LAWRENCE: Schools, municipal offices closed due to snow

By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
    Schools and municipal offices are closed today, Tuesday, as snow-removal efforts continue throughout Lawrence Township.
    There were no reported accidents in Lawrence, according to police Lt. Joseph Amodio. The main roads were clear.
    “There were no issues at all. It was very uneventful,” Lt. Amodio said.
    Lawrence Township public school students got their first snow day of the year, as school is canceled today, Tuesday. Students were dismissed early on Monday, in advance of the pending snowstorm.
    Rider University also canceled day and evening classes today, Tuesday. The university’s offices also are closed today, but classes are expected to resume Wednesday. Offices also are expected to be open Wednesday.
    The Quaker Bridge Mall, which closed at 6 p.m. Monday, re-opened today, Tuesday at 10 a.m. The Sears and Lord & Taylor department stores opened at 10 a.m., and J.C. Penney and Macy’s are planning to open at noon, said Lynda Benedetto, the mall’s general manager.
    The individual stores make their own decisions on opening, Ms. Benedetto said, but the mall’s main doors were opened at 10 a.m. The Quaker Bridge Mall’s normal operating hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
    Meanwhile, Lawrence Township municipal offices are closed today, Tuesday. Garbage collection scheduled for today will be picked up on Saturday, Jan. 31. Lawrence Township Municipal Court sessions set for today also are canceled.
    The Lawrence Township Department of Public Works has been plowing the streets. The main roads are cleared first for emergency vehicles, and then the crews begin to plow the secondary streets.
    Township residents should remember to clear the sidewalks in front of their properties. Snow and ice must be cleared from the sidewalks within 24 hours after the snow has stopped falling. Snow should not be thrown into the street because it hinders plowing operations. 