Congrats to the Collingswood Farmers’ Market! The New Jersey Agricultural Society awarded Betsey Cook and David Hodges of the Collingswood Farmers Market the Tony Russo Farmers Marketing Award, for excellence in promoting New Jersey’s agricultural products!

The Market is approaching its 12^th season in 2012 which kicks off in May. Now into its second decade, the Market has become an established part of the social fabric of Collingswood. People come to walk, meet their neighbors, and socialize while they shop for their weekly produce and more. Related vendors and activities help make the Market a vibrant and fun destination every Saturday, May through Thanksgiving.

 

Collingswood's businesses are getting big mentions once again!

Sapori’s Franco Lombardo dishes on how he learned his chef skills in the old country and Zeppoli gets a big nod as one of the best Italian joints in the state in the February issue of New Jersey Monthly. Read the pieces in their entirety below. 

Sapori: Just One Way to Skin a Rabbit
” Anna showed him how to bake anelletti—a shape Americans will liken to SpaghettiO’s—in the style of lasagna, with bechamel, ground meat, carrots, tomato sauce, prosciutto and mozzarella. Lombardo occasionally offers it at Sapori.”

Zeppoli: Pass the Pasta
“The tangy eggplant caponata would do any Sicilian nonna proud.”

Borough sets sights at #8 spot and at least 50,000 votes per party

After a wildly successful Get Out the Vote Day in January, Collingswood has scheduled two more Vote Day events on February 1 and February 28 to push the town to a $10,000 prize winning spot in the Readers Digest We Hear You America Contest.

On January 11, voters cast more than 30,000 votes in the contest which allows residents to vote for the best town in America. The event propelled Collingswood up several notches in the contest and inspired officials to follow up with two more vote parties to bring people together and 'cheer' for town.

On February 1, voters can meet again to vote and eat at Casona restaurant (563 Haddon Ave) who will provide a free buffet and wi-fi for voters from 4 to 9 p.m. Bring a laptop or device and some friends and enjoy an evening of good food and community spirit. Bring a bottle of wine, too! Casona is BYO.

The party on February 28 will be a town-wide party at the Community Center (30 W. Collings Ave) from 3 to 9 p.m. with food and fun for voters that gather to give Collingswood a final push before the contest ends on March 1. Residents, families, business owners are all encouraged to join in at the party or hunker down at home and vote, vote, vote just two days before the contest ends. Food and soft drinks will be provided for voters!

“Given our previous success, we can easily rack up 50,000 votes on a Vote Day, and that’s just what we’re looking for,” said Mayor Maley. “Voting as a community is more fun, you get to meet neighbors and watching us rack up tens of thousands of votes in just an hour is empowering.”

The Borough is also announcing these days as official Vote Days. Although voting is needed daily, Vote Days are intended to be a day-long, town-wide push for voting to help Collingswood garner a mass of votes to leap ahead. They are calling on everyone to take some time and vote on Feb 1 and Feb 28 – if you can’t make it to the Vote Parties, join others voting online all day long. Collingswood will receive $10,000 for making it to #8!

Start voting today. It’s simple:
. Log on to ReadersDigest.com/America
. Enter your zip code
. Register (you only have to do this once)
. Click the vote button (you can vote an UNLIMITED amount of times per day!

Grooveground (647 Haddon Ave) is also hosting a weekly Vote Tuesday event in which voters can meet at the coffee shop for voting and half price drinks.

”The January 11 event was so much fun,” said Casona owner Mark Infantado. “We’re happy to host everyone again on February 1, celebrate Collingswood and give everyone a chance to come together for an evening.”

Collingswood will use prize funds for beautification projects in the park or downtown.Mark your calendars and continue to vote each day (starting today!) until March 1 at www.rd.com/america.

VOTE TUESDAYS at Grooveground!

Voting for Collingswood in the Readers Digest We Hear You America contest is just more fun with friends, and our first Vote Party at Casona was such a success that we wanted to keep the energy going with a weekly occasion to meet with other Collingswood-minded folks and vote, vote, vote!

Grooveground will offer 50% off coffee, iced teas and sodas for voters all day on Vote Tuesdays and groups of four or more voters get a free sweet snack to share! Caffeine is just the thing we need to enter all those CAPCHA phrases so down a half-price cup and enjoy some time with friends while we push for a top 8 spot.

If we’re going to make it to #8 (or above!) we’ll need a good push in the next six weeks. Get some people together, folks on your block, friends, your organization, and keep the voting going Tuesday nights. It’s a great excuse to get out and help Collingswood win cash for civic prizes. Voters must bring their own laptops or devices to cast votes.

Are you part of a club or organization? Can you rally your PTA or group to hold a vote night? A few hours, a few folks, a few laptops and lots of coffee can mean a lot of votes in an afternoon or evening. Please, share this with as many people as you can: Neighbors, rec teams, family – help spread the word and get people voting.

The Borough is also planning two more evening vote events with food and fun – stay tuned for information on those parties!

Come and meet the Proud Neighbors of Collingswood group for a pot-luck supper on Friday, February 24 at 125 Harvard Avenue beginning at 7 p.m. Learn about Collingswood civic-minded men, women and students sharing ideas about restoration, fostering neighborhood historic preservation and maintaining the historic character of the Collingswood community. Please bring a "covered dish" to share; your favorite dish, appetizer or salad creates a fabulous feast of specialties!

For 29 years, Proud Neighbors civic group has made a mark with proud community volunteer efforts including the popular Porch Brunch & House/Garden Tour. Consider opening your house for our annual fundraiser on Sunday May 20 and participate in other events, such as Proud Neighbors Town-wide Yard Sale, July 4th house Decorating Contest, Old House Workshops and contribute new ideas! Volunteer and help make a difference in Collingswood.

Greet Proud Neighbors and make new friends on Friday February 24!   Proud Neighbors welcome your ideas!  RSVP: Marlene 856-858-1766, Gayle at 856-854-8891 or e-mail Info@ProudNeighborsOfCollingswood.org

The American Institute of Architects NJ names Collingswood's Scottish Rite one of the 150 Best Buildings and Places in NJ.

As the AIA describes, "It was purchased by the city and converted into a performing arts center ten years ago and now offers a full range of concerts throughout the week."

Designed in the 1930s, The Scottish Rite has a stunning 750 seat ballroom with grand staircase, 1000+ theatre and 150 year old historic mansion on the property. It's seen performers such as Michael Bolton, David Crosby, Joan Baez, Bill Cosby, Ben Folds and many more. 

 

See the writeup in the AIA guidebook here.

Free tax preparation services will be offered in Collingswood every Friday at the Library (771 Haddon Ave) from February 3 to April 13 from noon to 4 p.m. AARP Tax Aide is available to all taxpayers with middle or low income, with special attention to taxpayers age 60 and over.

Read the attached PDF for details on the program.

Work along the PATCO line is expected from Merion Avenue to Browning Road along Atlantic Avenue (North side of the railroad embankment).  Most of the work will take place on weekdays from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m.  with a starting date on or about January 18, 2012 with heavy construction starting at the end of January, 2012 in the Westmont and Collingswood area and will continue until mid-March, 2012 (weather permitting).

If you have any questions embankment work project  please contact Mark Lopez, PATCO Office of Government Relations, at 856-968-2243.

Dear PATCO Neighbor:

PATCO is committed to keeping our neighbors informed about our construction schedule and providing you with advance notice regarding upcoming projects in our community.   The following is a description of a project that will begin in your area very shortly.

As part of our commitment to provide safe and reliable service, the PATCO R.O.W. Embankment Restoration Phase 4 will begin in late January of this year and continues through December, 2012.   The project includes slope stabilization, repair/modification of existing crib walls, drainage improvements, culvert repairs, and fence replacement and installation sheet piles from Ferry Avenue Station to Lindenwold Station. 

Most of the work will take place on weekdays from 7 AM until 5 PM.  The work will be broken into four (4) time periods; i.e. winter work, spring work, summer work and fall work.  Winter work will commence on or about January 18, 2012 with heavy construction starting at the end of January, 2012 in the Westmont and Collingswood area and continue until mid-March, 2012 (weather permitting).

Residents should expect to see workers and equipment on the line. You can expect to hear sounds coming from the equipment being used for: structural repairs, excavation/replacement of ballast material, application of coatings, removal of vegetation and placement of riprap, and installation of sheet piling, fencing and drainage structures.

For the project, safety precautions known as “stop-and-proceed” rules must be followed by train operators and workers on the line. When a train approaches a construction area, the operator is required to sound the horn to make workers aware of the train’s approach. In response, workers will blow a short air horn signal letting the train operator know that the line has been cleared and it is safe for the train to proceed. The train operator will then sound the horn again to acknowledge that the signal was received.

If any problems arise while the work is being conducted, please contact PATCO directly at 856-772-6900.  We thank you in advance for your understanding and apologize for any inconvenience you may encounter.

It’s the ultimate comfort food, signifying home, hearth and childhood.  And on Monday, January 16, 2012, varieties of this special dish will be cooked by a bevy of local chefs to benefit the Food Bank of South Jersey.

The Food Bank’s third annual “Mac Off” – a celebration of macaroni and cheese – will be the  star performer at the Scottish Rite ballroom in Collingswood, NJ from 5pm to 9pm. Admission is $10/adult and $5/child (for children under 12). Chefs will contribute their time and food as their “Day of Service” in honor of Martin Luther King Day.

For chefs, the challenge is to make over Mac & Cheese in their image. The samplings will feature American, Mexican, Indian, Greek and Italian versions of this home cooked meal. Chefs will donate their time and food as part of their Martin Luther King “Day of Service” and all proceeds will help the Food Bank of South Jersey reach more hungry people in South Jersey.

“People may not realize this but macaroni and cheese, when cooked properly, is packed full of calcium and vitamin D,” explains Chef Jim Malaby of blueplate restaurant in Mullica Hill. “Our goal is to show people how easy it is to make this dish and how many healthy variations are possible.”

Severino’s Pasta will donate all the macaroni for the chefs’ use.  “Our pasta is all made by hand,” explains Pete Severino, one of the Westmont store’s owners, “and the Mac Off gives us an opportunity to showcase it to a wider audience.”  Several hundred people are expected over the course of the evening and chefs will have tastings of each of their dishes for everyone to sample.

The event will also feature nationally known Chef Aaron McCargo Jr. of “The Chew” as one of the judges who will choose the best and creamiest dish. The audience will participate through a running, online tally. Val Traore, CEO of the Food Bank, says, “Each time we’ve done this we’ve attracted more and more families. It’s a great opportunity to taste, learn and enjoy – and benefit the Food Bank at the same time. And of course we’re honored to have Chef Aaron on board to judge the winner!”

For local chefs and the Food Bank, the partnership is a natural one.  Traore explains, “We share many of the same goals with these chefs - feeding hungry people and using our talents to create nutritious, good food.

Participating restaurants are:
Chef Mark Smith, The Tortilla Press & Tortilla Press Cantina
Chef Jim Malaby, blueplate
Chef Alex Capasso, Blackbird & West Side Gravy
Connie Correia, owner, The Pop Shop
Chef Jimmy Marino, Bistro di Marino
Chef Rakesh, Inde Blue
Chef Erin Kamke-Gibson, Whole Foods, Marlton
Chef Dennis, Mt. St. Joseph Culinary program
Chef Mike Sichinski, Food Bank of South Jersey
Chef Alberta, Aunt Bertha’s Kitchen                                

The Collingswood Scottish Rite ballroom is located at 315 White Horse Pike in Collingswood. For event information and details call the Food Bank of South Jersey at 856-662-4884, ext 133 or visit us at www.foodbanksj.org.

About the Food Bank of South Jersey
The Food Bank of South Jersey is a 501 (C) (3) nonprofit food distribution center that provides perishable and shelf stable food to more than 170,000 adults, seniors and children that are at risk of going hungry in South Jersey. The largest and only nonprofit food distribution center devoted entirely to South Jersey, the Food Bank of South Jersey has distributed over 100 million pounds of food – the equivalent of 84 million meals since its inception in 1985. For more information, please visit: http://www.foodbanksj.org

Get your calendars ready for a great year of festivals and fun in Collingswood! Print out a PDF of the Borough's biggest events below.

Remember, this is just an overview - there are dozen's more concerts, art shows, perfomances, kid-friendly events and more all year long. Stay tuned to events and news on our Borough event calendar and our Facebook page.