Merchantville’s Green Team planted two wildflower gardens last October in the town's two "no mow" zones. These natural gardens and pollinator habitats are located on the lawns adjacent to the bike path trail along West Chestnut Avenue started sprouting lots of black-eyed susan this week and we can't wait to see what else will blossom this summer. These areas provide an excellent habitat for pollinators such as native bumble bees. These zones allow plants to flower which in turn provides a place for pollinators to stop and have a meal.

Thank you to our Incredible Edible Merchantville partners in the Garden Club, who do so much in the West End to support good stewardship and a sustainable environment. The Merchantville Garden Club is always seeking volunteers for annual plantings at various spots around town - the planters throughout the downtown, planters at Borough Hall, the garden at the municipal building, the gardens at the ends of the bike path, the Merchantville Circle garden, Morrissesy Park and now near Cigar Alley. Please contact Cindy Hertneck at 609-472-4626 if you would like to contribute an hour or two of time to keeping the borough beautiful!   

What can an Incredible Edible group do relating to the business plate? Just by growing food in public places, allowing people to see plants in the ground and harvesting the produce when it’s ready, you’re encouraging people to think about where their food comes from – and that isn’t a vacuum packed plastic tub from the supermarket. There are other things you can do so people think about where their food comes from when they decide what they’re next going to spend their well-earned money on. Our own Eclipse Brewing is a super example spinning the IE business plate.

Camden County Library System welcomes you to join their 2019 Summer Reading Program! Sign up as a family - and add up to 12 readers - to keep track of your reading this summer. Along the way, you'll reach digital badges and earn small prizes to encourage your family to read more. At the end of summer, each branch will be drawing grand prizes winners and the more badges you've earned, the more chances you'll have to win. The program runs from June 24 - August 3. To begin, you'll need to create a household account, and then add a profile for every reader who will log their points this summer.

Merchantville Country Club will host a "The First Tee Golf Outing" on July 22nd. The First Tee teaches young people ages 5-18, through golf instruction, character education and long-term life skills delivered by coaches who have been trained in positive youth development. The Camden County Bar Association (CCBA) is dedicated to improving the administration of justice, advancing the interests of the legal profession and serving the public to promote a better understanding of the law and the justice system. 

On Thursday, June 20th, Pennsauken Mayor Jack Killion, formally resigned from Township Committee, after 20 years of service, in front of an audience of more than 30 friends, family members, residents and township employees. A proclamation praising his years of commitment to the community and tenacity in tackling issues was read by Committeeman Rick Taylor. The mayor thanked everyone, including former Merchantville mayor, Patrick Brennan, for attending and reminisced about the pleasure these years of service - including many as a coach for P.Y.A.A - have brought him and his family. Killion will also retire at the end of this month as coordinator of buildings and grounds for Pennsauken's school district, where he has worked for 26 and a half years.

Winter hit U.S. honeybees hard with the highest loss rate yet, an annual survey of beekeepers showed. The annual nationwide survey by the Bee Informed Partnership found 37.7% of honeybee colonies died this past winter, nearly 9 percentage points higher than the average winter loss. The survey of nearly 4,700 beekeepers managing more than 300,000 colonies goes back 13 years and is conducted by bee experts at the University of Maryland, Auburn University and several other colleges. Explore the colony loss map and other surveys in NJ.

A massive fire has erupted at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery in Southwest Philadelphia shaking nearby homes and sending thick smoke into the air. Homes as far away as South Jersey were rocked by a series of explosions as the blaze, which erupted shortly after 4 a.m., burned. Some residents in Philadelphia said the explosions knocked art off their walls. The fire is contained on the property off Passyunk Avenue of the refinery, fire officials said shortly before 6 a.m. Authorities have not yet said if any workers were injured or not. The site is the PES refinery at 3100 W. Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia Fire Department is asking residents and businesses east of the fire location in South Philadelphia to shelter-in-place until further notice.

Mosquito spraying has been postponed until June 28th. The Camden County Mosquito Commission will be conducting ULV spraying operations on Friday, June 28th between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. weather permitting on Plymouth Place, Somerset Avenue, St. James Avenue and Church Road. Mosquitoes are well known throughout the area as a nuisance. Uncontrolled mosquito populations can still ruin outdoor activities and interfere with many elements of business. A less common but even more serious problem with the blood sucking of mosquitoes is the spread of diseases. Various types of life-threatening encephalitis occur throughout South Jersey in humans and domestic animals. To report a mosquito issue in your town, please click here.

On Tuesday, June 18th, under a colorful, celebratory banner and accompanied by the band, Merchantville School graduated the their 8th Grade "Garnet and Grey" Class of 2019. They will continue their educational careers making Merchantville School proud. "Once a Knight - Always a Knight". Merchantville School thanked the parents and community for making the 2018-2019 an extremely successful school year.