Itir Cole Haddonfield Commissioner

10/05/2026

One of our Borough recycling trucks caught fire today on Route 42 while headed to the recycling plant in Pitman. Thankfully, the driver is safe.

Officials believe a lithium battery mixed in with the recycling may be to blame. When these batteries get crushed in a truck's compactor, they can rupture, short-circuit, and ignite, and fire spreads fast through paper and plastic.

Losing this truck means we're down one recycling truck. We'll discuss what this means for pickup and what backup options we have at tonight's Commissioners meeting, and we'll share an update with residents afterward.

Lithium batteries never go in your trash or recycling bins. That includes the ones inside phones, vapes, laptops, power tools, toys, e-bikes, and other rechargeable gadgets. Read the Borough's post below to learn how to dispose of them safely.

Our DPW crews handle what we put at the curb every day. Please help keep them and our equipment safe by keeping batteries out of the bins.

Borough of Haddonfield Recycling Truck Fire

A Borough of Haddonfield recycling truck was on its way to the Omni Recycling Plant in Pitman when the driver saw smoke and pulled over on Route 42 near the Route 55 exit. A State Trooper arrived immediately to assist as the truck became fully engulfed. The driver is unharmed.

The fire appears to have started in the truck’s contents, which included paper and plastic materials. Emergency officials report that the exact cause may not be known, but lithium batteries are a possible source. The truck will be dismantled and transported for disposal.

Lithium batteries cannot be disposed of in recycling or trash! When lithium batteries are compacted, they can rupture and ignite, causing fires.

The Borough has a page with more information on safe lithium battery disposal and which products contain lithium batteries, available on the Borough’s DPW page: https://haddonfieldnj.org/government/departments/public_works/electronic_recycling_lithium_battery_information.php

The last Camden County Hazardous Waste Recycling Event is in Lindenwold on October 17, from 8:30 am to 2 p.m., and it accepts lithium batteries. For more information on that event: https://haddonheightsnj.civicpluswebopen.com/community/page/camden-county-hazardous-waste-collection-events-2026

09/29/2026

This is an excellent way to get to know our town’s organizations and enjoy the crisp fall weather. Mark your calendars and see you there!

🍂 Fall fun is coming to !

Join the Haddonfield Lions this Saturday, October 3, from 10 AM–4 PM for their Fall Festival! 🦁🍁

Enjoy live music, browse craft vendors, and meet local nonprofits to learn more about how you can get involved in the Haddonfield community.

Come spend a fall Saturday downtown and celebrate the organizations and people that make Haddonfield special! ❤️

08/04/2026

Hi everyone, things have been business as usual so I spared you my updates the last few weeks. But a few interesting topics came up that I want to update you on. Here's my take from tonight's work session:

2027-2030 Road Program

We're moving forward with our 2027-2030 Road Program. I've shared before that we usually spend about $1 million a year on roads. What's worth knowing this round is that our roads took a beating after last winter, so our administrator asked our borough engineers, Re*****on & Vernick, to re-rate everything using their drive-through system (a car with a sensor plus AI, sanity-checked by engineers). Plenty of roads dropped hard. Some went from a rating of 53 down to 35 in the span of a bad freeze-thaw season. Salt is not kind to asphalt.

The new four-year plan focuses on the worst roads first (ratings roughly 28 to 39). A few streets you'll notice are NOT on the list, and that's on purpose:

-- Farwood is being fully repaved by NJ American Water as part of a utility project. Radnor and several side streets get the same treatment.
-- Glover Avenue has been submitted for our annual state aid grant.
-- Hopkins Lane is waiting on the Woodmont project, plus we're chasing a separate grant so we can add a sidewalk along the park side while we're at it.

Some historical context that was also new to me: about 11 years ago when the borough sold the utility, we were able to use the proceeds to double what we put into roads (from $1M to $2M a year) for about a decade. That money is now gone. We're back to $1M a year and picking priorities more carefully.

The full ratings list and four-year plan will be posted on the borough website in the next few days so you can look up your street.

2025 Master Plan Ordinance Updates

We've also been discussing the ordinance language coming out of the 2025 Master Plan process. One proposed change should make life a lot easier for all of us: for existing nonconforming items (think an old deck, a walkway, a driveway that sits closer to the property line than current code allows, front steps), we're aiming to allow like-for-like replacement without a zoning board application. Same footprint, same purpose, maybe just new materials. Residents shouldn't have to go through a full application process for that. This alone should save real time and money.

Our planner will be meeting with the borough team over the next two weeks to work through the technical questions, and the updated draft will be back at the September work session.

Radnor Field Updates

Thank you to everyone who has been engaged, attended meetings, and submitted written feedback. A few repeat questions came up, so sharing some clarifications below:

-- What's posted is a concept, not a final design. And some of the notes on the drawing are old engineering notes and not necessarily part of our plan.
-- Grass fields stay grass. No turf.
-- We're expanding the parking somewhat (~ 12 spots) and improving drainage (installing actual pipes rather than relying on the current overgrown swale).
-- The proposed playground is partially funded by a state grant. This area of town is the farthest from any borough managed playgrounds and this has been a recurring request from parents in the area.
-- We won't have the final design done until late fall or early winter, which means you'll have more opportunities to share your thoughts along the way.

The primary motivation for updating Radnor was to provide rest and rotation across all our active fields. Our fields are used every season by every sport and rarely get a chance to recover. The 2016 and 2020 Parks & Rec studies both identified a 4 to 6 acre gap in active-space capacity, and Radnor was specifically flagged as underused space that could carry multi-use fields plus a playground and walking paths. This is a chance for the Borough and Recreation Commission to take advantage of that underused space and invest in our land. It's meant to be an improvement, and we're weighing every factor (parking, stormwater management, and more) to make sure it actually is one.

The comment period on Radnor Field stays open until August 17, so please submit your thoughts for the team to review and incorporate into the next design. Every submission is being read, and you'll see the final plan before anything is decided.

One last thing

At our July action meeting, we approved the bid for our stump and tree removal contract. I know I have a few emails about this sitting in my inbox. If I haven't gotten back to you yet, just know the contract was freshly awarded and the work will begin shortly.

(Image is a screen capture from Google Maps showing E Cottage Ave, between Centre and Walnut, one of the segments we're prioritizing for 2027's Road Program)

07/13/2026

Still room to sign up! Join the Haddonfield Pub Crawl with Sam Adams and George Washington this Thursday 🍻🥂🥃

A Revolutionary Night Out in Haddonfield!

Tickets are on sale for a Pub Crawl, happening Thursday, July 16.

Enjoy three spirited stops with reenactors from Revolutionary Crawls And Events:

• Wildfether Distilling
• William Heritage Winery
• King's Road Brewing Company

This is a 21+ event, and each ticket includes one drink at each stop.

Limited tickets:
https://www.haddonfield2026.com/events/haddonfield-revolutionary-pub-crawl

07/10/2026

The lovely Andrea Ranno of Downtown Haddonfield promoting this weekend's Haddonfield Crafts and Fine Art Festival. Hope you find an unexpected treasure as you walk around!

07/10/2026

See you there!

Haddonfield Crafts and Fine Art Festival

Haddonfield Crafts & Fine Arts Festival is This Weekend!

Road Closures: Kings Highway will be closed from Saturday, July 11, at 5:00 AM through Sunday, July 12, at 10:00 PM.

🎨 Festival Info:
Visit Downtown Haddonfield for the 32nd Annual Crafts & Fine Arts Festival on Saturday, July 11, from 11 AM to 6 PM and Sunday, July 12, from 10 AM to 5 PM.

Sponsored by Subaru, the Haddonfield Crafts and Fine Art Festival features more than 200 juried artists, and Downtown Haddonfield stores and restaurants will be open throughout the weekend.

For more information, visit: https://www.renaissancecraftables.com/haddonfield-crafts--fine-art-festival.html #/

07/08/2026

After a wildly successful inaugural summer, Tech Tuesdays is back for its second year!

All Tuesdays in July and August
9a-noon
At Mabel Kay
By appointment

This summer, Haddonfield teenagers are once again volunteering their time on Tuesday mornings to tutor seniors in all things technology. Imagine it: patient, non-family members, to whom you can ask any question without them getting irritated

Things they could help you with include, but are not limited to:
• iPad/tablet help
• phone help
• laptop help
• blocking spam
• cleaning out emails
• organizing photos
• creating folders
• learning how to use Facebook
• learning how to Facetime with family members
• downloading apps/games/calendars
• silencing your phone
• creating photo albums or photo gifts
• selling things on ebay

Slots are 45 minutes long
9a, 9:45a, 10:30a, 11:15a

Sign-up via the Sign-up Genius link below (if you don't know how, you can email [email protected] or call 856-354-8789 and we'll help you figure it out)

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4CABA72DA7F8CE9-64550073-tech #/

07/06/2026

Hope everyone made it through today's flash flooding safely. We saw an estimated 3–4 inches of rain in about an hour. Public Works crews will be working overtime today and tomorrow clearing inlets, gutters, and roads throughout the borough, thank you for your patience as they work through it.

If you're still seeing a blocked inlet by the end of the week, please report it here so we can track ongoing work: http://bit.ly/4vPWdYY

06/24/2026

Like many of you, I was hurt to hear that someone came to our downtown yesterday, not once but twice, and tore down our Pride flags and damaged our poles. Spilled their hate into our public space.

I've been sitting with what motivates this. He did it in broad daylight, without shame. That kind of emboldened hate only grows in silence. It's the need to erase what you can't tolerate. If you can make something invisible, you can pretend it doesn't exist. These flags were simply visible. That's it. And for some people, that alone is unbearable.

The rainbow flag isn't a political symbol. It's a beacon of light that says: whoever you are, there's a place for you here. That's a Haddonfield value. And it's not going anywhere.

Thank you to the residents who called it in, and to our police for moving quickly. The individual, not a Haddonfield resident, was arrested and charged with criminal mischief and property destruction.

To everyone who offered to help replace the flags: that instinct says everything about this town. Downtown Haddonfield is already on it and they'll be back up in a day or two.

And if you disagree with these flags being here, I'd kindly ask you to look around. You are in the very small minority in this town, and these flags represent something our community has chosen together.

06/19/2026

Happy Juneteenth!

Mayor Mamdani says it well: Juneteenth is a remembrance of freedom delayed and a celebration of the joy and resilience that flourished despite that delay.

Now let's add a layer to this that hits close to home for all of us in New Jersey.

When freedom was announced in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865 slavery was still legal in our state. New Jersey was the last Northern state to abolish it. Just months before Juneteenth, our own state legislature voted to reject the 13th Amendment. It took until January 1866, and a new governor, for New Jersey to finally ratify it. As late as December 1865, approximately 16 people were still enslaved here.

And yet, at the very same time, Haddonfield's Quaker community was doing something different. We've learned from our local historians that our Haddonfield was a stop on the Underground Railroad, part of a network of abolitionists who sheltered and transported freedom seekers northward. We know through oral history that people were carried by wagon to Friends here in town.

This is what makes history so complex. Our state rejected freedom at the statehouse while some of our own neighbors were risking everything to deliver it quietly, in the dark.

But that tension doesn't cancel out. We still need to reconcile with it honestly.

True freedom has a tangible impact on daily life. This includes housing, wages, family, future. That's exactly why New Jersey's past makes our present obligations so clear. The delay didn't end in 1866. It echoes in every equity gap we still haven't closed. We need to continue to reconcile with this.

So with that, today I honor Juneteenth with gratitude for those who survived and built joy despite everything with a shared commitment to making sure freedom is fully realized, right here. 🖤

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