Wednesday, March 6, 2013
What does 10-year-old Joseph Degenhart love about his hometown? 'We can always hear the bells ringing and we can always hear the train, even in our sleep.'
When he's not swimming or playing basketball, 10-year-old Joseph Degenhart is commanding an audience. He'll take the stage in the upcoming Collingswood Youth Theater production of Jack and the Giant, he's learning the saxophone—and he doesn't mess around with his grades. Collingswood Patch: So how long have you lived in Collingswood? Joseph Degenhart: For 10 years. Patch: Do you like living here? Degenhart: Yes, I like that there's a ton of stores up there, there's a library, there's the Collingswood Music store; I go there to get my reeds for my sax. Patch: How long have you been playing? Degenhart: About three months. Patch: What songs can you play? Degenhart: "Hot Cross Buns" and "Jolly Old Saint Nick"! Patch: If a child came here from …
Monday, February 18, 2013
This week: the Collingswood junior women's club, gardening and GMO-Free food tips, a free concert from She Hates Me plus Frugal Ladies Night. Check out the top events in town!
Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m.—Collingswood Public Library "The Collingswood Juniors engage in various charitable efforts throughout town, as well as promote health awareness and women's and family issues through speakers and projects. Please contact Jodie Farrow (jodie.farrow@yahoo.com) with any questions." Wednesday, Feb. 20, 9 a.m.-noon—Camden County Environmental Center "For those who are interested in becoming a Master Gardener as well as those who have questions about their gardening issues...There is no charge." 856-216-7130 ext. 40005 or email njgarden@camdencounty.com for more information. Thursday, Feb. 21, 7-8 p.m.—Collingswood Public Library "Together we study the impact of the genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that are in …
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
The most recent subject 'I Am Collingswood' is a cribbage fan—not canasta, as initially reported—but our story helped him discover a relative in town.
Readers of my column "I Am Collingswood" may remember my latest installment on the subject of the irrepressible Walter Schlitz, a 99-year-old Collingswood resident in search of a canasta partner. It turns out I had Mr. Schlitz's game of choice all wrong: He is a cribbage player, and doesn't much care for canasta at all. He set me straight in an email about a week after the article was published. “The game is CRIBBAGE not Canasta,” Schlitz wrote. “Must I now learn to play it??” I'm not familiar with either game, so I met up with him to learn some more about the finer points of cribbage. Schlitz produced a leather carrying case about the size of a pack of cigarettes. Within were pegs and a scoreboard that he says are used in conjunction with…
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Walter Schlitz landed in Collingswood on New Year’s Day 1975, moving in “with the lady there on Knight Avenue” after a honeymoon. She passed on in 2001, but he’s still here. And he can’t find anybody to play canasta with.
My meeting with Walter Schlitz began with a piece of loose-leaf upon which he had written the following three paragraphs: Walter N. Schlitz, born December 23, 1913 in the Cramer Hill section of Camden, NJ. Mother died in 1915 and father died in 1918 leaving 4 sons to need new home. I was taken by a friendly family to be raised as one of their own. Went to Camden High School until I finished the Junior year, at which time it was necessary for me to find a job to help out at home. Probably 16 years old. My first job was at RCA's in Camden as a messenger in the mailing department. After that experience, I sent to work at Petty Island for Cities Service Oil, Co as a laborer. That led to different and better jobs on the island until WWII …
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Husband, father, police sketch artist ... song-and-dance man? Meet your multi-talented neighbor, Chuck Jackson.
Chuck Jackson is 24-year veteran of the Haddon Township Police department, husband to Stacey and father to Stephen, 18, Kyle, 15, and Emily, 13. Peeling back the layers also reveals a talented artist, set designer, and show business pro. This week, the 21-year Collingswood resident tells Patch how the borough nurtures his many talents. Collingswood Patch: How did you get involved in theatrical set design? Chuck Jackson: My first set was for The Wizard of Oz. I did the background piece; that was four-and-a-half years ago. I build for the Youth Theater, for both the spring and the summer shows. I also build for the Middle School and the High School. And I'm not a primary builder, but also do a lot for the Collingswood Community Theater. …
Thursday, November 29, 2012
A Collingswood resident for more than 25 years, Eileen Boyle is a business owner, volunteer and one of the architects of the local arts scene as we know it.
It's no wonder that "welcome change" is a mantra for long-time Collingswood resident Eileen Boyle. She's weathered the changes in her own life gracefully, including raising children after the loss of her husband and starting her own business, all while helping Collingswood transform itself into the vital, artistic community we know today. An independent life coach and business consultant, Eileen moved her graphic arts business to Haddon Avenue in the late 1990s. Her work with Newton Colony Arts Bank helped revitalize the town, and she says Collingswood has sustained her through difficult times. Collingswood Patch: Can you tell me about your role in the redevelopment of 729 Haddon Ave., the building that now houses El Sitio and the Pop Shop…
Saturday, November 24, 2012
As an activist for gay rights, educator and member of Camden's Sacred Heart parish, Collingswood resident Jim DeSimone serves the community in a variety of ways.
Collingswood's Jim DeSimone is an active member of PFLAG, a master preschool teacher in Camden and a member of the Sacred Heart parish in the city. This week he shares his thoughts on education, faith and the ongoing fight for gay rights. Collingswood Patch: How has being a part of the Sacred Heart parish in Camden enhanced your life? It's a pretty incredible place. I first went there probably over 10 years ago and it was about two years ago that I decided that that would be my home. It's a place of peace for me in Camden, because Camden is such a turbulent place and such a challenging place to work. It's good to go someplace where everybody is there for positive reasons and everybody is doing good things. I feel like it's a place where I…
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
The event is the brainchild of Collingswood residents Joe Bonaparte and Kevin Monko, and features a cast of thousands.
Joe Bonaparte got the idea last year at a Halloween party in Oaklyn. Musician Kevin Monko was providing the entertainment, leading a handful of different singers through the changes on some David Bowie tunes. Call it timing or atmospherics, but the performance was uncannily affecting, Bonaparte recalls. “A good friend of mine who’d schooled me in all things glam rock, coincidentally, was on his deathbed at the time,” Bonaparte said. “After that, I thought we should have a party all-things-Bowie where we do the entire Ziggy Stardust album.” Bonaparte, who runs the Collingswood Bike Share, is an avowed music lover who often christens his refurbished two-wheelers with rock n’ roll names. So it wasn’t much of a stretch to consider organizing a…
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Eli and Sarah Brambilla work full-time in special education, are raising two boys—and still fall in love at the altar when they shoot weddings together.
Eli and Sarah Brambilla's love story is perpetually renewed by documenting those of their clients. The couple—parents to Aidan, 11, and Noah, 9—have been professional wedding photographers for 80 percent of their 10-year marriage. The Brambillas tell Patch that taking pictures of happy couples makes them fall in love all over again. Collingswood Patch: When did you both discover your love for photography? Did you come to it separately, or as a couple? Eli Brambilla: Both. I think that it was a big part of our courtship because we met my junior year in high school, and then in my senior year—Sarah's junior year—we started out in separate photo classes and then after a couple of weeks we had our classes switched so we could be together. I …
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Prolific and talented jeweler Evelyn Taylor didn't think she could make a go of her art as a business until she came to the supportive community of Collingswood.
When she's not handling marketing and website management for the Kimmel Center, artist-designer Evelyn Taylor spends hours in her basement studio crafting one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry, decorative tiles and mosaics. Taylor says that Collingswood gave her her first breaks as a gallery artist, and its welcoming atmosphere supports the home-based business she shares with her boyfriend, potter Chris Bonner. Collingwood Patch: When did you fall in love with ceramics? Evelyn Taylor: I remember watching a PBS show as a kid and they were talking about disabilities and people doing stuff despite their disabilities. This guy was throwing pots with his feet because he didn't have any arms. I was really blown away by that! I mean, just the throwing…
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1:09 pm on Sunday, March 10, 2013
Joe and Mary, How proud you must be ! What a great young man ! more ›