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A new Wawa convenience store and gas station is set to open Thursday morning at the Five-Points intersection in Washington Township NJ. The Grand Opening celebration starts at 8:00am and the ribbon cutting set for 8:30am.

Directly next to the Wawa, a brand new Burger King restaurant has also been developed which also looks ready to go, but the BK is waiting for final approvals before they start flame-broiling burgers.

I actually had a chance today to walk through the Burger King restaurant! I’ll share a few photos in a second but let’s focus on Wawa first!

While they are operating as separate businesses, both Wawa and Burger King share the same roadway access points, which lead into connected parking areas.

Also, as part of the opening of the new “Sewell” Wawa, unfortunately a classic Wawa will be closing… located about 1.5 miles away in Deptford; Route 41 and County House Road. This is extra sad to me because that is my neighborhood Wawa!

Wawa Sewell – Washington Township

Wawa is a large convenience store and gas station brand which is on a significant growth plan.. both in store density in existing areas, as well as expanding into new regions.

Based in the Philadelphia area, their signature food item is the hoagie.. but Wawa is constantly experimenting with new food offerings, including chicken sandwiches, burgers and pizza!

The new Washington Township Wawa is at the Five-Points intersection where Route 47, Route 41, Egg Harbor Road… and Blackwood-Barnsboro Road all meet.

Wawa realizes that a new store is a big exciting moment for the community, so they will be celebrating the opening with a morning of fun activities and free coffee!

The first 100 customers at 8:00 AM will grab a free Wawa T-shirt! (Note: I’ve been to these openings before and people really do line up early!)

Free coffee will be available for all attendees.

And one of their signature Grand Opening community events is the “Hoagies for Heroes” competition where two local emergency services teams compete against each other in a fun hoagie making experience! Wawa makes donations to associated charities.

And of course Wally Goose will be on hand, as well as members of the Wawa management team and local Washington Township officials.

This new Wawa sits along Egg Harbor Road, but right up into the Five-Points intersection.

Access into the Wawa property is front and back of the building… from Egg Harbor Road (Northbound only) and then also from the rear/side of the property utilizing the recently relocated Blackwood-Barnsboro Rd.

The Blackwood-Barnsboro road entrance has the benefit of a traffic signal at Egg Harbor Road which manages safe access to customers from all directions.

Interestingly enough my very first article on this Wawa was exactly five years to today… November 29th 2018!

At the time it wasn’t even really an official announcement… but I had tracked down some real estate marketing documents showing the proposed Wawa as well as a plot of land directly next to the convenience store. Back in 2018 the developer was looking for the second tenant (to join Wawa)… which we know today is Burger King.

if you follow along at the 42Freeway Facebook page, you’re well aware that this Wawa has been eagerly waited by the community for a long time… and at times people thought it just wasn’t coming!

But after covering a dozen or more of these new “Super” Wawas I can share that this project was a little more challenging than others.

First off, the core of this construction timeframe landed right in the middle of a global pandemic.

Additionally, the site preparation for this Wawa is likely one of the most challenging in South Jersey.

Blackwood-Barnsboro Road was literally relocated before the Wawa could be built. The old roadway route… literally goes right through the store!

So let me be clear… there are legit traffic management reasons for moving Blackwood-Barnsboro roadway connection point further back away from the intersection (on Egg Harbor Road).

Mainly, previously traffic at the Five-Points intersection would almost always back up from the light and with the old location of Blackwood-Barnsboro so close… the roadway would be blocked! Plus there was no traffic signal for Blackwood-Barnsboro.

With the new location of Blackwoods-Barnsboro Road being almost 500 feet further back from the intersection, it gives a lot more room for cars waiting at the main intersection traffic signal, as well as Blackwood-Barnsboro gains a traffic signal at Egg Harbor Road.

When you factor in all the variety of extended approvals from the township, County and State levels… you start realizing that a lot more coordination and approvals went into the this project than normal.

An in that mix of the roadway relocation, a larger contiguous plot of land was developed… enabling the development of Wawa and Burger King.

The new Wawa at Five Points Sewell Washington Township opens on November 30^th

Facebook Event

Burger King Five-Points Washington Township

The new plot of land that was created by the relocation of Blackwood-Barnsboro road actually has room for two commercial businesses…. Wawa was first to jump in, and then at a later date Burger King signed on to share the extended plot with them.

The new Burger King is not open yet but it appears that construction is done, and unofficially I’ve been told they are waiting on final approvals which they expect to be only a few weeks away.

I stopped over today at the Burger to check out the new building and caught up with a member of the Burger King franchise team

It’s my understanding that this new Burger King is a relatively newer design model for the flame broiled burger chain.

It features a higher 14-foot high ceiling, where that space was used to install large glass panels to provide and open view into the restaurant from outside, as well as a more dramatic dining experience for customers.

It’s a modern design restaurant with some aspects of an urban feel to it.

As mentioned, at this point an opening date has not been locked in

Links and Locations

Wawa Sewell Washington Twp 5-Pts (Opening Nov 30)Egg Harbor Road and Blackwood-Barnsboro RdWashington Township NJ

Categories News

Patch is asking candidates to share their views on issues in Long Valley. Here are candidate John R. Oldmixon's answers:

Vianella Burns, Patch Staff

LONG VALLEY, NJ — Election Day is nearing, and Long Valley voters will soon head to the polls to cast their votes for three seats on the local school board.

Patch sent questionnaires to all candidates, seeking their responses. Here is the response from candidate John R. Oldmixon.

Editor's Note: Patch emailed all candidates at the email addresses listed for their campaigns in the clerk's office. The responses will be revealed between now and the general election on Nov. 7. These comments will be published with just minor stylistic changes. Candidates who wish to participate but did not receive an invitation should email [email protected].

Name: John R. Oldmixon

Age: 35

Find out what's happening in Long Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Town of residence: Long Valley

Family: Happily married to my high school sweetheart, Emily. We are now blessed with three beautiful children.

Education: Flocktown-Kossmann, LVMS, WMC. BA in Business Finance from Centenary University.

Occupation: Private Credit Associate with MetLife Investment Management

Why are you seeking to run for school board?

Our school district and teachers are incredible, but I have concerns about what is happening at the state level. We can’t be a rubber stamp for Trenton. I am 100% for parental rights, no matter the circumstances. We always need to encourage the teacher-student-parent role. I believe in keeping politics out of school and maintaining fiscal responsibility. Given my background and deep understanding of our school issues, I believe I am the perfect fit.

What, according to you, is the biggest issue facing the school district currently? How do you plan to tackle it?

From an education standpoint, I am concerned about our test scores as it relates to student progress. For example, our middle school test score ranking is quite well, but our progress compared to neighboring districts is trending below average. I think it is important to focus on the fundamentals of education and our core classes.

We should be engaged with the teachers about what is working well, and what isn’t. This conversation should also expand to other higher-ranking schools in our area and keep an open dialogue on what has been successful for them.

From a fiscal standpoint, we have a current year budget of ~$46.4mm we have to maintain. Meanwhile, our state aid has been progressively cut in the last six years by over 50 percent.

Before thinking about cuts, my running mates and I want to find additional revenue streams for our district and be conservative on our bottom line while protecting our great teachers financially. We will keep the budget under the two percent increase cap and maintain our promise of fiscal responsibility.

What special qualifications do you bring to help meet the challenge?

I have been attending almost every board of education meeting for the past 3+ years, often speaking during public comment. I know how it operates and the issues our district faces. As a private credit investment analyst, I can leverage my financial modeling background to help keep us fiscally responsible.

Lastly, I know what it is like to walk the halls of these schools as a student and now as a father. Long Valley is a place my wife and I have called home for 34 years and I will always do what is right for the student, teacher, parent, and taxpayer.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your campaign?

Jennifer Ryan, Isabel Vieira, and I are running on the “Excellence In Education” ticket. Please visit our website at www.WTBOE23.com to learn a lot more about our campaign. Vote 4-5-6 on November 7th!

Patch is asking candidates to share their views on issues in Long Valley. Here are candidate Laura Wengel's answers:

LONG VALLEY, NJ — Election Day is nearing, and Long Valley voters will soon head to the polls to cast their votes for three seats on the local school board.

Patch sent questionnaires to all candidates, seeking their responses. Here is the response from candidate Laura Wengel.

Editor's Note: Patch emailed all candidates at the email addresses listed for their campaigns in the clerk's office. The responses will be revealed between now and the general election on November 7. These comments will be published with just minor stylistic changes. Candidates who wish to participate but did not receive an invitation should email [email protected].

Name: Laura Wengel

Age: 57

Town of residence: Washington Township

Family: I live with my husband. Our daughter went through the Washington Twp. and West Morris school systems.

Education: BA English – Hobart and William Smith Colleges; MA English Education – Seton Hall University; Special Education Certification – Rutgers University

Occupation: Teacher

Previous or current elected appointed office: None

Why are you seeking to run for school board?

I am running for a position on the Washington Township School Board because I am a strong advocate of quality public education where students are free to engage in meaningful discussion to enhance their critical thinking skills on all levels.

My family and I made our home in Long Valley in 2007 because we were impressed by the school system and the unique community bonds we shared with our neighbors.

My daughter is a product of the Washington Township Schools and a graduate of West Morris Central Regional High School. I firmly believe that she would not be a successful college graduate without the balanced academic rigor she received at WMC. I am also a proud public school graduate, where I learned to question my assumptions and think critically about my world.

I earned my bachelor’s degree in English from Hobart and William Smith Colleges, a master’s degree in English education from Seton Hall University, and a special education certificate from Rutgers University.

For the past 23 years, I have worked in both public and private education, teaching English and special education. The diversity and level of empathy I have encountered while teaching at public schools in New Jersey have given me a unique insight into the state of public education and how best to collaborate toward a common goal.

As board members, I am hoping that my running mates and I can successfully create a consensus on what our children need and make mindful, balanced decisions regarding their education.

What, according to you, is the biggest issue facing the school district currently? How do you plan to tackle it?

The amount of politics that has made its way into local school boards and schools has essentially hamstrung any substantive discussion regarding the education of our children. There also seems to be a lack of understanding in general about how public schools run. I hope to demystify this.

What special qualifications do you bring to help meet the challenge?

Since I am a teacher, I am uniquely qualified to provide accurate insight into what is actually happening in our classrooms and schools.

When it comes to Christmas lights and holiday displays, Dan Uszaki goes BIG.

So big that for years, cars came from miles around to marvel at his ever-expanding masterpiece of synchronized light and sound — think the Eagles’ fight song — at the Uszaki residence in Deptford, N.J.

So big, in fact, that The Great Christmas Light Fight show picked his home display from last year to be in this year’s national contest, airing Dec. 12.

Courtesy of Dan Uszaki

But big had hit its limit. Uszaki felt he’d exhausted the possibilities of his suburban half acre and decided that last year was his last.

But he hadn’t counted on neighbors’ reactions.

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People got teary talking to him. “We’re so sad to see it go,” they said.

“I just couldn’t ignore it,” said Uszaki, 43, who is the athletic director for the Northern Burlington Regional School District. “I just said, ‘OK, I’m not going to do it at my house. Is there something I can do that’s bigger?’ ”

The answer to that question was a resounding YES!

“My wife thinks I’m freakin’ nuts,” Uszaki said.

Black Friday was the grand opening of Glow, Uszaki and friends’ winter wonderland of synchronized lights, towering cutouts, carnival rides, and other attractions spread across 20 acres in Washington Township.

The theme of this enterprise is “Glow big or Glow home!”

There is the Dazzling District — a holiday funland with rides including a big Ferris wheel and a kiddie train, food vendors, everybody-wins-something games, and entertainment.

Glow is a three-quarter mile drive-through course of lights and Yuletide and South-Jersey-themed joy. A couple of days before the opening, Uszaki said he was up to over 3.5 million lights. The guy who tries to top himself every year with bigger and better self-made structures — his massive Lombardi Trophy, for one — called on the same talents for Glow. He’s pretty stoked about Sno-torious B.I.G. — a 45-foot snowman that will tower over this miracle on Berlin-Cross Keys Road.

Admission to the light show is $35 and up per car, depending on the day and time you go, and the Dazzling District has a $10 per person entry fee, plus activities, pretty much like other holiday parks. Uszaki said it was too costly an undertaking to do for free, even with the backing of some Secret Santas.

That said, Uszaki did as much of the work he could himself, using the knowledge and skills he picked up doing his ever-more ambitious home displays. Plus, he had the help of friends who had assisted over years, especially his buddy Will Frostick. The two of them met online about 10 years ago when Uszaki was just starting his light displays and was looking for advice, and Frostick suggested he stop what he was doing “before your house burns down.” Since then, Frostick, now an IT professional, has become a kind of mentor, coming down from Connecticut to help.

Uszaki hired about 60 people, mostly local folks, for his project. He will have locals selling food. This South Jersey St. Nick even tried to include some local references among the Christmas lights; a segment of the drive-through is inspired by the section of the Garden State Parkway between Somers Point and Cape May, he said. And there will also be lighted versions of Jason and Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift.

Uszaki is hoping Glow becomes a new tradition, something he can continue well past this year.

For some, the question will remain: Why did he do this?

“I needed a Christmas village like I needed a hole in the head,” he admitted.

And this year he really didn’t decorate the house where he, his wife Kim, and their daughter Charleigh and son Chase, 13 and 14, reside. His wife did it — tasteful and nice — but nothing you could see from outer space.

So what drove him to do Glow? He loves Christmas.

“I’ve loved every single thing about Christmas since I was a little kid. I feel the only things I’ve done well in my life is be a good father and a good husband, and my house. I’m living my purpose,” Uszaki said.

“I wanted Christmas to feel really big.”

Patch is asking candidates to share their views on issues in Long Valley. Here are candidate Cynthia McConnell's answers:

LONG VALLEY, NJ — Election Day is nearing, and Long Valley voters will soon head to the polls to cast their votes for three seats on the local school board.

Patch sent questionnaires to all candidates, seeking their responses. Here is the response from candidate Cynthia McConnell.

Editor's Note: Patch emailed all candidates at the email addresses listed for their campaigns in the clerk's office. The responses will be revealed between now and the general election on Nov. 7. These comments will be published with just minor stylistic changes. Candidates who wish to participate but did not receive an invitation should email [email protected].

Name: Cynthia McConnell

Age: 41

Find out what's happening in Long Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Town of residence: My husband and I both grew up in Chester and had a bunch of friends from Long Valley as kids. When we got married, we knew we wanted to settle down in Long Valley.

Family: My husband, Matt McConnell and I have two kids, Jessica and Brian McConnell, along with a dog and cats.

Education: I got my BS in Accounting Systems from Virginia Tech and my masters in IT Project Management from George Washington University.

Occupation: I'm an IT project manager and software designer. I take the details from our business partners and help them understand their needs so we can create websites to gather insurance applications easily from our customers (insurance agents and direct consumers). I then work with multiple teams of developers to break down the work and align everyone's efforts. I track the completion of the multiple teams and raise risks or dependencies as we identify them, and then find solutions to limit the risk or fully remove it.

Why are you seeking to run for school board?

I'm running for K-8 BoE in Washington Township because I want to make sure the board is focused on the education of our kids and raising our town's test scores while keeping our budget balanced. I've been seeing some on the board and running against myself who are more interested in trying to require teachers to tell parents if they find out a child mentions being LGBTQ.

This is not what our teachers need to be focusing on, and if passed, this can result in litigation for our town that will cause major financial repercussions for our budgets. It could also impact our property values if our town is seen as less than welcoming to marginalized groups. I want to make sure all our kids feel comfortable and safe in our schools and can focus on learning at school.

What according to you is the biggest issue facing the school district currently? How do you plan to tackle it?

The biggest challenge I see in our district is the need to focus on raising our student test scores rather than the noise happening in our BOE meetings around LGBTQ students. We know our test scores are dropping and while test scores are dropping in most places, that doesn't allow us to be complacent about it.

To me, it was obvious based on the number of questions we received at the BOE candidate public forum, held on October 10th. More people were focused on how many genders we believed in vs how we believed we could help get our test scores up and provide for the needs of our teachers and students. I want our BOE and teachers to work with other BOEs and teachers to understand what is working for them and where we can make some adjustments to help our students succeed.

What special qualifications do you bring to help meet the challenge?

As a project manager, I am used to asking questions, digging into the details and trying to identify the specifics of any issues. I'm very good at rephrasing things to get a point across to my coworkers, which can help everyone have a better understanding of the problem. These personality traits will be immensely helpful when we are working to break down various policies and determine the best way forward for our district.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your campaign?

I hope that everyone in this town takes the time to watch the question-and-answer session that was recorded last night and posted online. I believe it gives everyone a good sense of the two separate tickets running for the BOE, and what their supporters stand for. I'm hoping this town is ready and will vote for the school board to get back to the basics of making sure our kids get a quality education and that we are supporting our teachers and the needs of our administration within our budgets.

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