Collingswood set for glorious Fourth

By BRIDGET SMITH Courier-Post

Residents around the tri-county area are getting ready to celebrate Independence Day, with a full slate of parades, fireworks and other celebrations planned, despite the ailing economy.

Click the photo to see gallery from last year's July 4 at Roberts Pool. Photo by DOUGLAS M.BOVITT/Courier-Post

In Collingswood, the town is maintaining its $25,000 fireworks show, says borough Administrator Bradford Stokes. He said the borough gets major support from two key sponsors -- First Colonial Bank and Brown and Connery.

"Fortunately, we're able to keep the show going with support of our sponsors," Stokes said.

Here's what you can expect at this year's Fouth of July celebration:

• Fireworks watching party at the stadium. Gates open at 6:15 p.m. Fireworks start around 9:15 p.m. The Collingswood Pops will perform during the fireworks display, starting at 8 p.m. Admission is free
• Kids on streamer-lined and glittery bikes, strollers and wagons will make the Knight Park circuit at the annual Bike Parade. Hosted by the Collingswood Jr. Woman's Club. Registration starts at 9 a.m. Prizes will be awarded to the most creative wheels.
• Roberts Pool will offer outdoor and water games for kids starting at 2 p.m. Click to see photo gallery from last year's festivities.
• Win the town-wide decorating contest and gain some Collingswood cash (and the awe of your neighbors). Call (856) 833-1116 or email July4@ProudNeighborsOfCollingswood.org to register your house.

Click here for more info.

Police investigate series of thefts from vehicles in Collingswood, area towns

Collingswood resident Tony Giglio was halfway across the bridge into Philadelphia Friday morning when he reached up to retrieve his E-ZPass from his visor and found nothing. He had noticed his Chevy pickup had a "rummaged-through" look when he got up to drive to work from his home at 306 Harvard Ave., but even though the glove compartment was wide open, his checkbook sat there untouched; his tools were still there.

The 200 and 300 blocks of Harvard Avenue in Collingswood. At least three theft from vehicle crimes reportedly occurred here.

About 18 to 20 thefts from vehicles have been reported in Collingswood, Audubon, Oaklyn, Haddon Township and neighboring towns over the past 10 days, according to Collingswood Police Chief Thomas Garrity. At least three thefts were reported Friday on Harvard Avenue.

The items: loose change, iPods, cell phones, GPS units, digital cameras, video cameras, E-ZPasses, were reportedly stolen from unlocked vehicles.

"Catching a [theft from vehicle] suspect is hit or miss," said Garrity. "There's no breaking glass, there's no car alarm, the door just opens. No sound to alert anyone."

Sometimes it doesn't take a noise to notify residents that something might be wrong.

Read more

PHOTO: A day can’t go by without some form of rain, right?

Storm clouds on the horizon. I'm fine with all types of weather, but the recent ever-rainy forecast in this area is dragging me down. I hope it doesn't start up again.

Really? REALLY?

Send your weather photos to wrhodes@gannett.com or post them to Flickr with the "collingswood" tag.

Flamenco fusion, food at Casona

Liven up your night out on Haddon Ave. by watching Tres Compadres perform at Casona of Collingswood Friday night.

This "flamenco fusion" band consists of Chris Mood (a few instrumentalists and dancers too, according to MySpace photos). Live music lasts from 6:30 to 9:30 at 563 Haddon Avenue. Click here to reserve a table. Click to see who's attending.

Colls in the news: Kids on a plane, delicious fresh foodstuffs

Take a look at Google News and you'll see that Collingswood people are rather informative, if not experts in their fields (we knew that already).

Chicago Tribune quotes a Collingswood travel agent in a story looking to find a cure for the common annoying-kid-on-airplane dilemma.

How about a kids-only section?  "I would gladly pay an extra $20 each way to avoid the noise and headaches," said Randy Gillespie, a travel agent from Collingswood, N.J., adding that such an option should be built into the fare rather than offered an optional add-on." [Link]

Fresh fruit and veggie-loving publication, The Packer, notes a Collingswood research group's findings:

"A recent survey by Mambo Sprouts Marketing, Collingswood, N.J., revealed that most are not willing to give up their natural and organic purchases, but many are looking for better deals." [Click here for the survey breakdown.]

Notice any Collingswood-related news stories? Comment below or shoot me an email at wrhodes@gannett.com and I'll share them with the site.

Gear up for Saturday’s Farmer’s Market

Time to gear up for this Saturday's Farmer's Market:

• Expect good weather (finally!)
• Look for blueberries, raspberries (of a variety of colors), cherries, string beans, scallions, pickling kirbys, mushrooms (of all kinds) and more...
• Great Harvest Bread Co. makes another nod for Pineapple Zucchini Bread and Chocolate Zucchini Bread. (Note: Last time they promised the Pineapple Zuke Bread I couldn't find it anywhere. Maybe I arrived too late?)
• Get a cannoli to order at the DiBartolo Bakery booth
• Buy some Hillacres Pride cheese this week to support a good cause. Proceeds will go to help a family pay for their son's stay in a hospital after an accident.
• Pop Shop's Stink Fisher will show us the many ways of grilled cheese. (Note: Not all of us think fondly of the Pop Shop's grilled cheese.)
• Collingswood-raised WXPN-featured Birdie Busch will start playing at 9 a.m. Listen to her music here.

Info compiled from various Tweets and the Farmer's Market weekly newsletter.

Hamrick named AD at Collingswood

Ron Hamrick will follow Ed Hill as athletic director at Collingswood High School.

Hill is leaving the position to focus on his full-time duties as the high school's principal. Hamrick will assume the AD's position July 1. He has coached Collingswood wrestling teams for 26 years, winning the 2008 Colonial Conference and South Jersey Group 1 championship along with a South Jersey Group 2 title in 2006.

He was named Courier-Post Wrestling Coach of the Year in 2006 and Region 7 Coach of the Year and has served for many years as an assistant football coach.

Hill has been involved in Collingswood athletics since the 1980s, first as a coach and as an assistant in the athletic department. He has been the full-time athletic director since 1998. In addition, Hill served as the recreation director for the Borough of Collingswood from 1993 to 1997.

A Big Collingswood Howdy!

Hi there Collingswood folks.
I'm Lavinia DeCastro and I'm the Courier Post reporter who covers your town!
I'm excited to have one more venue to share what's happening in Collingswood with the public at large.
I've learned from covering this town that Collingswood is a happening place.
On the arts and entertainment realm, there's the community theater, the acts at the Scottish Rite auditorium, a new pops orchestra, a Shakespeare theater company, exhibits at the Perkins Center for the Arts and so much more.
On the green front, Collingswood has a bike-sharing program, as well as rain barrels and composters for residents.
Combine those things with the farmers market, second saturday, a vibrant business community and tons of educational offerings at the borough schools and we'll have plenty to talk about.
Enough to overwhelm a lone journo like me.
That's why I need your help!
Post your news, happenings, opinions or just plain thoughts about your lovely borough right here.
If you need help, just give a call. You can reach me at 856-486-2652 or by e-mail ldecastro@camden.gannett.com
This is your space. Let's make it as vibrant as the borough itself.
Happy posting!

Missing anything? More than 10,000 stolen goods recovered by police

UPDATED (4:52 p.m.): Read the full story here.

Stolen coat. Image provided by Cherry Hill Police Department

More than 10,000 stolen items have been recovered following an investigation by the Cherry Hill Police Department, according to media reports.

The probe began after two people were arrested in February in connection with a burglary. It was discovered the pair rented a storage space in Atlantic County to store what they allegedly stole, according to reports.

The department has photographed all the items and posted them on its Web site in hopes of returning the items to their rightful owners.

Click here to see the items.

Motorcycle run to benefit mental health nonprofit

Bring your motorcycle and $30 to the Scottish Rite Theater this Sunday to raise money for mental health and addiction-related services in the tri-county area.

Sean Fitzgerald/ For the Courier-Post

The Motorcycle Run registration proceeds and donations will benefit Genesis Centers, a nonprofit organization staffed in Collingswood, Camden and Mt. Laurel. Participants should meet at the Scottish Rite parking lot, 315 White Horse Pike, at 9 a.m. for registration (the ride starts at 10:15 a.m.). Click here to pre-register online. The run ends at the Motorsports Park in Millville.

Pre-registration costs $25. Bring a friend for another $15. Registration costs $30 the day of the event.

Contact Riley Keenan at (856) 858-9314 for more information or click here.

Enter the obligatory introductory post…

Howdy everyone! Welcome to Collingswood @ InJersey, a new place for Collingswood residents to share the latest goings on in their towns.

This site will be a venue for you to vote on what projects your town's goverment should tackle next, inform authorities about everything from potholes to poor performing schools, and catch up with your neighbors. Come back. Come often.

Of course, the more people from your town that come here and submit their own news and comments, the more useful the overall site becomes. That's why we're inviting everyone in the neighborhood — yes, everyone — to join. Together, we hope to build an online community that will make it easier for you to:

• Keep up with news and events
• Find photos and videos from around town
• Submit "fixer upper" things to town officials (like potholes, traffic lights, etc)
• Vote up or down ideas for improving local government (coming soon)
• Learn about neighborhood businesses
• Participate in discussions
• Submit your own announcements, photos, and reviews

We're looking for a few good Collingswood folks to blog their community-related passions (food, green stuff, wildlife, politics, anything). Interested? Give me a shout at wrhodes@gannett.com or leave a comment.

Graduation gallery: Collingswood Class of ‘09

By LAVINIA DeCASTRO Courier-Post

The sun burst through the clouds a few short hours before Collingswood High School's graduation ceremony.

Click to view the gallery. Curt Hudson for the/Courier-Post

Wearing blue and gold robes, the 186 students in the class of 2009 gathered in the school's stadium to say goodbye to their high school years before hundreds of family and friends.

"Today is not a day for tears," said Jessica Pratts, one of three seniors chosen to speak at the ceremony. "It is a day for celebration. We survived. We grew. We faced our fears."

Send your graduation photos to wrhodes@gannett.com. Click to see our photos of the graduates.

Read more

Chemistry battle captures students’ creative energy

By JULIA HAYS Courier-Post

Chemistry and competition are two things known to ignite sparks, and that certainly was the case at the recent ChemPrize event in Collingswood.

JOHN ZIOMEK/Courier-Post

Students from Collingswood High School's advanced placement chemistry course presented, in small groups, their research proposals for alternative energy sources.

Four teams, with four students per team, stood before family, friends and classmates at Collingswood Community Center to report their findings and take subsequent questions from the audience.

Read more

Farmer’s Market tips to note

A few tidbits about this Saturday's Farmer's Market:

• Chance of rain. Yeah, I know. The weather gods hate us. You might have to take advantage of that PATCO rail canopy.
• Look out for cherries, kielbasa, stuffed jalapenos, spinach feta bread and pepperoni bread.
• Cooking demos are back! Make it to the market by 10 a.m. to see Fred Kellermann, chef and owner of Elements Cafe in Haddon Heights.
• Look for the Lourdes Wellness booth (hopefully this won't be rained out) for free blood pressure screenings.
• Check out the Farmer's Market recipe collection here.

Give us your graduation photos, videos (do it!)

This kid regrets nothing. DENISE HENHOEFFER/Courier-Post

Are you a Collingswood High School senior walking in the graduation ceremony on Friday? Congrats! Now give us your cell phone photos and videos.

Send them to wrhodes@gannett.com or post them to YouTube or Flickr and tag them "collingswood" to post them to this site.

What's the point? I skipped my high school graduation. I regretted it. Thankfully I at least got to live it through the choppy cell phone footage of a girl in my class. Share the love.

Collingswood High School graduation: Friday, 6:30 to 10 p.m. in the stadium.