12-22 EO

Ross finds a musical voice with youth orchestra

BY CAMMIE LEE

Editor’s note: The Trenton Youth Orchestra comprises Trenton Central High School musicians who rehearse weekly, guided by students from Princeton University. The profile below tells the story of one of the orchestra’s student musicians.

Ashanti Ross has the kind of stage presence that arrests you with its unassuming regality. She betrays no fear, no tension, no anxiety—as a soloist in the Trenton Arts at Princeton showcase last spring, she takes the stage without any hesitation.

With the Trenton Youth Orchestra, she performs an arrangement of Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla’s “Oblivion”—a complex and virtuosic tango piece requiring tasteful, daring improvisation.

When she begins to play, tossing out trills and flourishes with silky ease, the power and beauty of her sound still the room.

Ashanti then hooks up her vio-

Steward fights on the front line against homelessness

BY REBEKAH SCHROEDER

Sarah Steward has big shoes to fill. There is no question about that for the person chosen to take over from HomeFront’s longtime CEO and founder, Connie Mercer, who led the nonprofit organization in combating family homelessness and poverty for 31 years.

But Steward naturally stepped into them, bringing with her a recognition of the task ahead, as well as a message of timeless importance—rather than focus on ‘replacing’ Mercer, Steward had already been working alongside her to fill stomachs across Mercer County for seven years, equally nourishing minds and spirits as HomeFront’s COO.

HomeFront, based in Lawrence Township, announced Mercer’s transition back in March. In an April interview with the Lawrence Gazette, the pioneer behind the area’s first family shelter shared her intentions to pursue “bigger picture issues,” such as legislative reforms, before passing the torch. See STEWARD, Page 4

Mayor re-elected to fourth term

BY BILL SANSERVINO

All incumbents running in municipal and school races won reelection in this year’s election on Nov. 8.

According to unofficial results as of Nov. 21, in the race for mayor, incumbent Democrat Bert Steinmann easily won re-election to his fourth four-year term over Republican Ron Prykanowski by a wide margin—7,546 to 3,064.

Steinmann is the longest-serving mayor in Ewing history, since the township instituted the mayorcouncil form of government in 1994.

The mayor’s Democratic running mates—incumbents Kathleen Wollert and Sarah Steward—also outpaced Republican challengers Colleen DiPastina and William Andres for two open four year terms on the township council.

Steward was the top vote getter with 7,548, followed by Wollert with 7,421, DiPastina with 2,987 and Andres with 2,911.

In the race for three open threeyear terms on the Ewing Township

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Sarah Steward, the new CEO of Lawrence-based nonprofit Homefront, with her predecessor, Connie Mercer.

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ELEcTION continued from Page 1

Board of Education, incumbents Daniel Angebranndt, Nicole N.W. Harris and Michael Miller defeated their challengers—the husband-wife team of Crystal Fedeli and Kurtis Warner.

Harris received the most votes with 5,598, followed by Miller with 4,767 and Angebranndt with 4,630. Bringing up the rear were Fedeli with 3,123 and Warner with 2,368.

County wide, more people cast their ballots on election day (60,417) than by early voting and mail (39,413). A total of 42.27% of Mercer County’s 236,158 registered voters cast their ballots this year.

This year’s election was not without its problems, though. An election day glitch throughout all towns in Mercer County delayed tabulation of the results for several days. A problem scanning ballots cast on election day meant that voters had to submit their choices via paper ballots and sharpies. The problem was discovered by poll workers shortly after the poll opened, said Nathaniel Walker, Mercer County Superintendent of elections

According to officials, coding marks printed on the paper ballots was not being accepted by the scanning machines. Officials have called for investigations into the cause of the problem amidst allegations of corruption by some members of the public.

Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami

Covello said that she has asked the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office to look into “whether the scanning problem occurred based on an error, or whether something was intentionally done to create chaos and distrust in the election system.”

She added: “We are not suspicious of any specific wrongdoing, but we do need to investigate the matter fully. At the end of the day, as county clerk, I must certify the election results so I have an interest in the integrity of our system.”

County Executive Brian Hughes also called for the matter to be looked into and for changes in the way elections are run in Mercer.

“We’ve got too many people in control and the quality of our elections has suffered as a result, undermining peoples’ faith in the democratic process,” Hughes said.

In Mercer County, there are three separate entities that play a role in elections—the Board of Elections, the Superintendent of Elections and the Office of the County Clerk.

“After issues in the last two elections, I have come to the conclusion that we must fundamentally change the management of the election process in Mercer County because it is clearly not working,” the county executive said.

Hunger is Surging In Our Community

YouHCan elp!

It's not too late! Scan the code or visit trentonsoupkitchen.org to give a meal this holiday season to help your neighbors in need.

We are a newsroom of your neighbors. The Ewing Observer 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.

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Bill Sanservino (Ext. 104)

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So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger (Luke 2:16).

Following a national search for the best candidate to succeed Mercer, the Home Front Board of Trustees “unanimously” circled back to the COO, a Ewing native who joined the team in 2016. When Steward began her new position on Oct. 1, Mercer was able to move on to the next stage in her career, leaving the ‘front of house’ operations in familiar hands.

Join us for the 35th annual Live Manger on the front lawn of Bethany Lutheran Church, 1125 Parkside Avenue, Ewing, NJ

Join us for the 35th annual Live Manger on the front lawn of Bethany Lutheran Church, 1125 Parkside Avenue, Ewing, NJ

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2022.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2022.

The children, teens, and adults will present the story of Jesus birth at 7:00 p.m.

Steward found her footing initially as a col lege intern for Democratic Congressman Rush Holt, who then hired her for various roles in his “government constituent ser vices office, legislative team on Capitol Hill,” and his successful campaigns for the U.S. House of Representatives.

The children, teens, and adults will present the story of Jesus birth at 7:00 p.m.

“It’s been an amazing time, and it was exactly what I was hoping for—something that was going to put my network and my passion for this community, specifically, into service.”

Steward recalls that Mercer expressed a certain satisfaction in the board’s eventual choice, the latter explaining, “jokingly, that she’s glad that they came to the right deci sion, because she picked me for this job seven years ago.”

“I count myself as incredibly lucky to be able to be here, to be doing something that means a lot to the community but also means a lot to me,” Steward says. “I realize that not everyone has the opportunity to do something they love every day, and I do— and I’m really grateful for that.”

The children and teachers of our Sunday school will lead the singing of our favorite Christmas carols. Live animals (petting zoo from Shenandoah Farms) will be present. Free hot chocolate and cookies will be served by Bethany's women’s society and congregational volunteers. Everyone is invited to join us and experience the wonderful joy of the true meaning of Christmas as told by our chi ldren.

The children and teachers of our Sunday school will lead the singing of our favorite Christmas carols. Live animals (petting zoo from Shenandoah Farms) will be present. Free hot chocolate and cookies will be served by Bethany's women’s society and congregational volunteers. Everyone is invited to join us and experience the wonderful joy of the true meaning of Christmas as told by our children.

As Steward rose to be Holt’s deputy chief of staff and district director, she worked with him for over a decade, both closer to home in West Windsor and in Washington, D.C. By the time Holt chose not to run for reelec tion after his loss in the 2013 Senate race, Steward was actively using her experiences to propel a dream of public service.

All children will have the opportunity to pet the animals after the performance.

All children will have the opportunity to pet the animals after the performance.

Share in the story of Jesus’ birth in a special way!

Share in the story of Jesus’ birth in a special way!

Je sus Is Born!

That same year, Steward found a new voice as a member of the Ewing Township Council, where her appointment at age 31 effectively made her the youngest person in local history to have such a designation. This gusto for government also earned Steward the title of council president. Stew ard easily won re-election to a new four-year term on Nov. 8.

On her first day working for HomeFront, Steward recalls getting everything set up, which included a trip to the supply closet. She noticed that behind that very door, fate had seemingly stacked itself in boxes await ing her arrival, as her own handwriting was already on each of them.

“When we closed Rush’s office, we had donated everything to HomeFront, so I got reunited with all my supplies. I have the same stapler on my desk,” Steward laughs.

Although Steward was “coming into the organization with a background in under standing the needs of our community and the support we can offer,” the ability to learn HomeFront’s operations from the founder herself was an honor she never took lightly.

“Connie was our best case manager, our best fundraiser, our best public relations firm; she was so many things to this orga nization,” Steward says. “It really is going to take a team of us to continue on her legacy.”

Steward says that HomeFront’s Fam ily Campus—a sprawling site established in 2015 on the grounds of a former military base in Ewing—is the organization’s home base for meeting the needs of each family with, “depending on how you count them,” about 35 active programs.

They include: access to emergency hous ing; educational and child care; health and wellness; enrichment opportunities; part ner agencies like WomanSpace; and “Hire Expectations,” which offers “job training and career support.”

“I think about Connie’s work over the last 30 years, and she built this amazing organi zation, and it has scaled up so significantly, but at the end of the day—and she would tell

Jesus Is Born!

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger (Luke 2:16).

you this still, up until her last day at Home Front—we do this work ‘family by family,’ so having those educational, life skills, and career supports wrapped up in everything else is an important part that helps us to make sure that this change is lasting and long-term,” Steward says.

Mercer’s pivot to a broader reach beyond the day-to-day operations of HomeFront became possible when observing the orga nization during the COVID-19 pandemic, Steward says.

“Every organization always thinks, ‘How would we react if something truly terrible happens? Are we really designed, are we built right now, to withstand an incredibly difficult situation?’ We did—and came out, in some ways, even stronger on the other side,” Steward explains, with HomeFront “surviv ing and thriving” despite the conditions.

“[Mercer] realized that she really had built something that was going to last, that she had a really strong team in place to continue this work on, and then it was the right time for her to change her role here a little bit,” Steward adds. “That’s an incredible compliment to me, and I take that to heart.”

Steward’s interest in the political sector was piqued by an American government class at Franklin and Marshall College, where she graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s in both government and psychology. In 2018, she also completed her master’s in public administration from Rut gers University.

As of press time, Steward is still fulfilling her duties as an adjunct professor for Saint Peter’s University’s MPA program, as well as HomeFront’s COO, given the hunt for her replacement remains ongoing.

But even with a full schedule and new responsibilities, Steward maintains that HomeFront shares the same guiding prin ciples as it did under Mercer.

“What Connie built here is an organiza

tion that can respond to whatever the great est needs are for families in our community, so in some sense, the mission will remain unchanged,” she explains. “We are taking on this incredibly large challenge of trying to end family homelessness. That is an auda cious goal, in some sense, but if you read our mission statement, it’s ending family home lessness, but it’s also lessening the immedi ate pain of families that are living in poverty or experiencing homelessness.”

“We’re always going to do those two sides of the coin, and we’re always going to respond to whatever today’s challenges are,” she says, adding that while those may differ from years prior, a focus as of late has been on the lack of affordable housing available.

Mercer started HomeFront in reaction to seeing families live in motels along Route 1, and she was able to drastically lower that number until the pandemic. Now, Steward says, “there is a real disconnect between the housing options available in our community and what families need,” with those build ings once again occupied by those in need of shelter.

“There are families living in motels in Mercer County right now, not because they wish to live in a motel with their children, but because there are no other options. With the limited funds they have, living in a motel is not a cheap way to live,” she says, adding that while HomeFront is proud to partner in helping develop these homes, the organiza tion “alone cannot solve the problem, so it has real repercussions for everything else we do.”

“The reality is that families are living so close to the edge,” Steward says, attributing that to “economic factors” like rising infla tion and an unstable housing market. The HomeFront hotline for those at risk of being evicted (609-989-9417 x141) has been receiv ing more calls than ever, according to the new CEO, and the lines at the food pantry

are “longer than they were even a year ago.”

Steward acknowledges that the pandemic is a contributing factor to these numbers, but the increase in prices for basics like grocer ies or diapers can be a direct hit to a family’s monthly budget.

She says that while such a feeling might be shared by many at the checkout line for those hanging by a thread, or a single receipt, that same unexpected cost is a threat to safety.

“[What’s] always close to HomeFront’s heart, and such a core part of our mission, is our support for children. Kids have had, as we all know, an incredibly difficult time during the pandemic and afterwards, espe cially children that are in unstable housing situations,” Steward says. “We have seen really challenging situations with a lot of our children in their educational development, their social and emotional learning, just all the ways that kids were set back by the last several years. Then, you add into that the trauma of homelessness, of living in poverty, living in a motel? That is a very real, present concern for us.”

“We’re working hard to help give kids the tools to be successful long term, help them catch up academically, and make sure that as the world wants so desperately to move on COVID, that we don’t fail to recognize that there are kids that are still living with the very present effects of that, and will for years

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“If you look at HomeFront’s tagline, it’s ‘working to break the cycle of poverty,’ and some of that cycle breaking happens genera tionally and happens by the children in the family having a vision of a different life and the tools to get there,” she says. “Any parent with young kids, no matter their economic status, can tell you how tough this last cou ple of years has been—and for our families, even more so.”

Along with significant losses in conven tional social, physical, and familial infra structures, the pandemic exacerbated the systemic issues already facing those who are experiencing economic hardship.

Steward says that she understands the shift “to move on from COVID, but it’s some thing that we need to talk more seriously about as a community and make sure that we have those supports in place—to make sure that we’re not going to have a ‘lost generation.’’

She also highlights HomeFront’s “work to help families achieve their educational goals, and career and vocational support,” noting that while there are job opportunities, the real challenge is in “finding a job that pays [a] livable wage.”

Through Hire Expectations, anyone receiving HomeFront services can pursue tutoring, then acquire their high school

diploma onsite, which can have a positive influence on earning potential. These pro grams are once again being held in-person after previously being offered online, with employers re-partnering as well.

As HomeFront works to “re-embrace and engage families” for future independence, Steward notes that “it’s not just about throwing somebody into a job; it’s about getting somebody into a career that will help them earn enough to support their family long term. That is a challenge right now, just because the labor market has changed so much, but that’s still really core to our work here.”

HomeFront is also mak ing strides in areas such as data collection, which will add dimension to the nonprofit’s work through a federal grant from the Adminis tration for Children and Families’ Office of Planning, Research, & Evaluation (OPRE).

The Family Self-Sufficiency Demonstra tion Development initiative, Steward adds, “will help better assess the impact of our work,” because although HomeFront has collected data in areas like the number of lives touched since its inception, the orga

nization is now one of 20 nonprofits given the tools to develop its internal capacities for doing so.

By giving these anecdotes a way to apply nationally, Steward is “confident” that Home Front would be able to assess the best prac tices for what works, what might be overlooked, or what is a “component” in care, such as a lack of ade quate transportation.

“If our goal here is to clearly create lasting change, long-term selfsufficiency, then we need to measure and quan tify that better,” Stew ard explains, calling this a rather big “headset change,” but part of the organization’s commit ment to “become an orga nization that’s driven by evidence and embracing that at all levels.”

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“Our community is incredibly generous; I want to be able to show them the impact of the dollars that they donate, or the items that they give, or the volunteer hours that they give to us,” Steward says. “It’s impor tant for our public-facing work, but even more importantly, I think it’s going to help us really hone in on what about our work

is impactful.”

As an example, she mentions that Home Front has “a relatively small program where if someone donates a car to us in good work ing order, we will, in turn, give that car to a family that is in great need.”

Steward recalls a case where a vehicle was given to a mother who could not take on a promotion at work due to the long commute and travel barriers, which not only “made an incredible difference in that family’s life,” but stuck with Steward.

“When I think of my life, in public service, in government, in elected office, it is so obvi ous to me how marginalized so many of the voices are that we serve. I think a big part of our work is, ‘how do we switch that up?’” Steward continues. “The art and the creative programs here help do that in a really impor tant way.”

She also wants to continue her own advo cacy like Mercer, who helped launch state wide efforts for the benefit of families in New Jersey and continues to do so. Steward her self is passionate about expanding “Home Front’s role in advancing racial equity and inclusion.”

As Steward prepares for HomeFront’s next strategic plan, she emphasizes how much of a “great comfort and asset” it is to still have Mercer as “part of the HomeFront family,” with her involvement unwavering despite the change in leadership.

The pandemic exacerbated the systemic issues already facing those who are experiencing economic hardship.

“In some ways, the transition has been over the course of this year,” Steward says. “Connie and I have been preparing for this for many years. It is strange to not have her in the office every day, for sure, but it was so deliberate and planned that I think we really did this the right way…our number one goal throughout all this was to make sure that the incredibly important work that we do survives.”

“It’s different now than when Connie began HomeFront, because she grew this to be such a cornerstone agency in our community. On any given night, there’s 450 or so people who are under a Home Front roof, in some sense,” Steward notes, with the organization’s legacy requiring HomeFront to be able to grow and meet demands.

“When Connie hired me, it was fully knowing that HomeFront had reached a point in its growth where, to sustain it and to continue to grow, it needed to be more structured,” she explains, adding that such implementation was a key part of her work as incoming COO.

Steward says that her background in government shaped her own approach to working side by side with Mercer, whom she calls the “dreamer and spirit behind our mission,” as well as the one with the original, boundless vision for the future of Mercer County families.

“When I came to HomeFront, I thought that I would hear these stories of families who had gone through an extreme event— a domestic violence situation, a house fire— or some sort of major pre cipitating traumatic event that led them to seek our services, and we certainly do hear stories like that,” Steward prefaces. “But far, far more common is this idea I mentioned before; it’s families that are living so close to the edge that one hiccup, one medical bill, one car wreck, puts them over the edge—and that is our friends and neighbors.”

According to a study from Empower Retire ment and Personal Capi tal, “only 53% of Americans are in a position to handle an unforeseen $500 expense without worry,” which Stew ard applies to a local scope.

“That might be the gal on the checkout line, or the man behind the counter at the post office. It’s our community, and it’s our neighbors,” she adds, noting that as a life long resident of Ewing, she is confident in the compassion and concern people can have when informed of the proximity to

similar statistics. “People don’t always know how to help or what the challenges are, so they turn to organizations like Home Front, because they trust us to help chan nel that caring and those resources and their gen erosity to helping people in our community that need it most.”

“One of the most com mon things we hear on the hotline is folks say ing, ‘I never thought it could happen to me.’

That’s why it’s really important to me, as someone who loves this area, this community here in central Jersey, that the work I’m able to help with at HomeFront is helping our friends and neighbors every day,” Steward says.

“That’s an incredible gift to me, because I recognize my good fortune and my privi lege to be able to do something every day that gives me that sense of satisfaction. But more importantly than that, it’s a real chance to be of service, and I think that if there’s any through line in my career to date, it is the idea of being in service to the community,” she says.

“When I worked with Rush, that was one of his organizing principles, too, that our community can do great things. Govern ment, in my view, is [what] we can do better together than separately,” she says, describ ing it as “an extension of the same idea—that our community cares, and they turn to when they need and they want organizations who can help turn that caring into action.”

Steward notes that she sees her work with HomeFront and her responsibili ties in Ewing Township as “different ways to achieve the same goal.” She adds that serving the public “anywhere in the world” would likely be a fulfilling experi ence for her, but this ability to help others with HomeFront allows her to give back to where she grew up—then, to foster that same progress through taking action and “wrapping” families in new opportunities.

“When I think of all of our programs, and what we offer, everything is made possible by volunteers working with their time and their hands. It’s made possible by gener ous people donating their new sweater or their gently loved couch to a family that needs it. It’s people who are donating their resources to help those who are in need,” Steward says. “I think that’s some of the genius of what Connie built here at Home Front, because HomeFront is not separate from our community; HomeFront is our community.”

609.882.0078

609.882.0075

609.882.0709

Steward says that her background in government shaped her own approach to working side by side with Mercer.

lin to her phone and a speaker for an improvised piece, performed in tandem with the Trenton Youth Dancers. In con trast to the heady sumptuousness of “Oblivion,” this improvisation—an orig inal composition by Ashanti—is light and birdlike, nimbly mirroring the airy movements of the dancers.

Ashanti’s versatile playing speaks to the diverse range of musicians and genres that inspire her, from the clas sical virtuosos Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell, and Hilary Hahn, to the hip-hop art ists Lil Peep and XXXTenaction, to the all-boy British choir Libera. In my con versation with her, Ashanti spoke with a resolute commitment to honing her craft and discovering her voice as a musician.

Prior to writing this article, I had a limited working knowledge of Ashanti in my role as a violin coach for TYO. One of only a handful of TYO musicians who did not also attend Trenton Cen tral High School, the Trenton-born but Ewing-raised young musician hovered enigmatically about the outskirts of the orchestra, yet was a permanent fixture at concerts and rehearsals. (I later learned that Ashanti had been one of the first musicians to join TYO, a year after its founding in 2016.) As the concertmaster, she led the orchestra boldly, and as a fre

quent soloist, she dazzled with her tech nical skill and artistry.

I knew that she was a talented musi cian, but I had no idea how deeply and richly she lived a life of music—and more importantly, how fervently she had fought for the music in her life.

Ashanti is the first in her family to pursue a career as an artist. When she was six years old, her teacher mother and father began taking her and her siblings to music classes held in the basement of their church (Blessed Sacra ment in Trenton).

It was here that Ashanti had her first encounter with the vio lin. “I’ve always had a love for music…[but] especially when I heard the violin, the sound of it, I fell in love with it,” she said. When offered the opportunity to pick an instru ment to learn, she recalls that she imme diately latched onto the violin, despite attempts from teachers and adults to deter her from choosing such a challeng

ing instrument.

This stubborn persistence—a kind of irrepressible, insatiable passion for music—would drive Ashanti’s growth during her early years with the instru ment. At first, only receiving the occasional group lesson, much of her learning occurred in the practice room through her own per sonal experimentation.

To learn Antonio Viv aldi’s “The Four Sea sons,” Ashanti studied video recordings of professional soloists and strove to imitate their playing. Later on, after she had switched to private lessons, she also taught herself how to play Pablo de Sarasate’s showpiece “Zigeunerweisen.”

To seriously pursue music, Ashanti retreated to a sanctuary of discipline and solitude. “Really realizing what you want to do with yourself in your life, you have to cut out a lot of things,” she said. “You can’t always do what everyone is doing. We all have the choice to do what’s exactly the

best for us, so that we can get the most out of life.”

For Ashanti, music has always been the mainstay of life—the sole source of comfort amidst a turbulent adolescence. Music was such a necessity in her day-today routine that lulls in practicing were abnormalities—indications of an imbal ance in her life.

“If music isn’t my main line of focus, then I’m doing something wrong,” she said. “Sometimes I’ll give myself time to just feel what I’m feeling, even if it means going a day or two without practicing. But when it becomes a constant thing, and it’s now been two weeks since I’ve practiced, then there’s something more going on.”

During a particularly difficult period while Ashanti was struggling with depres sion, music provided her with an escape route—a way to check herself and snap out of whatever funk she was in.

“Something that I don’t think we talk about enough is the fact that yes, you do have to stay consistent with what you want, but you also have to stay consistent when you get knocked off,” she said.

Indeed, it is consistency that seems to be the prime indicator of Ashanti’s love for the violin. We often take artistic pas sion for granted, but few actually have the tenacity to soldier through the pur suit of art in the face of continued hard

For Ashanti, music has always been the mainstay of life—the sole source of comfort amidst a turbulent adolescence.

ship. Artistic talent is a combination of both innate skill—an aesthetic sensibil ity—and the strength to remain devoted to one’s craft. Ashanti’s musical journey suggests that with persistence, and with generosity from others, it is possible to transform a passion from a hobby into a livelihood.

More recently, Ashanti has found a net work of support through new mentors and audiences, both in Trenton, where she continues to perform informal gigs and concerts, as well as at Princeton Uni versity, where she routinely solos with TYO.

She is a fan favorite among all audi ences, having received standing ova tions in both locations. Online, where she regularly posts original arrangements and compositions to YouTube and social media, Ashanti has received overwhelm ing praise.

Last April, Ashanti faced her most daunting gig to-date—a performance of “Oblivion” with TYO in Princeton Univer sity’s Richardson Auditorium, opening for the superstar sibling duo, cellist Sheku and pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason. The per formance was important for Ashanti not only because of the grand venue, but also because the Kanneh-Mason siblings are an immense inspiration for her.

Though I heard later that she had been nervous, she played with the same stage-commanding confidence as she had during the spring showcase, and the audience—a mixture of both university members and Princeton locals— loved her. In one of the front rows, only a few feet away from the stage, I noticed one

couple in particular who were enthralled by her performance. As Ashanti played, they leaned against each other lovingly, and when she bowed, they were her most enthusiastic supporters.

Last February, Ashanti auditioned for the Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts. She played “Zigeunerweisen,” which she had been working on with Dr. Anna Lim, a member of the university’s music performance faculty and the longtime faculty fellow for TYO. In May, Ashanti was accepted into Berklee, and in August, after several months of nail-biting anticipation, she was awarded a full scholarship. She will begin studying violin performance next January as a freshman at Berklee.

Unlike other music conservatories, Berklee focuses primarily on contempo rary music. The college offers 14 majors across performance, composition, pro duction, sound engineering, and even music therapy. Students accepted at Berklee may come from a classical music background but also often have an inter est in experimenting with hybrid genres and forms of music-making.

At Berklee, Ashanti will continue to explore her own voice and hone her tech nique as a musician working across both classical and contemporary genres.

For her, there is not necessarily one genre of music or style of playing that is superior. What is most important, she says, is that she has the bandwidth to freely emote in her playing—and some times that means transgressing tradi tional boundaries between genres or instruments.

Equally important, Ashanti asserts, is that music has allowed her to bond with a vast community of individuals, from fel low performers to audience members. “The way I connect with people through my playing feels amazing. That’s some thing I want to keep doing. I connect with people of all different lifestyles, lifeforms, and everything through my music,” she said.

Yet the most important relationship Ashanti has nurtured through music is with herself. “I am alone, right now, in a vulnerable place where I’m transform ing into a new person, but it’s all for the better,” she said. “I think you just have to constantly remind yourself that it is a good thing to be different.”

For more on the TYO, visit their website at trentonarts.princ eton.edu/saturday-morning-arts/ trenton-youth-orchestra.

Cammie Lee is a culture writer, cura tor, and tea sommelier currently based in Brooklyn, New York. She graduated from Princeton University in 2022, where she studied English and art history, among other things.

Ewing-raised violinist Ashanti Ross performs in Princeton University’s Richardson Auditorium with the Trenton Youth Orchestra.

2022 December

The Ewing Public Schools June 2005

The Ewing Public Schools

Adopt-a-Survivor Program BeginsatEwing HighSchool Teacher of the Year Recipients are Honored

Happy Holidays!

Nearlysixty years since Alliedforcesliberated the Naziconcentration camps,the now elderly survivors ofthe Holocaust are turning toa new generation topreservetheir testimony about their wartime experiences for futuregenerations.

Ewing Public Schools Welcome New Superintendent, Dr. David Gentile!

Holocaust survivors are steadilydwindling in number. Manyhavemadeittheir mission toeducate the world thatanti-Semitism and racismeasilylead tomurder, and tospeak about the horrors theyand their familiessuffered. Withthe passing oftime, ithas becomeurgenttofind a new generationtocontinue the survivors’mission and telltheir stories after the survivors can nolongerdoso.

OnApril 12, the Adopt-a-Survivor(AAS) program was introducedtothe Trenton areaatEwing HighSchool. Six Holocaust survivors wereadopted bytwelveEwing Highsophomores. The adopted survivors—Moshe Gimlan, VeraGoodkin,Marion Lewin,RuthLubitz, Charles Rojer and JackZaifman— wereoriginallyfromGermany, Czechoslovakia, Polandand Belgium.

Dear Ewing Community, It is truly my pleasure to introduce myself as your next superintendent of schools. I would like to thank the Ewing Board of Education for entrusting me with the tremendous responsibility of caring for the community’s students. Additionally, I would like to thank Mr. Nitti for his many years of service to the Ewing community and wish him the best in his retirement. My mission to provide every student the opportunity to achieve their dreams through education was forged long before I stepped foot in a classroom. My father, an Italian im migrant, overcame learning challenges to become a self-taught mechanical engineer who, through sheer drive and determination, founded a successful fam ily HVAC business. My mother owned a small hair styling business that operated out of her shop built by my father in the basement of our modest home in a working-class small-town, USA.

The AAS program pairs a survivorwithone or morestudents. The studentsembarkona joint journey withthe survivorthrough discussions about life before, duringand after the Holocaust.Participating studentswillbeabletorepresent the survivorand tellthe survivor’sstory withaccuracyand feeling in the years tocome. Inaddition, eachstudent makes a commitmenttotellthe survivor’sstory ina public venue inthe year2045, a hundred years after the liberationofAuschwitz.

way through college and, in doing so, confirmed my love for teaching and learning.

My family was not one of great means; however, I had some success on the athletic field which af forded me access to an education. I attribute my personal work ethic to my experience as a student, athlete, and employee. I vividly remember extreme ly long days as I worked in our family HVAC busi ness, maintained good grades, and participated in baseball and football.

I started my formal career in education in 1998 with the Millville Public School District as an el ementary school teacher and high school baseball and football coach. My own experiences helped me connect with my young students and help them understand themselves better as learners. I gravi tated to instructing students who had learning ob stacles, ultimately leading me to teach in an alterna tive eighth-grade program I helped design for the Runnemede Public School District.

improvements and successes: student achievement, establishing a professional community dedicated to instructional improvement, creating a system of classroom walkthroughs, and establishing a com prehensive professional development approach. Our professional work was recognized by both McRel and ASCD as they featured the district’s ef forts in their video series Classroom Instruction that Works. I also worked collaboratively in Millville to secure New Jersey Department of Education fund ing to address crowding and capacity issues, as well as other long-standing educational concerns. As a result, the district received over one-hundred mil lion dollars in additional state funding to complete a comprehensive renovation project that completely overhauled the existing high school campus.

The recipients of the 2005 Teacher of the Year Awards were honored at a luncheon on April 29th. Jan Fay, 2004 Mercer County Teacher of the Year, was a guest speaker. 1st row (L to R): Joan Zuckerman, Principal Antheil; Sharon Solomon, Lore; Jan Fay, 2004 Mercer County Teacher of the Year; Inetta Emery, Principal Parkway; Danielle Miller, EHS; Superintendent Ray Broach. 2nd row: Darrell Jackson, Principal FMS; Donna Andreas, Antheil; Don Barnett, FMS; Betsy Turgeon, Parkway; Rodney Logan, Principal EHS.

Ewing High Students Attend Gorbachev Presentation

The twelvestudent adoptersare DaveAngebranndt, Tyler Barnes, Annie Cook, Liz Dunham, Emily Everett, CurtisFornarotto, Vildana Hajric, Devon Jones, Jen Meade,Billy O’Callaghan,NikytaSharmaand MelysaWilson.

In 2003, I officially started my leadership career as a middle school vice principal and I was later promoted to the position of principal in Runnemede. In 2008, I became the Superintendent of Schools in the Mount Holly Public School District. Working collaboratively with my team, we achieved many improvements and successes: reducing school vio lence, improving student achievement, and finding and addressing inequities. I learned how to work effectively with stakeholders throughout the school community, through a collaborative effort to pass a comprehensive bond referendum and oversee mul tiple capital improvement projects.

Whitney Lewis, EHS Freshman

On April 18, 2005 Ms. Chiavuzzo, Mrs. Walker and 30 Ewing High School freshmen joined several Mercer County high school and college students, and politicians to hear a presentation given by Mikhail Gorbachev at the Sovereign Bank Arena. Gorbachev was the last communist leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991. During his term he instituted various policies including his political policy of Glasnost and economic policy

The value of education was nurtured through out my childhood. My parents, who always want ed more for their children, insisted we study hard and receive the best education possible. My sister earned a Ph.D. in accounting while I fell in love with teaching and learning. As a teenager, I was a swimming instructor for younger children; it was then that I discovered my passion for teaching. Schoolwork did not always come easy for me, strug gling especially with reading; until, as a freshman in college, a learning consultant ensured I received help to overcome this obstacle. From that point for ward, I enjoyed a new world of reading, learning, and helping others become successful learners. I tutored local high school students to help work my

of Perestroika. His policies reopened churches, released political prisoners, and lifted bans on previously censored books.

In 2019, I was appointed Superintendent of Schools in the Voorhees Township School District, where I worked with staff and community members to create a much-needed redistricting plan, to ad vance full-day kindergarten and the construction of an early childhood center, as well as integrating more technology into classroom instruction. Like school leaders throughout the country, I navigated uncharted territory of the world-wide COVID pan demic. In 2022, I became the Chief Academic Of ficer of the Cumberland County Technical High School District, where I was responsible for student admissions, equity, curriculum/instruction, and var ious other special projects for the district.

The 20th anniversary of Perestroika was one of the essential themes of Gorbachev’s presentation. The policy’smain goal was to make the Soviet economic system more efficient. Perestroika involved the transfer of control from the government to the business owners. This policy continued on page A2 continued on page A2

Safety Town June 30 - July 11

Contact: Jean Conrad 609-538-9800 x1302 for application

Have a Happy Summer!!

In 2010, I was appointed Superintendent of Schools in the Millville Public School District. I spent the next decade working with staff and community members on a shared vision to create a world-class district. Together, we realized many

I have been happily married for over 22 years. My wife and I are raising two children, who are 17 and 13 years of age. I am extremely excited to be the next school superintendent for the Ewing Public School District. I am looking forward to working collaboratively with all of you to ensure our stu dents receive an exceptional education and are pre pared for the world following graduation.

GoodNews will resume with the September issue of the Observer

Sincerely, Dr. David Gentile, Superintendent

Follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/TheEwingSchools

Due to budget restraints NO Summer School Programs will be offered by the Ewing Public Schools during the Summer of 2005.

The Ewing Public Schools

Juniors Win the EHS Powder Puff Girls Flag Football Tournament

field, the seniors held on to beat the sophomores in an incredibly close game, as Tyzanai Brown, Jade Smith, and Sierra Mitchell powered the offense.

ESL Family Night a Night to Celebrate

The annual battle for flag football supremacy known as the Powder Puff tournament took place on the EHS turf on Monday, November 7th. In the opening round of games, the juniors defeated the freshmen behind standout performances from Joi Johnson, Rhian Stokes, Isabelle Hanlin, Vienna Latini, and Valeria Velez. On the other half of the

Lore Elementary School STARS

In the third place game, the sophomores picked up their first win of the tournament over the fresh men. Mekyla Durham, Sydney Gonzalez, Landen Jovolos, and Olivia Picerno provided the offensive firepower while Franchesca Edouard came through with a key interception. The freshman team main tained great spirits throughout the tournament, and C’Ianna Upshur and Lillie Alston kept the Class of 2026 in the game.

The Championship game between the juniors and seniors was a tight contest throughout, as evidenced by a halftime score of 12-12. However, in the sec ond half, the juniors scored twice and their defense locked down the senior offense to seal the 24-12 victory.

Mrs. Townson’s Lore Third Grade Class Celebrates El Dia de los Muertos

The Lore School STARS program is celebrating 15 years of existence, uniting elementary school students and community members in a special way. Seniors Teaching And Reinforcing Skills, the acro nym, brings Ewing citizens, who assist students in multiple ways, into Lore. STARS use their talents and interests as well as their life skills to enrich and encourage students.

After a hiatus due to COVID the volunteers have returned. The faculty has expressed their joy in welcoming them back. Presently, two STARS work with the librarian; one, with the physical educa tion teachers; another with the art classes; a fourth, working one-on-one with a student, and lastly, a Spanish teacher instructing third graders.

New volunteers are warmly welcomed. The only requisite is the desire to make a difference in a young student’s life. As a former STAR stated, “It’s an incredible program that has proven to be a great experience for me.”

Anyone interested in joining the program can contact, Mary Lou Kramli at maryloukramli@com cast.net.

On Thursday, November 3rd, Mrs. Townson's 3rd grade class at Lore Elementary School had a special lesson to learn all about El Dia de los Muertos, which in Mexico is celebrated November 1st and 2nd. It is believed that the gates of heaven are opened at mid night on October 31st and the spirits are allowed to reunite with their families. The spirits come down to enjoy the festivities that are prepared for them. Mrs. Noguez Mercado, mother to a student in the class, explained the meaning and traditions of the Hispanic celebration. Students made paper ofrendas or alters to honor a deceased family member. Next, the stu dents measured and mixed sugar, merengue powder and water to then hand pat into a mold of a skull. Once the skull molds were dry, students decorated the sugar skulls with icing, pom-poms, sequins, and shiny paper. All the participants were very apprecia tive and inspired by Mrs. Noguez Mercado's knowl edge and willingness to share such a hands-on, cul tural opportunity.

a

This year, the ESL program across the district cel ebrated twenty-nine students, who were eligible to exit the program during 2020, 2021, and 2022. Our graduates earned the distinction of scoring above a 4.5 on the ACCESS for ELL's assessment, which is administered in schools across the country. A composite score of 4.5 or above indicates that stu dents have achieved a proficient rating and no lon ger need ESL services. Our graduates will continue to receive support from the ESL teachers for two years, in order to assist with the transition out of the ESL program.

During the event, new families were welcomed to the Ewing Public Schools community. ESL teach ers had the opportunity to talk with parents and stu dents to highlight their programs and review sup ports we have in place for students.

We look ahead to two more family events this year: February 7, 2023 6:00PM at Lore Elementary May 11, 2023 6:00PM at Parkway Elementary

KidsVoting in Ewing!

The 2022 midterm elections were important for citizens all over the country, but also for Ewing's students! This year, our KidsVoting/Ewing program allowed K-5 students in Park way, Lore, and Antheil schools the opportunity to vote in their classroom. Students were given a KidsVoting/Ewing ballot and voted on the same candidates as their families. Students in grades 6-12 also voted in the NJ Mock Election this year. We are so happy to give Ewing students a chance to under stand and appreciate the importance of voting!

Follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/TheEwingSchools

ESL families from across the district celebrated the new school year with

graduation ceremony.

TCNJ Students Giving Back to the Ewing Schools Community

The Ewing Public Schools

Senior Spotlight: Meet Twins Nathan and Ryan Kocheran

What do you want people to know about Ewing High School that they might not know? Ryan: Ewing High School is filled with amazing people. So many genuinely good people with diverse back grounds, interests and talents.

The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), Student New Jersey Education Association (SNJEA) dropped off school supplies that they collect at Ewing High School. Victoria Gladstone, the President of the TCNJ SNJEA, reached out earlier in the year to ask permission to collect the supplies. The SNJEA at TCNJ is a student organization that promotes pro fessional development for future educators. They are a local chapter of the state organization, New Jersey Student Education Association. It could be a start of a great partnership for future educators in the Ewing schools.

The Athletic Depart ment from TCNJ donated hand sanitizer, disinfect ing wipes and spray, paper towels and snacks to An theil Elementary School.

TCNJ Lions Jaclyn Carifi, Nick Matkiwsky and Es tepan Mendez are pictured presenting the items to 2nd grade teachers, Ms. O'Grady and Ms. Petura.

‘Stranger Danger’ Program at Antheil Elementary School

Ewing Police Officers, Detective Bethea and Detec tive Bruno visited the Kindergarten students at Antheil Elementary School to go teach the 'Stranger Danger' program. Kindergarten students were instructed to 'Run, Scream and Tell' a trusted adult when a stranger approaches them and they even got to practice when Detective Bruno pretend ed to be the stranger. Each session closed with the Detectives reading a book to each class.

How do you think your school experience is different than your peers since you are a twin? Ryan: My experience in school has been different from my peers because I have always had someone at home who has shared in most of the same events. My twin Nathan is al ways there to help me with homework, studying for tests, navigating new school years, problems with friends, dealing with disappointments, etc. We help each other with difficult assignments and give each other advice.

What are the benefits of being a twin? Nathan: The benefits of being a twin is that you always have someone to do things with and to be by your side. You have a built-in best friend. You also have some one you can compete with and/or use as inspiration to work harder. Our parents have always encouraged us to find our own paths but, as it turns out, Ryan and I have been drawn to many of the same interests.

How are you different from your brother? Na than: I’ve always been the taller twin. I tend to think things through more (sometimes too much), while Ryan can be more impulsive. Ryan is well-orga nized, while I am more of a free-for-all type of per son. Ryan is pretty stubborn and firm in his beliefs, while I tend to be more open to change and flexible.

Ryan: I am better in every aspect than my brother. Se riously though, Nate is more level-headed. You can reason with him, me not so much - just ask our par ents. Nate is more adventurous with trying new foods.

What activities do you participate in school? Nathan: I’m in the National Honor Society and a three-sport athlete in ice hockey, lacrosse, and golf.

Ryan: I participate in three sports: ice hockey, la crosse, and golf. The hockey team is part of a coop erative program with Lawrence and Hightstown high schools. I am also a member of the National Honor Society. This semester, I am in the Unified Gym Class, which has been a really fun and special experience.

Tell us about your experience of playing travel ice hockey and on a co-op ice hockey high school team? Nathan: Playing travel and co-op high school hockey has allowed me to meet and make many friends from other schools, establish connec tions throughout the state, and create lots of memo ries from travels within NJ and states as far away as Massachusetts and Virginia. I’ve been lucky enough to get a lot of playing time as an underclass men on the co-op team and have learned valuable lessons from past seniors on the team. Now in my final season, I’m excited to try and pass along some of my experience and knowledge to younger team mates. The hockey community is a tight-knit group and I appreciate the sense of community and family that we have with each other.

What is your favorite memory of high school to date? Nathan: My favorite memory from school to date is nabbing our first win in the last game of the lacrosse season of my sophomore year against JP Stevens. The team was made up of mostly new to the sport players and the season was tough. It was nice to end on a good note and build momentum for the next season.

Who is your favorite teacher or coach and why?

Ryan: I am really enjoying physics this semester with Mr. Halpern. I find it challenging and at times frustrating, but Mr. Halpern is very passionate about his teaching and makes the material fun and understandable.

What are your plans after you graduate from Ewing High School? Nathan: I am still trying to figure out what I want to do after I graduate from Ewing High School. There are still so many things that I am unsure and nervous about with regards to the next step in my life but, all the teachers, coun selors, and staff at EHS have been supportive and helpful every step of the way.

Ryan: I plan to go to college after high school grad uation. I am undecided about a major, but I am lean ing towards business or sports management.

What is your favorite quote or book?

Nathan: My favorite book is “Hatchet” by Gary Paulsen.

Ryan: My favorite quote is “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” -- Benjamin Franklin.

Please visit the district website headline page to enjoy the entire interview for these two outstanding Ewing High School seniors.

The Ewing Public Schools

December 2022 Schedule in Ewing Schools

Dec 5-9

Dec 8

Parkway - PTA Book Fair

Counseling Department Event: Keeping Our Students Safe Online Grades K-12 EHS Auditorium @ 6:30pm

Dec 9 Antheil PTO Winter @ 6pm

Parkway - PTA Winter Wonderland @ 6:30pm

Dec 13 FMS - Parent Association Meeting @ 6:45pm

Lore - Winter Vocal Concert - EHS Auditorium @ 7pm

Dec 14 Parkway - Winter Vocal, Band & Orchestra Concert @ 6:30pm

Dec 15 Antheil - Winter Vocal, Band & Orchestra Concert @ 7pm

Dec 19 BOE Meeting - EHS Auditorium @ 6pm (Public Session @ 7pm)

EHS - S1 T2 Q3 Parent Progress Reports

FMS/Elementary - 2nd Marking Period Parent Progress Reports

Dec 20 Lore - 5th Grade Winter Band & Orchestra Concert @ 7pm

Dec 21 EHS - Ring & Sing - EHS Auditorium @ 7pm

Dec 22 EHS - Counseling Department Event: Understanding the PSAT @ 6:30pm

Dec 23 Kindergarten-12th Grade Early Dismissal (NO PM EDP)

Antheil - Full Day Preschool Early Dismissal @ 1pm

NO PM Integrated Preschool

Dec 26-30 SCHOOL CLOSED – Winter Break

Jan 2 SCHOOL CLOSED – Happy New Year!

2022-2023 School Weather Emergency Information

As December begins and the district starts to think about dealing with winter weather, please be mindful of our weather emergency procedures and potential closings, delays and early dismissal.

Please make sure to monitor our official communication portals: SchoolMes senger, and the School District Website. Also, please make sure your contact information in Genesis is current and up-to-date.

The district has a Weather Emergency Team which assembles during these events. During a typical overnight weather event, the district will make a deci sion at about 5:00AM and begin communicating that decision to the commu nity about 5:30AM through our official communication portals.

The district will make a ‘delayed opening’ announcement as soon as possible so families can make morning arrangements and the district strives to avoid ‘early dismissals’ unless it is unavoidable.

Thank you for your attention to this important information.

For questions or information, please contact the Superintendent's Office:

609-538-9800 ext. 1102 thullings@ewingboe.org www.ewing.k12.nj.us

Design and Layout by Daniella Crescente

GoodNews is an official publication of The Ewing Public Schools.

©2022 GoodNews

EHS NOVEMBER COLLEGE TOURS

Thirty-nine (39) Ewing High School juniors and se niors attended Ewing High School’s November College Tour. Students visited Tem ple University and Swarth more College, where the students toured the campus es and learned more about the college admissions pro cess. We were lucky to have two Temple alumni on the trip - Mr. Gibbs and Ms. Bailey-Williams.

The Ewing Public Education Foundation (EPEF) wishes everyone Happy Holidays as we celebrate our various traditions this season. EPEF is a non-profit educational organization that provides grants to the Ew ing Public Schools for innovative educational programs and scholarships to graduating EHS seniors pursuing higher education in accredited col leges, universities, or vocational institutions.

EPEF meets its goals through contributions from corporate donors, but also through personal donations from individuals such as you. There’s more we wish to accomplish in our continual support of the Ewing Public Schools, but we need your help. Please visit us at www.epef.org for infor mation on how to make a donation. No amount is too small. We hope you can support our mission. Thank you and Happy Holidays!

Images from the EHS fall sports season sports

As 2022 ends, so does Ewing High School’s fall sports season. This month the Observer presents a collection of images from games played over the last few months. At top left, Blue Devils’ quarterback Aaron Clugston-Brecko scrambles with the ball during a 35-0 win over Lawrence High School on Sept. 24, 2022. At right, Sarah Ilesanmi fights to control the ball during a 7-0 loss to Notre Dame on Sept. 21, 2022. (Photos by Todd Cloward/pixelsbytoddc.mypixieset.com.)

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to NJSA 13:1D-157 and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Administrative Order 2021-25 (AO 2021-25), that Homasote Company, located at 932 Lower Ferry Road, Ewing, NJ, intends to hold a virtual Public Information Session as part of renewing its NJDEP Title V Operating Permit No. BOP190002.

The Title V Operating Permit was initially issued on 4/23/2003. Homasote has continuously operated under renewed Title V operating permits since its initial approval. Upon final approval the permit will be renewed for an additional 5 years.

Since 1909, Homasote® has been the only manufacturer of its kind in North America, producing environmentally intelligent building and industrial packaging products made of 98% recycled materials. Located in Ewing, NJ, Homasote employs approximately 100 employees. Pursuant to AO 2021-25, a public information session will be held virtually on November 16, 2022, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. The information session will be held via Zoom. Please send an email to Kgibson@homasote.com to receive your link.

Concurrent with this notice, Homasote will accept public comments on the Title V Operating Permit renewal for a sixty-day period starting November 1, 2022, and concluding on December 30, 2022. Comments can be submitted via electronic mail to Kgibson@homasote.com or via United States Postal Service to:

Homasote Company

Attention: Kate Gibson 932 Lower Ferry Road Ewing, NJ 08628

This month the Observer presents a collection of images from games played over the last few months. Top: Chase Bolden juggles the ball during a 4-1 loss to Allentown on Oct. 12, 2022. Middle: Girls’ tennis players Elizabeth Stoner (left) and Eva Washington. Bottom: Girls’ soccer players Thalia Hearns and Sierra Mitchell. (Photos by Todd Cloward/pixelsbytoddc.mypixieset.com.)

Ewing Town Center Affordable is designed to meet Ewing’s “fair share” of the growing need for affordable housing in New Jersey. Rental rates listed are approximate, and subject to state and local guidelines. Applicants must first qualify on the bassis of gross annual income.

• 1, 2 and 3 Bedroom apartments

• Caesarstone counterops and stainless steel appliance package in kitchen

• Full size washer & dryer

• 9’ ceilings throughout

• Patio or balcony

• Access to Clubhouse for an additional montly fee:

- Clubroom with fireplace

- Swimming pool

- Fitness center

- Business cubicles

- Package delivery room

- Outdoor patio & more!

Applications available at Housingquest.com or email us at: Ewing@HousingQuest.com

Piazza & Associates, Inc. 201 Rockingham Row, Princeton, NJ 08540 (609) 786-1100

(Press 5 at prompt) Monday– Thursday 9:30–5:00, Friday 9:30 – 4:00

A random selection will be held for all preliminary applications received on or before 3:00PM, January 9, 2023. Applications received subsequently will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Applicants from Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean Counties will be given a priority pursuant to regulations set forth by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs and Ewing.

EWING TOWN CENTER • 1 Fischer Guide Drive • Ewing• NJ • 08628

FROM US 1 IN LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ: Use the right 2 lanes to take the I-295 n ramp to I-95 S/ Philadelphia (0.7 miles). Merge onto I-295 N (7.2 miles). Take exit 75 for County Rd 579 toward West Trenton (0.1 miles). Keep right at the fork, follow signs for Trenton Mercer Airport/County Rt 579 S/West Trenton (250 feet). Merge onto County Rt 579/Bear Tavern Rd (0.9 miles). Turn left onto W Upper Ferry Rd (0.7 miles). Turn right into Town Ctr Dr (500 feet).Turn left onto Town Center Blvd E (0.1 miles). Turn right into Devol Lane (50 feet).

FROM NJ TURNPIKE: Take Exit 7A for I-195W towards Trenton (1.2 miles). Keep left at the fork, follow signs for I-195W/Hamilton/Trenton (6.5 miles). Keep Left to continue on NJ-29 N (3.2 miles). Continue Straight to stay on NJ-29 N (3.2 miles). Slight right onto Sullivan Way (2.3 miles). Turn right onto Silvia St (0.7 miles). At the traffic circle, take the 2nd exit (0.2 miles). Turn left onto Devol Lane.

Any and all information contained herein, including

HEALTH HEADLINES

BI-MONTHLY NEWS FROM CAPITAL HEALTH

Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell Earns ‘A’ Grade for Quality from The Leapfrog Group

Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell was awarded an ‘A’ from The Leapfrog Group’s fall 2022 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade. This national distinction recognizes Capital Health’s achievements in protecting patients from preventable harm and error in the hospital.

“Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell is a one of the region’s leading hospitals and home to dynamic services such as our Cancer Center, the Josephine Plumeri Birthing Center, and minimally invasive robotic-assisted surgery with the da Vinci® Surgical System,” said Al Maghazehe, president and CEO, Capital Health. “Our most recent ‘A’ grade from the Leapfrog group show residents in our community that we remain committed to providing our neighbors and their families the best possible care when they need it most.”

“Our continuous drive to improve quality and safety outcomes is woven into the fabric of our organization through our just culture as well as our ISO 9001 certification and on-site surveys with DNV,” said Dr. Mark Arcaro, vice president of Clinical Performance at Capital

Health. “And while we are pleased to earn this latest recognition from The Leapfrog Group, it also motivates to keep looking ahead to meet and exceed national standards of care.”

The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization, assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country based on over thirty national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm.

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harms to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.

“I applaud the hospital leadership and workforce for their strong commitment to safety and transparency,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “An ‘A’ Safety Grade is a sign that hospitals are continuously evaluating their performance, so that they can best protect patients. The team at Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell should be extremely proud of their dedication and achievement.”

What is a Whipple Procedure? Frequently Asked Questions

After a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, patients naturally want to know what treatment options are available to them. The single most effective pancreatic cancer treatment option is surgery.

One particular complex and technically demanding surgery, called a pancreaticoduodenectomy, is one of the surgeries used for longterm control of pancreatic cancer. More commonly referred to as the Whipple procedure, this surgery may extend the person’s life and, for some, may be the best chance at a cure.

If you or someone close to you has recently been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, here are some important questions you may be asking:

What is the pancreas?

The pancreas is a gland about six inches long that sits in the back of the abdomen, behind the stomach. It plays key roles in producing enzymes and hormones that help digest food. It also produces insulin and glucagon to help regulate blood sugar levels.

What is pancreatic cancer?

Because the pancreas has a number of different cells, each can bring about a different type of tumor. The most prevalent is from the cells that line the pancreatic duct, and often there are very few to no symptoms. There are some, however, you should be aware of, and include:

… Loss of appetite or unintended weight loss

… Abdominal pain that radiates to your back

… Light-colored stools

… Dark-colored urine

… Jaundice (yellowing of the skin)

… A new diabetes diagnosis, or existing diabetes that’s become difficult to control

… Nausea or vomiting

What is the Whipple procedure?

The Whipple procedure involves removing the head, or the wide part, of the pancreas next to the first part of the small intestine, called the duodenum. Then, the duodenum, some of the common bile duct, the gallbladder and possibly some of the stomach are all removed. Once that’s done, the surgeon reconnects the remaining intestine, bile duct and pancreas. It’s currently one of the only surgeries that can offer a potential cure for pancreatic cancer.

Who is a good candidate for the Whipple procedure?

Determining the right type of surgery for pancreatic cancer is largely based on the tumor’s location. The Whipple procedure is considered for tumors located at the head of the pancreas that have not spread to other parts of the body.

What is recovery like for the Whipple procedure?

Every person responds differently to surgery, and it depends on how it is performed. For a Whipple procedure performed as traditional open

surgery, a patient generally takes about four weeks to reach complete recovery. This type of surgery generally requires a hospital stay of about four days, though this varies from person to person.

Specially trained surgeons are able to offer a minimally invasive option through the da Vinci Surgery System robotic-assisted Whipple procedure. This approach reduces recovery time for patients.

Your surgeon will want you to be up and walking almost immediately after surgery to reduce the risk of blood clots or a pulmonary embolism.

Are there common complications to this surgery?

As with any surgery, there can be complications, which may be minor or major. Those include bleeding, infections, clots, pneumonia or heart attacks. They can also include trouble with the stomach emptying itself after meals.

Your surgeon should be able to manage most of these complications without the need for another surgery.

Who should perform the Whipple procedure?

The Whipple procedure is a complex and technically demanding surgery. However, extensively trained surgeons at Capital Health Cancer Center are certified and experienced at such a high level that the National Pancreas Foundation recognized them as a Center of Excellence for treating pancreatic cancer-related illnesses.

Patients who are good candidates for the Whipple procedure should choose a surgeon who has extensive experience with this type of surgery and has performed numerous Whipple procedures. Patients should also select a hospital large enough to care for Whipple procedure patients post-operatively, and are used to managing any post-surgery complications.

The decision to select a surgical team is a very important one. The team at Capital Health Cancer Center is here to help you. If you’d like to make an appointment, please call 609.537.5000 or visit CapitalHealthCancer.org.

Dr. Cataldo Doria, medical director of Capital Health Cancer Center and an internationally renowned hepato-pancreato-biliary surgeon, offers robotic-assisted Whipple procedures to treat pancreatic cancer.

Capital Health Launches Advanced Simulation Training Center

Mobile Lab Provides Cutting-Edge Clinical Training for Health Care Providers and Community Health Education

Capital Health recently announced the launch of its new Advanced Simulation Training Center, a mobile simulation laboratory that provides state-of-the-art, multidisciplinary clinical training for physicians, nurses, emergency medical service providers, and other staff. The initiative was made possible through more than $500,000 of federal grant funding secured by Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), who was recognized for her role in the project at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Capital Health Regional Medical Center.

“As part of our mission to improve services for urban and suburban patients, Capital Health has made a commitment to becoming a leading academic health center for the region,” said Al Maghazehe, president and CEO of Capital Health. “The Advanced Simulation Training Center is the latest demonstration of that commitment. Any great endeavor such as this requires strong partners, and we are grateful for the support of Rep. Watson Coleman, whose decades of hard work, experience, and commitment to our community helped bring this initiative to life.”

“For over 125 years, Capital Health has provided high-quality medical care to local residents. I am so grateful that some of our country’s finest medical professionals are right here in Trenton and this new mobile lab will help reach further into our neighborhoods to better serve some of our most vulnerable populations,” said Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman.

Capital Health’s Advanced Simulation Training Center is a mobile facility that can be driven directly to learners to provide enhanced, customized instruction to doctors, nurses, paramedics, and other staff at or near their place of work. The 40-foot unit has two large, independent simulation rooms equipped with manikins

Capital Health Simulation Coordinator Paul Morer demonstrates one of the simulation rooms to Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) and Dr. Robert Remstein, Chief Academic Officer (Capital Health) aboard the Advanced Simulation Training Center.

(life-sized models of human bodies) to simulate real patient scenarios. Instructors in two central control rooms create situations that learners will see in real life, document their performance, and provide meaningful feedback. Simulation training like this promotes learning through active hands-on experience in a risk-free environment while supporting the development of teamwork, communication, and critical thinking skills.

Capital Health will use the Advanced Simulation Training Center to provide safe training in advanced cardiac life support, interventional procedures, management of acute hemorrhagic crises, childbirth, infant resuscitation, team care and other areas to prepare the next generation of its medical staff. Additionally, the simulation labs will be used for process improvement, medical error investigation, and research to help Capital Health continue to advance health care quality, safety, and best practices. On top of its clinical training mission, the Advanced Simulation Training Center will provide health education and wellness screenings at local community-based events.

Capital Health – Virtual Primary Care, part of Capital Health Medical Group, offers telehealth services to individuals in New Jersey and Pennsylvania (ages 16 and older) who wish to receive support in managing common health issues from the comfort of their home or anywhere in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

“Throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Capital Health Medical Group providers have conducted thousands of patient visits in a virtual setting,” said Dr. Michael Stabile, a board certified family medicine physician at the Capital Health Primary Care – Hamilton office. “As a result, our team is thoroughly prepared to provide outstanding, high quality health care services at a time and place most convenient for patients located in New Jersey or Pennsylvania – whether they are at home or on the go.”

Capital Health’s team of more than 35 virtual primary care providers can address a wide range of health conditions, including (but not limited to) symptoms of COVID-19, sinus problems, upper respiratory infection, sore throat, urinary tract infection, cough, flue, rash, common cold, eye infection, and more.

While Capital Health – Virtual Primary Care is designed to serve as an online platform to host sick visits, patients have the ability to schedule an in-person, follow-up visit with the same providers they see during their video visit at one of the many Capital Health office locations across the Mercer, Bucks, and Burlington county region.

To learn more or to request an appointment, visit capitalvirtualcare.org or scan the QR code to complete the online form.

Check your internet connection. Wi-Fi on wired connection is strongly preferred for a great video visit experience.

Use headphones. Cut down on any background noise and help keep the conversation with your health care provider private.

Please be patient! Video visit traffic may be high as clinicians work to provide care for patients during the current health crisis, so some appointments may run a few minutes behind schedule. A provider will be with you as soon as possible!

During virtual care visits with patients who aren’t feeling well, our clinicians address symptoms of numerous health conditions and issues, including but not limited to:

COVID-19

Sinusitis

Upper respiratory infection

Sore throat

Urinary tract infection

Cough

Influenza (Flu)

Rash

Common cold

Yeast infection

Allergies

Eye infection

Insect bites

Nausea

Back pain

Tick bites

When is it time for a knee replacement?

Ask The Doctor

You’ve had the X-rays and your doctor says that your knee or hip is in bad shape. The doctor says you’re a candidate for joint replacement surgery. But is surgery the best answer for you?

“Ultimately, joint replacement surgery is a personal decision,” says Michael R. Duch, MD, orthopedic surgeon in the Orthopedic and Spine Institute (OSI) at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (RWJUH Hamilton). “Orthopedic surgeons can help to make the diagnosis, but in the end the patient needs to decide what the best solution is for them.”

A rising trend. Joint replacement surgery removes a damaged or diseased joint and replaces it with a combination of plastic, metal and/or ceramic parts that replicate the movements of a healthy joint. Sometimes the whole joint is replaced, and sometimes only the damaged parts are replaced. More than 1 million total joint arthroplasties (reconstructions or replacements) are done in the United States each year, according to the American Joint Replacement Registry—700,000 of the knee and 400,000 of the hip. The number is expected to increase to nearly 4 million by 2030.

Non-surgical treatment. Surgery isn’t for everyone, however. Many times, a patient’s arthritis—the major reason for joint replacement—stabilizes. “Patients with arthritic joints who aren’t experiencing pain and who are still functioning well may not need surgery,” Dr. Duch says. In addition, a person who is medically frail may not be a good candidate, since overall health plays an important role in healing.

In these instances, patients are offered non-surgical interventions including weight loss recommendations, cortisone and “gel shot” injections, joint supplements and anti-inflammatory medications (now available both orally and in a topical cream form). Physical therapy and assistive walking devices, such as braces, canes and walkers, can

also help relieve discomfort and restore mobility. Finally, by modifying activity and being “mindful” of the arthritic joint, patients can learn to live with their symptoms.

See our ads in SIX09 section pgs 5 and 7

Signs that it’s time. The most important factor in choosing to have hip or knee replacement surgery is how the joint is affecting quality of life— physically and emotionally. “If you can’t live with your arthritic joint, or realize it’s not going to get better and the pain is interfering with your quality of life, it may be time for surgery,” says Dr. Duch.

Ultimately, only the patient can make the final decision as to whether to undergo this type of major elective surgery. “It’s my job to help guide patients to the best decision for their specific situation, by laying out the medical facts and by sharing my experience of having performed thousands of these procedures,” Dr. Duch says. “That way, they can make the best informed decision.”

Orthopedic Open House: Joint Replacement. Join Dr. Duch on Jan. 17, 2023, 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., RWJ Fitness and Wellness Center, 3100 Quakerbridge Road, Hamilton, NJ 08619 and discover the latest advances in knee and hip replacement surgery and learn how a team of specialists help prepare patients for a successful joint replacement. All registered for this program will receive a “healthy dinner.” Space is limited and available on a first come first serve basis. Register online at rwjbh.org/events or call 609-584-5900 and dial “1” to reach Health Connections.

For more information about state-ofthe-art orthopedic treatments offered through the Orthopedic and Spine Institute at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, call 609.689.7031 or visit rwjbh.org/ortho.

To learn more about Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, visit rwjbh.org/Hamilton or call 609-586-7900.

Coming up this month at RWJU Hospital Hamilton

For more information, call (609) 584-5900. Registration required for all programs. To register for a program or for schedule changes go to rwjbh.org/events or call (609) 584-5900.

ThuRSDAy, DEcEmbER 1

clinical culinary Nutrition: Traditional Dia betic Dietary Patterns. 5 to 6:30 p.m. Get up to date on current nutrition issues, hear from other health/ culinary professionals and sample tasty new recipes with our reg istered dietitians. Whether or not you are affected by diabetes, discover how con sistent carbohydrate dietary patterns can help blood sugar control this sweet holiday season. Space is limited—register at least 48 hours prior to event. $10.

ThuRSDAy, DEcEmbER 8

The Link between hearing Loss and De mentia—can hearing Aids Save your brain? 10 to 11 a.m. According to several major studies, older adults with hearing loss are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, compared to those with normal hearing. Prevention is key! Au diologist, Dr. Lorraine Sgarlato, Au.D, dis cusses your options.

Oaks Integrated care caregiver confer ence: caregiving for Today and Tomorrow. 5 to 7:30 p.m. Caregivers of seniors with dementia and memory loss are invited to attend this conference to gain insight into communicating and dealing with an ger and other challenging behaviors. Many caregivers describe feeling moody, help less, and short-tempered, saying and doing things they later regret. In this presentation you will learn a variety of approaches for managing emotions and actions in the mo ment, along with activities and resources for handling the anger and other challeng ing emotions that effect caregivers. Attend ees will also learn ways that Alzheimer’s and other dementias affect an individual’s ability to communicate across different stages, and get tips to better communicate with people living with the disease.

ThuRSDAy, DEcEmbER 15

Kids Fit: In the Kitchen Garden! herbs…for Dessert? 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Did you know that in the winter, farmers can grow in doors using something called hydropon ics? Learn more about nutritious herbs and recipes with special guest Desmond Hayes. It’s cookie time! Surprise your taste buds with treats that can be made with herbs like cinnamon basil, licorice basil and choc olate mint.

Osteoporosis Screening. 1 to 3 p.m. Ul trasound of heel and personalized infor mation. Appointment and registration required.

WEDNESDAy, DEcEmbER 21

mindfulness meditation for beginners. 1 to 2 p.m. Calm your anxious mind and tense body with the relaxing and healing practice of Mindfulness Meditation. Patti McDou gall, BSN, Integrative Therapies Nurse.

Winter Solstice celebration-Drum circle. 7 to 8:30 p.m. Join us as we “drum back the sun” on the longest night of the year. We celebrate with ritual, stories and of course, drumming. Drums and light snacks pro vided. Mauri Tyler, CTRS, CMP. Fee: $15

ThuRSDAy, DEcEmbER 22

Wise Women Discussion Group: Where Do you Find Spirituality? 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Join a community of women as we dis cuss relevant topics and find purpose and meaning. Patti McDougall, Integrative

Therapies Nurse.

What’s in the (Lunch) box? A Virtual Pro gram. Noon to 1 p.m. All things seasonal, all the time! Learn what wonderful fruit and vegetables are up to this time of year and how to make them shine.

Better Health Programs

There’s no better time to be 65+ years old, and there’s no better place to experience it than at the Better Health Program at RWJUH. Must be a Better Health member to attend. Registration required. Call (609) 584-5900 or go to rwjbh.org/events.

FRIDAy, DEcEmbER 2

meditation classes. Also Dec. 16. 11:30 a.m. to noon Sifu Tony Jackson, DAO Concepts leads this program. Meditation can wipe away the day’s stress, bringing it with in ner peace. See how you can easily learn to practice meditation whenever you need it most.

ThuRSDAy, DEcEmbER 8

Tai Chi Classes. Also Dec. 22. 10 to 11 a.m. Sifu Tony Jackson, DAO Concepts leads this program. Tai Chi is recommended for seniors because it improves balance, strengthens muscles in the legs and in creases flexibility and stability in the an kles. It can help reduce falls and back pain. A series of gentle physical exercises and stretches each posture flows into the next without pause, ensuring that your body is in constant motion.

WEDNESDAy, DEcEmbER 14

yoga classes. 10 to 11 a.m. Charu Chaudhry, Certified E-RYT with Yoga Alliance, Charu shares her broad experience in multiple yoga disciplines. This class will include traditional postures, simple breathing ex ercises, meditation techniques, as well as how to modify the poses for your body so that you can confidently participate.

Dr. Michael Duch

Senior Corner

December 2022

ALL PROGRAMS HELD AT HOLLOWBROOK COMMUNITY CENTER, 320 HOLLOWBROOK DRIVE

MONDAYS

10:00 AM Exercise- Karen Martin

12:00 PM Tech For Seniors 1st and 3rd Monday of the Mont h

1:00 PM Jewelry/Craft-Anne’s

TUESDAYS

10:00 AM Exercise- Karen Martin

12:30 PM Bible Study

12:30 PM Bingo

1:00 PM Senior Scholars

WEDNESDAYS

9:30 AM Knitting/Crochet

11:00 AM Chair Yoga- Lisa Caruso

1:00 PM Mexican Train

10:30-1PM Water Color - Ally Lyons Mercer County Library– Ewing Branch

2:00 PM Mahjongg- Christine Kamph

THURSDAYS

10:00 AM Exercise - Karen Martin

1:00 PM Pinochle - Mercer County Library– Ewing Branch

1:00 PM Rummikub

1:00 Balance Class - Bob Kirby

1:00 Bid Whist

FRIDAYS

9:30 AM Line Dancing– Joanne Keephart

12:30 PM Circuit Training– Jeff Prunetti ( $5 session)

SENIOR CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMISSION (SCAC): 3RD THURSDAY OF THE MONTH, General Body 10:00 AM, Meeting is open to the public.

Club A—Off Site

Live Wires—11 AM ( 2ND Thursday of the month) RM# 201-202

Busy C’s—11 AM ( 3RD Tuesday of the month) RM# 201-202

Club D—11 AM ( 1st Thursday of the month) RM# 201-202

HB Seniors—1 PM ( 2ND Friday of the month) RM# 201-202

MERCER COUNTY NUTRITION: Seniors 60 and older or anyone married to a person 60 and older is welcome to participate in the nutrition program. The program is located at Hollowbrook Community Center. A person is asked to donate a $1. Your donation is confidential. A delicious balance meal is served. Contact Ms. Wanda (609) 883-4150.

REGISTER FOR ALL PROGRAMS: HOLLOWBROOK COMMUNITY CENTER 2nd Floor Rm# 207 Senior Office

QUESTIONS: 609-883-1776

Senior Corner is paid content by Ewing Township.

A helping of holiday cheer

ILENE BLACK bETTING ON bLAcK

I love the holidays. I love seeing Christmas commercials on TV, I love cooking and serving Thanksgiving dinner, I love shopping for Christmas, I love partying on New Year’s Eve.

Full disclosure: everything that I wrote after the words “I love the holidays” is a bald-faced lie.

Let’s start with Christmas commercials. I saw my first one (a Target commercial) in mid-October. MID-OCTOBER! We hadn’t even bought our Halloween candy yet and I’m seeing Christmas trees and wrapped gifts on TV. And remember—our October weather was warm, so people were still going down the shore, leaving their backyard pools open, doing summer stuff. I realize that people who live in warm states experience this warm holiday phenomenon every year. ‘Kay. But NJ DOESN’T. So stop. Let’s discuss Thanksgiving dinner. It’s the same menu every year. I get up earlier than I’d like in order to get the bird into the oven so we’re not eating dinner at midnight. My favorite part is trying to get the little bag of innards out of the turkey. I find it very fulfilling to shove my hand into the bird’s open cavity and try to yank the bag out without ripping it. Said no one ever.

After I prepare the bird, I get George to lift it into the oven, thereby clearing me of the probability of causing any accidents (like dropping the turkey onto the floor and watching it skid across the kitchen. And yes, it HAS happened).

Hosting Thanksgiving dinner is not hard. It’s just tiring. And the older I get, the more

tiring it is. I love the part where we’re all around the table and eating and laughing and talking. But then we have the clean-up and leftover-packing. I do NOT LIKE doing that. I’ve been known to doze off sitting up on the couch after dinner. I do like the dessert part of the day, however. That ALMOST makes up for the fatigue.

Next on the list is Christmas shopping. Yeah. The days of kids circling stuff in the Sears Wish Book are over. Or the days of them sending me links to what they want. Now it’s a guessing game.

“I wonder if Donnie would like this helmet with the light on it?” — No.

“I think Georgie would enjoy these lovely photo socks of our dogs” — Um, no.

“I am fairly sure that Michelle doesn’t have this air fort. It SHOULD fit in their living room. She can use it to have some me time.” — Seriously?

And my husband? When I ask him, he says the following: 1) I have enough shirts; 2) I have enough pants; 3) I have enough sweaters; 4) I have enough gym clothes; 5) I have enough shoes/sneakers/slippers/ boots; 6) I have enough jackets/coats/ puffer vests; 7) I have enough cologne; 8) I don’t need a watch. I use my phone; 9) I don’t need socks; and 10) Just get me underwear. (I am tempted to get a refrigerator box and fill it with underwear for him.)

I’d like to be like my dad at Christmas. Minus the red plaid double-knit polyester high waisted pants and black patent leather loafers. He’d fill gift envelopes with money for each of us and walk around the room handing them out like a blackjack dealer.

Ah, New Year’s Eve. The excitement of making party plans, selecting just the right glamorous outfit, preparing an exotic dish to bring, anticipating the champagne that will be flowing…….the thrills are countless. For someone else. I, on the other hand, am usually dressed in warm flannels, drinking a cup of coffee, under a blanket, eating leftover Christmas desserts, and watching New Year’s Rockin’ Eve while keeping a close eye on the clock to determine whether I want to go to bed before the ball drops.

I know I sound like a Scrooge. I’m not. I KNOW I’m lucky to have what (and whom) I have, and I never take it for granted. But I didn’t want to do a mushy column about my warm and fuzzy holiday feelings.

My wish for you is that the spirit of the holidays lives in your heart all year long. Happy holidays! May God bless us, every one.

Building up steam

HELEN KULL EWING ThEN & NOW

We continue this month with our exploration of the Delaware River and its parallel “ribbons of transport”—the canal, the railroad and the roads—that constitute the western boundary of our township.

The construction of the Delaware and Raritan Canal—both the feeder canal along the Delaware River, and the main canal which connects the Delaware River and the Raritan River—was a major accomplishment in the early 19th century. Nowadays, we largely view canals as quaint and pleasant features of the landscape.

Yet in the early to mid-19th century, “canal fever” spread across the east and midwest, and countless canals were constructed by manual labor in many locations over miles and miles of terrain in order to facilitate and improve the transport of resources, materials and goods to markets.

Despite the fact that this mode of transport floated the goods on water, and moved them by beast, these canals significantly helped to propel the growth of the young nation.

But the innovative spirit persists in developing better, faster, and easier; and inventive minds were developing engines powered by steam. During the 1700s in the UK, several inventors contributed to design, build, test, refine, and commercially use the steam engine to power machines to do various tasks. By 1804, a steam engine successfully powered a “locomotive” on a short set of tracks to haul a load.

Soon inventors in many countries were “on board” with this particular effort, “steaming” ahead to refine such an engine to power wagons and boats. In northeast England in 1825, “Locomotive #1” was the first steam-powered vehicle to carry people on a public railway.

Those “many countries” included the young United States. Anybody remember signs for the John Fitch Parkway (ie, Route 29 in Trenton)? In the late 1700’s, an inventor, engineer, local clockmaker and Trenton silversmith named John Fitch (1743-1798) demonstrated a small prototype for a steam engine to George Washington.

By 1787, he had developed the Perseverance, a prototype steam-enginepowered set of oars attached to each side of a boat, which propelled the boat through the water, as if powered by many

little duckfeet. He successfully initiated the first steam-powered boat service to carry passengers on the Delaware in 1790, between Burlington and Philadelphia.

Unfortunately, however, it would appear that Mr. Fitch may have suffered from a number of personal challenges, including a lack of education, poor money-management skills, and probably some significant personality disorders and addiction issues.

Wikipedia mentions his abandonment of his wife and children, his inability to secure funding, several disagreements and legal disputes with potential investors and patent personnel, and his later relocation to Kentucky, where he drank heavily and died of an overdose of opium.

But it would be a decade or more before anyone else demonstrated workable steam-powered transport here in the US. While Britain had early steam engines, they refused to export them to the US after the Revolution and following the War of 1812.

Other inventive American minds were at work on the project after the death of John Fitch, especially those of the Stevens family. Col. John Stevens III (1749-1838) was a lawyer, inventor and steam-engine builder. He developed a steamboat in 1802, designed another in 1806, and another in 1809 that traveled from Hoboken to Philadelphia, the first steamship to brave the open ocean waters.

Steamboats were an improvement over mules and barges, but they were still limited to bodies of water. Steampowered wagons on roadways or tracks offered greater flexibility in the direction of travel.

John Stevens III was also a visionary, who sought to lay roads of rails on which steam-powered engines could travel. He was given the first railroad charter in the US in 1815, which gave him and his partners (some of which were his sons) control of NJ’s Camden and Amboy Railroad. His son Robert Stevens became the first president of the Camden and Amboy Railroad; and another son, Edwin, founded a little thing known as the Stevens Institute of Technology.

In 1825, John III designed and built a steam engine which ran on tracks around his estate in Hoboken. Canals’ days were numbered.

All aboard—full steam ahead!

Helen Kull is an adviser to the Ewing Township Historic Preservation Society.

Ewing Recreation

December 2022

The Ewing Township Holiday Tree Lighting, presented by Mayor Bert Steinmann will take place on Sunday, December 4th at Betor Park, behind the Ewing Municipal Building, 2 Jake Garzio Dr., starting at 5:00pm. Santa will be arriving by firetruck to light the tree! Enjoy music, singing carols, free pictures with Santa, refreshments, Balloon Man and more.

Ewing United Indoor Soc cer program will be held at the MKSD School for Deaf Gym will start in January 15th. Registration deadline is Saturday, December 31. Grades K – 1 is instructional and will run from 12:00am – 1:00pm. The older divisions will play games on Sundays. The leagues are co-ed. The divisions are grouped by grades 2- 3, 4-5, middle school, high school. To get more information or to register go online at ewingunited.com.

Adult Co-Ed Volleyball is held

on Wednesday nights at Antheil School from 7:00pm – 9:30pm.

Adult Indoor Soccer is playing on Tuesday evenings at Lore School gym from 6:30pm –8:30pm.

These programs are informal and are for all levels of players. Participants can register at www. communitypass.net.

The Hollowbrook Community Center, 320 Hollowbrook Drive, 609-883-1199, has rooms available for rent for small groups to large parties. Kitchen facilities are available.

For more information on these or any other programs you can contact the Recreation Office at (609) 883-1199 or online at www.ewingnj.org/communityaf fairs.

ESCC will remain closed due to the fire.

The Ewing Recreation column is paid content provided by Ewing Township.