Crier Column 8/15: My dinner recipe; Route 40 lane closures; Concert in the Park; Senior Art Show; Vote for Jake Ware; Clothing give-a-way at Lake

THURSDAY, AUG 15, 2024

I've been spending a lot of late nights outside of Woodstown, but this is one of my favorite views when returning home.

Hear ye, hear ye! O yez, o yez!

Another busy week! 

The impromptu teen production of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" that the Blue Moon Theatre very graciously allowed to be performed in their space with about 24 hours notice, was a great success.

I'll be down at the Levoy Theatre this weekend assisting with "Wizard of Oz" (I'm the standby for the Cowardly Lion). 

Otherwise, it's been a quiet and temperate week so far. Monday night I had nothing going on (which is rare) so I made a really delicious dinner. Here's the recipe:

SHEET PAN SAUSAGE:

Needs: 5-7 Sweet Italian Sausages; 6-7 apples; 1 white onion; Olive Oil, Salt/Pepper/Garlic Powder (not salt). 

Serves: 3-4 adults

1. Arrange 5 or 6 (or more) sweet Italian sausages (not breakfast sausages!) on a sheet pan. My favorite are Botto's. Lightly coat sausages with Yellow Mustard. Preheat oven to 400F

2.  Cut up 7 apples into thick slices (about 12 slices per apple). Cut up half a white onion into long, thin slices.

3. Mix the apples and onion in Olive Oil, a dash of salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Place the apples and onions on the sheet pan with the sausages. Douse everything in olive oil.

4. Place the sheet pan in the preheated oven. Cook for 15 minutes. Then, flip the sausages after 15 mins and cook for another 20 minutes or until sausages are cooked through.

5. Serve and enjoy! Along with this dish, I cook French potatoes. Here's how:

- Slice about 5 or 6 small yellow potatoes. The slices should be thin and the potato slices should be no larger than a silver dollar or half dollar coin. Wash and dry the potatoes in cold water.

- In a non-stick pan, add the potatoes with a large knob of butter. Approximately 2x tablespoons.

- Add salt and pepper generously, and a sprig of rosemary.

- On medium heat, roast those potatoes until they're cooked through with brown edges.

Bon appetite!

COMMUNITY

ART: Salem County Senior Art Show at First Baptist Church on Friday, Aug. 23, 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 24, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall.

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TRAFFIC: Route 40 eastbound is scheduled to close and be detoured overnight for the next several weeks beginning at 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., Monday through Thursdays in Carneys Point Township.

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RUN: Healthy Kids Running Series starts Sept. 15. Early bird pricing ends Aug. 25. More details and sign-up click here.

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CLOTHING: A clothing give-a-way will be held at Woodstown Memorial Lake on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024 at 9 a.m.  Leslie Gunnett and Santana Dang are taking donations. Click here for the Facebook event page to contact them.

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ELEMENTARY: Mary S. Shoemaker School New Family Orientation event will be held Wed., Aug. 28 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Shoemaker School.

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BLOCK PARTY: The Woodstown-Pilesgrove Regional School District is hosting a Back to School Block Party on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Mary S. Shoemaker Activity Fields (201 E. Millbrooke Ave). Free admission. There will be food, giveaways, games, music/karaoke, school bus safety, community opportunities, a bouncy house, and the WHS Football team will host a scrimmage at 6 p.m. on the WHS Clint Ware Field. For more info, call the main offices at 856-769-0144.

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CAR WASH: The WHS Bands will be hosting a Car Wash at the WHS Horseshoe (parking lot at the main entrance of the school) on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024 beginning at 9 a.m. Cost is $10 per car and $15 per SUV. 

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TRACTOR FUN: Tapas, Taps, Tractors Event at Friends Village on Saturday, Sept. 14 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will feature:

• Tractor Show

• Complimentary Food, Beer & Wine Samplings featuring Farmers & Bankers Brewery and Wagonhouse Winery

• Live Music

• Pick Your Own Sunflowers in our Sunflower Field and more!

Additional food and beverages will be available for purchase.

This is a free event, no tickets required!

Click here for more information.

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FALL FESTIVAL: The 20th Annual Woodstown Fall Festival will be held Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will be kicked off with a W-P School District 5K Run and Kids Dash at 8 a.m. at Marlton Park. Vendors, click here to sign up (deadline is Sept. 20, cost is $50/vendor). Admission is free to the public. Here is a dispatch from the organizers: 

"Each year in September, Woodstown's historic downtown shopping district comes alive; scarecrows by the dozens keep watch along the streets; historic houses are decorated in their fall best; and vendors, crafters and local shops line their food and wares along Main Street eager to greet the thousands of tourists and towns people who come out to celebrate fall during Woodstown's Annual Fall Festival"

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FARMER'S MARKET: There will be a Farmer's Market held on October 19, 2024 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The organizers are seeking vendors with vegetables/fruits, pumpkins/plants, cornstalks/flowers, breads, honey, crafters, and quilters. Contact Linda Fritz at LAFritz19@Yahoo.com.

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DANCING & DRINKS: The new Woodstown Pub Off Main (formerly Theo's Tavern attached to the Woodstown Diner) is hosting Line Dancing every Wednesday at 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. Happy Hour is 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. with drink specials. No cover charge for dancing or happy hour.

ENTERTAINMENT

THEATRE: The Oakwood Summer Theatre presents "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" at Salem Community College at Davidow Hall on Aug. 9, 10, 16, 17 at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the door. Say "hi!" to Tom Mason before the show, he's been keeping this great Salem County tradition alive for decades.

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LIVE MUSIC: The Concert in the Park Series at Marlton Park will feature live music by The Carrolls. Also, it's kids night! There will be food trucks, kids shows, sweet treats, arts and crafts, and more. Admission is free to the public. The event is Thursday, Aug. 22 at 6:30 p.m. under the Rotary Pavilion (by Marlton Rd. entrance)

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OPEN MIC: The Blue Moon Theatre will host an Open Mic Comedy night on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Sign up when you arrive for performing. Tickets are $5.

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THEATRE: The Blue Moon Theatre presents "Little Shop of Horrors" on September 20, 21, 27 and 28 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, September 22 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $25. The cast was just announced and features Nicholas Renna, Rachel Grodek, Greg Hanmell, Tyler Kulik, Taye Hopkins, Aimee Ferenz, Celeste Daesy Moon, Shabria Moore, and Andrew Fralinger. Click here for tickets.

SPORTS

A dispatch from Mayor Joe Hiles:

Let's kick it for Woodstown's  own Jake Ware. Ware has a familiar name and a familiar brand of excellence for the Woodies. Ware made 40-of-42 extra points and kicked four field goals playing in the stadium named for his grandfather Clint Ware. Vote Today!

Click here to vote in the Courier-Post's survey of the best kickers and punters in South Jersey (and vote for Ware!)

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First Football scrimmage is two weeks from today (Thurs. Aug 29).

The Woodstown Athletic Department website, a hub for all things Woodstown High School sports, can be found here.

SCORES

SCHEDULE

WATCH LIVE EVENTS HERE

GOVERNMENT

Woodstown Borough Council and Pilesgrove Twp Committee meet the second and fourth Tuesday of each month.

WEEKEND WEATHER

FRIDAY: Sunny. High of 88F. Low of 64F.

SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy. High of 84F. Low of 68F.

SUNDAY: Cloudy with a chance of showers in the late evening 60%. High of 82F. Low of 69F.

Forecast: Slightly cooler next week. Mostly cloudy with temps in the 70s and low 80s. A sign of late August.

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Woodstown Crier: Where it's starting to finally feel like summer ... and not the fiery depths of the underworld. Stay cool either way!

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Want to share your Woodstown-Pilesgrove news in the Crier Column? Email Jim Cook at WoodstownCrier@gmail.com