by Brett Ainsworth, Publisher
Inside these pages every week are numerous stories about the issues of our towns, triumphs of our people and, even, our losses. Under appreciated, perhaps, are the businesses that advertise. Not only do these advertisers look to serve your needs, their dollars support this independent, locally-owned newspaper’s service to all of us.
by Brett Ainsworth, Publisher
This issue marks number 1,232 for me as publisher of The Retrospect and each edition still provides surprises. That’s the nature of originally produced and authentic journalism.
by Brett Ainsworth, Publisher
What does $75 buy these days?
Plenty when you sign up for two years of award-winning journalism from The Retrospect.
That’s 104 weeks of original, hometown reporting! (See page 23 for our latest awards haul.)
Nearly every Haddon Heights school board member, as well as the district’s own administration, called the 202425 school budget “boring,” mostly because there are very few extras included in a year where the district saw its state aid stay almost flat, while its costs continue to increase.
Phony Tattoo Alibi
An old friend dropped by Collingswood commission’s business meeting Monday, prompted by the introduction of stronger tree protection within the borough to expand existing regulations prohibiting residents from removing trees on their curb strips. Moreover, anyone wanting to remove trees on the rest of their land must first obtain approval from the borough.
People lined up 20 deep Monday evening to vent their anger at the Collingswood School District’s board of education and top administration officials, 20 days after those same officials learned of the existence of a white supremacist group on the high school campus, whose members have apparently returned to school activities “as if nothing happened,” many commenters noted.
Collingswood announced late Tuesday its selection of a development company to continue its work on the development of downtown Collingswood — with affordable housing for LGBTQ seniors potentially in the mix – in the area known now as the Water Tower Project along North Atlantic Ave., paralleling the PATCO train tracks.
Once-grand Boxwood Hall in Haddonfield stood instead as a dilapidated backdrop for Wednesday’s mid-day formal press conference to introduce the new redeveloper, Michael Pasquarello, and the borough’s deal with his company, R&S Boxwood Hospitality LLC, for the purchase and renovation of the historic 1.4-acre property on Haddon Avenue across from the town’s library.
Haddonfield’s Board of Education meeting last Thursday featured multiple presentations, with the most important being the 2024-25 budget presentation headed by board secretary Michael Catalano.
Check out what is happening at the Collingswood Public Library in the next few months. Go to collingswoodlib. org for further details and registration information.
May Programs
Haddon Heights will celebrate its 120th anniversary Hollywood- style with a gala set for June 8. The event is hosted by the Haddon Heights Neighbors, a borough committee that frequently engages in community- building events, fundraising efforts to benefit civic groups and community projects.
