Saturday, May 17th is a very special day in Pennsville Township.  That is the day for honoring our Veterans.  There are many activities and events planned:  a glorious parade, a concert by a Civil War-themed band and two inspirational ceremonies.  Here is the schedule for the day: 10 am - parade that kicks off at the Pennsville Shopping Center & ends at PMHS high school Immediately following the parade - ceremony to lay wreaths at the monument & honor our Veterans at the monument at PMHS high school Noon - Live music at Riverview Beach Park by the Fort Delaware Cornet Band  (This group dresses in full, authentic Civil War uniforms, plays period-music & period-instruments.) 1 pm - ceremony to honor women who have served in the Armed Forces at The Pennsville Woman's Club Honor Garden... 05/14/2014

Today was a sad day for the Dyer Family.  They laid their son, brother, husband, daddy, uncle Patrick Dyer to rest. It was a sad day for 'Valley Parkers', too.  For those of us who grew up in the Valley Park neighborhood we remember quite vividly running around and playing with each other.....especially the 'Dyer kids'.  There were 5 of them for goodness sakes!  4 boys and 1 girl.  And who can forget Mr. Dyer's trumpet-of-a-whistle when the street lights went out and it was time for the Dyers to go in every night.  Well, the truth is that when we heard that whistle, it was time for all of us to head home! While in The Queen of Apostles Church today for Pat's funeral (yes, I'm aware that it is now referred to St Gabriel's Parish but to all of us, it will always be Queen of  Apostles Chur... 06/22/2013

After several months of hard work, the obligatory 'tweaking' and a few test runs, The Pennsville Business Association launched it's new website tonight at a lovely Wine & Cheese reception held at The Pennsville Public Library.   There are two obvious changes to the website:  a new domain name (www.PennsvilleBusiness.org) and a new logo. The new name is easy to memorize and better equipped to obtain that all-powerful 'google-juice' every business or organization desires. The new logo is quite simple.  A circle!  If you look up the definition of the word circle in an online free dictionary, you'll see that it describes a group of people who share an activity, achievement or interest. The circle cannot be broken.  The circle is inclusive of everyone. So, take a moment to check out the new ... 05/23/2013

The Pennsville Woman's Club had their annual Christmas luncheon yesterday.  It's lots of fun for many reasons, but the most exciting event is that our 'Secret Pal' who has been showering us with little gifts throughout the year is unveiled.   With all of the stresses that we all have to deal with day-in-day-out, it has been FUN to find cards in the mail, gifts on my porch as well as gift bags at our monthly meetings.  I never knew what was going to pop up when! I found out yesterday that my Secret Pal in 2012 was Anne Marie Bell.  She is a special lady.  A teacher.   I always loved my teachers! Anyway.....here is my favorite gift from this season, so far.  Anne Marie was generous to give me a pashmina scarf and a pair of gloves, but not just any gloves......these are TEXTING gloves!    ... 12/19/2012

On Saturday, November 24th from 10am to 2pm, The Pennsville Public Library will be hosting over 25 various business owners and nonprofit organizations at a 'Small Business Saturday' Expo.   Why should you stop in? Here are the TOP 10 reasons to support Small Business Saturday at the Pennsville Public Library: 10)  Santa will be on hand from 10am to noon for photo opportunities!  Bring your young/young at heart and your cameras! 9)  Rastellis will be in the meeting room offering cooking tips and free food samples of their wares! 8)  There will be a 50/50 drawing!  You might WIN some cold cash for Christmas gift shopping! 7)  Avon will be in attendance and who doesn't need something from Avon?  6)  Lots of opportunities for doorprizes! 5)  There will be an indoor book sale!  Most only $1.... 11/20/2012

Setting The Record Straight About The Pennsville Library - 11/10/12   There have been two recent mentions of the Pennsville Public Library in the 'BEN' column that haven't been accurately answered, so I feel a need to respond.  First, there was the question, "Will we survive, Pennsville Library?"   That is a fair enough question.  It's one that the Board of Trustees has been asking ourselves, on a regular basis, since April, 2010 when 74% of our funding was pulled away suddenly.  As the current President of the Board of Trustees, I can assure you that we crunch numbers as never before.  The eight of us look at the numbers at least once per month.  Our devoted Treasurer does so more often.  There's no getting around it, the numbers are bleak.   The second mention was a response from one ... 11/12/2012

The Pennsville Library is 75 Years Old!  Come join us on Sunday, November 18th in the Pennsville Memorial High School's auditorium to celebrate the past, present and future of the Library.  It will be an afternoon of live Chamber music consisting of The Vanguard String Quartet, Anthony Russian on Euphonium and Eric Aldrich on piano.  The Board of Trustees will be collecting used books for their upcoming book sale, there will be a 50/50 drawing, silent auction items and a Chinese auction, too.  All proceeds benefit the Library's operating budget.  In the fall of 1937, volunteers, pulling their children's wagons behind them, collected books from neighbors and friends to stock the shelves of Pennsville's first Library. Please come join us in celebrating the 75th anniversary of service to o... 11/12/2012

3rd Annual 'LUAU for The Library' - Sat. July 21st - 2 to 4pm at The Salem County Sportsmen's Club  The 3rd Annual LUAU to benefit The Library will be held on Sat. 7/21 @ 2pm! Even BIGGER and BETTER than before! Dust off your Hawaiian shirts & dresses and get ready to limbo.....or at least watch one. Snacks! Cash Bar! Dancing! Catered by The Italian Kitchen!  Prizes! 50/50!  GREAT music! Surprise Guests! Silent Auction!All-in-all, THE place to be this summer!Hope to see you all there. The Library still needs your help!!Call Carol Waddington 678-5630, Carol Wooten 678-8356 or Chris Hooks 628-2710 for tickets & info. $30 donation Sponsorship opportunities available:$100 - Silver Sponsor $200 - Gold Sponsor $300 - Platinum Sponsor  Thanks!             "If it is right that schools should be... 07/11/2012

"Funky Bags & Baubles" Bingo --- New York Style! 5/4 - Benefits The Pennsville Public Library in celebration of Mother's Day Pennsville VFW - Friday May 4th doors open at 5:30pm  1st Bingo game at 6:30pm 20 games + doorprizes!!!!! food/beverages available for purchase Massage Therapists will be on hand for FREE chair massages - 5:30 to 6:30pm Book a massage - 10% will be donated to The Library Randi Curcio will be on hand for quick make-overs and skin care/make up advice.  Book a facial or a make-up lesson - 10% will be donated to the Library! An evening of yummy food, prizes, FUN and chance.  All proceeds benefit The Pennsville Public Library. Tickets are $40 for 2, $22 for a single or $25 at the door.  Only 120 available.  Tickets can be purchased at The Library on Thurs. 10am to 9pm,... 05/01/2012

I Love To Shop Local - Costello's Garden Mart! “Is the spring coming?" he said. "What is it like?"... "It is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling on the sunshine...” ~ Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden Just pulling into the parking lot of Costello's Garden Mart is enough to showcase the wide selection of items that are just begging to go home with you.   Rocks, Rocks and more Rocks!                                                                                                                                                                                                                Stepping Stones, too.....in many, many different shapes, sizes and colors!  The Pennsville Woman's Club is planning a memorial at The Riverview Park and these stones are simply perfec... 04/02/2012

290 Golf Books For Sale - Can You Help Us Find Them A Home? The Pennsville Public Library has been gifted a 'Gentleman's Collection' of golf books.  Three are 'author's copies'.  A mixture of hardback and paperbacks, some have never even been unwrapped!  There are fourteen boxes, bursting with approximately 290 books about all things golf.  They are about four or five years old. The Library would like to sell them in one lot and keep the collection intact.  A list of titles is available upon request. If you know of someone or an organization who has a home for these exciting books, simply give a call 856-678-5473 or email pennsvillelibrary@gmail.com.  All reasonable offers will be considered. Thanks for your interest and thanks for your help. FORE! Upcoming events:  April 11th - All Cou... 03/20/2012

Today's Real Estate Activities - Febuary 29th, 2012 And the words of the day are:  SETTLEMENT and APPRAISAL!  One very often depends upon the other, you know. After some trials and tribulations, 18 King Street in Pennsville, NJ went to settlement.  Well, I guess that isn't quite the truth.....a terrific young couple (the buyers) and a fantastic hard-working couple (the sellers) went to settlement today.  Dave Wright of Riverbeach Realty and I were honored to be there, too.  Too bad there isn't a picture of everyone's bright, smiling faces.  What a pleasant change from last week's upside-down smiles when we were told there was an 'appraisal issue'. No specific information about the issue was shared.  We were given 48 hours to submit an appeal to the Veteran's Association, through Wells F... 03/01/2012

Sweet Of The Month Club - Lime-Glazed Citrus Tea Cakes In the summer of 2011, The Pennsville Public Library held their 2nd annual Luau to raise funds for their operating budget.  When asked for a donation, The girls at Coldwell Banker Pino Agency wanted to help, but felt the crunch of a stretched budget.  So, utilizing one of our hidden talents, 'The Sweet of The Month Club' was born.  We made a menu chock-full of some wonderful choices of baked goods and offered it up for the silent auction at The Luau.  Since the auction, the girls have prepared bread pudding, German chocolate cake, apple pie, Jewish apple cake, peach cake and this month.....Lime-Glazed Citrus Tea Cakes for the lucky bidder.    Ingredients:    2 cups all-purpose flour     3/4 tsp baking powder1/2 tsp salt1/4 tsp bakin... 02/19/2012

Resume Writing and Interview Skills Wrapup This post is the third and final in a series based on a workshop, The Perfect Resume facilitated by Bob Marino, recently held at The Pennsville Public Library.  Resume tips were covered quite extensively. Here's a quick checklist to recap those tips: 1)  Keep it short - one page if possible. 2)  Create a powerful profile/summary. 3)  Write as if YOU were going to read it. 4)  State your value. 5)  Shy away from restricting words - full time, in NJ, day work, work-at-home, etc. 6)  Always incorporate words from the ad. 7)  Pick your format - chronological, functional, combined or targeted. 8)  Short, sweet and to the point cover letters.  9)  Get business cards NOW.   As far as the interview goes, be prepared to answer these common questions: 1)... 01/29/2012

With so many people looking for employment, many of them older displaced workers, brushing up on resume writing and interview skills is a necessity.  Bob Marino, an adjunct professor with Temple and Salem Community College, facilitated a workshop at The Pennsville Public Library on January 26th, 2012.  Here are his top 'Tips On Resume Writing'. 1)  Use good quality 8 1/2 x 11 paper 2)  Your resume should be consistent. If you place dates at the end of information, do the same throughout the resume.  (You don't need dates, although they are fine.) 3)  Highlight marketable assets with bold or italics. 4)  Most common types of resumes - chronological and experience resumes. 5)  Make it easy to read.  Format resume to your best advantage. (Two pages are ok if you have lots of experience to ... 01/26/2012

"Welcome To The Perfect Resume" - Tonight's Workshop at The Pennsville Public Library Bob Marino, past adjunct professor at Temple University in Philadelphia and currently on staff at Salem Community College is clearly in favor of 'giving back to his community'.  This evening, Bob facilitated an extremely valuable and much-needed class on how to properly prepare a resume in order to attract attention by today's employers. What is most impressive is that Bob conducted this workshop at no charge.  (Thanks, Bob!) The resume has changed in the last ten years, in case you didn't know.  It is most important to tell the potential employer what you can do for them and why they should hold onto your resume......let alone hire you.  (I'll share the resume tips in another post for anyone who may b... 01/26/2012

Today's Real Estate Activities, January 25th, 2011 - Paperwork Can Be A Good Thing! One of my posts earlier this week featured my listing at 18 King Street in Pennsville.  It's a beautiful home, for sure.  Well, I'm happy to report that we received a good, solid offer! The offer created the perfect opportunity for me to train my new assistant on how to prepare the agreement of sale.  This is a lesson that I was more than happy to share with Billy.  I learned something new about my little helper.  He is near-sighted!  (hard to believe, huh?!)  Luckily, our processor's specticals did the trick!  The contracts were done in no time flat! Delivered, too! (great job, Billy!) Seriously, we were all so pleased for our clients.  An offer was received back in August on their property that was low... 01/25/2012

Please Join Me In Thanking 'The Friends of The Pennsville Public Library'! Twenty years ago, several women noticed that the Pennsville Public Library could use a helping hand.  There were always books to buy -- programs in need of sponors -- unexpected repairs to be made -- events to host -- rooms to build -- futures to improve and dreams to nuture. These energetic women founded a new nonprofit organization who's sole purpose was to work side-by-side with both the Board and the Staff to make things better for our community.  The Friends have sponsored trips, replaced broken vaccuum cleaners, painted rooms, purchased new computers, published newsletters, held annual flea markets and book sales, hosted teas, spear-headed raffles, organized art exhibits, sold pillows and coverlets and more... 01/18/2012

Today's Real Estate Activities - January 18, 2011 The morning started out with a quick trip out to one of my listings.  The property was under agreement at the end of 2011 and we all had high hopes that it would settle before the New Year was rung in.  Well.....four little letters put a stop to our excitement: M - O - L - D A home inspection had been done recently that made it necessary for us to have some further evaluations of the property.  There are some electrical issues and flashing problems, in addition to the MOLD situation.  Of all of the detrimental findings one could have to deal with, MOLD is probably the most dreaded. So, today my assistant and I met ServPro of Salem, NJ at the property.  The inspection included both the inside and the outside, as well as the crawlspace.  I... 01/18/2012

Attitude of Gratitude - Featuring Pennsville Women's Club When I joined the Pennsville Women's Club four years ago, I really had no idea who they were or what they did.  To be completely honest, I joined because I thought it would be good for my business to meet some new ladies from my area. What I quickly found out was that this group of women were part of the largest group of women, internationally.  GFWC or General Federation of Womens Club International was formed way back in 1868.  Now in all 50 states and more than a dozen countries, the members work locally to create global change. GFWC clubwomen are mothers, sisters, wives, daughters, doctors, teachers, and community leaders who are dedicated to enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service. GFWC's roots can be traced ... 11/29/2011