Letter from the
EDITOR: I
’m certainly ready for fall, and not just because it’s my favorite season. As the leaves change and the temperature drops, it’s a sign time is still moving forward during this unprecedented year. It’s exciting to see this same progress in the borough, too, with more people out shopping, dining and enjoying life with each passing week. It’s been a slow and steady build up since the spring for Collingswood businesses, and we’re happy to report the outlook is positive for the coming seasons (page 6). Speaking of borough business districts, it won’t be long before the corn stalks and mums are back. I’ll admit, I started decorating for fall the day my calendar flipped to September. Sure, it may have technically still been summer, but it never feels too early to put out my pumpkin collection. Of course, don’t go by me. We’ve got the lowdown on autumnal decor this issue on page 16. No doubt all that fall decorating is going to make you hungry and, lucky for you, we’re talking takeout in this issue’s Borough Bites (page 8). We’re thrilled indoor dining is slowly returning, but also proud to see
how our local restaurateurs pivoted with pandemic protocol and kept safely serving up their delicious dishes through the spring and summer. Speaking of rising to a challenge, on page 14 we had the opportunity to chat with residents Nancy Lee Starrett and Audrey DiUlio, who handcrafted and donated hundreds of face masks since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. They don’t consider this feat remarkable. They just want to do their part to help. You can’t really talk about fall without bringing up the spookiest of holidays. And is there a better Halloween setting than a foggy cemetery in the middle of the night? In this issue’s Looking Back at Local History, we take a walk through Harleigh Cemetery – minus the midnight mist. Read about this beautiful locale’s back story and famous residents on page 12. Whether Halloween’s your cup of tea or you’d rather fill your mug with a pumpkin spice latte while soaking in the bright autumn sunshine, here’s to a fabulous fall in 08108!
Kristen Dowd Editor
Book Festival goes virtual
T
his year marks a new chapter for the Collingswood Book Festival.
Although at one point it looked like the book was closing on the 18th annual event due to the pandemic, organizers rallied to create new opportunities out of old traditions. Largely being held in the virtual realm beginning Oct. 3, the festival will once again feature authors and their works, as well as dive into discussions on diversity and social justice. “Our children’s book coordinators kind of took off with it and are putting together this amazing program,” festival chair Sharon Hackett said, noting volunteers Wanda Swanson and Lisa Steinhaeur as two of the movers and shakers for this year’s event. New this year is a Diversity Panel, which will focus on children’s books highlighting race, gender, sexual orientation and special needs. Harmonica Sunbeam from Drag Queen Story Hour will also read stories and discuss her message of love and acceptance. “What’s interesting is that when we first started there wasn’t a lot of motivation, but then we realized that there’s an opportunity to go beyond our geography and reach out
FALL 2020
around the country,” Hackett said, adding there are participants from across the United States. There is one in-person aspect of this year’s festival with the return of the popular Poetry Tent thanks to efforts by Tammy Paolino and Mary Baldwin. Planned outside the Scottish Rite Theatre, it will include children’s poetry, pandemic-themed haiku, works by South Jersey poets and a reading by Pulitzer Prize winner Gregory Pardlo. There will be a tribute to Poetry Tent founder Walt Howat, who passed away earlier this year, in addition to the announcement of the 11th annual Walt Howat Youth Poetry Contest winners. Plans are continuing to evolve, and a final schedule and links to speakers and events will be shared at www.collingswoodbookfestival.com and at the festival’s social media pages. The festival is also partnering with Inkwood Books in Haddonfield as its 2020 bookseller. After a rocky start, things are certainly looking up for the 18th annual Collingswood Book Festival. “The show is going on,” Hackett said. ■ 4
08108 FALL 2020 ISSUE
COO
PERRY CORSETTI PUBLISHER
ARLENE REYES EDITOR
KRISTEN DOWD SALES MANAGER
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In this Issue: Borough’s in business Borough Bites Heroes at Home Decorate for fall Keeping up with Collingswood 08108 contributors
6 8 14 16 17 18
ON THE COVER A study in architectural design, Harleigh Cemetery is the final resting place to many notable individuals, including poet Walt Whitman. Read all about it on page 12. COVER PHOTO BY JAMIE GIAMBRONE
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