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.)
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.
According to an anonymous source inside Collingswood schools, 12 current staffers will not be retained for the 2024-25 school year, caught in a budget crunch district leadership called “a structural budget deficit,” put at $2.8 million by business administrator/assistant superintendent Beth Ann Coleman.
The Oaklyn Board of Education faced contention during their 2024-25 budget hearing on Tuesday. The Retrospect reported in March that Oaklyn’s district had received a devastating state aid cut of $611,000 or 17.1 percent, and since then has been scrambling to piece together funds to carry them through the next year.
All persons charged with criminal offenses are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. The police reports are public records, published pursuant to New Jersey statutes with the cooperation of local police departments.
Sweet on Shoplifting
Staff in advertising and editorial hauled in nearly two dozen awards in the New Jersey Press Association’s annual Better Newspaper Contest. Nine of the awards came in the advertising category and 14 in editorial.
On Monday, the Barrington Board of Education presented the public with a breakdown of current plans for the 2024-25 budget, due to be approved at the May 13 meeting. The Retrospect reported in March that the district had received a devastating cut in state funding of $787,000, a 17.3 percent drop. This left the district with $3.77 million in state aid.
Haddonfield resident Bettiann Young is currently on the lookout for a living kidney donor and is reaching out through all means necessary to find one. Her current condition means that she will likely have to start dialysis treatments before the end of the year.
