Dear Community Friends,

HAPPY HALLOWEEN & SAFE TRICK-OR-TREATING:

Get your costumes ready and grab your candy bags – We’re ready to celebrate and have a spooktacular time on Halloween in Mantua!

Trick-or-Treating in Mantua Township will take place on Halloween – Saturday, October 31, 2026, from 3:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.

Please note that individuals age 17 and younger (not accompanied by a parent or guardian) must be indoors by 8:00 P.M. on Friday, October 30th and Saturday, October 31st, in accordance with the Township’s Halloween curfew.

I want to take this opportunity to share some basic Halloween safety tips for Trick-or-Treaters:

• Reflective Clothing & Flashlight – Wear light-colored or reflective costumes to increase visibility at night, and carry a flashlight.
• Face Makeup – Opt for face paint instead of masks to avoid obstructing vision.
• Traffic Awareness – Always look both ways before crossing streets and use sidewalks when available.
• Accompaniment – Young children should be accompanied by an adult or older sibling.
• Candy Inspection – Check all treats for tampering before consumption.

• Motorists – Drives safely and obey the speed limit. Be cautious and yield to pedestrians.

We wish all of our residents a spooky, fun, and safe Halloween!

MICROSURFACING AS PART OF THE TOWNSHIP’S ROAD PRESERVATION PLAN:

As part of our road improvement plan this year, we microsurfaced the municipal roadways throughout all three phases of the Royal Oaks Development.

To be clear, this is not milling (removing the existing asphalt surface to a specified depth, using a milling machine) and repaving the roadway by placing new asphalt over the prepared roadway. This is microsurfacing!

Micro surfacing is drastically different than completely repaving a roadway. It’s a thiner layer and is much less expensive. It seals cracks, provides a clean surface that’s more esthetically pleasing, and helps to prevent water from penetrating the roadway. Most importantly, it can extend the lifespan of certain roads that qualify for up-to 5-10 years.

The developments that qualify for micro-surfacing, would not qualify for a full paving job at this stage of the game. This is being done to try and extend the lifespan of certain municipal roadways throughout the township, that would otherwise not qualify for anything else.

To put it in simplistic terms, it’s somewhat comparable to sealcoating an asphalt driveway. Both are preservation treatments, but are different types of work.

Microsurfacing applies a thin, engineered mixture of polymer-modified asphalt emulsion, graded aggregate, mineral filler, and water. It can improve skid resistance, seal the surface, and correct minor surface irregularities at the fraction of the cost.

The more that you drive over the newly installed microsurfacing, it will blend better, and will become more esthetically pleasing.

2026 MID-TERM GENERAL ELECTIONS:

General Election Day is on Tuesday, November 3rd. I want to encourage residents to get out and vote, regardless of your preference.

Polling locations on Election Day will be open from 6 AM until 8:00 PM. To find your polling location go to: www.nj.gov/state/elections/vote-polling-location.

Early Voting continues daily, now through Sunday, November 1st starting at 10:00 AM. Our closest polling location for early voting is Rowan College of South Jersey at the Behavioral Science Center located at 1400 Tanyard Road in Sewell (Deptford).

RECENT PASSING OF BELOVED TOWNSHIP RESIDENT:

It’s with tremendous sadness that I report the passing of beloved resident, Deborah Riggs. Debbie passed away suddenly and peacefully on October 18, 2026 at the young age of 66.

Debbie was the devoted wife of Michael Riggs who’s retired from the NJSP and is currently employed by the Township as the Director of Land Use and Code Enforcement. Debbie was also the loving mother of DPW Employee Rick Ciarrocchi who’s assigned to Chestnut Branch Park.

Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with Debbie’s husband, Mike and children, Michael (Lauren), Christopher (Lindsay), Gregory (Jillian), Rick, Alyssa (Phil) and Alexandra (Nick) along with her many grand children and other family members and friends.

On behalf of the entire Township Committee and I, we look forward to continuing our service with honesty, integrity and trustful leadership!

Respectfully,

Mayor Robert T. Zimmerman, MAS