feet the whole night.
The Harlem Wizards are a
show basketball entity that puts
on fundraising events for schools
and nonprofits. Last season, they
played in more than 400 communities across the U.S. and raised
more than $2 million.
The Wizards have three teams
stocked with big-time talent that
please see COMMUNITY, page 6

SEAN LAJOIE/The Sun

Christian Hill, 2, shows off his new balloon hat as he poses for a
picture with mom Anetta at the Medford-Vincentown Rotary
Clubs annual Easter Egg Hunt. The hunt was a free community
outreach event by the Rotary Club and the Shawnee and Seneca
high school Interact Clubs. For more photos, please see page 14.

Last weeks meeting marked

the beginning of a new era for the
Tabernacle Board of Education.
It was the first after the resignation of former superintendent
George Rafferty.
A familiar face filled Raffertys
old seat. Former Tabernacle Superintendent Dr. John Sherry,
who retired in June 2005, will be
filling in as the interim until the
board decides on Raffertys longterm replacement.
Sherry was faced with giving
the rundown of the preliminary
budget for the 2016-17 year on his
sixth day back with the district.
The board passed the budget
last week and sent it to the county
for approval.
Tabernacle residents potentially are looking at a 4.1-cent increase on the tax levy, resulting in
a K-8 school tax increase of
$106.98 on a home assessed at the
township average of $263,745.

Every penny the district raises

the tax rate results in $66,000 of
revenue for the budget.
Sherry followed these comments by announcing that Tabernacle will be the only Lenape Regional High School District constituent township experiencing a
decrease in its regional school tax
bill. The average homeowner will
be seeing a $68 decrease in taxes
paid to the regional high school
board.
Therefore, the net increase on
total school taxes will be $38.98 for
Tabernacle residents.
About 80 percent of the K-8
budget is made up of salaries and
benefits for people who work in
the district.
Were a service organization.
We give service to the children
and the community, so the majority of our budget goes to salaries,
Sherry said.
There is no reduction of force
planned in this budget, so there
please see DISTRICT, page 15

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Homeless animals
The Sun continues its series
on state of homeless pets. PAGE 10

Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . 1619
Editorials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

2 THE TABERNACLE SUN MARCH 30APRIL 5, 2016

Wrestlers complete strong season

Special to The Sun

As part of the Tabernacle Athletic Association, the Seneca Youth

Wrestling program recently completed one of its most successful
seasons on record with its dual team mounting an impressive 5-1
season record; placing nine wrestlers at the Best of the Best tournament where three earned first-place finishes; and qualifying six
athletes into New Jersey regional tournaments. At the New Jersey
Regional Qualifiers, all six wrestlers placed in the top three of their
division and advanced to the New Jersey Youth Wrestling State
Championship at Sun Bank Arena in Trenton and competed well. Pictured at the New Jersey state championship, from left, are Daniel
Bogardus, Max Borton, Nico Bogardus, Zach Borton, Bradley Chilkotowsky and Travis Bauer.

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MARCH 30APRIL 5, 2016 THE TABERNACLE SUN 5

Local arts groups awarded

$42k in grant funding
Freeholder Director Bruce
Garganio recently announced
that a cross-section of local nonprofit arts organizations and nonprofit groups that showcase the
arts were awarded $42,000 in
grant funding by the Burlington
County freeholders.
This years grants were awarded to 13 organizations on the recommendations of a peer panel,
or experts from the arts, that evaluated applications. The grants
are given in accordance with
funding guidelines handed down
by the state.
A list of recipients, including
the activity or project, and the
dollar amount of each award, follows:
Bridgeplayers Theatrical
Performances - $4,500
Burlington County St.
Patricks Day Parade Irish Parade and Music Festival - $1,000
Burlington County Library
Sunday Stages-Performers -

$1,000
Faith In Action Dance Instruction & Performance Arts $4,500
Golden Eagle Community
Band Concert Series - $4,000
In Fact, Inc. African
American Folklife Traditions $4,000
Medford Arts Center Art
Center-shows/performances
$4,000
Mill Race Theatrical Company Original Performance $3,500
Servicios Latinos Hispanic Heritage Festival - $4,000
South Jersey Pops Orchestra Orchestral Performances $1,500
West Jersey Music Society
Chamber Music Performances $3,000
Underground Railroad Association Jazz Concert - $3,000
Whitesbog
Preservation
Trust Blueberry Festival - $4,000

Email us at news@tabernaclesun.com

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THE TABERNACLE SUN MARCH 30APRIL 5, 2016

in our opinion

Stay local this summer

108 Kings Highway East

Haddonfield, NJ 08033
856-427-0933

New Jerseys Shore towns could use your help

Dan McDonough Jr.

ast week may have ushered in

the start of spring, but Shore
towns throughout our state are
experiencing high anxiety, as the start
of the summer beach season begins
in fewer than eight weeks.
The 102 days between Memorial Day
and Labor Day weekends are crucial
for the Jersey Shore, which, no matter
what town you live in, has a vital impact on the Garden States economy.
We seem to often preach how important it is to stay local for the summertime. And thats because its true.
The devastation that was caused by
Hurricane Sandy seems like a distant
memory. For the most part, Shore
towns in our state have recovered, but
they still desperately need visitors;
they still need our support.
Beach Season 2013, the one immediately following Sandy, was not a good

Your thoughts
What does the Jersey Shore mean
to you? Wed love to hear your stories
of traveling to the beach, and your plans
to do so this summer.

one.
As if rebuilding from Sandy wasnt
bad enough, an incredibly wet June
kept visitors away from the Shore during prime weekends. Sales for stores
that year in the hardest-hit areas were
off anywhere from 20-40 percent, according to state economic reports.
The results improved slightly in
2014, and then again last year. According to a Tourism Economics report
produced by the state Division of
Travel and Tourism, visitors to the
Shore increased by more than 8 percent last year. That calculation is

based on bed tax receipts for the

states Shore counties. In fact, that
number exceeded those of the previous peak in 2012, before Hurricane
Sandy.
Finally, the Shore is back! But the
message is still the same: Visit the
Shore this summer, visit often, and
spend money there.
New Jersey residents often take our
coastline for granted, but we should
realize how lucky we are to have such
a gem this close to home. So lets pay it
back this summer. As hard as it may
seem to fathom, there are only two
months until the official start of the
summer beach season, but there is
still plenty of time to plan your summer vacation at the Jersey Shore.
The beach towns need your support.
Lets all dedicate at least part of our
summer to giving back.

Community bands together to support families

COMMUNITY
Continued from page 1
spend their time traveling around the
country, interweaving acrobatic athletics
with humor in a unique fashion.
The comedy, teacher/audience participation and spontaneity in the Seneca community setting makes way for a night to be
treasured by all each year.
However, last weeks fundraiser was different than the ones in the past.
Each year, the Tabernacle ParentTeacher Association collaborates with the
Wizards to raise money for its organization. This was the third year being a part of
the event and the third time it has been its
largest fundraiser of the year.

The group was looking forward to the

extra funds it would be bringing in until
the tragic ATV crash on March 5 involving
two eighth-grade girls from Tabernacle.
The ATV lost control on a curve, crossed
over a highway and hit a tree.
Leann Taylor and Kelly McCloskey were
ejected from the vehicle, and despite wearing helmets, they were left in critical condition and airlifted to Cooper University Hospital.
As of last week, Taylor had just entered
physical rehabilitation and McCloskey had
just regained consciousness from a physician-induced coma.
Though Recording Secretary of the Tabernacle PTA Shelly Craig acknowledged
the progress the girls have made since the
day of the crash, the Tabernacle community was shaken by the accident and left won-

dering what it could do to help the two families moving forward.

When we heard about the crash, Jenn
(Quartarone) pulled all of the officers together and said let's help out, Craig said.
Everyone was just in shock.
Quartarone, president of the Tabernacle
PTA, led the charge to create a fundraiser
in which most of the proceeds would go to
the McCloskey and Taylor families to help
defray the overwhelming cost of the medical expenses incurred by the ATV accident.
Folks were given the opportunity to reserve a pregame meal, buy treats from the
concession stand or enter a raffle to win a
series of baskets or food from Upper Crust
Pizza.
please see TEACHERS, page 15

chairman of elauwit media

Tim Ronaldson

Joe Eisele

executive editor

publisher

manaGinG editor

Kristen Dowd
senior associate editor Mike Monostra
tabernacle editor Sean Lajoie
art director Stephanie Lippincott
advertisinG director Arlene Reyes
elauwit media Group
publisher emeritus
editor emeritus

Steve Miller
Alan Bauer

The Sun is published weekly by Elauwit

Media LLC, 108 Kings Highway East, 3rd
Floor, Haddonfield, NJ 08033. It is mailed
weekly to select addresses in the 08088 ZIP
code. If you are not on the mailing list, sixmonth subscriptions are available for
$39.99.
PDFs of the publication are online, free of
charge. For information, please call 856427-0933.
To submit a news release, please email
news@tabernaclesun.com.
For advertising information, call 856427-0933 or email advertising@tabernaclesun.com.
The Sun welcomes suggestions and comments from readers including any information about errors that may call for a correction to be printed.
SPEAK UP
The Sun welcomes letters from readers.
Brief and to the point is best, so we look for
letters that are 300 words or fewer. Include
your name, address and phone number. We
do not print anonymous letters. Send letters
to news@tabernaclesun.com, via fax at 856427-0934, or via the mail. You can drop
them off at our office, too.
The Tabernacle Sun reserves the right to
reprint your letter in any medium including electronically.

CALENDAR

PAGE 8

WEDNESDAY MARCH 30
Gaming @ the Library: Mario Party
9: Ages seven and older. 4 p.m. at
Pinelands Branch Library. Join
Mr. Will for a fun-filled afternoon
of Mario Party 9 on the Wii. Registration is requested and guarantees you gaming time, walk-ins
are
accepted.
Visit
www.bcls.lib.nj.us/calendar/gaming-library-mario-party-9.
Mommy and Me Jamberry Party:
Ages 5 and older. 6 p.m. at
Pinelands Branch Library. Come
by the Pinelands Library for a

GUTTER
CLEANING

609-586-2300
GUTTER DOCTOR

Jamberry party and enjoy a little

mother-daughter pampering.
Registration not required.
Storytime: Ages newborn to 5. 10
a.m. at Church of Christ, Carranza Road. Miss Peggy welcomes
children and their attending
adult to story hour. This is a
great opportunity for kids and
adults to meet new people in the
community. Questions, call the
church office at (609) 2680576.

MARCH 30APRIL 5, 2016

WANT TO BE LISTED?
To have your meeting or affair listed in the Calendar or Meetings,
information must be received, in writing, two weeks prior to the
date of the event.
Send information by mail to: Calendar, The Sun, 108 Kings Highway
East, Haddonfield, NJ 08033. Or by email:
news@tabernaclesun.com. Or you can submit a calendar listing
through our website (www.tabernaclesun.com).
We will run photos if space is available and the quality of the photo
is sufficient. Every attempt is made to provide coverage to all
organizations.

THURSDAY MARCH 31
Parachute Play: Ages 2-4. 10:30
a.m. at Pinelands Branch Library.
Join for a half hour of parachute
games and play time together.
Must be accompanied by a caregiver. Registration requested. Visit www.bcls.lib.nj.us/calendar/
parachute-play-17.
Mini-Maker Camp: Ages 5-12. 3 p.m.
at Pinelands Branch Library.
Come play/experiment with a
bevy of interesting gadgets
designed to spark kids imaginations and foster their interest in
science, technology, engineering,

art and math. Registration

required.
Visit
www.bcls.lib.nj.us/calendar/minimaker-camp-0.
Great Decisions: Foreign Policy
Challenges: 10:30 a.m. to noon at
Medford Leas. This weeks discussion topic will deal with the Koreas. The program is being offered
at no charge, and attendees are
welcome to join any or all of the
discussions. Registration is not
required.

SATURDAY APRIL 2
Pokemon Battle Bash: Ages 7-17. 2
p.m. at Pinelands Branch Library.
Join Mr. Will for fun-filled Pokemon battle with other Pokemon
trainers. Bring your Nintendo
DS/DSi/3DS system and Pokemon Black/White and/or X/Y to
participate.
Registration
required.
Visit
www.bcls.lib.nj.us/calendar/pokemon-battle-bash-6.

MONDAY APRIL 4
Baby Time: 0-18 months. 10:30 a.m.
at Pinelands Branch Library. Our

littlest library goers are invited to

join Ms. Danielle for stories,
songs, rhymes and play time.
Must be accompanied by a caregiver. Registration required. Visit
www.bcls.lib.nj.us/calendar/babytime-57.
DIY Indoor Herb Garden: 2 p.m. at
Pinelands Branch Library. Looking to dip your toe into gardening? Stop by and learn how. Registration
required.
Visit
www.bcls.lib.nj.us/calendar/diyindoor-herb-garden.

TUESDAY APRIL 5
Snack Attack: Ages 4-12. 4 p.m. at
Pinelands Branch Library. Join
Miss Niki, DTR, from the Shop
Rite of Medford for a fun activity
and a lesson on how to prepare a
healthy snack. Registration
required.
Visit
www.bcls.lib.nj.us/calendar/snack
-attack-11.
Colored Pencil Technique Drawing
Class: 6 p.m. at Pinelands Branch
Library. Stop in and see how you
can make lovely, handmade cards
that family and friends will treasure. Bring comics or images to
inspire your creativity. Materials
will be provided. Registration
requested.
Visit
www.bcls.lib.nj.us/calendar/colored-pencil-technique-drawingclass.

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MARCH 30APRIL 5, 2016 THE TABERNACLE SUN 9

Burlington County, Virtua partner

for free community CPR training
Burlington County Sheriff
Jean Stanfield and the Burlington
County Department of Public
Safety are partnering with Virtua
Emergency Medical Services to
provide a free series of CPR training courses for residents.
Classes will take place at the
Burlington County Emergency
Services Training Center in Westampton.
The series coincides with the
PulsePoint mobile app that
launched in November. The
PulsePoint app is the first of its
kind to be used in Southern New
Jersey, with Burlington County
being the third jurisdiction on the
East Coast to offer it.
PulsePoints location-aware
technology alerts CPR-trained
persons in a public place to someone nearby in sudden cardiac arrest who may require CPR, and
gets them there sooner, Stanfield
said. With more bystanders
trained and using the app, CPR
can be provided immediately
after sudden cardiac arrest, effectively doubling or tripling a victims chance of survival.
When a 911 call alerts dispatch
to a cardiac arrest victim, the
PulsePoint app is activated by the
Burlington County Public Safety
communications center while simultaneously notifying local
emergency responders and Virtua paramedics. When activated,
anyone within a quarter mile

Gary F. Woodend, MBA, JD

5-C N. Main Street Medford, NJ 08055
609-654-5489 or visit

www.WoodendLaw.com

who has downloaded the app to

their mobile device will receive a
push notification on their smart
phone with the location of the
emergency. The app also provides
the location of the nearest,
known publicly accessible Automated External Defibrillator device.
We are proud to bring this innovative life-saving tool to individuals living, working and visiting Burlington County, said
Richard P. Miller, president and
CEO of Virtua. At Virtua, we
strive to be an active partner in
the communities we not only
serve, but also where we live and
work. Virtua regularly explores
the latest technology to help us
continue providing the highest
quality care to our communities.
Classes will be held over the
course of the year on the following dates: April 16, May 21, June
18, July 16, Aug. 20, Sept. 17,
Oct.15, Nov. 19 and Dec. 17.
To register, residents must fax
their applications to (609) 7027100, or mail to: Burlington County Emergency Services Training
Center, P.O. Box 6000, Westampton, NJ 08060.

Residents can visit the county

homepage at http://co.burlington.nj.us to receive an application
and for more information.

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Looking at Adopt, dont shop by the numbers

As lawmakers and activists promote new slogan, adoption rates continue to increase in New Jersey
By ZANE CLARK
The Sun

and cats impounded in shelters

throughout the state were euthanized. That figure dropped to 34
percent in 2010, and in 2014, the
number of impound dogs and
cats euthanized was down to 26
percent.

facility or returned to an owner

or guardian, compared to if an
animal was euthanized.
In live releases, animals either
end up in the home of a new family, or theyre moved to another
shelter where space is available
because so many animals at that
facility had already been adopted.
One local facility where the
trend is holding true is the Camden County Animal Shelter. According to Camden County Animal Shelter Executive Director
Vicki Rowland, from 2009 to 2015,
the CCAS live release rate for cats
went from 46 percent to 70 percent. For dogs, the rate increased
from 73 percent to 85 percent.
Its going up. Were saving
more, Rowland
said. And thats
our overall mission here increasing
lives

In recent years, many animal

advocates and lawmakers have
championed an adopt, dont
shop mentality to encourage potential pet owners to adopt pets
Local live release
from shelters and rescues, rather
and adoption rates rise
than purchase pets from stores,
many of which have been acThe support for the adopt,
cused of supplying animals from
breeding facilities with poor or dont shop initiative can also be
even inhumane living conditions. observed on a base level at local
animal shelAs
time
ters through
goes on in
Its going up. Were
the increasSouth Jersey,
live rethe
adopt,
saving more. And thats ing
lease
rates,
dont shop
mentality
our overall mission here which have
continued to
seems to be
climb
over
moving
beincreasing lives saved.
the past sevyond just the
VICKI ROWLAND
eral years.
mouths of acCamden
County Animal Shelter
Live
retivists
and
Executive Director
lease
rates
lawmakers
are calculated
and more toward the consciousness of the for shelters by totaling the number of live outcomes for anigeneral public.
According to the recent Ani- mals at a facility where
mal Intake and Disposition Sur- the animal was
veys from the state Department of adopted, transHealth, the number of animals ferred to
adopted from shelters in New Jer- anothsey has held steady, even slightly er
increasing, for nearly the past 10
years.
According to the 2005 survey
which licensed animal shelters in
the state are encouraged, but
arent required, to participate in
37 percent of all dogs and cats
impounded were adopted.
By 2010, the statewide adoption
rate had risen to 41 percent of
dogs and cats impounded,
and in the most recently released numbers for 2014,
the number was higher still at 46 percent.
During
those
same years, the
ZANE CLARK/The Sun
survey shows shelBliss, a 3-year-old orange and white
ters throughout the
domestic shorthair mix, covers up in
state were also able to euher blanket at the Animal Welfare
thanize fewer animals. In
Association in Voorhees.
2005, 39 percent of all dogs

saved.
Rowland also noted theres a
public misconception surrounding open facilities that have to
take all animals, such as the
CCAS, where its believed it must
often euthanize pets and so its
live release rates may not be very
high.
Rowland said that is not the
case with the CCAS.
Were saving 80 percent of the
animals that we intake, she said,
and were gradually trying to increase that trend every year.
The trend of increasing live release rates is also exemplified
across the county line at the
Burlington
County Animal
Shelter.

Burlington County Public Information Officer Eric Arpert said

over the last five years, the BCAS
has also seen its live release rates
grow fairly steadily.
According to Arpert, in 2015
alone, BCAS had a record-breaking 2,602 live exits from the shelter through adoptions, rescue
transfers and animals returned to
owners.
That is a record-breaking
year. And before 2015, 2014 was a
record-breaking year, Arpert
said. So we have steadily increased adoptions over the last
several years.
The numbers are also similar
at the Animal Welfare Association in Voorhees, where Executive Director Maya Richmond
said about 2,700 animals found
homes last year.
AWA is not a sanctuplease see ANIMAL,
page 12

GET INVOLVED WITH OUR SERIES

For the next three weeks, The Sun continues to
look into the state of homeless pets in South
Jersey and what is being done to find homes
and futures for thousands of animals. We want
our readers involved! Go to our Facebook page to
share how and why you volunteer with animal
shelters and rescues.

SEAN LAJOIE/The Sun

Morgan Barnett poses with

two of her four adopted dogs
from One Love Animal Rescue, Smokey and Bandit. Barnett is a volunteer foster for
One Love, as well, giving pets
a temporary home until they
are adopted.

Partnerships help
shelters find success
Local animal shelters and rescues work
together to increase adoption rates, help
animals with special medical needs, more
By ZANE CLARK

tle foot traffic and can be overcrowded.

As such, Richmond said the
Another notable aspect to AWA now goes to that shelter at
the work of animal shelters least twice or three times a
and groups is the interconnect- month and brings animals to
ed web of partnerships that AWA where more people come
exist between the organiza- to look for a new pet.
tions.
As the AWA is also equipped
As live release rates rise and to handle the medical needs of
fewer animals
animals as opface euthanaposed to other
sia, part of
shelters and
As live release rates
that
trend
groups, oftenmight be atRichrise, part of that trend times
tributed to the
mond said the
transfer of anmight be attributed AWA might
imals
from
help a facility
one facility to
such as the
to the transfer of
another.
CCAS, which
animals from one
According
might
have
to
Camden
too many sick
facility to another.
County Anicats
and
mal
Shelter
might otherExecutive Diwise be forced
rector Vicki Rowland, the live to euthanize.
release rate of the CCAS has
Those are cats that woulddrastically increased in re- nt be able to be adopted out
cent years, part of which in- right away that need that extra
cludes animals being trans- care, so we transport them into
ferred to other rescues, such as our sick ward, Richmond said.
the Animal Welfare Associa- Were fairly cooperative as a
tion in Voorhees and the Ani- group.
mal Adoption Center in LinMembers of the Camden
denwold.
County Animal Alliance, of
We work together, Row- which the AWA is a part, also
land said. If Im in my busy share an animal management
season and I dont have any database, which uses a backend
room, the Animal Welfare As- portal to link the different facilsociation will reach out. We ities lost and found sections toheavily rely on transfers.
gether. Richmond said the sysMaya Richmond, executive tem is useful for those who
director of the AWA, said about bring lost pets to the doors of
half of the animals at the AWA the AWA.
facility come from such transIf somebodys got a pet
port relationships, with AWA right then and there, we can
having relationships with shel- find a lost report possibly filed
ters in and out of New Jersey.
online that could have been
As just one example, Rich- filed at any of the other shelmond said the AWA now works ters, and we can help that perwith the Cape May County Ani- son make those contacts right
mal shelter as that gets very lit- then and there, she said.

The Sun

Foster families key to rescue groups

One Love Animal Rescue relies on its foster families
to provide temporary homes for its adoptable pets
By SEAN LAJOIE
The Sun
The Albertson family was your
typical pet-free household before
a dog by the name of Geri came
along.
She was found by a shelter,
abandoned, totally emaciated and
tied to a tree on the side of a road.
The Albertsons decided to step in
and make her a part of their family.
Though mother Kim Albertson
got emotional when bringing up
Geri, it was clear she cherished
her 12 years with her and she had
a lasting impact on her familys
desire to help dogs.
The Albertsons have now been
a part of the One Love Animal
Rescue for two years and are temporarily fostering seven dogs
until the right family is found for
them.
One Love is an organization
that rescues homeless animals,
nurtures them through foster
care and places them in permanent loving homes to the best of
their ability.
One Love promotes responsible

pet ownership and encourages

others in the community to be
kind to all animals, to reduce pet
overpopulation and to improve
the outcomes of homeless animals.
Geri started the madness for
us, Kim said.
The Albertsons have a running
joke if they were ever to win the
lottery they will be making
Geris Rescue Ranch down in
Virginia.
The familys overwhelming
passion for these animals shines
through when they discuss how
each addition was a miracle in
itself.
Mabel came home with them
on Christmas Eve 2014 after his
mom delivered seven puppies.
Obis mom was sent to be fixed
while she was pregnant. They
were going to end the life of the
puppies while in utero, but she
delivered overnight in the vets office, so the Albertsons daughter,
Erin, naturally had to take one
home with her.
They also took in three dogs
during fall 2015 who were going to
be shot if One Love didnt step in

and save them.

All of the Albertsons foster
dogs came to them in uniquely
different ways, but it is clear they
are all now a part of the family.
As for Erin, she is training to
be a veterinarian in Virginia because of her childhood best
friend, Geri. Erin graduated from
Roanoke College in May 2015, is
working full time as a veterinary
tech and is starting veterinary
school at Ross University School
of Veterinary Medicine in May.
Unfortunately, with Erin away
at school, her father Jim working
full time and being a trustee on
the board of directors for the Indian Mills Athletic Association,
and Kim also going to nursing
school full time time can be at a
premium when it comes to taking
care of their beloved dogs.
Luckily, they have a neighbor
who is also a dog fanatic and enjoys every chance she gets to
babysit the dogs.
I got into One Love Rescue because of Kim, neighbor Morgan
Barnett said. I was helping out
please see FOSTERS, page 13

Animal intake numbers hold steady for local groups

ANIMAL
Continued from page 10
ary, Richmond said. Were not
here for life. We are an intermediate vehicle for those pets to get
loving homes. A lot of times, we
dont talk about them as our animals but the pets under our care.

Animal intake also holds steady

In addition to the rising live release rates, the numbers that shelters have been taking in have also
held steady.
Regarding the past several
years, Rowland said the change in
the number of animals coming
into the shelter has been negligible. From 2009 to 2015, she said it
actually showed a very slight decrease of animals coming into
CCAS.
Every year is different, Rowland said.
For the BCAS, which has to
work as a no-kill, open-intake
shelter and serve all municipali-

ties of Burlington County, Arpert

said overall intakes have also
been rather steady for the past
three years.
According to Richmond, intake
rates have also remained steady
at the AWA, as it has more control
over what animals it brings into
its facilities. However, she said
the AWA has had to work hard
these past several years to keep
its facility full, which has led it to
do more to pull from other municipalities.
The AWA has been working to
keep its intake rates down and
keep more pets with their original owners rather than those
owners having to surrender those
pets.
We do the best we can to see if
theres a way to keep that pet with
that family, whether its low-cost
food, low-cost medical care, and if
we cant keep that pet with that
family and it comes into AWA, we
find it a home, and thats well
over 1,500 animals a year, Richmond said.
And while intake numbers

2014 the figure was 80,346.

Additional factors for the rise

in live release rates

ZANE CLARK/The Sun

A volunteer with the Animal Welfare Association in Voorhees takes

7-year-old hound-mix Lizzie out for a walk through the AWAs trail
system.
may have only been steady locally,
across the state in the past
decade, the numbers actually saw
a decrease.
According to past state Animal

Intake and Disposition Surveys,

in 2005 there were 105,355 dogs
and cats impounded by shelters
in the state, but by 2010 the figure
had decreased to 93,914, and by

In addition to the growing

adopt, dont shop mentality in
the public consciousness, animal
welfare organizations also contribute a multitude of other factors to increase live release rates.
For the CCAS, Rowland said
having cat adoption centers at
PetSmart and Petco stores, which
are all managed by volunteers,
has also had a direct positive impact on adoption rates. The centers which include the PetSmarts in Moorestown and Cherry
Hill give an animal that may
have been overlooked in the shelter a new setting with new potential adopters.
Rolwand said having a dedicated volunteer board of directors is
critical to CCAS success, too.
Its so much pre-planning and
strategic planning that is making
please see RICHMOND, page 13

Marketing a continuous uphill battle for shelters

By ZANE CLARK
The Sun
Despite the growing interest
the public might have in an
adopt, not shop philosophy,
challenges remain for animal
welfare groups and organizations.
Namely, the organizations face
a continuous battle to the get the
word out to the public about
what purposes they exist to serve
and how those missions differ
from those of other groups.
Theres so much confusion
over who does what and how it
gets done, said Animal Welfare
Association Executive Director
Maya Richmond. It sounds like
it should be much simpler than it
is, but for some reason its not.
Richmond said the group

stopped accepting municipal

contracts more than a decade
ago, and so it works mainly with
transporting animals from other
shelters and taking on animals
that citizens have to surrender.
However, Richmond said the
AWA has no official marketing
budget to use to get that information out to the public.
We try our best to get the
word out by being out at community events. We still put up paper
fliers, we try to do some press releases and public engagements
and we try to connect through
people with websites, Richmond said. Facebook has been
good for us as far as the community getting to know a little more
about us. Its hard to market.
People dont always know.
Those
sentiments
were

echoed by Eric Arpert, public information officer for Burlington

County.
Arpert said the Burlington
County Animal Shelter, which
has to take all animals surrendered to it, also has to constantly
work to ensure the community
knows what services the shelter
provides. And since the BCAS
has to take all animals, its especially important to the shelter to
guide the community there before they look to purchase a pet
elsewhere.
Its to get the word out that
anybody looking for a pet in
Burlington County should adopt
and not shop, Arpert said. Our
effort is to be the first stop for
anyone in Burlington County
looking to find the right pet.
Like the AWA, the BCAS also

uses the tools of the Internet,

such as petfinder.com and the
Facebook pages of groups such
as the Friends of Burlington
County Animal Shelter, to help
spread that message and detail
upcoming events and programs
at the shelter.
According to Camden County
Animal Shelter Executive Director Vicki Rowland, the CCAS is
in a similar position.
Its getting the word out
there that we exist and we have
animals ready, she explained.
Every day is different for us as
to what we get into the facility
breed, size, age, you name it its
just up to the adopters to find the
right fit.
In addition to differentiating
themselves so the public knows
what group to visit for what

services, Richmond said the

groups also have to work to get
more fundraising monies, often
at the expense of other groups.
According to the Giving USA
2015 annual report on philanthropy in America, of the
$358.38 billion given to charities
in 2014, only $10.5 billion, or 3
percent, went to non-profit organizations that deal with animal welfare.
You want the water to get
better for everyone, but in doing
that youre inadvertently competing for less money, Richmond said. You all want to go
and improve the welfare, but by
doing that youre also competing
indirectly or directly, and theres
still confusion. Do you let the
confusion stand or do you start
building your brand out?

Fosters call experience rewarding and totally worth it

FOSTERS
Continued from page 13
with her litter of puppies and I
just fell in love with it.
After being very close with
Erin in high school, Barnett also
went away to school where she
noticed a void in her life. It wasnt
long before she emailed the
founders of One Love and asked if
she could foster when she arrived
back home in Shamong.
I told them I need some extra
dogs, I need to compensate for
four months with no dogs, she
said.
Bandit and Smokey were found
on the side of the road in West
Virginia 20 pounds underweight
with worms in their stomach, but
they have found a home with Barnett and her two other dogs where
they continue to get better each
day.
Bringing this many dogs together under one roof comes with
some challenges, but the Barnetts
and Albertsons have created tactics to adapt. The crate and rotate strategy seems to be the goto approach to speed up the
process of training the dogs and
making sure they all get along.
They all end up adapting pretty well to one another in the long
run, but that first couple weeks
can be a little hairy, Kim said.
In fact, there are instances
when it simply doesnt work. The

Albertsons very first foster, Mia,

was only in their house for three
days before they decided it was
not the right fit.
She was the type of dog who
was not going to get along with
other dogs. She needed to go to a
home where she was the only
dog, Jim Albertson said.
Barnett has also experienced
instances in which shes taken in
dogs that were not fit to live
among other dogs.
If a foster is struggling, we
immediately take the pet and find
another foster who is better suited to manage the pet, One Love
Animal Rescue Chairwoman
Sherri Smith said.
One Love attempts to cut down
on these instances by investigating every family that is adopting
through conducting a home
check to make sure they are giving the highest standard of care
to their own pet(s) and making
sure their home is a safe and loving environment.
The organization will give you
the best description of the dog's
personality as it can and will not
put a dog it doesnt think will
work in your home.
I did a home check with another family that was interested
in one of my dogs, and I just had a
terrible feeling, Barnett said.
Its just a gut feeling and I talked
to the founders of One Love and
they encouraged me to go with
my gut.
The organization puts a lot of

SEAN LAJOIE/The Sun

Morgan Barnett works to get the attention of Obi, Finnigan and

Mabel, three dogs being fostered by Kim and Jim Albertson for One
Love Animal Rescue.
trust in its fosters to make the
best judgment when it comes to
having a family adopt one of
these animals they have gotten to
know over time.
It also supplies top-of-the-line
medical care before it is ready for
adoption, food, and all other expenses related to caring for the
pet and getting them ready for
their new home.
The group prides itself on
being a tight-knit team and grow-

ing relationships with each other.

It even has a private Facebook
group where members interact
and ask questions to support each
other.
However, being a foster is a
consuming commitment that cannot be taken for granted or it will
likely not work out.
When asked what kind of advice he would give folks who were
considering fostering but were
tentative about going all in, Jim

Alberston advised not to get involved.

Its a commitment. You're responsible for another life, he
said.
For those who are undoubtedly
looking to get involved, Kim could
not say enough about how rewarding and worth it the whole
process is.
Bringing an animal into your
house when it is in such critical
condition, nurturing it, loving it
and seeing how far it comes is
something the Albertsons and
Barnetts both attested to not
being able to put a price tag on.
Its the companionship, Jim
said. Its making sure unwanted
dogs get a deserving home.
When you see progress like I
have, it reinforces you are meant
to be doing this, Barnett said.
The organization cherishes
families such as the Barnetts and
the Albertsons, and it intends to
continue to grow by adding more
loving families like them.
Finding fosters like the Barnetts and Albertsons is really a
dream for us, Smith said. These
families are fierce animal advocates, experienced dog handlers
and committed to training. Its so
important for us to find families
who will see it through and work
with foster dogs through their
challenges.
To get involved with One
Loves new Foster Forum, register at www.oneloveanimalrescue.org.

Richmond: We want potential adopters to have a positive experience

RICHMOND
Continued from page 12

this happen, Rowland said.

For the BCAS, one obvious contributing factor is the shelter became a no-kill facility in 2013 into
2014, meaning it does not euthanize adoptable pets for need of
space. Arpert credits this with
helping to increase the shelters
live exit rates.

There are few shelters that do

that, and were proud to be one of
them, Arpert said.
Another thing that contributed
to the BCAS steadily increasing
live exit rates is additional space
for the animals. Burlington County Freeholder Bruce Garganio recently spearheaded an effort to
build a new cat room at the shelter, and there have been new dog
runs and dog pens added as well.
For the AWA, Richmond said a
different approach to whom the
shelter will let adopt an animal

has also helped with placing more

pets in more homes.
Gone are the days where the
AWA would send its members to
the homes of those looking to
adopt to measure a familys yard.
Gone are the days where the
AWA would require five applications be placed by different individuals and families for a single
pet before picking what it considering the best one.
Gone are the days when the
AWA would ask for the phone
number of a potential adopters

personal veterinarian to interview as well.

Theres a lot of stereotype
about how terrible shelters are,
Richmond said. They say
theyre going to judge me, theyre
going to be mean, so weve already got all these things stacked
against us, and when they come
we want them to have as seamless
as possible and positive experience.
While Richmond said the AWA
will still obviously decline a potential adoption where it feels

necessary, these days potential

adopters get declined mostly on
the basis that the pet theyre looking to adopt wouldnt be a good fit
for their family or home, and the
AWA will instead try to interest
them in another animal better
suited for their situation.
If you dont help them, are
they going to go buy a pet, are
they going to go through other
means, and if they secure a pet
elsewhere, they might not be prepared to be that pets owner,
Richmond said.

14 THE TABERNACLE SUN MARCH 30APRIL 5, 2016

Hopping to the Easter egg hunt

Photos by Sean Lajoie/The Sun
Medford-Vincentown Rotary Club, in partnership with the Interact Clubs of Shawnee and Seneca
high schools, hosted its annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 19. Clockwise from above: Easter eggs covered the grounds of Freedom Park. Joey Connelly, 3, comes flying out of the gates as he
tries to get as many eggs in his basket as he can. Mikyla, 7, gets a special picture with the Easter
Bunny. Jason Jarvis, 6, shows off one of his prizes. Grayson, 4, and Marin Law, 8, creatively customized their baskets for the hunt. Jameson, 3, and Logan Santiago, 4, get a picture with the Easter
bunny in their super hero hats. Everett Truong, 2, gives a sneak peak of his prizes after the hunt was
over. Kaylee Richardson, 5, shows off her bunny ears and one of the prizes she found.

MARCH 30APRIL 5, 2016 THE TABERNACLE SUN 15

Teachers take on Harlem Wizards

TEACHERS
Continued from page 6
The PTA could not say enough
about the job its president did
putting everything together, as
she ran around the event making
sure everything was running
smoothly.
Quartarone also kept the community up to date after the crash
through Facebook posts to inform
everyone of the status of the girls
and to prevent any false information from being spread.
Thank God for social media. I
think thats kind of how we all
found out about it, Craig said.
The outpouring of support was
overwhelming and on display by
all of the families and organizations in attendance.
"This was a great event and
truly shows the tight-knit community we have here in Tabernacle where everyone comes together in time of need," said Peter

SEAN LAJOIE/The Sun

Harlem Wizard Roadrunner looks on as teammates put on a warm-up

show that brings the house down at Seneca High School last week.
Local teachers went up in a game against the show players.

Damiri, the PR director for the

Tabernacle Athletic Association.
"TAA was happy to do our small
part and help promote the event

to our parents and try to get as

many people out as possible to
raise funds for both families. The
response has been amazing!"

District scheduled to purchase two new buses

DISTRICT
Continued from page 1

will be the same number of teachers in 2016-17 as there were in

2015-16.
However, there will be adjustments in assignments based on
the needs of the students.
In the middle school, the main
focus is the new ISTEM room,
and there are funds contained in
this budget to help move that project forward.
The board will also be looking
to make some special education
improvements this year.
Sherry additionally spoke to
problems hes noticed with the
districts transportation numbers, much to the chagrin of
many parents in attendance who
have been lobbying for this for
months.
I firmly believe, after six days
on the job, that we need to conduct an audit of our transporta-

tion system, he said.

He suggested hiring an external pair of eyes not currently involved with the district to take a
look at the finances associated
with transportation.
As it stands in the tentative
budget, the district is scheduled
to purchase two new buses this
year.

That is if the need for these

two buses is real, Sherry said.
The county office will be in
contact with the school district
regarding any potential modifications that must be made.
The board will then hold a public hearing of the county-approved budget where it could be
passed on final reading.

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