08071 Pitman | Holiday 2022

Letter from the PUBLISHER:

Greetings 08071!

We are so excited to bring you our first holiday edition. From the vibrant hanging lights and ornaments to the embellished storefront displays it truly is the most wonderful time of the year.

Come with us as we explore a returning town favorite, Hagerty’s Christmas Lights, and see how this magnificent display has grown through the years (page 4).

Looking for more ways to give back this season? We visit Pitman’s churches and share some insight on their joint efforts with the local Food Pantry and more (page 6).

Need some gift inspiration during these last few shopping days of the year? Our Pitman Gift Guide (page 12) shares just a snippet of what local businesses have to offer this season. Be sure to check it out for unique ideas for the entire family

and see Planning in Pitman for more information on Procrastinators Night (page 23).

There is so much to see and enjoy in Pitman during this time of year. Be sure to check out what Sweet Lula’s is cooking up in Borough Bites (page 8) and dive into the history of a town treasure, The Inn on Holly (page 18).

We also give a shout out to just one of Pitman’s many furry friends (page 11)!

I would like to thank our advertisers and our readers for a successful year. Without your support, 08071 magazine would not be possible.

Wishing you and yours a safe and happy New Year!

Brittany Rought Publisher

MR. HAGERTY’S GIFT

BY NJ ACKERMANN

In Pitman, New Jersey there is a twentyacre square the locals call ‘The Grove’.

Divided into pie-shaped wedges, prior to the dawn of automobiles, the Grove has passageways only accessible on foot or by horse and buggy. On one pie-wedge lives a man named Mr. Hagerty who has given joy to children for nearly forty years. When he was a child, his mom and dad

would set up decorations immediately following Thanksgiving dinner. Later, upon missing this tradition, he set up his own manger scene. Now, Frank Hagerty, Jr., with the aid of his brother Bill Hagerty, presents a walk-through holiday display that lines the sidewalks of the Grove, spanning across six properties. He creates the scenes himself, building motors and mechanics into the puppets and dolls to make them move.

“It’s a nice little destination! It brings people into town and the kids just love it,” says Renee Chebotarev, who lives in town and works at the post office. “Every year, more houses start getting involved. It’s a lot

of fun.” She pointed out that it’s something everyone can do. “You just put some snacks in your pocket and go down there and spend an hour or two with your kids, and you don’t have to spend any money. There’s very few things like that out there now.”

Lisa Tomlinson, a local crossing guard, lived in town until three years ago. She grew up with it, took her children to it and now travels forty minutes with her grandson to see it. “I meet up with my daughter and her two kids…we make a family tradition of it.”

Like many residents, the Hagerty scenes are engraved in her mind. “…nutcrackers, mice and a snoring Santa Claus…an endless village with a river…a candy land with lollipops and a train…skating penguins, one has a pole that moves in and out of a fishing hole…carolers, fountains…” Her favorite is the big shed.

This is also Mr. Hagerty’s favorite, as it was the first. It houses big snowmen and miniature elves and is flanked by largerthan-life toy soldiers. In the beginning, there were ten pieces, now they number about four hundred.

“It’s always been for the children,” Frank Hagerty says. “I incorporate all the kids’ favorites.” And, he’s never missed a year.

Some of the popular themes he references are Alvin and the Chipmunks, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the Wizard of Oz and

please see HAGERTY, page 10

Pitman’s Places of Worship give back during the holidays

Food Pantry is an ‘Ecumenical’ Team Effort

BY KATHY CHANG

It’s truly an “ecumenical” team effort when it comes to the Pitman Food Pantry at the First Baptist Church of Pitman.

And during the holiday season, it’s an even bigger team effort, which also involves Pitman United Methodist Church, the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, the First Presbyterian Church and the St.

1

Church had a pantry that was open also for hungry people, Schoepske said.

The Crafton House closed in 2006 and the Pantry moved to its present location, 30 North Broadway, in the First Baptist Church of Pitman. Everything else remained the same. “The Nazarene Church donates food to the pantry often,” Schoepske added.

The Pantry is staffed by volunteers from local churches. The Methodist Church shares Tuesday night with the Episcopal Church, Presbyterians do Wednesday and The Lutheran Church shares Thursdays with the Baptist Church.

“We partner with the Food Bank of South Jersey. They deliver food to us once a month, usually the first week of the month. Volunteers help unload the truck and stock the pantry shelves. We benefit from many food drives organized by companies, schools, Boy Scouts, the Post Office and individuals to help keep our shelves stocked. Or we buy whatever we need. Clients get a breakfast bag, a dinner bag and a cold bag each week. Special meat and bags are given on holidays,” Schoepske explained.

“We also get bread, donuts etc. from ShopRite of Mullica Hill, the Pitman Bakery Panera, WaWa and Heritage.”

Osten added the church also “gives out around 100 free hot meals twice a month and

has a pay-as-you-can thrift shop.”

Holiday happenings among the places of worship

The Pitman United Methodist Church holds a Christmas marketplace, an exhibition and sale of craft items, to fight poverty, which took place on Nov. 12.

The First Presbyterian Church in Pitman holds a Third Meal Community

5

Dinner on Nov. 15. And a books and breakfast event on Nov. 19.

First Baptist Church of Pitman provides and distributes a free hot home cooked Thanksgiving dinner on Nov. 21.

The First Baptist Church of Pitman gives away free cookies, cocoa and other goodies

Santa Restored Antiquity has a beautiful selection of Home Decor, Soy Candles and Goats Milk Soaps. Located in the heart of Uptown Pitman GIFT CARDS AVAILABLE!

PHOTOS BY JAMIE GIAMBRONE

Previous Back: Pitman United Methodist Church. 1: St. James Lutheran Church. 2: Church of The Nazarene. 3: The First Baptist Church of Pitman. 4: First Presbyterian Church. 5: The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd

Sweet Lula’s: A Pinch and a Hank

BY: NJ ACKERMANN

Ientered Sweet Lula’s to the sounds of a celebration. The employees were singing, with patrons clapping along; “Hip, hip, hooray! It’s your birthday today!”

Peering in, I saw clean and classy décor in wood, marble and glass. A woman hurried over, and in a lovely accent explained there was an emergency—could I give her twenty?

I waited at an outdoor table until brunch ended, leaving the owners, Anthony and Louise Asbury, aka Chef and Lula, a few free moments. Chef offered me water, Lula flitting around as if she had wings on her feet. My mention of their dilemma was met with a comment about it being part of the restaurant business.

After all, they’ve been in it for over fifteen years. It started when Chef was walking the Pitman sidewalks with his daughter, Dakota. She saw a “Kitchen for Lease” sign on the building and said, “There’s your sign, Dad.”

“We rented a little portion of this building, in the front,” Lula says. “It was an antique store with strip fluorescent lights. We took them out and put little candles on the tables. I was a waitress and [Chef] had a fourburner stove in the back.”

“We had about six tables,” Chef said, “and I couldn’t come into the building until two p.m.”

“There was nothing here, when we opened this place,” said Lula, referring to the town.

Chef nodded. “When I’d close the doors at 8:30 p.m., I was the only car on the street.”

PHOTO BY JAMIE GIAMBRONE

M&Ms, animated, of course. The scenes are rotated each year and often include a new surprise. This year will be The Lion King in cars.

The unveiling takes place on Black Friday and remains until the 30th of December. Some scenes can be seen by driving, but walking provides the complete experience. And, Mr. Hagerty has worked hard to keep that experience alive.

“When the sale of an adjacent house would have broken up the walkthrough, he bought it!” says brother Bill.

The new generation appreciates

kids walk through the display with their friends or folks, more than once.

For the sake of the neighbors, every night you will find Mr. Hagerty outside directing traffic. “I created this,” he says. “I’m responsible.”

Because of his consideration, the neighbors don’t mind. It is a pure give-back of time, money and love.

Has he won awards? Yes, he says. And, he was invited to compete on The Great Christmas Light Fight show, which he

declined.

“It’s not about that,” he says. His reward is the simple joy of making people happy.

So, grab some peppermint bark and visit this tiny wonderland of Santa’s Sweet Shop, the Candy Cane Tree and SpongeBob’s Underwater World. Experience a generosity of bygone days and give a smile to Mr. Hagerty for a gift that has become such a phenomenon that it has earned a place on the map and in people’s hearts. 

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY SIXZERO MEDIA PRODUCTIONS

CONGRATULATIONS O Alice!

The Pitman American Legion Post 49 crowned their annual Pitman Dog of the Year in September. Keep a look out this coming spring on how to enter your dog for the 2023 competition.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY AMERICAN LEGION POST 49 Pictured are Ron Murshell, Vincent Dacquisto and Vice Commander David DeClement.

Shop Pitmanthis Holiday Season

VOLUNTEER DRIVERS NEEDED FOR ROAD TO RECOVERY

The American Cancer Society Road To Recovery program gives cancer patients free transportation for cancer-related medical appointments. As a trained volunteer driver, you’ll join cancer patients on a crucial part of their journey to recovery, transporting them to and from their appointments and ensuring their access to care isn’t prevented or delayed because of lack of transportation.

A few hours of your day could make a lifesaving difference. Connect with us to learn more about Road To Recovery volunteer opportunities in your area.

The American Cancer Society takes your safety seriously and has implemented new guidelines to minimize COVID-19 risks to patients and volunteer drivers. Volunteer drivers are required to certify that they are fully vaccinated and will continue to maintain that status during their service to the program.

Road To Recovery is a free program.

cancer.org/drive ©2021, American Cancer Society, Inc. No. 0317.89 Models used for illustrative purposes only.

Find Everything You Need for the Holidays

With parking spots now hard to find, Sweet Lula’s has helped with Pitman’s resurgence. A favorite stop for show-goers, the Broadway Theatre reflects in their windows.

Evenings at Lula’s are full of color and whimsy, with splashes of cobalt blue and pink neon lights. Warner Brothers cartoons showing silently on the back wall create a flirty and fun ambience, inviting chatter and relaxation. All the while, Chef is preparing dishes that arrive drizzled with flavor or tumbling with delectable accompaniments.

“Everything is made to order and prepared in an open kitchen,” Chef explains. “I come in and bake the bread at two o’clock in the afternoon.”

He prepares popular vegetarian dishes like Butternut Squash Ravioli, and being a scratch kitchen, they’ll accommodate gluten free and allergen concerns.

“We’re all about the food,” Lula says.

Anchored by gourmet dishes of pork chop with apple, raisin and sherry, and lobster ravioli with pesto cream bacon sauce, the menu also includes comfort foods like chicken and waffles and bread pudding. To keep things interesting, they’ll add seasonal dishes and specials every week, such as NY Strip Steak with cilantro and jalapeno butter, Chicken Oscar with crab and asparagus, or Alaskan Salmon with brown butter and capers. A BYOB establishment, they serve alcohol-free IPAs, Pina Coladas and Margaritas.

When asked about their Sexy Summer Salads, Chef’s face lit up, and he smiled devilishly.

“In the summertime, we take a disc of watermelon, and top that with some avocado guacamole and then we’ll put crab meat, and on the side some pickled jicama, which is just insane. Once it’s pickled, it tastes like a…” he thinks for a moment, “…a granny smith apple. Insanely sexy.”

Before they were Chef and Lula, they had successful careers in theatre and music. Anthony, an accomplished actor and puppeteer, has

credits that include Labyrinth with David Bowie, Little Shop of Horrors and Between the Lions, for which he won an Emmy. Peruse Sweet Lula’s walls and you will see it nestled there.

Louise was signed to CBS at twenty-one and became a pop star. Like a British Madonna, her records were distributed throughout

the UK, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Sometimes, on a lucky night, Lu the pop star will make an appearance and entertain.

How did he learn to cook? “My grandmother,” Chef says. “She never measured anything.

I’d be standing next to her in the kitchen and I’d say, ‘wait, how much did you put in there?’ and she’d say, ‘a pinch,’ and I’d nod. Then, ‘wait, how much was that?’ she’d say ‘a hank.’” He laughed. “If I ever write a cookbook, I’m going to call it ‘How Much is A Hank?’”

Lula added, “He doesn’t measure anything out, and it’s fabulous, every time. And he’s very good with sauces. He makes them up, and they’re incredible.”

I would smell it and form his David is a trained arborist and experienced tree care professional who has kept trees and property safe for over 30 years. We take pride in what we do and how we do it. No gimmicks, just great service. • Pruning • Removal • Elevating • Evaluating

Chef gained experience on the sets of shows. “I’d get bored,” he says. “Finding the kitchen, I began to cook. The crew would smell it and form a line.” Now, he applies this experience to his duck breast with dark cherries, shallots and tawny port.

“People come from New York for his duck,” Lula says. “He also won an award for his soup, the sweet potato sausage corn chowder.”

PHOTOS

PROVIDED

BY SWEET LULA’S

Sweet Lula’s Pork Chopapples raisins sherr. Left: Owners, Chef & Lula. Right: Sweet Lula’s Interior

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A LOOK AT LOCAL HISTORY

for the Holidays Home Away From Home

BY MINDY TORAN

There’s nothing like being home for the holidays. But for folks who need to travel over the holidays, The Inn on Holly can serve as a warm and welcoming home away from home. This beautiful Victorian bed and breakfast, located two blocks from the heart of Uptown Pitman, welcomes guests who are traveling to visit other family members, working in the local area or just looking to get away for a holiday break.

The turn of the century Victorian home, built in 1903, was transformed into a B&B in June of 2009, when it was purchased by Yvonne and Vince “Jake” Jacobs. Yvonne, who grew up in Pitman, had admired the home for many years and, when it went up for sale, felt destined to buy it. “The Inn is a labor of love and the beginning of a dream come true,” she says.

“We were excited about what was happening in Uptown Pitman,” says Jake. “The Broadway Theater had just been restored to its original luster, new restaurants were popping up and we saw the need for lodging in town. We knew people would be coming in from out of town to go to the theater and thought it would be nice if they could stay somewhere overnight instead of having to drive straight back home after the show.” The Inn is close enough to Uptown that guests can park their cars for the weekend and walk anywhere they want to go.

“Growing up in Philadelphia, I was able to walk everywhere and use public transportation to get where I needed to go,” says Jake. “When I first moved to New Jersey, I was in an area where I had to drive everywhere.

Hot Chocolate or Egg Nog?

PHOTOS BY JAMIE GIAMBRONE

PHOTO 1: The Feizet family Lindsay with her sons Joey, 5 years old left, and Artie, 9 right. THey prefer “hot chocolate for sure!” We love it! When we watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas we always drink hot chocolate.”

PHOTO 2: Samantha Reuter prefers “hot chocolate with a little extra like a peppermint stick, sea salt caramel, something fun! I like a hot chocolate bar where you can make your own!”

PHOTO 3: The Zerno family (l-r) Olivia prefers egg nog because “hot chocolate is too much.” Sophia prefers “hot chocolate because I don’t like egg nog.” Janet prefers egg nog “because it is seasonal.”

PHOTO 4: Megan Bischoff prefers hot Chocolate because “I’m a big

chocolate fan and it’s dairy free, It’s a holiday classic.

PHOTO 5: L-R Bonnie and Aubrey Crosby and Emma and her mom Katie Dobias. THe Crosby’s prefer “hot chocolate of course! I like the flavors of the things you can add to it like marshmallows, candies and whip cream.” Emma likes “both because they are both so yummy!” Katie prefers “egg nog because you can make it more adult.”

found the small town living here really suited my needs. We’re able to walk pretty much everywhere for anything we need, and can now serve as ambassadors to help our guests navigate the town as well.”

The Inn celebrated its 12th anniversary this past June and has received several awards over the years, including Best of Gloucester County for Hotels/Hospitality and a Certificate of Excellence from Tripadvisor.

“We’re proud of all of our accomplishments and awards we’ve received over the years, but we get the most satisfaction from serving our guests,” says Yvonne. “In the B&B industry, we call it ‘the better way to stay,’ and we truly believe that. We work hard to make our guests feel at home while they’re here, from our homemade breakfasts to our cozy wood-burning fireplace, welcoming wrap-around porch and luxurious claw-foot tubs.”

The Inn offers three beautifully furnished rooms, one of which can be made into a tworoom suite, all with private baths and beautiful views. A full gourmet breakfast is served every day, featuring fresh, locally grown fruit and vegetables, yogurt, coffee, tea, juice and seasonal entrees like baked apple French

toast. Guests can relax in one of two sitting rooms on the first floor or sit outside on the beautiful wrap around porch.

During the holidays, the house is decorated top to bottom with a 10-foot Christmas tree as the centerpiece. Yvonne makes tons of homemade cookies and visitors are invited into the restored Red Rail Carriage House behind the Inn to have some hot chocolate and mingle.

“Around the holidays most of our business comes from people visiting their families,” says Jake. “Oftentimes if guests are here by themselves visiting family nearby we’ll invite them to bring a family member over for breakfast or to just hang out and relax.”

When you can’t be at home for the holi-

days, the Inn on Holly is happy to offer you the next best thing. “Our goal is to make everyone feel special during the holidays and offer them a home away from home,” says Yvonne. “We’re very proud of our little town and are happy to share it with our guests.”

The Inn on Holly is located at 120 West Holly Ave. For more information visit TheInnOnHolly.com. For reservations call 856-582-2251. 

Then I met Yvonne and discovered Pitman and liv-

PHOTOS BY JAMIE GIAMBRONE

Planning in Pitman

It’s all in the details

When it comes to your social calendar, change is … not always good. But sometimes it’s inevitable. In the event of cancelations and postponements, be sure to double check the status of the following events before attending.

Santa in the Parke

Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday Evenings in Ballard Park

Children of all ages are welcome to visit Santa at his house in Ballard Park starting 12/1 to 12/23 Santa’s House Hours Every Thursday & Friday: 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm Every Saturday: 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

December 15th

Holiday Sing-Along from 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. in the Pitman Grove Auditorium for the Fifth Annual Pitman Holiday Sing-Along! Celebrate the holiday season by joining your friends and neighbors in singing some holiday favorites as we carol together as a community.

December 22nd

Procrastinators Night - We get it. This season is always bananas, but this time you’re prepared! Even if you scribble your shopping list on your hand as you walk Uptown, our amazing shops, salons, and restaurants have what you need to accomplish it all in ONE night!

February 11

Sweetest Night in Pitman - Join us for a sweet adventure! Our Uptown Pitman Business Community will host various local chocolate and dessert makers. Stroll through your favorite shops and choose from a variety of sweet treats before or after enjoying dinner at one of your favorite Pitman restaurants. A perfect opportunity for an evening out with your soulmate or your best friends!