2-23 TD

trenton artist PhilliP Mcconnell Goes solo at artworks

To the Editor: Washington’s farewell? Not so fast

The image of the Wyeth painting on the January 2023 cover of the Trenton Downtowner still catches my eyes whenever I see it.

Considering the controversy over this painting that began last summer, I recall and offer a 1775 General George Washington thought: “Perseverance and Spirit have done Wonders in all ages.”

And I implore all Trentonians to demonstrate perseverance and good spirit in efforts to keep the Wyeth painting in Trenton.

In the “spirit” of full disclosure, I serve on the Thomas Edison State University (TESU) Foundation Board and became involved with the University in September 2021. However, I am writing as a Trentonian, not as a representative of TESU in any way.

My loyalties clearly are to Trenton, where I started employment 28 years ago, moved in 2000, and have worked for, or served on, the boards of several organizations.

From 2007-2010 I co-founded I Am Trenton Community Foundation and am a 16-year member of the Trenton NAACP Executive Committee.

It is with this background that I ask everyone to consider two different but notmutually exclusive goals.

The first valiant goal is to keep the Wyeth painting in Trenton where we believe it belongs since it depicts “the ladies of Trenton” welcoming President-Elect George Washington. (Note: Some of us are hesitant in our admiration due to the choice of who is represented and how, but that is for a historic art interpretation discussion rather than here.)

I also believe that TESU has an equally valiant goal to monetize the painting to advance its noble mission of serving adult learners with many students from our city/region. And I know that Dr. Merodie Hancock, the current TESU president who follows 35-year-former president Dr. George Pruitt, is committed to serving our Trenton community well.

In addition to its noble mission, I believe TESU’s desire to sell the painting makes sense from my experience serving on the boards of educational institutions: When possible, “all” organizations are best eliminating activities that are not part of their core mission.

And, currently, TESU does not have a facility like a museum/space where twostory works of art can assuredly be wellmaintained. The Wyeth painting is located in the TESU townhouses which have a roof that provides beautiful natural light but can present challenges in inclement weather. The painting is currently, like last year, covered in plastic to keep it protected during winter months.

I argue that we can work on a solution that will meet our community goal of keeping the Wyeth painting in Trenton and TESU’s goal of monetizing the painting so that the proceeds can be used to advance its worthy mission.

As background, I must admit that, at first, I was skeptical of Trenton Historical Society’s (THS) messaging about TESU’s plans to sell the painting as being one-sided. However, having been a member of THS for years (I encourage membership, which I just renewed), I realized that the messaging was intended to be in the city’s best interest.

Because of the mutual interest in serving the city well, I have confidence that we can develop a mutually beneficial solution by working together to meet the needs of everyone involved.

I am working with dozens of fellow Trentonians on a new effort named Revolutionary Trenton which, at first, will explore community priorities in leveraging our assets — of course some historic ones including the Wyeth painting — to create more economic development and other opportunities for community members.

As part of this effort, we will begin feasibility work around fundraising (with a few donations already promised) to try to keep the Wyeth painting in the city. We will also identify possible locations, understanding the need to keep it protected and attractively and accessibly displayed.

It may take a while, but I commit to working on this with others in our community until an acceptable outcome is achieved. (I know that the only acceptable outcome, to many, is that the painting stays in the city.) Community members involved with Revolutionary Trenton so far include: Karen AndradeMims, The Fathers’ Center; Reggie and Maurice Hallett, 1911 Smokehouse; Pastor Karen Hernandez-Granzen, Westminster Presbyterian Church; and John Hatch of Clarke Caton Hintz and a THS board member.

Also, I had an excellent conversation about this with Karl Flesch, who has led THS’s efforts to keep the Wyeth painting in the city and does a great deal for our community including serving as board chair for the Trenton Museum Society at Ellarlslie.

I, and Karl joins me, will follow George Washington’s “wonder-working” recommendation to persevere and demonstrate great spirit in our efforts to keep the Wyeth painting in Trenton while creating a win-win situation for all involved.

Our Trenton community is great and I am filled with pride when I think about all that the city has accomplished since its founding more than 300 years ago and all that we are yet to accomplish going forward.

Deb D’Arcangelo, Trenton Debdarc4@gmail.com

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IAT & Isles open grant applications

TheI Am Trenton Community Foundation and Isles invite applications for the 2023 Old Trenton Neighborhood Spring Grant Round, providing up to $8,000 for community projects, arts, culture, beautification, and business development in the neighborhood bordered by Perry Street, State Street, Route 1, and North Broad Street.

“We look forward to supporting residents putting their insightful ideas into action for our community,” said Raj Manimaran, I Am Trenton Community Foundation board president. “These grants will focus resources to enhance the beauty, safety and vibrancy of Old Trenton.”

The grant program, established by Isles, is funded by the New Jersey Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit Program. The program builds on priorities of the 2007 Old Trenton Neighborhood plan and the 2016 Creek to Canal Creative District plan (available at www.creektocanalcreative.org) to make Old Trenton a safe, active, and vibrant community, with a particular focus on reclaiming underused buildings and spaces, and supporting the arts as an agent of social change.

To be eligible for funding, projects must have a clear community or economic benefit, be non-discriminatory, and benefit the Old Trenton neighborhood and its residents. These grants only support projects physically located inside the Old Trenton neighborhood. Funded projects must focus on either business development or community investment.

IAT expects to offer two rounds of OTN grants in 2023, with applications due in February and October. Each round has a six-month timeframe for project activities.

Applications for this first round are due Wednesday, February 15, at 11:59 p.m. Submit all materials through the online form at iamtrenton.org/oldtrenton.

Grantees will be notified by March 23, with checks awarded at a celebratory gathering within the neighborhood on Saturday, April 1. Funded projects should take place between April 1 and September 30.

Applicants seeking business development funds must be located in the Old Trenton neighborhood, or must use grant funding to create a new location in the Old Trenton neighborhood. Priority is given to applications from entrepreneurs of color serving the Old Trenton community.

Applicants focused on community improvements may be located outside the neighborhood, but all activities must take place inside Old Trenton, and 75 percent of project beneficiaries must be residents of Old Trenton. Applicants should have

The STATe OF T he ARTS

a strong familiarity with the neighborhood, the ability to access locations in the neighborhood, and the ability to engage residents.

Isles has partnered with I Am Trenton to run the grant application process. IAT has been raising funds and supporting grassroots efforts across the city since 2007, learn more at www.iamtrenton.org.

Trenton Arts Fund announces awards

TheTrenton Arts Fund at the Princeton Area Community Foundation has awarded $29,550 in grants to seven local arts, culture, and history nonprofits, in particular programs that support Trenton’s young people.

Grants were made at the recommendation of the Trenton Arts Fund Grants Committee, whose members are local residents with a background in the arts.

Grants were awarded as follows:

Artworks Trenton: $5,000 for its Youth Art League, an affordable afterschool art-focused program for children ages 9 to 16. Classes on gardening, mixed media art, drawing, painting, anime, sound and media, yoga, cooking, paper mache, and movement are taught with help from the organization’s teaching artists and through its partnership with Isles.

Capital Harmony Works: $2,500, to provide operating support for its ensemble music education program, which offers up to 15 hours of weekly programming, enhanced by students’ athome practice time. As students rapidly develop skills, they are inspired to continue to achieve, not only in music, but also in academics and personal goals.

New Jersey Capital Philharmonic: $5,000 to expand its Educational Outreach Program, which brings musicians into Trenton schools, provides students with discounted and free tickets to all performances, offers free concerts in Trenton parks, and offers pre-concert lectures before performances.

Passage Theatre Company: $5,000 to support educational programming for the 2022-23 season, Foundations for Our Future. The theater offers student matinees and in-class postscript sessions to educate students on the dramatic themes. Passage artists also teach theatrical classes in local schools, and the theater created a Studio School for teens, ages 16 and older, which includes affordable theater classes.

Trenton Circus Squad: $4,000 to pro-

vide operating support for the program, which offers after-school and summer classes, teaching circus skills to help young people foster personal, emotional, and social development. The organization partners with more than 20 Trentonarea youth organizations to offer free programming for students.

Trenton Museum Society: $3,850, for its Trenton Forward: Youth and Arts Together program. The grant will allow the organization to purchase materials and supplies for its partnership with Trenton Public Schools and allow it to expand its Saturday family art and museum exploration programs.

Trenton United Family Foundation: $4,200 for its TUFF Digital Arts Program, a 10-week series of lectures and workshops for a group of city 8th and 9th grade students. Students will learn how to use photo editing and 3D graphic design skills.

To learn more, visitpacf.org/ trenton-arts-endowment.

art haPPeninGs: Art from art journalists at Trenton Library

The Trenton Artists Workshop Association (TAWA) and the Trenton Free Public Library present the exhibition “Art from Art News Writers and Photojournalists” at the Trenton Free Public Library from February 8 through March 25. An opening reception is set for Thursday, February 9, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Participating in the exhibition are: Ricardo Barros is an arts contributing writer to Icon magazine, Bucks County PA, and an internationally known photographer and has done artwork commissioned by Fortune 500 companies. Barros has work in the permanent

collections of several museums including the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University. Barros lives in Princeton.

Ilene Dube is a producer for the PBS series “State of the Arts” and a contributor to tristate media including Princeton Magazine, JerseyArts Features, and Hyperallergic. Her independently produced short documentaries have been screened at the New Jersey Film Festival, Nassau Film Festival, Trenton Film Festival, Princeton Environmental Film Festival, and at arts centers and libraries. Her art, which she considers play, has been exhibited in the Hopewell Tour des Arts, Phillips Mill, Hobart Art in the Native Landscape, Ellarslie Not Quite Open and Salon des Refuses, West Windsor Arts Council, and others. Dube lives in West Windsor.

John Gummere is an arts reviewer for The Trenton Journal. He is an awardwinning artist and has exhibited at the d’Art Centre in Norfolk, Virginia, Alfa Art Gallery in New Brunswick, and Marblehead Art Association in Massachusets and is currently exhibiting in several venues in the greater Trenton area. His oil paintings on canvas use a representational style, with an emphasis on city scenes, landscapes, and interior compositions. Some of his favorite painters include Edward Hopper, John Sloan, and landscape painters of the 1800s. Gummere lives in Morrisville.

Aubrey Kauffman writes arts and photography articles for Community News Service (publisher of the Downtowner) and is a past photo and video journalist for New Jersey Network. His photos focus on the urban landscape and man’s impact on the environment. He was president of TAWA from 1987 through 1996. His work is included in the collections of the NJ State Museum, Rider University, and Johnson and John-

See ARTS, page 4

son’s Corporate Headquarters. Kauffman lives in Ewing.

Thomas Kelly writes reviews for the Community News Service and is an award-winning painter. Widely collected, his work has a signature style, which has its roots in Expressionism. His colorful, narrative, acrylic paintings on canvas often create a dialogue with the viewer. Kelly’s work can be seen at Walter Wickiser Gallery NYC; Bethlehem House Gal-

lery in Pennsylvania; The Artful Deposit Gallery in Bordentown; and Beauregard Fine Art in Rumson. Kelly lives in Hamilton Township.

Janet Purcell has been an arts writer for The Times of Trenton for more than 25 years. She also contributes to Woman’s Day, Design NJ Magazine, and freelances for various magazine publications. She has written several fiction publications, including “Singer Lane,” “The Long Way Home,” and “Rooster Street-Legacy of a Runaway Slave.” She works primarily

in oils and pastels. Purcell has shown her work in several venues, including Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie; Brodsky Gallery, Chauncey Conference Center; RF Gallery at Prallsville Mill, Stockton; and Jewish Community Center, Trenton. Purcell lives in Hopewell Township.

TAWA is a Greater Trenton nonprofit organization and has a 40-year history organizing exhibits in such venues as the New Jersey State Museum, Trenton City Museum, Artworks Trenton, Prince Street Gallery in New York City, and

more.

Trenton Free Public Library, 120 Academy Street. Mondays through Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 609-392-7188.

For more information on TAWA, visit the organization’s Facebook page.

ARTS, continued from page 3

From left, John Gummere’s ‘Under the Bridge,’ Thomas Kelly’s ‘Tightrope,’ and Ricardo Barros’ ‘Cornel West.’

HEALTH HEADLINES

BI-MONTHLY NEWS FROM CAPITAL HEALTH

Capital Health Regional Medical Center

Nationally Recognized as a Leader for Social Responsibility, Patient Safety

Capital Health Regional Medical Center (RMC) recently earned recognition from the Lown Institute as one of the most socially responsible hospitals in America. In the Lown Hospital Index, a report by the Institute that evaluates more than 3,600 hospitals across the nation, RMC received an A grade and ranked 4th out of 61 hospitals in New Jersey based on several key metrics that measure social responsibility. Among those metrics, RMC ranked number one in New Jersey for patient safety and racial inclusivity, number three for health equity, and number five for overall inclusivity. The report also ranked RMC among the top 100 hospitals nationally for health equity, patient safety, and racial inclusivity.

“Capital Health Regional Medical Center has been a leader in providing high-quality, equitable care to the people of Trenton and surrounding areas for more than 130 years,” said Dr. Eric Schwartz, vice president of Community Health and Transformation and executive director of Capital Health’s Institute for Urban Care. “This ranking by the Lown Institute validates the hard work of our staff and reaffirms our commitment to community health in Mercer, Bucks, and Burlington counties.”

“America needs socially responsible hospitals,” said Dr. Vikas Saini, president of the Lown Institute. “That’s why it’s so important to lift up these high-performing hospitals as examples for others to follow.”

The Lown Institute, founded in 1973 by Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Bernard Lown (developer of the defibrillator and cardioverter) is an independent, nonpartisan organization that conducts research to help bridge the gap between existing public policy solutions

and improved access to care for all Americans. The Lown Hospital Index is the first ranking to assess the social responsibility of U.S. hospitals by applying unique measures such as racial inclusivity, avoidance of overuse (how well hospitals avoid unnecessary tests and procedures), and pay equity (how well hospital staff are paid compared to executives), among others. Data sources include Medicare claims, CMS patient safety data and hospital cost reports, among others.

Capital Health Regional Medical Center has a long history of serving central New Jersey and Lower Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The hospital includes a state designated comprehensive stroke center (part of Capital Institute for Neurosciences), the Level II Bristol Myers Squibb Trauma Center (one of only 10 designated trauma centers in New Jersey), and Mercer County’s designated Emergency Mental Health Services Center. RMC also provides inpatient and outpatient radiology services, dialysis, and numerous other medical services. To learn more, visit capitalhealth.org.

DON’T DELAY: Call 911 If You Suspect a Stroke

“When it comes to treating stroke, we always say ‘time is brain,’ which means that the sooner we can treat you, the better chance we have at a successful outcome,” said DR. DUSTIN ROCHESTIE, director of the Stroke Program at Capital Health. “At Capital Health, we have safety procedures in place to protect you from infection, while making sure you get the immediate, lifesaving stroke care that you need.”

The Stroke and Cerebrovascular Center at the Capital Institute for Neurosciences is a major referral center for the treatment of all types of neurovascular diseases, including cerebral aneurysms, strokes, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), arteriovenous fistul as (AVFs), cavernous malformations, carotid artery and vertebral artery atherosclerotic disease, intracranial stenosis as well as Moyamoya disease.

The only Joint Commission certified Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center in the region, located at Capital Health Regional Medical Center (RMC) in Trenton, continues to provide safe emergency stroke and neurovascular services 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week during the current health crisis.

“As soon as you call 911, our prehospital alert system allows our team in the hospital to prepare for your arrival, saving valuable time to treatment,” said Dr. Rochestie. “Your call could also activate our Mobile Stroke Unit, which can be co-dispatched with basic and advanced life support service to provide safe, immediate care at your location before you even arrive at the hospital.”

Controllable Risk Factors for Stroke

There are steps you can take right away to lower your risk. Get started by talking to your primary care doctor to learn about stroke screenings and how you can treat or manage controllable risk factors such as:

High blood pressure

High cholesterol

Heart/blood

…

vessel disease

Cigarette smoking

Visit capitalneuro.org to learn more.

IF YOU SUSPECT A STROKE, B - E F - A - S - T

— Balance

Is the person experiencing a sudden loss of balance?

— Eyes

Has the person lost vision in one or both eyes?

— Face Drooping

Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person’s smile uneven?

— Arm Weakness

Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

— Speech Difficulty

Physical inactivity/

obesity/poor diet

Diabetes mellitus

Atrial fibrillation

Sickle cell disease

Is speech slurred? Is the person unable to speak or hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like “The sky is blue.” Is the sentence repeated correctly?

— Time to call 911

If someone shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 911 immediately. Check the time so you’ll know when the first symptoms appeared.

IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS EXPERIENCING SIGNS OF A STROKE, CALL 911.

Love in the Air and in Print

Read how regional poets, both early and contemporary, have written of romance throughout the ages, page 2.

Love Poems of the Past and Present

By Rebekah Schroeder and Dan Aubrey

When a poet’s rhymes come from romance, each line penned by a writer eager to spin a sentimental song about their feelings or commit a lover’s visage to verse, the piece can live on past its era of origin.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, so does an event honoring a trailblazing local figure whose sense of activism and homeland pride was an amorous endeavor in itself.

Frances “Fanny” Isabelle Parnell (1848–1882), an Irish poet who expressed her nationalistic pride through writing and political action, came to Bordentown, where her mother’s ancestral home was, in 1874.

Dubbed the “Patriot Poet,” Parnell later passed away at this Mercer County family estate, but her literary devotion lives on in the Bordentown Poetry Project.

In recognition of Parnell’s contributions, as well as those of five noted regional and state writers—Ellen Foos, Luray Gross, Roberta Clipper, and Todd Evans—the FP Poetry Project will host a free February presentation and limited open reading

at Bordentown’s Old City Hall on Sunday, February 5, at 2 p.m.

Dan Aubrey, a Bordentown-based writer, U.S. 1 Newspaper Editor, and arts coordinator, will host.

The initiative is organized by the Bordentown Old City Hall Restoration Committee’s “Cultural Vision” project, which was formed last year as a subcommittee of the volunteer group dedicated to rehabilitating the building at 11 Crosswicks Street.

So why not get equally lost in the words of yearning from yore? The long legacy of love poems published by the area’s earlier contributors, which evoke everlasting tenderness, are a fitting match to Bordentown’s more modern compositions.

Editor’s Note: A number of these older poems ran in a previous issue of Community News Service’s weekly Princeton metro area paper, U.S. 1, in February 2020 as “A Vintage Literary Bouquet for Valentine’s Day” by Dan Aubrey.

Annis Boudinot Stockton, also a poet and patriot, was one of the first women in her craft to be published in America. Stockon, who came from familial wealth of

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Stop Your Pain. Start Your Life.

Dr. Ronak Patel

Dr. Ronak Patel

Dr. Ronak Patel

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We are a center of excellence that delivers the most up to date care in the field of comprehensive pain management. We are committed to helping you regain your life. Our focus will be on developing individualized patient treatment plans and increasing patient functionality.

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Botox for migraines. Stem cell injections to regenerate tissue and organs. Gummy Bears infused with THC. Platelet-Rich Plasma to treat conditions from sports injuries and wounds to hair loss from chemotherapy. These are just a few of the cutting-edge therapies used by Dr. Ronak Patel, the founder and medical director of Regenerative Spine and Pain Institute in Plainsboro.

“Many of these treatments may come as a surprise to patients suffering from chronic pain, especially those who think that their pain — and poor quality of life — is something they have to endure,” Dr. Patel notes. A double board-certified anesthesiologist and pain management specialist, Dr. Patel focuses on treating pain in the back, neck, face, and joints as well as pain related to cancer and chemotherapy.

27 different therapies available to patients, Dr. Patel offers a range of treatments, often combined to attack highly specific causes of pain. Among the most promising and innovative treatments:

Regenerative Medicine/ Stem Cell Therapy. Regenerative medicine is a fastgrowing, highly developed treatment that helps the body heal or rebuild itself. Dr. Patel uses stem cell therapy to treat ailments, particularly low back or neck pain, caused by degenerative vertebral discs or joint pain in the shoulders, hips, or knees caused by osteoarthritis. The patient’s stem cells are removed, purified, concentrated, and injected into the injured or weakened tissue. Stem cell therapy can also speed recovery and help avoid surgery.

Cannabis Therapy. The legalization of medical marijuana has brought new treatment options. “We are very excited by the potential of cannabis-based treatments and we comply fully with New Jersey’s evolving regulations,” says Dr. Patel. He uses a local dispensary to provide treatments, which include edibles such as gummy bears and cannabis-based rubbing and vaping oils.

Cannabis Therapy. The legalization of medical marijuana has brought new treatment options. “We are very excited by the potential of cannabis-based treatments and we comply fully with New Jersey’s evolving regulations,” says Dr. Patel. He uses a local dispensary to provide treatments, which include edibles such as gummy bears and cannabis-based rubbing and vaping oils.

With so many different pain-causing illnesses, injuries, and conditions, treatments must be carefully customized to fit the needs of each individual patient. Dr. Patel partners with orthopedists, physical and occupational therapists, and chiropractors to provide a variety of approaches and treatments. With

“Many of these treatments may come as a surprise to patients suffering from chronic pain, especially those who think that their pain — and poor quality of life — is something they have to endure,” Dr. Patel notes. A double board-certified anesthesiologist and pain management specialist, Dr. Patel focuses on treating pain in the back, neck, face, and joints as well as pain related to cancer and chemotherapy.

With so many different pain-causing illnesses, injuries, and conditions, treatments must be carefully customized to fit the needs of each individual patient. Dr. Patel partners

Regenerative Medicine/ Stem Cell Therapy. Regenerative medicine is a fastgrowing, highly developed treatment that helps the body heal or rebuild itself. Dr. Patel uses stem cell therapy to treat ailments, particularly low back or neck pain, caused by degenerative vertebral discs or joint pain in the shoulders, hips, or knees caused by osteoarthritis. The patient’s stem cells are removed, purified, concentrated, and injected into the injured or weakened tissue. Stem cell therapy can also speed recovery and help avoid surgery.

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP). A favorite treatment for sports injuries, PRP uses the patient’s blood to produce a platelet-rich plasma that targets a host of chronic and acute pain conditions, including muscle strain, arthritis, tendinosis, cartilage injuries, joint inflammation, and wound care. The treatment is also used in orthopedic and plastic surgery. By synthesizing platelets and releasing proteins, PRP can aid in generating new tissue. And it has helped chemotherapy patients grow back hair faster and thicker.

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP). A favorite treatment for sports injuries, PRP uses the patient’s blood to produce a platelet-rich plasma that targets a host of chronic and acute pain conditions, including muscle strain, arthritis, tendinosis, cartilage injuries, joint inflammation, and wound care. The treatment is also used in orthopedic and plastic surgery. By synthesizing platelets and releasing proteins, PRP can aid in generating new tissue. And it has helped che-

Minimally Invasive Therapy. Dr. Patel offers a wide variety of minimally invasive therapies. These include epidural steroid injections, facet joint injections, radiofrequency ablation, and spinal cord stimulation for patients suffering from chronic neck and back pain stemming from herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, or spinal stenosis. His goal is to help his patients avoid surgery and at the same time regain functionality.

Thanks to these and other game-changing treatments, pain levels can be greatly reduced or eliminated and quality of life enhanced. Says Dr. Patel, “Stop your pain. Start your life.”

Minimally Invasive Therapy. Dr. Patel offers a wide variety of minimally invasive therapies. These include epidural steroid injections, facet joint injections, radiofrequency ablation, and spinal cord stimulation for patients suffering from chronic neck and back pain stemming from herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, or spinal stenosis. His goal is to help his patients avoid surgery and at the same time regain functionality.

Thanks to these and other game-changing treatments, pain levels can be greatly reduced or eliminated and quality of life enhanced. Says Dr. Patel, “Stop your pain. Start your life.”

Dr. Ronak Patel

her own, married lawyer Richard Stockton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

The well-connected couple called a property in Princeton, Morven, their home. William Penn, Richard’s grandfather, had given him the land, and Annis decided to name the mansion after the Gaelic word for “big hill.”

Morven served as the state’s first governor’s mansion before it was historically preserved in honor of its many cultural and artistic contributions.

Annis expressed her feelings in verse as she awaited her husband’s return—first from his general travels, but especially following his imprisonment by British forces during the Revolutionary War.

Despite the two’s eventual reunion, Richard died only a few years after his release.

The Disappointment! (1756)

An Ode to Mr. Stockton

I see my kind protector come To soothe my throbbing heart to rest.

He breaks that cloud’s o’erspreading gloom

And chases midnight from my breast.

No tis not him a shadowy sprite. So like my lover met my eyes

Some angel left the fields of light Touch’d with compassion at my sighs.

No more he joins the Social band

Around my cheerful fire side

Where friendships fascinating wand

Once made his hours serenely glide. Tis not for me that voice to hearWhence sprightly wit and manly sense

Can floe to charm the brow of care And wisdom’s choicest gifts dispense.

But he shall live within my heart — His image all my Joy supply And when death hurls the fatal dart I’ll bear it with me to the sky. Yes see the blessed hour arrives

Ev’n now the peaceful clime I view When gentle love and virtue thrives And souls their lapsed powers renew.

No disappointment enters there — The tender heart no absence pain —

For love refin’d is angels’ fare — For love eternal ever reigns.

Ellen Foos is a Princeton-based poet and the founder of Ragged Sky Press, a publication that “has historically focused on mature voices, overlooked poets, and women’s perspectives” since 1992. She is also a past editor for the Princeton University Press.

Evening Out (for Blossom Dearie)

We’re out to celebrate, me and Stan, in our modest way. Sure, other day-trippers are doing the same, having a little fun too, we’ll try not to spoil the scene.

Once we lived here, drank the water, bought cheese on the Avenue. Now to catch a little romance we overpay, wedge our way in, sport last year’s couture. We may hold hands and when the piano plays lean back, adjust our chairs. If we miss the revolution or get to it late someone please hold the door.

Henry Van Dyke was a theologian who graduated from Princeton University— where he would later teach English—and the Princeton Theological Seminary in 1873 and 1877, respectively.

A Presbyterian minister by trade, Van Dyke also wrote poems and short stories. He began his career by reading his works “aloud to his congregation in New York as sermons,” according to his Britannica biography.

While these pieces share a similar theme, the first is written as a sonnet.

Love (1902)

Let me but love my love without disguise,

Nor wear a mask of fashion old or new,

Nor wait to speak till I can hear a clue,

Nor play a part to shine in others’ eyes,

Fanny Parnell, left, and Annis Stockton, right, were prolific, passionate poets who achieved success in a field where few women had done so before.

1666 Hamilton Ave. Hamilton, NJ 08629

Nor bow my knees to what my heart denies;

But what I am, to that let me be true, And let me worship where my love is due, And so through love and worship let me rise.

For love is but the heart’s immortal thirst

To be completely known and all forgiven, Even as sinful souls that enter Heaven:

So take me, dear, and understand my worst,

And freely pardon it, because confessed,

And let me find in loving thee, my best.

Love in a Look

Let me but feel thy look’s embrace, Transparent, pure, and warm, And I’ll not ask to touch thy face, Or fold thee with mine arm.

For in thine eyes a girl doth rise, Arrayed in candid bliss, And draws me to her with a charm More close than any kiss.

A loving-cup of golden wine, Songs of a silver brook, And fragrant breaths of eglantine, Are mingled in thy look. More fair they are than any star, Thy topaz eyes divine — And deep within their trysting-nook Thy spirit blends with mine.

Luray Gross currently resides in Bucks County, where she was named the 2002 Poet Laureate.

A graduate of Trenton State College, now the College of New Jersey, she went on to become a Geraldine R. Dodge poet and the recipient of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts Poetry Fellowship.

The Love Poem I Haven’t Written for Paul

After all this time, the love poem

I haven’t written for you had nearly given up hope, not realizing it didn’t need to be constrained or controlled, could swoon or soar if it felt like it.

Though it’s been terribly timid, lately it’s been practicing a quiet whistle, rather like the hum in the ears of a fifth-grade girl coasting her bike down

a hill that’s barely a hill, just enough slope to keep her upright

without pedaling. There’s no breeze except the breeze her moving body teaches the air as she passes through it.

This poem wants that girl to know she owns something no one else does,

Both Henry Van Dyke, left, and Philip Freneau, right, attended Princeton University and had an interest in theology.

Luray

wants her to feel the ache, only enough to be sure.

The poem might start singing at any moment, quietly as first, trying this word and that, a phrase or two, just something to get a rhythm going. It might be hard to hear, but if you stay still and lean in, I’m sure you’ll hear it call out your name.

Francis Hopkinson, known as Bordentown’s own Founding Father, signed the Declaration of Independence just as Richard Stockton did.

As “America’s first poet-composer,” the humorous harpsichordist worked in law and on his lyrical abilities.

When not working as a judge, Hopkinson wrote original secular songs, which the subsequent poem became, as well as satirical pieces.

Give Me Thy Heart

(1789)

Give me thy heart as I give mine, Our hands in mutual bonds will join, Propitious may our union prove, What’s life without the joys of love?

Should care knock rudely at our gate, Admittance to obtain, Cupid shall at the casement wait, And bid him call again!

Give me thy heart as I give mine Our hands in mutual bonds will join, Propitious may our union prove, What’s life without the joys of love?

Roberta Clipper’s poetry and fiction have been published nationally.

The Bordentown resident is a former professor at Rider University, where she retired from the English department in 2021 after serving as chair and instructor.

Ode on an American Email

“More happy love! more happy, happy love!

For ever warm and still to be en -

joyed, For ever panting and for ever young.”

— John Keats

Letters typed four hundred miles away spatter the white screen like the sunflower seeds he throws across the snow for hungry birds. You are a woman, clearly, he types back, who lies about her age. How could she be older than the long-haired girl who sat beside him in his Montreal Peugeot trying to stop him from behaving as her elder, the teacher she has told him she has now herself become?

Oh for the belief in a religion that bears us once again to the moments when we did not act. Then might he be a boy, his beard mere shadow on his icon of a face, his heart unbroken, and hers the one inscribed with past betrayals, propriety that would not let her love.

It might be her car then, her hand, the back of his neck, and she the one who says, “It’s time for you to go.” But he said it. And she went.

How innocent they were, discussing Keats’ unravished bride, the boy who longs for consummation,

and the luck they had to stay in love because they had no chance of falling out of it. Let us grow new memories on memories we do not know we have. Let us pray for an incarnation in which both of us are still nineteen, our hearts intact, and our hands not yet touched enough to not yet touch.

Philip Freneau, a sea captain with a proclivity for poetry and politics, was the staunchly Jeffersonian editor of the “National Gazette.” His narrative style earned him the moniker “poet of the American Revolution.”

Freneau, an alumnus of Princeton University, spent a significant amount of time at sea on trade voyages. He likely wrote this poem lamenting the waves of separation between him and his wife, Eleanor Forman.

According to “The Poems of Philip Fre-

neau,” a free eBook by Project Gutenberg, “To Cynthia” first appeared in print with two variations before the author settled on this final version.

Before opting for “Jersey,” Freneau’s initial line spoke of “Monmouth’s,” the county where he lived, and then “Morven’s vale” as a homage to the Stocktons’ famous Princeton estate.

To Cynthia (1789)

Through Jersey groves, a wandering stream

That still its wonted music keeps, Inspires no more my evening dream, Where Cynthia, in retirement, sleeps.

Sweet murmuring stream! how blest art thou

To kiss the bank where she resides, Where Nature decks the beechen bough

That trembles o’er your shallow tides.

The cypress-tree on Hermit’s height,

Where Love his soft addresses paid By Luna’s pale reflected light — No longer charms me to its shade! To me, alas! so far removed, What raptures, once, that scenery gave,

Ere wandering yet from all I loved, I sought a deeper, drearier wave. Your absent charms my thoughts employ:

I sigh to think how sweet you sung, And half adore the painted toy That near my careless heart you hung.

Now, fettered fast in icy fields, In vain we loose the sleeping sail; The frozen wave no longer yields, And useless blows the favouring gale.

Yet, still in hopes of vernal showers, And breezes, moist with morning dew, I pass the lingering, lazy hours, Reflecting on the spring — and you.

Todd Evans is a Trenton-born poet and arts event coordinator. He founded the Don Evans Players Theater Group as a tribute to his late father, Don Evans, a playwright who taught at numerous area institutions—Princeton High School, Princeton University, Rutgers University, but most notably, the College of New Jersey, where he served as the chair of the African American studies department.

Todd’s pen name, “Son of Black,” honors Don’s legacy, as well as how his father smoked Captain Black pipe tobacco.

by son of Black

(for HER lest we NEVER forget)

Princeton poet Ellen Foos, left, and Trenton’s own Todd Evans, right, will also be taking their talents to Bordentown in recognition of Fanny Parnell.

uplift HER, submit to HER, commit to HER, acknowledge HER, appreciate HER, love HER, pray with HER, pray for HER, trust HER, and maybe just maybe you will keep HER, in your heart and you in HER”S do this try your best, and never forget give no less for a relationship...is always a work in progress

Consider yourself a new secret admirer of these poets? Take a cue from Fanny Parnell—be bold by showing your affection the first weekend of February in Bordentown, then keep the momentum through Valentine’s Day and beyond.

Aura Dermatology

Answers for Your Hair Loss

FP Poetry Project, Sunday, February 5, 2 p.m., Old City Hall, 11 Crosswicks Street, Bordentown.

For more information, contact coworksprojects@gmail.com

Why am I Losing My Hair?! Am I alone? Hair loss (alopecia) is an extremely common problem that affects millions of people in our country. There are two broad categories of hair loss — scarring or non-scarring — with many subtypes within each category. However, the type we tend to see the most is called Androgenetic Alopecia (male or female pattern hair loss). This form of hair loss affects roughly 30 million women and 50 million men at any given time. In male pattern hair loss, by age 25, 25% of men are affected. This number increases to 50% by age 50. In female pattern hair loss, by age 30-49, 17% of women are affected. By age 50-69 this number jumps to 25% of women. What causes Androgenetic Alopecia? Usually there can be a strong genetic component to this form of alopecia from either one’s maternal or paternal side. Additionally, elevated levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) are also involved in the pathophysiology of this condition. In women, hormonal imbalances due to pregnancy, menopause, etc, can also play a contributory role. Furthermore, having conditions such as vitamin deficiencies, thyroid dysfunction, certain autoimmune diseases, and others may play a significant role in exacerbation of androgenetic alopecia.

What can I use to treat Androgenetic Alopecia?

Most commonly, a combination treatment approach under the guidance of a Board-Certified Dermatology is recommended to achieve optimal

results. As this condition is progressive, treatment will have to be for life to maintain results. Common medical treatments include nutraceutical hair vitamins (not just high doses of biotin) that address the various contributing factors to hair loss, minoxidil (which helps to stimulate hair growth), and hormonal medications like finasteride

or spironolactone. Additional procedural treatments such as Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) treatment, low-level light therapy (LLLT), and hair transplantation have shown great results enhancing hair growth by working synergistically with medical treatments.

What’s new in treating Androgenetic Alopecia? Alma TED device is an ultrasound-based system with a proprietary Tip engineered with Impact Delivery that offers a non-invasive, pain-free, in-office treatment option to treat hair loss. Combined with the TED hair care formula, patients can expect to see improvement in hair growth, hair thickness, and hair anchoring (less shedding) while improving its shine and strength.

Hair loss is a very common issue that can have many different causes. It is important to be evaluated by your Board-Certified Dermatologist to develop a treatment plan that is right for you to help achieve optimal results. If you are looking for guidance, look no further than Aura Dermatology in Robbinsville and Somerset, NJ. Let us help you live life in your best skin.

Aura Dermatology at Robbinsville, 17 Main Street, Suite 304, Robbinsville. 609-415-DERM (3376). www.auraderm.com.

Dr. Darshan Vaidya

Hamilton Area YMCA

At Sawmill Summer Day Camp we have 50 acres of outdoor space, the largest pool in Mercer County, fun activities ranging from sports to crafts and STEM, special events, fun themes and new initiatives! 5 funfilled days for campers to find their spark, find their sense of wonder, find their friends and FIND THEIR ADVENTURE!

• Find Their Spark.

Y camp is a place where kids can develop skills, confidence and new friendships. While camp is a summer rite of passage for kids to play outdoors and learn to swim, they are unknowingly rewarded with personal development skills by participating in their favorite activities and by trying activities they have never tried before. In general, they will leave camp with a stronger sense of identity and a better idea of what they love, which may help them in the classroom, in their relationships and to choose a career path in the future.

• Find Their Sense of Wonder. Kids get to discover all the wonders of the outdoors while

making friends and forming memories that will last a lifetime. A recent article from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia stated: “Scheduling time to actively play outdoors sets a natural limit on the amount of time your child can spend with a device (such as TV, smartphone or video game). “It promotes active engagement with their peers and the natural environment, and helps them develop respect for the world

FindYourADVENTURE!

don’t have to worry about getting a failing grade. By limiting this kind of restriction, kids can let their creativity flow.

• Find Their Friends and Fun.

At Y day camp, your kids will make new friends and have tons of fun as they explore new adventures each day. Camp is a social center away from home and school where kids learn to work with each other and adult mentors, build relationships and manage conflict.

Children look at camp as a fun way to spend the summer in the sun and splashing in the pool, but parents understand that camp allows kids to reap many life benefits that will follow them through their lives long after the sun has set on their summer camp days.

and consideration for others around them.” Camp provides kids the perfect opportunity to discover the outdoors and get their bodies and imaginations more active.

• Find Their Adventure.

Summer is a time for kids to explore new things and expand the limits of their imagination. At Y summer day camp, every day is a new adventure! Creativity can’t be stifled at camp because campers

We have worked hard to plan an exciting summer full of theme weeks, special events and new experiences! Campers will be immersed in arts and crafts, music, science, dance, sports, swimming and so much more! Our counselors are second to none, having had extensive training to welcome your children for the summer. For more information, visit hamiltonymca.org/camp.

See ad, page 11.

Russian School of Mathematics

Award-Winning Program

Comes to Princeton

RSM-Princeton now has a new location! We are now located at 231 Clarksville Road, West Windsor!

Recently featured in NPR and the Atlantic magazine as one of the key players in the “Math Revolution,” and ranked one of the best schools in the world by the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth, RSM helps children of all levels build a solid math foundation and develop their criticalthinking and problem-solving skills. Sign up for a FREE math evaluation today! Website: www.russianschool. com/princeton

Summer school provides a great opportunity for students to learn and advance without the typical pressures of the academic year. RSM offers a variety of courses through its summer enrichment program — for those students looking to get a head start on the academic year, or for those looking for an additional challenge in math.

Our summer schedule is designed

for students of all levels, from Kindergarten to Algebra 2 and High School Geometry. Course offerings include:

- Math for Grades 1 - 6: These courses hone students’ analytical skills and enhance their number sense by introducing them to abstract concepts.

- Preparation for High School

Math: Our courses in Algebra and Geometry will build up prerequisite skills and front-load the key concepts

of High School Math.

- Contest Level Math: Students are introduced to non-straightforward problems- opening them to the intrigue of math in the world. Students are also prepared for various national and international math competitions.

Russian School of Mathematics, 231 Clarksville Road, West Windsor 08550. 732-708-4905. www. russianschool.com/princeton. See ad, page 10.

Summer Math

Summer Math

HARVEST

Transform

*Save 10% off your purchase of select flooring products to a maximum discount of $1,000 (based on $10,000 purchase). At participating stores only. Some restrictions apply. See store for details. Photos for illustrative purposes only. Not responsible for typographical errors. Offer ends 7/26/2020. Offer cannot be combined with other discounts or promotional offers and is not valid on previous purchases. ©2020 Carpet One Floor & Home®. All Rights Reserved.

to credit approval. Minimum monthly payments required. See store for details.

Regenerative Spine and Pain Institute

Treating Pain with PRP and Stem Cell Therapy

Pain.

It gnaws at you. It drains you. It becomes the focus of your life.

Experiencing a few pain-free moments can be euphoric; it makes you realize how long you’ve been living with aches and pain. You might wonder how you can find a solution to relieve the pain and regain your freedom from discomfort.

Dr. Ronak Patel at Regenerative Spine and Pain Institute wants you to know there are two new revolutionary answers to pain relief.

Both platelet-rich therapy — otherwise known as PRP — and stem cell therapy give patients new hope by using the body’s powerful healing power to accelerate the battle against pain. Dr. Patel has seen incredible success implementing these cuttingedge treatments on hundreds of patients suffering from pain-related issues.

So if you are suffering from any of the ailments below, there’s a lifeline.

• Osteoarthritis

• Rotator cuff tear

• Back pain

• Meniscus tears

• Tennis elbow

• Disc herniations

• Tendonitis

• Neck pain

Here’s the best news: Neither PRP or stem cell therapy involves drug use with side effects or any surgical procedures.

Both PRP and stem cell treatments use the body’s own healing resources to repair diseased or damaged tissue — and the results are quite remarkable.

PRP therapy involves injecting concentrated platelets and growth factors into damaged tissue to

stimulate the faster growth of new healthy cells. Platelets are cells that prevent and stop bleeding. If a blood vessel is damaged, the body sends signals to our platelets to get on the job and start the healing. Some call platelets the body’s natural bandage.

So how does PRP therapy work? It’s basically drawing a one small vial of blood from the patient and then using a centrifuge to turn it into a potent and concentrated form of platelets. It is then injected back into the patient. Think of it as a boost of your own blood — only superpowered.

Recovery time for PRP therapy is far shorter than for surgery. Patients usually experience soreness for a week or so, but the gradual improvement soon begins. Unlike a steroid shot, which gives you immediate relief and quickly wears off, a PRP patient will see pain symptoms improve over a period of months, and up to 80 percent of patients will see relief for up to two years.

Stem cell therapy can be an even more powerful way to harness the body’s healing power. Stem cells are the building blocks for every cell in our body. These powerful cells can be harvested to produce powerful new cells to fight inflammation and disease.

For those suffering from osteoarthritis, stem cell therapy has proven very effective. That’s because the stem cells may help develop new cartilage cells and suppress inflammation. Stem cells can be harvested through a sample of body fat or bone marrow or be harvested from donated umbilical cord tissue.

And yes, you can even augment PRP therapy with stem cell therapy for an even bigger boost!

Stop wondering if you’ll have to live with your pain forever. Contact Regenerative Spine and Pain Institute today at 609-269-4451 or go to www.njpaindoc.com to book an an appointment and learn more. See ad, page 3

2023 SPRING REC SOCCER

15 APRIL - 10 JUNE

Boys and Girls born between 1/1/2004 and 12/31/20019

$100/per child

Discounts for multiple children

Friday Nights - Footwork exercises

Friday Nights - Skills & ball techniques

Saturday - Fun competitive games

Saturday - Team work & team building

Lots of FUN and making friends!!!

Friday Night Red Bull Training

Friday Night Red Bull Training

Saturday Games

Saturday Games

Lawrence hamnett soccer association

Lawrence hamnett soccer association

Registration Link www.lawrencehamnett.com More Information recinfo@lawrencehamnett.com

Registration Link More Information

SERVICES

LEGAL SERVICES Wills, Power of Attorney, Real Estate, Federal and NJ Taxes, House calls available. Bruce Cooke, Esq. 609-799-4674, 609-721-4358.

Senior Concierge. Let me be your helper. In the home or on the road. Part-time/ Day or evening. Very good references. Call Mary anne, 609-298-4456.

F,D,Mason Contractor, Over 30 years of experience. Brick, Block, Stone, Concrete. No job too large or small. Fully Insured and Licensed. Free Estimates 908-385-5701 Lic#13VH05475900.

Are you single? Try us first! We are an enjoyable alternative to online dating. Sweet Beginnings Matchmaker, 215-539-2894, www.sweetbeginnings.info.

WANTED TO BUY

Wanted: Baseball, football, basketball, hockey. Cards, autographs, photos, memorabilia. Highest cash prices paid! Licensed corporation, will travel. 4thelovofcards, 908-5960976. allstar115@verizon. net.

HappyHeroes used books looking to buy old Mysteries, Science Fiction, Children’s Illustrated, kids series books (old Hardy boys-Nancy Drew-Judy Bolton- Dana girls, WITH DUSTJACKETS in good shape), Dell Mapbacks - Good Girl Art PULPS - non-sports cards, good conditioned pre 1975 paperbacks old COLLIER’S. Call 609-619-3480 or email happyheroes@gmail.com

Cash paid for World War II military items.Helmets, swords, medals, etc. Call

609-581-8290 or email mymilitarytoys@optonline. net

Cash paid for SELMER SAXOPHONES and other vintage models. 609-581-8290 or email mymilitarytoys@optonline. net

WANTED- QUALITY CAMERAS AND PHOTO EQUIPMENT, FOUNTAIN PENS AND OLDER WATCHES FAIR PRICES PAID CALL JAY609-689-9651.

COMMERCIAL SPACE

Space available in the Ewing Professional Park. Comfortable suite currently used by mental health professionals. Waiting room, kitchenette and restrooms in suite. Well-lighted parking lot. Available Jan 1st. For more details, email suppsoln27@ yahoo.com or call Supportive Solutions at 609-635-3751.

Doctors Office Suite TurnKey Ready in Hamilton, Mercer County NJ approx. 1405+/- SF for lease. Fully furnished. $2,550/mth.

DiDonato Realty 609-5862344 Marian Conte BR 609947-4222.

Office Space For Rent: Pennington ground floor office space 32 N Main Street. Share with clinical psychologist and real estate management company. Private entrance, off street parking. 305-968-7308

Princeton Commercial

Retail Spaces for Lease: Various Locations in Town. Please Contact: Weinberg Management. WMC@ collegetown. Text 609-7311630

VACATION RENTALS

Florida Beach Rental: Fort Myers Beach 1br vacation

To book a classified ad in this section, please email your text and any other information to mdurelli@communitynews.org. Classifieds run at 75 cents per word with a $20 minimum per month. For more information, call 609-396-1511, ext. 105.

condo on the beach, flexible dates available. Call 609-5778244 for further information

BUSINESS FOR SALE

Salon for sale- excellent opportunity. Priced to sell. Relocating out of state. Large space, great potential. Call 609-462-0188.

CEMETERY PLOTS

For sale double depth cemetery plot. Location Princeton memorial park, Gordon Road, Robbinsville. Call 609-259-7710.

National Classified

Health & Fitness

Dental insurance - Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Covers 350 procedures. Real insurance - not a discount plan. Get your free dental info kit! 1-855-526-1060 www.dental50plus.com/ads #6258

Attention oxygen therapy users! Inogen One G4 is capable of full 24/7 oxygen delivery. Only 2.8 pounds. Free info kit. Call 877-9299587

Miscellaneous

Prepare for power outages today with a GENERAC home standby generator $0 Down + Low Monthly Pmt Request a free Quote. Call before the next power outage: 1-855948-6176

Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debrisblocking gutter protection. Schedule free LeafFilter estimate today. 20% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-833-610-1936

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months!

Lifetime warranty & professional installs Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 855-761-1725

Donate Your Car to Veterans Today! Help and Support our Veterans. Fast - FREE pick up. 100% tax deductible. Call 1-800-245-0398

HughesNet - Finally, superfast internet no matter where you live. 25 Mbps just $59.99/ mo! Unlimited Data is Here. Stream Video. Bundle TV & Internet. Free Installation. Call 866-499-0141

Become a published author. We want to read your book! Dorrance Publishing trusted since 1920. Consultation, production, promotion & distribution. Call for free author’s guide 1-877-7294998 or visit dorranceinfo. com/ads

DISH TV $64.99 For 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply. Promo Expires 1/21/23.

1-866-479-1516

The Generac PWRcell solar plus battery storage system. Save money, reduce reliance on grid, prepare for outages & power your home. Full installation services. $0 down financing option. Request free no obligation quote.

1-877-539-0299

Safe Step. North America’s #1 Walk-in tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-ofthe-line installation and service. Now featuring our free shower package & $1600 off - limited time! Financing available. 1-855-417-1306

Switch and save up to $250/ yr on talk, text & data. No contract or hidden fees. Unlimited talk & text

with flexible data plans.

Premium nationwide coverage. 100% U.S. based customer service. Limited time get $50 off any new account. Use code GIFT50.

1-855-903-3048

Attention Homeowners!

If you have water damage and need cleanup services, call us! We’ll get in & work with your insurance agency to get your home repaired and your life back to normal ASAP! 855-767-7031

MobileHelp, America’s premier mobile medical alert system. Whether you’re home or away. For safety & peace of mind. No long term contracts! Free brochure! 1-888-489-3936

Free high speed internet if qualified. Govt. pgm for recipients of select pgms

incl. Medicaid, SNAP, Housing Assistance, WIC, Veterans Pension, Survivor Benefits, Lifeline, Tribal. 15 GB internet. Android tablet free w/one-time $20 copay. Free shipping. Call Maxsip Telecom! 1-833-758-3892

!!OLD GUITARS WANTED!! GIBSON, FENDER, MARTIN, etc. 1930’sto1980’s.TOP DOLLAR PAID. CALL TOLL FREE 1-866-433-8277

Caring for an aging loved one? Wondering about options like senior-living communities and in-home care? Caring.com’s Family Advisors help take the guesswork out of senior care for your family. Free, no-obligation consult: 1-855-759-1407

Choreography by JOHAN KOBBORG and ETHAN STIEFEL

AMERICAN HEART MONTH

IF YOU OR A LOVED ONE IS EXPERIENCING THE SIGNS OF A HEART ATTACK, CALL 911.

This puts you in contact with a trained dispatcher who will tell you what to do and sends an ambulance to your location. When the ambulance arrives, treatment begins in your home and the emergency department is prepared for your arrival at the hospital. Because your symptoms may get worse, driving yourself is a bad idea. The Chest Pain Center at Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell is accredited by the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care and the American College of Cardiology. This means the Center meets high standards for diagnosing and treating cardiac emergencies, such as heart attacks.

When someone is having a heart attack, time to treatment is critical. Capital Health’s pre-hospital alert system allows ambulance patients to be tested in their homes and mobilizes an interventional team at the hospital if there is evidence of a heart attack, saving time for an initial EKG test or faster bedside blood tests for troponin, a protein that enters the blood stream during a heart attack.

If you or a loved one is having a severe heart attack caused by prolonged restricted blood flow due to a clot or ruptured plaque, Capital Health’s Cardiac Catheterization Lab is ready to provide an emergency stent placement.

After you or your loved one has recovered, your last step is preventing another heart attack or heart-related illness. The Cardiac Rehabilitation Center, located at Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell, offers a team of physicians, nurses, exercise physiologists and registered dietitians who provide individually prescribed education and exercise.

All program candidates are interviewed prior to entering the Cardiac Rehabilitation program, which allows a team to develop and implement a personalized care plan. Participants include those who have experienced:

Acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) within the past 12 months

Coronary artery bypass surgery

Current, stable chest pain (angina pectoris)

… Heart valve repair or replacement

… Angioplasty or stenting to open blocked coronary arteries

Heart or heart-lung transplant surgery

Stable, chronic heart failure

Talk to your doctor about participating in cardiac rehabilitation. Visit capitalhealth.org/cardiacrehab for more information.

DO MEN & WOMEN HAVE DIFFERENT SIGNS/SYMPTOMS OF HEART ATTACK?

YES

SYMPTOM MEN WOMEN

Chest Pain

Shortness of breath

Sweating

Crushing, center of chest

Pressure, tightness, ache, stomach pain, sweating

With or before pain, may occur With or before pain, common

With cold, clammy skin, may occur

Arm Pain Pain, numbness

Back, Neck, Jaw Pain May occur

Stomach Pain May occur

Indigestion May occur

Anxiety May occur

Fatigue May occur

Dizzy/ Lightheaded May occur

Similar to men

Similar to men

More common than in men

Extend to abdomen or only abdomen

2x’s more likely than men

Mistaken for panic

Flu-like symptoms

More common than in men

If you or someone you know is experiencing these signs and symptoms, call 911.

KNOW THE SIGNS OF A HEART ATTACK AND WHAT TO DO IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS HAVING ONE

Capital Health – East Trenton Opens Offering Emergency Department Services and Continued Outpatient Medical Clinic Services

On December 21, Capital Health assumed responsibility for health care services previously provided by St. Francis Medical Center in Trenton, New Jersey. That campus, which now operates an Emergency Department and some outpatient services, has been renamed Capital Health – East Trenton and no longer operates as an acute care hospital.

“Without this transition, Trenton would have lost desperately needed health care services, including emergency services, behavioral health, and cardiac surgery. This would have been

KEY INFORMATION FOR YOU TO KNOW SERVICES

The Emergency Department remains open 24/7 in the same location. Patients needing hospital admission will be transferred appropriately for the care they need.

… The Outpatient Primary Care Clinic, located next to the Emergency Department, remains open in the same location. Specialty Care Clinic Services are available at various locations.

The CARES child wellness program remains open in the same location.

The LIFE program is now called Capital Health LIFE and remains open in its Bordentown location. Assisted Living Program patients continue to receive care as they did prior to the transition.

… Some primary care physicians, specialists, and surgeons who were previously with St. Francis Medical Associates have transitioned to Capital Health Medical Group practices. Visit capitalmedicalgroup.org to find your physician’s new location and phone number. If your physician did not move to Capital Health, visit capitalhealth.org to find the physician you need and complete contact information.

Cancer Center services, including infusions, are available at Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell. Visit capitalhealthcancer.org to learn more, or call 609.537.6363. For infusion appointments at Capital Health, call 609.537.7226.

Patients receiving care as part of the Infectious Disease, HIV and Lyme’s disease programs can be seen at Capital Health –Infectious Disease Specialists, located at 40 Fuld Street, Suite 305 in Trenton. Call 609.394.6338 to make an appointment.

devastating to the residents. I want to thank everyone who partnered with us to make sure key services did not leave Trenton,” said Al Maghazehe, President and CEO of Capital Health. “We are committed to continuing to provide critical medical services in the city of Trenton and working closely with members of the community, local officials, and other key stakeholders.”

Learn more about the services Capital Health offers at www.capitalhealth.org.

Sleep services are available at Capital Health – Hamilton, located at 1401 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road. Call 609.584.5150 to schedule an appointment.

The Behavioral Health Inpatient Program is at Capital Health Regional Medical Center.

Wound Care patients can call Capital Health’s Center for Wound Management and Hyperbaric Medicine at 609.537.7457.

Outpatient diagnostic testing services are available at other Capital Health locations, including Capital Health Regional Medical Center. Call 609.394.6695 to schedule an appointment.

TRANSPORTATION

Shuttles from the Hamilton Avenue campus to Capital Health Regional Medical Center (RMC) leave every hour, on the hour, beginning at 6 a.m. with the last shuttle leaving at 8 p.m. for RMC. All shuttles depart from the turnaround in front of the old Main Lobby on Chambers Street at the new Capital Health – East Trenton location. Return shuttles run every half hour from 6:30 a.m., with the last departure for Capital Health – East Trenton at 8:30 p.m. This can be used by patients or visitors.

MEDICAL RECORDS

If you need a copy of your medical records for services you received at St. Francis Medical Center before December 21, 2022, call 609.394.4460 or visit Capital Health’s website for other options.

MAIN NUMBERS

Capital Health – East Trenton: 609.599.5000

Capital Health Regional Medical Center: 609.394.6000

Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell: 609.303.4000

PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY

Peripheral Neuropathy is a condition that affects millions of Americans, commonly resulting in pain, tingling, numbness, and other painful symptoms in the hands, legs and feet. This pain changes your life and affects how you work, how you play and how you live.

AllCure Spine and Sports Medicine is pleased to announce their new program for treating Peripheral Neuropathy, which includes a combination of advanced FDA-cleared treatments with breakthrough technology that aids in healing the damaged nerves. The effects of this program can be felt on the first few visits. This treatment restores, stabilizes, and rebuilds the nerves in your extremities. Treatment has also been effective in addressing painful symptoms of arthritis, MS, and other forms of chronic pain. Patients generally feel relief physically throughout the treatment period and even feel better emotionally after experiencing a reduction in pain.

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Healthy Nerve Cell

Damaged Nerve Cell

Context is King at Artworks Trenton

By Thomas Kelly

Phillip McConnell, a Trenton artist who has been fully immersed in making art over the past five years, is launching a solo exhibition of abstracted photo works at Artworks Trenton.

The exhibition’s title is “Context is King.”

Featuring works shaped by “glitches” created with digital codes and photomanipulation, it opens on Friday, February 3, from 6 to 8 p.m., and remains on view through February 25.

McConnell, 32, says he gets those “glitches” by adding a photo jpeg into a program usually designed for text, Notepad ++, then manipulating the code until he receives the desired effect.

Like many art discoveries, his methodology was a pleasing happenstance. Now his approach is similar to free-form jazz.

“It started when I was working as a freelance programmer. One day I was coding a website in HTML using a notepad program. I went to add a photo to it, and I somehow messed it up. The picture became distorted. After that, I kept repeating and repeating the process and here I am five years later,” he says during a recent interview.

The Trenton-born McConnell’s mother was a nurse and his father a corrections officer. As a young man, McConnell wanted to explore his Southern heritage and go to a historically black college in the south, where his parents were originally from.

That desire led McConnell to Morris College in Sumter, South Carolina, where he majored in photography and minored in English — it was in those classes he found a love for poetry and cites the influences of contemporary American poets Rudy Francisco, Neil Hilborn, and Phillip Kaye.

“It was nurturing as I was enveloped and very comfortable in the culture of the school and the people. Most of the students were somewhat local from South Carolina and the surrounding area. It was a very different feeling being in the majority,” he says.

The Artworks exhibition — which combines both of his academic pursuits — showcases approximately 30 pieces printed on canvases ranging in sizes 16 by 20 inches and 48 by 48 inches.

The reason for the variation is that “some pieces are more complex and need to be larger. I want to be able to see them clearly from across the room.”

McConnell says that for the title “context is used to give meaning to content we ingest so that we can better understand it. Language equals meaning and meaning equals experience.”

The content here includes visual, audio, and written words viewers encounter — that includes poetry.

“The work in this exhibition will be an amalgamation of two different art forms, poetry and visual art. Each piece of artwork will be accompanied by a poem. This exhibition will explore the relationship between art and poetry,” he notes in the exhibition statement.

The following pairing is an example of the approach. In his poem “Letters from an Immortal Soul 13,” he writes: “You showed me that even in those moments that seem black and white, if we looked for the color it’s always there where our hands meet.” Its accompanying image is of a couple shown multiple times yet with a focus point being their hands.

In his poetry — which he will read at the February 3 opening — and in his images McConnell is introspective and guided by his mental state at the time the poems and images were made.

“It’s really how I’m feeling,” he says. “This current body of work has a dark section with a darker subject matter, which is a direct reflection of how I was feeling when I made it. I deal with depression and anxiety, which is reflected in my work and subject matter.

“While creating this body of work, I think I was at my most alone and lowest because I had lost someone very important to me. I want to make work that resonates with other people like me, in that state. Mental health isn’t something that is openly talked about in the Black community, so if I could make something that conveys a feeling that someone else may not have the words to describe, then I’ve done what I sought to do.”

As a full-time employee at the Apple Store in Quaker Bridge Mall, McConnell says finding time to work on his art is one of his challenges.

“I have been making pieces for this show for the last two years. I’ve been writing poems and making art here and there, but only within the last four months did I make the bulk of the work.

“Time is always a rough one. Making time for art caused a large fissure in my last relationship. Another thing I struggle with is finding the will to make art. For me, I can only create from what I know, but what I know most is the good and the bad things I’ve experienced in life. This makes the things I create deeply personal. If I am sad my art will reflect it, if I’m happy my art will reflect that. So, I have these long stretches of pieces that fall somewhere on either side of that spectrum.”

The Artworks main gallery is a good fit for McConnell where several artists inspired or mentored him. That includes Tamara Torres, who has a studio in the

building, Artworks artistic director Addison Vincent, and Artworks managing director C.a. (aka Craig) Shofed.

“(They) have all guided me and helped shaped me as an artist,” he says. “They taught me many lessons. Craig taught me the business of art, Addison taught me to embrace darker subject matter, and Tamara taught me how to dig deeper and make art of substance. Tamara also told me she really wanted to see me make art that is very personal. I have also learned a lot from Trenton curator Brass Rabbit. This exhibition comes from all this.”

McConnell also appreciates the closeknit Trenton art community and speaks about how supportive the artists, venues, and patrons can be.

“Artworks is responsible for my being an artist. They gave me a chance when so many other galleries had said no to a new artist. I had my first solo show there in

the community gallery which is the long central hallway. I’ve been trying to get the main gallery for six years now. I made a body of work that was good enough to be in the main gallery. I submitted it and was given a ‘yes.’

“This is the most complex and honest body of work I’ve ever made.”

Context is King, Artworks Trenton, 19 Everett Alley and South Stockton Street, Trenton. Opening reception Friday, February 3, 6 to 8 p.m. On view through February 25, Tuesday through Saturday. Free. www.artworkstrenton. org.

Phillip McConnell, above, with one of his works and the accompanying poem. Top is his ‘Letters from an Immortal Soul 13.’

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