The Merchantville Police Department will be cracking down on distracted driving during the month of April as part of New Jersey’s UDRive. UText. UPay. enforcement campaign. Running April 1 – April 21, the high visibility law enforcement initiative will target motorists who engage in dangerous distracted driving behaviors such as talking on hand-held cell phones and sending text-messages while driving. In New Jersey, driver inattention was listed as a contributing factor in 53 percent of the state’s crashes in 2016. Driver inattention was in fact listed as a contributing factor in crashes at a rate nine times higher than that of the next highest contributing factor (speed). Because of this, New Jersey was one of only four states nationally to receive dedicated federal grant funding to combat distracted driving. The UDrive. UText. UPay. enforcement campaign is being held in April, which the National Safety Council has designated as Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

St. Peter School Merchantville celebrated our wonderful Knights of Columbus Council on their Founder's Day. We had a special presentation during Mass to thank them for their tireless service to our school and parish. Afterwards the Knights spoke to our students to let them know all about being a Knight and the importance of service. The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded by Michael J. McGivney in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1882, it was named in honor of the explorer Christopher Columbus.

McFarlan's Market at 27 South Centre in Merchantville has your back for any party. Sweets, entrees, salads, sides, apps, wraps– we've got it all! High quality, great taste.The service is great, the food is great, and all the employees are phenomenal. Definitely worth stopping by for a coffee, a sandwich, groceries or other specialty needs. McFarlan's never disappoints. Planning a party - give them a call 856-662-1400.

Launching Summer 2019 is LowTides Ocean Products and they are celebrating Earth Month with the world's most eco-friendly chair. Built with 2.5 pounds of up-cycled ocean plastic, you too can be the solution to cleaner tides. Look good with a purpose. New styles for a new generation. 95% of Plastics are Used Once; LowTides stylish & durable design is built to make a difference. Each beach chair is made with over 2lb of upcycled plastic. LowTides is the brainchild of a true Jersey boy. Growing up along the water's edge with his cousins on 80th Street in Sea Isle City, New Jersey to now taking his family there, Brent Hutchinson realized that if nothing was done, future generations will not be able to do the same.

The Shop Merchantville Feature Business this month is Garden State Properties Group at 5 W Park Avenue. Check out April's Feature Business of the month. All month long we will be spotlighting the SisterSales Team with great pictures and video by Nicole Nurthen Photography. If you don't already follow their page, be sure to head over there for the latest going on in downtown Merchantville!

The blue crab is one of the Mid-Atlantic's seafood hallmarks, a staple of Chesapeake Bay ecosystem and a prominent fixture in New Jersey. Identified by its distinctive blue claws, the crab has now become entrenched along the coast of Spain — and not in a good way, according to a report from The Guardian. “It devours everything, and the catch of local crabs and cockles has fallen as a result,” Joan Balagué.  They suspect the blue crab arrived in Spain via the ballast tanks of commercial ships and the females can produce up to two million eggs per brood. With few predators on the Spanish coast, the crabs have taken over the area in recent years. 

Free drink of your choice. Purchase any Station travel mug and receive a free drink. Get a pour of your favorite coffee or try something new like a nutella latte or chai. The Station is a cozy coffee house tucked into an old train station near railroad tracks that now serve as biking and walking trails. In addition to serving coffee, baked goods, smoothies, sandwiches and even crepes.