Burlington County officials, the United Way of Burlington County and local non-profit agencies are extending their food drive through Friday, Sept. 16. Officials are asking Burlington County employees and Burlington County Courts employees to continue to collect much-needed food items for local food pantries. Residents and local businesses are also being asked to continue to donate non-perishable food, money or food gift cards to their local food banks, or to Catholic Charities and Christian Caring Centers. These two agencies are distributing all collected items to pantries across the county…

Farmer’s market vouchers are still available for senior citizens at least 60 years old, who live in Burlington County, and are income eligible. The $20 vouchers are for locally grown fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Proof of residency and age are required. The Burlington County Office on Aging is working with the New Jersey Senior Farmer’s Market Program to provide these vouchers to eligible local senior citizens. Vouchers will be distributed on Tuesday, Aug. 30, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Human Services Building, lecture Hall A, on Woodlane Road in Westampton. No appointments are necessary. …

On Saturday, Aug. 13, Paulsdale, the Mt. Laurel birthplace of Quaker suffragist Alice Paul, will be open for tours. Tours start at noon and at 1 p.m. and will include a 15-minute presentation about Alice Paul's life and work, a talk about the Paul family's daily life at the house, the restoration of the site, it's present-day use as a girl's leadership center, and a guided tour of the property. Tours are $5. Saturday tours are made possible through grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State.  For information about group tours or future tour dates, …

County To Host Reptile and Amphibian SeminarThe Burlington County Division of Parks is offering free presentations about local amphibians and reptiles this summer. Park Naturalist Jen Bulava will discuss “Amphibians and Reptiles of Burlington County” at the EcoComplex in Columbus. Residents can learn about the frogs, toads, salamanders, turtles, snakes and lizards that live in this area. This presentation is suggested for adults and mature youth over the age of 10. Registration is required. The Amphibian presentation: Thursday, July 28 at 6:30 p.m. The Reptile presentation: Tuesday, Aug. 16 …

Freeholders Dedicate New FairgroundsThis past weekend, county freeholders dedicated the new Burlington County Fairgrounds in Springfield Township. Freeholder Director Bruce Garganio broke the first ceremonial ribbon aboard a tractor, leading a parade of tractors onto the site. The cutting of a second ribbon—across the wide entry to the site—was joined in by all in attendance. For decades, the Farm Fair has been a regular happening on the Village Green in Lumberton, but has become “squeezed” in recent years by increasing population and traffic, not to mention its own offering of exhibits and …

Park Rangers Offer Rancocas Creek Tours County freeholders are offering guided canoe tours of the Rancocas Creek with a Burlington County park ranger starting Sunday. Park Rangers Chris Derkas and Bill Ulrich will offer a scenic three-hour, six-mile tour from Clark’s Canoe Rental in Pemberton Borough to Historic Smithville Park in Eastampton at 10 a.m. July 10. The cost is $35 per person for the canoe rental and transportation, which must be paid in advance. (The per-person cost assumes two people per canoe. A third rider is free.) Space is extremely limited for this trip and children must be…

The county, along with the state chamber of commerce, is offering free workshops and camps to students to learn how to prepare for college and work this summer.  This free weeklong workshop/boot camp is geared for students entering ninth and 10th grades and will be held July 18 to 22 at the Burlington County Special Services School in Westampton.  The students will break into teams and launch their own fictional business, which they will design, manufacture, market, and sell a product. They will make hiring and budgeting decisions as well. A panel of business people will judge their …

Mortgage Foreclosure Forum To Be Held ThursdayCounty homeowners facing mortgage foreclosure or dealing with financial and credit issues that could result in foreclosure can attend a mortgage foreclosure forum from 7 to 9 p.m., Thursday, June 23. It will take place at the Willingboro Kennedy Center, 429 J.F. Kennedy Way, Willingboro, NJ 08046.   Speakers with state, county, federal and nonprofit agencies that specialize in financial counseling will provide homeowners with step-by-step instructions on what they can do to avert losing their homes. In addition, Burlington County Consumer Affairs …

Seniors at least 60 years old, who live in Burlington County, and are income eligible, may be able to receive vouchers worth $20 to purchase locally grown fruits, vegetables, and herbs from the county's farmers market. Proof of residency and age is required. The Burlington County Office on Aging is working with the New Jersey Senior Farmers Market Program to provide these vouchers to eligible local senior citizens. Distribution of the vouchers will begin now and end in September pending availability. The New Jersey Senior Farmers Market Program (SFMNP) provides a nutritional benefit to …

The New Harmonies traveling exhibit will visit the Smithville Mansion Annex Gallery daily from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., June 13 to July 26. Admission is free. It will be one of only six sites in the state selected to host the exhibit. Sponsored by the New Jersey Council on the Humanities, the New Harmonies exhibit depicts the story of a nation through the music of its people with photographs, recordings, instruments, lyrics and artist profiles. In addition, artwork by Lady Bird Strickland of Willingboro and photographs by Alonzo Jennings of Moorestown will be showcased. While the exhibit remains on…

Play croquet at Smithville Park Freeholders here are sponsoring Wednesday night games of croquet on the Smithville Park lawn this summer, beginning this week.   Friends of the Mansion at Smithville will host organized croquet games in the park for the public every Wednesday evening at 5:30 pm and at 6:30 pm.   Games will be open to players ages 12 and up and the cost will be $5 per person. Participants will receive 15 minutes of instruction and 30 minutes of game time. There will also be an end-of-season tournament with a fee of $25 per person.  A popular lawn game during the Victorian era, …

County sponsors crisis response Resource Fair June 1Freeholders are sponsoring a Resource Fair by the Traumatic Loss Coalition (TLC) for Youth Program in collaboration with the Burlington County School Crisis Response Team on Wednesday, June 1 from 3:30 to 6 p.m. at the Burlington County Special Services School District’s Main Gym, 20 Pioneer Blvd. in Westampton.   Various agencies throughout Burlington County will be available to discuss their services and answer questions. Attendees can learn about the TLC in Burlington County, the School Crisis Response Team and the various community …

Fly blue ribbons to show police support Blue ribbons are available to members of the public this week as part of a nationwide effort to honor law enforcement officers who have been killed in the line of duty. The initiative, the “Blue Ribbon Campaign,” is held in conjunction with National Police Week, which began Sunday. The Prosecutor’s Office and the Burlington County Police Chiefs’ Association are spearheading the effort in Burlington County. The campaign is funded each year by Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc. (C.O.P.S.), which has distributed more than 1,000,000 ribbons nationwide. …

The county’s farmer’s market is celebrating its fifth season selling Jersey Fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods and unique crafts. Sponsored by county freeholders, it opens Saturday at the Burlington County Community Agricultural Center in Moorestown. It will be open every Saturday rain or shine (except during declared weather emergencies) through October. Hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Each week, shoppers can find a wide assortment of fresh produce in season at the time of their visit. Opening Day entertainment will be provided by Jimmy Mannix, a guitarist and vocalist, and …

County to auction four farms Freeholders authorized the auction of four county-owned farms totaling 749 acres in Springfield, Shamong and Hainesport townships. The county acquired these properties outright, and is now selling them as preserved farms with easements that restrict development. “The revenue from the auction sales will be plowed back into the program, and be used to preserve other farms,” said Freeholder Director Frank Garganio. “By transferring this farmland back into private ownership, the county is helping to sustain agriculture, while minimizing the county’s management expense…

County photo contest focuses on the environment Burlington County Health Department is holding its fourth annual Environmental Health Photo Contest with this year’s theme being, “I Spy With My Environmental Eye.”  The photos will be judged by the Burlington County Health Department and Crafts Creek/Spring Hill Brook Watershed Association.  All pictures will be showcased at Burlington County’s Earth Fair at Smithville Park on Saturday, June 18. A People’s Choice Award will be voted on and awarded that day. County residents can enter one photo only. Pictures must include a brief description (25…

Victorian Games at Smithville kick off mansion tour seasonBurlington County Freeholders will kick off the annual tour season of the Historic Smithville Mansion by joining in a carefree afternoon of Victorian Games in the park on Sunday, May 1, from noon to 4 p.m., rain or shine.  Organized by the Burlington County Division of Parks in collaboration with the non-profit Friends of the Mansion, this new event will officially launch the 2011 tour season of the stately manor that is the centerpiece of Historic Smithville Park in Eastampton. Built in 1840, the mansion is the former home of Hezekiah…

Master Gardeners Garden Tour kicks offThe third annual Garden Tour of the Rutgers Master Gardeners of Burlington County kicked off last Saturday and it will run until the end of the summer. About three dozen private and public gardens will be open for free tours on scheduled dates. A tour directory can be purchased for $5 at the Rutgers Cooperation Extension of Burlington County office in Westampton, and at the Burlington County Agriculture Center Farmers’ Market in Moorestown, on Saturdays beginning May 14.   The guide will also be available at various florist and related shops in the coming…

'Be Well—Sleep Well' program offered free to seniorsSenior citizens can get sleep advice through a free program called “Be Well—Sleep Well” to be held Monday, April 11 in Moorestown. Organized by the Burlington County Office on Aging, the event will also give attendees advice on vitamin and herbal supplement use, blood pressure, blood sugar and other health screenings. The sheriff’s department will also be there to process free photo IDs to those who need them. A Social Security agent will also be there to answer questions. Dominic Petulla with the Virtua Sleep Care Center will talk about …

Teen 4-H conference heldSouth Jersey 4-H Teen Conference (SJTC) is an annual event that brings 4-H members in grades 8 and up from 10 South Jersey counties to learn valuable life skills and practice leadership, citizenship and cooperation. Twenty-four of Burlington County’s 4-H teen members participated in the 2011 event held March 11-13 at the Grand Hotel in Cape May. In all, 135 4-Hers from all over Southern New Jersey attended. Teen delegates selected the workshop topics, as well as the conference theme, "Turning the Tide with 4-H." Workshops helped youth gain knowledge, understanding and …