NJ Pen

01/08/2024

A Haddonfield redevelopment group plans to turn a former doctor's office and home in Haddon Township into a mixed-use commercial-residential property in the Haddon Avenue business district. Here's a look at the details of the application.

Kelly Builders hopes to turn the former home and office of Dr. Hessam Moheimani into a three-story project with four residential and four commercial retail rental units. By Matt Skoufalos | August 1, 2024 A Haddonfield-based redeveloper is seeking approval from the Haddon Township Planning

31/07/2024

Illegal dumping is a persistent problem that the City of Camden Government says takes thousands of hours and millions of dollars to clean up. Now officials hope they can incentivize residents to report dumping when they see it with rewards for information leading to convictions.

City officials say illegal dumping costs millions annually to address. A new program will pay cash for tips that lead to the convictions of people who abandon their trash improperly in the community. By Matt Skoufalos | July 31, 2024 Camden City is rolling out a new program that local lead

29/07/2024

As Collingswood Schools heads closer towards a September vote on its proposed, $44.5-million bond referendum, the district fielded an unsolicited proposal from the Borough of Collingswood. The municipal government asked the school board to call off the vote and let it buy Good Shepherd Regional Catholic School for the district. Board representatives said that approach would subvert the democratic process. Their exchange was revealed in memos leaked on social media. We spoke to everyone involved about the conversation.

A written exchange between district and municipal leaders earlier this month illustrates the extent of community tensions over school finances and capital projects.

25/07/2024

Fighting hunger means overcoming the logistical and economic obstacles that keep food from reaching the people who need it most. In South Jersey, an innovative partnership among the Landisville Produce Cooperative, Food Bank of South Jersey, and growers like Ploch Farms Inc is helping farmers stabilize their revenues while delivering fresh produce to families.

An innovative partnership among the Landisville Produce Cooperative, the Food Bank of South Jersey, and its agencies is helping farmers stabilize revenues while feeding hungry people.

23/07/2024

It's been about two years since he signed a letter of intent to open the first dispensary in the Borough of Oaklyn, but on Friday, Matthew Hale opens the doors to Ginger Hale on the White Horse Pike. Hale offered a look inside as we chatted about his work to bring the recreational business to his town of residence.

Borough resident Matthew Hale says he’s looking forward to serving the community through his recreational dispensary on the White Horse Pike.

19/07/2024

Is that Kim Cattrall in South Philly again? No, it's just a reasonable facsimile that happens to be one of *the* mannequin sculpture props from the 1987 filmed-in-Philadelphia movie, Mannequin. Starring Kim Cattrall! But DONT @ her. Appearing tonight at the Mifflin Triangle courtesy of . Andrew McCarthy not seen.

19/07/2024

Tolls on four area bridges are going up September 1 for the first time in 13 years. Delaware River Port Authority - DRPA CEO John Hanson said the agency staved off price increases for as long as it could, but that revenues are needed to manage capital improvement costs, continue to pay down debt, and recruit and retain transit police. More on the conversation here.

The Delaware River Port Authority says the price increases — the first in 13 years — will help offset capital projects and recruit and retain transit police. By Matt Skoufalos | July 19, 2024 For the first time since 2011, tolls on four bridges between New Jersey and Philadelphia are going

19/07/2024

Not every day you run into an draft pick but was celebrating his selection by the with tonight at , and was kind enough to snap a photo while in . Good luck on your way to The Show. We'll root for you unless you're playing the .

18/07/2024

Ten years after its last public conversations about alcohol, Haddon Heights will put the issue to borough voters — sort of. The council resolved to add a non-binding question to the November 2024 ballot to get opinions about whether to create liquor licenses in town. Local officials believe it can be a catalyst for development. Local business owners agree, but with caveats. Here's the breakdown.

Mayor Zach Houck says the public poll will help gather meaningful data on residents’ attitudes towards alcohol ahead of a broader local redevelopment push. By Matt Skoufalos | July 17, 2024 Voters in Haddon Heights will have an extra question on their ballot this Election Day, as the borou

17/07/2024

For the last 18 months, We Live Here Artist Collective has been working on a mural at Bush Refrigeration depicting the key people and places of East Camden. Today the City of Camden Government, St. Joseph's Carpenter Society and New Jersey Department of Community Affairs celebrated its completion and the local history reflected in the art.

Once a target for graffiti, the Bush Refrigeration building now sports a mural honoring the history of its East Camden neighborhood. By Matt Skoufalos | July 16, 2024 Check out the Google Maps street view history for 1700 Admiral Wilson Boulevard in Camden, City, and you'll see a successi

15/07/2024

PEAK Secondhand owner Carolyn Busa is moving her thrift and vintage fashion shop from the Borough of Merchantville to West Merchant Street in the Borough of Audubon, NJ. She's planning a mid-August opening. Full story here.

Carolyn Busa moved her thrift and vintage clothing resale store from Merchantville to Merchant Street ahead of a planned August opening. By Matt Skoufalos | July 15, 2024 When Carolyn Busa opened up Peak, her secondhand clothing store, in a small storefront in Merchantville in 2021, she wa

11/07/2024

The latest twists and turns in the Bancroft redevelopment saga in the Borough of Haddonfield: the municipal government is fielding objections to its latest redevelopment plan in the form of a lawsuit and petition for referendum. But is either of those challenges actionable without violating housing discrimination law or incurring millions in building costs? We spoke with Fair Share Housing Center as well for this update.

While the Haddonfield municipal government continues its due diligence review period with conditional redevelopers Woodmont Properties, other local groups are seeking to override that process. By Matt Skoufalos | July 11, 2024 The decade-plus saga that has come to define redevelopment of t

10/07/2024

Last night, journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones visited the Borough of Collingswood to discuss the paperback release of her 2019 work, The 1619 Project, in the context of persistent structural racism in contemporary institutions. Her appearance was sponsored by Ida's Bookshop. Here's what she had to say.

The journalist and author of The 1619 Project: a New Origin Story visited the borough in conjunction with its paperback release.

07/07/2024

If you've ever wondered at the untapped potential of your backyard, you'll want to check out this story on Magic Thistle Farm. Kei Cripps of the Borough of Collingswood is weaving together a local produce business from crops they grow in yards across Camden County according to sustainable and organic farming practices.

Kei Cripps's urban farm share program helps families turn dormant yards into micro farm lots governed by sustainable, organic practices.

07/07/2024

It's not every day you get to scoop the The New York Times but congrats to Kiss & Tale: A Romance Bookshop for getting the shout-out in this Sunday's edition. You can read more about their storefront opening this summer right here on NJPEN.com, where it was reported last month:

https://www.njpen.com/kiss-and-tale-collingswood-to-welcome-romance-bookshop/

04/07/2024

Happy Independence Day from Merchant Street in Audubon, NJ.

03/07/2024

Ralph's Pizza in Haddon Heights has new owners: the Winters family of Medford. Melissa, a retired schoolteacher, and Craig, a director at Johnson and Johnson, plan to keep the pizza menu as it is, while reviving the banquet room with a refreshed look and new menu under the direction of their son-in-law, Chef Jordan Linarez, recently of the Garces Group.

Melissa and Craig Winters want to keep the old-school feel of the Station Avenue pizzeria, with a few new menu items from their Garces-trained son-in-law, Chef Jordan Linarez, and a refreshed banquet room. By Matt Skoufalos | July 3, 2024 When Melissa and Craig Winters of Medford began loo

02/07/2024

Today the Collingswood Fire Department welcomed the newest apparatus to its fleet: a Spartan S-180 2107 pumper engine. The vehicle will be used for firefighting, rescue and extraction, and emergency medical services. Fire Chief Geoff Joyce said the borough shaved about two years and $100,000 off its total cost by procuring a partially customized model. Full story here.

Fire Chief Geoff Joyce says the Spartan S-180 2107 engine will support the department in its firefighting, emergency medical services, and vehicle extraction work, with room to grow. By Matt Skoufalos | July 2, 2024 Collingswood Fire Department took delivery of a new apparatus Tuesday morn

01/07/2024

Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge is one of just a handful of licensed wildlife rehabilitation centers in New Jersey, and its workload continues to grow. The facility, which provides expert care for sick and injured wild animals, is on pace to care for a third more of them this year than the 6,283 it saw in 2023, and with limited resources. We spoke with representatives from the nonprofit about their work, why it matters, and how you can help.

There are fewer than 20 places in New Jersey that are licensed to care for sick and injured wildlife. Woodford Cedar Run, which serves about a quarter of all cases in the state, faces growing demands on its limited resources. By Matt Skoufalos | July 1, 2024 In 1951, Jim and Betty Woodfor

27/06/2024

After hundreds of young people violently crashed public gatherings from Wildwood to Pennsauken, lawmakers are looking for new mechanisms to crack down on offenders — including charging their parents. Police still don’t know much about the root of the disturbances, but today in Gloucester Township, New Jersey, Fourth District state legislators introduced a bill package designed to better prepare law enforcement against them.

After hundreds of young people violently crashed public gatherings from Wildwood to Pennsauken this summer, lawmakers are looking for new mechanisms to crack down on offenders.

27/06/2024

For the past four years, Yaslyn Lora has been building up her business, Lula's Empanadas, at farmers markets and community events. Now she's able to serve walk-up customers at her commissary in Haddon Heights. The business celebrates a grand opening Saturday, June 29 at 3 p.m.

After four years of popping up at farmers markets and breweries across South Jersey, Yaslyn Lora is serving customers directly from her Station Avenue commissary space.

25/06/2024

In late May, Borough of Haddonfield Commissioner Kevin Roche resigned his seat on the municipal government after moving out of state. His colleagues on the governing body say they won't appoint a replacement, preferring instead to let hopefuls campaign for the open seat until Election Day in November. We spoke with Commissioners Colleen Bianco Bezich and Frank Troy about their perspectives on the matter.

Commissioners Colleen Bianco Bezich and Frank Troy will not appoint a replacement for Kevin Roche, who moved out of the borough. Nominees for Roche’s unexpired term must file petitions by August 22. By Matt Skoufalos | June 25, 2024 The three-commissioner Haddonfield municipal government w

24/06/2024

During the COVID-19 pandemic, fine dining restaurateurs turned to innovative food service concepts to stay afloat. Now they're revisiting those approaches to push back against rising operating costs and stay creatively sharp. We spoke with June BYOB, Nunzio's and The Farm and Fisherman Tavern - Cherry Hill about their speakeasy and ghost kitchen concepts.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurateurs turned to innovative food service concepts to stay afloat. Now they're revisiting those approaches to push back against rising costs and stay creatively sharp.

20/06/2024

Nice time-lapse footage of returning the Battleship New Jersey to its place in the Camden City harbor.

20/06/2024

Residents of an Oaklyn apartment complex reportedly started cooking dinner on the stovetop Wednesday evening, left the unit, and returned to a home full of smoke. Oaklyn Fire Department responded, with support from Audubon Fire Department, Collingswood Fire Department, Westmont Fire Company No. 1, and MEPRI EMS.

Residents of an Oaklyn apartment complex reportedly started cooking dinner on the stovetop Wednesday evening, left the unit, and returned to a home full of smoke.

19/06/2024

Few South Jersey communities are as knowledgeable and proud about their roots as the Borough of Haddonfield is. Yet for as much as is known about the roots of the community and its historical significance to the state of New Jersey and the country itself, precious little is recounted about the contributions of its Black residents to those moments. The Preserving Black Haddonfield History Project aims to change that.

Few South Jersey communities are as knowledgeable and proud about their roots as Haddonfield is. Yet for as much as is known about the roots of the community and its historical significance to the state of New Jersey and the country itself, precious little is recounted about the contributions of its

18/06/2024

Three years ago, the pile of illegally dumped trash and contaminated soil at the center of the Bergen Square neighborhood in Camden City stretched nearly two stories high across the 1.4-acre lot. Now it's on its way to being returned to productive use.

The 1.4-acre S. Yaffa & Sons site is known as one of the worst cases of illegal dumping in the city. Thanks to state and federal environmental remediation funds, it’s on its way to productive reuse. By Matt Skoufalos | June 18, 2024 For the first time in about three years, Camden City

17/06/2024

This afternoon, New Jersey OAG Matthew Platkin unsealed a 13-count, 111-page indictment of Camden City power broker George Norcross and "the Norcross enterprise," including his attorney brother, Philip Norcross, of Parker McCay; personal lawyer William Tambussi of Brown and Connery; John J. O'Donnell of The Michaels Organization; NFI CEO Sidney Brown; and Camden Community Partnership CEO Dana Redd, former mayor of the city.

All five and their associates are alleged to have directed the redevelopment of Camden City to their personal benefit through criminal activity, including racketeering, coercion, conspiracy, misconduct, and more. Here's the breakdown.

Camden City power broker George Norcross, his attorney brother, Philip, of Parker McKay, and personal lawyer William Tambussi; John J. O'Donnell of The Michaels Organization; NFI CEO Sidney Brown; and Camden Community Partnership CEO Dana Redd, former mayor of the city, all face conspiracy charges.

15/06/2024

A good day to be outside.

15/06/2024

After five months of contract negotiations, the Collingswood Board of Education and teachers union are headed to mediation. District leaders say the budget can't absorb a rate increase much higher than the county average without cutting positions, while the union president says educators want a contract that will support staff attraction and retention. Here's the latest.

The current contract governing the district teachers union expires June 30. The two sides will not meet again until August 14. Here's what we know about the discussion between them. By Matt Skoufalos | June 14, 2024 Despite five months of negotiations, Collingswood Schools have been unable