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Miles for Malcolm 5K honors ‘joyful’ toddler

Second annual runwalk fundraiser seeks to raise awareness for SUDC

By JOe EMANsKi

Malcolm Wildszewski was an active, robust two-year-old on Mother’s Day 2020 when he came down with a low-grade fever. Yes, it was the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, but this seemed to his parents, Kim and Tara, like nothing more than a mild cold.

By the next morning, though, they knew that something was wrong. Usually strong and energetic, Malcolm could not even stand up. They took him to the emergency department at the hospital, where later that day, he seized unexpectedly. A day later, he was gone.

Malcolm’s death is among thousands each year that falls into the category of Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood, or SUDC. In such cases, children 12 months of age or older die suddenly in ways that remain unexplained even after a thorough investigation of possible causes.

wasn’t like we missed something. It was that he just was here and then he wasn’t.”

Losing a young child unexpectedly would be a terrible thing under any circumstances. But Kim and Tara also experienced this loss during the first months of the pandemic, when holding a memorial service for loved ones was out of the question.

“That was otherworldly, and unbelievably awful,” Kim says. “We couldn’t be hugged. There was no physicality to our grief.”

Tara and Kim knew that they wanted to do something both to honor Malcolm and to bring greater awareness to SUDC. Last spring, they organized the first ever Miles for Malcolm Walk/ Run, raising more than $20,000 to benefit SUDC.

how far would you go if they were sick?

On Saturday, April 29, they will host the second annual Miles for Malcolm event, and like last year it will take place at the Pennington Montessori School, 4 Tree Farm Road in Hopewell, where Malcolm was once an attendee.

Lawrence-Hopewell Trail at 20: a look back, a look ahead

By JOe EMANsKi

“He was thriving, just incredibly healthy (before that),” Kim says. “We would often refer to him as ‘sturdy.’ He was joyful, he was all sunshine, he was happy, and it

Race day will begin at 9 a.m., when kids 8 and under are invited to a fun run. At 9:30, walkers, joggers, shufflers, stroller pushers and runners are welcome to join for the 5K or 5-mile routes.

Welcome to Capital Health.

“There are a number of reasons we chose an event like this. One is that we run as a practice of stress

See MALCOLM, Page 6

It would be fair to describe Lawrence Hopewell Trail co-founders Becky Taylor and Eleanor Horne as visionaries.

A little over 20 years ago now, the pair took an idea that critics said was impracticable — a network of walking and biking paths connecting a clear path through

When someone you care about is sick, you’ll do whatever it takes to make sure they get the best care. And so do we.

With a collaborative structure so our doctors can craft a treatment that’s uniquely right for you. With primary care physicians who never schedule an appointment that’s less than 20 minutes. With world-renowned surgeons that are changing cancer treatment.

Because you’d go to the ends of the earth for the people you care about. And we do too.

the communities of Hopewell Valley and Lawrence Township — and made the idea a reality, one stretch of pathway at a time.

Now a 22-mile loop of linked biking and pedestrian segments, the LHT has developed with the support of numerous public, private and nonprofit organizations. The paths wind through public parks, corporate campuses and

municipal centers.

Thousands of people use the trail for recreation each year. The nonprofit Lawrence Hopewell Trail Corporation hosts several marquee events of its own, including the Full Mood Ride and Trail and Treat.

None of it would have been possible without the perseverance and

See LHT, Page 8

Children ride in the Trail and Treat bike ride held last fall in Village Park in Lawrence. Trail and Treat is one of several annual held by the Lawrence Hopewell Trail each year. (Photo by Alexandra Pais.)

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Incorporated in 1943 to serve State Highway Department Employees, Credit Union of New Jersey is celebrating eight decades of providing financial tools and service to generations of members. The credit union has grown to serve all State of New Jersey government employees and employees of 200-plus organizations.

Although many changes have taken place over the last 80 years, the credit union says it remains focused on its core mission, which is to provide their members with “The Freedom to Prosper.”

“For us, ‘The Freedom to Prosper’ gives us purpose—to provide our members with the knowledge and ability to be in control of their financial lives. Those four words have helped us establish a solid foundation when it comes to helping our members achieve their financial goals,” said Andrew Jaeger, president and CEO of Credit Union of New Jersey. “From being a safe and secure place to grow their savings to offering quality loan products for every

situation, being able to thrive through 80 years of economic ups and downs is a testament to our strength, perseverance and exceptional service. We are truly grateful to our members for trusting us to be a part of their financial journeys.”

In addition to serving members through their financial products and services, Credit Union of New Jersey also gives back to the community through the Credit Union of New Jersey Foundation, which supports nonprofit and charitable organizations across the state.

Credit Union of New Jersey provides financial services to 37,256 members through five full-service offices located in Mercer and Burlington Counties and an E-branch at cunj.org. Established in 1943, the $424,888,467 credit union is headquartered in Ewing Township. Membership information and current rates can be obtained by calling (609) 538-4061 or by visiting cunj.org.

See NEWS, Page 4

We are a newsroom of your neighbors. The Hopewell Express is for local people, by local people. As part of the community, the Gazette does more than just report the news—it connects businesses with their customers, organizations with their members and neighbors with one another. As such, our staff sets out to make our town a closer place by giving readers a reliable source to turn to when they want to know what’s going on in their neighborhood.

EDIToR

Joe Emanski (Ext. 120) CoNTRIBUTING CoLUmNIsTs Robin Schore, Lisa Wolff AD LAYoUT AND pRoDUCTIoN

Stacey Micallef

ACCoUNT EXECUTIVE

Christine Storie (Ext. 115)

To ADVERTIsE call Christine storie (609) 396-1511, ext. 115 or e-mail cstorie@communitynews.org

Community News service 9 Princess Road, Suite M Lawrenceville, NJ 08648

phone: (609) 396-1511

News: news@communitynews.org

Events: events@communitynews.org

sports: sports@communitynews.org

Letters: jemanski@communitynews.org

Website: hopewellexpress.com

Facebook: facebook.com/hopewellexpress

Twitter: twitter.com/mercerspace

11,000 copies of the Hopewell Express are mailed or bulk-distributed to the residences and businesses of Pennington, Hopewell Township and Hopewell Borough 12 times a year.

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BeiGene Enters New Phase to Expand US Manufacturing and R&D Footprint in New Jersey

Biotechnology company BeiGene held a topping-off ceremony on March 21 as it laid the last piece of structural steel at its Hopewell campus, currently under construction.

Local officials, patient advocates and BeiGene colleagues signed the last beam to be put in place. BeiGene says that the new facility will provide commercial-stage U.S. biologic pharmaceutical manufacturing and late-stage research and clinical development capabilities.

John V. Oyler, co-founder, chairman and CEO of BeiGene, said in a media release: “Adding these manufacturing and R&D capabilities in the U.S. is a major step toward fulfilling our vision to create impactful medicines that will be affordable and accessible to far more cancer patients around the world.”

The new campus will have approximately 400,000 square feet of biologic pharmaceutical manufacturing space, with the ability to add 600,000 more over time. BeiGene says its investment in

the project, first announced in 2021, is expected to total approximately $700 million. Construction is expected to be complete next year.

BeiGene has already begun to hire, with nearly 100 employees expected by the end of 2023 and more to come once construction is complete.

“Hopewell Township is pleased to see BeiGene following through with its plans to build a state-of-the-art center here,” said Mayor Michael Ruger. “We are excited that our talented and experienced workforce will have the opportunity to help BeiGene develop and manufacture lifesaving medicines.”

Cenlar FSB marks International Women’s Day by joining Habitat for Humanity effort

Volunteers from Ewing-based Cenlar FSB helped frame two affordable homes in Hightstown on March 8, 2023 as a part of Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build program, which seeks to empower women and help them build strength, stability and independence. Every year during the first week of March, Habitat provides special opportunities for hands-on learning so that women can succeed in changing their communities.

A team — composed of mostly women — from Cenlar FSB, a mortgage subservicer, partnered Habitat for Humanity of South Central New Jersey on International Women’s Day to build homes, community and hope for women in Hightstown. Among the volunteers was Hopewell Township resident Denise Vaccaro, who serves as Cenlar’s vice president of event planning and corporate insurance.

Habitat SCNJ seeks to address the gaps in equity that women experience when seeking to provide themselves and their loved ones with a safe and affordable place to call home. For more than 35

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Hopewell resident Denise Vaccaro (right) hands colleague Glen Vilim a triangle level tool on March 8, 2023 as part of team of volunteers from Cenlar FSB that participated in Habitat For Humanity’s Women Build program.

years, the organization has provided permanent housing solutions to local women in need of a helping hand as they build brighter futures for themselves and their loved ones. Women-led households make up 65% of new Habitat Homeowners and 55% of homeowners who received home repairs in the last 3 years. Next to the houses under construction sit two Habitat homes that were completed and sold last year.

The Cenlar team worked from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the construction site, located at 224 and 226 S. Academy St. in Hightstown.

9-year-old and her mother publish book aimed at helping kids

Nine-year-old Pennington resident Emily Pozsony and her mother, author, life coach and mental health advocate Alicia Pozsony, have published a book called “Funbook: Like a Diary But More Fun.” The book is available on Amazon.

“Funbook,” the second book in Alicia Poszony’s “Emotional Strength” series, is meant to be interactive and inspire kids to understand themselves, learn compassion, build emotional tools they can use, build community, appreciate their role and each other for all their similarities

and differences, as well as inspire discussion between children and adults.

“I wanted kids to understand it and I knew because I have been through it, too, and learned better ways of getting along with others. I knew I could help younger kids,” Emily said in a media release.

“Children need a softer path. The world is hard enough as it is, so let’s give them the mental health tools they need and get

them started early so we can eventually alleviate the existing mental health crisis. If kids can learn to self-regulate in a healthy way, we can pave the way for healthier future generations,” Alicia said.

Alicia Poszony hosts a radio show and podcast called Resilient You. She also leads an online group called Women Uplifting Women, and is the founder of a career coaching practice in New Jersey.

Pennington Day set to return on May 20

Pennington Day, held on the third Saturday in May since 1981, is set to return this year on Saturday, May 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. along Pennington Main Street. The annual daylong street fair brings together local business, artisans, music and food as well as the Hopewell Valley community.

The event will feature two live entertainment stages: the Crossroads stage, at the corner of Curlis and Main, and The Coffee House stage at Howe Commons. Music. The Kidz Zone, located behind Toll Gate, will feature inflatables and activities for all ages. There will also be a lineup of food trucks and other vendors. Sponsorship information and vendor booth registration is available online at penningtonday.org.

This year’s Quilt Show theme is Charm Quilts. Each piece will be cut from a different fabric and will have works of art on display. Pennington Day makes grants to local nonprofits, civic organizations, schools and municipalities. Organizers say that proceeds from vendor registration fees go to funding the grant program. Those interested in applying for grants can also get information on the Pennington Day website.

Horseback Riding Camp 2023!

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Embrace your horse love at Duncraven Equestrian Center. Participants will learn safety on and around horses and ponies, grooming techniques, riding skills, and other primary horsemanship competencies. Sessions aim to help develop confidence and motor coordination while providing a supportive and fun environment for everyone!

Horseback Riding Camp 2023!

Horseback Riding Camp 2023!

Embrace your horse love at Duncraven Equestrian Center. Participants will learn safety on and around horses and ponies, grooming techniques, riding skills, and other primary horsemanship competencies. Sessions aim to help develop confidence and motor coordination while providing a supportive and fun environment for everyone! The perfect preparation for eager, young and aspiring equestrians.

Embrace your horse love at Duncraven Equestrian Center. Participants will learn safety on and around horses and ponies, grooming techniques, riding skills, and other primary horsemanship competencies. Sessions aim to help develop confidence and motor coordination while providing a supportive and fun environment for everyone!

Embrace your horse love at Duncraven Equestrian Center. Participants will learn safety on and around horses and ponies, grooming techniques, riding skills, and other primary horsemanship competencies. Sessions aim to help develop confidence and motor coordination while providing a supportive and fun environment for everyone! The perfect preparation for eager, young and aspiring equestrians.

Embrace your horse love at Duncraven Equestrian Center. Participants will learn safety on and around horses and ponies, grooming techniques, riding skills, and other primary horsemanship competencies. Sessions aim to help develop confidence and motor coordination while providing a supportive and fun environment for everyone!

Embrace your horse love at Duncraven Equestrian Center. Participants will learn safety on and around horses and ponies, grooming techniques, riding skills, and other primary horsemanship competencies. Sessions aim to help develop confidence and motor coordination while providing a supportive and fun environment for everyone! The perfect preparation for eager, young and aspiring equestrians. Program

The perfect preparation for eager, young and aspiring equestrians.

Program Dates:

Embrace your horse love at Duncraven Equestrian Center. Participants will learn safety on and around horses and ponies, grooming techniques, riding skills, and other primary horsemanship competencies. Sessions aim to help develop confidence and motor coordination while providing a supportive and fun environment for everyone! The perfect preparation for eager, young and aspiring equestrians.

Sessions

Program Dates:

The perfect preparation for eager, young and aspiring equestrians. Program

The perfect preparation for eager, young and aspiring equestrians. Program

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Child therapist Mary Akeju-Domingo, Emily Pozsony and Alicia Pozsony hold copies of “Funbook,” written by Alicia with her daughter.

MALCOLM continued from Page 1

relief and feeling hopeful. It fits with our coping mechanism,” Tara says. “But I also think that, Malcolm was so alive, so present, that doing something like this that is full-body aliveness felt like a perfect way to honor him.”

Pennington Montessori was one of Malcolm’s favorite places. After his passing, the school dedicated a grove of fruit tress on the grounds called Malcolm’s Orchard.

In addition to its ongoing support, the school has once again offered the use of the school grounds to start and end the run/walk in Malcolm’s honor. Many of the organizers and participants in the event are parents of Malcolm’s Pennington Montessori classmates.

“Pennington Montessori school is honored to host Miles for Malcolm. We wouldn’t think of having this event anywhere else. Everyone loved and misses Malcolm and his sweet spirit. His joyful nature lives on within the school. We are blessed to have the entire Wildszewski family as part of our school community,” Pennington Montessori director Kathleen Hannah said in a media release.

“We have this incredible team of people who make this possible,” says Kim, a minister at the Unitarian Universalist Church of at Washington Crossing. “Everyone on the team knew Malcolm, they were Malcolm’s closest friends, they are our closest friends.”

She says when the leadership team of the SUDC Foundation came to last year’s event, they were “mouths open in awe” at how the larger Hopewell community supported the event in such significant ways.

“To have our community come out and just be present to us and with us, and then also as an outcome to be able to raise so much money, makes us feel we can do a little bit of something both with our grief and with his death,” she says.

The first Miles for Malcolm event attracted some 370 registered participants — including virtual racers — and the Wildszewskis are hopeful of an even greater turnout this year.

“As much as we want this to be in celebration of Malcolm, we also want it to last longer that just one year or two years,” Kim says. “We want to try to imprint this in the community.”

The Wildszewskis have been in Hopewell Valley since 2014. They met in Washington, and lived in North Jersey for a time before settling here. They have two other children: Tobias, a second grader at Bear Tavern Elementary School, and Otis, who was born in 2021.

“Tobias is our 7 1/2-year-old. He is brilliant and bright and athletic and funny and charismatic and all the good things

you would want,” Kim says. “He is 2 1/2 years older than Malcolm. When Malcolm died, we knew we weren’t done parenting a toddler. Tara has carried each of our children, so we decided for her to get pregnant pretty immediately after his passing. Otis was born May 3, 2021.”

Before children, Tara was an avid runner. The data analyst and native of Omaha, Nebraska, has completed a marathon and several half marathons and often ran upward of 70 miles a week.

Kim, a native of Long Island, was never so avid a runner, though she shares that running actually played a significant role in hers and Tara’s relationship.

“I’ve only run one half marathon, and that was only because Tara was an incredible partner and incredibly patient and trained me,” Kim says. “I ran the half marathon with her and because of her. At the end of it, that’s when we decided we were going to get married. Helping each other specifically in that way is so much a part of our story.”

In addition to the races and fun run, Miles for Malcolm will also feature face painting, crafts, live music, vendors and more. Sign up for the timed and untimed, live and virtual races is online at milesformalcolm.org.

Registration is $35 (no fee for the fun run) and the organizers say that proceeds will benefit the SUDC Foundation’s mission to promote awareness, advocate for research, and support those affected by sudden unexplained death in childhood.

Miles for Malcolm will be held on Sunday, April 29, 2023 in honor of Malcolm Wildszewski, who died in May 2020 at the age of two.

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leadership of Taylor and Horne. And now, as the project moves onto its next phase, the co-founders and co-presidents have moved on.

LHT announced at the end of 2022 that Horne and Taylor would be stepping down from active leadership roles. Lisa Serieyssol joined the organization as its first executive director in December, and David Sandahl and John Murray assumed the roles of chair and vice chair of the LHT board on Jan. 1.

The organization held a celebration at Chambers Walk Café on Feb. 8 to honor Taylor’s and Horne’s decades-long dedication to the cause. The luncheon was attended by dozens of friends and colleagues of the duo.

In toasting Horne, LHT Treasurer Alan Hershey noted how she brings order and civility to every situation. Sandahl toasted Taylor, recalling how Becky Taylor’s “really good idea,” the LHT, has prevailed.

Board member and former Lawrence historian Dennis Waters announced plans to place two benches on the LHT route with plaques honoring two co-founders. Waters then displayed a mock-up of an interpretive sign, like those already placed on the trail. He noted that the LHT will design and place a historic marker

depicting the central role played by its cofounders in creating the LHT.

The evening ended in song, with guests singing the Roy Rogers classic “Happy Trails to You,” accompanied by John Murray on guitar.

Sandahl was on the Hopewell Township Committee 20 years ago, when the LHT was in its earliest stages of development.

“What I saw was a really powerful idea and the question was, ‘How do you make the idea a reality?’ And that’s what Becky and Eleanor have done,” he told the Express. “Not only to have a great idea, but to see it through until it gets done. And of course, in the trail world, the question is, ‘How do you do that when you don’t have a lot of money?’ And the answer is, you do a lot of outreach, a lot of coordination.”

In the beginning, Sandahl said, a lot of people were skeptical that the project would ever take off. “Twenty years later, people love the LHT and people want more trails. A hundred thousand people a year use the Lawrence Hopewell Trail.”

In all, Sandahl says, LHT has partnered with 24 local organizations, businesses, governments and land trusts to establish the trail.

“One thing Lisa and I will benefit from is 20 years of trial and error,” Sandahl said. “(Horne and Taylor) were able

Jack’s

landscape installation and renovation

to get the right people involved, talk to them, and something that is usually a fairly complicated process, they made approachable and practical to people.”

Key partners included Bristol-Myers Squibb — where Taylor had worked — and ETS, where Horne worked. The Mercer County Park Commission as well as the township committees of Lawrence and Hopewell were also instrumental in bringing the vision to life.

Serieyssol said LHT continues to support its flagship events — the Full Moon Bike Ride and Trail and Treat.

The Full Moon Bike Ride, a fundraiser for LHT, returned to the agenda last July after a pandemic-related hiatus. Before and during the nighttime ride, cyclists can enjoy live music as they ride through Mercer Meadows Park under the light of the moon.

The Trail and Treat bike ride, a Halloween-themed event intended for children 12 and under, offers games, face painting and live musical entertainment in Lawrence’s Village Park.

LHT has a number of other programs, including the Saturday Morning Walking Club, a free event held once a month on the trails; the Bike Club, in which participants are invited to ride together through various segments of the trail network; and Trails Day, organized by Rails to

Trails Conservancy and set this year for Sunday, April 23. For more details on all these events, go online to lhtrail.org.

Serieyssol joined the LHT from the Greater Mercer Transportation Management Association, where she served as program coordinator for the GMTMA’s Safe Routes to Schools program. She is also a member of Princeton’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee, which recently helped create more than 10 miles of bike boulevards in a loop connecting four elementary schools, the middle school and high school in Princeton.

“I have lived in Princeton for 20 years and I’ve known about the LHT and been a fan of it since the first paths were established,” Serieyssol told the Express. “Bike and pedestrian infrastructure, be it on road or off road, is something I’ve been paying attention to for a while.”

Serieyssol said she admires what Horne and Taylor have done. “They’ve accomplished an enormous amount over this 20-year period,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed working with them from afar and as a transportation professional.”

Serieyssol is looking forward to several upcoming LHT projects, including one that she worked on with Taylor and Horne before becoming executive director.

She said they worked together on a

project to create a connection between the LHT and Princeton. A grant award Princeton received through the Safe Routes to Schools project includes a proposal to connection the town’s trail networks at Rosedale Road. Serieyssol describes that project as being in the planning stage, and several years from implementation.

On a shorter timeline is the completion of two segments of the LHT in Lawrence, one at Maidenhead Meadows and the other on Pretty Brook Road. “They are fully funded and approved, and we’re hoping they will be constructed in the course of this year,” she said.

The Maidenhead Meadows project includes the installation of a boardwalk connection. The Pretty Brook installation, in the northeastern corner of Lawrence Township, will include a multiuse side path. Improvement plans for other segments of the trail are in various stages of design.

“One of the things we’re really interested in is, ‘How do you expand those connections and also engage other parts of the community who might not have access to the outdoors, might not have access to getting around safety on foot?’” Sandahl said. “We are looking pretty seriously at a couple ways that we can make that happen. To engage more people easy to imagine groups of school kids who

Among those in attendance at the Feb. 8 luncheon honoring Lawrence Hopewell Trail co-founders Becky Taylor and Eleanor Horne were Doug Caum, LHT project manager; Kevin Kuchinski, Hopewell Township Committee; Becky Taylor, LHT co-founder; Uma Purandare, Hopewell Township Committee; Eleanor Horne, LHT co-founder; David Sandahl, LHT chair; Lisa Serieyssol, LHT executive director; John Murray, LHT vice chair; and Lisa Wolff, FOHVOS executive director.

aren’t used to walking on trails. One thing that’s important about this is how much the federal government is pouring into this kind of project.”

Serieyssol said the U.S. Department of Transportation uses the term “active transportation” to encompass programs that support underserved communi-

ties and says the federal government is putting a big emphasis on funding such programs.

“You see people riding to work on their bikes because that a mode of transportation they have, but they’re riding along 206, and that’s bad,” Sandahl said. “They’re taking their life in their hands. We think we can help with that by providing better access. There are lots of people across the income spectrum who would get around differently if they had access to a safer trail.”

Serieyssol said that in communities throughout the country, there are a lot of organizations like Lawrence Hopewell Trail that are focused on creating more biking and pedestrian trails.

“Frankly the Interstate and U.S. highway systems are so embedded that trying to carve out a segment of the roadway for bicyclists and pedestrians within that scope has been a tough slog for a long time,” she said. “Now suddenly, through the (President Joe) Biden administration and Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the U.S.D.O.T. staff, there have been, in the last year, enormous waves of funding that are targeted at this kind of infrastructure.”

Some information from a Lawrence Hopewell Trail media release is included in this story.

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We’re so proud to offer our residents the best of the best—from dining and fitness centers to social calendars—because we don’t just care for you, we care about you. As a nationally ranked Senior Living community, we’re proof that doing what you love is always worth it. So come do it here.

We’re so proud to offer our residents the best of the best—from dining and fitness centers to social calendars—because we don’t just care for you, we care about you. As a nationally ranked Senior Living community, we’re proof that doing what you love is always worth it. So come do it here.

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WE LOVE OUR COMMUNITY. The experts do, too.

WE LOVE OUR COMMUNITY. The experts do, too.

Pair of Hopewell Valley LBs earn football scholarships

By Rich Fisher

There must have been something good in the air during the winter of 2004-05.

Declan MacCabe and David Ellis were born 26 days apart, with MacCabe arriving on Christmas Day of 2004 and Ellis following on Jan. 20. It’s only fitting they came into the world so close together, as their high school football and academic careers are also bound tightly — by excellence.

Both are linebackers, both play lacrosse and both are shining beacons for their school.

Ellis, a Pennington resident, was Hopewell Valley Central High’s honoree at this year’s 61st Annual George Wah Scholar-Leader-Athlete Awards Dinner, hosted by the Delaware Valley Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame on March 12 at the Princeton Marriott at Forrestal. MacCabe, who hails from Titusville, received the same recognition for Notre Dame. Each received a $1,000 scholarship,

which is awarded to all who are recognized; MacCabe received the additional Ed Cook $1,500 scholarship. Their awards are for their excellence on the football field and in the classroom and community, and both take those roles seriously.

“The DelVal scholarship meant a lot to me,” Ellis said. “For my coaches to choose me as the player on their team that they felt was most deserving of this award is something that I am extremely appreciative of.”

MacCabe felt it was validation that he’s doing something right.

“Winning the Scholar-Athlete award meant so much to me because it exemplifies what it means to be a student-athlete at the high school level,” he said. “Winning this prestigious award is so meaningful to me because it shows me that my work on and off the field is paying off and that I should continue what I am doing.”

MacCabe will continue doing it at Franklin and Marshall University in Lancaster, where he will play football and

study political science and economics. Ellis’ career on the gridiron is over, but he’s going to a football school and will major in health policy administration at

Penn State.

Both young men have left an indelible imprint on their high schools.

“Declan reminds me of Sen. (Bill) Bradley (a former Princeton/NBA star) whom I have had the pleasure to meet and hear speak on a number of occasions,” said ND coach Sean Clancy, whose senior linebacker led the team with 98 tackles and 12 tackles for losses. “Declan Brody is a truly remarkable young man who commits fully to all that he does because he is driven to be a success. Humble, kind and fiercely competitive — these are not often adjectives that can be strung together, but they describe Declan. He is destined to achieve at the highest level.”

Bulldogs coach Dave Caldwell said he saw something special in Ellis when his family moved to Pennington from the Pittsburgh suburb of Mars, Pa., prior to his freshman year. Despite coming from football-crazed Western Pennsylvania, that was his first year playing football and he caught on quickly and made impacts

See FOOTBALL, Page 15

Linebacker Declan MacCabe had 98 tackles for the Notre Dame High School defense in the fall 2022 season.

New Name and Major Expansion for CAPITAL HEALTH CARDIOLOGY PRACTICE

Capital Health Medical Group’s outpatient cardiology practice has seen significant expansion in recent years to meet the growing heart health needs of residents in the Mercer and Bucks county region. As part of the practice’s evolution and advancement, Mercer Bucks Cardiology has joined Capital Health Medical Group and, combined with the practice formerly known as Capital Health – Heart Care Specialists, is now collectively called Capital Health Cardiology Specialists.

With office locations in Columbus, Hamilton, Hopewell Township, Lawrenceville, and Robbinsville in New Jersey and Newtown in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, patients have greater access to board certified cardiology specialists.

“As Capital Health – Heart Care Specialists, our team of expert providers has been known for providing advanced interventional cardiology, cardiac imaging, electrophysiology, structural heart interventions and preventive cardiology services to patients in Central New Jersey and Lower Bucks County in Pennsylvania,” said Dr. Joshua Eisenberg, chief medical officer of Capital Health Medical Group and medical director of the Capital Health Heart & Vascular Institute. “Mercer Bucks Cardiology has had a similar mission in local communities for 25 years, and by joining us under one banner as Capital Health Cardiology Specialists, our greatly expanded team gives residents throughout Mercer, Bucks and Burlington counties even greater access to the advanced care they need to help promote heart healthy living.”

Providers at Capital Health Cardiology Specialists include board certified cardiology experts who are highly trained in interventional cardiology, cardiac imaging, electrophysiology, structural heart interventions and preventive cardiology. Working closely with patients’ primary care providers and referring physicians, they provide complete and accurate evaluations of cardiac conditions and ensure continuity of care.

All Capital Health Medical Group offices use a shared electronic medical records system, which allows providers to access medical records on a secure network, making it convenient for patients to continue their care

across the network of primary and specialty care providers. Patients can also manage their health easier using Capital Health Medical Group’s patient portal, which allows patients to conveniently access information about any of their office visits online.

To learn more about Capital Health Cardiology Specialists, visit capitalhealthcardiology.org for more information.

Capital Health Cardiology Specialists – Columbus 23203 Columbus Road, Suite I, Columbus, NJ 08022 609.303.4838 | capitalhealthcardiology.org/columbus

Capital Health Cardiology Specialists – Hamilton

1445 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road, Suite 110 Hamilton, NJ 08619 609.303.4838 | capitalhealthcardiology.org/hamilton

Capital Health Cardiology Specialists – Hopewell

Two Capital Way, Suite 385, Pennington, NJ 08534 609.303.4838 | capitalhealthcardiology.org/hopewell

Capital Health Cardiology Specialists – Lawrenceville 3140 Princeton Pike, 2nd Floor, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 609.895.1919 | capitalhealthcardiology.org/lawrenceville

Capital Health Cardiology Specialists – Newtown 796 Newtown-Yardley Road, Suite 200, Newtown, PA 18940 609.303.4838 | capitalhealthcardiology.org/newtown

Capital Health Cardiology Specialists – Pheasant Run 104 Pheasant Run, Suite 128, Newtown, PA 18940 215.860.3344 | capitalhealthcardiology.org/pheasantrun

Capital Health Cardiology Specialists – Robbinsville

1 Union Street, Suite 101, Robbinsville, NJ 08691 609.632.0140 | capitalhealthcardiology.org/robbinsville

Colorectal Screening: When Do I Need a Colonoscopy?

Colorectal cancer numbers are unfortunately rising in young people – meaning before 50 years old. The reason is not clear, but it goes to show why it’s more important than ever to understand screening recommendations and processes, and how they are crucial to your health.

Abnormal cells that form into polyps in the body take about 10 to 15 years to potentially develop into colorectal cancer. By screening and identifying these abnormal cells and polyps through tests such as a colonoscopy, you and your physician can intervene and remove them before they have the chance to turn into cancer. In addition to detection and intervention, screening can also find colorectal cancer early, when it’s smaller and easier to treat.

Screening Recommendations

Colorectal cancer almost always develops in precancerous polyps – growths – in the colon or rectum. Screening identifies these polyps, and removing them prevents cancer from forming. Colorectal polyps and colorectal cancers don’t always cause symptoms, especially in the early stages. That is why getting screened regularly for colorectal cancer is so important.

The American Cancer Society recommends colon screening for everyone, beginning at age 45. If you have a strong family history of colorectal polyps or cancer, talk with your doctor about your risk level. Earlier screening may be recommended.

Screening Options

As the only test that examines the entire colon, colonoscopy remains the gold standard for colon screening. However, other screening processes are available, so it’s important to speak with your physician to learn about the various screening types and determine which option is best for you.

Stool tests look at the stool for possible signs of colorectal cancer or polyps. They are typically done at home, so many people find them easier than tests like a colonoscopy. However, this type of test needs to be done more frequently and has a higher false positive rate than a colonoscopy. A colonoscopy will be required if stool test results are abnormal, so if you used your insurance to pay for the at-home test, the follow-up colonoscopy may not be covered.

Colonoscopy is a screening test that involves a colonoscope – a lighted camera on the end of a flexible tube – that passes through

your anus and rectum into your colon. Along the way, it sends pictures of the inside of your large intestine to a screen that helps your physician identify any polyps that are present. Polyps can also be removed during the procedure, and tissue may be biopsied afterward. Some preparation is required for a colonoscopy, but your physician will guide you through the process, which can begin a few days before the screening. Some find the preparation challenging, but the benefits of cancer prevention are invaluable. A colonoscopy also has the longest interval between tests if the exam is normal. To schedule a colonoscopy at Capital Health, visit capitalhealthcancer.org/colonoscopy or call 609.303.4444.

Colorectal Cancer Signs and Symptoms

Colorectal cancer may not show any signs or symptoms, which is just another reason why screening is so important. However, if you notice any of these signs, it’s crucial that you speak with your doctor to discuss what it could mean.

… Sudden diarrhea, constipation, or other unusual bowel habits such as narrowing of the stool, that last for more than a few days

A feeling that you need to have a bowel movement that is not relieved by having one

… Rectal bleeding with bright red blood

… Blood in the stool, which might make it look dark brown or black

… Abdominal pain or cramping

… Weakness and fatigue

… Noticeable weight loss

Two Board Certified Family Medicine Physicians Join Capital Health Primary Care – West Windsor

Dr. Shital Kayastha and Dr. Aviral Yadav, two board certified family medicine physicians, have joined Capital Health Primary Care – West Windsor, located at 352 Princeton-Hightstown Road, West Windsor, New Jersey. They are part of a growing team of board certified doctors at the West Windsor office that includes Dr. Sumiya Ahmed and Dr. Radhika Laskarzewski.

“I am pleased to welcome Dr. Kayastha and Dr. Yadav to our West Windsor office,” said Dr. Radhika Laskarzewski, lead physician at Capital Health Primary Care – West Windsor. “Adding two board certified family medicine providers to our team enables us to continue to serve the needs of our patients and the community by helping prevent illness, handling everyday medical needs, managing chronic health issues, and providing care for children (newborns and older), adolescents, and adults.”

DR. KAYASTHA is board certified in family medicine. After receiving her medical degree from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg, West Virginia, she completed her family practice residency at St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway, New York.

Oh, My Aching Head!

Monday, May 1, 2023 | 6 p.m. Location: Zoom Meeting

Do you or someone you know suffer from frequent headaches? Join DR. DWAYNE BROWN, director of the Comprehensive Headache Center at Capital Institute for Neurosciences, to discuss the diagnosis and treatment of the most common headache disorders, including migraine, tension and cluster headaches.

This event will be taking place virtually using Zoom. Register online at capitalhealth.org/events and be sure to include your email address. Zoom meeting details will be provided via email 2 – 3 days before the program date. Registration ends 24 hours before the program date.

DR. YADAV is board certified in family medicine. He received his medical degree from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Bradenton, Florida and completed his residency in family medicine at Jefferson Health in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His clinical interests include obesity medicine and preventative medicine.

As part of Capital Health Medical Group, a network of more than 500 physicians and other clinicians who provide primary and specialty care, Capital Health Primary Care – West Windsor offers in-person and virtual primary care visits, as well as easy access to experienced specialists and the most advanced care in the region at nearby Capital Health hospitals.

Office hours at Capital Health Primary Care – West Windsor are on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and Wednesday (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.). To make an appointment with Dr. Kayastha or Dr. Yadav, call 609.537.7400 or visit capitalhealth.org/westwindsor.

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

on and off the field.

“What distinguishes David from other captains we had, is that he not only led by example, but he led vocally and had the courage to hold his teammates accountable,” Caldwell said. “David always gave his best effort maximizing his athletic ability and therefore expecting his teammates to do the same. David’s work ethic and positive attitude inspires his teammates. And his ability to volunteer his time in the school community, work a part-time job and maintain high academic standards is exceptional.”

On the gridiron, Ellis was the team’s most consistent defensive player while at linebacker. He garnered 50 tackles, three sacks and three sacks for loss. As a senior captain he won the Bulldogs “Chain Award”; given to the player who leads by example, is willing to play multiple positions and physically competes with the understanding that iron sharpens iron.

In the classroom, Ellis has a cumulative grade point average of 3.7. He is involved in HVCHS’s SMAC (Student Movement Against Cancer), Cancer Club, Hiking Club and Ski Club, as well as serving as a student ambassador and playing lacrosse in the spring.

David’s volunteer work is with HomeFront Homeless Shelter and as a camp counselor at Hopewell’s Youth Football Camp. He also squeezes in time to work at Vito’s pizza.

“I enjoy volunteering and giving back to less fortunate people and communities,” Ellis said. “I think it is important to recognize that not everybody is as fortunate as a lot of people in the Hopewell area, which is why me, my mother, and my brother spent a large part of our summer volunteering at the Homefront in efforts to give back to others.”

Ellis considers his senior football season a high school highlight, considering a team that was not picked to do well went on to the state playoffs. He credits Caldwell for making him part of it.

“I cannot speak enough to how great of a coach and person Dave Caldwell is,” Ellis said. “I credit all of my success throughout high school to him. He made sure to stay on top of his player’s grades and pushed us to be the best version of ourselves on and off the field.”

MacCabe was certainly the best version he could be in both areas.

Declan was a three-year starter at linebacker, earning All-Area and All-Division honors as a junior and senior. He led the Irish with 98 tackles last fall and was named to the All-Non Public and Super 100 All-State teams. During the spring, MacCabe is a captain and All-Area performer in lacrosse.

In the classroom, he has a 93.3 (out

of 100) grade-point average. Declan is a National Honor Society and Italian National Honor Society member, serves as a Peer Tutor and made Honor Roll with Distinction his first two years at ND.

Much like Ellis, he understands the importance of helping others.

“I do enjoy volunteering,” MacCabe said. “Not only is it a great feeling to give back, but it really gives you a reality check. Sadly, not everyone is as fortunate as me. This has made me truly appreciate what I have. My parents instilled the importance of service to my community throughout my childhood.

“Service is heavily woven into Notre Dame’s curriculum. This helps students understand their purpose in the world and the impact of a successful academic career on the community. Through the different organizations I have worked with whether it is CAC (Catholic Athletes for Christ), Homefront, The Diocese of Trenton, or the Special Olympics, I have learned lessons from all the wonderful people involved.”

In looking back on high school, MacCabe is proudest of the balance he managed to maintain between academics and athletics.

“I have been fortunate to play two sports throughout my time at Notre Dame, while successfully managing a rigorous academic schedule and solidifying some of the most important interpersonal relationships with my friends, teammates, teachers and coaches,” he said. “Having a good balance with the social, academic and athletic aspects of life have always been a challenge to high schoolers so being able to have done this is awesome.”

And Hopewell Township can take awesome pride in having two such studentathletes representing its town.

David Ellis excelled on the gridiron and in the classroom at Hopewell Valley Central High School.

Earth Day 2023: Finding hope in nature and our youth

organization known as the Outdoor Equity Alliance (njoea.org).

With a column entitled Nature in The Valley, it is not surprising that each April, I write an Earth Day piece. I must confess that my favorite was the Earth Day 50th Anniversary column, “Let’s Not Return to Normal,” penned in 2020 as Covid-19 was emerging.

It discussed positive environmental changes and offered a hopeful message from a naïve author who could not foresee the pandemic fatigue that would ultimately follow.

Yet, with the benefit of hindsight, I still believe that the pandemic provided people with some time to reflect and appreciate how the outdoors can contribute to overall health and wellbeing.

At FoHVOS, we saw more people using our preserves, gardening with earth-friendly native plants, and taking an interest in positive steps to help the earth. Flash ahead to today and though the intensity has decreased, those changes have endured.

In addition, the coalition of schools, nonprofits and government agencies that we co-founded in 2019 to remove barriers and inspire people of all ages, ethnicities, abilities, and income levels to realize the benefits of the outdoors, gained traction as the topic of environmental justice became more prevalent in the public domain.

In 2020, our local coalition formally became a FoHVOS fiscally sponsored

In 2021, the school district built on the momentum of increased awareness and introduced Green Week to expand the observance beyond a single Earth Day. Their theme for the inaugural Green Week was “Environmental Justice.”

Green Week sought to unite the entire community around common goals of environmental justice and sustainability.

HVRSD burnished its credentials by releasing a district wide Environmental Stewardship Statement which promised, among other things, to use resources wisely and mobilize “… our students, staff and the wider community, by providing them with the knowledge and skills to envision and create an environmentally just and sustainable future.”

Green Week put that statement into action by offering exciting community events every evening, and ensuring that students at each school engaged in projects to explore solutions to environmental challenges. Students and local environmental organizations led presentations and projects and keynote Green Week events included film screenings followed by panel discussions featuring local conservation experts.

My favorite community event was Eco-Trivia Night hosted on Zoom by CHS Social Studies teacher Aaron Lewy. It was a total blast as community teams of up to four screens were proctored by students to answer conservation-related trivia questions. Proceeds from the event supported the Outdoor Equity Alliance.

In 2022, the district’s commitment

to conservation reached new heights exceeding their original environmental stewardship statement. Students from the Youth Environmental Society (YES Club) guided by Carolyn McGrath, researched and developed a climate action proposal, which they presented to the HVRSD Board of Education.

Their proposal, adopted by the BOE, included recommended actions that would result in significantly reduced environmental impacts for the school District over the next decade.

Their climate action plan and video documenting the process were also entered into a statewide Student Climate Challenge. As a result, New Jersey’s First Lady, Tammy Murphy, honored the YES team at Drumthwacket in Princeton with a first-place award and a $2,500 grant.

HVRSD Green Week also returned in 2022, featuring the theme of “Climate Solutions” and introduced events similar to the previous year but geared toward its new theme. The one event that remained unchanged was Eco-Trivia night benefitting the OEA.

That brings us to 2023. The Green Week theme is “Climate Action.” It is befitting to move from solutions to action and Green Week activities will take action in many forms.

The 8-day “week” will run from April 15 to April 22 and kicks off on April 15 with YES club students supporting the final FoHVOS Clean Communities Day.

On Sunday, April 16, Hopewell Valley Central High School student sustainability leaders and fashion researcher Michelle Gabriel will host a screening and panel discussion of The True Cost: Fast Fashion film and discussion, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Hopewell Theater. The film explores the environmental and human impacts of the fashion industry.

Beginning Monday, April 17, the elementary schools will be planting a variety of trees, native plants, vegetables, or herbs. Each school will lead outdoor lessons and learning activities that support the district Green Week.

Timberlane Middle School will demonstrate climate action by sharing the tremendous results they have achieved through their 2019 partnership with FoHVOS to install a Rain Garden to manage persistent flooding in front of the school. TMS serves as a model in effective stormwater management as statewide legislators continues to grapple with the issue.

TMS will install new signage that not only shares the engineering behind its rain garden, but also the benefits it gleaned converting the front lawn to meadow and how residents can do the same.

Central High School will house the lion’s share of Green Week Activity action and begins by welcoming youth climate activist Nyombi Morris, who will be meeting with Hopewell students on Monday, April 17.

On Tuesday, April 18, CHS will screen a short documentary that includes Black farmers and the work that is being done to reclaim regenerative and ancestral farming practices. A follow-up panel of speakers will include Renata Barnes, OEA director of programs and community engagement, CHS student participants in the OEA Agrihood internship, and the owner of Pennington’s Wildflower Farms, as well as FoHVOS board trustee Tomia MacQueen.

On Wednesday, April 19, at 7 p.m., the HVRSD Climate Action Committee will offer a presentation on their awardwinning work to create the district Climate Action Plan.

Throughout the week CHS Students will host a “Week of Climate Action at CHS” including a student lead climate solutions fair, climate careers panel discussion, climate mental health film, and a presentation by students who are going to Washington to advocate for climate education and youth mental health.

And of course, brought back by popular demand, on Thursday, April 20 Aaron Lewy will once again host my beloved Eco-Trivia night, benefiting the OEA. Carolyn McGrath has promised that trivia questions will be easier than past years, and great prizes will be awarded to the winners!

As I contemplate the communitywide Green Week offerings, I realize that the concentration of events around our schools is no coincidence. The greatest promise to address climate issues are the youth saddled with the need to avert the possible crisis that looms.

If we look to Hopewell as a model, we can find tremendous hope that our young people appreciate the many benefits of nature and are prepared for the environmental challenges they may face in the future.

Lisa Wolff NATURE IN THE VALLEY

Lisa Wolff is the executive director of Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space. Email: lwolff@fohvos.org.

Strengthened ratable base leads to lower taxes for residents

Kevin D. Kuchinski FRom THE ToWNsHIp

One of the core duties of the Hopewell Township Committee is to deliver the services our residents expect for the lowest possible cost.

We take this responsibility seriously and work together each year with township professionals to zero-base expenditures and look for opportunities to save money and deliver services more efficiently. A good example of how we’ve increased efficiency is our investment in new, larger Public Works trucks over the past few years. Each of these vehicles adds an axle and has a longer and higher truck bed. As a result, we are able to carry almost twice as much salt on each snowclearing run, and pick up twice as many leaves and brush in the fall and spring,

before needing to return to the municipal complex to reload or drop off materials. In a township of almost 60 square miles, this results in significant savings.

There is another strategy we’ve employed to help hold the line on taxes. The committee is working to strengthen our ratable base, contributing to a lower tax rate for township residents.

Hopewell Township’s ratable base is the total property value of all the businesses, retail outlets and residences in our community. Taxes are determined by applying the total monies that need to be raised against the total township ratables, such that higher ratables reduce the tax burden.

In 2021, the township’s total ratable base was just over $3.8 billion dollars. With the successful reinvention of the BMS and Merrill Lynch campuses, our ongoing efforts to attract new small businesses and stronger home values,

our ratable base has grown in each of the last two years, increasing by 1.8% in 2022 and an additional 2.7% in 2023, to almost $4 billion dollars.

This means that the cost of municipal services, our schools, the fire district and other services in a given year are spread over a larger base, which can reduce an individual resident or business’ tax burden. See the table below for an example of how small changes in our ratable base in 2022 led to a 2% reduction in the overall tax rate for residents.

This represents real savings for our residents and small business community. Further, increases in our ratable base not only impact the municipal tax rate, but also county, school district and fire district tax rates.

We will be introducing our 2023 Municipal Budget at the April 3 Hopewell Township Committee meeting and sharing additional insights on where

Examples of the importance of the township’s ratable base

township finances are headed. With the continued strengthening of the township’s ratable base and new, anticipated revenues from PILOT agreements starting in 2024 or 2025, as well as our ongoing efforts to reduce spending, we foresee additional opportunities ahead on the budget and will continue to manage it thoughtfully and strategically.

I look forward to sharing more details on our 2023 Budget next month. If you have questions or other ideas on how we can make township government more effective and efficient, please feel free to reach out to me or any one of the other committee members. My direct email is kdkhopewelltwp@gmail.com or you can reach me via phone at (609) 439-8044.

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Kevin D. Kuchinski is a member of the Hopewell Township Committee. Hopewell Township provided this content.

Back story: A surgical adventure

Robin Schore sCHoRE To pLEAsE

So do you want to hear about my surgery? Of course not. Nobody wants to listen to a symphony of whining, sniveling self-pity.

Too bad. You’re going to hear about it anyway.

When I was told by the orthopedic surgeon that I’d need back surgery or horrible things would happen to me, like not being able to walk, I discovered that everyone I knew either had back surgery or knew someone who did. That shouldn’t have been surprising, since more than 72 million people in this country suffer from chronic lower back pain.

Fellow backache sufferers assured me that following surgery, I’d experience excruciating pain for the first two weeks and serious discomfort for the next four weeks. Stairs would be a challenge, and I’d need P.T., O.T., a walker, a cane, a shower chair and help tying my shoes.

Because I lead an unblemished life and think only the purest thoughts, none of the predictions came true, except that I did have to hire a professional to tie my shoes.

In addition to having my back carved up, I had a “cage” installed to stabilize my bottom two lumbar vertebrae, a metal contraption originally developed to save the life of the great Triple Crown winning racehorse Seattle Slew. One Dr. George Bagby invented the “Bagby Bone Basket” that allowed the horse to be put out to stud rather than to be put out of its misery. (No one ever offered me those choices.)

As my late cousin Louie, the bookie, used to say, “I owe it all to a horse.”

According to family lore, Louie was arrested at his wedding for bookmaking, and had to be bailed out by his new

mother-in-law.

Incidentally, the cage installed between my L-4 and L-5 vertebrae is made of titanium, rendering me at one with my bicycle.

During my three nights in the hospital, I enjoyed the spiteful routine of being awakened repeatedly to check my temperature, blood pressure and whether I was safe or sane.

At least once each night I was asked,

nurses, I felt outraged at being asked such obvious questions, perhaps a sign that I really was deranged. So on night two I answered, “I am in a lab. I was kidnapped by alien life forms. They have invaded my brain hoping to extract the secret for ruling the universe. And, yes, today is Feezleday.”

The next question was perfectly reasonable and designed to protect people who might otherwise be

At least once each night I was asked, ‘Where are you? Do you know why you are here? Do you know what day it is?’ The purpose of these questions was obvious: Had I gone nuts as a result of the surgery?

“Where are you? Do you know why you are here? Do you know what day it is?”

The purpose of these questions was obvious: Had I gone nuts as a result of the surgery?

The first time, I gave a straight answer. The second time, I couldn’t resist being a wiseass. Rather than reassure the

helpless victims: Do you live in a safe environment?

“Safe environment? Are you kidding? My grandchildren leave Hot Wheels and Legos all over the floor. You call that safe?” And the last question, “ Do you think about hurting yourself?”

“No, I don’t think about it, but I hurt

myself all the time. I banged my head getting into the car last week. I cracked my shin on the open dishwasher door, and I stabbed my thumb with a screwdriver trying to take apart the Dustbuster.”

When I was finally freed from the hospital, I was told, “No BLTs,” i.e., Bending, Lifting or Twisting. Consequently, I learned to pick things up from the floor with my toes. After four weeks of diligent practice, I was able to hold a banana with one foot and peel it with the other.

I was also told to do lots of walking, as that is the best way of rehabilitating nerves that may have been affected by the surgery or by the original spinal stenosis. I walked compulsively. Initially, I tromped endless loops around the hospital floor.

Once home, my treks ranged from 6 feet to the refrigerator to 7.5 miles around Hopewell Borough and beyond. When I came to railroad crossings with the gates down, I bided my time by counting the train cars as they roared past. Highest number of rolling stock: 88. One of my hikes included the twomile Hopewell-Sourlands Trail, where I encountered two adjacent signs. One read, “Absolutely No Deer Hunting.” And the one next to it: “Hunting in Progress.”

At my first postoperative visit to the surgeon, I fished for positive reinforcement and asked whether my recovery was more dramatic than that of other patients, since so many had told me about their long and uncomfortable recoveries.

The surgeon assured me that I was an “overachiever.” Finally.

Of course, the downside of the surgery is that when people say to me, “Sir, you have no backbone,” I have to agree.

Robin schore lives in Hopewell Borough.

NOTICE TO PERSONS WANTING MAIL-IN BALLOTS

If you are a qualified and registered voter of New Jersey who wants to vote by mail in the Primary Election to be held on June 6, 2023, the following applies:

• You must be registered as a Democrat or Republican by no later than April 12, 2023 to be able to receive a mail-in ballot.

• You must complete the application form below and send it to the county clerk where you reside or write or apply in person to the county clerk where you reside to request a mail-in ballot.

• The name, address, and signature of any person who has assisted you to complete the mail-in ballot application must be provided on the application, and you must sign and date the application.

• No person may serve as an authorized messenger

or bearer for more than three qualified voters in an election but a person may serve as such for up to five qualified voters in an election if those voters are immediate family members residing in the same household as the messenger or bearer.

• No person who is a candidate in the election for which the voter requests a mail-in ballot may provide any assistance in the completion of the ballot or serve as an authorized messenger or bearer.

• A person who applies for a mail-in ballot must submit his or her application so that it is received at least seven days before the election, but such person may request an application in person from the county clerk up to 3 p.m. of the day before the election.

• Voters who want to vote by mail in all future

elections will, after their initial request and without further action on their part, be provided with a mail-in ballot until the voter requests otherwise in writing.

• Application forms may be obtained by applying to the undersigned either in writing or by telephone. Or the application form provided below may be completed and forwarded to the undersigned.

• If you are currently signed up to receive mail-in ballots, but wish to now vote at the polls, either on Election Day or before, in accordance with NJ’s new “Early Voting” law, you must first opt out of vote by mail by notifying the county clerk in writing at the address below. You may find a form for removal from the permanent list on the Mercer County Clerk’s website at www.mercercounty.org/ government/county-clerk/elections.

Dated: April 11, 2023, Mercer County Clerk, Paula Sollami Covello, 209 S. Broad St., Election Dept., P.O. Box 8068, Trenton, NJ 08650, 609-989-6495

Blink and they’re grown.

APY *

4.25% APY *

APY *

*APY = Annual Percentage Yield. Rate is effective as of February 15, 2023 , and is subject to change without notice. Penalty for early withdrawal may apply. Fees could reduce the earnings. A $5 Membership Account is required for this promotion. New money only. One certificate, business certificate or IRA certificate per person with a minimum deposit of $500 and a maximum deposit of $500,000. The 7-month certificate will renew as a 12-month certificate at the end of the 7-month period. The 13-month certificate will renew as a 12-month certificate at the end of the 13-month period . The 17-month certificate will renew as an 18-month certificate at the end of the 17-month period.

*Restrictions apply. Visit gocunj.com/saving for complete details.

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