After closing in the fall of 2015 for major dredging and environmental cleanup, Cooper River will reopen on March 25th with the first of 12 seasonal regattas, the Murphy Cup. Grants and the Camden County government paid the cost for the the $12 million rehabilitation project.

Camden County homeowners, gardeners, and fix-it-yourself types will soon have a new money-saving resource. This summer, county officials hope to launch a tool library in Gloucester Township that can help residents work on home projects without having to buy special equipment. The program will be similar to the West Philly Tool Library, which Camden County Freeholder Michelle Gentek visited last year, along with Chris Waldron, county director of sustainability and shared services. http://bit.ly/1K2YMdg

Register today for the 2014 Camden County Parenting Conference. This FREE event features two sessions of interactive workshops, exhibitors, brunch, face painting, balloon animals, fabulous door prizes, childcare and more! The keynote speaker is June Grushka-Rosen, a life coach who will talk about how families can coach each other to greatness. The conference will take place on Saturday, April 12th at Pennsauken High School.

Camden County offering a new e-mail newsletter, Just for Seniors! In this newsletter, seniors will learn about all that Camden County has to offer to our senior citizen community. The Camden County Board of Freeholders is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of our seniors through a wide range of educational, recreational & cultural opportunities. For more information on these and other items of interest to seniors, visit us online at camdencounty.com/justforseniors.

The Freeholders are hosting free convenient flu shot clinic locations across Camden County now through November 5th. On Friday, October 10th, they will be available at the Cherry Hill Township Municipal Building, on Tuesday October 21st

The former Lobster Trap restaurant in Cooper River Park will remain closed and undergo extensive renovations before reopening around Memorial Day 2015. The Lobster Trap closed in August, a few months after the death of its longtime operator, Tom Delimaris. 
But county officials saw the potential for something new, according to Vesper.
“We started getting calls from some very reputable restaurants, asking what was the county’s intention for that site,” he noted.
“I was amazed at how much interest there was.”
County officials asked would-be tenants to tour the North Park Drive building and suggest improvements. Vesper said the restaurant project would complement an ongoing $23 million effort to upgrade the 346-acre park. That includes an effort to dredge the river and bolster its banks to help support rowing events. Officials said changes are likely to include a new roof, upgrades to the electrical and heating-and-cooling systems, and exterior improvements.
The county is seeking bids for architectural and engineering services at the site. It will hold a competition to select a restaurant operator in the late summer or early fall. “We don’t want a sports bar; we want a family restaurant,” Vesper added of the site, which has a liquor license. Park visitors said they’d welcome a new eatery.

http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20140309/BUSINESS20/303090010/