08108 Collingswood Magazine Spring 2019 by nmg

08108 SUMMER 2019 ISSUE

Making History MEET THE NEW CO-DEAN OF RUTGERS LAW SCHOOL

In this issue: ■ Borough business ■ What’s brewing? ■ Keeping up with Collingswood ...and more!

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08108

SUMMER 2019

Summer 2019 Issue

CONTRIBUTERS:

Scott Anderson

Kevin Callahan

Ryan Lawrence

Carl DiOrio

Andrew Rowan

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08108

Letter from the

PUBLISHER: F

or years, while representing The Sun Newspapers in nearby communities, business owners and residents have asked when we will have a publication in Collingswood. It is with great excitement that my team and I bring you 08108. This magazine will provide an inside look at the vivacious people and businesses of Collingswood. Our goal is to provide content that is unique and original to you, the reader.

The cover is something I want to ensure beautifully highlights Collingswood. This season, we are featuring Kimberly Mutcherson at Knight Park, a 70-acre park known as the jewel of Collingswood. Read about Kimberly and her accomplishments on page 16.

SUMMER 2019 ISSUE

COO

I would like to take this time to thank my amazing team and contributors for their dedication in launching this publication, as well as our advertisers for beginning this journey with us. We hope you enjoy your first issue of 08108. We look forward to being a part of the Collingswood community.

elcome to 08108, a new magazine uncovering the stories behind your borough.

Collingswood is a vibrant community, and in our first issue, we wanted to capture that spirit with a variety of stories. We talk business. We crack open the history books. We introduce you to your neighbors. We indulge in that perfect cup of coffee (or three). In 08108, you’re going to find a little bit of everything, touching on the familiar while discovering something new.

It’s no secret Collingswood has established itself as a shopping and dining destination in not only South Jersey, but beyond. You can read all about the borough’s business climate and how it has impressed with its retail reputation – and plans to continue to do so into the future – on page 6. Fall back in time with the CollingsKnight House (page 18), the 194-yearold structure around which the borough has grown and evolved, and then

PUBLISHER

ARLENE REYES EDITOR

KRISTEN DOWD SALES MANAGER

BRITTANY ROUGHT

See you in the fall!

SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER

GIANNA D’ANGELO

Arlene Reyes Publisher

ACCOUNT MANAGERS

GAIL BRUNO RECEL JOVELLANOS MEGAN MUDD KAREN RODIER PERRY CORSETTI JR. MONICA BARACH

Letter from the

EDITOR: W

PERRY CORSETTI

MARKETING CONSULTANTS

come back to the future when you read about Collingswood resident Kimberly Mutcherson (page 16), who is forging a remarkable, impressive path as the first woman, the first African American and the first LGBT law dean at Rutgers Law School in Camden. Do you love coffee? Beer? What about a little of both? Explore what Collingswood (and nearby Oaklyn) have to offer in Borough brews (page 10). We hope you enjoy our inaugural issue as much as we enjoyed creating it. We look forward to exploring Collingswood with you!

ALESSANDRA KRAATZ JUSTIN TROYANO TESSA LEONE CASEY MEGLINO 08108 is a publication of Newspaper Media Group, 130 Twinbridge Drive, Pennsauken, NJ 08110. 856.282.1347 sunsales@newspapermediagroup.com

In this

ISSUE: 08108 contributors Building better business Take a sip of borough brews A look at local history Keeping up with Collingswood Seen around town

COVER FEATURE

Kristen Dowd Editor

MAKING HISTORY Kimberly Mutcherson is breaking barriers

2 6 10 18 20 22

COVER PHOTO BY MELISSA WILLHOUSE

SUMMER 2019

08108

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Collingswood continues to build its reputation as a shopping and dining destination

A retail

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he proprietor of a South Philly gift shop recalls the serendipity of finding in quick succession both a new family home and a second location to sell her unique home goods, greeting cards, gift wrap and chocolates. “My husband and I were looking for somewhere with a little more space to live just outside the city, and we fell in love with Collingswood,” said Sara Villari, who opened Occasionette on Haddon Avenue two summers ago. “It’s so walkable and has all these great restaurants, and there was so much energy and pride here. Then I realized there was a gaping hole for a good card shop. So, it’s been great.” M. James “Jim” Maley Jr., Collingswood’s mayor since 1997 and a partner in the Collingswood law firm Maley Givens, realized early on that a vibrant restaurant row would best fit the small-town nature of the borough’s town center. “The Mexican restaurant does not mind being across from the Italian restaurant – they like the cluster,” he said. “It creates a scene.” So more than a decade ago, Maley – who had already helped tweak Collingswood zoning laws to promote a more attractive and stable residential base – collaborated with other borough officials in a concerted push to attract restaurants. “You can’t just focus on the Business Improvement District – you work on that while you are also working to improve your neighborhoods,” Maley stressed. To spread word of its ambitions, Collingswood staged a couple business conferences, first one on economic development generally and then one targeting the restaurant community. “We made a big push and made it clear we would work with them, using redevelopment laws to help get them up and running,” Maley recounted. A “dry” town that prohibits alcohol sales, the campaign to attract new restaurants had some wondering if Collingswood should go PHOTO BY MELISSA WILLHOUSE

Demi Makropolous poses among the Haddon Avenue shops in downtown Collingswood. 08108

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“wet.” That would have been a mistake, the mayor said. State regulations would have limited the town to three licenses, based on its population of just 14,000. And that would have created an uneven playing field, which would have hampered efforts to attract more restaurants. By 2012, the multipronged revitalization efforts had created a clear sense of momentum and marked sufficient progress to prompt Forbes magazine to name it “One of the Most Transformed Communities in America.” “It was always our intent to make it a great place to raise a family, while at the same time make the business district fun and better,” Maley said. He said the push continues for expanded amenities “for our existing residents and people who live beyond and want to come and visit.” Collingswood is known as a LGBTfriendly destination, a welcoming image burnished when Maley performed several same-sex marriages in a local ballroom after same-sex marriage was ruled legal in New Jersey.

busy bid

Collingswood Partners Inc. is the nonprofit entity created to oversee the borough’s three-neighborhood Business Improvement District, which strives “to

make Collingswood a destination for services, retail shopping, dining and the arts.” Working closely with borough officials, Collingswood Partners promotes and maintains three BID areas – downtown Haddon Avenue, the Westside district near Scottish Rite Theatre, and along Route 130. Merchants pay an assessment on top of other municipal taxes to cover costs of added BID services. The LumberYard mixed-use project is perhaps the most ambitious downtown project the BID has helped shepherd.

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Supporting the project with a $500,000 state redevelopment loan, the borough and Collingswood Partners also helped draw tenants to retail sites adjoining the LumberYard residential condominium. The project also added much-needed parking to the neighborhood. “I think the reputation we’ve gotten is that we’ll help,” Maley said. “You come in and tell us what you want and we try to help. The model that usually works is they own the building and the business, and rent out the upstairs.” Planners also aim to spur selective additional office, residential and mixed-use projects throughout the BID. Today, with at least 20 restaurants flourishing in a town that a few decades prior had two, the borough maintains a tidy to-do list: • increase parking in the business district, where scattered current accommodations can mean chilly walks to destinations; • attract professional-services offices to downtown, adding to a handful there and several outside the business district; and • continue to promote and support shops and restaurants in the BID. To boost parking in the district, the borough plans eventually to move fire and police operations and replace current structures with a parking facility. As for business diversification, there also are a handful of more industrial businesses in Collingswood, including a Catelli Bros. meat-processing facility. But the small footprints of most business locations limit its business base primarily to retail operations and professional services. “Someone might call me and say, ‘I need 3,000 square feet,’ and I would say, ‘Well, you might have to wait, or be on the outskirts of the BID, or you might have to remodel,’” said Cass Duffey, Collingswood’s director of community development. “People also have to be a little creative with the properties, as the infrastructure can be a little older.” While some may say it’s unlikely the borough – forever in the shadow of more densely populated Cherry Hill – ever will 08108

9 attract significant numbers of national retailers, Collingswood does have a huge plus: proximity to the PATCO Lindenwold Line, whose station at 100 Lees Ave. offers access to the buzzing Haddon Avenue corridor and adjoining neighborhoods. Over on Route 30, the Scottish Rite Theatre is home to rock concerts, theater productions and more. The historic fivestory structure has a multi-purpose Grand Ballroom, topped by a 1,050-seat auditorium that’s one of the largest in South Jersey.

free money

One of the highest-profile promotions in support of local businesses involves the Collingswood Cash program, through which shoppers buy purchase vouchers for use at local merchants. The program culminates in a holidayseason campaign in which those buying $50 in “cash” reap $20 in additional spending power. “The $20 in ‘free money’ comes from the BID, and people can only spend it in Collingswood,” Duffey explained. Many moving to Collingswood need no arm-twisting to shop locally. “Many new residents are young couples or even singles who work in the city, or used to, and want that quasi-urban feel,” Duffey noted. “They move here just because they want to be able to walk to stores and such. Collingswood Cash helps us draw people

jewelry

handbags

from throughout the region to things like our Farmers Market, which is the largest in the area and celebrating its 20th year in operation.” The borough also sponsors a classic cars Cruise Night, a Crafts and Fine Arts Festival, and several other events. In addition to newer merchants, the community includes many longstanding businesses, such as Arts Plus Gallery, a gift shop and framing service marking 40 years in operation. Hot restaurants include the well-reviewed Hearthside, locals-favorite Macona BBQ and several ethnic-dining spots, such as The Tortilla Press. Haddon Avenue eateries are interspersed with funky retailers like Frugal & Thrift vintage clothing and Inner Groove Records. To attract ever more new businesses, Collingswood leaders need to be nimble in navigating the latest trends in commercial real estate. For instance, there’s no zoning on the books in Collingswood for shared-space real estate, but borough officials will consider waivers allowing businesses such as The Factory, a makerspace operation created from the former Collingswood Theatre in 2013. “It’s a close business community here, and I probably know 75 percent of the business owners in Collingswood,” Factory owner Tom Marchetty said. Marchetty achieved a unique ambience

clothing

scarves

men’s items

in The Factory using salvaged machinery and factory equipment, an homage to the Marchetty Machinery business his family has operated in Philadelphia since 1977. The site, home to 22 mostly start-up businesses, features office space, studios and lofts occupied by a virtual-reality developer, a graphics designer, a speech therapist, a custom cabinet-maker and others. It also boasts street-facing Revolution Coffee Roasters coffee shop at its Fern Avenue entrance. Elsewhere around town, there are several millennial-minded businesses of the “experiential retail” variety. Those include Songbird Karaoke, where you can rent a space for a karaoke get-together; All Fired Up, which lets customers paint their own vases and other ceramic products; and Exit 4 Escape Room, a site for themed games for work groups and others. The youthful vibe seems well matched to Collingswood’s newest homeowners in a welcome civic synergy. “I always say what’s good for the Business Improvement District is good for the borough,” Duffey beamed. “And what’s good for the borough is good for the Business Improvement District. If people buy houses here they’re going to shop here, and if people shop here they may buy houses here.” ■ PHOTO BY SCOTT ANDERSON

Businesses line Collingswood.

ties

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original art

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handmade cards 9

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borough

brews

From a perfectly chilled beer to a steaming hot cup of coffee, local establishments serve up some of the best BY RYAN LAWRENCE

he etymology of “location, location, location” is a little fuzzy, but the phrase appears to have origins in a real estate advertisement nearly 100 years ago in the midwest. According to the research of a curious New York Times reporter, the three words were strung together to aid the sales pitch of a real estate classified ad in the Chicago Tribune in 1926. Regardless of when and were it was coined, “location, location, location” is a part of our language and its at the heart of one of the first things a successful small business owner must master when getting started. Steve McFadden, for instance, found a home for a small business idea – one that was birthed as a co-ed baby shower a half dozen years ago – under the former projection room in Collingswood’s historic The Factory, a building that used to function as a rehearsal space for the Philadelphia Orchestra and is currently home to a hodgepodge of businesses that range from woodworkers to speech therapists. Eli and Taylor Facchinei located the perfect venue for their home at the end of the downtown Oaklyn block on West Clinton Avenue. The space was used to house, among other things, a vending machine operator; the fact that there were floor drains (for previous hot chocolate and coffee machines) made it all the more attractive for a couple of brothers looking to brew their own beer. Debbie Blissinger began to realize her two decades-long dream when she found a former law office vacated on the 500 block of Haddon Avenue, a popular area for pedestrian traffic. “When you come down the street,” said Blissinger, the owner of Cup of Bliss Coffee Company, “you can feel community.” The resurgence of downtown Collingswood and its surrounding ‘hoods is nothing new. But its impact is still as fresh as a pint of Yoohoo Ms. Swiss off the tap at Devil’s Creek Brewing. Or Tonewood Brewing’s Fuego. Or Revolution Coffee Roasters’ Ethiopian Natural Sidamo. Or … you get the point. On a comfortably cool afternoon, the sun PHOTOS BY JAMIE GIAMBRONE

Socializing? Working? Devil’s Creek Brewery provides a backdrop to both. SUMMER 2019

08108

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brew cont.

has freed residents from cabin fever and the torturous winter season. Families, young couples, and pups and their loyal owners flood Haddon Avenue on leisurely strolls. It’s nearly impossible for someone to walk more than a block without being tempted to pop into a local establishment for a brew of their choice. The influx of regular foot traffic has led to a surging community of Delaware Valleyans deciding to open their breweries and coffee shops in the greater Collingswood area. “Some days, it feels surreal,” Taylor Facchinei, one of the owners of Tonewood Brewing, said on a late Friday afternoon when there was hardly an empty seat in the house. “Other days I wish it wasn’t so crazy. But it’s been great.”

welcoming vibe

No matter your beverage of choice, you’re likely going to pick a regular spot not just based on quality of product, but also on locale and atmosphere. Thankfully, the local establishments do not disappoint in variety. Grooveground Coffeebar (647 Haddon Ave., Collingswood) feels like the kind of place you’d schedule a first date, hoping to make the right impression. There’s ample, comfortable seating – a mix of high tops, low tops, loveseats and chairs – and a friendly staff, too. There’s an outdoor area with festive lights. There’s local artwork on display and a variety of gifts for sale, including jewelry, handbags, T-shirts, and tech accessories. And there’s music, both as a perfect soundtrack to your early afternoon latte – the Rolling Stones, Passion Pit, and the Strokes were on the playlist – and with new vinyl records and old CDs for sale. There was even a “Bring Your Own Vinyl Night” scheduled on a recent Saturday at Grooveground, which first opened in 2002. Up the block at Devil’s Creek Brewery (1 Powell Lane, Collingswood), the front doors are open wide to welcome in guests looking to wet their whistles. The Clash is playing on the speakers – comfortably loud, as you can still carry on conversations with new friends at nearby tables – and the space gives off the vibe of a place you might stop off at in between Winterfell and King’s Landing: the brewery’s logo is a dragon and “Where Beer Meets Legend” is the three-year-old brewery’s slogan. Old world meets rustic, perhaps, is what comes to mind as you sample their product on a popular afternoon. Walking into Cup of Bliss Coffee Company (579 Haddon Ave., Collingswood) is akin to taking a step into your mom’s kitchen – if your mom is adept at brewing a variety of javas simultaneously, while keeping the baked goods at eye level, too. The one-year-old shop roasts its own product and offers an inviting resting area in the back, with a large screen TV, couches, books, and toys for babies and toddlers alike... as long as you get clearance from baby Alice. “I always wanted it to be nice and cozy,” said Blissinger, Alice’s mom and a former corporate business consultant of 15 years who had wanted to open up her own coffee shop when she was a college student. “Come in, relax, have fun.” Blissinger’s store opened on the first weekend of May 2018 yet has already been involved in a parade downtown and three fundraisers (the newest, Knuckleball Brew, with a portion of the proceeds supporting Collingswood Little League, is one worth stepping up to the plate for). Tonewood Brewing (215 W Clinton Ave., Oaklyn) is the kind of place you’d imagine your fun neighbor opening up down the street. Fresh air circulates through the tasting room via two wide garage doors and the picnic benches and tables outside make you immediately envious of the folks who plotted their afternoon better than you. Home to a 15-barrel brewhouse, Tonewood, which opened in June 2016, has done a masterful job getting its product throughout South Jersey bars and liquor stores, producing 120 barrels (240 kegs, 1,100 cases) per week. Given the regular crowds and populated parking lot, none of these numbers come off as surprising. If you tried the Revolution Coffee Porter at Tonewood then you’re probably familiar with Revolution Coffee Roasters (13 Fern Ave., Collingswood). McFadden, a former longtime auto mechanic and one of Revolution’s owners, formed a partnership with the beer brewing brothers to produce the porter for the last three years. “I have to tell you, I’m delighted,” said McFadden, who sees his business’s name on cans throughout South Jersey thanks to Tonewood. “They’re putting on a clinic on how to run a small brewery right and I don’t think they’re going to be very small for very long.” McFadden, who opened Revolution with two partners a little over six years ago, has kept his coffee-making focus on the wholesale product. Revolution is producing upwards of 1,000 pounds of coffee per week in their busiest summer season (when the post-roast Cold Brew is all the rage). But they became so embedded within the Collingswood community during the weekly farmer’s markets in 2013 that Revolution rode the momentum and opened a retail spot in the front of The Factory. The result is a coffee house vibe – warm, with comfortable lighting – that’s a perfect place to catch up with an old friend or fire up your laptop to begin writing the great American novel. SUMMER 2019

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brew cont.

tasting room

Let’s just say you had 24 hours and you wanted to sample all of the brews Collingswood has to offer and you needed someone to act as your chaperone. Where should you start? What should you try, since the menu options are nearly limitless? Where should you finish? As your unofficial tour guide, we’d recommend getting your day started with the signature Blissful Blend at Cup of Bliss, which opens at 6:30 a.m. during the week. With notes of chocolate within, it’s not only the pick-me-up you need, but also the perfect blend of sweetness and caffeine you want in your life. If you’re the type that likes to plan ahead, hop onto their website and book one or two different kinds of coffee flights ahead of time so it’s hot and ready for your arrival. Still not ready for work or the rest of your day? Take a stroll up Haddon Avenue to The Factory and Revolution Coffee Roasters. Depending on your mood or the weather (is it cold and damp outside or hot and humid?), try a cup of the smooth, full-bodied Papua New Guinea (a dark roast that’s rich and low in acidity) or ask for a cold glass of the Ethiopian and Honduran cold brew blend to hit the road with to keep your day headed in the right direction. You’ll thank me when you have that extra pep in your step rather than a case of the Mondays. Work? To heck with those people. Wait, nope, that’s the caffeine talking, silly. It’s Saturday, 4 which means there should be a fun crowd over at Tonewood. You may have had it in a can at your cousin’s house or at the local bar, but you should try Fuego, a “New American hoppy ale” and also the beer “that put (Tonewood) on the map,” according to Eli Facchinei, right from the brewhouse’s tap. Your next move is up to you, but Headspace, a West Coast IPA with a strong bourbon aroma and a smooth finish, works well with the bag of sourdough pretzels you likely packed as a snack, and Freshies, a lighted Amerian Pale Ale, never fails. If you’re wise, you’ll grab a six-pack of Poolside on the way out: the can fits perfectly into your left hand as your right hand does the pitching in your backyard

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Wi f f l e 5 B a l l game. But we’re not quite ready to go home just yet. A late afternoon trek down Haddon Avenue is in order. Whether you’re going to sample one of the area’s many eateries before or afterward, you have to get over to Devil’s Creek Brewery to sample a couple more, freshfrom-the keg brews. Cordially Yours, a cherry stout, is tart and sweet with a not-all-the-way-in-your face cherry, the Kölsch is crisp and drinkable, and the Sweet Potato Pie is as if an autumn basket of potpourri morphed into a beer. But the correct move here is to order a pint of Yoohoo Ms. Swiss. Life may be like a box of chocolates, but you know what you’re going to get from this chocolate milk stout: 16 ounces smoother than that time Rob Thomas got together with Carlos Santana. By this time you’ve decided a heavy dinner isn’t going to fit into your Saturday plans, so why not head over to the inviting atmosphere at Grooveground for a bite? Take your pick from the salads (Pear Gorgonzola?) the panini sandwiches (Turkey or ham? Four cheese or hummus?) or the tastes (bacon ranch wedges sound delightful) and grab a cup of La Colombe (the Philly-based coffee company that’s brewed here) as you find a table outside to enjoy the evening air. 08108

7 Did we mention Grooveground has had a Hot Chocolate Bar (“7 Flavors of Pure Happiness”) for the last 10 years? If you’ve still got a sweet tooth, their caramelized latte, a brown sugarshocked espresso with steamed milk, vanilla and cinnamon, is delectable. It’s the treat – and not too, too sweet – you deserve after a full day of sampling the vast landscape of Collingswood brews. ■ PHOTOS BY JAMIE GIAMBRONE

PHOTO 1: Eric Shaw, of Cherry Hill, makes a latte at Grooveground Coffeebar. PHOTO 2: Brandyn Miller chats with customers at Devil’s Creek Brewery. 08108

PHOTO 3: Taylor Facchinei, one of the owners of Tonewood Brewing, is hard at work. PHOTO 4: Cup of Bliss owner Debbie Blissinger, right, and barista Kim Mikhail smile in the Haddon Avenue coffee shop, which opened in May 2018.

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PHOTO 5: Fresh espresso steams from the cup as it brews at Cup of Bliss. PHOTO 6: Revolution Coffee Roasters produces upwards of 1,000 pounds of coffee per week in its busiest summer season. PHOTO 7: Fresh air circulates through the tasting room at Tonewood Brewing, where two garage doors can open wide for guests. 15

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Moving Forward

Collingswood resident Kimberly Mutcherson breaks barriers with Co-Dean appointment at Rutgers Law School BY KEVIN CALLAHAN

eaching any one of the three lofty academic achievements certainly would be memorable, but hitting on this scholarly trifecta is monumental. Kimberly Mutcherson scaled history in February when Rutgers University–Camden Chancellor Phoebe A. Haddon announced her appointment as Co-Dean of the Rutgers Law School in Camden. With her appointment, which took effect on Jan. 1, Mutcherson became the first woman, the first African American and the first LGBT law dean at The State University of New Jersey. “I’ve been at Rutgers almost 17 years now and I feel very comfortable there,” Mutcherson said recently. “It certainly feels very good to be able to continue to serve the institution in this way and that’s really exciting to have this opportunity at this time.” However, the noted bioethics and health law professor said it wasn’t exciting that it took this long “for someone like me to be the dean of the law school.” “That’s a little disappointing,” the esteemed education leader said. “I don’t feel that I’m an amazing person and the first person who came along who looks like me and had my experiences who were capable of doing this job, so it’s nice to have broken down this particular barrier and what it means is I’ll be the first, but certainly not the last.” SUMMER 2019

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17 The Collingswood resident has focused her scholarship on timely and evolving issues related to reproductive justice. Her concentration centers on assisted reproduction and the relationship to how the law defines the family. However, her broad understanding of these challenging issues of our day didn’t prepare her to comprehend how meaningful her new position has been to so may colleagues and students. “I really underestimated how much my appointment to this role would matter to people,” said Mutcherson, who grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland. She said she was really overwhelmed by the number of alumni that sent her handwritten cards and emails and voicemails telling her how happy they were that she received this appointment. Mutcherson also was touched by how many students – not only from Rutgers, but from other law schools – told her how much her appointment has meant to them. “That’s really great,” Mutcherson noted about the congratulatory outreach. “I think it’s really hard for people to become something when they haven’t seen someone who looks like them have that role. “To the extent that I can make them feel that this is a path they can walk down, that they can choose, then that’s already an accomplishment for me.” Mutcherson, who received a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Pennsylvania in 1994, was applauded by Haddon as an administrator with “an energetic vision of the role of the law in building careers, advancing research, and serving communities.” Rutgers Law School is one of the largest law schools in the nation. Under Mutcherson’s guidance and leadership, the law school will continue to engage leaders in the major legal issues and challenges facing the country. “Kim Mutcherson is a collaborative leader who is positioned to build upon the momentum and energy of Rutgers Law,” Haddon said. “She is passionate about the value of a legal education that prepares creative thinkers who are ready to be leaders in virtually every aspect of our society. She sees with clarity the role of the law in protecting individual rights. “Under Co-Dean Mutcherson’s leadership, Rutgers Law in Camden will expand its focus on providing equal access to opportunity for our students and for the citizens of New Jersey, the Delaware Valley, and the nation.” With campuses in Camden and Newark, Mutcherson’s influence will naturally extend a geographic reach into Philadelphia and New York. While serving as the Rutgers Law Co-Dean in Camden, she will work collaboratively with Co-Dean David Lopez at Rutgers in Newark. “Law schools are at a really interesting 08108

place right now. There was a dip in applications a few years ago and everyone had to really organize themselves and figure out who we were as an institution and the process is still going on,” Mutcherson said, noting that two years ago the Rutgers Law School merged in Camden and Newark. She also said

Justice (University of California Press) and the editor of the book Rewriting Reproductive Justice: Feminist Judgments and Reproductive Justice (Cambridge University Press). “My plan is to be able to teach one class a year and probably next year it’ll be my South African Constitutional Law class,” Mutcherson said. Mutcherson added about the bioethics class, “Whenever I’m teaching it, there’s going to be things happening that are 100 percent relevant to the class.” “I say to my students, law is always relevant to things that are going on but we are always behind,” Mutcherson said. “Science is always pushing the envelope and law is trying to catch up, and it’s almost always going to be that way. So how do we figure out what are the rules that should be in place going forward?” As a groundbreaker on three levels at the Rutgers Law School, Mutcherson already knows and understands the need to keep moving forward. ■ PHOTOS BY MELISSA WILLHOUSE

l a w schools are using their power as an institution to figure out ways they can be part of their community. “It matters that we are in Camden and we are a law school and we want to be able to provide services to the community the best that we can, but we also want to be a place where people in Camden can feel inspired,” Mutcherson said. “We have not had a lot of kids from Camden come through our law school and I think that’s really unfortunate,” she continued. “So there are definitely things we can be thinking about differently and doing differently so that we really think of ourselves as a law school that is really forward thinking and not just maintaining the status quo. “How can we be part of what the future means for lawyers and how can we be part of the social justice movement that has always been a big part of my life?” Mutcherson, who earned her juris doctor in 1997 from Columbia Law School, joined Rutgers University–Camden as an assistant professor in 2002. She was promoted to associate professor in 2005 and to professor in 2013. She has served as vice dean since 2015. At Rutgers Law, she teaches Bioethics, Babies and Babymaking, Family Law, South African Constitutional Law, and Torts. Mutcherson, who resides in Collingswood with her son Max (13) and her daughter Josephine (11), was a vice dean for three and a half years and she continued to teach one class a year. “It’s nice to be able to still be in the classroom. That is a very different way of interacting with students when you’re teaching them,” said Mutcherson, the co-author of the forthcoming book Assisted Reproductive 17

PHOTO LEFT: Kimberly Mutcherson relaxes on a bench at Knight Park. The Collingswood resident was named Co-Dean of Rutgers Law School Camden earlier this year. PHOTO RIGHT: Mother-daughter duo Mutcherson and Josephine, 11, are all smiles.

SUMMER 2019

sister and her children. He assigned a local carpenter, John Ireland, to construct the house in the late Federal-style, “built to imitate early Colonial houses that evolved over time with added wings for family expansion,” according to the house’s website. The farmland the house was built on was part of the tract owned by Robert Zane, an original settler and member of the 1862 Newton Colony. For more than 100 years, the farmland around the house was used for agricultural purposes. In 1868, the house was purchased by Edward Collings Knight, nephew of the original builder. Knight was a “brilliant businessman,” according to Sue Verzella, President of Friends of Collings-Knight Homestead, the group that oversees operations and fundraising efforts. Knight sold the patent for the Pullman Car to George Pullman, was an elector for Lincoln and a member of the Union League. He also bought a ship and traded with the west indies and owned patents for refining sugar. t the intersection of “This man was building wealth,” said Collings Avenue and Browning Verzella. Road, across the street from the Knight didn’t live at the farm – he lived in corner of Knight Park in Collingswood, sits the city, and he thought its sanitary condithe Collings-Knight House, a 194-year-old, tions and pollution were terrible. three-story structure that has literally seen “He envisioned a green country town the borough of Collingswood grow around where people could live and raise their it. children in a healthy environment,” said Built in 1825, Edward Zane Collings BY ANDREW ROWAN Verzella. “The centerpiece of his green counneeded to construct a house for himself, his try town would be a park, open for the use of everyone.” That’s exactly what Edward Collings Knight did. After establishing a real estate firm, Knight began buying up smaller plots of land. Though he was interested in creating his Green Country town, explained Verzella, in the 19th century, it was not illegal to act on insider information. Verzella said Knight • may have known there was going to be a second railroad line built through the area and bought the land so he could sell it for profit to the railroad company. • However, that particular railroad line never got built, leaving Knight with a lot of real estate holdings. He divided these Open 7 Days a Week holdings into smaller lots and sold them, which eventually became one of the factors leading to the creation of the Borough of Collingswood in 1888. CATERING AVAILABLE CATERING AVAILABLE Home of The Sausage The centerpiece of the town Meatball was a 100acre triangle set aside for a public park. Additionally, a board of Trustees was set up for its management, which is still in existence today. • The Collings-Knight house stands just opposite Knight Park and has been used Haddon Avenue • Collingswood NJ 08108 for many different purposes. Throughout its history, it has been used as a dairy farm TCONCAFE.COM 856-854-2156 and a place for cattle and horse breeding. Open 7 Days a Week Open 7 Days a Week The house has also hosted tenants such as farmers and school teachers. In the 1850 census, it was recorded that 13 people lived in the house. CATERING AVAILABLE Home of The Sausage Meatball CATERING “Rooms AVAILABLE were multipurpose,” said Verzella.

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19 Many of the rooms in the house have beds and spinning wheels, as residents likely would have worked in the same space they slept. Verzella explained how because of this fact, the Friends of Collings-Knight Homestead made a case for putting spinning wheels in some of the rooms. The group is always looking to preserve how the house was originally used. The Friends of Collings-Knight Homestead, which was founded in 1989, is comprised entirely of volunteers. The board decides what restoration projects it should undertake and how it can provide programming that gets the community involved. In 1967, the final owner, Charles Chase, “bequeathed the property to the Borough of Collingswood to be used as a museum and educational center,” states the house’s website. The house sees an average of 250 to 500 visitors per year, depending on its programming, which is influenced by the house’s restoration projects, said Verzella. Recent programs have included a Harry Potter event, where different rooms had activities specific to the Hogwarts houses; a Pokémon Go picnic, where players were invited to

catch Pokémon on the mobile app, which offers more valuable Pokémon at historic sites; Shades of Poe, a performance put on in October; and various speaking engagements by authors. Various local groups use the house as a

meeting place, such as Boy and Girl Scout Troops, Daughters of the American Revolution and the Coopers Creek Questers. In the upcoming year, the Friends of Collings-Knight Homestead plans to continue the interpretation of the third story room, with a set of bed steps for the newly restored bed, and have the kitchen shed re-painted. “The maintenance on this house is forever,” said Verzella, who explained how she was dealing with water in the basement just

two weeks ago. In the last decade, the house has seen brick and mortar restoration, window restoration, ceiling repairs, interior plaster restoration, the revival of the front walk and carriage block, new cellar windows, and a new back porch, among many other projects, according to the website. The new website, CKHouse.org, was updated in November. Verzella has been involved with the house since 1995 when she got involved with the educational programs. Then, Verzella joined the board and began assisting with writing grants. “We needed professional help, but we couldn’t afford the professional help,” said Verzella. “So I became the professional help. I did my masters degree on this house...I fell in love with this house.” Looking ahead, Verzella wants to get more members of the community involved with the house. She would love for the local schools to bring their students back to the house for field trips. “Public history is education,” she said. ■ PHOTOS BY ANDREW ROWAN

PREVIOUS PAGE: The Collings-Knight House back porch was recently restored. ABOVE: The rooms showcase period furniture and decor.

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SUMMER 2019

Keeping up with

Collingswood Collingswood Farmers’ Market

From Jersey Fresh produce to locally roasted coffee, fine crafted cheeses to artisan breads, this market seems to offer a little bit of everything. Located on a stretch of pavement between Haddon Avenue and the PATCO speedline in Collingswood’s downtown district, the market is open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon through Thanksgiving. Rain or shine. Learn more at www.collingswoodmarket.com.

Second Saturday

Live music and art descend on Collingswood the second Saturday of every month (June 8, July 13, Aug. 10, Sept. 14, Oct. 12, Nov. 9 and Dec. 14). Visitors can take in the unique arts, music, shopping and dining in the borough. Learn more at www.collingswood.com.

Summer Mummers Concerts

Philadelphia Mummers will strut their stuff from 7 to 8:30 p.m. during these free performances on Powell Lane, right off Haddon Avenue at the LumberYard Condos. Held the fourth Wednesday of the month, May through August. Concerts are canceled in the event of inclement weather. Visit www.collingswood.com for updates.

Cruise Night

On the third Thursday of the month, April through October, the region’s top classic cars and motorcycles will line up along Haddon Avenue for a free event featuring live music, food and fun. Registration is $5 per vehicle the evening of the event from 4:45 to 6:30 p.m. Awards are presented at the end of the evening. Cruise Nights are canceled in the event of inclement weather. Visit www.collingswood.com for updates.

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Saturday, May 25

May Fair:

The business district along Haddon Avenue will be alive with musical acts, carnival games, fine art and craft vendors, food purveyors and more from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Parking is available along side streets and in the PATCO high speedline lots – or hop a ride on PATCO to reach the fair. Rain date is May 26. Learn more at www.collingswood. com.

Saturday, June 1

Town Wide Yard Sale:

Snag some treasure at this Proud Neighbors of Collingswood event, to be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. throughout the borough. Registration for sellers is required. Learn more at www.facebook.com/ ProudNeighborsofCollingswood or at proudneighborsofcollingswood.org. Rain date is June 8.

Monday, June 10

Collingswood Community American Red Cross Blood Drive:

Save up to three lives by donating blood between 2 and 7 p.m. at 30 W. Collings Ave., Collingswood. Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins welcome. Register online at www.redcrossblood.org and use sponsor code Collingswood Community.

Thursday, July 4

Independence Day:

A bicycle parade, house decorating contest, live music, fireworks and more highlight the fun! Start the day at 10 a.m. with the Annual Fourth of July Bike Parade, which is a short ride from Haddon and Zane avenues to Knight Park, where Tatem Shields American Legion Post 17 will pass out free ice cream and flags to kids. Roberts Pool members (or grab a day pass!) can take part in special Fourth of July fun at the pool starting at 2 p.m. End the day at the free TO THE MAX concert and fireworks at Collingswood High School stadium, 424 Collings Ave. Enter the Proud Neighbors of Collingswood House Decorating Contest – complete with Collingswood Cash prizes – by registering in advance at July4@ ProudNeighborsofCollingswood.org.

Saturday, July 20

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21 salsa in a variety of categories. Register at www.collingswoodmarket.com.

Sun., July 21, to Fri., July 26

Farm to Fork Restaurant Week:

Indulge in multi-course meals from a number of Collingswood restaurants. Prix fixe menus will be available ahead of the event. Check out the details at www.collingswoodmarket.com/events/farm-to-fork-restaurant-week/.

Tuesday, July 23, to Thursday, July 25

Collingswood Summer Youth Theatre Production:

“The Wizard of Oz – Young Performers Edition” performances are 7:30 p.m. on July 23, 24 and 25, with a 1 p.m. matinee on July 25, at Collingswood Middle School’s auditorium, 414 Collings Ave., Collingswood. Tickets are $8 at the door.

Saturday, Aug. 3

Farmers’ Market Peach Pie Contest:

Do you make the best peach pie in the fam-

ily? Find out if you make the best in the borough, too! Judges will choose their perfect pie and prizes will be awarded. Learn more and register at www.collingswoodmarket. com.

Tuesday, Aug. 6

National Night Out:

Traditionally held the first Tuesday of August, this event aims to foster community-police relations. Residents can gather from 5 to 8 p.m. along West Collings Avenue for a festival featuring games, giveaways, safety information, demonstrations and more. Collingswood police, fire and public works personnel will take part. Learn more at www.collingswood.com.

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Saturday, Aug. 17, & Sunday, Aug. 18

Craft & Fine Arts Festival:

Unique stained glass creations. Whimsical metal lawn decor. Colorful framed watercolors. More than 150 juried craft and fine artists will converge on downtown Collingswood for the 14th annual festival. It runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, rain or shine. Learn more at www.collingswoodcraftsandfineartfestival.com.

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Save $500 off your quoted price when you order a complete solar energy system. 106 Mantua Blvd. Mantua, NJ 08051

With this coupon. Some restrictions apply. With this offer only. Not Valid with other offers or prior purchases. Expires 06/30/19 05-01-19

NJ HIC #13VH09825800 SUMMER 2019

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