Latest / Lawrence Together / Full Moon Rides, Firefighters Train Together, Book Festivals ... This Week in Lawrence
Transcript
- Welcome to Lawrence Together, your community podcast for Lawrence Township, New Jersey. Today's episode covers news and updates from Latest in Lawrence, dated Thursday, August 20th, 2026. Let's get started. We'll start with a few township announcements. Bulk waste collection is scheduled for Friday, August 28th. Bulk waste is picked up on the last Friday of each month, and includes items too large for your regular cart. Residents are permitted three bulky items, and each item cannot weigh more than fifty pounds. If you'd like to schedule a pickup, contact the Public Works Department to make an appointment. Drivers should also be aware of an ongoing ramp closure. Interstate two ninety five southbound, from Exit sixty nine B to Route two oh six southbound, is closed and detoured as a noise barrier installation project continues in Lawrence, in Mercer County. That closure began back in June and is expected to continue through August. The right lane on Interstate two ninety five southbound is also closed just before Exit sixty nine B while crews install a construction barrier and close the ramp. There's also a change to the township's mailing address. Lawrence Township is discontinuing the use of Post Office Box six zero zero six. Going forward, all correspondence, including payments, should be mailed to the Township of Lawrence at twenty two oh seven Lawrence Road, Lawrence Township, New Jersey, zero eight six four eight. If you have scheduled payments set up, be sure to update them to reflect this new address. On to taxes. Third quarter, twenty twenty six tax amounts are now available on the township website. Tax bills were mailed on August 6th, and the due date has been extended. The last day to pay third quarter taxes without penalty is Tuesday, September 8th, by close of business, with no further grace period. Late payments will be charged interest back to August 1st. For questions, you can reach the Tax Collector's office at six zero nine, eight four four, seven zero four one. In emergency management news, on August 18th, members of the Lawrence Township Fire Department's Station 20, including career and volunteer firefighters, joined the West Windsor Fire Department for a joint training drill at Mercer County Lake in Mercer County Park. The drill, led by Lawrence Township Deputy Fire Chief Ray Nagy, gave firefighters a chance to train together and practice the teamwork and coordination needed during real emergencies. Thank you to everyone from both departments who took part, and to Deputy Chief Nagy for leading the training. Now let's turn to the Recreation Department. Fall and winter programs are open for registration, with a variety of activities for youth and adults, so keep an eye out for updates on program information throughout the season. The department is also hiring a full time Recreation Leader to help plan and support programs, special events, and senior activities for residents of all ages. If that sounds like a good fit for you, the township encourages you to apply. Registration is also open for Junior Wrestling, where kids can learn technique, rules, and skills three times a week. Practices will be held at Lawrence Middle School on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, from six to eight in the evening, beginning in mid November. If you're looking for something a little more relaxed, the Adult Walking Program returns this fall. Join a leisurely, mostly flat, forty five minute walk through Lawrence Township parks. Walks are held on Mondays, September 28th, October 5th, October 12th, October 19th, October 26th, and November 2nd, from nine to nine forty five in the morning. The first walk begins at Village Park's Yeger Pavilion, with future walks at a variety of parks around the township. And for our senior residents, the Senior Center has its August calendar and Senior Connect newsletter available online. You can call the Lawrence Senior Center at six zero nine, eight four four, seven zero four eight to register for programs. For any recreation department questions, you can reach them at six zero nine, eight four four, seven zero six seven. Moving to the Health Department. If you need help at home, the department's nursing services include vaccinations, blood pressure monitoring, and community resource assistance. You can contact them at six zero nine, eight four four, seven zero nine four. A reminder for dog owners, don't forget to license your dog. Animal Control is currently contacting more than five hundred dog owners with delinquent licenses, and starting in June, summonses may be issued for unlicensed dogs. A nine dollar late fee is currently in effect, and rabies vaccinations must remain valid through November of twenty twenty six. If you have questions about your application or your dog's rabies expiration, please contact the Clerk's Office. The Health Department also has free at home COVID-19 test kits available, provided by Mercer County, while supplies last. Feel free to stop by. You can reach the Health Department at six zero nine, eight four four, seven zero eight nine. Over at the Police Department, there's some nice community partnership news to share. Thank you to Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Coordinator and Arrive Together Liaison Elwood Dasher for stopping by TASK in Trenton to support Operation Helping Hand and the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office Arrive Together program. And Community Policing Officer Na'Air Campbell recently met with Sabrina Schaller from Home Instead, who stopped by to meet officers and check out a patrol vehicle. Earlier this year, Officer Campbell also gave a virtual fraud awareness presentation to Home Instead clients to help raise awareness about scams targeting older adults. The Police Department is also hiring. They're currently accepting resumes for per diem Public Safety Telecommunicators, who serve as dispatchers and provide the vital link between officers and the public. If you're interested and meet the minimum qualifications, you can submit your resume to Lawrence Police at Lawrence T W P dot com. Here's a quick look at upcoming board and committee meetings. The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee meeting scheduled for today, Thursday, August 20th, at six thirty in the evening, has been canceled. The Shade Tree Advisory Committee meets Monday, August 24th, at seven in the evening. The Lawrence Alcohol and Drug Alliance meets Tuesday, August 25th, at nine in the morning. And the Environmental Resources and Green Advisory Committee meets that same day, Tuesday, August 25th, at seven in the evening. The meeting schedule is subject to change for reorganization, so check the township website for updates on cancellations. You can reach the Municipal Clerk's office at six zero nine, eight four four, seven zero zero one. There's plenty happening in the community as well. Today, Thursday, August 20th, at five in the evening, the Mercer County Board of Elections is holding an Election Board Worker Recruitment Day Celebration at the Mercer County Office Park, fourteen forty Parkside Avenue in Ewing. It's a great chance for first time applicants to sign up, meet board of elections staff, and see the voting equipment up close. Also today, the Lawrence Historical Society is hosting its village walking tour, a free, half hour, one mile stroll through Lawrenceville exploring its history from before the Revolutionary War through the late twentieth century. That walk runs from five forty five to six fifteen this evening at Weeden Park. The Lawrence Township Environmental Education Foundation has a full slate of events connecting residents with nature, science, history, art, and wellness. Coming up, there's a Sound Bath for Relaxation on August 21st, Yoga in Nature and a Plant Swap on August 22nd, a Vigil of American Revolution Remembrance on August 26th, another Sound Bath on September 6th, National Trail Mix Day on September 9th, and one more Sound Bath for Relaxation on September 18th. Looking further ahead, the Mercer County Library System's Book Festival returns Saturday, September 26th, from ten in the morning to three in the afternoon at the Lawrence Headquarters Branch, with events for all ages. That same evening, the Lawrence Hopewell Trail hosts its Full Moon Ride and Walk at Rosedale Park, starting at six forty five. Cyclists can enjoy a glowing, moonlit ride, while walkers can take a moonlit stroll before gathering around the bonfire for s'mores. And if you have a children's bike gathering dust at home, the Lawrence Hopewell Trail is collecting used bikes in any condition for Spokes and Skills, its free youth cycling program with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Mercer County. You can reach out to claire at L H trail dot org to donate. A few more community resources to close out. The Emergency Rescue Mortgage Assistance program offers financial help to eligible homeowners who saw a significant drop in income or rise in expenses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, for those who meet income and eligibility requirements. Mercer County also maintains an updated list of cooling centers for anyone struggling with excessive heat, and a Food Finder tool connecting residents to more than one hundred food pantries and free meal programs. New Jersey has also launched a new Disability Information Hub, an easy to use website with programs, services, and resources for people with disabilities, their families, and caregivers. And if you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, or experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis, help is available. You can call or text nine eight eight to connect with trained crisis counselors, any time. Finally, if you're looking to give back, volunteer opportunities are available through the Lawrence Historical Society, Meals on Wheels, and the Lawrence Township Community Foundation. That's all for this edition of Lawrence Together. If you haven't already, be sure to subscribe so you never miss an update from our community. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next time.