Under the Radar

Sixty-Six Days, But Who's Counting?

While we wait for aid, some people are getting things done—regardless of party affiliation.

After a terrible misstep in Congress Tuesday, the perpetually orange House Speaker John Boehner and his Tea Party cronies saw the light and approved a $9.7 billion Band-Aid (bill H.R. 41) for the victims of Hurricane Sandy on Friday, 66 days AFTER the storm. Never mind that the victims of Hurricane Katrina saw their much-needed aid begin to flow a mere 10 days after the storm. We’re from Jersey and NYC—we’re all rich. Who needs government handouts? Anybody tuning into the media after Tuesday’s blocked vote was treated to classic Governor Christie bluster and finger-jabbing, as he called out members of his own Republican party: “Disaster relief is something you don’t play games with, but in this current atmosphere, everything is the subject…

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Under the Radar

Give Thanks for the 'Small Stuff' in Moorestown

Our volunteers, our trees and, yes, our convenience stores are worth being thankful for this season.

Right after 9/11, the crisp blue skies were void of airplanes. I remember walking the dogs on Memorial Field, accompanied not by the muffled roar of flights banking in and out of Philadelphia International, but by a silence so unaccustomed that I stood still and looked up. The planes overhead are such a part of our daily lives we seldom acknowledge them in any way until they are no longer soaring above us, as was the case that horrific September day, and again, recently, when Sandy wreaked such havoc, silencing the skies. In a few days, Thanksgiving will be upon us. If you’re hosting this year, you’ve been menu-planning and shopping, polishing silver and organizing the house. Many of us will be flying to visit family and friends or driving…

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Moorestonians on a Mission in West Virginia

Members of the First United Methodist Church, among others, traveled to the Mountain State last month as part of a mission trip.

During the last week of July, 81 New Jersey residents—the majority of them members of the First United Methodist Church (FUMC) of Moorestown—went on a mission trip to help the needy in Mullens, WV. The members of FUMC commonly call this humanitarian expedition their annual youth mission trip. It is primarily made up of high school students, with some adult leaders. This particular trip involved 57 youth, mostly from Moorestown High School, and 24 adults to lead them, who were engaged in at least nine different work sites. All of the participants had to raise $500 each to pay for the trip. Projects included installing ramps, porches, exterior steps, tin roofing, tin underpinning, siding, painting rooms, installing floors, doors and trim. …

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Douglas Sell, Jr.

11:08 am on Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Great submission, Dave. Thanks for your time and dedication to this cause.   more ›

Under the Radar

Art by Committee

Can many artists work together to create one lasting piece of art?

Most artists, by nature, are solitary creators, toiling away in the privacy of a workshop, a garage or any small space they can carve out for their passion. Musicians are the exception to that statement, in that music can be very collaborative. Think George and Ira Gershwin or Rodgers and Hart. Writing?  Solitary, unless you’re screenwriting. I know Van Gogh was friends with Gauguin, and they would paint in tandem at times, critiquing each other’s work. But I do not believe they worked together on the same canvas. Once you allow someone to touch your work, it is not yours anymore. Art is something I didn’t have time for while raising my family and tending to parents in decline. There is no such thing as spare time, free time or hobbies …

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