In this video clip Tori Woodill takes you to Merchantville. “Keep calm and eat crepes,” is the motto at Charlie’s Crepes. According to the New Jersey-based renaissance man, his locally sourced, seasonal, and original crepe fillings are created like that of his original songs. They just happen! “I think it’s a culmination of what I’ve read, my life experiences, everything,” says Charlie. “It’s a spark.” And, to spark your interest, they have plenty of specials and, of course, the classics like ham and cheese!

Meet Sarah Licata, a Merchantville resident who's passionate about creating seasonal recipes for the everyday cook inspired by New Jersey farm-fresh produce and blogging about them at Saltjar.com. Her affection for food was learned watching her family cook, reading countless cookbooks and through plenty of trial-and-error. She's lived in New Jersey her whole life where she's discovered the difference that using local, seasonal, farm-fresh foods can make in a healthier body and mind. Oatmeal is one of the healthiest choices you can make in the morning, and this cranberry orange baked oatmeal is filled with warm spices to start your day right! Follow Sarah on twitter to learn how to shift your focus back to market-driven home cooking..

SisterSales Team of Garden State Properties Group and Bryson's Pub are official donation sites for Toys For Tots. Owners Kathy Laufer and Rita O'Brien have been happy to support this program over the years. You can drop off an unwrapped toy to the SisterSales office at 5 West Park Avenue in Merchantville and Bryson's at 3402 Cove Road or if you’re too busy, we’d be happy to pick-up from you. Let’s make a difference together. Toys for Tots is a program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve which distributes toys to children whose parents cannot afford to buy them gifts for Christmas. We’ll be open during the parade on Friday night for drop offs!

The Merchantville Stamp Club will host their monthly Stamp Bourse on Saturday, 12/7/19, 1/4/20 and 2/1/20 in the school gym at Martin Luther Chapel, 4100 Terrace Avenue, Pennsauken, NJ. Bourse Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Dealers who are currently committed to the MSC Saturday Bourse include: Jim Chada/Cary Cochran, Woody Fairess/Fisch Stamps, Manny Goldstein/Bob Heaton, Denne Keller/Bruce Lord, Richard Marolda/Dominic Sozio, Sid Morginstin - Button Stamp Co., Ryan Terlecky/Ross Wiessmann, Drew Wintringham, Bob Zatorski - The Excelsior Collection and Charlie Hamilton - C & D Philatelics. For further information, please call Carol Anne Visalli, 856-562-1389 or Bruce Lord 610-356-0867.

Earler today McFarlan’s Market in Merchantville announced via social media that the store will be closing later this month. “We will be closing the Merchantville location on December 14, 2019 while we continue to search for a buyer. Please know we did not take making this decision lightly,” according to a statement made on the store’s Facebook page. “We will very much miss our Merchantville family and the friends we’ve made over the last 9 years. You all made this a very special chapter in our lives that we will never forget.” This original corner store reopened in May 2010 after owners, Pete and Janet, gave the old Philadelphia Fruit Market a new look and returned to its original name.

Starting Sunday, December 1st, anyone convicted of DWI in the Garden State, even for a first offense of .05%, which is below the legal limit of .08., will have to install a so-called “ignition interlock device” in their car to prevent them from driving with alcohol on their breath.The law also eliminates license suspensions for first-timers whose blood-alcohol level was only slightly above the legal limit, or between .08 and .10 percent. Up to now, only those convicted of a second DWI offense or more, or first-timers convicted of having a blood-alcohol level above .15 were subject to installation of the locking devices, including the cost of their installation and monthly monitoring charges that could amount to several hundred dollars. The law, signed by Gov. Murphy in August has been hailed by Mothers Against Drunk Drivers and other supporters as a common-sense alternative to mandatory suspensions without ignition lock requirements. 

As of 6:00 a.m. the National Weather Service in Mt. Holly is predicting wintry precipitation from Sunday, December 1st through Monday, December 2nd with rain today and tonight, changing to snow on Monday in parts of southern NJ, northern DE and extreme northeastern MD.. The snow may result in slippery travel conditions and there is some uncertainty that freezing rain will occur in our area. Please use caution when driving and remember that ice will develop on elevated surfaces, bridges, overpasses, trees and wires sooner than it will on roads and walkways.

Don't let fall leaves get you down! One of the very best sources of organic matter is autumn leaves. Leaves are packed with trace minerals that trees draw up from deep in the soil. When added to your garden, leaves feed earthworms and beneficial microbes. They lighten heavy soils and help sandy soils retain moisture. They make an attractive mulch in the flower garden. They're a fabulous source of carbon to balance the nitrogen in your compost pile. And they insulate tender plants from cold. Be sure to chop or shred leaves before using them as mulch. Whole leaves can form a mat that water can't penetrate. Here are a few easy ways to put leaves to work in the yard and garden: shred up as many of them as you can into your lawn -decomposing leaves and grass cover the soil between the individual grass plants where weeds can germinate; put some shredded leaves aside for a month or so to be used for mulching and insulating plants; or, boost your compost pile with this nutrient rich ingredient.