Another Delco Guy In South Jersey

Iron Hill Maple Shade's Barrels Event

A couple of Saturdays ago I braved what passes for a storm this winter and headed over to the Maple Shade outpost of the Iron Hill empire for their annual Barrels event.  This year, brewemaster Chris LaPierre's theme was 'Bourbon and Bugs,' or beers aged in used bourbon barrels and beers brewed with wild yeasts.

 

For most, both sets of beers are a bit of a stretch. But you're a true beer aficionado if you enjoy the 'bugs' or beers brewed with the wild yeasts.  Generally tangy and often sour, these beers have an astringent mounthfeel and take some serious getting used to. With many qualities of good wines, these complex brews offer some amazing flavor profiles for those willing to stretch beyond the standard offerings of the local microbrew.

 

LaPierre had 5 wilds to choose from and I went with the tasting round of four ounce pours for $10.  The most interesting to me was the Heywood, a Belgian golden ale that was fermented in an oak barrel with a lambic yeast.  It was dry and sour and had a surprising blue cheese-like finish.  Fascinating!

While I thought all five of the wilds were excellent, the other real winner of the round was the Wine Barrel Wee Heavy, a souped-up version of Iron Hill's standard Scotch Ale.  Aged in a wet Pinot Noir barrel, with the same lambic yeast, this 11% ABV monster was all fruit up front and spice on the finish. If I had not been driving, I would have had a pint of this!

The Bourbons came next and were actually a bit disappointing.  While each had some good points, the bourbon characteristics of the barrel aging were pretty overwhelming.  I love LaPierre, and I had eagerly awaited this portion of the tasting, but these beers were generally a disappointment. 

I've been a fan of bourbon-aged versions of the Iron Hill Porter for years, since convincing the guys in Media it was OK to sell me growlers of it to take home back in the mid-90s. The Maple Shade Bourbon Porter was served on a nitrogen push and was the clear winner of the round, smooth and full with heavy vanilla notes from the whole beans in the aging barrel. I would have had a pint of this one as well. 

The other winner of the round was the Bourbon Bock, which tasted of marshmallow and biscuit and was reminiscent of a summertime s'more.  Sadly, the collaborative Bourbon Cherry Iron Fish I was really looking forward to was a real mess, tasting strongly of cherry cough syrup that overwhelmed the hops and the malt.

All in all this was a great afternoon of beer and conversation.  I had at least 10 different great conversations about the South Jersey beer scene with the folks I chatted with between sips.  There were plenty of knowledgeable home brewers in attendance as well, and  and learned a ton from them. I got to talk at length to the Iron Hill brewmaster Chris LaPierre as well as the owner, Kevin Finn.  I appreciated their insights into owning a main-stream craft brewpub and what it takes to compete in this market.

This was a once a year event at Iron Hill Maple Shade, but if you're looking for solid food and a great beer selection, they're open 7 days!

Snow in Medford!

I slept in a bit today and woke to the sound of ice pebbles on the window glass. The snow here in Medford has begun to change over to icy rain. I'd say we ended up with a bit less than two inches.

Not much, but just enough to coat the ground and make everything look petty!

Holy Cow! It Snowed!

We've got an unexpected coating of snow here in Medford! Be careful and take your time on the way to work!

Wordless Wednesday

Celebrating the Little Things

Tuesday we found out that John was selected to play travel baseball again next spring.  That good news came on the heels of Emma's completion of her first season of soccer and at the end of two really long days of work for me.  On the spur of the moment, I decided a little family celebration was in order and we headed to PJ Whelihan's in Medford Lakes for an impromptu dinner out.

While it was a luxury we really can't afford right now, it ended up being a great night as PJs was filled with families doing pretty much the same thing we were.  The restaurant hires a balloon artist on Tuesdays, so everyone had brightly colored headdresses and there was a lot of laughter in the air.  Emma did her homework and chatted with classmates, John watched the big screen TVs while talking baseball and we all relaxed for an unexpected hour of fun.

I've never been a big fan of the PJ's chain, but this night may have turned the corner for me.  Emma's meal, which included a drink and dessert was only $5.99.  My fish tacos were $7.99.  John, as usual,  was the big spender with a bacon cheese burger and crab fries that topped out at $13.99.  Emma enjoyed her chicken fingers, which were nothing special, John's burger was cooked just the way he likes it and my fish tacos were good-sized and had great flavor.  I never knew the family night was a big thing there, but the balloon artist said the place is packed every week during the school year. 

We had a chance to talk about school without me running around like a crazy man trying to get dinner together, the kids had nice night out and there were no dishes to do!

Maybe we will have to make it a tradition to celebrate the little things there more often!

A Beautiful Day

I wish I had taken more pictures yesterday.  It's a day I want to remember for the rest of my life.  There was nothing super special about it, but the sum total was one of those days that you never want to have end.  It was Election Day and the kids were off from school.  I had made a decision several months ago to take the day as well.  As it turned out, the weather was glorious, with brilliant blue skies, some orange and red leaves still hanging on, and temperatures hitting 72 degrees.

Emma and I started the day teaching each other to paint her nails.  Now I am a doting father, and I don't get too hung up on gender roles, but this was not something I have done before for her.  In between the color and glitter coats, I made her French toast and we chatted about school and Halloween and her friend's pug. She ate every bit of her breakfast and gave me a big hug, burying her buttery face in my shirt and saying, 'That was great, I love you Daddy.'

After we got things cleaned up, it was time to vote.  Emma was very interested in voting this year, and she pressed all the buttons for me.  We spent some time talking about 'important US symbols' and 'just important American stuff.' I explained what an election was, who we were voting for and why and talked about leaders and decisions. Some pretty big concepts, but she seemed to get them pretty well.

After our civics lesson, Emma begged for some time at the park, so we headed over to the swings and slides and she ran shrieking with joy from one to the other until it was time to go get her brother.

On of john's friends is having some serious family health issues right now, so John had spent the night there, but by lunch time, the air guns and Wii games were kind of boring, so Emma and I went over to pick them up.  Everyone was pretty hungry after spending most of the morning outside, so we headed over to Prospector's for lunch on their indoor/outdoor patio.  John saw a few of his former classmates from Mount Laurel, we all enjoyed our root beers and watched the Penn State debacle on ESPN.

After that we were looking for a way we could all go the same place for a few hours.  The library had books for Emma and newspapers for me, as well computers for John and his buddy.  We killed an easy two hours before heading back home. 

The boys headed off to the creek to do some exploring and Emma and I enjoyed some reading time out on the porch.  She headed off for a bit with a friend for some ice cream and I sat in the late autumn sun and was thankful for a day that had brought me so many small, but special moments. 

In the evening it was time to get ready for the next day, organizing lunches, doing neglected homework, following election returns.  The day slipped away quietly, but I wanted to make sure I wrote it all down, so that I would always have it.  Thanks for sharing it with me!

Election Day Is Tomorrow

All across the county, Americans will go to the polls tomorrow to exercise our constitutional responsibility to voice our opinion and select our leaders.  For the most part, the general elections are local affairs, from my dad's first contested race in over 30 years of politics to town councils and state house elections that are the true grass roots of our political culture.

In my new home town, we have been consumed lately by allegations that our Republican mayor, Chris Myers has some skeletons in his closet and is now essentially being blackmailed by a man he paid for sex while on a business trip.  Signs like the one to the left have appeared all over town.  It's inflamed the community and the media, but really won't have much effect on politics here as no Democrat bothered to run for anything this year.  It's not as though there aren't some serious issues facing the community.  Sigh.

Due to the NJ politicos making deals to protect themselves, there are not really any serious races for the state house in Trenton.  Only three races are expected to be remotely close.  I love how Trneton really enpowered people with these new districts!

In Burlington County, the Freeholder election is the most important, but the Surrogate race is certainly the most colorful.  I have no idea what's going on with former Dem turned Republican George Kotch and Medford Lawyer Sander Friedman, who are vying for the Surrogate post, but I sure wish I had a third choice.  Just reading about this stuff makes me want to take a shower.  The race is a big ekough deal for the Republicans that I caught a TV attack ad against Friedman that ran this weekend on cable.  Pretty big spending for a seemingly useless post.

The Freeholder race pits the lone Democrat on the board, Mary Anne Reinhart and her running mate Machell Still-Pettis against the Burlington County GOP's slate of newcomers, Leah Arter and Joe Howarth in the heavily Republican-represented county.  While control of the Board is not at stake, the race is big enough that the county's big boys have bought TV time in this race too, really smacking Reinhart pretty hard. 

The Republicans have a lot of negative material to work with, as the Shamong Dem wrangled with the sheriff last week, while managing the most tepid newspaper endorsement I have ever seen. When people who are supporting you say that you 'need to try a different approach if re-elected,' I think there are some issues with your candidacy.  I've met Ms. Reinhart and found her violently confrontational approach distasteful and over the top.  I'll be voting the other way on this one.

Finally, in Cherry Hill, my friend and fellow Cabrini alum Steve Buividas is running for mayor.  I know very little of the issues or politics in this race, but I can tell you that I know Steve and he is a good person and will be an honest and strong mayor.

Whomever you support, I urge you to go to the polls tomorrow.  It's what our democracy is built on and it's the only direct way he have to make our choices known.  If you don't go out to vote tomorrow, I don't want to hear your complaining when things don't get done the way you want them to get done.

The Village Pub - A Review

First, you have to know what you are getting when you go to "The Pub."  The floors are plywood.  The bar is plywood.  The biggest TV is 27 inches, it's on a stack of milk crates, and it was made in the Carter administration.

You aren't here for the ambiance.

What you are here for is surprisingly good, cheap Italian food, local color and/or a night of beers with your friends.  This local hangout caters to everyone from serious drunks to families out after a youth sports event. While the place is certainly clean, it's clean in a gritty, mellow way.

There is always a full roster of specials, heavy on the pasta and easy on the wallet.  I think they do a great job with their veal dishes. There is also a full bar menu with excellent wings and a chicken cheesesteak that is one of the best around.  Marinated chunks of chicken breast are grilled, slathered in cheese and dumped in a soft roll.  Not the standard prep, but a darn good spin on a classic.

Every tradesman in the area stops at the bar at least once a week for the cheap beer and the good conversation.  If you're looking for your son's basketball coach after the game, trust me, he's here.  I've even seen a bachelorette party here.

You'd never guess the place was any good from the road.  Or even from the dining table.  But trust me on this. The food is WAY better and the prices are better than PJs.  Sure, you aren't going to get 16 flatscreen TVs and seriously hot waitresses like PJs, but you'll thank me for telling you to sit down, ignore the wobbly table, grab a $2 draft and enjoy one of the specials.

Out On The Town With Emma!

While her brother is showing off his 'Moves Like Jagger' at the school dance, Emma and I are enjoying ice cream sundaes at Leo's. I hope everyone is enjoying the start to the weekend!

Happy Halloween!

We hope you enjoyed trick or treating as much as we did!  Medford really put out a great spread for the kids!  There are some really spooky houses, especially our neighbor on Filbert Street and a very cool house on Branch Street that has scary speakers set up in the graveyard.

Happy Halloween!

Medford Halloween Parade

Burlington County came out in throngs tonight for Medford's annual Halloween parade.  Postponed from yesterday due to the wild weather, the party was in full swing tonight, as children filled their baskets with candy, classic cars rolled down Main Street, candidates pressed the flesh and floats of all sorts lit up the night.

I'm not sure how I have missed this event in my 10 years living in South Jersey.  It was way more fun that I would have thought possible for a cold Sunday evening.  While certainly a night for the kids, the folks at Braddock's Tavern also made sure the adults had libations. There was music and dancing and I'm glad I stirred from my nap in time to get over to the fun.  All the photos are on my Flickr site.

Whoever planned the event also had it wrap up at 8:20, so we could all get home to watch the Eagles smack the Cowboys around.

Not A Good Start To The Day

The big Halloween 2011 nor'easter is rocking the Philly area today and the rain has already started to freeze here in South Jersey.

Drive safe on your way to get the milk, bread and eggs!

Just to Make The Night Interesting!

We've got a little water and gas main problem here in Medford. Kids are asleep and hopefully we get to stay. Lots of guys standing around deciding what to do right now.

Sigh!

Good Morning From Medford, NJ!

We have a great sunrise here to start our day. I hope you have a great week!

Judging the Scarecrows in Medford

We are walking a busy Main Street in Medford today, taking a look at all of the scarecrows set up for the annual contest. It's a lot of fun for a nice Sunday!

Main Street After Midnight

I am that unique combination of bone tired and wired that only those 'in the biz' really know.

This is a shot of what it looks like when I get home.

On Neighbors

We've got it pretty good where we live.  We live on a very quiet street, safe to play on and with a park, dining, shops and other kids within a block.  Every house has a friendly dog or two, bunnies are everywhere, the houses are well-cared for and everyone smiles and waves as you go by.

The folks who live right next door have two teenage girls, but even so it's way quieter that you would expect.  One neighbor lets the kids use the pool in the summer and another is my daughter's teacher. 

There is a creek with a trail for the kids to walk on, some interesting woods and fields for boys to be boys in and some nice swings for little girls to have fun on.  Medford Village is a pretty darn nice place to live.

Last night, one of my neighbors and I were talking and she said, "So what are you going to do at night now that the Phillies have lost?"  I chuckled and said, "Oh you noticed I am a big Phils fan?" She kind of looked down and said, Well I can see right in your living room windows from my bedroom."

Time to buy some curtains!

Pirate Boys!

John had a great time yesterday with his buddies Stevie and Dev at La Campagnola's Octoberfest. The fun continued at the Duffs' house last night and today the hits were plentiful as John and Stevie's War Eagles team beat up on the Marlton Reds 17-7.

We are on the way to Delco to watch he Birds with the family. Everyone have a great day!

The girls and Duff had a good time yesterday too, enjoying the moonbounce, face painting, and assorted other parking lot fun.

No Baseball Will Be Played Today

The Marlton team didn't show up, so the War Eagles are all dressed for the dance with no dance partner.

I guess we will head home and decorate for Halloween. Sigh.

Hello From Valenzano Wine Festival 2011

Everyone here is enjoying the great weather, good music and New Jersey wines here in Shamong!

Go Phils!

BTS Night Debacle

So last night was back to school night at my son's school.  I like back to school nights.  I think they are a great way to get a feel for the school and the teachers as well as a great opportunity to get to know the other parents.  It's always interesting to meet the parents of the kids I hear so much about.  The parents seem far more normal that the texts I have read from their kids to my son about them!

Last night was my first BTS night at the school my son attends.  The last 2 BTS nights were in our old school district.  It was pretty interesting to see how two different middle schools approached the event.

Last night, our grade started by going to each of the classes on our kids' schedules.  I knew where to start, but son's mom grabbed up the paperwork so, I basically had to follow the herd from class to class since I didnt have a schedule.  No biggie.  It can't be that hard, right?

It wasn't. What was hard was the timing.  We only got 7 minutes in each class.  I was trying to figure out why we were being rushed from place to place, given that the last session was labeled as a "Meet the Related Arts Teachers" session.  Each of the 7 minute sessions was really about 5 minutes by the time we got settled.  It didn't leave much time for substantive discussions and it left NO time for personal questions.

Each teacher was great about making sure we felt comfortable with contacting them, but everything seemed pretty rushed and no one got through their entire presentation.  Once we we finished with the regular teachers, we were all herded into the gym for the "Meet the Related Arts Teachers" session.  Then it became clear why the rest of the night had been rushed. 

The school district, in its infinite wisdom, had contracted with a guest speaker to deliver a speech on all of the problems that are facing today's middle schoolers.  He got as much time for his spiel as all of the rest of the teachers combined.  It's 45 minutes of my life that I want back.  After a cursory point int the direction of the gym, art, music and Spanish teachers, John Kriger was introduced.

I've seen the standard 'The World is a Dangerous Place' talk before.  Last year, the community police officer in Mount Laurel did a great job introducing 5th grade parents to the dangers of sexting, Facebook and other issues.  He had real world examples drawn directly from our community and he was able to convey facts with authority as well as offer practical solutions. I don't live in Mount Laurel anymore, but I still have his name and number in my phone in case I have a question.

Tabernacle, though, doesn't have a home town police department, so instead went to a paid speaker.  I sure hope they didn't pay John Kriger much for his 45 minutes of fear-mongering and lecturing on 'the problems of this generation' of kids. 

Kriger presented in a warm, modulated voice, running though his slides and interacting in a friendly way with the audience.  He seems like a grandfatherly bank vice president when he's up there. A very competent seeming guy. It was his message that was just silly.

His basic theme was that technology has ruined kids.  He went on and on about the internet and being connected 24/7 and how it has ended family time, reduced concentration ability, endangered health and essentially made kids slobbering fools.

He also wanted to make sure we were terrified of bath salts (now banned), energy drinks (the same effect on the body as cocaine!!!!????), 4Loko (reformulated already) and of course Farmville.  

For every one of his pronouncements about technology and kids, I could imagine my parents sitting in the same gym 30 years ago hearing about the dangers of Movies glamorizing drinking and drugs, or their parents hearing about the dangers of television or my great grandparents hearing about the dangers of radio.

Humans evolve.  Technology changes.  Drugs of abuse have been part of human existence for eternity.  Growing up and parenting can have some scary moments, but the message last night was that kids can't possibly handle the evil place the world has become and parents are just not doing the job.

There were wild claims, unsupported statements, dated 'news' and questionable science.  And I was left wondering to what end this man was lecturing us.  He never really explained.  Just let us know that we needed to turn off our devices and be ever vigilant.

Never once did he mention how much more able this generation of kids is to collaborate, to sift though vast amounts of information to make decisions and to accept change.  Instead, he made blanket statements about colleges saying that kids are more unprepared than ever for the rigors of college work.  As a college enrollment officer, I can tell you that Kriger is dead wrong on that.  Students today are prepared for college in a different way than any generation before, but that's because the world is a very different place.

As the parents grumbled, Kriger pushed on, apparently oblivious to the fact that he had lost most of us.  A few brave souls, confident of their ability to parent their children, got up and left.  A hilarious moment came when several members of the audience spontaneously joined the volunteer fire company and bolted from the room when a fire call was sounded.

In the end my major issue was that this guy got way too much time for his alarmist agenda and the teachers got far too little time to talk to us.  He was a poor choice for a speaker, but the really poor choice was to maximize his time and minimize our potential to interact with the most important non-family members in their lives, their teachers.

Tabernacle Teachers

My kids go to school where their mom lives in Tabernacle Township, one town over from where we live in Medford. It's a pretty good school district, perhaps not quite as technologically savvy as the Mount Laurel schools they used to attend, and not really very diverse, but just fine as public schools go.  The teachers are good people, the kind of folks who are active in their community, approachable and well-trained.

Tabernacle is a very small town and a pretty quiet place.  Everyone pretty much knows everyone else or at least knows someone who does.  News travels pretty quickly and sometimes it can be a bit like being in a fishbowl.  So I was pretty surprised when I began seeing singes like the one above on all of the teachers' cars in the parking lots in the morning when I drop the kids off.  I read the local newspapers every day (online of course) and there had not been a word mentioned about the the Tabernacle teachers not having a contract or their decision to work though the labor issues.

I have no idea what the contract status is, where the talks stand or what the potential is for a strike.  I am a firm believer in teacher unions and in their right to collectively bargain and in some cases, to strike.  Usually though, the issues are fairly publicly debated, sometimes quite heatedly.  It's kind of odd to see this quiet job action happening and not know what the issues are.

On one hand, I'd much rather have teachers working under contract.  Everyone - teachers, parents, students and taxpayers deserve the certainty that a contract brings to a school district.  On the other had, if talks are continuing and things will be settled soon, this kind of job action is really about the best you could hope for as a parent.  My kids aren't affected, there aren't 'informational pickets' in the morning, and presumably the contract will soon be worked out.

I hope.

Sunset in Mount Laurel

This beautiful scene greeted me from my deck this afternoon.  It's a fitting end to a day that featured me running hither and yon, first to work then to PTA conferences and now resting at home.

I still have not adjusted to the time change and getting home in the dark, so it's nice to be here a bit early today and watch the sun go down over the back forty.

Snowpalooza!

Snowy Pine Tree
Originally uploaded by Cavalier92

We at Another Delco guy are up and about on this snowy Saturday, taking photos and assessing the snow event that is pounding the Philadelphia region today. John Bolaris is on Fox 29 saying that this snow storm will be one of the five largest ever, bigger than the December, 2009 storm and maybe even THE largest ever!

Fox 29 has a very cool new technology going allowing viewers to live steam video from their iPhones, showing conditions from all over the Delaware Valley.  The app's video is a little choppy, but still very fun to watch.  It's miles ahead of the guys at Channel 6 with their ancient graphics and stupid Action News ruler.

I have no idea how they are measuring snowfall totals, because the blowing and drifting has accumulations at my substantial, but not ostentatious estate varying from a mere 3 inches to over 20 inches. Regardless of how much we're going to get in the end, we will have some shoveling to do when it all winds down.

Phillies Phever at Fleetwood Elementary

Well we are about 5.5 hours from the first pitch of the 2009 World Series where my beloved Phils will be taking on baseball's most bloated payroll in the Bronx tonight.

To get things started on the right foot this morning, my son John's teacher Carrie Siwiec, organized a pep rally at Fleetwood Elementary School around the corner from our house.  Bill Henley from "The 10 Show" was there and broadcast a few minutes of the fun live.

Check the clip below starting at about the 1 minute mark for a very happy kid on the right named John who has his dream World Series matchup.

Go Phils!

Back To School Night

I have to admit I love going to Back to School Night.  There is something special about sitting in their tiny chairs with the other parents.  Hearing about your children from people who are today total strangers, but will be among the most important people in their lives for the next year is also fascinating.

Add in that this is the first year in a new school and there is so much to think about.  Emma's teacher has both a business degree as well as a master in early childhood education.  I can see her reading her Blackberry with one hand and finger painting with the other. John's teacher is energetic and engaging, and a big sports fan.  Her co-teacher clearly loves John already.  The teachers seem to be perfect matches for my children.

Fleetwood Elementary School is small and homey.  Built as the 60s came to a close, it's in remarkable shape for the 360 or so neighborhood kids who will spend much of their waking moments there until June.  

I hope you all take the time to go to your own Back to School Nights.  I always learn somehting and I always leave smiling.

Iron Hill Maple Shade - First Impressions

I'm a 'beer guy.'  I like a good brew and I enjoy having beers that are made locally if at all possible.  I'm not saying I pound the beverages back - I prefer quality over quantity, and brewpubs are the best place to get a good variety of fresh beer.  I live in South Jersey now and one of the things this area has lacked is a brewpub.  There's one in AC,and one in Princeton, but nothing in the meaty part of South Jersey. 

Thus, I've been looking forward to the opening of Iron Hill's new location on King's Highway in Maple Shade, not far from Another Delco Guy's HQ.  I've been watching the construction and was happy to read recently that the brewery end of things was already working.  Last night, we saw the 'Now Open' sign and stopped by for a tour and dinner with the family.

Wiffle Ball Party!

John's teammates Marcus and Kevin turn 9 today, so we're at the brand-new Big League Dreams for a Wiffle Ball Birthday Party. John and his buddies are having a great time. The place has three different 'fields' of varying sizes where the kids can play. Plus there are party rooms and snack stand.

It's a converted ice rink that just opened as a 3 field facility with 1" long artificial grass and a great stereo system. If you're looking for a place for a boy's party in Burlington County, check out Big League Dreams on Fostertown Road in Medford!  The fields rent for $75 an hour, party packages start at $350 for 20 kids, they have open gym on Saturday nights for $10 per kid and they're even planning a summer camp for $200 a week.

In case you couldn't tell I think this place has a great concept.  I just hope that enough people hear about it!

350K in Moorestown

Well the house hunt has heated up again as the weather improves. The house that currently occupies my interest is a handsome 1920s four bedroom 'in town' Moorestown. It's got some issues like the original heater and asbestos siding, but it's in a wonderful neighborhood.

The lot is pretty good-sized for in town, but has some ummm deferred maintenance issues. Did I mention the knob and tube wiring?

But the location! Hmm we'll see.

Corzine to DC?

On a day where the Burlington County political landscape looks very different than it has for 33 years, things could be much much different state wide in January. 

Various sources are reporting that the Obama transition team is looking very hard at Gov. Jon Corzine to be the Treasury Secretary in the Obama administration.  A former US Senator and long-time Wall Street insider, Corzine seems a logical pick to help guide the corporate welfare trough bailout.

Corzine's administration seems to have stalled this year and his departure for the greener fields of a freshman presidential administration would leave the door open for Dick Codey to resume the gubernatorial duties for the 4th time.  Codey has done a workmanlike job in the post in the past but isn't likely to break up the Trenton logjam that he has been a central part of for 25 years.

Vetting is reportedly underway on Corzine, and that could take a while given the plethora of scandal-tinged behavior The Guv has been linked to.

Smoky Morning

The smoke hanging in the air here in South Jersey this morning has nothing to do with the torching the Rays pitching staff did to the Phils lineup last night.

Rather, the acrid haze is coming from a 1900 acre forest fire burning in the Pine Barrens about 30 miles from here.  Last night as I drove home from Matt's house, the smoke was chokingly thick on 295, causing drivers to slow to 45 mph. 

This morning, the smoke isn't thick enough to show up on weather radar, but it is enough to cause a tickle in the back of my throat.  Fire fighters are thinking that the 1-2" of rain forecast for tomorrow will help them get the upper hand on the fire.

The blaze is burning in a section of forest about 10 miles west of where I used to live along Route 563 South of Chatsworth.  There is absolutely NOTHING between the fire and my old house except tress and underbrush.  Not a single house.  Not a single person lives in that remote area of South Jersey.  Remarkable for one of the most densely populated states in the country.

When I lived there one of my major fears was a forest fire.  We did controlled burning to keep the underbrush around the houses to a minimum, but with the relatively unmanaged state forest just 2 miles away, the threat was still significant.  It's odd that when I was down that way Wednesday night, you couldn't smell the smoke there, but you can smell it here today!

Flickr user cawarfel has a great set of photos from the 2007 forest fires along Route 539 in the Pines.

A Rite of Fall

  Emma Selects 
  Originally uploaded by Cavalier92

On Sunday, as the Eagles were downing the Jets coming off the bye week, the family and I headed over to Johnson's Farm in Medford to pick out our pumpkins.  We, of course, took some photos.

It's a virtually required rite of fall for suburban families to trek to some local pseudo-farm with rides and face painting and fresh-baked pies to find the fall decor.  We joined approximately all of South Jersey on Sunday in a giant field/parking lot and surveyed the situation with dismay. 

Two different lines of over an hour before you got to get on the hayride out to where you could actually PICK pumpkins. 

People EVERYWHERE.  Tired children.  Swirling dust.

I punted.

We decided to select from the pallets of pre-picked pumpkins available for weenies like me.  The children chose $32 worth of pumpkins to decorate the front steps and house with.  That's over 46 pounds worth.

They enjoyed it immensely.    They also loved the side trip to Maggie Moo's on the way back home, though John would have preferred Coldstone.  When we finally staggered home, we put up the Halloween lights out front and the various orange and black decorations throughout the house.  Yes.  I said Halloween lights.

It's just amazing to me that Halloween and "harvest" have become such a holiday.  I can remember a few decorations as a kid and a trip to Linvilla for a pumpkin.  But I sure don't remember 2 hour lines and swarms of people at Target fighting over who gets the last set of faux tombstones.

When did this explosion happen?  I've heard the theory that hallmark is responsible for the geometric expansion of the Valentine's Day to the juggernaut of spending it is today?  Who is behind the Halloween/Harvest?  Pumpkin farmers?  Hay bale salesmen?

I went along  and all ... but I don't get it!

Chatsworth is Best -- At Something

  Sundown - Chatsworth Lake 
  Originally uploaded by Cavalier92

The tiny Burlington County crossroads of Chatsworth has been named to Adventure Magazine's 50 Best Places to Live.  Here's what they have to say:

Chatsworth, New Jersey
- Population: 1,364
- Median home price: $257,000
- The radius: Tiny Chatsworth is the unofficial capital of New Jersey's surprising Pine Barrens, a 3,000-square-mile (7,770-square-kilometer) spread of swamp-edged streams, stands of pine and cedar, and—in autumn—tracts of cranberries  (all that, just 37 commutable miles [60 kilometers] east of Philly). The best route is the 50-mile (80-kilometer) Batona Trail; while you're hiking, watch for the diminutive (less than the length of your thumb) Pine Barrens Tree Frog.

I have to say that I was stunned when I got this news today.  I lived in the town for three years and never would have considered it remotely possible that the town would be designated the best at anything except for perhaps "Best Cranberrying Village in the New Jersey Pinelands."  There are two part-time retail businesses and a motorcycle shop in town.  The post office is a trailer.  You can't grow a darn thing because the deer outnumber the people and eat everything.

But it is amazingly beautiful in its own way.  The people are down-to-earth and very nice.  Robin's Hot Dogs are the best around.  And as, the magazine notes, the hiking is outstanding.  (The part about it being withing commutable distance to Philly is crap.  Route 70 makes it a 90 minute trip during rush hour.)  Tens of thousands flock there every year for the annual Cranberry Festival in October.

Now I can say that i have lived in two different "Best" towns.  I am currently a proud resident of Moorestown, NJ, Money Magazine's 2005 Best Place to Live.  I have to admit that the remoteness of Chatsworth makes Moorestown a clear winner for me.  (That and the shops, neighhbors, parks, etc.)

Well congratulations to Chatsworth!

Town At A Crossroads

I live in Moorestown in South Jersey.  It's the kind of town with flags on the utility poles, parades down Main Street and older, dignified homes with wide green lawns.  According to a marker near my house,the town is named for Thomas Moore, the town's first tavern owner, but the Lenni-Lenape Indians lived here hundreds of years before.    Like many towns with traditional downtown districts or "Main Streets," Moorestown has been facing a number of interesting planning and development issues over the last several years.

There is much controversy and many varied opinions in town about the recent proposed plan for the future of the Main Street area, Lenola and the Route 38 corridor.  Several of the council member have even come up with a separate plan.

Clearly everyone realizes Moorestown is at a crossorads and that development and big-box retailers are pressuring the kind of life that Moorestown has always embraced.  The acme moved out of downtown.  The car dealer moved to Cherry Hill.  Subway and Starbucks took over the bank and the lumber yard is struggling.  There isn't much time left for talking.

Historical Influence

Since 1700, Moorestown has has a significantnt Quaker influence.  Moorestown Friends School is a major employer and downtown landowner as well as the area's premier prep school.  The Meeting House and burial ground are still landmarks in the central business district.  The Quaker influence is also still felt in the town's "dry" status.  Several recent proposals would allow alcoholic beverage licenses for restaurants, a move that some estimate could bring in up to $10 million in needed cash.

While some see liquor licenses are a cash windfall as well as an opportunity to re-invigorate the town's portion of the Moorestown Mall area on Route 38, others see it as an abandonment of one of the values that has made Moorestown a hot residential real estate market in recent years.  Personally, I can't understand how a town named for a tavern owner ever went dry and I am not sure that the period of time from Prohibition to the present trumps the 200+ years before that.

Lenola

And then there's Lenola.  You might call it the 'affordable' section of town.  You might also call it the part of town where the 7-11 is, where Milton Street lives, where the Section Eight housing is and where Micky D's has an outpost.  In other words, it's the part of town people say "Oh You live in Lenola," like they just stepped in something when they hear you are from there.  The houses are smaller, many of them are rental units and everything looks just a bit tired.  Plus, it's where the more industrial business have traditionally been centered, leaving a  gritty, tried feeling on this side of town.

Town Hall

In a plan to help both the downtown business district and to kick start the Lenola section, Moorestown council member Seth Broder has proposed moving the town hall from its current location in the center of town to a former industrial waste dump "on the other side of the tracks" in the Lenola section of town.  I agree that the downtown area needs a shot in the arm, and a large parcel of ground downtown could be just the thing the small businesses need to add the critical mass needed to combat Best Buy, Home Depot and Barnes and Noble out at the mall.   But I think this plan is ill-conceived. 

First, the library would stay put, limiting the value and size of any mixed-use development that could inhabit the current town hall location.  Second, you're talking about moving the town hall to a toxic waste dump? 

Surely there have to be some other ways to get things moving in Lenola.  How much will the town hall actually help Lenola if you are going to also keep some services downtown?  Re-hab the old town hall and find another use for the toxic waste dump.

Conclusion

I think that all of the ideas proposed have some merit and serve as a great place for a  properly emnpowered town governing board to make some substantial long-term planning decisions.  These decisions need to take into account he history of the town while acknowledging that even the best place to live in the nation must change to continue to be attractive in the future.

It's time for Moorestown to address that the affordable sections of town look run-down and forgotten in comparison to Vernon Hill's neighborhood and that it's going to be tough to get a decent restaurant in town without a liquor license.  While I will pay for great schools and safe, clean streets, most people have a financial limit that they are willing or able to pay in taxes.  Moorestown needs to attract commercial tax eatables to  provide long-term residential tax relief.  failing to do so will only serve to price the town out of reach of the folks who have lived there for decades.

media credits: Flickr member Guy Noir's photos "Second Street Flags" and "Second Street House." Thanks!!!