Rosemari Hicks offers a menu of lattes, chai teas and loaf slices courtesy of many Camden vendors and micro-business owners at her Nuanced Cafe, 225 Market St. in Camden. The decor of this newly-opened downtown coffee shop displays  similar hyper local touches including the wall in the seating area kept purposefully empty - with photographers and painters able to showcase their work and even sell it with all profits going to them. Hicks, a Merchantville resident for the past 20 years, hopes to see grow even more following the café’s January 11th soft opening. For now, customers can sit at socially-distanced tables in the café while wearing face masks. In the future she hopes to greet returning students from Rutgers-Camden. For more information call 609-332-3084 or visit www.facebook.com/NuancedCafe.

Jan Hanson, member of the Woman's Club of Merchantville, recently became the 57th President of the New Jersey State Federation of Women's Clubs of GFWC, taking over responsibilities from 2018-20 president Mary Wolfe from Vineland. Jan joined the JWCM in 1982 and the Woman's Club of Merchantville in 1994. She served as her club's President as well as a number of district and State Board positions before her election in 2018 as the NJSFWC President-elect. She is a Pennsauken resident and served as past PTA president, as well as, a PYAA girls' basketball, soccer and softball coach. Barbara McCloskey, from the Woman's Club of the Denville-Rockaway, was named second vice-president.

Gov. Phil Murphy allowed golf courses and parks to reopen Saturday, with some minor adjustments for safety, and golfers flocked back to the tees and greens in droves. Clubs throughout the region were packed to their newly reduced capacities, honoring pandemic safeguards while accommodating players. At the 127-year-old Merchantville Country Club reservations had sold out in about an hour, according to Bill Goodrich, president of the board. The fact that the club used scheduled tee times at all was an adjustment. At only nine holes, the course is played quickly, and members usually rely on WhatsApp to coordinate when to arrive and whom to play with, he said. “We’ve been given this great opportunity, allowing us to reopen,” Goodrich said. “Whatever guidelines we need to follow, we’ll follow. Our goal is to get back to full operation, but in a safe way.”

Roll up your sleeves with Merchantville resident and pizzaiolo, Thomas Woltjen, of Mercer Cafe. You're welcome to collect your own ingredients, purchase a pizza kit from Mercer, or just watch & learn. Contact Mercer Cafe to purchase $25 pizza kits that include two (2) 14 ounce dough balls, cheese, sauce, flour, and instructions. Mercer cafe is family owned and operated since 2000. Serving breakfast, lunch, brick oven pizza and dinner - also featuring a coffee bar and grab and go market. Call 267-457-5585 to order your pizza kit. Follow us on Instagram.

As a neighboring community, Merchantville appreciates the residents of Camden, Chief Joseph Wysocki, the Camden Police Department for the leadership they demonstrated by marching peacefully in solidarity to protest the killing of George Floyd this past Saturday. Since Camden’s police force disbanded and reformed in 2013 as a county agency, officers there have been hyper-focused on community policing. You will often see them walking beats or attending neighborhood block parties grilling up hamburgers and hot dogs. “We know that together we are stronger, we know that together, in the city of Camden, we can create a space where policing is focused on deescalation and dialogue,” Wysocki said. May 30th's peaceful protest and march in Camden was another example of their ongoing community engagement, and the very real dialogue that they are having with residents throughout Camden.

The Pennsauken HS Alumni Association we needs your help. They need basket donations for their Alumni "Let's Bowl for Scholarships" Night, Saturday, March 28th at Pinsetters. If you would like to donate, make a basket or volunteer to help get donations please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. It's going to be a great night with friends, family, baskets and 50/50 to raise money for scholarships. The event runs from 4:00-7:00 p.m. and includes shoes and 3 hours of bowling. Get your $13 tickets in advance through 3/14/20. After this date the ticket price will be $15.