The Borough of Merchantville has been contacted by a representative of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation. There is a zoom meeting tonight, Tuesday, January 26th from 6:00-7:00 p.m., led by Action Team Leader Anya Saretzky, to get stakeholder input on extending Merchantville's multi-use trail in an easterly and westerly direction. Come learn about the planned Burlington/Camden Trail and how you can get involved. The Circuit Trails Coalition will be sharing brand new concepts for the trail and we want to hear your thoughts! The new trail will connect the Pennsauken and Maple Shade communities to the Merchantville and Dudley Grange Park trails, and beyond. Register to receive a link to attend this zoom meeting to become more familiar with what is happening on the ground and how you can take action to be a more active Circuit Citizen for Camden County.

Ryan's Retail, located at 22 North Centre Street, has a new vendor - Jess Chalks - who's a perfect fit for transforming your home into "Monsterville" 2020 haunt. Everything is handmade to perfection and impossible to forget. Her Chalk Transfers™, Chalkology™ Paste and Chalkology™ Ink will quickly turn any surface you want from boring into breathtaking. How about creating practical and budget-friendly, double-sided decorations you can use for Halloween and Fall. Learn "how to" with Jess. Ryan’s Retail hours are Wednesday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

News 12 took an interest in Monsterville this week and were live with Mayor Ted Brennan yesterday to ask about the town's decision to discourage Trick-or-Treating this year. Brennan says that one of the main reasons is a lack of resource “To ask our police officers or anybody to go out there and try to enforce a ban on trick-or-treating just didn’t seem realistic,” he says. “We also felt that there’s a subset of the community that feels comfortable participating in Halloween here in ‘Monsterville.’ We wanted them to have the opportunity to continue to do that.” Other Monsterville Halloween traditions will continue to take place like the annual house decorating competition and the annual eighth grade haunted house - now a socially distant parade. Brennan says that Halloween will return in full force for the next year with the motto, "Double the candy in 2021."

Undeterred by the pandemic, "We've Been BOOed!" gift totes will be making their magical way from house to house in Monsterville soon! First one neighbor, then another - then, before you know it, it's your house!  This enchanting tradition of friendly community fun surprises neighbors, friends or family with a gift that you make and leave at their door. Halloween BOO-ing begins when one neighbor secretly leaves a small gift basket, a BOO poem, BOO instructions and a BOO sign at a neighbor's doorstep. The lucky BOO-ee is asked to post the sign near the door, alerting others that "We've Been BOO-ed!" In turn, the neighbor is asked to BOO two other households, creating a chain reaction of Halloween fun. Day by day, the BOO signs proliferate. Before you know it, the entire neighborhood is sporting BOO signs, and everyone is guessing. Anyone who gets Booed and needs copies of the BOO poem, BOO door sign or Booing instructions can pick them up after October 1st in the plastic tote outside Monsterville Borough Hall!