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Business

Area chamber of commerce officially changes name

BORDENTOWN, N.J. – In order to better reflect their geographic coverage area, the Northern

Local Chamber of Commerce changes its name to Burlington Mercer Chamber of Commerce.
–Internet image

Burlington Regional Chamber of Commerce has recently changed its name to Burlington Mercer Chamber of Commerce.

Chamber President Bill Ryan announced this official name change last Thursday night at their Pi Day Business Networking Special Event held at the Scottish Rite Hall in Bordentown.

The Chamber has served the Burlington-Mercer county areas for more than 40 years, with its commitment to providing affordable networking opportunities and special events to connect their members with customers in those areas.

Even though the new name better reflects their geographic coverage areas, Ryan said they also have members who have joined from Bucks, Monmouth and Ocean counties, in order to also promote their businesses to a wide variety of diverse, engaged business people.

Not only does the Chamber help its predominantly small and mid-sized chamber members, but it also has a huge impact on local communities by donating thousands of dollars annually to local non-profits and awarding business and art scholarships each June to area high school seniors.

The affordable annual membership is $125. The Chamber also hosts many events that are free or discounted for its members.

Coverage area for the new Burlington Mercer Chamber of Commerce.
— Google map

Both Chamber members and all other businesses are warmly welcomed to monthly networking breakfasts or luncheons, evening networking events, a Business Expo, the Hidden Treasures Scholarship Calendar, and the Bordentown Street Fair each May.

Their next event will be the Evening Business to Business Networking Event scheduled for March 28 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Hamilton Tap and Grill.

There are several avenues for involvement with this Chamber. And, at this time they are accepting nominations for two open seats for their Board of Directors.

For more information, visit their new website at www.BurlingtonMercerChamber.org.

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Local News

Mercer students to compete in annual Consumer Bowl

Area high school students from Mercer County participate in annual Consumer Bowl sponsored by Division of Consumer Affairs.
– Provided photo

HAMILTON, N.J. -– Students from seven Mercer County high schools will compete in the 22nd annual NJ High School Consumer Bowl at 9 a.m., Thursday at the Stone Terrace in Hamilton.

Last year, Hightstown High School was the champion, defeating other Mercer County high schools, and then competing for the Regionals against high schools from Hunterdon, Middlesex, Ocean, Monmouth, Somerset and Union counties.

Each year, the Consumer Bowl tests students’ knowledge of state’s consumer protection laws and regulations. The competition features a game-show format where teams buzz in to answer questions posed by a moderator from the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs.

“This event, and the preparation that goes into it, is a great opportunity for students to gain knowledge they can use to become smarter consumers,” said Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes. “Education is your best defense against consumer fraud.”

This year’s game-show style event will boast a diverse line up of moderators, referees, judges, scorekeepers and timekeeper.

Those moderating include: Anthony Brennan, New Jersey Consumer Affairs investigator, and Melanie Hazim, NJ Consumer Affairs outreach director. Referee will be Mercer County Consumer Affairs Chief, John Worth. The plan for judges will be Andrew Tucker, special assistant to the director of NJ Division of Consumer Affairs, County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello, County Surrogate Diane Gerofsky, Assistant Prosecutor Rachel Cook, Undersheriff Jason Salvatore, County Planning Director Leslie Floyd, and Assistant County Counsel John Maloney. Rebecca Shaw, Mercer County Weights and Measures inspector; and Dulcelina Pena, NJ Division of Consumer Affairs Consumer Bowl coordinator will keep scores. And, timekeeper will be David Donahue, NJ Division of Consumer Affairs Building Services coordinator.

The Mercer County Division of Consumer Affairs holds the event in conjunction with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs.

The Mercer County office handles complaints from individual consumers against local businesses. It protects Mercer County residents from fraudulent and unconscionable business practices. It also provides free consumer counseling and complaint resolution services to Mercer County residents.

The Division of Consumer Affairs can be reached at (609) 989-6671.

Categories
Local News

Loose balloons — hazard to power lines

TRENTON, N.J. — Early Saturday afternoon, the Mill Hill District section of downtown Trenton experienced more than an hour of power outage that inconvenienced residents and businesses in the area.

PSE&G electricians arrive at Market Street between South Broad and Jackson streets Saturday to remove balloons from the power lines after they caused a power outage in the Mill Hill District area of downtown Trenton.
– Photo by Michelle Dryden

Shortly after Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) electricians arrived on the scene, they discovered that the cause of the outage were the party balloons made of aluminum-like materials that were hanging on the wires along Market Street between South Broad and Jackson streets.

A PSE&G workman explained that the materials the balloons are made of, ignited with the electricity in the power wires and caused the loud explosion that the folks in the neighborhood heard at the moment of the power outage.

One resident commented that she now realizes how much she is attached to her television and computer because she really wanted the power back on so she can get back to them.

The electricians quickly restored electric service to the neighborhood after removing the balloons from the power lines and then turning back on the power fuse.

Categories
Local News

Re-opening route 1 jug handles, priority to Princeton-area residents

WEST WINDSOR, N.J. — A concerned resident appealed to Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders at their formal meeting last Thursday, to act on their behalf to re-open route 1 jug handles.

David C. Parris, curator of natural history for the State for New Jersey is a resident of Penns Neck Village near Route 1 in West Windsor, where there have been traffic troubles because DOT has closed jug handles to traffic. Photo by Michelle Dryden

David C. Parris, curator of natural history at the State of New Jersey, and resident of the troubled area, complained to the board that the citizens in the village of Penns Neck, a section of West Windsor Township, need relief from the chaotic traffic burden that the closing of the route 1 jugs handles has been causing them.

Parris said, “Our businesses are suffering.” He talked about “a community where we won’t have any businesses left soon.”

Parris is annoyed that the State Department of Transportation (DOT) closed two jug handles off the route 1 highway as a test or pilot to see if it would reduce traffic flow along the corridor.

Parris described his Penns Neck community as a rural, good, old-fashioned, right-angled street community with inner-circle businesses.  He said it is good if people are going to retire and continue to live there and walk to everything. But even then, there could be accidents for pedestrians, he warned.

He said that the AT&T business has been suffering, because of the bad driving habits of drivers through the community, who use their driveways. He said there have been like two accidents in a day.

He along with other residents and businesses, have been affected by these closures. Instead of the community, which is in the Princeton/West Windsor area, having less traffic, there is a build up and a lot of illegal turnings.

Parris complained that drivers “think they can drive through the intersection turn into their drive way and drive turn out the other driveway immediately be headed into Princeton as long as there is no traffic backup.”

Both the State and West Windsor Township have to invest in police presence in the area to curb the illegal driving activities.

Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders holds their formal meeting on Sept. 27, 2012. Photo by Michelle Dryden

The residents of the affected areas do not believe that their voicing their concerns individually is effective. Therefore, they have organized a group they hope to get DOT’s attention.

“Forming a citizens group called Smart Traffic Solutions, the residents are rallying against a DOT test program that has shut down the Route 1 jug handles at Washington Road and Harrison Street temporarily,” writes Bridget Clerkin at The Times of Trenton.