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Wenonah is fortunate to have had leaders in the past and present that have secured Bob Bevilacqua 468-2934, Richard Dilks 468-6342 or Scott Barnes 468-4174. The Maple Ridge property consists of 112 acres in Sewell, NJ and is located west of Woodbury-Glassboro, Rd. and south of Bark Bridge Rd. The northern portion of the property lies in Deptford Township and the southern portion in Mantua Township. It is a beautiful place. The topography is varied and aesthetic. There are open meadows now on the former greens and fairway., Groves and alleys of mature conifers and deciduous trees are scattered across the landscape. The terrain in many areas is rolling and hilly, more reminiscent of the piedmont than the inner coastal plain of northern Gloucester County. The most striking natural feature is a great U-shaped stream valley through which runs the Mantua Creek. There are areas of marsh and wetlands, and patches of eastern hardwood forest. The property is home to abundant wildlife, including such mammals as White-tail Deer, Red Fox, Raccoon and Opossum. Birds that can be spotted by even casual visitors include, Eastern Bluebirds, Woodpeckers, Belted Kingfisher, Red-Tail Hawk (including an albino red-tail), Great Blue Heron, numerous species of Warblers and other song birds. Maple Ridge already has the look and feel of a park and would simply be allowed to "naturalize".There are paved walkways (originally put in for golf carts) that are perfect for walking or jogging throughout the property and two footbridges to cross Mantua Creek. The cost to convert Maple Ridge to a public park and to maintain it would be minimal. The effort to save Maple Ridge is gaining support and momentum among our public officials. The environmental commissions, planning boards, and mayors of Deptford and Mantua Townships support the preservatio . The County of Gloucester is tentatively open to the possibility of creating a county park at Maple Ridge as a worthy addition to our county parks system. Mr. Ken Atkinson, Director of the Gloucester County Office of Land Preservation and Vicki Snyder, Open Space Preservation Coordinator are enthusiastic about the possibility of acquisition and preservation at Maple Ridge. Both will be personally touring the site in the very near future. The current owner of the Maple Ridge property is the investment firm, LLZ, which purchased the land for 4.3 million dollars when the golf course closed last year, and presented plans to build over 100 homes on the site . They are now genuinely interested (based on economic conditions and their own bottom line) in selling the property to the county for preserved open space. Although their initial asking price is unrealistically high, the important development is that LLZ is willing to sell. There is much more that needs to be done and the outcome is far from certain. The county will need to establish an appraised value for the land and come to a reasonable agreement on sale price with LLZ. The major challenge will be for the county to find the means to fund the purchase, a task made more difficult with current Green Acres funding nearly depleted. None of these obstacles is insurmountable. What is needed most is the will and commitment by our public officials to take up this challenge and see it through. What we need to do is to expand public awareness and build public support for saving this beautiful place. The power of public opinion is a potent force. Our voices can make a difference and we need to let our elected official know this issue is important to us. They need to understand that they have an opportunity to give a wonderful gift to the people of Gloucester County, and that if they have the foresight and determination to take up this challenge, they will have our support and our gratitude. So, let us all do what we can to save this place of natural beauty and tranquility. Talk to our friends and neighbors. Write letters to the Times and other newspapers and media. Write to our elected officials, our freeholders and municipal officials, even our state senators and assemblymen. If you live in Deptford or Mantua Townships, let your mayors and council persons know how you feel. Most importantly, write and contact our freeholders, especially Freeholder Director Stephen M. Sweeney and Freeholder Robert M. Damminger, who is freeholder liaison for the Gloucester County Office of Land Preservation. We can circulate petitions and take the time to attend public meetings and show our support for preservation when Maple Ridge is on the agenda. I will do my best to keep everyone informed and updated, and I'm open to any ideas anyone may have as to how we can be most effective. Preserving Maple Ridge would be a plus for Gloucester County, for its citizens, for wildlife and for our quality of life. Let's make it happen. To The Supporters of Maple Ridge Preservation, Events have been unfolding very rapidly in the past week and many good people have been rallying to support the effort to preserve the 112 acre Maple Ridge property as a county owned public park. The three municipalities most concerned with the future use of this land, The Township of Deptford, The Township of Mantua and the Borough of Wenonah have joined together to achieve this goal. We have received support and endorsement of our goal from: Deptford Mayor Paul Medany Deptford Planning Board Chairperson James Reed Deptford Environmental Commission Chair Joan Tracy Mantua Mayor Tim Chell Wenonah Mayor Tom Capaldi Wenonah Planning Board Chairperson John Schad Wenonah Environmental Commission Chair Rich Dilks Wenonah Environmental Commission Bob Bevilacqua Wenonah Environmental Commission Chuck Forsman Wenonah Environmental Commission Scott Barnes Wenonah Council Member Carl Hausman Wenonah Borough Engineer Dave Kreck A Maple Ridge Preservation Committee has been formed to spearhead this effort and guide the process of securing a county park at Maple Ridge. By acting together we can be most effective, utilizing the special talents of knowledgeable individuals while providing a nucleus around with citizen can rally to bring the power of broad public support to our efforts. The committee consists of: Chuck Forsman - Maple Ridge Project Coordinator. James Reed, Deptford Planning Board Chairperson- municipal liaison. Ken Green,. John Schad, Wenonah Planning Board Chairperson - municipal liaison. Bob Bevilacqua - County Liaison Representative. Rich Dilks - Public Relations Representative. Carl Hausman will investigate and pursue state and federal grant and funding opportunities. Scott Barnes - Maple Ridge Web Site Manager Dave Kreck,Wenonah Borough Engineer, will provide technical expertise on engineering and governmental issues. The Planning Board Chairpersons in Deptford, In a few short weeks we have come a long way and now have two extremely important circumstances in our favor. The developer that owns Maple Ridge, IBG Partnership/LLC of I would like to provide everyone with the background of what has happened to date and a sense of where we go from here. IBG Partnership/LLC has preliminary approval to construct 123 housing units at Maple Ridge, but the downturn in the housing market presented an opportunity to change that. We began our search of converting Maple Ridge to a 1. An Intent to Sell document was received from the owners of Maple Ridge with a preliminary sale price of $6,329,000.00 and forwarded to Ken and Vicki. It must be noted that an Intent to Sell indicates a willingness to sell, if price can be agreed upon. It is not an agreement of sale. We have some preliminary information showing that the owners paid $4.3 million for the golf course, plus additional unknown development, planning and legal costs for approvals. 2. The data we received on block, lot numbers, surveys, maps from the owners was sent to Ken and Vicki. 3. Ken Atkinson on 1/31/08 forwarded a detailed letter on the Maple Ridge Golf Course proposal to Freeholder Director, Sweeney and Freeholder Damminger, Freeholder Liaison for the county Department of Land Preservation. 4. We expect another meeting will be held with Ken and Vicki next week to be sure we have all the info that they need to present to the Freeholders. They are planning to tour the property to assess first hand its suitability as a park. 5. At the next meeting of the Wenonah Borough Council on 2/14/08 a resolution will be introduced to put the town of 6. Conservation groups and organizations are voicing their support and offering to lend a hand. The South Jersey Land & Water Trust has contacted us to offer support and encouragement. The trust has also agreed to send a letter of support to the county on our behalf. The Gloucester County Nature Club has placed the Maple Ridge issue on the agenda for its next executive committee meeting on 2/10/08 and seems poised to actively support Maple Ridge preservation not just with words but with the active efforts of its members. Many additional persons from throughout the state and county have offered their help. This is truly something the people want to see happen. Of course the most challenging item is the availability of funds to purchase the Maple Ridge Golf Course as a The Maple Ridge 112 acre tract is one of the loveliest places in The location of Maple Ridge makes it very well suited to provide accessible recreational opportunities to the growing population of northern I will continue to keep every one informed as events unfold. We on the committee know that we can succeed only if we have the support of the citizens of our communities. If all of us work together, we can make a difference and enhance the quality of life not just for ourselves but for all the years and all the people to come. Sincerely, Rich Dilks For The Maple Ridge Preservation Committee Saturday, January 12, 2008 By Jessica Driscoll jdriscoll@sjnewsco.com WENONAH Residents and council members at Thursday night's council meeting questioned the political motivation behind a resolution to publish a third invitation for professional service positions, resulting in a mayoral veto of all resolutions introduced at the reorganization meeting Jan. 3. "The opposition was to procedures taken or disregarded that disrupted a council meeting, in this case the reorganization," said Councilwoman Lisa Braun. Braun, an independent, said that her vote against the resolution on Jan. 3 was not a personal reflection of the qualifications of the applicants, but that the introduction of the ordinance gave an appearance that there was not full inclusion of all council members. New Councilman Carl Hausman, a Republican, also voted against the readvertisement resolution. He said his opposition was centered on the fact that Barry Lozuke, Democratic Party chairman in Wenonah and an applicant for solicitor, was involved in writing the new resolution. "First of all, I'm sure he's a fine attorney and give him credit for showing up last night, but it is not the right thing to do to have a party chairman as a solicitor," said Hausman. "People came to protest what they think is big-party politics coming to a small town and they objected to those politics in selecting a solicitor. I have no doubts in any of my fellow council members, but I'm trying to play by the rules." Council President Debbie Austin said the resolution was introduced to ensure a fair and open process in the selection of professional appointments and to minimize confusion. Austin said some of the council members had been trying to make decisions under the statutes of a competitive contract process which did not apply in this case. "The four council members who wanted to present this resolution could've written it themselves, but we sought the assistance of Mr. Lozuke," said Austin. "This does not influence the selection of a solicitor and, in addition, it is not illegal for the solicitor to be the chair of a party." Mayor Thomas Capaldi said he chose to oppose the resolution because of a "definite conflict in that (Lozuke) wrote the resolution that would allow him to reapply." Many residents also saw conflict, including John Murphy, who said that now that Democrats were in control of council they seemed to want political appointees. "I understand that each year these positions need to be posted, reviewed and voted on by council," said Murphy. "I hope that this process was followed and that all of the candidates for the positions were looked at objectively, inclusive discussions took place and that no conclusions or leanings were made because of the applicant's political ties. I would hope that these decisions were made wholly to benefit the community. By excluding any elected official from participating in any decision making process, is in essence excluding every citizen who voted for them from having a voice in their government." IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING A COMMITTEE MEETING, EMAIL US (at HOMETOWNUSA@friendsofwenonah.com )or HOW CAN YOU HELP? HERE’S A FEW IDEAS 1. Repair all water leaks in faucets, hoses, and especially in toilets. One toilet can leak up to 200/Gal/Day 2. Use low flow toilets (1.6 Gal/Flush vs 5.5 Gal/Flush) or install water displacement devices in your tank 3. Use low flow shower heads and reduce time in showers to maximum of 5 minutes 4. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean the sidewalk and driveway 5. Wash dishes in a full dishwasher 6. Use rain and soil sensors on lawn sprinkling systems to prevent them from operating during wet periods 7. Water lawns at designated late afternoon times to minimize evaporation losses 8. Don’t let the water run while brushing your teeth 9. Use garbage grinders as little as possible 10. Use a bucket of water to wash your car, not 50 Gal by spraying the hose 11. Keep a bottle of cold water in your refrigerator. Don’t run water until it is cold 12. Keep swimming pools covered when not in use to prevent water evaporation & water loss As you can see there are many things that you can do to reduce your water consumption. Please help us. Wenonah water beats all bottled water quality standards. Enjoy it, but don’t waste it!!! the hose 
NEIGHBORS OF WENONAH CONSERVATION LANDS
over 134 acres of woodlands along our borough borders that act as an enormous
buffer zone, surrounding about two thirds of the perimeter of Wenonah.
Our community has one of the highest percentages of woodlands in NJ.
As neighbors to these wonderful conservation areas, we ask that you take
the responsibility to preserve and protect the Woodlands and Parks nearby your property.
If you see anyone dumping refuse, discarding trash or defacing the property call 911.
The Wenonah Ordinance forbids such activity in our woodlands
and a fine up to $200.00 along with community service can be imposed.
The Wenonah Environmental Commission Members, with other volunteer help,
have developed a network of wonderful trails within all of these conservation areas for residents to enjoy nature walks. A 2008 Trail Map is available for $3.00 at the Municipal Building.
Encourage your neighbors and children to take a trash bag with them on their trail
hikes and pick up any debris they find. It takes all of us to keep Wenonah beautiful.There are
many trail and historic restoration projects underway, along with stream,
pond and lake projects that could use your assistance. To help on projects or make a
money donation, please contact: Chuck Forsman 468-5483, 
BREAKING NEWS!!!!!
WENONAH!!!
Chuck Forsman has been working quietly and very effectively during the last few weeks
with the Environmental Commissions, municipal governments and planning boards of
Deptford and Mantua, as well as with the Gloucester County Gloucester County Office of
Land Preservation to save the Maple Ridge property from development and see it
preserved as public open space. Chuck feels at this point we need to bring the public
and other organizations such as the nature club, into the effort.
I've sent everyone a long email that gives the details. I have also contacted the
SJL&WT and the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ asking for any assistance
or advice they can render. This is not strictly speaking a Wenonah issue,
although Wenonah will be impacted by what happens at Maple Ridge.
It is an opportunity that can benefit all the people of Gloucester County
and we hope to see the residents of Deptford, Mantua, Wenonah and other
communities as well working together for a common goal. Chuck, Bob
and I will keep everyone informed of events. Chuck and Bob are doing
a tremendous job and I know they have our full support. 
Porch Talk...
We are hearing lots of talk about the
following topics and Friends of Wenonah wants to provide you with the most up to date and factual information that we can find.
In the Gloucester County Times....Wenonah resolution leads to charges of politics
CALL 856 981 0079 FOR DETAILS!! Get involved!
We are currently encouraging residents who want to get involved to join us monthly and if you are interested in being a candidate, please make sure to let us know of your interest!!!
PATCO-Trains coming through Wenonah??-Option 2 most favorable??
Graffiti in our town-Town Watch Program
Improvements by the WAA to our fields-Haray!
Traffic congestion and parking concerns
Borough Council decisions
Water conservation---see content below!!!
FACTS
There are three viable aquifers of water below the surface in our region.
Many towns use a combination of water from several sources.
The best water quality is from the restricted Potomac
Above that is the
Wenonah Sands and Cohansey aquifers that are influenced by rainfall.
The NJ American Water Company has constructed a water pipeline from Delran into our area,
which is available and has a combination of the three water strata’s as well as water
from the Wenonah owns and operates two water wells in the deepest and best PRM aquifer.
#1 drilled 1944 @ 275 gal/min is 320 feet deep and #2 drilled 1951 @ 375 gal/min
is 310 feet deep.
They are in a strata of pristine glacial water millions of years old.
Confirmed by tests, it’s the best quality water in
Wenonah is using this precious water at an average rate of approx. 70 million gallons a year,
including the state mandated 22% reduction.
With 866 housing units that’s an average of approx. 80,831 gallons per dwelling per year
or based on a population of 2,265, it amounts to about 30,905 gallons per person per year. PROBLEM
Because the PRM is the best aquifer, towns for decades have increasingly pumped water from it.
As a result, the aquifer has been overused to such an extent that the levels had dropped
dramatically and NJDEP declared new wells could not be drilled into it.
Towns that were already using the PRM have been mandated by law to
reduce their usage by 22%, which includes Wenonah.
So where does that leave us?
We have three alternatives: 1. Conserve enough water to make up the difference of 22% reduction & continue to use only
our PRM water wells where we can control our own lower costs and high quality. 2. Drill new wells in the two upper strata’s, if they are available & if they are contamination free
3. Buy a mixture of water from the American Water pipeline to handle the excess usage.
Their water does meet all NJ drinking water standards, but may have much higher costs
that we cannot control.
MYTH
It’s been raining steadily, reservoirs are full and the PRM must be filling up.
Wrong, rainwater has little or no effect on the PRM. It is a confined aquifer with
a non-permeable surface above it that prevents surface rain, streams from getting to it. BEST SOLUTION FOR WENONAH
It’s now your choice, but we suggest that conservation on the part of all Wenonah citizens
can preserve and protect our own Wenonah PRM water supply operated and controlled
by our personnel. If you agree with this solution, we must join together to
educate our children so they too and future generations can enjoy the wonderful
water we have in Wenonah. There are many things we can do to reduce our water consumption.
The Borough Council has instituted a variety of conservation efforts with
municipal services that has also helped us to lower water usage.
In 1996 (207 accounts) or 24% of Wenonah dwellings used over 100,000 gal/yr.,
which dropped to only 5% of dwellings in 2,000. However, new home construction and
purchase/restoration of older homes for new families with children has caused
our water usage to increase again. Measures are being addressed to control high
consumption users.
Conservation is still the answer to our problem.
S
The Wenonah Republican Committee brings to you through Friends Of Wenonah,
information about our neighborhood, town meetings, and topics we all are talking about.
This site will be updated periodically and we welcome your thoughts.
Please email us or feel free to give any Republican Committee member a call if you are interested in volunteering or want to join our group.
