Good morning, South Jersey. Be prepared for possible strong storms today.
After spending nearly his entire career working in Cherry Hill schools, Neil Burti is ready for his next chapter as Mount Laurel’s new superintendent.
And there’s an urban legend gaining momentum in Collingswood as residents consider dropping its longstanding dry status.
Plus, an affordable housing complex might be coming to Voorhees, and more news of the day.
— Taylor Allen (southjersey@inquirer.com)
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The first day of the school year is unique for Neil Burti this year.
After 24 years working in Cherry Hill Public Schools, rising from teacher to director of secondary education, Burti has a new title and a new district.
He’s now the Mount Laurel Schools superintendent, which means he has the top job for about 4,500 students within the district spanning pre-K through eighth grade.
In a recent interview, he said he’s on a mission to visit every school to meet more students and teachers in his first year.
“My goal is to listen, learn, and lead, and I feel like I need to do it in that order,” Burti said.
Read the full interview with The Inquirer’s Melanie Burney.
While Collingswood residents mull over the possibility of getting rid of their borough’s liquor ban when they vote in November, concerns about Knight Park keep popping up.
The worry is that the almost-70-acre park will no longer be a public asset and would subsequently be sold to developers if alcohol sales are permitted.
According to the urban legend, the historic ban, which dates back to 1873, was a condition when the park was dedicated in 1888.
So, is it true? Or at least half-true?
Reporter Lacey Latch has the answer.
What to know today
The developer of The Oaks of Centennial, an affordable-housing complex with 120 apartments, is set to appear before the Voorhees Planning Board for approval next week. It would be on the site of the vacant L&L Redi Mix concrete company, 70and73 reports.
New Jersey residents might soon receive state help to pay energy bills, but critics warn that Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s plan to use the state’s clean-energy fund will make it difficult to sustain lower rates in the future, according to NJ.com.
Mount Masala, a Himalayan restaurant in Voorhees, will host a fundraiser for Nepal disaster relief on Sept. 10.
Only three New Jersey school districts will offer half-day kindergarten this fall, and two of them are Moorestown Township Public Schools and Haddonfield School District, according to NJ.com.
After opening its first location in Merchantville, Cheessteaks is set to open its second on Rowan Boulevard in Glassboro. The business is hosting a hiring event Wednesday afternoon for fry cooks, grill chefs, and more.
South Harrison Township’s grace period for third-quarter 2026 property tax bills is set to end today.
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🧠 Trivia time
Back in 2016, Pearl Jam played its 1991 debut album, Ten, in its entirety at the Wells Fargo Center after the venue surprised frontman Eddie Vedder by hanging a Flyers-style banner made by the Native Colors Flag Co. to celebrate the band’s 10th sold-out performance in the arena.
Fast forward to today, Pearl Jam is releasing Ten Live, a three-sided vinyl LP featuring live versions of the 13 songs on the album.
Where is Native Colors Flag Co. based?
A) Haddonfield
B) Winslow
C) Burlington
D) Voorhees
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re ...
🦕 Visiting: Edelman Fossil Park & Museum in Mantua more often for dinosaur exhibits while grappling with the news of the upcoming closure of Philadelphia’s Academy of Natural Sciences museum.
🍂 Planning: A festive outing at the Cherry Hill Harvest Festival and the Delaware River Festival in Camden.
🌊 Improving: The Shore.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Historic and in the woods
LATVIA GOBLETS
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
The answer to last Wednesday’s anagram is Annie McCormick. The author and longtime journalist from Moorestown left 6abc last year.
🏡 On the market
This house has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, a kitchen with stainless steel appliances and marble countertops, and hardwood and ceramic tile flooring. However, the standout feature is the finished basement that opens into a wooded backyard that has a patio, a bridge over a creek, and a firepit.
See more photos of the property here.
Price: $600,000 | Size: 2,232 SF | Acreage: 0.22
Have a great day! I’ll be back in your inbox tomorrow. 📧
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