Hello 08108! Summer is here and I am excited for you to check out our Summer edition magazine dedicated to the lifestyle and community of Collingswood.
Summer is the time to get outdoors whether you want to get some fresh air, stretch your legs, play ball, or even get out on the water. In this issue, we highlight the wide array of recreational areas/activities that Collingswood has to offer from the different parks – Knight Park, Cooper River Park, Newton Lake Park and Haddon Lake Park – to area summer concerts. Learn more on page 4.
Before you head to the park, stop by Grooveground Coffeebar for some delicious La Colombe coffee or espresso that has been perfected by “insane” La Colombe approved training. Not a coffee drinker? Don’t worry, Grooveground offers a variety of teas and food from salads, paninis to fresh baked goods and desserts. While there, make sure to check out the locally-sourced “handmade” goods. Owners Chris Rocco and Mike Snyder are starting to bring back vinyl so if you want to dust off that collection that has been sitting at home and get some moola, Grooveground offers a buyback program. Learn all about it starting on page 6.
So if you are getting outdoors in Collingswood this summer, borough officials want to hear from you through their Plan to Play vision. They want to upgrade their recreational facilities and programs even more so. The roughly 2.5 square-mile suburb of Philadelphia with a population of 14,000 people continues to draw new residents and has been a haven for developers to invest in. The borough has new developments
underway, Mayor James Maley explains. Hence, not “a lot of room, not a lot of dirt” to work with for recreational facilities. Learn about the borough’s vision
The Collingswood Public School District is addressing mental health head on. They opened its new Wellness Center at Collingswood High School in March offering students a place to go for help. The district received a federal $1.9 million “Trauma-Informed Care in Schools” grant to repurpose and convert a space behind the library for the new Wellness Center. As student Lynnea Martinsen put it, the wellness center is “not a fad, scam or where judgments are made.” Learn more on page 16.
We round your reading pleasures with a familiar name – actor Michael Landon, who is best known for his roles in I Was a Teenage Werewolf, Bonanza, Little House on the Prairie and Highway to Heaven. He grew up in a house on South Newton Lake Drive near Chelsea Avenue. Although his upbringing wasn’t the best, it is where he grew up and nothing much has been done to memorialize the actor in his hometown. Insert three ordinary yet self-described “slightly crazy” friends from Ohio. They took it upon themselves to do just that with a bench. Their story on page 18.
All of this and more awaits on the
about on page 10. pages ahead! Happy reading!
BY DIANA DESIMINE
Get outside this summer! Whether it’s to get some fresh air, stretch your legs, play ball, or even get out on the water, the Collingswood area has some great spots to do all those things, and so much more.
In this issue of Collingswood 08108, we highlight some of those spots.
Knight Park is an ideal summer spot located across from Collingswood High School. At about 70 acres of land, Knight Park is worth visiting for shady, peaceful walks among the greenery; for its playgrounds suitable for kids both big and small; for its fishing spots; and for its sport fields.
Knight Park has two basketball courts, a baseball field, and a skatepark. The historic Knight Park House, built in 1888, is worth a sight, especially to watch it flourish as it undergoes extensive restoration projects that began in 2021.
If a day spent by the riverside sounds more appealing to you, Cooper River Park is a large venue that runs along its namesake and connects Collingswood to Pennsauken, Cherry Hill, and Haddon Township. Obviously, it’s great for fishing, but it’s also nice to sit down, have a picnic, and watch the boaters and kayakers – or go out on the water yourself.
Sightseers will also enjoy the sculpture garden, and history buffs will appreciate the busts that depict local historical figures. With a view of the Philadelphia skyline on a clear, sunny day, being at Cooper River Park is an ideal summer
please see SUMMER, page 8
PHOTOS BY JAMIE GIAMBRONE
Grooveground
Coffeebar offers a melting pot of food, drink, music, art, ideas, and people from all walks of life
Coffee grinds, grooves and so much moreBY NJ ACKERMANN
Chris Rocco and Mike Snyder took a risk when they decided to open Grooveground Coffeebar.
It was post Y2K and Collingswood was “going through a pre-renaissance period.”
“One day, I came into town to pick up Chinese food and found all these buildings for sale, and I’m thinking there’s no way that this town, with access to the train station, is going to stay sleepy,” Rocco recalled. “That’s how it started. The real estate was affordable, there was only one small record shop at the time, and only one café/coffee shop.”
Since opening, it’s all that Rocco and Snyder envisioned – a combination of a café and coffee shop - and so much more.
The duo came up with the name the same evening of the Chinese food pickup.
“Mike thought I was nuts,” Rocco said with a laugh.
But as it turns out two decades later, the idea was far from crazy.
“I was not a super coffee-snob at the time,” Rocco said. “A lot of people think you push the button and coffee comes out. I did too. But you have to really know what you’re doing.
“Espresso is so important. I didn’t realize how critical it was. I learned it’s temperamental in nature, how it goes from incredibly bitter to watered-down if the grounds are too thin or too dark and how the pressure makes the brew come out perfect. All that was new to me.”
Grooveground Coffeebar prides themselves on serving delicious La Colombe coffee, as well as teas, salads, paninis, fresh baked goods, and desserts.
“We were one of the first places that La Colombe came to in New Jersey,” Rocco said, however, to become La Colombe approved, it was no easy feat. “I was a customer in [La Colombe’s] Philly store at Ritttenhouse and I asked, ‘Is there a chance you might wholesale to a small place over the bridge?’ They were so big, I don’t know why they bothered with us, but they did.”
Before opening day, representatives from La Colombe came in to train their employees.
“They wanted to make sure that we served the same cup [of coffee] that you would get in Philly,” Rocco said. “It was insane. We must have been brewing coffee for 14 hours the day before to get it right.”
And the staff continues to train to make drinks and to make sure the espresso is the perfect ground.
please see BITES, page 12
spot. Come sundown, music lovers won’t want to miss the Twilight Concert Series, with free music on Thursdays at 8 p.m. at Jack Curtis Stadium. Be sure to check the Camden County website (camdencounty.com) for more information, including group yoga, Zumba, and cardio class dates.
If you’re worried about getting lost in Cooper River Park’s 346 acres, Newton Lake Park, at 103 acres, is a more modest spot located by Cuthbert Boulevard and the White Horse Pike. It’s lovely, taking peaceful walks circling around Newton Lake while spotting herons, geese, and songbirds. The old, brick hut is a memorable fixture in the park, as is the World War II memorial statue.
Fans of Bonanza and Little House on the Prairie may be delighted to find out that a memorial bench dedicated to TV star Michael Landon, who was raised in Collingswood and attended the local high school, is located overlooking Newton Lake.
A dedication of the bench was recently held on May 20.
Haddon Lake Park is about a 10-minute drive from Collingswood, taking you to the Mt. Ephraim and Audubon area, but it’s worth a visit when you find yourself in the area.
The 73-acre outdoor spot runs along Kings Highway and the Black Horse Pike, and provides a picnic area, an amphitheater, and bike paths. Throughout the summer, free concerts co-hosted by Camden County and XPN will be held on Wednesday nights at 7:30 p.m. at the McLaughlin Norcross Memorial Dell as part of the Sundown Music Series. This summer’s line-up includes singer-songwriter Don McCloskey, alt rock star Aimee Mann, and Tex-Mex indie rock band Calexico.
Camden County offers some neat spots to
take in natural beauty, and with the sports fields, free concerts, fitness classes, and convenient closeness to businesses, dining spots, and home, it’s hard to think of any better reason to spend the day at the park.
BY GLORIA STRAVELLI
When it comes to recreational facilities, Collingswood comes “woefully short.”
That is how Mayor James Maley puts it.
The roughly 2.5 square-mile suburb of Philadelphia with a population of 14,000 people continues to draw new residents and has been a haven for developers to invest in. The borough frequently has new developments underway, the mayor explained.
Hence, not “a lot of room, not a lot of dirt” to work with for recreational facilities. And noting a failed school referendum to fund a new football stadium a few years ago, the need for these types of facilities is in high demand.
“We don’t have a lot of empty farmland to turn into a bunch of baseball fields,” he said. “There’s a high school, middle school and five elementary schools. There are so many more activities that people need space for. We have a theater, the Scottish Rite Auditorium, which is a former Mason Hall, and they need some space, too.”
To help the borough are benefits of a PILOT, or payments in lieu of tax, agreements.
“It provides an incentive for the developer by low-
please see PLAY, page 11
continued from page
ering their tax number some and gives incentive for that development and also gives some certainty of taxes going forward,” Maley said. “And then for the borough, we’re able to keep 100 percent of that payment and it doesn’t get shared with the schools and the county.”
Maley said since grant options are limited for recreational facilities, the plan is to take some of the newer developments as they come online and dedicate a significant portion of any PILOT money to go towards the debt service for new recreational facilities.
“Basically, it’s trying to create new money without taking it from taxpayers,” he said.
Plan to Play Community Recreation and Facilities Master Plan
Sandi Kelly has an ambitious goal: Recruit a thousand borough residents to offer their input for an updated vision for Collingswood’s recreational facilities and programs.
“This is a very engaged community,” said Kelly, a borough native and planning consultant for SLK Community Consulting.
Collingswood is a town that’s been under transformation for about the past 20 years and that continues, she said, as the borough attracts new residents and new businesses.
Kelly was employed by Camden County for 20 years before founding SLK Community Consulting, which has a focus on local governments and nonprofits. In 2019, she was honored as the recipient of the Camden County Freedom Medal.
She is using her veteran expertise to gather input on the recreational needs of the various constituencies in the Collingswood community.
The goal for the visioning process, tagged the Plan to Play Community Recreation and Facilities Master Plan, is to “identify gaps in services or facilities” and have a tentative plan by late fall.
But first it’s all about engaging the community where art is vigorously alive, and theater is robust.
The borough invited the community to a project kick off on April 20.
“…We set up stations in a big community center room and people were able to go
through the different stations and identify things that are important to them, identify what are the gaps or programming spaces and what are the needs,” Kelly said.
Some fun was built into the process, she said, including different boards and activities.
“One set-up at the open house listed seven priorities and residents had boxes so they could vote with dollar amounts,” Kelly said, explaining each participant got $1,000 and had to figure out how they could spend that money.
“That gets people thinking, ‘OK, we have limited resources so how would we spend the money?’ It kind of makes people think about what their priorities would be.”
Kelly said surveying residents’ opinions is an initiative that reaches into all segments of the community.
“We’re doing direct mail so we’re reaching out to everyone who lives here – youths, seniors, people with disabilities. We have a group we call the Independence Network and we’re doing a special workshop for them,” she added.
In addition to the project kickoff, a series of surveys are available both online and via mail and teams are deployed at town events to encourage people to complete the surveys, she added.
The borough is working with Brandstetter Carrol, an architectural firm headquartered in Lexington, KY, on the design for the park master plan looking at school facilities, parks
and existing buildings.
“The high school and middle school have a large area of land behind them,” Kelly said. “Then we have 70-acre Knight Park. We are also situated in the middle of two rather large county parks, River Park and Newton Lake Park.”
Knight Park is owned by a private trust. It is busy, busy, busy!
Collingswood public schools, Little League, soccer - you name it - use it. The borough also holds many of its recreational activities at the park.
The county parks - Cooper River Park has 346 acres, and Newton Lake Park has 103 acres.
“It’s like any smaller town, with a lot of competition for the use of space for different programs,” Kelly said. “That’s kind of what started us thinking about this process and how we could better collaborate, space-plan and just do an overall plan to capture what are all the needs now, today, and what our needs would be looking ahead.”
Kelly noted the town and the county have a good working relationship. They have included county officials as stakeholders in the process “so that if there are activities that are identified in the plan, we could work
please see PLAY, page 15
PHOTOS BY JAMIE GIAMBRONE Cooper River ParkGrooveground has since added plenty of warm weather refreshment to their hot and cold brews, such as sparkling coolers in mojito, lavender, and razzberry flavors, and frozen frappes of caramelized latte, hot chocolate, and matcha.
Frusions – blended fruit puree drinks with all natural ingredients and no preservatives - rolled out around May Fair on May 27.
Grooveground regulars will be excited to hear that Pop-a Rama popsicles are slated to return in 2024.
From coffee, grooves to “handmade” goods
“When the doors opened [21] years ago, almost the entire wall was music,” Rocco explained. “As music technology changed and MP3s and iPods came out, we changed to more product-oriented merchandise.
“Our program of locally-sourced goods is called ‘Handmade.’ It’s kind of like Etsy, but you can touch it, see it, and get it right here. The products are made within a mile or two. We’ve had artwork, pottery–and jewelry does well, too. Currently, there’s a bit of a waiting list.”
With renewed interest in vinyl, Grooveground is going back to familiar roots.
“We just got rid of CDs and DVDs last year and have started bringing vinyl back,” Rocco said.
As a selected store for Record Store Day, they have access to exclusive new releases.
“Our buyback program buys back vinyl. People who want to sell their collections can drop them off and we will price them.”
Now having an eclectic mix of food, clothing, and wares, their Facebook page describes the store as “a melting pot of food, drink, music, art, ideas, and people from all walks of life.”
“It’s definitely a melting pot,” Rocco said. “Like if Urban Outfitters, Tower Records,
and Starbucks had a baby–that’s what kind of place this is. It’s cool to come in here and see people from ages 16 to 70.”
In mid/late summer 2023, Grooveground will renovate and expand their handmade, used clothing, and thrift product selections. They are expecting to reopen by October, with a new garden bar out back that will provide shaded seating, ambient sound and lighting, and plenty of greenery. It will be accessible through the store, and will be “a
please see BITES, page 13
BITES continued from page 12
great place to socialize or unwind, day or night.”
Rocco said the renovation is their gift to their customers.
“We met everyone we know at this place, we can never get rid of it,” he said, noting special relationships.
“Some people work here for six years, I go to their high school graduations and weddings. People who met here on a date bring back their children and introduce them to us. Our regulars are so loyal. How do you say ‘thank you’ for that?”
Grooveground Coffeebar is open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 647 Haddon Ave. For more information visit grooveground.com.
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Models used for illustrative purposes only.
with the county to possibly utilize some of that space.”
“And we have some public buildings that we’re also looking at because we’re talking about some other types of recreation,” she added. “We have a Collingswood Senior Community Center and there’s some senior programming that’s run out of there and we also have some other community programming.
“We have the Scottish Rite Auditorium, a theater, and our community theater currently presents productions there and we also have a concert series which is produced
in a partnership with the county.”
Equity
Kelly said a holistic, equitable vision is essential to the process.
“We’re looking at recreation programming [and] space for all ages, all interests and all abilities,” she said.
The community outreach portion of the plan will continue throughout the summer and will wrap up probably in early September and a draft plan is expected to be presented by year-end.
The survey can be accessed, and comments made at the home page collingswood. com.
BY KATHY CHANG
The chatter was light in the new Wellness Center at Collingswood High school.
There was laughter as students with Kristin O’Lexy, program director, and Isaac Mendelsohn, program evaluator - sitting in comfy seats - shared their experiences at music concerts – Taylor Swift, Chris Brown, New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men…to name a few.
On March 21, the Collingswood Public School District opened the Wellness Center in a space behind the library that was previously used for extra classroom space.
As senior Layla Spearman explained, “It was a sad room” with just a couch and yellow and white walls.
But not anymore. It’s a space where you can talk about those music concerts and so
much more.
School officials repurposed and converted the space into a Wellness Center
please see
HEALTH, page 17
with the receipt of a $1.9 million “Trauma-Informed Care in Schools” grant from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
SAMHSA is an agency that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation.
With the funds, the district was not only able to transform the space, but hire O’Lexy, Mendelsohn, Rebecca Muller, a multi-tiered system of support, Shannon Capraro, social emotional learning, and Theresa McErlean, for administrative support.
The grant funds will be awarded over a period of two years with the opportunity to extend for up to three additional years.
In the additional years, the district looks to bring in additional certified specialists as well as extend services to the middle and elementary schools, said Dr. Karen Principato, supervisor of grants, professional development and special projects.
The Wellness Center provides students with direct access to evidence-based and
culturally relevant trauma support services and mental health care during the school day and at no cost to the district.
Millions of people in the U.S. are affected by mental illness each year.
Fast facts, according to the National Alliance of Mental Illness.
• 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year.
• 1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year.
• 1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year.
• 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24.
• Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people aged 10-14.
For students having a bad day, stressed out or looking for someone to talk to at Collingswood High School, they now have a space to go to.
And there will be a certified specialist at the Wellness Center ALWAYS present to help them.
That piece was missing, according to seniors – Spearman, Jaylin Melton, Lynnea Martinsen, Jasmine Clervil and Chloe Wright - who have been instrumental in helping school officials create a vision for the Wellness Center through the various clubs and organizations they are involved in.
Previously students having that bad day, please see HEALTH, page 20
Three friends from Ohio worked for years to memorialize the actor in his hometown
Five years ago, three ordinary –yet self-described slightly crazyladies from Ohio decided to take a trip to New Jersey. Their destination was Collingswood, approximately 550 miles from their home, because of one special little boy: Eugene Maurice Orowitz.
Orowitz was born Oct. 31, 1936, in Queens, New York, shortly after which his family moved to Collingswood. Orowitz changed his name to Michael Landon – yes, the famous Michael Landon who is best
known for his roles in I Was a Teenage Werewolf, Bonanza, Little House on the Prairie and Highway to Heaven
Landon’s parents settled on South Newton Lake Drive. According to the women, a few of his childhood friends still live in the area, and it was not uncommon for the late Hollywood star - who died of cancer in 1991 at the age of 54 - to return to his hometown from time to time.
“In a nutshell, those three crazy ladies from Ohio wanted to hang out with him, too,” said Marla Fair, who made the trek with Jessie Heuer and Sonya Lehman. “We pooled
please see OROWITZ, page 22
TOP PHOTO PROVIDED BY KATHY CHANG.
RIGHT PHOTO PROVIDED BY JESSIE HEUER
LEFT PHOTO PROVIDED BY BOCA MEDIA
From L-R Ohio friends Sonya Lehman, Marla Fair and Jessie Heuer, came together to memorialize a bench in honor of actor Michael Landon in his hometown during a ceremony on May 20. The friends stand with Camden County Commissioner Melinda Kane, who presented the friends with a proclamation for their efforts
stressed out or needing someone to talk to, they were sent to the nurse’s office or to the guidance office.
But as these students quickly learned throughout their high school careers, a school nurse and a guidance counselor are stretched thin with so many “other” responsibilities.
Often, the student would be asked “what do you want to do?” They would then be sent to a space and left spending time scrolling through their phone, which in the end does not help the situation, Spearman said.
The Collingswood Public School District has been at the forefront of providing an emphasis on social emotional learning with K-12 offerings and peer mentorship even before COVID-19.
When Superintendent of Schools Dr. Fred McDowell came into the district in 2021, he learned about the strong foundation already set, but also heard from student leaders about the lack of resources that would enable the district to further address the need for a dedicated space for students in need.
Last year, with all the support from McDowell and his administration, the grant team - Principato, O’Lexy, Deb Vesper, Beth Whitehouse, Michael Ostroff, Dan Whalen, Anita Genca and Beth Ann Coleman - filed for the grant application.
Principato said they learned they received the grant – at literally 1 a.m. in the morning.
“It was a happy 6:30 a.m. phone call,” recalled McDowell. “They [grant team] brought this to the finish line.”
For a smaller school district, school officials said they were ecstatic.
“This grant will expedite our ability to meet the critical mental health needs of students in a meaningful way during the school day,” McDowell said. “We’re taking a very intentional approach by integrating mental health services with specific academic support. Our students deserve this level of care, and we believe it will have a positive impact on student achievement for years to come.”
guidance counselor, on the other hand the wellness center is not a fad, scam or where judgments [are made], it is promoted as a good thing.”
The Wellness Center is staffed during the school day with trained professionals including two social workers, a behavioral specialist, and a nurse practitioner. There are plans to hire a social-emotional learning coach and an academic intervention coach to help the secondary campus integrate social-emotional learning, positive behavior support, and other evidence-based initiatives that align with students’ social, emotional, and mental health.
Officials have expanded the center’s sum-
mer hours. Collingswood Public School District is located in Camden County and serves more than 2,100 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
The Collingswood Public School District repurposed and converted a space into a Wellness Center, which provides students with direct access to evidence-based and culturally relevant trauma support services and mental health care during the school day.
and Wright, the what they wish they
For Spearman, Melton, Martinsen, Clervil and Wright, the Wellness Center is a welcome sign for what they wish they had as a resource when they were younger. They have been working to promote the Wellness Center to their younger peers.
“Knowing that we have an actual place to go reduces the stigma [of mental health],” Martinsen said. “Whereas we didn’t want anyone to know why we were sent to the
our resources and set off on a weekend road trip to do just that, hang out with the spirit of Michael in all the places he had known and loved as a boy.”
Former Collingswood resident Abbe Effron, who herself is a huge fan, showed the women around, pointing out the theater where Landon worked, the soda shop where he liked to hang out and Collingswood High School which he attended. She took them to see the Little Tree House in the Park – her honor project with a bronze plaque featuring Landon’s face.
Finally, they came to Newton Park to see the dock where young Eugene fished and floated paper ships; where he brought his comic books to read; and, most of all, where he dreamed of a day when he would escape his tumultuous childhood. The remnants of the dock remain, as does an old, dilapidated bench with myriad names and sentiments carved into it.
“As you look at that house, you cannot help but think of everything that went on within those four walls – of the grief, the pain; the hopelessness [of] young Eugene,” Fair said. “Across the street from the house is a lake, and by that lake is a dock with a worn out old wooden bench.
In his own words through a 1987 interview with Redbook, he grew up with an abusive mother with “violent eccentricities.”
According to his sister and others, young Eugene often ran to that dock – to that lake – to escape. He took his fishing pole and went there rain or shine, casting a line into the water and waiting for the fish to bite, or sitting in the tall wet grass beside it where he would stare at the water, seeking what lay just beneath its tranquil surface as dreamers do – and what lay beyond.”
The three friends sat on the bench, leav-
own memories behind. They returned home to Ohio – but two years later, came back to New Jersey – this time, with a mission. On their second journey, Fair was looking at that bench and thought: Collingswood needs a new one and so does Michael.
“There are people who come into your life and change it. Michael Landon is one of those people,” Fair explained. “For me, the
thing that attracts and touches me the most about Michael is not his winning smile, his gorgeous green eyes, or even that handsome physique and face, which no one can deny. It is his character.”
Finally, two years later, the Michael Landon Collingswood Memorial Lake Bench was revealed on May 20 overlooking Newton Lake. It was the culmination of the time, effort, money and love of many people, Fair said.
Lisa Mitten and Centec Cast Metal Products of Fremont, Ohio, as well as Andrew Klyde, Esq., lawyer for Bonanza Ventures, were involved with the many iterations, images and mock-ups before the existing bench, showcasing Little Joe Cartwright and the Ponderosa, was chosen. Andy Klyde granted permission to do so and Mitten designed the plaque using shadow images created by Fair.
“Why choose Little Joe, you may ask? Though he had acted in other shows, ‘Bonanza’ was the one that launched Michael Landon’s career. We felt it fitting for that new beginning to be the moment – the image –attached to this bench,” Fair said.
The City of Collingswood and the County
thing that attracts and touches me the most please see OROWITZ, page 23
of Camden, as well as Parks Department liaison Ashley Pagan, supported the project as well.
Effron served as their New Jersey “boots on the ground.”
“Michael Landon starred in some of the most beloved TV shows of the 20th century and it’s wonderful that we can commemorate one of Camden County’s finest,” Commissioner Melinda Kane said in a statement about the project. “Landon not only grew up in Collingswood, but his father was the manager of the iconic Westmont Theater. Landon’s connection to the area runs deep and this bench will be a great addition to our park system.”
Even though the memorial dedication lasted a few hours, the party isn’t over yet. Next year will be 30 years since Landon’s passing and the “crazy” girls have even bigger plans.
Bellucci wants to build a stadium and convince the United States Postal Service to put out a stamp in his honor. Fair wants a new dock on Newton Lake with Landon’s name on it, “where little boys from Collingswood can go and fish and dream,” she said. She would also like a bronze statue next to it as well.
“To quote Michael again, ‘Dreaming is one thing, and working towards the dream is one thing, but working with expectations in mind is very self-defeating,’” Fair said. The women welcome any ideas on how to further honor Landon in his hometown.
For more information and updates, visit www.facebook.com/ MLCollingswoodmemorialakebench project.
PHOTO 5: (L-R) Megan Hunsberger and Mike Cahill, Megan’s dad. They prefer the beach. “We have a home at the shore since forever! Also I like the ocean over the chlorine.”
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Greg and Amy Lupinski with their 10 month old grandson Nick Lupinski. They prefer the beach. We’ve always gone to the beach because we’ve had family access to the beach.
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SATURDAY 17
Unity in the Community Juneteenth Celebration 2pm - 6pm Downtown Collingswood (Irvin Avenue Between Haddon & Atlantic) The Borough of Collingswood and the Collingswood Community Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee will celebrate Juneteenth in Collingswood on June 17 at 2:00 pm with an outdoor event in Downtown Collingswood celebrating our diverse community while showcasing art and culture of the black diaspora.
TUESDAY 4
Fourth of July Fireworks Celebration
Thursday 6: Summer Movies in the Park begin (Tues. & Thursdays throughout July),
AUGUST 3, 10, 17,24
Summer Movies in the Park, Knight Park
SATURDAY 5
Farmers’ Market Peach Pie Contest
SATURDAY 12
2nd Saturday
Roberts Pool Luau Party
SATURDAY & SUNDAY
19 & 20
Crafts & Fine Arts Festival
Enjoy live music and art in Collingswood!
Second Saturday was started by a collection of store owners that had an interest in promoting the arts in Collingswood. Each month from March to December visitors can plan a night on the town to experience the unique arts, music, shopping and dining Collingswood is known for. As always, Second Saturdays are free and there are local artists and musicians on Haddon Avenue. Just arrive & enjoy the culture
Farmers’ Market Salsa Making Contest
Festival will proudly present 165+ craft and
The Collingswood Crafts and Fine Art Festival will proudly present 165+ craft and fine artists selected for the quality and variety of their latest work. Offering contemporary designs in wood, glass, clay, metal, and fiber, the artists will be on site to discuss these works and share their passion for creating them.
SATURDAY 19
Market Night After Party
Haddon Avenue is closed for Saturday night, so come on out and enjoy the festival after party! Stroll downtown and enjoy live music and entertainment, kid’s activities, awardwinning restaurants, shops with extended hours and special deals--plus select crafters from the festival are open late too!
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.
SUMMER 2023
PHOTOS BY JAMIE GIAMBRONE
Since 1924 Inglesby & Sons has been the choice funeral service provider to Pennsauken and Merchantville families.
