Opening Notes

This warbler's weekly musings and feathered observations

Tweet tweet, neighbors!

This commuter warbler can tell it's getting close to back-to-school season by the massive flocks of cars roosting at the PATCO station again! Rumor has it that as SEPTA curtails its service, the traffic ripple effect will make its way across the bridge and ruffle all our commuting feathers. Tail feathers crossed they find a solution soon, because The Gauntlet (that never-ending 295/42 construction project, as my fledgling calls it) is already enough to make any bird want to fly south permanently!

Speaking of school season, a few of you have chirped up asking whether I'll be covering school board elections this year. Absolutely! I'm still working out exactly how that will take wing, but at minimum I'd love to give anyone running for school board in our W Towns a chance to share their platforms and priorities with our flock. If you're spreading your wings into school board territory, please don't be a stranger – reach out at editor@woodburywarbler.com. And if you know someone who's taking flight in the races, please forward this newsletter to them!

Here's something that's got me tweet-ing with excitement: in mid-September, once our nestlings have settled into their new school routines, I'll be launching a new semi-regular feature called Student Voices. After all, no one knows better what our schools need than the young birds actually perched in those classrooms every day! I want to give them a platform to chirp up and participate in the school board elections that have such a big impact on their daily lives. I'll be reaching out to schools to share this opportunity, and if you have a student who'd like to submit an essay or letter (anonymously if they prefer), please wing it my way!

On that note, there’s a LOT going on this week so let's get into the good stuff happening in our nest!

This Week's Migration Pattern

Where the local flock is gathering

Wednesday, August 27

Senior Bingo

For Deptford residents ages 55 and up, ID required to win.

Food Pantry

​Woodbury City Public Schools partners with Hello Fresh to bring a Community Fresh Market in addition to proteins, fruits, veggies, and other foods provided by the South Jersey Food Bank. If you'd like to volunteer, get in touch with Mr. Myers at vmyers@woodburysch.com.

Back to School Bash at Deptford Center

Free school supplies for the kids, plus a bounce house and complimentary pizza and Kona Ice!

Thursday, August 28

BINGO!

Food Pantry

Free emergency food offered by The Greater Woodbury Cooperative Ministries Food Pantry

In Stitches - A Fiber Arts Craft Club

A slice of time and space to work on your projects. BYO supplies encouraged.

Friday, August 29

BINGO!

Woodbury Fresh for All

Free produce for the community!

Friday Night Music at Wenonah Lake

Kick off the weekend with local music by the lake brought to you by Wenonah Porch Fest. Check the schedule here.

Gloucester County Concert Series

This week's concert is Tequila Rose Band, which features three lead vocalists and four part harmonies along with twin smoking lead guitars that cover everything from Classic Johnny Cash through the new country sounds of Kenny Chesney, Luke Bryon, Keith Urban, Toby Keith and Zac Brown. Mix in the classic rock sounds of Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Lynyrd Skynyrd and more played by a group of professionals who have been entertaining people of all ages for over twenty years.

Saturday, August 30

Food Pantry

Free emergency food offered by The Greater Woodbury Cooperative Ministries Food Pantry

2025 Woodbury Car Show

Professionally judged and over 100 trophies!

Woodlove Bookbag Giveaway

The Woodbury RC Community Center is hosting a bookbag giveaway during the car show!

Sunday, August 31

BINGO

This game benefits Holy Angels Catholic School and the students who receive financial aid.

Monday, September 1

Mondays in Mantua

Meet up with the car enthusiast flock and enjoy some pizza from Sal’s and some ice cream from Dippy’s!

Tuesday, September 2

Food Pantry

Free emergency food offered by The Greater Woodbury Cooperative Ministries Food Pantry

Jeanette's Closet

Free clothing and footwear for those in need.

Wednesday, September 3

Girls Rule the World Ball Hockey Clinics

Bellmawr Hockey's Sophia Simpson is on a mission to grow the game for girls in ball hockey! Clinics are for girls ages 4-10.

Flock Stewardship

Keeping our nest tidy and our community thriving

Woodbury Planning/Zoning Board Hearing - "D" Use Variance Application

Blugate, LLC is seeking a "D" Use Variance to operate a retail facility with residential units at 665 North Broad Street and 13 Chestnut Street. The public hearing will consider approval for retail space with four residential units (including one with a loft) in the C-1 commercial district.

Don't Let Money Fly Away: ANCHOR Property Tax Relief is Open! New Jersey's ANCHOR property tax relief filing season is now open with some helpful changes this year – no more waiting for ID/PIN mailers, and the state may automatically file for residents under 65 using 2021 data. Don't miss the October 31st deadline to claim your property tax relief benefits! Read the full details here.

Westville’s Celebrations Committee needs your help! If you enjoy planning events and bringing people together, joining the Celebrations Committee is a great way to get involved and make a positive impact on your community. Call 856-456-0030 option 6 or email celebrations@westville-nj.com.

Woodbury Heights neighbors: have you ever wanted a sewer drain to call your very own? You can now officially adopt a drain! Your small commitment to keeping your adopted drain clear of litter, leaves, and debris can help prevent flooding and contaminants from entering our drinking water supply. Bonus: you get a free t-shirt! Contact jgregoria@bwhnj.com to get involved.

Railroad crossing repairs are taking place in Woodbury between Railroad Avenue and Green Avenue from August 26-August 29, so watch out for detours around this area.

Crowing about our kids!

Supporting and celebrating our community's future leaders

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year: the kiddos are heading back to school!

According to the school calendars posted on their websites:

​Woodbury City School District returns to school on September 4

​Woodbury Heights Elementary School returns to school on September 3

​West Deptford School District returns to school on September 4.

Westville’s Parkview Elementary School returns to school on September 4.

​Wenonah School District returns to school on September 4.

​Gateway High School returns to school on September 4.

​Gloucester County Institute of Technology returns to school on September 3.

Someday this Warbler will solve the mystery of why school districts tuck their online calendar away from public view like it’s a state secret, but we’ll save that for a lighter news day.

Good Eggs and New Neighbors

Highlighting the wonderful humans who make our community soar

Habitat for Humanity of Gloucester County just announced that they have three homes available and are taking applications through September 26. You can pick up an application at the ReStore in Pitman, or you can see more information and download an application from their website.

Got some good news? New in town? Just want to say hi to all your neighbors? Send a carrier pigeon to editor@woodburywarbler.com.

Our Animal Friends

Because every creature deserves a loving nest

August is Clear the Shelters Month!! As a participant, the Gloucester County Animal Shelter is celebrating this nationwide event by reducing adoption fees for all dogs/puppies and cats/kittens to just $35 for the entire month of August! Included in their adoption fee is the cost of spay/neuter, age appropriate vaccinations, worming, and microchip. Dogs are heartworm tested and receive a bordatella and cats are FELV/FIV tested. If you’ve been on the fence about welcoming a furry friendo into your home, now’s the time!

Got a furry, scaly, floofy, or feathery friend you’d like to show off? Send us your photos! We love celebrating all of our community critters!

Bulletin Bird

Community announcements that'll make you chirp

Attention bookworms! Mark your page - there's a book club meeting at the Woodbury Heights Fire Department on the first Monday of each month. Due to the Labor Day holiday, they’ll be meeting on September 8 at 7 p.m. instead. If you’d like to join them, September’s book is Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry.

Save the date for the Rhythm & Roots Fall Festival on October 17-18 in downtown Woodbury! We'll be celebrating Best Bud's one year anniversary with music, contests, local artists, crafts, and vendors. Would you like to get involved? Reach out to them at amanda@bestbudsnj.com or call 856-371-7329.

I can't believe I'm talking about Christmas already but here we go: Tickets are on sale now for The WestDeptford Seniors' trip to New York City to see the Rockettes! {sorry about the confusion last week when I neglected to bold the “West” part of West Deptford!} They've reserved a fantastic block of seats in the orchestra section for this trip! The show is November 15, the bus departs from Riverwinds, and tickets are $239 per person (optional travel insurance is available). Get in touch with Judy Tobia-Johnson to make your reservation - 856-685-9694.

Something mysterious is happening in Woolwich, where there now exists a farmstand full of magical ingredients and curiosities. They "aim to have something of interest on the stand every day. It may or may not be what you were seeking, but it could be what you need." Right now they offer veggies, flowers, and herbs (they had patchouli this weekend!), and their offerings will change seasonally. You can visit the Witches of Woolwich here and follow @WitchesoWoolwich on Instagram to see what they're offering that day.

Tickets are on sale now for the Happy Hour Fundraiser to benefit Woodbury Heart & Soul programs, which include things like Pride Fest at Lot 323 and our upcoming Porch Fest! Happy hour is on September 18 at 7 p.m. At Colonial Cafe. Tickets are $35 (save $5 by purchasing tickets in advance), includes three drinks and appetizers.

Plans are being hatched for this year's Woodbury Porchfest, brought to you by Woodbury Heart & Soul! You can sign up here to host a band! Save the date: October 5 from 12-5 p.m.

American Legion Post 133 will be holding a yard sale on September 6, 2025. Do you have things to sell? Contact Donna at 609-500-9800. $15 donation with your own table, $20 if you use one of theirs. Setup at 7 a.m. And open to the public 9-5. Snacks will be available!

The 2025 America’s Farmers Market Celebration™ by American Farmland Trust started on August 1 and and runs through September 30! Help your favorite market [AHEM THE WOODBURY FARMER’S MARKET] take home a piece of the $15,000 prize pool! In addition to the prize money, the top markets also receive national and local press coverage, a complimentary American Farmland Trust membership, No Farms No Food® gear, and other swag! You can flutter over to the website to vote for our amazing farmer’s market right here! Woodbury is a popular city to host farmer’s markets, there are like three of them, so make sure you vote for ours!

Main Street Woodbury is hiring an Executive Director! Main Street Woodbury, Inc. is a nonprofit organization powered by dedicated volunteers and guided by professional leadership. Their mission is to promote the economic revitalization, cultural vibrancy, and historic preservation of downtown Woodbury. They do this by supporting small businesses, celebrating local identity, and strengthening community connections through strategic partnerships and the National Main Street Four-Point Approach®. Check out the full job posting here and get in touch with them at MainStreetWoodburyNJ@gmail.com with any questions. What an amazing opportunity to make a big difference in our community!

You don’t have to be as old as a dinosaur to take care of your family before you become extinct! Save the date! On September 16 from 10 a.m.-noon, Misty Ralston of Ralston Law and Melissa Buckwheat of Sell with Mel are hosting an event at Edelman Fossil Park sharing their wisdom on wills and trusts, powers of attorney, health care documents, life insurance, and financial advising. Register to attend by scanning the QR code below:

Zillow Snoop and Swoop

Dream nests near and far

Swoop

Holy macaw, this expanded colonial is practically begging someone to come ruffle its feathers with a little TLC! At 2,300 square feet, this four-bedroom nest has more room than a gaggle of geese could handle. The primary suite is absolutely tweet-worthy with its own fireplace (because who doesn't want to cozy up by the fire while tucked in their nest?), plus there's a private deck where you can chirp your morning hellos to the neighbors.

Three fireplaces throughout mean you'll never have cold tail feathers, and that massive family room addition with beam ceilings is perfect for when the whole flock comes to roost. Sure, it needs someone willing to spread their wings and show it some love, but with hardwood hiding under the carpets and a location that puts you within flying distance of schools, shopping, and major highways, this could be one heck of a find for the right bird. The concrete patio and oversized garage mean plenty of space for all your nest-building projects too!

Snoop

Well owl be! This converted firehouse in Lambertville has me absolutely ruffling my feathers with excitement! Talk about spreading your wings - this place lets you live upstairs and run a business downstairs, plus it's already got a thriving Airbnb nest egg with a 70% occupancy rate. The New York Times even chirped about it!

The original Fleetwing Fire Company got a complete makeover by an artist who clearly knew how to make something soar. That chef's kitchen on the second floor is tweet-worthy with its granite counters, six-burner stove, and massive island - perfect for cooking up a storm whether you're hosting Airbnb guests or just feeding the family flock. The living room has those gorgeous original wooden details and soaring ceilings that'll make you want to spread your wings wide.

But here's where it gets really fly - there's a rooftop deck with 360-degree views where you can truly rule the roost! The ground-level commercial space still has its original tin ceiling and is just begging for the right entrepreneur to swoop in. Whether you want to live here, work here, or just collect rental income while you nest elsewhere, this converted firehouse is one unique perch!

One last warble...

Final chirps before I fly away until next week

​SE4SK is the second nonprofit featured in our new Community Directory! I’m so excited to start finally being able to build this and spotlight all of the amazing nonprofits in our community that make The W Towns a great place to live!

Would you like to join SE4SK and KitKat Playroom in the Community Directory? Please send me:

1. An image, either your logo or from an event that shows your nonprofit in action
2. A link to your website
3. A link to where you typically share information (either an email signup page or social media)
4. A short blurb on what your organization does

Have a great week, neighbors!

Singing the songs of our shared communities,

Jen Russell, your neighbor and Editor-in-Chief, The Woodbury Warbler​​

Forwarded this email by a friend (you lucky bird!)? Please join our flock!

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• Local information about The W Towns – Woodbury, Woodbury Heights, Westville, West Deptford, and Wenonah — delivered straight to your inbox without your having to peck around the internet to find it!
• It’s FREE!
• You don’t have to remember to check a website (but it’s here if you lose the email!)
• Won’t get lost in the social media algo

Wake up and be amused by warbling first thing every Wednesday!!

Thumbnail Image: By Rhododendrites - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=132292684

©️2025 Caged Bird Media, LLC

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