Opening Notes

This warbler's weekly musings and feathered observations

Tweet tweet, neighbors!

It’s fall, y’all! This warbler is welcoming the cooler weather and especially the opportunity for my electricity meter to rest her wings – wow has she been flying overtime this summer! Is it just me, or have you been seeing higher than usual electricity bills?

I’m going to open up the floor because as I’m writing about how increased utility bills are impacting South Jersey, I’d like to include chirps from our hyperlocal flock because you, my lovely feathered friends, are why I do this. Your stories matter, because your stories are OUR stories.

You might not have noticed this, but on The Woodbury Warbler website, I’ve left the comment section open on the weekly newsletter posts. This is an experiment! The comment section will be open for 14 days after the newsletter is published. I’m doing this because your voice is important not just to me, but also to our communities. If I missed something that you’d like to see added to the list of events that week, that is a perfect place to do it so all of our flock can benefit from your knowledge!

I’m hoping that the comment section can stay positive, supportive, and uplifting, in the spirit of this newsletter and the ethos on which it was founded: no drama llamas!

Deal?

Good! Comments will stay open.

Sidenote: I’ve been hearing lots of nice things about Mi Cafecito Spot, which just opened in Woodbury a little bit ago. Have you been? I’m looking forward to a coffee date with some friends there on Friday morning, will report back!

On that note, let’s get into the good stuff happening in our nest!

This Week's Migration Pattern

Where the local flock is gathering

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.

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Thursday, September 4

BINGO!

Food Pantry

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

Friday, September 5

BINGO!

Woodbury Fresh for All

Free produce for the community!

Saturday, September 6

Food Pantry

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

American Legion Post 133 Yard Sale

Do you have things to sell? Contact Donna at 609-500-9800. Setup at 7 a.m. and open to the public 9-5. Snacks will be available!

Woodbury Farmer’s Market

Who’s got the best farm market in New Jersey? WE DO! Who’s got the farm market that’s #2 in the entire country? WE DO. Between you and me, we’re The Best. Let’s not keep that a secret. Help the Woodbury Farmer’s Marekt win a Major Award by VOTING TODAY. I call dibs on the leg lamp, the lovely folks who run the farm market can keep the cash and enjoy the well-deserved accolades.

Community Baby Shower

Victory In Christ Christian Center is hosting a special baby shower for the community with refreshments, giveaways, "Moms Shop," panel discussion, and local resources! Special feature: FREE pediatric dental screenings for kids up to age 5. Limited spots available, so early registration is encouraged!

Repair Cafe at the Gloucester County Library

Get hands-on learning with volunteers who can help you repair clothing, stuffed animals, small appliances, and bikes at Mullica Hill Library!

Sew Happy Friends

Gloucester County's public sewing group meets at the Deptford Public Library every 1^st and 3^rd Saturday. They also have a private Facebook group to stay in touch throughout the month.

Kid’s Fishing Contest

Open to kids aged 18 years and younger with boating and non-boating categories.

Sunday, September 7

BINGO

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

Monday, September 8

Mondays in Mantua

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

Book Club at the Woodbury Heights Fire Department

This month's book is Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

Tuesday, September 9

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 10

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.

Senior Bingo

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

Flock Stewardship

Keeping our nest tidy and our community thriving

TODAY!!! If you drive a Kia or a Hyundai, the Delaware River Port Authority Police Department is distributing FREE steering wheel locks to help protect your vehicles. If you’ve been paying attention in the local Facebook groups, these cars are especially attractive to car thieves. The officers will be inside the Woodcrest PATCO station from 5-9 a.m. and 3-7 p.m. today.

If you have friends or family in Mt. Ephraim, a Department of Defense training exercise will be taking place at night during from September 2-5. Residents might experience noise from helicopters, simulated weapons fire, and controlled explosions. The police will be directing the community around where this training is taking place and the fire department will be on standby. For more information about this training exercise, please visit the Mt. Ephraim PD website.

September is library card sign-up month! Head on over to your local public library and snag a library card! Their funding is based in part on how many people have library cards, so even if you only plan to use it infrequently, it’s an easy way to support your library and the lovely people who make so much book and community magic happen.

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.

The Gloucester County Division of Senior Services needs your help. They’re looking for dedicated individuals to join them at their various nutrition sites across the county and assist with their Serv-A-Tray (home-delivered meal) program. Volunteers can also assist by greeting visitors and answering phones at their office located at 115 Budd Blvd. in West Deptford. If you’re interested or need more information about these volunteer opportunities, please call (856) 686-8330 or email them at seniors@co.gloucester.nj.us. Your time and effort can make a significant impact!

Last weekend one of our flock noticed a white nationalist sticker on the back of one of our street signs. If you see one in your travels, please peel it off and throw it in the trash where it belongs, or let Mr. Aaron Weber know so he can cover it with a more positive sticker.

Register now for a Women’s Self Defense Class on September 13 at Eight & Sand from 11 a.m.-noon. The class will be led by local fighter Scott Brady. The cost is $18 and they’ll treat you to a beer for coming out! Spaces are limited, and you can register for the self defense class here and then Venmo $18 to @Heather-Fronza. See you there!

Crowing about our kids!

Supporting and celebrating our community's future leaders

Woodbury Drama Club will be hosting Light the Stage for the Cure – a talent showcase open to all -- on November 21. Auditions will be held on October 1 and 2 at 3:30 p.m. in the Woodbury High School Auditorium. Please see or email Mr. Lynch or Mrs. Lecy with questions.

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

Witches in search of a Halloween companion: Spooky is looking for a home! He would like to be adopted with his brother, but otherwise would do well in a home with another young kitten. Spooky is only 14 weeks old and is a little shy, but warms up and quickly turns into a purring machine once he’s comfortable.

​Jett, a senior Shiba Inu, was picked up as a stray and his owner never came looking for him ☹He’s an easy walker and housebroken, and would do well in a house with older kids because he’s a “food lover” and prefers a calm environment where he can just chill.

Both of these sweethearts are waiting for their forever families at the Gloucester County Animal Shelter - don’t let them fly away to someone else!

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

Save the date! On November 15, join the National Organization for Women in NJ as they celebrate five decades of fighting for feminism in New Jersey!

I can't believe I'm talking about Christmas already but here we go: Tickets are on sale now for The West Deptford Seniors' trip to New York City to see the Rockettes! 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.

The Woodbury Heights Fire Department 2nd Annual Truck Raffle has been extended! - This prize will make you fly off your perch! Your $25 raffle ticket enters you into a drawing to win a 2025 GMC Sierra 1500 (!!!) with second and third prizes of $3,000 and $2,000. The drawing will now take place on September 16. You can drop off cash at the Woodbury Heights Fire House, 534 Elm Avenue or send them a Venmo here (put truck raffle and your phone number in the comments):

West Deptford's annual Family Fun Day returns Saturday, September 20 at RiverWinds Community Center! This free community event features a full day of activities including the 6th Annual West Deptford's Got Talent Show at 2:30 PM. Vendors welcome - 10x10 spaces available for $40. Talent show registration at https://my.cheddarup.com/c/funday2025/. Contact Latiya Holmes at 856-845-4004 ext. 228 for vendor info.

Also! The West Deptford School District is hosting a food drive to support the Colonial Manner Food Pantry during Family Fun Day. They’re looking for donations of soup, canned spaghetti sauce, canned pasta, tuna, peanut butter, and jelly. For more information, please get in touch with West Deptford Board of Education Member Nancy Barna at Nancy.barna@wdeptford.k12.nj.us​

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.

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.

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, 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.

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!

The Women’s Club of Mullica Hill is hosting a Fall Craft & Vendor Show on October 11. If you’d like to participate, you can pick up a registration form in the Narthex at Trinity United Methodist Church of Mullica Hill, 284 Cedar Road. I’m working with them to get a copy of the registration form and will post it on the website when I have it.

Zillow Snoop and Swoop

Dream nests near and far

This is a longer than average newsletter, so we’ll circle back to this feature next week and give your eyes a break!

One last warble...

Final chirps before I fly away until next week

I've noticed that some of our local Facebook groups don't always allow me to share this newsletter with the flock. I don't take it personally – every roost has its rules, and I do my best to follow them! But even when I'm chirping in tune with the guidelines, getting community news out on Facebook is still subject to the whims of the algorithm and the dedicated volunteers who keep those digital nests running.

I'm not sure why anyone wouldn't want their community to know about all the amazing events, businesses, and organizations spreading their wings in our area, but there's not much this warbler can do about it! Sometimes the best intentions get lost in the social media shuffle.

This just serves as a reminder of why it's so important to join our flock by subscribing to the newsletter – that way, all this wonderful community information lands right in your inbox without getting caught up in algorithmic storms or disappearing into the Facebook void. I created The Woodbury Warbler specifically to fly around these obstacles and keep our W Towns (and beyond!) informed and connected.

And I'm so glad you've found your way to our nest!

Until next week, keep your wings spread and your community spirit soaring!

Singing the songs of our shared communities,

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

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