Haddonfield resident Angela Beatty received an unexpected — and unwanted — note on her front doorstep, of all days, on Christmas Eve.
It was from an unknown source claiming to represent the S&V Panel, which purports to act as oversight on the amount, organization and effort engaged in by residents when they decorate their houses for Christmas.
As stated in the note, the unknown party or parties responsible have moved from the borough, but are still, somehow, judging their neighbors and other residents.
Included with the Grinch-like manifesto to Beatty was a string of 100 clear mini-Christmas lights as an “enticement” to decorate better for the 2020 Christmas season.
Beatty, who works at KYW Newsradio, has been a resident of the borough since 2001. She was at work when the note came, but her husband Tom was at home to receive it. Angela was livid upon reading its contents and decided to take action.
“Why did I call the police? I wanted to get this all on record,” she said. “I don’t know what other people would have done. But the officer actually took the letter in the envelope, with gloves on, and had it at the station.”
The Beatty family had already been through a turbulent 2019. Their cat, Bertie, has been missing since early July after presumably escaping through an open garage door. Beatty’s father, a retired physician, also suffered a heart attack and had open-heart surgery. And on Dec. 17, Beatty’s car — with her daughter in the back seat fresh from having oral surgery — was T-boned on Euclid Avenue, causing extensive damage.
Both mother and daughter emerged from the wreck in good health.
“So, those are the three things that happened which dampened our holiday spirit,” Beatty recalled. “We made up our mind not to decorate too much. He (husband Tom) usually puts up nice string lights every year, but this year was one of those years we decided to just put up some LED lights instead.”
In response to the anonymous burn, the community has come together in various ways to provide the Beattys comfort.
“We’ve gotten messages from neighbors, we’ve gotten some gift cards, flowers, even (former mayor) Jack Tarditi came by and dropped off donuts,” Beatty said. “That’s the Haddonfield I know.”
The S&V Panel did manage some benevolence in its judgment. The Grabowski family — friends who live around the corner — received a similar but positive note declaring its house the “winner” of the S&V contest.
“We were surprised to receive anything. Of all the things to happen … I’m surprised that it would happen to Angela,” said Chas Grabowski, a borough native, 2002 graduate of Haddonfield Memorial High School and owner of Grabowski Plumbing & Heating.
“We were a little flattered at first, but then we were very suspicious. We’re friends, and this was not what they needed in light of the rough year they had.”
Echoing Beatty’s earlier sentiments, Grabowski said the Haddonfield he knows and with which he’s most familiar is the one that rallied around his neighbors.
“I do a lot of work in Haddonfield,” he noted. “I’ve lived here a total of 25 years; I know everybody on that block and they’re all very supportive and that’s why I’m not surprised they came out (to help the Beattys).”
Despite media coverage over Christmas week from several local, regional and national outlets, Beatty stated nobody else on her block or in town has stepped forward yet to say they received a similar negative note.
“I really didn’t expect it (to blow up like this nationally); I just must have struck a nerve,” she said. “I’m glad the community is agreeing that I did the right thing by standing up to it. It’s one thing to give out awards to people who put up good lighting, but why do you have to shame someone else?”
Now over the initial shock, Beatty admits she has mixed feelings about uncovering the masterminds behind the S&V Panel.
“I still don’t know who it is,” she added. “I just think it’s funny that whoever did it moved away and then came back for this.
“I wish I had a camera installed so I could have found out, right then, who it was. But I don’t know if I even want to know anymore.”
