On Saturday, July 18th make plans to join in the fun and also support a wonderful cause by attending the Family Fun Day at Fort Medford Playground located in Bob Meyer Park. The event will take place from 11:00 am until 3:00 pm with all proceeds going to help build the planned 100% handicapped accessible playground addition to Fort Medford.

For the past year dedicated members of the Fort Medford Playground Committee have been working diligently to raise the funds necessary to build this special playground designed for both children and adults with special needs, but also fun for all children of all ages. This addition is to be incorporated with the existing Fort Medford that was built in 1995 with donations and the labor of many volunteers.

The goal of raising the $100,000 needed is now within sight, but $20,000 is still required to begin building the playground, which will be the first of its kind in Burlington County.

The benefit that will be held on Saturday will include fun field games, an All-Star Band line-up including “The Feables” and “UFT,” picnic food, face painting, clowns, a multitude of Chinese auction gift baskets, and children’s games complete with prizes. Your support of this event will help to make the dream of the not only 100% accessible, but also “green” eco-friendly playground, a reality in the very near future.

If you would like to volunteer for the Fun Day, call Dottie Spellman at 609-654-0563. If you like to make a donation, contact Committee Co-Chair Kyle Koszowski at 856-988-1552.

The Fort Medford Playground in Bob Meyer Park is located at 2 Commonwealth Road just off of Gravelly Hollow Road, next to the Township Public Works Facility. In the event of inclement weather, the event will be held on Sunday, July 19th. For additional information, please call the Medford Recreation Department at 609-654-2512.

The festivities will begin at 6:00 pm with moonbounce-type inflatables for the kids. At 7:00 pm, the renowned “All About Me” band returns to perform on our main stage performing a variety of pop tunes from the 50’s to today’s hits that will delight young and old alike. (www.allaboutmelive.com)

Also this year, the Township Council is proud to announce that the newly formed “Medford Returning Veterans Committee” is planning an unprecedented welcome home event for several recently returned Veterans that have served our community in both Iraq and Afghanistan. This event will take place beginning at 6:00 pm on the Main Stage. The Township Council formed this Committee in early 2009 in order to welcome returning veterans to the local Medford area community, and to sponsor local homecoming events to celebrate and honor their service. Committee members appointed by the Council include Chair Nino DePasquale, Michael Panarella, Jim Ewan, Dottie Spellman and Col. Joseph Bartasius. Mayor David Brown and Deputy Mayor Bob Martin serve as Council liaisons to this Committee.

As a part of the July 3^rd ceremonies, there will be an honor escort for the veterans into Freedom Park, including uniformed Medford Fire Dept personnel, Medford Police Dept support, and Warriors Watch Motorcycle Riders. The veterans will be honored and acknowledged by the Township Council and other special guests at the event. The Township Council is asking residents to please show their support for these heroes, who because of their courage and commitment have allowed us to enjoy our lives in this great country and in our special Medford community.

The Independence Day festivities will also include vendors providing refreshments, beverages, cold treats and trinkets. At dusk, we will shoot our biggest fireworks display yet produced by the Schaefer Fireworks of Ronks, Pennsylvania. (www.schaferfireworks.com)

The festivities, veterans ceremony, and fireworks presentation are free. Participants are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and/or blankets and start the holiday celebrations with a bang!

Due to the logistics involved in preparing Freedom Park for the festivities, the off-leash dog run will be closed all day and and the main parking lot will be closed to the public at 2:00 pm. In the event of rain, the concert and fireworks display will be rescheduled for Sunday, July 5^th.

Parking and traffic restrictions will also be in place during this event. Look for specific information after June 29th on Medford’s official website at www.medfordtownship.com or contact the Medford Recreation Department at (609) 654-2512.

CONTACT: Beth Portocalis (609) 654-2512

For information & photos for the "All About Me" band, visit www.allaboutmelive.com

For information & photos for Schaefer Fireworks, visit www.schaeferfireworks.com

Rob Hanold, Medford resident, presented six brand new picnic tables for the new handicapped-accessible playground at Fort Medford in Bob Meyer Park to the Fort Medford Playground Committee.

Hanold, an Eagle Scout Candidate, worked with the rest of his troop and their fathers
to build six handicapped-accessible picnic tables. The tables will be situated near the
soon-to-be new addition to Fort Medford.

Hanold and his fellow scouts built the tables with 100% donated materials. Kyle Koszowski,

Medford Playground Committee Chairperson, was thrilled that Dubell Lumber generously donated all the Trex materials to the committee in order to complete the project. In total, Rob and the other scouts spent over 100 hours building the picnic tables. Not only did the Scouts extensively research the plans for the picnic tables, but they also modified the plans so the tables would truly be handicapped-accessible.

Debbie Showers, a Medford Playground Committee member commented on the dedication,

“I was thrilled to hear an Eagle Scout took the initiative and built the tables. What a great bunch of scouts! This proves to me that Medford embraces all its members, special needs or not. And I’m proud that Medford is a community where diversity is celebrated.”

The picnic tables are awesome! It’ll be so nice to sit in the shade while my daughter is
enjoying the playground.”  The Fort Medford Playground Committee has worked tirelessly to create a revolutionary new Fort Medford.

The new Fort Medford will provide an opportunity for children of all abilities to play together, thus providing a place of unity for the community. Accessible playgrounds are also important for adults with special-needs, allowing them to take part in these playground activities with their children and grandchildren and interact with them, whereas in many typical playgrounds they are unable to due to the lack of amenities for those with special-needs.

If you would like to join the efforts in continuing to uphold our township as a leader in the provision of quality parks and recreational facilities by making this 100% accessible and “green” playground a reality for everyone, please contact the Fort Medford Playground Committee at (856) 988-1552.

Please support Medford Township’s fundraising efforts to upgrade Fort Medford located in Bob Myer park – making it a much more handicapped accessible facility.

Please visit PJ Whelihans in Medford Lakes on June 22nd from 5-8pm.  PJ’s will donate 10% of each patron’s bill during this time to help raise funds for the Fort Medford project. 

When you visit PJ Whelihan’s in Medford Lakes present this flyer to have 10% of your bill donated to the fundraising efforts.

It’s a great cause, and a chance for you and your family or friends to gather at one of Medford’s favorite eating spots for good food and fun.

Download the flyer here, print it out and present it to your server.

The Historic Medford Village Association and the Medford Business Association are pleased to present the Summer Festival of Art, Wine and Music on Sunday, June 7, 2009 from 11:30 am to 4:00 pm.

Main Street in the historic and scenic Medford Village will be closed to traffic so that visitors may safely stroll and browse. Free trolleys will ferry visitors from parking lots at Sharp’s Run Plaza and the Medford Center, located at Route 70 and Jones Road.  In the past, over 10,000 are residents have visited Medford for this festive event!

In addition to the local shops, galleries and antique stores opening to showcase their unique wares, Medford’s Main Street will be lined with more than 50 artists’ booths showing paintings and sculpture in a variety of media, hand-made jewelry, and fine crafts, all of which will be for sale. Featured performers will be the popular Juliano Brothers, with an array of other musical bands showcasing their tunes up and down the street. The entertaining Give and Take Jugglers will delight visitors of all ages. In addition, a number of Medford’s acclaimed restaurants will be present to serve up their specialties.

The Wine Court will be located along both sides of Bank Street, starting at its intersection with Main. Fifteen wineries have reserved spaces and will be providing tastes of their best vintages. Visitors may purchase sealed bottles and cases of their favorite wines to take home. Cheese, chocolate and foot-tapping bluegrass music will enliven the wine tasting venue. Wine tasting tickets are $10 per person and can be purchased at the Wine Court entrance. Patrons will also receive a commemorative wine glass for sampling.

The new Medford Arts Center (MAC) at 18 North Main Street will celebrate its grand opening during the Festival, showcasing the works of former Medford Cultural Arts Commission chairs Diane Rappisi and Kate Lemay in its three galleries. Artwork by the students of the nearby Milton H. Allen School will be on display in the second floor art studios. Admission to the MAC is free.

The rain date for the Festival will be Sunday, June 14, however the grand opening of the MAC will go on as scheduled on June 7^th from 11:30 am until 4:00 pm.

For more information visit www.hmva.org or www.artsinmedford.org. 

Start your engines!! Main Street, Medford, in the heart of Burlington County, will be the place to be on Saturday, May 16th as the Medford Township Council has proudly announced that this will be the date of the sixth annual “Blast from the Past” Classic Car Show. This free event marks Medford as a true regional destination for car show enthusiasts and their families.

The Lakes Corvette Club and the Union Fire Company are again partnering with Medford Township to present this event.From 10:00 am until 4:00 pm, over 250 antique, classic, and muscle cars will line historic and scenic Main Street for a judged show. While strolling Main Street to check out the cars and the wonderful shoppes, galleries and antique stores, patrons can stop by the stage at Main and Bank Streets to enjoy live music and other family friendly activities.

For lunch or a snack while you’re in town, visit one of Medford’s fine restaurants on Main Street, including Braddock’s Tavern, Ted’s on Main, Bain’s Deli, and the Mulberry Tea Room. In addition, refreshments will be sold in the unit block of South Main Street by volunteers of the Union Fire Company to benefit their operations.

For more information, directions, or to obtain an entry form for the Blast from the Past Car Show, visit www.medfordcarshow.com or www.lakescorvetteclub.com, or call (609) 654-2512.  Pre-registration is $15, and the first 200 vehicle owners that register will receive a commemorative T-shirt.

In addition, registrations will also be accepted as space allows on Saturday morning, May 16th from 8:00 am until 10:00 am at the Medford Public Safety Building, located at 91 Union Street. The day of show registration fee will be $20. Partial proceeds will benefit the Union Fire Company.

In the event of inclement weather, the event will be held on Sunday, May 17th from 12:00 noon until 5:00 pm.

For more information about this event, contact the Medford Recreation Department, located in the Medford Municipal Center at 17 North Main Street, by calling (609) 654-2512, recreation@medfordtownship.com

This program is designed to showcase the area’s highest level of talented high school performers and will include instrumentalists, vocalists and pianists performing everything from Bach to Broadway selections.  

All high school students residing in the Lenape Regional High School District sending district towns, and attend public or private school are eligible to apply.

All applicants should be instrumentalists, pianists, and vocalists who have studied privately and/or have acquired some onstage solo experience. Each applicant is asked to submit an application listing his/her most recent musical accomplishments, along with a recommendation from his/her instructor.

In addition to providing the young artists with a large and very appreciative audience, this concert offers an opportunity for them to get some extra use from that solo that was used for regional tryouts or perhaps a college audition. It also enables the student a means of testing out a piece before a crucial audition, a technique many experienced musicians have used successfully.

Since performers are not permitted to use taped accompaniments, each participant must provide his/her own accompanist. At the conclusion of the concert each performer will receive a beautifully framed certificate of appreciation for their participation.

Last year’s participants included:

• Thomas E. Weaver, Jr., piano
• Danielle Fau, violin
• Angelica Hicks, vocal
• Nathan Paternoster, piano
• Darryl Randall, flute
• David E. Muoio, piano
• Marisa Manion, piano
• Even Kilgore, clarinet and saxophone
• Gregory DiBona, piano
• Danielle Nachbar, piano.

Applications are available at the Medford Township Recreation Department or may be obtained via email at: YAIC09@aol.com.

All applications must be returned by April 6, 2009. Please direct all questions to the above email address or contact Dr. Anthony Femiano, Chairman, Medford Cultural Arts Commission at 609 654-1855.

Sponsored by HARRIETT”S ENERGY SOURCES

The Historic Medford Village Association and the Medford Business Association are now accepting applications from fine artists and crafters interested in participating in our 19^th Annual Summer Art, Wine & Music Festival.

This event is scheduled for Sunday, June 7^th from 11:30-4:00. The event will be held on historic and scenic Main Street (Route 541) in Medford Township, Burlington County.

In the past, this event has attracted upwards of 10,000 visitors.

The deadline to submit an application is March 30^th. To download a form, please visit our web site at www.hmva.org; the form is located under Art Festival.  Any questions please email info@hmva.org. 

As of March 1, 2009 The Kenmarson Aero Center Flight School and Aircraft Maintenance Facility has moved to the Flying W Airport, located on 60 Fostertown Road, Medford, NJ 08055.

WHEN:
Monday, February 9, 2009, 12:00 noon

WHERE:
Freedom Park,
86 Union Street
Medford Township, Burlington County, NJ
(Inclement weather location-Public Safety Building Courtroom, 91 Union Street)

WHAT:
Medford Township Mayor David Brown and the Township Council are announcing the formation of a new “Returning Veterans Committee.” The Committee’s mission is “to welcome returning modern war veterans back to the local Medford area community, and to sponsor local homecoming events to celebrate and honor their service.”

Committee members to be introduced include Nino DePasquale, Chair, Michael Panarella, Jim Ewen, Dottie Spellman and Colonel Joseph A. Bartasius.

Medford families who wish to have the Committee welcome home military personnel will be advised to call the Township’s Recreation Department at 609-654-2512.

CONTACT: Michael Achey
Township Manager
(609) 654-2608