Borough Revitalizes Lake Narraticon Park & Installs Two New Docks

Two docks have been added to Lake Narraticon Park in Swedesboro on Tuesday, July 31.  The docks, a fishing dock and a kayak/canoe launching platform, will be dedicated at a noon ceremony on Saturday, August 4 during free kayaking event being held at the lake.

Newly installed fishing dock on Park Ave right before the entra
nce to Lake Narraticon Park.

The idea of installing docks on Lake Narriticon has been discussed for several years, and  Councilman Russell Zappala asked if it was the time to proceed with the project at a council meeting several months back.

“Mayor Tom Fromm, asked me to run with it,” Zappala said, “The idea of having docks has been bantered about for years. Living on the lake, my wife and I have seen increased activity by kayaks and fishermen in the last couple of years.  With improved water quality, we have even seen three guys training for a triathlon by swimming laps up and down the lake.”

Mayor Fromm asked Zappala to form a committee that consisted of Diane Hale, JoAnna Gahrs, Dave Fish, Natalie Matthias and Carolyn Kehoe-Grasso; and they also invited a representative from EZDock, Dan Robinson, to give a demonstration and to suggest  locations for the docks.

Zappala feels that the docks will definitely bring people to use Lake Narriticon as well as add a measure of safety for fishing and launching kayaks.

The docks are part of a larger push by Swedesboro  to revitalize the Lake Narriticon Park in hopes that it will encourage more of their residents to take advantage of this beautiful asset right in their town.

A dedication ceremony will take place on Saturday, August at Noon. This coincides with Swedesboro’s free kayaking event that will be going on from 10 AM to 3 PM.  The kayaking event is run by Splash and Paddle, a non profit organization with knowledgeable volunteers ready to teach anyone of any age or skill level how to kayak.

Kayak/Canoe Launch located within Lake Narraticon Park will be the site of a Free Kayaking event on Saturday, August 4.

People are encouraged to come down to the park, check out the docks and take advantage of the free kayaking opportunity.

Swedesboro Outdoor Living and Garden Show

This Saturday, Swedesboro will host its sixth annual Outdoor Living and Garden Show on Kings Highway from 9 AM to 3 PM. Each year this event features a farmer’s market, vendors, educational talks, family friendly childrens’ activities, and more!

This year, the Outdoor Living and Garden Show will feature a new childrens’ activity where kids are able to really get their hands dirty! Students from Walter H. Hill School and Kingsway Regional High School participated in the Outdoor Living and Garden Show by creating fairy gardens and decorating rain barrels.

Sixth graders from Walter H. Hill School enjoyed creating ten fairy gardens, a craft which uses small furniture, dwarf plants, flowers and handmade characters within a wheelbarrow to create a themed miniature world. Each fairy garden will be auctioned off on Saturday, with proceeds benefitting the sixth grade’s class trip and Project Graduation funds.

Biology club students at Kingsway Regional High School also participated in the Outdoor Living and Garden Show by creating a set of rain barrels, used to conserve and collect rainwater for use in gardening and other outdoor tasks. The rain barrels will also be auctioned off on Saturday, with proceeds benefitting the repair of Kingsway’s greenhouse.

Swedesboro’s Outdoor Living and Garden Show is proud to sponsor these activities, meant to teach students where their food comes from and to deter them from wasting food and energy. Join us Saturday from 9 AM to 3 PM for these silent auctions, vendors, and more family friendly activities!

Swedesboro Public Library Recognized

Swedesboro Public Library is one of the oldest libraries in the state of New Jersey,and was established in 1783. The library was originally housed in the Borough Hall and was incorporated in 1937. It has occupied a 1920s bank building since 1944 and has since been expanded and renovated in order to save the historic structure from demolition. After the new renovations from the Compass Architectural Design and $1.2 million later, new amenities include a large community meeting room, an accessible entrance, a modern HVAC system, plenty of windows and a total of 3,000 sq. ft. expansion of open space. Through the changes the original hand-crafted circulation desk was able to be salvaged and now stands at the center of the old and new spaces.

 

Local Resident Writes History of Swedesboro

Lois M. Stanley, a former Kingsway teacher and long-time local resident, along with Russel C. Shiveler, Jr., a descendent of one of the area farming families, and the Swedesboro-Woolwich Historical Society, have co-authored a book on the History of Swedesboro and Woolwich Township.

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