Build a Scarecrow this Fall and Win Ca$h!

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Mayor Bert Steinmann and the Ewing Green Team invite you to demonstrate your recycling smarts and creative skills this Fall to win ca$h!    Make a one-of-a-kind scarecrow and enter  the Ewing Green Team’s fifth Annual Scarecrow Contest this October.

Event Details

The contest is open to all Ewing individuals, school groups, families, youth groups, service clubs and business groups. Winners will be judged on originality, artistry and the creative use of recycled materials. All scarecrows must be constructed of at least 80% recycled, reclaimed, and/or reused materials.  Materials like glue, nails, string, or other means of attaching items will count toward the allowable 20% new materials.

Scarecrows must be named to help describe/identify the creative theme and must also be 4-5 feet tall (without stake) and 2-4 feet wide.  The Township will provide frames for the first 15 registrants who request one and are available at the Ewing Senior and Community Center (ESCC), 999 Lower Ferry Road.  Contest registrants should stop in at the main office to request a frame and the ESCC staff will help you load it into your vehicle.

There will be Prizes!

Cash prizes will be awarded.  There will be 3 $50 prizes for the following categories: Family | Youth Groups (Schools, Scouts…) | Adults (only)  and a $25 prize for the People’s Choice.  Judging will be done by members of Ewing Town Council, as well as Arts Commission members and local educators.

Pre-Registration Required

Pre-registration is required.  For registration details check our contest page.  You may also register using your Community Pass account).  You may also print out the registration form, fill it out and mail it to the Green Team.

Ewing Green Team
2 Jake Garzio Drive
Ewing, NJ 08628

The deadline for registration is the end of day, Thursday, October 25, 2018.

Scarecrow Drop Off and Pick Up

Scarecrows must be delivered to the ESCC by Friday, October 26th at 4:00 pm.  We request that Scarecrows made for the contest remain on display until after Halloween, Thursday, November 1st for the community to enjoy.  Any Scarecrows remaining after November 2nd will be dismantled and the materials recycled.  Call Green Team member Lisa Feldman with any questions: 609-620-0722.

Scarecrow Winners

Judging will be on Saturday, October 27th at 2:00 pm (rain date: Sunday, October 28th) at the ESCC at Ewing’s annual Trunk or Treat celebration.   Contest winners will be announced at 4:00 pm following Trunk or Treat.  So, please join us for pumpkin painting, a community craft and refreshments as we gather together to see who can make recycling into art whiling have fun and celebrating the fall season.

Event Summary

Scarecrow Event: Saturday, October 27th (rain date: Sunday, Oct 28th)
Location: ESCC, 999 Lower Ferry Rd.
Time: 2 pm (pumpkin painting and crafts) 4 pm (Scarecrow Contest Winners announced)
Pre-registration Required by Thursday, October 25

For registration and details check out our contest page at www.ewinggreenteam.org/scarecrow-contest/ or if you have any questions, please call Lisa at 609-620-0722.

Ewing Green Team Publishes New Ewing Township Welcome Booklet

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Discover more about what Ewing has to offer.  A Ewing Township Welcome Guide was published by the Neighborhood Committee of the Sustainable Ewing Green Team in August 2018.

Introduction

by Caroline Ayres Steward

When my parents moved into Ferry Road Manor in the fall of 1952 they received a “Know Your Township Booklet” that had been prepared by the League of Women Voters in 1951. This booklet was developed to inform the new residents of services and opportunities their new community had to offer. Ewing was in a state of growth. In that year a $1,000.000 High School was being built, the Ewing Lawrence Sewage Authority (ELSA) was being created, the General Motors plant was in operation and the Navy Department was spending $22,000,000 on building a jet engine testing laboratory on Parkway Ave.  The booklet proudly displays the population change from 1910 (3,475) to 1950 census of 16,840, and describes a total township budget of $1,052,397 (which included the schools). Churches, civic associations, local businesses, as well as police and fire services are all listed. Russell P. Dey, (described as a long term resident of Ewing) wrote the section on the Early History of Ewing in this booklet. He completes his section with “Always known for their pride and zeal for “EWING,” its residents believe in their future and are willing to work and plan that their dreams may come true. Ewing starts the last half of its third century with high hope for the future.”

It is now 2018 and I think Russell P. Dey would be very proud to see how far Ewing has come.  Many of the dreams and plans he might have imagined have been realized. Ewing remains a community made up of neighborhoods working together for a common good. The people of Ewing still dream about a better life and continue to plan and work towards the future. This Welcome Booklet only begins to describe the progress made. As you look through this booklet you will be amazed at how successful we as a community have been. Who knows what another 67 years will bring?

It has been my pleasure to help create this new edition of Welcome to Ewing Booklet.  It is available in a downloadable format found on both the Ewing Township (CLICK HERE) website and our own Green Team website (CLICK HERE).

As you look thru the information I am sure you will be reminded of what they said in 1951- Ewing is a great place to live.

Enjoy

About this project

In 2015 the Ewing Green Team conducted a Community Visioning and finalized a Strategic Plan, laying out a clear vision and mission for the coming years. As a result of the participation of engaged and interested Ewing residents, the Green Team’s plan reflects the concerns of a broad swath of Ewing and was tailored to address the priorities of all of Ewing.

Welcoming new residents and helping current residents realize the richness of resources available in our community was identified as a way to build community engagement among all residents and the Team was charged by participants with helping to build those community connections.  The Ewing Township Welcome Booklet is the product of that charge and we are delighted to offer this guide that highlights the reasons why we all choose to live in Ewing. 

Thanks to Neighborhood Committee Chair Caroline Steward and all of the members of her team and the community who worked with her on this substantial project.

Project team members include:
  • Kevin Baxter
  • Lisa Feldman
  • Heidi Furman
  • Don Garay
  • Theresa Hullings
  • Kathleen Jordan
  • Chuck Latini
  • Joanne Mullowney
  • Jeff Prieschel
  • Caroline Steward
  • Sarah Steward
  • Photographs were donated by various organizations, Mark Wetherbee and other Green Team members.

4th Annual Community Fall Spin Bike Tour as Part of Ewing Community Fest

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The Ewing Green Team and the Ewing Recreation Department are pleased to announce the 4th Annual Ewing Fall Spin bike tour, to be held as a part of the 2018 Community Fest event, on Saturday, September 29, 2018, from 8:15 am to 11:00 am. The event will start and end at Campus Town at The College of New Jersey. All proceeds from this year’s event will be donated to The Arc Mercer in support of their  Food Training Center.

Individuals or teams, ages 18 years and older are encouraged to register early as there is a maximum number of 50 riders allowed. “We would love participants to sign up as individuals or come as a team of friends, family members or co-workers,” says EGT Member and Bike Ride Coordinator, Garry Keel. The Fall Spin registration fee is $20 prior to September 22nd and $25 thereafter. All persons registering by September 22nd will receive a T-shirt. Day-of-event registration will begin at 7:45 am.

The bike ride will be a 12-mile, leisurely tour of Ewing Township, with rest stops in historic locations, including St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and Higgs Park.  We will also stop at The Arc Mercer.  Don’t forget when you have completed your ride, to head over to Ewing’s Community Fest where you can meet your neighbors and enjoy one of the township’s biggest community celebrations.

For more information on the Community Bike Ride, please visit our Fall Spin webpage , email ewinggreenteam@gmail.com or call Garry M. Keel at 609-771-9611.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING RECYCLING COLLECTION

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We are in the midst of the worst recycling environment which we have seen in the last 20 years and all indications are that the market for recycling materials will not improve in the foreseeable future.  You may have read about the restrictions placed by China on importing recyclable materials from the United States.  China has closed its doors to many types of recycling materials and is requiring that the material be free from contamination.

China was the largest consumer of US recyclable volume and no longer is purchasing the volumes that it did in the past.  This means that there is a glut of supply in the market which is significantly driving down the value of this materials.  As a result, in many cities across the nation, recyclables are ending up in landfills.

We ask that all residents keep the following do’s and don’ts in mind when recycling:

Recycling Do’s and Don’ts

  • DO remember the first of the 3Rs of recycling: Reduce. Make every effort to reduce the amount of waste that you produce.  Single-use plastics are a significant component of that waste stream because they “don’t go away and essentially, last forever.  Make every effort to eliminate single-use items such as plastic grocery bags, straws, utensils and cups, bottled water, take-out containers…   Use reusable versions of those products instead.
  • DO recycle all empty bottles, cans, paper and cardboard.
  • DO recycle clean materials: i.e. keep foods and liquids out of recycling.
  • DO keep plastic bags out of recycling.
  • DO check out this site for more information about how you can do your share to Reduce | Reuse | Recycle.
  • DON’T bag your recyclables. Plastic bags and film get tangled in the machinery.  (Our local supermarkets have plastic bag collection bins at their entrances.)
  • DON’T include soiled food items. They can turn an entire load of recycling into trash.
  • DON’T add sharp or dangerous materials like needles and electronics. They can cause injury to workers.
  • DON’T include bulky items like propane tanks or construction debris (no wood). The Township Convenience Center at 136 Scotch Road will take a lot of materials that you cannot leave at the curb.  Please check our website or call 609- 882-3382 for accepted materials.
  • DON’T add items that are not on the list of accepted materials. This will contaminate the entire load.

We thank you for your anticipated cooperation and efforts to reduce our community’s impact on the environment.  If you have any questions please don’t hesitate the Township’s Recycling Coordinator, Tom Elder at 609-882-3382 X 6404.

View the Announcement

Save the Date, July 7th, for Our 4th Annual Through the Garden Gate Tour

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The Ewing Green Team, the West Trenton Garden Club and local Girl Scout Troop #70138 are excited to invite you to our 2018 Through the Garden Gate Tour of Ewing and its environs!  This year we will showcase a number of new gardens and highlight improvements to some of the gardens from prior years.  Most of our gardens follow sustainable landscaping practices and a few are even National Wildlife Federation  or North American Butterfly Association certified. Following previous tours in June and in September, our tour this year in early July will give the gardeners a chance to show off their gardens in at the height of the gardening season!

Our Mission

This fourth garden tour of Ewing is being held to promote our mutual causes of civic pride, beautification, sustainability, and youth development. It is our belief that showcasing some of Ewing’s noteworthy gardens is a great way to help us engage more people in beautifying our town. A beautiful town elicits pride among its residents and helps to build community. We believe that it can all begin with one garden at a time.

Event Details

The 2018 Through the Garden Gate Tour will be a self-guided ticketed event, featuring gardens throughout Ewing, with a couple of stand-out gardens from neighboring towns.  The tour date is set for Saturday, July 7th.  Gardens will be open from 10 am – 5 pm.

Start out at the Ewing Senior and Community Center.  Be sure to check out the Green Team and Environmental Commission’s brand-new pollinator garden in the building’s central courtyard.  A work in progress, it features some of the requirements necessary to support wildlife in the garden; pollinator friendly native plants, a water source; cover and food.  We are also quite delighted to report that while the perennials are still small, there are monarch eggs an larvae on the milkweed plants.  We are looking forward to our butterflies shortly!

Purchase your ticket and receive a pamphlet containing the name of each garden, its location, as well as a brief description, and a map.  There are 20 gardens to tour this year.  From the public gardens such as the Birmingham Pocket Garden and the Kitchen Garden at the Benjamin Temple House, to first offerings of a couple of newer gardens, to the long established gardens that are ever still constantly changing, we this that we have a lot to offer.  We hope that you will ask lots of questions while you tour as many as you can.

Look for additional information on this page as we firm up participants and details of the day.  We hope to see you at the gardens!

Event Summary

Date: Saturday, July 7
Time: 10 am to 5 pm
Locations: Noteworthy gardens in Ewing and its environs
Startup: Out front of the Ewing Senior and Community Center, 999 Lower Ferry Rd, Ewing  (rain location – front lobby)
Cost: $10

Below is the map of the gardens on this year’s tour.  We think that you’ll be excited to see some of the great gardens in town.  We hope to see you there!