What do you do if you're a tiny borough with tons of Halloween spirit and a pesky pandemic? Well, if you're Merchantville, New Jersey, you rise to the challenge and up your game because "Monsterville" 2020 is about to begin and - as the ringmaster says - "The show must go on!" Throughout the month October, the entire town will feature a series of Halloween themed activities and events designed to showcase its spooky spirit. This year gives us an opportunity to think outside the box and let New Jersey know "we own this"! Order your "officially ghoulish tee" before October 8th through Community Sports and keep an eye out for the "Haunts of Merchantville", "You've Been Booed" and lots of fun outside events!

Easter is a Christian holiday that celebrates the belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the New Testament of the Bible, the event is said to have occurred three days after Jesus was crucified by the Romans and died in roughly 30 A.D. The holiday concludes the “Passion of Christ,” a series of events and holidays that begins with Lent—a 40-day period of fasting, prayer and sacrifice—and ends with Holy Week, which includes Holy Thursday (the celebration of Jesus’ Last Supper with his 12 Apostles), Good Friday (on which Jesus’ crucifixion is observed), and Easter Sunday. Although a holiday of high religious significance in the Christian faith, many traditions associated with Easter date back to pre-Christian, pagan times.

Easter falls on a different date each year. Easter Sunday and related celebrations, such as Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday, are considered “moveable feasts,” although, in western Christianity, which follows the Gregorian calendar, Easter always falls on a Sunday between March 22nd and April 25th. In Eastern Orthodox Christianity, which adheres to the Julian calendar, Easter falls on a Sunday between April 4th and May 8th each year. In some denominations of Protestant Christianity, Easter Sunday marks the beginning of Eastertide, or the Easter Season. Eastertide ends on the 50th day after Easter, which is known as Pentecost Sunday.

The egg, an ancient symbol of new life, has been associated with pagan festivals celebrating spring. From a Christian perspective, Easter eggs are said to represent Jesus' emergence from the tomb and resurrection.

Today, on Easter Sunday, a number of churches and their congregations in Merchantville will conduct and participate in remote or virtual services, worshiping with each other from a distance. One thing that area pastors appear to agree on is that no matter how the sermon is delivered to the faithful on this holy day, it will contain the message to not only remember, but celebrate Christ’s resurrection. This morning, in his message at the Vatican, Pope Francis focused on what he called “the contagion of hope” amid “a world already faced with epochal challenges and now oppressed by a pandemic severely testing our whole human family,” Vatican News reported. The resurrection of Jesus Christ, he said, marks “the victory of love over the root of evil.”

This past weekend Safety and Survival Training, LLC trained 5 probationary members from the Merchantville Fire Department - Niagra Fire Company - on RIT operations. This training is required by the department to become a non-probationary member. The department has served the Borough of the Merchantville and its residents faithfully and with pride for the last 125 years. Currently the department is comprised of 1 career personnel, 30 volunteer firefighters, 3 support personnel and 3 junior firefighters. Niagara Fire Company provides fire suppression, prevention and education for the residents of Borough of Merchantville.

Trinity United Methodist Church is having a birthday! On Sunday, March 10th, Trinity United Methodist Church is inviting all friends and past and present members to help celebrate its 159th birthday at a service that will include special music and speakers. A reception will follow in the Fellowship Hall and we hope you can join us. Before Merchantville was Merchantville, Trinity Chapel was built at the intersection of Maple Avenue and Whiskey Road. That was in 1865.