Spring is busting out all over....


April showers have not stopped a flurry of activities, as folks gladly shake off  cabin fever after what seemed to be a never ending Winter season.

Students got a change of pace this week with Spring break; area churches have services observing Holy Week and Easter Sunday; the annual Easter Egg hunt is being hosted by the Minisink Reformed Church.
The Montague Vol Fire Dept., the Recreation Dept. and the High Point Country Club Community Corp. are all combining efforts to support this community event. Come to the Minisink Reformed Church Pavilion on Clove Rd. for breakfast beinning at 9AM on April 23rd. The Easter Bunny will make an appearance, and the egg hunt will follow at 11AM.


Trailblazers Camp is inviting folks to visit their site between mile markers 4 and 5 at 210 Deckertown Turnpike (CR 650) from 12 - 4PM for their annual Earth Day and Open House Event. With games, tours, Earth Day activities and a BBQ, there will be something for everyone. For those with green fingers, help our resident botanist plant the TBC garden. There will be tours of our beautiful property with the assistant director, Martin, who will a tell you all about our program and the environment the children inhabit over the summer. 
Take a boat or a canoe out on the lake and get a lesson in boating and fishing with Program director, James. There will be a sign up area for Sleep Away and Day Camp this summer.
Please send them an email to info@trailblazers.org if you plan to attend.

M.A.R.C.H., Montague's Historical Society, is meeting Thurs. evening April 30th at 7PM at the Foster-Armstrong site. Come out if have an interest or curiousity about the area's rich heritage. The group could use help in getting both its sites spruced up and painted, and staffed for summer tours.

M.A.R.C.H. can now be found on Facebook!

                                                                        

                                                                        
The Montague Grange, located on River Rd. between Millville & Weider Rd.'s, is having an Open House. You can visit their building and see what they are all about on Sat. April 30th from 1-4:30 PM. 
Free Giveaways and Door Prizes!                                            

Buds are bursting out all over ... maybe Spring is finally here ?!

Did you know "Phenology" is the study of nature's changes?
Take the kids outside - notice what's new.

Amidst these signs of color, pink surveyors flags have been seen around town.  Some mark two alternative routes for the planned Northeast Upgrade to the Tennessee Gas Pipeline (TGP).
Read a NJSpotlight post about this issue.
The Northeast Upgrade is the connecting link in the "300 Line Project".
The existing Right of Way, which was acquired c. 1955, predated the creation of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and the Holiday Lake community, now known as High Point Country Club, which it traverses.  TGP also crosses High Point State Park.

B.E.A.R. Learning Fair

“B.E.A.R.” stands for Better Education for All Residents.

The event is being held at the Montague Township Elementary School located at 475 U.S. Highway 206 on Saturday, April 2nd, from 9 AM to 12 Noon. The desire of the planners is that the community will take part with demonstrations and/or classes for adults and/or children. Among the local groups participating with exhibits or presentations:
Boy Scouts; Girl Scouts; Pre-schools and Day care from the area; YMCA; Trailblazers; Montague Education Association; PTA Voter Registration; Montague Volunteer Fire Department; Montague Grange; M.A.R.C.H. - Montague Township's Historical Society.

Spring.... it's time to chase Old Man Winter away!

Last week's brief reprieve to sweater weather was cruelly followed by more snow days and chilly winter-like days. Flocks of robins were spotted..and crocuses are blooming, with tulips and hyacinths pushing their leaves and buds up from the cold ground... so it's just a matter of time.

Celebrate Nature Coffee House
The Friends of High Point State Park welcome spring and recognize Earth Day with their 2nd Annual Celebrate Nature Coffee House on Saturday, April 16, 2011, 12:30 pm – 4:00 pm.
Lineup of great musicians:  Hard Luck, featuring Ray Sikora, Brian McArdle, and Michel Beliveau, entertain with some amazing harmonies. Joe Rocco rocks High Point State Park at 1:30 pm.Tim Blohm takes the stage with some classic rock and country at 2:30 pm. Walkabout Clearwater Chorus, founded by Pete Seeger in 1984 as a musical arm of the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, will immerse everyone in folk music from 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm.
Please visit http://www.friendshighpointstatepark.blogspot.com/ for information.

Can Spring be far behind...??

With the return of Red-winged blackbirds and geese flying in.. weeping willows turn golden, and trees starting to bud.. and bulbs start to push up their greenery from what [ only last week ] was frozen & snow covered ground.
It's closer than we realize.

Change through or as a result of growth = last 3 census' showed Montague Township population at 2,832 in 1990, at 3,412 in 2000, and at last count in 2010 at 3,847!

While more showers may come - they will spare us the March 6th deluge and a resulting flood watch on the Delaware River while it crested at 19.27 feet, the evening of March 7th, 2011.

Such snow melts enhanced by rains caused the Spring freshes which ran the river rafters downstream in olden days.