With Round One of the first People’s Choice Contest concluded, we are excited to kick-off Round Two. Your votes helped decided the winners from each town and now they’ll compete to be the best of the best. Round Two—the Best of the Classic Towns—begins on May 8th and continues to May 22nd. Be sure to vote for your favorites in each category to see them become the winners of the first annual People’s Choice. Remember to tag @Classictowns on social media to spread the love for your local favorites and use the hashtag #Classictownspeopleschoice. Vote everyday to ensure your picks win! Follow this link to vote.

Please be advised that beginning Tuesday, May 29th, Borough Hall will be on the follow summer hours schedule: Monday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm; Tuesday, 8:00 am - 6:00 pm; Wednesday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm; Thursday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm; and Friday, 8:00 am - 12:30 pm

On September 6, 1886, John S. Collins acquired land in Merchantville from Senator Alexander G. Cattell. Collins was a founder and developer of Miami Beach and Collins Avenue, there, bears his name. In 1887, carpenters built a lumber yard complex on this site. Fire, in 1892, destroyed the existing main structure. This large hall building with a Queen Anne façade and overtones of Germanic Victorian brickwork was erected in 1893. It was in a prominent location, where Centre Street was crossed by the tracks of the railroad. The first floor housed the building supply company owned by John S. Collins, coal and lumber merchant, Quaker developer and visionary, and his son-in-law, Thomas J. Pancoast. There was a railroad siding, south of the Hall, with auxiliary shops in the rear. On the Chestnut Avenue side, the Post Office (1900 to 1909) served residents. The developers designed the building to provide spaces for the growing cultural and social undertakings, including the handsome first public auditorium on the second floor and a third floor Masonic meeting room that served that organization from 1893 until 1965. St. Agnes Guild of Grace Episcopal Church gave the premier performance. In 1912, Collins and Pancoast became J. S. Collins & Sons and offered a complete line of lumber, hardware, paints and garden supplies. The Merchantville-Pennsauken Water Commission had its beginnings when a group of citizens met here to discuss the water famine of 1909. The Playcrafters found a home in the building in 1937 and remained there until 1976. Dancing classes for young girls and boys were conducted in the auditorium. The public has enjoyed eateries such as Craig’s Ice Cream Parlor (late 1970s), Tavern on the Square (opened March 1998), The Collins House (2004) and The Blue Monkey (2008). Thus, this building was an architecturally imposing commercial structure that caps the most active generation of Merchantville's growth, representing the maturing of the community as it evolved towards one that sustained the arts and was unified by various social and fraternal organizations. On February 16, 1984, it was entered onto the National Register of Historic Places.

Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday, May 28th at 10:00AM. in Wellwood Park at Linden and Maple Avenues. Borough Hall will be closed on Monday in observance of Memorial Day. The public is invited to join Merchantville American Legion Post #68 for our annual Memorial Day program in Wellwood Park (Maple and Linden Avenues) at 10am. Come out and join us a we remember our fallen and look at the true meaning of the holiday. Light refreshments will be served following our service. The Merchantville Community Center will host this event should we have inclement weather.

Resident, Nancy Page, received a tip from a Garden Club member on where to spot hummingbirds. They can be seen along the fence at the Public Works building on the path close to Cove Road. There are some wild morning glories they are enjoying there early in the morning around 8 a.m. Also, word has it that there have been many hummingbirds hanging out at the fountain in Morrisey Park during past Septembers. Keep your eyes out!

This is so much fun! Come join me for my 3rd annual Photo booth at the Monsterville Fest during Merchantville's "market Off Centre" on Saturday, October 28th. Online booking is available here. Get on my schedule now because these time slots fill up quickly! $25 per family. Please book additional time slots for each extended family seating. 

In response to the tragic events that occurred in Charlottesville, VA, residents from Merchantville, Pennsauken, and other neighboring communities gathered along Maple Ave. to remember Heather Heyer, Lieutenant Cullen and Trooper Bates, as well as to promote peace and unity. http://allaroundpennsauken.com/candlelight-vigil-takes-stand-against-hate/#.Was26ZOGNAZ

We invite residents and neighbors to join in a peaceful and silent Candelight Vigil in Merchantville on Wednesday evening, 8/16/17, from 8:00-8:30PM. This vigil is being held in memory of Heather Heyer, Lt. H. Jay Cullen and trooper-pilot Berke Bates who lost their lives in Charlottesville, VA and to express our respect for racial, religious, ethnic and gender equality and justice. Please bring a candle and assemble at 8:00 PM along both sides of Maple Avenue from Route 130, at the entrance to the Borough of Merchantville, to Church Road in Pennsauken Township. We welcome all residents and neighbors who would like to express their personal sympathy for the loss of life and their concern about the events of this past weekend in a peaceful, respectful manner. Thank you.