Dear Neighbors,

Welcome to the latest edition of the Mount Laurel First E-News letter.

If you have news that you think should be included in my next E-News letter, please send me the information at JimKeenan@MountLaurelFirst.com
Remember that this E-News letter is dedicated to Mount Laurel news.

Mount Laurel Fire Department:  On Saturday, February 16, 2008 voters approved the District's budget proposal of $8,577,438 by a vote of 779 to 428. The referendum question also passed with a vote of 535 to 324 - a margin of 62.3% - when it was required to have a margin of no less then 60% to pass.  The total tax levy of $7,023.670 for 2008 represents a tax rate of $0.2055 per $100 of assessed valuation. 

Posted on the Fire Department's website is the following letter from Battalion Chief Patrick J. Sharkey:
A serious fire recently affected one of our residents.  As I am sure you are aware, a serious fire caused substantial damage to the residence located at 414 Hemlock Lane.  This fire occurred Sunday evening, February 17 at approximately 7:30 PM.  The cause of the fire has been isolated to improper use of a flammable liquid, damaging a good portion of the family room area.  While this incident is fresh in everyone’s mind, please take a moment to think about the fire safety in your home.  Attached, you will find a fire safety brochure that will provide you with some guidance and helpful hints.  Please take the time to read it, and where possible apply the measures illustrated. Please keep in mind that all homes must have a working smoke detector installed on each level of the dwelling, and carbon monoxide detectors installed within 10 feet of the sleeping areas.  Although you may feel safe with double sided keyed dead bolts they should never be used in your residence.  This prevents escape if the key is unavailable. Your fire department is truly concerned for your safety and hopes that you will take advantage of the emotions generated by this fire to improve the fire safety of your home and family.

Mount Laurel Township Council:  This month's public meetings will be held on March 3rd and March 17th at 8pm in the Courtroom and the two work sessions will be held on March 10th and March 24th in Meeting Room A - Municipal Building at 7:30pm.  The public is welcome to come to ALL of these meetings. At the March 3rd meeting, Council is expected to present Ordinance #2008-3 for First Reading.  The ordinance is to prohibit parking along Union Mill Road in the area of Briggs Road.  They are also expected to present the following two Ordinances for Second Reading and Public Hearing.  #2008-1 - prohibiting trucks over 4 tons from Walton Avenue between Union Mill Road and a distance of 725' North and #2008-2 - establishing a speed limit of 25 MPH on the same road with the same limits.

Mount Laurel - Planning Board:  Will hold it's next meeting on Thursday, March 13, 2008 @ 7:00 pm - in the township Courtroom.  At this meeting they are expected to continue the public hearing for the International Sports Center and one other public hearing for Briad Lodging Group Mount Laurel, LLC. 

Lenape High School:  For the third year in a row, a team from Lenape High School won the Deborah Heart Challenge.  The competition tests the teams knowledge of the heart, lungs and vascular systems.  In addition to Lenape, teams from Cherokee, Holy Cross, Moorestown Friends, Pemberton Township, Rancocas Valley, Seneca and Shawnee high school competed in the 10th annual competition. Four students from each school were quizzed by a panel of doctors from Deborah Heart and Lung Center. 

Day Light Saving Time Begins Early This Year:  At 2am on Sunday, March 9, 2008 you will need to remember to set your clocks ahead one hour to begin Day Light Saving Time. On August 8, 2005, President George W. Bush signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005. This Act changed the time change dates for Daylight Saving Time in the U.S. Beginning in 2007, DST will begin on the second Sunday in March and end the first Sunday in November. It used to begin the first Sunday in April. 

A Safety Reminder: Many fire departments encourage people to change the batteries in their smoke detectors when they change their clocks because Daylight Saving Time provides a convenient reminder.

Mount Laurel Board of Education:  At the February 26, 2008 Board of Education meeting, the 2008-2009 school budget was considered and will be submitted to the Burlington County Executive Superintendent of Schools. Once it has been reviewed by the state Department of Education, the proposed budget will be presented to the board for approval to go before the voters on April 15, 2008
 
A public hearing and full presentation of the proposed budget will take place on March 19 at 7 p.m. at the Hattie Britt Administrative Offices on Mount Laurel Road. The public is invited to attend. Following the public hearing, the Mount Laurel Board of Education is interested in meeting with any interested group, large or small, that would like learn more about the budget or the funding plan in general.

Individuals willing to host an informational "coffee" in their home, or group representatives who would like someone to speak to their membership, should contact Marie Reynolds at mreynolds@mountlaurel.k12.nj.us or call 856-235-3387, ext. 3018.

I also recommend that you visit the Mount Laurel Board of Education's website on a regular basis to see updates as to the Budget and other current events. Go to http://www.mtlaurelschools.org/ 

On their site, they have posted the following in regards to the Beef Recall:
One of the many vendors from which our cafeteria service purchases commodities has been added to the expanded beef recall list by the US Department of Agriculture. Please be advised that our inventory of beef has been carefully checked against the federal recall list, and none of the suspected tainted product has been found. No additional purchases from the particular vendor in question will be made. More than 250 school districts in New Jersey have been identified as having made purchases from vendors who may have handled the meat products in question. As the government's investigation is ongoing, we will continue to monitor the daily findings.

Report a Pothole:  With the weather changing from cold to warm and back to cold again, potholes will seem to form overnight.  To report a pothole in Mount Laurel simply click on this link; Report a Pothole and tell me the name of the street that the pothole is located on and the closest intersection.  If the link does not work, simply email me at my Council email address of JimKeenan08054@gmail.com and put the word "Pothole" in the subject line and I will forward your report to the Township Manager to alert the Public Works Department.  Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,