Current Bordentown
Class of 2014 bids BRHS farewell
PANDA aims to end substance abuse New BRHS club encourages peers to stay drug free By JeSSiCA TAlAriCK
Bordentown Regional High School held its graduation June 18, 2014 at the high school. Among the graduates were select senior choir members Grant Tamutus, Mike Davis, Matt Dalton, Cameron Carr and Christian Arce. For more photos, turn to Page 12. (Photo by Albert Rende.)
Camaraderie keeps Yapewi afloat By ChriS riGhTmire As the setting sun reflected off the Delaware River and illuminated the freshly painted light blue clubhouse, it was easy to see why boaters had been attracted to the Bordentown City riverfront location for over 100 years. Yapewi Aquatic Club, located next to Bordentown Beach, was established in 1892. It quickly became a local social hub and N
“There are no very wealthy people that belong here, and most members do all of the work for their boats.” The members put in hard manual labor to make the club shine. In addition to personally maintaining their boats, the club members also built the docks they moor their boats to, maintain the grounds, and are planning to rebuild the porch surrounding See YAPEWI, Page 5
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attracted notable visitors, said Zig Targonski, a current Yapewi officer and member since 1969. Some of the notable visitors, Targonski said, included Cornelius Vanderbilt, one of the wealthiest men in American history, and several Army generals. Yet, as illustrious as the history of Yapewi is, it is not a bastion for the rich and privileged. “This is a working man and women’s club,” Targonski said.
As the school year draws to a close, students prepare to celebrate the end of their studies with prom and graduation parties— celebrations that are often associated with drug use and underage drinking. Members of Bordentown Regional High School’s Peers Against Nicotine, Drugs and Alcohol Club know that teens face the temptations of drugs and alcohol year round. The club, started this year by student assistance counselor Nell Geiger, is dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers of drug and alcohol use, as well as mental health issues like depression. Geiger started PANDA to create a place for students to talk to each other about substance abuse and their own anxieties.
“I—being in the prevention field—know that with all the prevention programs out there, in my experience, peer to peer groups work best,” Geiger said. The club meets during lunch and study halls. During meetings, students talk about their own anxieties and plan prevention events for the school community. In the club’s first year, members participated in several projects to support their mission. PANDA members went on a field trip to Bordentown Regional Middle School to speak to eighth graders about the club’s mission. They talked to students about how drugs and alcohol affected their friends and family, taught them refusal skills and encouraged them to join PANDA next year. The eighth graders also participated in role-playing exercises. On March 19, students placed 1,200 pinwheels on school grounds to represent lives lost to tobacco related illnesses in honor of Kick Butts Day, and this spring, PANDA Club partnered with the See PANDA, Page 6
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