Weekly Roundup: HEA contract, Miss NJ Teen competitor top this week’s stories

Catch up on the biggest stories in Haddonfield this week.

Haddonfield Memorial High School senior stands in the backyard of her Haddonfield home. Hoffman is competing in the Miss New Jersey Teen USA 2018 pageant.

The HEA returned to the Haddonfield Board of Education to ask them to put an end to contract negotiations, and one HMHS senior is trying to inspire her neighbors by competing for the title of Miss NJ Teen USA 2018. Catch up on everything from the past week in the Weekly Roundup.

HEA continues to seek ‘fair and equitable’ contract

Photo Courtesy of Kim Dickstein, HMHS English teacher. Members of the the Haddonfield Education Association gathered outside of Haddonfield Memorial High School prior to the Thursday, Sept. 28 Board of Education meeting where members asked the board to put an end to contract negotiations.

For the second time this month, the Haddonfield Education Association returned to Haddonfield Memorial High School’s library to ask the Board of Education to bring an end to contract negotiations by coming to the table with an offer that HEA co-president William Usher described as “more palatable to both sides.” Dressed in black, the HEA members held signs saying, “We deserve a fair and equitable contract” at last Thursday’s board meeting. Jamie Vermaat, past co-president and current head contract negotiator for the HEA, took to public comments to question the expanding cost of running the district’s business office

Confidence to compete: HMHS senior hoping to inspire young girls

From Oct. 13 through Oct. 15, Hoffman will embark on her first adventure in the pageant world as she heads to Parsippany to compete for the title of Miss New Jersey Teen USA 2018. Hoffman said her hope is that, by competing, she will inspire girls in Haddonfield to be brave and step outside their comfort zone. Hoffman, a gregarious 17-year-old, carries herself with a confidence as fiery as the red hair atop her head. The Haddonfield Memorial High School senior said until recently, competing in a pageant never crossed her mind.

Tree fencing, signage have residents asking for exceptions to local laws

At their Tuesday, Sept. 26 meeting, borough commissioners engaged in discussions with residents about making exceptions to local laws. During public comments, resident Bryan Cottrell discussed an ordinance adopted in August requiring construction fencing to protect borough-owned trees. Under the ordinance, borough trees whose critical root zone falls within the construction zone must be protected during construction. In light of the fact that the tree is dying, Cottrell said he’s contacted the borough to have it removed several times and was vaguely told he’s on a list to do so. For that reason, Cottrell wondered why he was being forced to protect a tree that is already dead.