Letter from the Editor:
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 on page 10.
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 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 pages ahead! Happy reading!
