Category: Uncategorized

Spring is not far off and now’s the time to grow local and get involved in community gardening in Ewing.  Ewing Township invites interested residents to register for a garden plot at the Ewing Community Gardens on Whitehead Road Extension.

Returning gardeners can register beginning on March 1st. New applicants may register beginning March 15th.

There is an active gardening organization so be sure to meet your neighbors and get involved.  Regular site clean ups will be held.

REGISTRATION DETAILS FOR THE 2021 GARDENING SEASON

The 2021 registration for garden plots at the Ewing Community Gardens on Whitehead Road Extension will begin in March in the

Office of the Clerk (2nd floor)
2 Jake Garzio Drive
Ewing, NJ 08628

In Person Registrations Are By Appointment Only

Call 609-538-7609 To Schedule

Plots are $5.00 each and you can purchase up to two plots.

Please fill out the following (We ask that you please prefill to help shorten your personal interaction in the Clerk’s Office during the Pandemic.):

1. Ewing Township Community Gardens Application
2. Guidelines  

REGISTRATION DATES

• Monday, March 1, 2021 Registration will Open for Previous Year Plot Holders. (Owners of Plots in 2020 will have an opportunity to reserve their same plots from the prior year.)
• Monday, March 15, 2021 Registration will Open for New Applicants
• Thursday, April 15, 2021 If there are still plots available on April 15th, 2021 you may purchase additional plot(s).  Please call the clerk’s office at (609) 538-7609 to find out if more plots are available.

REQUIREMENTS

New applicants must be present to buy their plot(s).  Previous Year Plot Holders may drop off their filled application forms along with their payments in the Tax Drop Box at the rear of the Municipal Building (upper level). Garden plots are open to Ewing Township residents only  with proof of residency required.  No exceptions will be made!

We request that you supply us with a valid email address to ensure that we can keep you up to date on all information related to the gardens.

The official opening of the gardens is weather determined and announced later in the season.

For information about the Ewing Community Gardens Association email  ewingcommunitygardens@gmail.com.  Look for the upcoming ad in the March Ewing Observer.

COMMUNITY GARDENS CORONAVIRUS GUIDELINES

To help prevent the spread of the coronavirus and keep both the garden and gardeners safe, we recommend following these guidelines while gardening on site.

MOST IMPORTANT: IF YOU FEEL AT ALL SICK, STAY HOME.

Ask a friend or fellow gardener to water your plot if you need to. You can email garden leadership if you don’t have someone to help. They may be able to help your make alternate arrangements. It is essential that we continue to work diligently to reduce the spread and keep this virus out of the garden.

TOOLS

We recommend using tools that you bring from home if you have them (and take them home with you when you leave). If you need to use the community tools such as the wheelbarrows and hoses, please follow these guidelines:

• Wash or hand sanitize your hands before touching the tools. Gloves help here.
• Don’t touch your face while using the tool (and until you remove your glove and wash/sanitize your hands).

HAND WASHING

• Be sure to wash your hands frequently, especially before and after touching the shared tools, hoses, etc. Carry hand sanitizer or bring a Ziplock bag or other container with soap, a washcloth, or nailbrush inside.
• Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds.
• We will not have paper towels at the garden, so air drying or wiping on the inside of your shirt is best.

GLOVES

Garden gloves are not a substitute for proper hand sanitation procedures. The outside of your glove can transmit diseases from one surface to another, including transmitting the disease to yourself and others.  It is a good idea to wear gloves while in the garden, but not a replacement for sanitation.

FACE MASKS

Follow CDC recommendations for wearing masks, especially when you might be close to others.  A well-fitting face mask might not filter out the virus, but it will keep you from touching your face and keep you from spreading the virus if you are asymptomatic yet infected.

MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCE

• Stay 6 feet from other gardeners
• Young children should stay in their garden plot or with an adult
• Work at being efficient when you are using shared spaces or during joint projects

The Ewing Green Team joins its partner members of the Mercer County Sustainability Coalition in observing Energy Efficiency Month.  This October we encourage you to rethink your energy use. Watch this space every day for a new Energy Efficiency Tip. Be creative. Be innovative. Start thinking about ways that you can reduce your energy use at home and at work.

The average household uses this much energy every year :

8,500 kWh of electricity (costing $1,400 and emitting 4,500 pounds of CO2)

1,000 therms of natural gas (costing $1,000 emitting 11,300 pounds of CO2)

1,000 gallons of gasoline (costing $2,300 and emitting 19,600 pounds of CO2)

Where are you going to do to reduce your energy usage?

Help shape Ewing’s (and New Jersey’s) future with your response.

This year in 2020 the U.S. government will begin its decennial count of the population.  Sometime in mid-March you should receive an invitation to complete the 2020 Census in the mail.  With your response you will continue a process that first began in 1790 and has occurred every ten years since on years ending in “0.”  The United States census is constitutionally mandated and attempts to count every person living in the U.S. once, and only once, where they live.  Your response is requested by phone, by mail or online.

It is vitally important that each Ewing resident is accounted for in the Census.

What’s at Stake

Fair Representation

The results of the census are used for the reapportionment of seats for the House of Representatives for the coming decade.  Census results will determine how many seats New Jersey is entitled to in the House and will help ensure that any redistricting of congressional districts which takes place after the census will be fair.  Officials will also redraw the boundaries of legislative districts for representation in the state Assembly.

How does the 2020 Census Affect Representation?

Funding

You’ve probably heard that (overall) New Jersey is a “donor” state which means that New Jerseyans send to Washington more funds than are returned to us in the form of federal funds, grants, and support for the state, counties and communities.  That money is spent on hospitals, schools, roads, public works, and other vital programs and includes school lunches, plans for highways, support for firefighters and families in need…   The Decennial Census provides the benchmark data for how the funds are distributed.  An accurate count is vital in guaranteeing that funds are fairly returned to New Jersey residents through these programs.

How the Census Affects Federal Funding

Data Analysis

Census data is analyzed by local government, universities, non-profits, the business community to inform their research and planning.  Governments use the census for public safety and emergency preparedness.  Businesses use the data for market research and decisions such as where to build plants, offices and stores which create jobs.  The data is used for infrastructure and transportation planning, medical research, and much more.

What You Need to Know

• If you live in the United States, you are required by law to complete the 2020 Census.
• In 2020, for the first time ever, the U.S. Census Bureau will accept responses online.  You still have the option of responding by phone or mail if that is your preference.
• You will be asked a few simple questions such as name, age, date of birth, sex, race, relationships, and the number of people who live in your home, including children.  The goal is to count people once (and only once) where they live on Census Day (April 1^st).
• They will inquire about national origin (Latino, Hispanic or Spanish) to monitor compliance with anti-discrimination provisions, such as under the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act.
• They ask whether a home is owned or rented to create statistics about home ownership and renters.  This serves as an indicator of the nation’s economy and helps in administering housing programs and informing planning decisions.
• You will NOT be asked to supply your Social Security number, bank or credit card numbers, for money or donations, or anything related to political parties.
• Count everyone under your roof as of April 1, 2020.  If there are special circumstances such as students, foreign citizens, US military personnel, snow birds, etc. please check the Special Circumstances section on the Census Bureau’s Who to Count page.
• The Census Bureau will ask for a phone number in case they need to contact you.  They will never share that number and will contact you only if needed for official Census Bureau business.
• Your answers to the 2020 Census are safe, secure and protected by federal law.  Your answers can only be used to produce statistics.  They cannot be used against you in any way by any government agency: not by the FBI, the CIA, DHS, or ICE!  By law, all responses to the U.S. Census Bureau household and business surveys are kept completely confidential.
• The Census Bureau has a robust cyber-security program that incorporates industry best practices and federal security standards for encrypting data.

Census Timeline

• March 12 – 20: You should receive an invitation to respond online to the census questionnaire.
• March 16 -24: A reminder letter will be sent out.
• March 25 – April 3: You will receive a reminder postcard if you haven’t responded yet.
• April 1^st: Census Day observed.
• April 8 – 16: Another reminder letter and a paper questionnaire.
• April 20 -27: A final reminder postcard before they follow up in person.
• May – July: Census takers will begin visiting homes that haven’t responded to the 2020 Census to help make sure that everyone is counted. If someone comes to your home to collect information for the 2020 Census, check to make sure that they have a valid ID badge, with their photograph, a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark, and an expiration date. Census workers may also carry Census Bureau bags and other equipment with the Census Bureau logo.
  2020 Census Job Opportunities
• December: The Census Bureau will deliver apportionment counts to the President and Congress as required by law.

Your response matters

We ask that over the next few months you complete your census information and help get the word out about the importance of a complete census for Ewing Township.  Look for more information and reminders to come, on our Facebook page, and posters around town as we work to ensure that every Township resident is counted.