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Viewfinder: RiverWinds Holiday Celebration

Complete with a chorus, musician, snacks and Santa, the community gathered together for the RiverWinds Holiday Celebration.

Mile-wide smiles and anxious little ones could only mean one thing on Friday night—the RiverWinds Holiday Celebration. The festivities kicked off at 6 p.m. in the community center’s lobby.   With the lobby of the RiverWinds Community Center decked to the max, local families began to pour in, taking part in the celebration and—of course—seeing Santa.  “We keep adding little things every year,” says RiverWinds Recreation Services Specialist Debbi Blaum, who coordinated the event.  Blaum explains that her father was the first Santa Claus in West Deptford, and recalls him visiting schools throughout the district. Blaum herself is a community member through and through as she has spent her whole life in West Deptford and is a West Deptford High…

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Bill Bondar

4:08 pm on Sunday, December 16, 2012

The Lakebridge Boys are the Best!   more ›

Where to Go with Last-Minute Holiday Donations

Do some good: these local businesses and organizations are accepting donations for the less fortunate among us.

The holidays are not only about receiving, but giving as well. The expression is heard many times throughout the season, and for some, giving a little to charity or someone in need is synonymous with this time of the year. Yet, every year the holidays seem to sneak up with incredible speed.  Not to worry—even though the holidays season is here for some and a week away for others, there are still plenty of local organizations and businesses taking food and toy donations.  Laughing Buddha Hot Yoga in Sherwood Plaza will be hosting a toy drive for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) on Sunday, Dec. 16 at 9 a.m. All customers have the opportunity to achieve some good karma, while working on their yoga—as those who bring a new toy, …

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3 Tips to Photograph Holiday Lights in West Deptford

Capturing Christmas lights on your camera can be a challenge. Get some tips. Photograph your lights. You could win $100,000.

We put up holiday lights to see how pretty they look when it gets dark. You want to capture those lights on your camera, but getting them to look right in your pictures can be more of a challenge than you bargained for. Professional photographers have lot of experience and cameras with all sorts of settings that most of us wouldn’t know what to do with.  Here are three tips for the amateur photographers out there.   Use these tips to take a picture of your holiday lights. Post the picture to West Deptford Patch’s Deck the House contest page and you could win $100,000 for the school district. Want to get more technical than that? Here are some other resources for taking holiday photographs. For more information about the Deck the House …

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Enter Patch's 'Deck the House' Contest For a Chance to Win $100,000

Did you decorate your house for the holidays this year? Enter our "Deck the House" contest and you could win $100,000 for West Deptford schools and $500 to pay your electric bills!

We’re launching our annual Deck the House Contest to find the most over-the-top holiday decorations in America—the best “decked” house in the country—the one home so spectacularly decorated that everyone in town jokes your holiday decorations could rival Rockefeller Center’s. If this sounds like your house, upload a photo or video of your home to our contest page from Nov. 26 to Dec. 16 by clicking here.  Only residents of Patch towns are eligible to enter. We’ll select 24 regional finalists, and from them, pick one grand prize winner. Patch will pay up to $500 of the utility bill for each finalist, while our national winner will have $100,000 donated to his or her local school district. Our contest is now live, so now’s the time to get …

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Santa Hours at Deptford Mall

Need to make sure you're on the nice list? Visit Santa at the Deptford, Cherry Hill or Moorestown mall before Christmas Eve.

Santa Claus is comin’ to town—actually, he’s already been at Deptford Mall for two weeks now. Now that the countdown to Christmas is officially on, it’s time to prep your wish list for St. Nick to consider. If you (or the kiddies) want to visit Santa at the Deptford Mall, you have until Christmas Eve. Monday through Saturday 10 a.m.- 9 p.m. Sundays Nov. 25: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Dec. 2 and 9: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Dec. 16: 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Dec. 23: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Christmas Eve 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Santa takes a break daily from 1 to 1:30 p.m., except on Christmas Eve, when it’s 1:30-2 p.m. Santa will also be at other area malls. Monday through Saturday 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays Nov. 25: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sundays in December 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Santa goes behind the scenes to…

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When's It Too Late to Send Holiday Packages?

The deadline for mailing Christmas presents is closer than you may think. Find out the shipping deadlines for USPS, UPS and FedEx.

With the arrival of Black Friday, the holiday shopping season officially started. If you want to mail presents to loved ones, remember there are deadlines to ensure a package reaches its destination by Christmas Eve. Check out the deadlines and policies for U.S. Postal Service, UPS and FedEx for holiday packages: U.S. Postal Service Deadlines for domestic shipping: Locations Extras: Visit the USPS website for international shipping deadlines, plus information on mailing packages to military personnel. You can also order packaging supplies, holiday stamps and find store operating hours on the USPS website. FedEx Deadlines for domestic shipping: Locations Extras: The FedEx website offers location information and ideas for packing and …

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Thanksgiving By the Numbers

Get these Thanksgiving facts before you're too full of tryptophan to stay awake post-turkey feast.

Turkey Day is here, the time to gather with family and stuff yourselves silly. Our celebration today dates back to the 17th century, when the Pilgrims in Plymouth Colony held what’s regarded as the first Thanksgiving with a three-day feast in 1621. It wouldn’t be a holiday without some commercialization, though. Thanksgiving became a national holiday in 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as a day of thanksgiving. But President Franklin Roosevelt changed it to the fourth Thursday—so a pesky fifth Thursday wouldn’t discourage earlier holiday shopping. As you sit down to eat today, take note of these Thanksgiving facts and figures, courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau. Places in the U.S. named for …

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Help a Needy Family Without Leaving Your Car

Drive up your turkey donation to the Food Bank of South Jersey all day on Saturday.

Did you score an extra turkey for Thanksgiving? A needy family in our area could have a tastier Thanksgiving if you donate it and other turkey day staples. The Food Bank of South Jersey is running a drive-up turkey drive Saturday, Nov. 17 to help fill holiday tables of local families in need. Simply drive up to the food bank at 1501 John Tipton Blvd. in Pennsauken from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and a staffer will take it from there. The food bank is collecting turkeys (only frozen), canned goods and boxed goods. All donations must not be expired. While you’re dropping off a turkey, don’t forget to open your wallet as well. For every $1 donated, the Food Bank of South Jersey can buy almost four entire meals for people in need. For details, contact …

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