Mayor Ted Brennan, all of the members of the Borough Council, all Public Safety providers and municipal staff would like to wish you and yours a healthy, happy and safe New Year 2020. Our governing body is working to make the new decade even better than the last and we look forward to your idea sharing and participation. Please refer to the Borough website or Facebook Page for municipal information and contacts. 

Are you a local starving artist? Someone who sacrifices their material well-being - living on bare bones expenses - in order to focus on your talent, creativity and artwork. Do you lack the customers or disposable income for new art projects? Well we understand that your art is your work and would like to help ensure that your creations also enable you to eat! Ryan's Retail is "Calling All Starving Artists" at their Artists Only Pop-Up on Saturday, February 1st, from 5:00 -10:00 p.m. Registration is $10 for a 6' x 6' space. Local wall art or sculpture are preferred, photography welcome. For more information or to register please send photos or links of your work to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Aunt Charlotte’s Candies will be closed on Monday, January 6, 2020 to celebrate the life of their mother, Virginia (Bunny) Oakford, who passed away on December 10, 2019. There will be a visitation from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. and a service immediately following at The First Presbyterian Church, 10 West Maple Avenue in Merchantville. The family invites and welcomes friends and neighbors who would like to attend this memorial. Complete details available through Falco, Caruso & Leonard Funeral Homes.

Mayor Brennan sent congrats on Twitter to Merchantville’s own Phil Manganaro, Chef/Owner of Park Place Cafe & Restaurant, for his well deserved recognition as one of the 24 most important people on the NJ restaurant scene. We’re lucky to have such talent and shows that Merchantville is a great place to work play and live! In a recent US Today article on eating your Christmas tree they noted that at Park Place Restaurant in Merchantville, you can enjoy seared scallops with roasted porcini, essence of White Pine and pine ash. Or turbot, poached in olive oil and served with the ash of White and Pitch pines. "It's about tying it all together, for me," said Chef/owner Phil Manganero. "Mushrooms grow under the pine trees, so it makes sense to me." As one of the decade’s 24 most influential people in the NJ restaurant scene Phil has made an indelible mark on New Jersey's ever-evolving dining experience. Our food scene is as good as any in South Jersey and looking to grow soon! 

The Observer has published their last issue of 2019. It includes articles about Merchantville's BOE discussion on School Choice and keeping the current maximum level of 44 School Choice students from other public school districts; the closure and loss of McFarlans Market after a nine year run in the downtown; the appointment of Officer James Burkhardt as LEAD job at school due to Officer Talarico stepping down; welcome to two new businesses - A Milli Little Things and La Guadalapana Restaurant; and, reviews of the Turkey Trot and MES Talent Show.

Merchantville School is "Thankful for its Diversity" and continues to celebrate student differences and distinctiveness through education and art. MES students share and learn about different cultures throughout the year and express this in artwork from the holiday season. As part of their "No Place for Hate" initiative, Merchantville School students highlight and promote the uniqueness of each student. In class, children have the opportunity to exchange information about where their ancestors came from, discuss the words they choose to represent them and participate in a Poetry Slam about diversity.

Welcome to A Milli Little Things, an up and coming small business featuring homemade bath and body products, located downtown at 19 South Centre Street. Entrepreneur, Saleemah Smith, makes homemade skincare products like sugar scrubs, body butters, salt scrubs, lip scrubs and candles - in favorites seasonal flavors Gingerbread, Creme Brulee and Pumpkin Spice - using organic ingredients, in small batches and, made to order to allow the consumer time to enjoy its maximum shelf life. She also sells hand painted glassware to store your everyday household items such as make-up brushes, cotton balls, scrubs, butters or anything your heart desires. Holiday hours, 12/24-12/28: Tuesday and Thursday 11 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Any questions please call (856) 240-0006 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can also check out her web catalogue, or social media pages on Facebook or Instagram.

Tara’s Cozy Kitchen will have jumbo cinnamon rolls available for Christmas and ready for pick-up in Merchantville at Ryan's Retail, 22 North Centre Street, on Monday 12/23 and Christmas Eve until noon.Scented memories of warm cinnamon buns topped with cream cheese frosting will keep hearts and bellies happy on Christmas day. Pre-order your tray of 12 for $25 or 6 for $15 today to ensure we have enough to fill all orders. Send us a Facebook message, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or give us a call at (609)534-7440.

Joe Holman, who built a family auto dealership into an international company, has died at age 93. “He showed that nice guys can be pretty successful in business,” said Frank Beideman, executive vice president at Holman Enterprises, which is now employing the fifth generation of a South Jersey family. He was a star basketball player at Merchantville High School, where he played trumpet in the marching band and was the drum major and, a basketball standout at Princeton, which he attended on the GI Bill after serving in the Navy. An avid golfer, Holman was a member of the Merchantville, Tavistock and Pine Valley country clubs. Holman was active in several South Jersey charities, including local affiliates of the United Way and American Red Cross. He was a life trustee and distinguished fellow at Coriell Institute for Medical Research in Camden. In 1924 Holman Enterprises, parent company of ARI, launched in Merchantville, New Jersey when Steward C. Holman signed a dealership contract with the Ford Motor Company. Enjoy this video of their history.