In other news, the Charles Dickens Festival is set for Dec. 2
Front and Center: The gun debate in NJ
On the heels off the deadliest mass shooting in American history last month in Las Vegas, the debate over gun control has resurfaced yet again. A microcosm of that debate is happening right here in the Garden State, where Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy has campaigned on a platform of increased gun control, while his Republican opponent and current Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, who says “New Jersey has among the strictest gun laws in the country,” has endorsed enforcing the laws the state already has on the books.
First, let’s take a look at Guadagno’s statement. Does New Jersey actually have some of the strictest gun laws in the country?
Organizations on both sides of the political spectrum seem to agree it does.
The Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence — a left-leaning policy organization whose mission is “to save lives from gun violence by shifting culture, changing policies, and challenging injustice” — gives New Jersey an “A-” as part of its 2016 gun law state scorecard, citing the state’s requiring of “the licensing of all firearms dealers and their employees, and requires a permit to purchase any handgun.”
Additionally, the right-wing Guns & Ammo magazine has ranked New Jersey 49th on its list of “best state for gun owners” in the country for various reasons, including the fact that “ownership of tactical rifles is tightly regulated in New Jersey, and state law bans suppressors,” among other reasons.
Soccer Spotlight
As he took some time off to relax from the recently-completed soccer season he had played for the Philadelphia Union soccer academy’s Under 17 program, 16-year-old Brenden Aaronson got a phone call while “chilling” at his family’s Shore house.
It’s mid-July and about two and a half weeks since the playoffs ended when “one of the coaches in the academy [calls me] and says, do you mind practicing with the Steel tomorrow?” Aaronson said.
The Steel are Bethlehem Steel FC, a United Soccer League club based in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley region. It’s also the minor league affiliate of Major League Soccer’s Philadelphia Union.
“And I said yeah.”
Charles Dickens Festival set for Dec. 2
The Medford Sunrise Rotary Club will once again present the popular Dickens Festival on Saturday, Dec. 2 in downtown Medford. The family friendly event will take place from 6 to 9:30 p.m. and it promises to be a magical time for children and grown-ups alike. This will be the 28th consecutive year that Main Street in Medford will be transformed into a quaint winter wonderland, featuring holiday festivities galore with an old-timey flair. The festival typically attracts more than 10,000 people from Medford and many surrounding communities. Locals never fail to catch up with old friends on the street; there’s something for everyone!
Exciting things get underway around 5:45 p.m., when a parade heralded by the town crier transports Santa, Mrs. Claus and an elf or two to the gazebo in the center of the downtown Village (18 N. Main Street). Grand Marshal Ron Murphy of Murphy’s Market is once again the presenting sponsor of the Dickens Festival. The annual tree-lighting ceremony happens next, as town officials gather to turn the lights on at the township Christmas tree. Santa and Mrs. Claus will stay at the gazebo all evening long to greet children of all ages.
Visitors are invited to stroll along Main Street in Medford’s historic district, past lampposts and shops adorned with holiday decorations and twinkling lights. Carolers, many of them dressed in Dickens-era garb, will make their way up and down the street, entertaining the masses. Various musicians will perform favorite holiday tunes from porches along the way.
