Town Hall

More than five years after fire destroyed its town hall, Moorestown broke ground Friday on a 45,000-square-foot building that will house municipal offices and the township library. "It's a day long in the making and long overdue" Township Manager Scott Carew told a gathering of about 30 who stood, bearing umbrellas, before a muddy field at 111 W. Second St. Municipal offices have been in scattered rented spaces around town since the 2007 fire. Settling on its design, size, and budget took so long, Carew remarked, that three mayors, three town managers, and two architectural firms have been involved with the project since the blaze, of unknown origin, rendered the old building uninhabitable.

Cherry Hill Township's parks, playgrounds, and other public facilities will soon be smoke-free. The Township Council unanimously approved an ordinance Monday making it illegal to smoke on any public property, including the town hall, library, Department of Public Works, and township-owned trails, and at any of Cherry Hill's 52 parks and playgrounds. The ordinance will take effect in mid-December, followed by a 30-day education period. Full enforcement will begin in January. Violators will be subject to fines of up to $150 for a first offense, up to $300 for a second offense, and as much as $500 for subsequent offenses.

After nearly five years without a town hall, and its municipal offices scattered across miles, Moorestown could see construction of a new, 45,000-square-foot building start next month. Township officials opened bids from 21 construction companies Wednesday afternoon, with the low bid of $10.8 million submitted by the Sambe Construction Co. of Pennsauken. The bid came in well below the township's published estimate of between $11 million and $12 million, prompting Mayor John Button to say he was "very pleased.

AS THE presidential campaign narrows and political partisanship hardens, one group finds itself stuck in the middle: undecided voters. On Tuesday night, President Obama and Mitt Romney will meet some of them. This won't just be an in-and-out swing through a key state, a rah-rah rally or fundraiser. The two men vying to be the most powerful leader in the world will answer questions posed by undecideds in a "town hall" meeting, the second of three presidential debates this year.

State Sen. Diane Allen (R., Burlington) was backstage Thursday afternoon with Gov. Christie as he made his way into the gymnasium of the Mount Laurel YMCA for the 96th town hall of his term. "She saw the dazed look in my eyes. She goes, 'Governor, it's Thursday, and you're in New Jersey,' " Christie recounted in his opening remarks on stage. The Republican governor had just returned to the business of gritty New Jersey politics after a two-day swing through Ohio for GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney and six weeks of on-again, off-again campaigning for U.S. Senate and gubernatorial candidates in eight other states.

State Sen. Diane Allen (R., Burlington) was backstage Thursday afternoon with Gov. Christie as he made his way into the gymnasium of the Mount Laurel YMCA for the 96th town hall of his term. "She saw the dazed look in my eyes. She goes, 'Governor, it's Thursday, and you're in New Jersey,' " Christie recounted in his opening remarks on stage. The Republican governor had just returned to the business of gritty New Jersey politics after a two-day swing through Ohio for GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney and six weeks of on-again, off-again campaigning for U.S. Senate and gubernatorial candidates in eight other states.

More than a year ago, Moorestown officials rejected an ambitious $19 million proposal to demolish and replace the town's smoke-damaged municipal building, as well as the library next door and its adjacent recreation center. The cost was too high, they said. The main building - which housed the town hall, police station, and municipal court - was left uninhabitable by a 2007 fire and was razed last fall. The only progress on the site has been the growth of an impressive patch of weeds.

More than a year ago, Moorestown officials rejected an ambitious $19 million proposal to demolish and replace the town's smoke-damaged municipal building, as well as the library next door and its adjacent recreation center. The cost was too high, they said. The main building - which housed the town hall, police station, and municipal court - was left unusable by a 2007 fire and finally was razed last fall. The only progress on the site has been the growth of an impressive patch of weeds.

Gov. Corbett was repeatedly interrupted by protesters during a town-hall meeting Wednesday night at the Philadelphia Museum of Art organized by a talk-radio host. WPHT's Dom Giordano ended the event a half-hour earlier than its planned 90 minutes when it became clear that Corbett could not answer questions without being shouted at inside Van Pelt Auditorium. Police removed more than 10 people from the meeting. At one point, protesters interrupted the program for seven minutes.