Medford Township is facing a lawsuit from former Township Manager Daniel Hornickel, who is seeking to nullify his firing and reinstate himself in the role.
Hornickel, an attorney representing himself in the case, filed a complaint in Burlington County Superior Court on April 30, two days after the five-member council passed a resolution approving his removal as manager, the Courier Post first reported.
In the lawsuit, Hornickel, who lives in Bordentown Township, alleges that council denied him his employee due-process rights and violated the Open Public Meetings Act during his firing.
The legal filing comes less than two months after Medford Township formally initiated the process to fire Hornickel on March 13 by sending hima legally mandated notice that his employment was in discussion.
According to the lawsuit, Hornickel then proposed a separation agreement on March 16 that stipulated that if the offer were rejected, council would hold a public discussion about their intention to seek Hornickel’s removal from the role,which pays between $100,000 and $190,000, according to the salary range approved by council.
The next morning, Township Solicitor Gregory McGuckin indicated that the settlement likely would not be accepted, to which Hornickel reiterated his ultimatum for public discussion during that night’s council meeting, the lawsuit alleges.
But that night, council immediately entered closed session after the start of the meeting and upon returning, adopted a resolution to suspend Hornickel and move forward with the firing process. Council did not discuss or deliberate the resolution in public during the March 17 meeting.
In the resolution, council offered 10 reasons for seeking Hornickel’s dismissal, including that “council has lost confidence” in him, particularly as it relates to both the 2025 and 2026 budgets, the latter of which they said was delivered “late and above the cap legally allowed.”
They also allege that Hornickel has not implemented council policies and directions, does not communicate with council members, and has failed to properly advise council on various matters during his 18-month tenure as manager.
On April 28, council held a special hearing where they approved the resolution authorizing Hornickel’s firing.
During the hearing, Hornickel responded to each of council’s points, noting that three current council members were not on council in 2025 and therefore did not participate in the budget process while the two others voted to approve it.
“Your statement that ‘the 2026 budget was late and above the cap legally allowed’ is an invalid statement,” he said. “For the record, you introduced a 2026 budget that is substantially similar to the budget I sent you on March 9.”
In response to many of the other charges outlined in the resolution, Hornickel argued that he couldn’t adequately defend himself because council would not publicly release details.
“Don’t respond to me just because I’m asking, tell the public,” Hornickel told council. “If I’ve done this, give the public some concrete examples.”
Hornickel also argued that council was misinterpreting their role as the legislative branch for Medford’s government. The manager runs daily operations as the executive officer, he said, not township council.
“Your job is to set policy,” Hornickel said. “I looked at every single agenda this year through March 17. So what purported policy or direction did you as a legislative body issue that I failed to implement?”
“There’s nothing,” he said.
Hornickel declined to provide any additional comment Wednesday while the township solicitor did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Medford’s Fire and EMS Chief Robert Dovi, Jr. is serving as the interim manager with assistance from Southampton Township Administrator Brandon Umba through a shared services agreement.
Council originally appointed Hornickel manager by resolution on July 16, 2024, an appointment made effective the following September.
Prior to his time in Medford, Hornickel served as the business administrator of Pemberton Township for more than five years. Before that, Hornickel spent nine years as the human resources director for Burlington County.
A remote proceeding for the case is scheduled at 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 8 before Superior Court Judge Terrance Cook.
Construction of the Ben Franklin Bridge began on Jan. 6, 1922, with the intention of it being completed by the Sesquicentennial on July 4, 1926.
It was built after an intense push from political leaders when it became clear that relying on a ferry service was inadequate after Philly’s expansion, Camden’s population growth, and the rise of car use.
It officially opened on July 1, 1926, to pedestrians with lots of fanfare, and it allowed cars the following day.
100 years later, the bridge moves:
🌉 100,000 vehicles daily.
🌉 New Jersey’s PATCO train carrying 20,000 passengers every day.
In related news: Reporter Stephanie Farr walked across the bridge for the first time to celebrate its big day and documented her experience and learned its history along the way.
📧 Have you done the trek? Email us to let us know how many times and how you liked it. I’ve done it only once (but would do it again) and it was a bit steeper than I thought it would be.
P.S. Keep the party going at the bridge’s official celebration— think of it as a belated birthday party — on July 11. The festivities will be on the Jersey side near the toll plaza and, yes, the bridge will be closed to car traffic to accommodate.
The Cherry Hill Township Zoning Board greenlit plans last week to transform the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, a Hindu temple, through an 18,330-square-foot expansion.
The renovations would add a new gym, lobby, prayer hall, and more.
Its current form looks like a warehouse because that’s what it was before becoming a temple in 2002.
The plans — which include adding three shikharas, tall spires on the roof — would alter the appearance of the temple to be more in line with traditional Hindu styles, according to the project’s architect.
Although the zoning board’s approval is a big step forward, there’s more that needs to happen before construction can begin.
Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and attorneys general from across the country celebrated the Supreme Court of the United States’ ruling that President Donald Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship is unconstitutional.
The 6-3 vote comes more than a year after former New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced he was leading a multistate battle against Trump’s order back in January 2025, calling it a “flagrant violation of our Constitution.” Davenport, who has carried on the fight, said at a news conference Tuesday that attorneys general began preparing for the challenge when Trump was still on the campaign trail in 2024.
“Today the Supreme Court affirmed what courts, legislators, and the 14th Amendment has guaranteed for more than a century: birthright citizens are Americans,” Davenport said. “This is the foundation of who we are as a country.”
Gov. Mikie Sherrill said in a statement Tuesday that Trump’s “malicious attempt to tear down this guarantee was so plainly unlawful and reckless that his own hand-picked Supreme Court said no.”
Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh, who were both appointed by Trump, agreed Trump’s executive order was illegal though Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, also a Trump nominee, disagreed with the court’s decision. But Kavanaugh argued that the order was against federal law, not the Constitution, and suggested Congress could take action instead.
Olympic champion Dominique Dawes is expanding her chain of gymnastics academies with a new location coming to Mount Laurel in September.
Harmony Diner has opened in Voorhees in the same location of the former Voorhees Diner. It’s a new eatery from the Pandora family and is operating 24 hours a day, according to 42Freeway.
🧠Trivia time
Debra Hill, the original Halloween franchise cowriter and producer, is from which borough in Camden County?
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Tom Pawlowski, who solved last Wednesday’s anagram: Water Ice Factory. This business in Magnolia is known for its water ice cakes.
🏡 On the market
A private two-bedroom cottage with plenty of land in Williamstown
This cottage-style home is on six acres.Kent Media Co. | Courtesy of Kaitlin Bardaji/Kait + Co Homes, eXp Realty
This two-bedroom cottage that was originally a garden nursery offers a spacious kitchen, custom wooden trim details, and raised ceilings.
Beyond the main house, there are multiple structures. There’s a detached building — currently being used as a daycare and schoolhouse — with its own bathroom and kitchenette. There’s also another barn-style suite that can be used a guesthouse and a large detached garage.
Nine Fourth of July events to check out in Camden County
Here’s where to catch fireworks displays and other festivities for the Fourth of July. CHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer
Celebrate the nation’s Semiquincentennial at one of these festive events, which are replete with fireworks, parades, and musical performances.
Barrington: There will be a parade at 6 p.m. followed by fireworks around dusk. ⏰ Thursday, July 2, 6 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Behind Woodland School
Gloucester City: Celebrate in advance of the holiday with food trucks and fireworks. ⏰ Thursday, July 2, starts at 6 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Proprietor’s Park
Cherry Hill: The township will mark the nation’s 250th anniversary with a fireworks display around 9 p.m. There will also be a DJ, marching bands, and food trucks. ⏰ Thursday, July 2, starts at 7 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Cherry Hill High School West
Haddonfield: This celebration includes a festive parade followed by a block party, complete with live music, food trucks, and games. The night will be capped with a drone show around 9 p.m. ⏰ Friday, July 3, starts at 10 a.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Downtown Haddonfield
Audubon: The borough’s two-day event kicks off Friday with food trucks, live music, and a fireworks display at Audubon High School. On Independence Day, there will be a parade, a reading of the Declaration of Independence, family-friendly activities, and an open house of the Audubon Historical Society Museum at the Senior Center. ⏰ Friday, July 3, starts at 6 p.m. and Saturday, July 4, 8:15 a.m.-4 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Audubon
Haddon Township: On the eve of the nation’s 250th birthday, catch a fireworks show at Haddon Township High School, complete with live music and food trucks. The following day, the township will host its annual parade, which ends at Crystal Lake Pool. ⏰ Friday, July 3, 7 p.m. and Saturday, July 4, 11:30 a.m. 💵 Free 📍 Haddon Township
Collingswood: Decorate your bike starting at 9 a.m. and then join the parade at 10 a.m. Later, there will be games and races at Roberts Pool. Cap the day with a performance from To the Max at 7:45 p.m. and fireworks at the high school field at dusk. ⏰ Saturday, July 4, starts at 9 a.m. 💵 Free 📍 Collingswood
Camden: This year’s Freedom Festival features aptly named funk, soul, and R&B outfit The Commodores at 8 p.m., followed by the Wawa Welcome America fireworks display over the Delaware River. ⏰ Saturday, July 4, 6-11 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Wiggins Park
Camden: Hop aboard the historic Battleship New Jersey, where there will be live music, food, and a full-service bar, all with a view of the fireworks display over the Delaware River. ⏰ Friday, July 4, 7:30 p.m. 💵 $15 general admission 📍 Battleship New Jersey
Hindu temple BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is one step closer to moving ahead with its planned 18,330-square-foot expansion and renovation after getting zoning board approval last week, though it will still require additional approvals before construction can begin. Located at1 Carnegie Plaza, the temple’s plans call for transforming its exterior to give it a more decorative look, in addition to adding a gym and prayer hall.
South Jersey hospitals, including in Cherry Hill, could be forced to cut some community programs as they face an estimated $3.6 billion loss from Medicaid changes in the coming years. The Inquirer’s Harold Brubaker has the details.
Heads up for drivers: Roadwork continues throughout the township, including on Kenilworth Avenue, which will be closed between Route 38 and Longwood Avenue and between Helena and Edwards Avenues from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. through Thursday. Work continues on Kresson Road through Thursday, which will have a partial westbound closure between Springdale Road and Ravenswood Way from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closures at its intersection with Springdale Road and between Browning Lane from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Registration is open for the township’s upcoming wiffleball tournament, which will take place July 22 and has four age divisions.
Friends of Cherry Hill Public is hosting a book sale next week. On Tuesday, Friends members who are township residents get first access, followed by all Friends members next Wednesday. The sale then opens to the public next Thursday and continues through Saturday.
🏫 Schools Briefing
Registration for the district’s 2026-27 School-Age Child Care program opens today at 4 p.m. The program is available to those in kindergarten through fifth grade. Learn more here.
Graduation may be behind us, but the district recently shared its annual clap-out video for members of the class of 2026. See it here.
Speaking of graduation, South Jersey Media shared photos from West’s commencement, where 333 students earned diplomas.
🍽️ On our Plate
Four Cherry Hill restaurants earned honors in the latest Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards, released last week. The magazine recognizes establishments with wine lists offering what it deems interesting selections that are “appropriate to their cuisine” and “appeal to a wide range of wine lovers.” Caffe Aldo Lamberti was recognized for its selection of wines from California; Tuscany and Piedmont, Italy; and Bordeaux, France. Also making the list are chains Seasons 52, The Capital Grille, and Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, which each have a local outpost.
Belgian waffle eatery La Liégeoise closed its brick-and-mortar storefront at 1871 E. Marlton Pike last week, citing low visibility and customer traffic at the location. The waffle shop plans to continue its operations as a fully mobile concept.
Philly Pretzel Factory will be moving one block from its current home at 910 Route 70 to 800 Route 70 this month. The shop will close Sunday, with a planned opening at its new space on July 15.
🎳 Things to Do
🚬 Cigar Sunday: Sample premium cigars, listen to music, and sips drinks on an outdoor deck. ⏰ Sunday, July 5, 2-5 p.m. 💵 $19.03 📍Vera
🦖 Paw Patrol Dino Skate: Hit the rink for dino-themed skating complete with a dinosaur egg scavenger hunt. ⏰ Wednesday, July 8, 1-4 p.m. and 5:30-8:30 p.m. 💵 $6 from 1-4 p.m., $5 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. 📍 Hot Wheelz
The home has a striking design out front and a pool out back.Derrick Kunzer | Courtesy of Amy Rossano/Epique Realty
Located in the Wilderness Run neighborhood, this four-bedroom, five-bathroom home features a floating curved staircase in the foyer and a two-story family room with a spiral staircase leading to a library. The dining room has Italian mirrored panels that open to reveal a bar with wine storage. Out back, there’s a spa and gunite pool, complete with a diving board.
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This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
The Philadelphia area restaurant boom continues into the summer, with newcomers including a neighborhood cocktail bar, bakery/cafes, a suburban brewpub, a $2 million pizzeria, a vegan cafe, a destination dining room, and a fusion sandwich shop.
Chicken roulade with fava beans, gnocchi, and cauliflower at Academy Grill in Fort Washington.Michael Klein / Staff
Academy Grill(424 S. Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington): Fine Line Dining’s next project, an Italian-inspired, white-tablecloth restaurant, will serve seafood, steaks, and pastas in the former Cantina Feliz space near Germantown Academy (hence the name). Chef Jeff Power, formerly of Dettera in Ambler, is leading the kitchen. Owners Mike Sloane and Jay Rosenthal, who also own the casual Fort nearby and Jasper’s Backyard in Conshohocken, plan to open July 7 for dinner, July 9 for lunch, and then operate Tuesday to Saturday for dinner.
Banjara Indian Bistro (689 Berlin-Cross Keys Rd., Sicklerville): Vaneet Chopra, whose family owns Cross Culture in Haddonfield and previously operated Banjara in Chestnut Hill, is behind this Indian restaurant due to open soon in the strip center that also houses Gouldsburger’s, the Breakfast Nook, and Saladworks. Owners told 42Freeway that it was awaiting final inspections.
Bar Cicci is due to open in late July at 1620 Sansom St.Courtesy of Bar Cicci
Bar Cicci (1620 Sansom St.): Ellen Yin and High Street Hospitality Group are behind this Italian cafe-bar next to Uchi near Rittenhouse Square. Pronounced “chee-chee,” it is positioned as an all-day salon for espresso, pastries, panini, cicchetti, wine, and aperitivi. It’s due to open later this month.
Bart’s Bagels’ first shop opened in 2020 in the Powelton section of West Philadelphia.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Bluebird Distilling & Dough House is a $2.2 million expansion and renovation of the popular Phoenixville destination.Ed Newton
Bluebird Distilling & Dough House(100 Bridge St., Phoenixville): Bluebird’s $2.2 million expansion, Dough House, arrives July 7. It’s a neo-Neapolitan pizzeria and restaurant inside its downtown Phoenixville distillery, and adds an expanded cocktail bar, a 50-seat dining room, a chef’s counter, and an enlarged retail shop. Executive chef Devon Migeot, formerly of Zahav, Laser Wolf, Rosalie, and Tresini will serve naturally fermented pizzas, house-baked breads, and shareable small plates alongside the distillery’s cocktails.
Cheezy Vegan by Chef Reeky (1216 S. 17th St.): Now in soft-opening mode at 17th and Manton Streets in Point Breeze, this plant-based concept from Tarik “Chef Reeky” Ryant and Erin Mignogna-Dougherty (previously in Woodlyn, Delaware County) serves a full menu — breakfast, lunch, appetizers, coffee drinks, milkshakes, and smoothies — from a counter, with coffee beans roasted on-site. A sidewalk cafe is planned.
The pica pica sandwich at Chibanos, which comes with picadillo, Swiss cheese, mayo, and crispy taro sticks.Aya Iwatan
Chibanos(1127 Pine St.): Opening today at 8 a.m., this casual sandwich shop in Effie’s former Washington Square West building is an ode to owner Evan Jaroff’s multicultural upbringing, blending Chinese and Cuban flavors for a tight fusion menu. Breakfast sandwiches are made on Dodo Bakery bolo baos, there are pressed sandwiches like the pica pica (picadillo, swiss, mayo, crispy taro sticks) and mima frita (Chinese sausage croquetas, Swiss, mayo, cabbage, mojo vinagrette), plus salads, sides, and a robust drink list that offers both colada and black milk tea.
Comedian Meg Goetz entertains at a preview of Claude’s Comedy Club & Bar, 1123 S. Broad St.Reid Benditt
Claude’s Comedy Club & Bar (1123 S. Broad St.): Reid Benditt’s intimate South Philly venue for stand-up, in its opening days, sits alongside a bar serving cocktails, beer, and casual fare from 4 p.m. daily. He’s positioning this as an affordable alternative to larger comedy clubs, with modest ticket prices, no two-drink minimum, and a mix of touring performers and local comics.
Dublin Brewing Co., Brendan FitzGerald’s Irish pub, in Downingtown.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Dublin Brewing Co. (137 Wallace Ave., Downingtown): Irish-born homebrewer Brendan FitzGerald’s decade-in-the-making brewpub is designed as an authentic Irish pub, with an Irish dry stout, Irish red ale, IPAs, pale ale, Pennsylvania wine and spirits, and bar food. FitzGerald built the pub himself while continuing his day job, borrowing design cues from pubs in Howth and Dublin’s Temple Bar. It’s open for special events (check Instagram) while FitzGerald awaits final permitting.
Home Team Tavern (267 S. Black Horse Pike, Mount Ephraim): The short-lived Mount Ephraim Bar & Grill has been flipped into a compact, sports-minded neighborhood tavern from Greg Carta, who previously managed North Bowl and South Bowl in Philadelphia. He told 42Freeway that he’s aiming for an early July opening with a menu built around tavern pizzas, burgers, starters, and other game-day food.
Lillian’s, 1900 S. 19th St., during a preview on June 25, 2026.Michael Klein / Staff
Lillian’s Bar (1900 S. 19th St.): This week, Point Breeze got a cozy neighborhood cocktail bar at 19th and Mifflin Streets with an evolving kitchen concept from Sam Ahern, a former bar manager at Fabrika who also worked at Cicala at the Divine Lorraine and Fitler Club after hosting backyard supper clubs during the pandemic. Ahern has brought in chef Alejandro Martín Sánchez (Mesona) to set up the concise menu of Mediterranean-leaning bistro fare, including sandwiches, salads, tinned fish, charcuterie, and cheese boards with kitchen operations overseen by Isobella “Izzy” Ioffreda. Guest chefs will take over for weekend or monthlong runs. First will be Miled Filianos of Habibi Supper Club, whose six-course dinners and happy hours are scheduled for July 9-11, 17-18, and 23-25. Cocktail program is led by Fitler Club alum Avdo Babic. Opens at 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Luna at the Luxe (1705 N. American St.): Sarah Varisano expects to open her relocated Luna Cafe on Monday in the Luxe apartment complex in Old Kensington. The reboot keeps Luna’s familiar brunch, breakfast, and coffee-to-go identity, while adding a larger bar and beverage program, evening hours, and courtyard seating.
Bakery owner Saif Manna and his wife, Stefaniya Surikova, at their table at Headhouse Farmers Market.Michael Klein / Staff
Manna Bakery (110 W. Berks St.): Baker Saif Manna, shifting from pop-ups to a brick-and-mortar at the former Essen in Kensington, is looking for a late-month soft opening of his 50- to 60-seat bakery/cafe specializing in Levantine and Palestinian wares. It will initially open for daytime service, in addition to his farmer’s market stops. The menu expands to include individual manakish made in the style of Manna’s grandmother, rotating savory buns led by a chicken-sumac version, airy Palestinian-style brioche filled with seasonal fruit and creams, cookies, cakes, and gluten-free desserts such as a flourless chocolate cake and whipped rice pudding created in honor of Manna’s late father. The space also will host baking, cooking, coffee, and arts workshops with visiting chefs, bakers, artists, and baristas, and monthly supper clubs.
Bartender Euclides “Victor” Lopez behind the bar at Mixteca in New York City on June 4.Michael Klein / Staff
Mixteca (2113 E. York St): This agave-focused Mexican cocktail bar from New York’s Jeff Bell and Euclides “Victor” Lopez is taking over the former Martha in East Kensington. The Philly location, expected later in the month, marks the local debut for Mixteca and Apres Cru Hospitality. The plan includes tequila, mezcal, Mexican drinking culture, indoor-outdoor seating, and a reworked layout with an expanded bar and lounge.
Philly Po Boy Co. (102 W. Berks St.): Brothers Chris and Greg Lynch are looking for late month for their New Orleans-inspired sandwich shop under the Berks El stop, with po’boys, gumbo, jambalaya, beignets, and coffee from Applied Arts Coffee in New Orleans. Chris spent years cooking in New Orleans, while Greg’s Philly resumé includes Starr Restaurants and LMNO.
Sandpiper Cafe (1640 South St.): This all-day breakfast-and-lunch spot is due to soft-open Thursday at 1640 South St. It’s the latest from Gunawan Raharjo, who owns the West Passyunk Indonesian gem Indo Spice (noted in our list of Philly’s 76 most influential restaurants). Sandpiper’s American menu, served from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, will expand upon the menu at Raharjo’s other restaurant, Cafe Olivier in Old City. At Sandpiper, Raharjo is partnered with Deddy Pornomo.
Stella’s Ice Cream (1832 N. Front St.): This Idaho-based chain of ice cream shops planted its first East Coast location on June 27 in Kensington/Fishtown on what reporter Beatrice Forman has dubbed Ice Cream Row, mere blocks from Sweet 45 and 1-900-ICECREAM. Franchisee Shay Marlin had no prior ties to Idaho or the ice cream biz, but was drawn to Stella’s inclusive and family-friendly vibe. The shop offers 24 flavors of ice cream — including eight nondairy options — plus gluten-free waffle and sugar cones, sandwiches made on hulking brownies baked in-house, and yogurt-peanut-butter popsicles for pups.
Thirsty Turtle Tavern(270 White Horse Pike, Barrington): Just days old, this Camden County taproom in the former Chuck Lager/Wild Wing Cafe building near I-295 is the brand’s second, after Whitehall, Pa., and 42Freeway says it features a refreshed dining room, open kitchen, wood-fired pizza oven, sushi station, and patio.
333 Belrose Bar & Grill (333 Belrose Lane, Radnor): A slow-moving top-to-bottom renovation will add a larger bar, expanded kitchen, redesigned dining rooms, upgraded private-event spaces, and refreshed outdoor dining to this Main Line landmark, whose new American menu is overseen by chef Ross Esner.
Staff writer Beatrice Forman contributed to this article.
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, a Hindu temple on the eastern border of Cherry Hill, is preparing for a major facelift.
The Cherry Hill Township Zoning Board approved site plans last week during a 4½-hour meeting for an 18,330-square-foot expansion that would transform BAPS Cherry Hill’s exterior and add a gym, lobby, prayer hall, improved Sunday school rooms, new parking spaces, and more.
More steps will have to be made before construction can begin, but this approval is a majormove forward after what zoning officials say took more than a year of planning.
BAPS Inc., an international religious nonprofit, has more than 100 temples across the U.S., including eight in New Jersey. Cherry Hill Township approved a zoning variance back in 2002 to allow a former vacant warehouse building on an 11-acre property at 1 Carnegie Plaza, acquired by a real estate company for $1.9 million and conveyed to BAPS, to become a Hindu temple despite the lot being zoned Industrial Restricted. The temple is run by BAPS Cherry Hill, a limited liability company.
Decades have passed since BAPS Cherry Hill opened, and the mandir, a Hindu place of worship that neighbors King’s Christian School and Remington & Vernick Engineers, still looks like a warehouse.
But the new plans propose a more decorative exterior, including the addition of three shikharas, tall spires on the roof that would reach 58 feet at their highest. Aavart Patel, the project’s architect, said the change matches more traditional styles of Hindu architecture.
The current zoning rules put the building’s maximum height at 35 feet, but BAPS Cherry Hill’s lawyer, Damien Del Duca, sought a variance allowing for the boost.
“Metaphysically, the shikhara represents the spiritual connection between the earthly realm and the divine,” Del Duca wrote in a March letter. “It guides the eyes to move from the earth upwards toward the sky — representing heaven.”
Del Duca and BAPS did not return requests for comment about the projected cost of the expansion, but Del Duca said during the zoning board meeting that the temple had raised the necessary funds for the project.
Riya Patel, a BAPS Cherry Hill volunteer and youth coordinator, testified during the zoning meeting that the temple’s current structure poses a problem for its youth classes and group activities.
“It still serves as this warehouse layout,” Patel said. “So talking about some of our weekly activities, a lot of the space that we have doesn’t have much utility.”
Neel Patel, a lead volunteer and national coordinator for BAPS, has attended BAPS Cherry Hill for the last 22 years. He said the temple has 400 to 500worshipers on an average Sunday and offers scriptural studies, language learning, music, and sports programming for attendees from kindergarten age to adults.
The new additions would mean educational and sports programs could take place in designated classrooms and a gymnasium rather than in the current dining hall, makeshift spaces, or outside on the warehouse loading dock, which the temple converted into a basketball court. The addition of about two dozen parking spaces will accommodate extra visitors during the high holidays.
Under the current site plans, the building’s footprint would only expand about 3,000 square feet, and the remaining 15,000 square feet of additions come in the form of a second story to accommodate classrooms, offices, and the new gym.
Anand Bhatt with Arna Engineering, the project’s civil engineer, said the project will be completed in one phase, and the mandir will remain open throughout the process since construction will be limited to weekdays. The temple has little foot traffic except on Sunday.
‘A space where I can express my religious freedoms’
The BAPS location in Cherry Hill came to be in 2002 when Rishi Realty acquired the vacant warehouse space from Graphic Controls Corp. for $1.9 million and quickly conveyed ownership to BAPS.
Although the property is zoned industrial and accompanied by surrounding commercial businesses, the temple faces a residential neighborhood, Point of Woods, in Cherry Hill.
Three neighbors attended the zoning board meeting via Zoom last week to voice their concerns, mostly regarding the desire to protect the property’s wetlands and limit lighting at night.
Jody and Jenn DeMarco, who live across from the BAPS parking lot and its wooded area, asked the zoning board to deny the application unless the front facade of the new temple is reoriented to face away from their neighborhood.
“It’s a matter of preference, not a matter of necessity, that they are putting this giant variance that impacts our neighborhood negatively facing our property,” Jenn DeMarco said.
In 2012, BAPS Cherry Hill received violations from the township and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for illegally removing trees in a wetland without proper permits, but BAPS Cherry Hill said in its zoning application that the organization remediated the issue by planting more trees.
BAPS representatives said at the zoning board meeting that they would follow N.J. DEP’s rules and make sure any lighting above the height maximum of 35 feet turns off by 10 p.m. Plus, BAPS Cherry Hill doesn’t anticipate increased visitor volume after the renovations, and they don’t plan to add any additional seating for its Sunday services.
Another Cherry Hill resident, Deepak Chhatwal, said he was excited about the upcoming changes.
“I’m very happy that there’ll be an organization and a space where I can express my religious freedoms, and there will be a better space for myself and my family and other neighbors who are practicing the Hindu faith.”
The six zoning board members who attended the meeting approved the site plans unanimously.
Brian Bauerle, the township’s chief of staff, said Cherry Hill still has to adopt a resolution confirming the decision and its conditions of approval at a future meeting on an undecided date.
As for BAPS Cherry Hill, the nonprofit will have to update its site plans based on the new approvals and satisfy remaining compliance items, which Bauerle said can take weeks to months. Then, the Department of Community Development can issue a zoning permit allowing BAPS to apply for construction permits.
The National Weather Service on Tuesday issued an “extreme heat” warning for the entire region through July Fourth, with a record-tying three consecutive days of 100-degree temperatures possible in Philadelphia.
Though heat warnings may lack the sizzle of warnings for blizzards or hurricanes, health officials advise that they can be more dangerous — slow-motion disasters that target the most-vulnerable populations. Plus, the timing of this one couldn’t be much worse.
Along with the daytime heat indexes approaching 110, the nights aren’t going to be much cooler. Temperatures Friday morning may not get below 80 degrees in the city, said Sarah Johnson, the warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, which has been briefing emergency managers since late last week.
“It’s very concerning,” she said.
The city on Tuesday declared a “heat health emergency” in effect from 1 p.m. Wednesday through 8 p.m. Saturday, activating its pioneering heat-response system.
In deference to the heat, Wawa Welcome America announced several schedule changes, including canceling Thursday’s All-American Block Party, and moving back start times for concerts Thursday and Friday.
It also said the Liberty Medal ceremony on Friday honoring Pope Leo XIV would be moved to inside the Constitution Center and the route of the Semiquincentennial Parade, which begins at Fifth and Chestnut Streets, would end at Broad and Chestnut, rather than proceeding to Logan Circle as originally planned.
PJM Interconnection, the region’s electric grid operator and one of the nation’s largest, already has sounded alarm bells regarding power demands. Peco advised that it has a contingency plan in case workers go on strike Saturday, as they have threatened.
SEPTA is making preparations for what would have been a challenging week even if the weather was cool (as it was in 1776, by the way). At Philadelphia International Airport, a bigger concern would be pop-up thunderstorms that could disrupt the weekend celebrations that have been 250 years in the making.
The heat wave will have staying power in Philly
Only twice has Philly had three consecutive days of triple-digit temperatures — in 1993, and on July 2, 3, and 4 of 1966. That could happen again on July 2, 3, and 4 of 2026, the weather service says.
Officially it reached 90 degrees Tuesday at the airport, the 16th time this year that the high reached at least 90 degrees, the second-most number of days before Jul 1 in records dating to 1874. Wednesday’s forecast high, in the mid to upper 90s, would be the prelude to the holiday heat festival.
Along with the heat, of concern for event planners is the potential for strong thunderstorms on Saturday afternoon and evening during the climax of the Semiquincentennial events.
Preparing for the heat and storm threats in the region
At Philadelphia International Airport, it’s not the heat so much as the attendant storm threat that is the major concern, said spokesperson Heather Redfern.
The national extent of the extreme heat — the result of a so-called heat dome of high pressure — and the pop-up storm threat could “impact flights with delays, diversions to other airports and cancellations,” she said.
The airport was expecting more than 680,000 departing and arriving passengers from Wednesday through next Tuesday. Redfern advised travelers to sign up for airline flight alerts.
In its forecast discussion Tuesday, the weather service cautioned “that any holiday weekend festivities could be impacted by thunderstorms,” adding that “the environmental setup would be favorable for strong to severe” storms.
SEPTA was expecting a crush of passengers, especially Saturday when in addition to the 250th bash, a World Cup soccer match will be played in South Philly. The agency may set up misters outside stations where long lines may develop, spokesperson Andrew Busch said. The agency would try to make some cooling buses available if the city requests, he said.
A Saturday complication for Peco is a threatened strike by 1,500 union members. The company said it has a “contingency plan” in place to keep customers’ air-conditioning systems operating and would be able to respond to any severe storm issues.
With or without storms, in deference to the heat SEPTA will be reducing speeds on all rail lines, said Busch, as extreme heat can cause overhead lines to sag and tracks to buckle.
Heat-wave response is a Philly thing
It’s not in a league with the Rocky statue or cheesesteaks, but heat response is a very Philly thing that got its start in the 1990s when the city won high praise from the Centers for Disease Control and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The impetus was the summer of 1993 when Philadelphia recorded 118 heat-related deaths — about triple the combined total of 2015-16. That summer was also the last time the city had three consecutive days of 100-plus degree temperatures.
The relatively inexpensive program includes setting up more than 50 cooling centers; health officials hold that even a short break from extreme heat can save lives. Residents are encouraged to look in on elderly neighbors, and the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging will be operating a heat hotline, 215-765-9040.
Variants of Philly’s response system have spread to other cities around the country.
In Philadelphia, even though summer temperatures have been rising, heat-related deaths have declined dramatically.
May that trend continue.
Staff writer Ariana Perez-Castells contributed to this article.
The stone building dating back to the 18th-century in Camden has played several roles — tavern, private home, a British outpost, and a dump for toxic materials, among other functions. The land where it sits also was once the location of mass auctions of enslaved people.
More than two centuries later — and as the country celebrates its Semiquincentennial — the Benjamin Cooper Inn is now South Jersey’s American Revolution Museum.
The new, $4.6 million museum is funded through a mix of federal, state, and local sources, but mostly from the New Jersey Historic Trust.
Although it is not fully ready, the museum held a soft opening on Saturday. It’s been six years in the making, and there’s still a lot of work to do.
The New Jersey legislature will vote today on the state budget and decide the fate of several South Jersey programs.
Here’s what we’re watching:
💰 According to one lawmaker, Rowan University’s Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine will get enough funds, $6.2 million, to “keep the lights on.”
💰 A South Jersey program that provides healthcare to children who’ve experienced abuse is set to receive $1.85 million after the legislature restored the funding that Gov. Mikie Sherrill originally slashed.
💰 Hispanic Women’s Resource Centers, established in the 1990s to address wage gaps for Hispanic women, has $1.8 million allocated — almost 30% less than what they received this year.
A federal judge last week tossed out a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Justice Department alleging that four New Jersey cities have “sanctuary” policies and accusing them of obstructing federal immigration enforcement, the New York Times reports.
Police say a 19-year-old man from Turnersville has been charged with two counts of arson in connection with two car fires in Washington Township, 6abc reports.
There are multiple construction projects on roads throughout Camden County this week, with a concentration of them in Camden and Cherry Hill.
MAX Surgical Specialty Management, a New Jersey firm that consolidates oral and maxillofacial surgery groups, has acquired two more practices in the Philly area.
An unsuspecting property in north Camden that had a front-row seat to the American Revolution has become a multimillion-dollar museum.
Elected officials, history buffs, and local organizers gathered at the Benjamin Cooper Inn at 75 Erie St. on Saturday to celebrate the soft opening of the American Revolution Museum of Southern New Jersey. The project was funded by $4.6 million in grants from federal, state, and local sources, with the largest amount coming from the New Jersey Historic Trust.
The 18th-century stone building has taken on many identities, including a private residence, tavern, British Army outpost, shipyard, luxury yacht building site, storage unit, and dumping ground for toxic materials. In the 1760s, the land was witness to the mass auction of enslaved people. Until recently, the building was abandoned.
The museum hasn’t fully opened to the public and likely won’t for at least a little while, but leaders of the Camden County Historical Society, which has a 30-year lease with the building’s private owner, wanted to give people a taste of what the museum will be when it does. Right now, the museum is open for limited tours by appointment only.
The Inn still needs work. The building has a temporary roof installed after a 2012 fire. The floors aren’t finished, and bathrooms have no doors. The second floor, currently sectioned off, hasn’t undergone any renovations, which will require fundraising of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Dirt piles and overgrown foliage block any view of the Delaware River.
Visitors explore the exhibits at the soft opening of the American Revolution Museum of Southern New Jersey in Camden on Saturday.Erin Blewett / For The Inquirer
For the past six years, the society has planned to unveil the museum before America’s 250th, said Jack O’Byrne, the society’s executive director, but they kept running into obstacles. The project’s success came years after the society lost the Hugg-Harrison-Glover House, a Bellmawr home that survived the Revolutionary War, to a highway construction project after a preservation battle.
“It’s been a race to the end,” said O’Byrne, who will retire from his role on July 4. “The project probably died like 13 times.”
Zed Fox, the incoming executive director, and the society’s board will determine the future official opening date, hours, and cost. Fox said Monday that the board will meet on Wednesday to discuss those options, but he expects the museum to ready to open at full capacity by fall.
The new museum doesn’t showcase many historic artifacts. Many gems kept in the society’s archives, such as a letter written by George Washington at Valley Forge and a dozen other Revolutionary War-era items, wouldn’t fare well at the Inn with the sunlight streaming through the windows.
But scattered amid walls of weapon replicas and educational text are hints of the real thing.
There’s some 19th-century furniture originally owned by the Cooper family, a British cannon featuring wood blown off an 18th-century Royal Navy ship in Gloucester City, framed New Jersey bank notes from the 1760s and 1770s, and a front door key from when the Inn was a saloon called the “Old Stone Jug.”
A bell hanging in one room rang to announce ferries landing at Cooper Street Ferry in 1800, and a cheval-de-frise, a sharp wooden log, once blocked British ships from sailing the Delaware River.
In the same room, there’s a mantel from Hugg’s Tavern in Gloucester City, salvaged in 1929 before the building was demolished. Betsy Ross married her first husband, John Ross, in front of the fireplace at the tavern in 1773, though the mantel at the museum isn’t the original.
Visitors explore the exhibits at the opening of the American Revolution Museum of Southern New Jersey in Camden on Saturday.Erin Blewett / For The Inquirer
But local historians say the displays aren’t the main attraction.
“The building itself is an artifact,” O’Byrne said. “You know, it’s the most historic building in Camden.”
Before the house was built, a teenage Benjamin Franklin was said to have slept at the property while traveling from Boston to Philadelphia.
In 1734, Joseph Cooper, a Quaker, built a 2½-story Dutch Colonial stone home for his son and daughter-in-law, Benjamin and Hannah Cooper, at what became the historic building. Benjamin Cooper, a ferryman, also used the residence as an inn and a tavern.
In 1777, the Benjamin Cooper Inn was used as a outpost for British Col. Robert Abercrombie. Hessian troops, German auxiliaries to the British Army, marched through Cooper Point during the war, and at one time, local historians say Benjamin Cooper’s sons, Samuel and Joseph Cooper, were jailed in Haddonfield in 1778 on suspicion of being American spies.
But the property has a more troubling past.
In the 1760s, the site was used for the auction of enslaved people. Though some who were forced to stay on the Cooper’s property until being sold managed to escape, “all were pursued and re-captured,” according to the Inn’s 2021 historic preservation plan.
O’Byrne said the museum is working to educate people about that history. One of the museum’s few rooms, which the society has titled “The Declaration’s Promise,” informs visitors about how immigrants, Black people, and the Lenape, who lived in the region before white settlers arrived, shaped South Jersey’s history.
“What we’re trying to do is make this a balanced history and not just about, you know, white people,” O’Byrne said.
Camden’s ‘most historic building,’ under threat
When demolition crews tore down the Hugg-Harrison-Glover House in 2017, the Camden County Historical Society viewed the outcome as a huge injustice to historic preservation.
“That was a gut punch,” said Chris Perks, board president. “We had invested a tremendous amount of time and the community’s time into that site.”
Then, in 2018, a private company, 75 Erie St. LLC, purchased the Benjamin Cooper House from Agathon Realty for $1.1 million without knowing the building’s history. The house was in poor condition and graffitied. The windows were boarded up. It was difficult from the street to even know the building was there, because the house faces the river instead. The waterways were the real highways back then, O’Byrne said.
“When we heard this just got purchased, we were like, ‘Oh, my God, we can’t let Camden’s most historic house go under,’” O’Byrne said. “It took me two years, and I was able to get a 30-year lease.”
A view of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge from the newly opened American Revolution Museum of Southern New Jersey in Camden on Saturday.Erin Blewett / For The Inquirer
That lease will last at least through 2051. Perks declined to share how much the historical society will pay monthly.
The 2021 historic preservation plan for the building estimated that if the building opened in 2025 as originally projected, museum operations would have required an operating budget of $300,000 full time, or $132,000 part time.
While several organizations came together to fund the Benjamin Cooper Inn’s restoration, O’Byrne said the society will require more revenue beyond the funding for the restorations to maintain operations. O’Byrne applied for an operating support grant from the state and is working to raise $750,000 to match a New Jersey Historic Trust grant to restore the tavern’s upper level.
“We opened this thing, and it’s a minor miracle that we were able to pull all the funds together and make it in time,” O’Byrne said. “But in some respects, capital fundraising is easier.”
Rowan University’s nascent veterinary school will get enough funding to “keep the lights on” underthe tentative New Jersey budget deal, according to one South Jersey lawmaker.
It’s among several South Jersey programs with a fate tied to the negotiations ahead of the state’s June 30 budget deadline.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill proposed completely slashing state funding for the state’s only vet school in her budget proposal rolled out in March.
The Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicinewas created with state support and its first class just finished its first year. On top of training the next generation of vets and conducting research, the South Jersey institution provides veterinaryservices to the region and helps address a large animal vet shortage.
Since the four-year school only has had only one 75-student class paying tuition so far, the prospect of losing all state funding was potentially devastating.
The state legislature will vote Tuesday on a budget that allocates $6.2 million to the school, a lower number compared to the $8 million it got this year (and much lower than the $20 million it had requested). But the amount will be sufficient enough for the vet school to survive, said Sen. John Burzichelli, a Gloucester County Democrat.
“Will they keep the lights on? Will they continue to grow? I’m confident they can,” he said in a Monday interview.
Veterinary students at Rowan University’s Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine interact with a group of less than-a-week-old kids (baby goats) brought in by classmate Cana Patterson (back to camera, second from right).Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
Burzichelli said he and other supporters of the school were trying to allocate $12 million to the school to provide “more resources as they grow out.”
Rowan spokesperson Jose Cardona declined to comment because the deal has not been signed into law.
The legislature is expected to approve the budget Tuesday, the final day before the new fiscal year begins on July 1. Sherrill has the power to veto items in the budget before signing it into law.
As part of her March proposal, Sherrill warned that legislators must provide cuts to equal out any spending they want to add to the budget, a stance she softened more recently.
On Friday, she said in Camden that because of cuts she identified with legislative leaders, there’s money for lawmakers to “really push into their local projects.” The state’s revenue forecasts have also gone up.
Then, on Sunday, legislators advanced a budget with $15 million more than Sherrill’s proposed total earlier this year.
Sherrill has repeatedly touted her budget proposal as” the most fiscally responsible budget New Jersey has seen in years,” though it’s the largest in the state’s history.
Gov. Mikie Sherrill delivers her budget address Tuesday, Mar. 10, 2026, in the Assembly Chamber at the New Jersey State House. Assembly Speaker Craig J. Coughlin (left) and Senate President Nicholas P. Scutari (right) are behind her.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
Funding restored for child trauma care in South Jersey
Sherrill’s original proposal also zeroed out funding for a program that provides medical and mental health care to South Jersey children who have experienced abuse in her budget proposal earlier this year. But the legislature restored funding to the same level as the current fiscal year at $1.85 million.
The Rowan-Virtua Child Abuse Research Education and Service Institute (CARES) has locations in Stratford in Camden County and Vineland in Cumberland County. Rowan informed employees oflayoffs across both locations and said the university would be closing down the more rural Vineland location as a result of the cuts.
Cardona, the Rowan spokesperson, declined to say Monday whether the Vineland center will remain open and if the layoffs will be reversed. He said it’s “premature to comment on a budget that has not been approved.”
Dio Tsitouras, the executive director of the American Association of University Professors Biomedical and Health Sciences union — which represents CARES employees — said the union is awaiting “an announcement from Rowan that rescinds all layoffs and indicates that the Vineland office will remain open.”
“We are pleased that the budget the Legislature passed restores critical funding to the CARES program so that our members can continue serving the most vulnerable children of South Jersey,” Tsitouras said.
State Rep. Anthony Angelozzi, a Burlington County Democrat, said his office advocated for CARES, one of dozens of groups at risk of funding cuts that met with his office. He called the program’s work “imperative.”
“There were certain priorities we had to fight for because we are sorta on the ground in our districts in a way sometimes the governor is not,” he said. “There are some programs that legislators realize how profound they are at helping people that the governor may underestimate.”
Staff members observe from back of the room during a workshop at the Hispanic Women’s Resource Center in Camden Thursday, June 11, 2026. Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
Hispanic Women’s Resource Centers still at risk
New Jersey has one of the largest wage gaps for Hispanic women in the country. Hispanic Women’s Resource Centers were established by the legislature in the early 1990s to help that disparity, providing employment training and other support to Latinas. Sherrill proposed cutting 80% of state funding for these programs, down to just $535,000 statewide.
Legislators restored most of that funding in their tentative budget to nearly $1.8 million but program leaders say it’s still not enough, at almost 30% less than this year’s allocation of $2.5 million.
The Latino Action Network Foundation runs these centers in partnership with six nonprofits across 14 sites, including five in South Jersey in Camden, Vineland, Hammonton, Pennsville, and Rio Grande.
Latino Action Network president Javier Robles said that decrease will still cause the closure of centers and reduce job training, mental health services, and English language classes to thousands of families statewide.
“At a time when Latino families across our state are being targeted by the right-wing Trump anti-immigrant agenda, these cuts will only put additional strain on our community,” Robles added.
The push to lift Collingswood’s ban of chickens has been an ongoing effort for years.
But after new leadership joined and reshuffled the board of commissioners, a small group of residents thinks this could be their year to finally get the green light to have backyard chickens.
Advocates have been showing up at board meetings lately. And most recently, they provided proposed language for the board to use in a future ordinance to support it during its last working meeting earlier this month.
In the past, commissioner and former Mayor Jim Maley has said he would not support a backyard chicken pilot program. Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor Amy Henderson Riley said she suspects this effort has better chances than the ones before.
During a panel discussion in Cherry Hill last week, Inspira Health Network CEO Amy Mansue said New Jersey hospitals could lose about $3.6 billion from Medicaid changes through 2032.
According to Mansue, these changes will force hospitals to alter the way they operate to bring expenses in line.
That high-figure estimate does not include the costs that hospitals absorb from the growing number of uninsured people who show up to emergency departments because they don’t have the money for a doctor’s visit.
Almost 69,000 people’s individual coverage from New Jersey’s Affordable Care Act marketplace have already lapsed, and thousands more are expected to lose their Medicaid coverage when new requirements go into effect next year.
🎤 Allow me to pass the mic to South Jersey politics reporter Aliya Schneider.
Gov. Mikie Sherrill visited the SoccerFest26 fan fest at the Wiggins Waterfront in Camden on Friday afternoon.
“These are kind of heavy times, they’re kind of dark times; there’s a lot of conflict going on,” Sherrill said in brief remarks on stage in front of a scarce crowd during her Friday afternoon visit. “But what I love about soccer is, it doesn’t matter where you’re from, doesn’t matter who you voted for, it doesn’t matter who you pray to. We all come together as a world.”
Officials credited Sherrill for including South Jersey in World Cup festivities. Former Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration planned to hold a large fan fest in North Jersey but Sherrill’s administration canceled that plan and instead organized regional celebrations.
Her Camden visit came just days before the state budget deadline on Tuesday. The governor agreed on a budget framework with legislative leaders a week before the deadline, but the details remained unclear.
“I’m getting a little more concerned,” she told reporters on Friday. “And so I know they [legislators] are hard at work and I’m going to keep reminding them of the constitutional deadline.”
A 50-year-old man was shot and killed Thursday night in Camden. It’s the city’s third fatal shooting victim this month after a homicide-free summer last year.
Members of Rock-Life Jeepers organized a nearly two-mile Jeep parade Friday night to support Xavier Taylor, the 12-year-old boy from Maple Shade who remains in critical condition after being struck by a baseball. The parade began in Pyne Poynt Park in Camden and ended at Cooper University Hospital where Xavier is receiving care, 6abc reports.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday on Friday announced a lawsuit against a wedding photographer who allegedly scammed customers for at least $75,000. The photographer was the subject of so many complaints that couples in Pennsylvania and New Jersey made their own Facebook group.
Thirsty Turtle Tavern will open its doors today in Barrington at the former location of Chuck Lager America’s Tavern, according to South Jersey Food Scene.
This story from Friday was missing an active link, so here it is again: The latest edition of The Inquirer’s Price Point shows what kind of house you can buy for $405,000 in Magnolia.
