Cherry Hill

Philip Slipyan, 49, a Cherry Hill physician who was a staff member and teacher of obstetrics, gynecology and endocrinology at several area hospitals, died Tuesday at his home in Cherry Hill. Dr. Slipyan also was president of the Woodcrest Country Club in Cherry Hill. He was on the staff of West Jersey Hospital-Marlton, Cooper Hospital- University Medical Center in Camden, Kennedy Memorial Hospitals/Stratford Division, Methodist Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and was a consulting staff physician for the West Jersey Hospital Association.

In the heated debate surrounding Regis Academy Charter School, which is slated to open in Cherry Hill next fall, one important point is often overlooked: No school works for every student. That's why all families, no matter where they live, deserve a choice of publicly funded schools. Indeed, that was the intent of the state Legislature when it first authorized charter schools in New Jersey in 1996. The state's lawmakers did not limit these public education alternatives to school districts that are poor or urban.

Cherry Hill School Superintendent Philip S. Esbrandt last night asked the school board to fire two maintenance workers at Cherry Hill High School East after their recent arrests on charges of stealing school property and personal items. Leonardo Rios, 46, of Marlton, and Thomas Locantore, 42, of Bellmawr, were suspended with pay by Esbrandt immediately after their arrests Friday on charges that they stole school and other property - primarily from offices and classrooms at the high school - while they worked on the 4 p.m. to midnight shift.

A former Cherry Hill school board member pleaded guilty Wednesday to stealing about $72,000 over three years from her church, the Camden County Prosecutor's Office said. Lynette Howard, an active district parent before her election to a three-year school board term in April 2010, used First Baptist Church of Cherry Hill's funds to pay living expenses, such as her mortgage, cell phone and car expenses, said Jason Laughlin, a spokesman with prosecutor's office. Howard, who had served as church treasurer, allegedly took the money between 2007 and 2010 by writing checks to herself, Laughlin said.

On the moist green lawn, seven Republicans in dark jackets or pin-striped suits gathered at the campus of the Cherry Hill municipal center last week for a news conference kicking off their party's freeholder campaign. A few sought refuge from the muggy heat in the shade of a tree, one of many growing along the tranquil streets and driveways of this town. At first glance, this quiet, suburban setting might seem an unlikely place to launch an attack against what the GOP claims is the Democrats' traditional, urban-style political machine.

Banks in the process of foreclosing on houses in Cherry Hill will have the township nipping at their heels when an ordinance goes into effect next month to force them to take responsibility for upkeep at vacant houses. Under the ordinance, approved unanimously by the township council Monday, houses that are vacant and not on the market must be registered with specific contact information where the township can serve violation notices. Initial registration costs $500 and goes as high as $5,000 for a third annual renewal.

Cherry Hill school officials are fighting to stop the opening of a charter school in the township, the latest sign of growing tension in New Jersey between traditional public schools and charters. Cherry Hill, one of the largest districts in the state, is appealing to the state Board of Education the approval this month of the Regis Academy Charter School, saying the loss in state funding to public schools would force teacher layoffs and program cuts. "What is the need?" asked Cherry Hill Superintendent Maureen Reusche.

It didn't take Maria Barnaby Greenwald, the mayor of Cherry Hill, long to react to President Reagan's budget message yesterday. In no time, she was hot with rage. "I'm shocked and angry," she said, gesturing emphatically with a lighted cigarette. "I'm writing to the President tomorrow. " In his budget message, Reagan said the federal government has been too generous to many municipalities, and he singled out Cherry Hill as a prime example of a town that can do with less.

Five months into what began as a stormy tenure, Cherry Hill Mayor Susan Bass Levin reiterated a list of lofty goals yesterday for the township's future in her first public policy speech since her inauguration Jan. 1. At a luncheon meeting with a business group that invited her and set the topic, Levin offered a long-term vision of the township. Her speech echoed the "blueprint for Cherry Hill" that was the cornerstone of her campaign. The town of quiet neighborhoods, confusing traffic circles, busy highways and thriving businesses is at a crossroads, she told the Camden County Employer Legislative Committee, a business group that monitors state and local government.

Cherry Hill and Hatfield had similar results during the first two days of the Mid-Atlantic Region American Legion baseball tournament. Both teams lost their first game, but bounced back and won their second game convincingly Friday to stay alive in the eight-team, round-robin regional at Bear Stadium in Boyertown, Berks County. With every team carrying a 1-1 record into yesterday's action, Cherry Hill crashed against Hatfield, which advanced to today's semifinals with an 8-4 victory.