Improvements on Route 70 in Cherry Hill are long overdue as the landscape of the road has created hazards for drivers and has stayed the same throughout the growth of Cherry Hill.

Mayor Bernie Platt has appointed the Cherry Hill Route 70 Task Force, a group of representatives and leaders in the Cherry Hill community, to analyze the problems with the road and come up with ways to make this main street a safer place for residents of Cherry Hill.

A blaze in the Short Hills Restaurant and Delicatessen on Evesham Road struck and destroyed the popular landmark on Friday, January 4.

It is believed that the fire started at 2 p.m from a cigarette that was not fully extinguished and thrown away in the rear of the store. It landed near a storage room with flammable objects. The fire spread and caught on to a refrigerating unit. The deli and the offices on the second floor were completely damaged.

It was a three-alarm fire and was contained by 70 firefighters who were from Cherry Hill and surrounding towns. The Cherry Hill Fire Department said that the fire took 75 minutes to control because of strong winds.

After not having stopped in for quite a while, I recently learned from a trip to Applebee’s that the restaurant still delivers the goods. After a field trip to the movies, 11 friends and I stopped in for a lunch at Applebee’s. Despite the fact that the restaurant was crowded with eleventh-grade students, the service was still pretty good.

As in most restaurants, the lack of Dr. Pepper angered me; I ended up settling for Pepsi instead. Once our drinks arrived, we ordered our lunch. All but two of the twelve of us ordered Applebee’s special three-course meal for a 13 dollar deal. The food came on interestingly shaped plates, which normally suffice for foods without distinct tastes, but this was an exception.

Although they have been operating for nearly two years, Fit Fast, located in Eagle Plaza in Voorhees, is (for those seeking a healthy yet quick dining option) a gem that has been discovered by few. The deli-like surroundings hold nine tables with room to spare, which, depending on the time of day, may be partially occupied or eerily empty.

The whole atmosphere seems to be providing dieter encouragement, with the walls painted a variety of somewhat obnoxiously bright colors and display posters covered in slim athletes beaming as they train. A bookshelf of fitness books and an array of business cards for different nearby athletic associations seem to be there to hold waiting customers attention as they wait an average of 15 minutes to be served.

UPDATE: Representative Jim Saxton has announced his retirement from Congress because of health reasons. This improves the chances for State Senator John Adler, who is the only declared candidate for the now open Congress seat. With the incumbent out, the Republican Party will likely nominate a younger candidate to challenge the 48-year-old Adler as both parties attempt to secure the seat for years to come.

New Jersey Senator John Adler, father of Alex Adler (‘09), recently announced his intention to run for the Third Congressional District of New Jersey. Adler has been a state senator since 1992, but faces an uphill battle against 12-term incumbent Jim Saxton.

Adler has followed the recent political trend of beginning his campaign very early. Adler explains this early announcement by noting the huge fundraising difference between him and Representative Saxton.

The demand for pizza has become an epidemic at Cherry Hill East High School. Pizza parlors have developed into one of the top interactive places for East students. Groups of students can be found crowding the pizza shops, whether it is to celebrate a team victory, or just to hang out with friends. However, with the wide variety of pizza places found in Cherry Hill, students tend to have a preference on which place they are most likely to visit.

The popularity of pizza could be considered overrated to some; however pizza’s leading role in teen’s diets has to be questioned. 93% of Americans eat at least one piece of pizza per month according to Bolla Wines. What makes pizza so popular, especially among East’s students?

It’s almost time for the new school year to start. For some East students, that means that the time has come to start getting their summer work done and do whatever they need to prepare for the first day of school. For other students, it means that the time has come to start shopping for a new look as well as gathering supplies for the new year.

The Cherry Hill Mall has always been a popular place to go to at this time of year. But soon, it will be even more crowded with new stores and restaurants opening up.

“I can’t wait for the Cherry Hill Mall to finish building the new parts because it will attract new customers and turn into a more popular place to hang out,” said Devon Braunstein (’10).

As the summer continues, most people are just looking for a way to have some fun in the sun. Of course the beach is always a great option, but local swim clubs can fulfill your need with a much shorter drive, as they also provide you with the other exciting activities they have to offer along the way.

The Woodcrest and Willowdale swim clubs are two of the most popular ones that East students and their families choose to join over the summer.

The Woodcrest swim club has two regular sized pools, as well as a baby pool, to meet the needs of all of its members. The largest pool, with a low and high diving board, was redone throughout the year and finished in time for the summer months. At the Willowdale swim club, there is a regular sized pool and a baby pool, similar to those at Woodcrest.

Fully immersed in summer, there is no better time to work on summer tans and personal fitness. Many East students depend on the Jewish Community Center, commonly called the JCC, year round for its gym facilities. Yet, with the abundance of members, the JCC experienced issues involving size and space.

Fortunately, all these problems were addressed by a major expansion, so large that it fell no shorter than an extreme makeover. More than doubling its size, the JCC’s expansion not only replaces out of date equipment but also adds new enmities that are grabbing members’ attentions.

Some of these enmities include a dedicated stretching area, an indoor spin room, and physical therapy offices. Another new addition is the strength equipment, which is a full circuit that covers all body parts.

School’s out for the summer.

Throughout the year, those five words become every student’s dream. They will constantly think about what activities they will participate in or just the fun times they are going to have during the summer, when they should really be concentrating on their seemingly never-ending homework.

However, summer has finally arrived, and many East students can be found working at local summer camps for some extra cash, or attending different camps nearby to enjoy their time off from school with friends.

“Camps are really good because they give you something to do over the summer instead of just sitting at home,” said Shana Honig (‘09).