St. Charles Eighth Graders Take Over Cinnaminson Committee Meeting

Mayor Anthony Minniti honored Cinnaminson Middle School student Lily Nichols for her win on the TV show Chopped during Youth in Government Week Monday night.

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Members of the Cinnaminson Township Committee acted like children Monday night.

Actually, it’s more accurate to say they were children. They ran Monday night’s Committee Meeting in the same manner the adults who normally occupy their seats would.

Youth in Government Week saw eighth graders at St. Charles Borromeo Parish School take over this week’s Cinnaminson Township Committee Meeting.

It’s a tradition that’s been in place since 1987, according to Pamela McCartney. It was first introduced to create more communication between the Township and the School District and encourage participation in government in the younger generation, Committee Member William “Ben” Young said.

“It’s a fun day. They get to see how government works,” Young said.

It began as an agreement between the Township and the Cinnaminson Public School District. It has evolved over the years to include St. Charles and Westfield Friends School. Mayor Anthony Minniti also said this was the first time he’d seen a group made up entirely of girls.

The Acting Mayor was Jaden Shontz, and Casey McFadden played the role of Deputy Mayor. Brielle Bennett and Danielle Kane were Committee Members. Gabrielle Stokes was the Acting Township Administrator and Kristen Stout was the Acting Township Engineer.

They all came from the school’s Beta Club.

The day included a tour of township offices for the students, the highlight of which was the chance to meet the police department’s K-9 unit.

The meeting itself included the approval of seven resolutions and three motions that were part of the Consent Agenda.

Minniti also recognized Lily Nichols, the youngest winner in the history of the Food Network television show Chopped.

The 11-year-old Cinnaminson Middle School student won $10,000 on the show that was taped in April and broadcast nationally earlier this month.

“That segued perfectly,” Minniti said. “It was cued up perfectly. We had a student being honored by students.”