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24 March 2025

Crier Column 3/24: Spring is here! Cream Valley opens Wednesday; Actors needed at Blue Moon Theatre; Music and History concerts at Friends in April; Woodie Ball returns

MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2025

The Woodstown High School Home Maintenance & Basic Construction class performed much needed sprucing up of the baseball and softball fields in preparation for the upcoming Woodie Ball season. The bench and table sections for the scorekeepers/managers (hey, that was my job back in 2004 and 2005!) have been graciously repaired, painted, and ready to record big wins!

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

SPRING: The crocuses, daffodils, and forsythia are in bloom! Black and gray tree branches are suddenly peppered with speckles of red and green buds. The WHS spring musical is complete, the Woodstown Middle School musical, "THE NIFTY FIFTIES," is in rehearsal, Cream Valley opens this week, and Woodie Ball (WHS baseball and softball) is about to take its first at-bat this weekend!

COMMUNITY

ICE CREAM: The best ice cream stand in American (in my humble opinion) will reopen for the spring and summer season on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. Of course, I'm talking about Cream Valley Custard on Rt. 40 next to Heritages, adjacent to the golf course. My diet starts NOW to earn these sweet treats!

WATER: Maintenance to our water tower is underway and will continue through May. Temporary water storage tanks have been placed in the Wulderk Way parking lot. Water pressure may intermittently be reduced throughout town. 

YARD SALE: Salem County's Largest Yard Sale returns on Saturday, April 19, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Salem County Fairgrounds in Pilesgrove on Rt. 45. Last year brought more than 100 sellers and vendors, and this year is expected to exceed expectations! Contact Andy Ware to sign up for a vendor spot at wareandy13@gmail.com

ENTERTAINMENT

THEATRE: "STEEL MAGNOLIAS" at the Blue Moon Theatre. Directed by Mike Russell, join us in Truvy's salon for this heartfelt comedy of six women with underlying strength, love, and the realization of life's mortality. Performances April 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 2025. Tickets here.

CONCERT: Music at Friends is hosting Ginger Coyle, a singer-songwriter and spiritual activist whose music blends soul, pop, and conscious lyricism. Ginger’s artistry is shaped by influences like Tori Amos, Stevie Wonder, and David Bowie. She will be at Woodstown Friends Meeting on Sunday, April 13, 2025 at 3 p.m. Free admission.

HISTORY: The Pilesgrove Woodstown Historical Society is hosting the Curtain Call Club of Woodstown for a program of local history and music, featuring performances by students from Woodstown High School's drama club, and a history of theatre arts in Woodstown dating back more than a century. The program follows the Ginger Coyle concert and Woodstown Friends Meeting on Sunday, April 13, 2025 at 7 p.m. The program is approximately 45 minutes and free to the public.

THEATRE: The Woodstown Middle School Drama Club proudly presents "THE NIFTY FIFTIES" an homage to the era of sock-hops and doo wop. Performances are April 9, 10, 11 at 7 p.m. and April 12 at 2 p.m. Tickets available at the door. Family friendly!

*EDIT: The roles in "Psycho Beach Party" at the Blue Moon Theatre have been filled. The dispatch below reflects information published earlier.

ACTORS NEEDED: The Blue Moon Theatre is seeking actors for their upcoming production of "PSYCHO BEACH PARTY." Here is their dispatch:

1 ROLE REMAIN AVAILABLE for "Psycho Beach Party" by Charles Busch. Directors Cheryl Stark and Patrick Connelly are looking for actors over 18 to play characters aged 15-25. The show is set on a beach in the 1960s and takes homages from Gidget, Beach Blanket Bingo, and other surfer comedies of the era. 

Please email Cheryl Stark at Cherstark@hotmail.com

Rehearsals are Monday's & Wednesday's 7 pm - 10 pm

Show is Scheduled for 5 performances June 6-14

role open:

Nicky - Male - small role, a silly beach bum that enjoys flirting with girls on the beach and joking with his friends. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Some roles require a level of intimacy and some require stage fighting. These scenes will be choreographed by our intimacy coordinator/fight choreographer. To ensure that you are comfortable with what the roles require, that information will be available upon audition or may be asked ahead of time.

SPORTS

KUDOS: A congratulatory dispatch from the WHS Athletics Department celebrates 100 career wins for Travis Balback and Mateo Vinciguerra in Woodstown men's wrestling.

WOODIE BALL: Everyone's favorite baseball team is back at it! We wish them luck with their scrimmages throughout the week and look forward to their first game of the season at Gateway High School, Saturday, March 29 at 10 a.m.

First Woodie Ball home game of the season is against Penns Grove, Monday, March 31 at 4 p.m. for both JV and Varsity.

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

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: Clouds. High of 61F. Low of 38F.

SATURDAY: Afternoon thunderstorms. High of 69F. Low of 50F.

SUNDAY: Clouds. High of 70F. Low of 47F.

FORECAST: A warm, cloudy weekend, great for the flowers and trees and shrubs. Despite one of the coldest winters in our region since the late 1980s, March felt surprisingly pleasant. As we finish out the month, April showers are rolling in, hopefully not on Easter! 

Woodstown Crier: Winter is over! We made it! Let's spend some time outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, the birds chirping, the flowers blooming, and let that cooped-up, cold-weather dread melt away. And, go Woodies!

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

06 March 2025

Crier Column 3/6: Clocks forward Sunday! Cream Valley opens the 26th; Water tower out of service temporarily; Roast of Stark and Connelly

         THURSDAY, MARCH 06, 2025

Woodstown High School Freshman Matt Roser competing in the 2025 Meet of Champs, placing 34th in the state and 5th for competing freshmen. Roser swam a time of 1:47:36. Go Wolverines!!

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

SMALL TOWN: I'll be on the organ this Sunday, March 9, 2025 (if my alarm clocks don't fail me) at 9:30 a.m. at First Baptist Church on Main Street.

Earlier this week, while I was rehearsing my last song in the sanctuary, I heard a rustling. Was it in my head? I kept playing. I hear it again — a mouse? No. A ghost? No. Turns out it was none other than Paul Kranz painting the vestibule behind the alter. Talk about a small town! 

COMMUNITY

ICE CREAM: The best ice cream stand in American (in my humble opinion) will reopen for the spring and summer season on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. Of course, I'm talking about Cream Valley Custard on Rt. 40 next to Heritages, adjacent to the golf course. My diet starts NOW to earn these sweet treats!

WATER: Maintenance to our tall water tower is underway and will continue through May. Temporary water storage tanks have been placed in the Wulderk Way parking lot. Water pressure may intermittently be reduced throughout town. 

DOG DAYS: The Salem County Human Society is hosting a fundraiser for "St. Paw-trick's Day" on Saturday, March 15, 2025 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Farmers and Bankers Brewery on Main Street. No ticket necessary. Free entry. Donations accepted for animals. Leashed dogs are welcome. There will be a 50/50 raffle, a photo booth, and the B&B concessions food truck. 

YARD SALE: Salem County's Largest Yard Sale returns on Saturday, April 19, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Salem County Fairgrounds in Pilesgrove on Rt. 45. Last year brought more than 100 sellers and vendors, and this year is expected to exceed expectations! Contact Andy Ware to sign up for a vendor spot at wareandy13@gmail.com

ADVERTISING: Need to advertise? Check out the new Woodstown-Pilesgrove Advertisements group over on Facebook. Click here!

ENTERTAINMENT

COMEDY: Open Mic night at the Blue Moon Theatre (Woodstown Opera House) on Saturday, March 8, 2025. Tickets here.

ROAST: Non-Celebrity Roast of Pat Connelly and Joe Stark on Saturday, March 15, 2025. k! Get ready for a night of laughs, jokes, and good times at the Blue Moon Theatre. This in-person event promises to be hilarious as friends and fans take the stage to poke fun at these two unsuspecting individuals. Don't miss out on the chance to witness the funniest roast of the year! Grab your tickets now and get ready to laugh until your sides hurt!

THEATRE: "STEEL MAGNOLIAS" at the Blue Moon Theatre. Directed by Mike Russell, join us in Truvy's salon for this heartfelt comedy of six women with underlying strength, love, and the realization of life's mortality. Performances April 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 2025. Tickets here.

SPORTS

KUDOS: A congratulatory dispatch from the WHS Athletics Department:

Jaime Deal broke the school’s indoor 400 meter record for the 3rd time with a best of 59.89 placing her 18th overall at the MOC. Jaime finished as the 69th fastest 400 meter runner in the state for the indoor 24-25 season.

Josh Crawford also hit a personal best as well as a new indoor 800 meter school record with a time of 1:57:65. This placed Josh 14th overall. Josh is 27th fastest in 800 meters for all of New Jersey over the 2024-2025 indoor season. 

Matt Roser qualified and competed at the 2025 Meet of Champs in the 200 Freestyle, one of only 50 swimmers to do so. Matt swam a time of 1:47.36, placing 34th overall in the entire state, which was 5th best of any freshman.

This weekend at the NJSIAA Region 8 Wrestling Tournament Juniors Greyson Hyland and Mateo Vinciguerra qualified for the NJSIAA Individual State Championship Wrestling Tournament in Atlantic City, New JerseyGreyson Hyland finished in 3rd place earning three wins over the course of the weekend. Mateo Vinciguerra went undefeated winning all three of his matches this weekend. Mateo is the 2025 Region 8 285 pound weight class CHAMPION!

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

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 with some wind. High of 51F. Low of 32F.

SATURDAY: Clouds and sun. High of 48F. Low of 33F.

SUNDAY: Sunny. High of 50F. Low of 29F.

FORECAST: A brisk weekend, not bad for a walk around Memorial Lake or the Marlton Rec Field (wear a coat and hat). Scattered clouds and sun next week with much WARMER temperatures, inching close to 70 by the end of the week. 

Woodstown Crier: Where we're wishing Paul Kranz, known for his music with Unplugged Lights, directing the WHS musical for 26 years, teaching English and Communications for decades at WHS, and popping out of hidden doorways in local churches with a can of paint, a happy 60th birthday today!

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

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