"Another year over, and a new one just begun..."

Let’s take a look back on what people were talking about in 2009:

• January – Mayor North switches from the Republican to the Democratic party.
• February – The bond to purchase the PNC property is presented to Borough Council. Merchantville gets its first grant to extend the bike path.
• March –A story in the Courier Post on sharing services with Cherry Hill.
• April – School budgets and school elections.
• May – The Municipal budget triggers another wave of merger / shared services discussions.
• June – Rumors of Yards brewery coming to the old PNC bank circulate; Philadelphia Fruit Market is finally sold for $233K.
• July – Speed tables and farmers’ markets.
• August – Fieldstone wins right to develop Town Center East. (Whatever happened?)
• September – Camden County Taxes, Merchantville School Attendance, and the question is asked if Merchantville will be the next Collingswood?
• October – Merchantville is designated as a Classic Town.
• November – Plans for a long term lease at the old PNC fall through; Merchantville BOE approaches Haddon Heights on a new send & receive relationship
• December – The Blizzard of ’09. All I can say is that driving around the past few days that the secondary roads in neighboring communities are not that much better. Check out Mansion Blvd in Pennsauken. There probably hasn’t been a storm like this since ’96. There were a good number of schools in surrounding communities also closed on Monday. I suppose that I need to take off the rose-colored lenses every now and then, but let’s keep things in perspective. There was a lot of good going around in town over the past few days with neighbors helping out neighbors getting cars out and checking up on the eldery and others who need assistance.

Perhaps, there is a neighbor out there who can lend a hand to this gentleman:

How was 2009 overall? It was a tough year for a lot of people, businesses, and governments.

What are the important issues to be debated in 2010?

Finally, this new year also marks the end of the aughts, pre-teens, double zeros, or whatever we end up calling the 2000s. Looking back over the last decade, how has the first decade of this century treated Merchantville and the surrounding community? What are the differences between Merchantville in 2000 and Merchantville in 2010?

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Season's greetings, neighbors!

The borough has big plans this weekend:

• The Farmer's Market has moved indoors to the building that needs no introduction on these pages. The market runs from 4-8PM. Be sure to get there early and stock up on the 100 calorie goodness that is Indulgence Cupcakery.
• The big news is that the parade has been switched to a night time event this Friday at 7PM. I hope that the floats incorporate enough lights. Could anyone tell me whatever happened to big locomotive whose cannon sound left many citizens hard of hearing for days?
• Immediately following the parade is the Tree Lighting Ceremony.
• The Merchantville Historical Society, along with Mville Woman's Club, Woman's Club EMD, and Junior Woman's Club bring back the Holiday Home Tour this season. The tour runs this Saturday from noon to 7PM. The addresses are as follows:

1. 201 Saint James Ave
2. 300 West Maple Ave
3. 110 Lexington Ave
4. 102 West Maple Ave
5. 16 Morris St
6. 1 Morris St
7. 126 Leslie Ave

The event kicks off at the Community Center, which should also be decked to the nines. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $12 at Aunt Charlotte's, Foam Cafe, or Wirth's Florist. Tickets are available the day of the tour for $15. Volunteers are needed.

All of these details and more can be found on the official Merchantville website. In addition, there is a great blurb with pictures on the site here on the progress at McFarlan's. Please hurry it up, as it is not too fun to run out to Wegmans to get one missing ingredient with all the holiday shopping traffic! Please continue with your contributions on other area holiday comings and goings (Christmas Bazaars, model train displays, etc).

The 3/50 Project

Remember that studies show that for every hundred dollars you put in the small retail businesses of a local community, the community sees about $70 back as opposed to spending your hard earned dollars at the big box stores where the return is significantly less (and perhaps lines the pockets of this George Norcross character whom I sort of picture as the Grinch who stole the Pennsauken Mart.) While the market of goods and services in Merchantville may be fairly limited, OK - very limited, I encourage everyone to do as much as they can to show our support to the businesses in town. Perhaps, you do not want to cook this Christmas or New Year's Eve and want to have a fine dining experience upstairs in The Collins House. Even better, check out the new catering menu and offerings at Cafe Bella Vita and get that 1/2 pan of the spinach ravioli to serve guests on Christmas Eve. Check out The Dark Room Studios before they pack up for good and head off to Alaska. Get your poinsettias at Wirth's, your candies at Aunt Charlotte's, your cigars at Cigar Alley, etc.

Miscellaneous

• Merchantville Car Show is July 10th, 2010. There is a meeting posted on the borough website for tomorrow night at the Community Center looking for volunteers.
• A story in the Courier Post says the state is cutting municipality funds. Can someone with a better understanding advise if this would impact Merchantville in anyway, or has Mr. Corzine taken all of our assistance? Even better, can someone explain how Mr Greenwald can enact legislation preventing towns from raising property taxes if the state is pulling the carpet out from under them?
• Kudos to the Public Works team in managing the leaf collection again this season.
• Breaking news - Merchantville gets its federal aid for the bike trail extension.