2-23 RA

Good on the hardwood

Voters’ ballots rejected in Nov. 8 election morass

BY BiLL SANserViNO

A number of voters in Robinsville Township, and maybe all of Mercer County, have been informed that their ballots were rejected in the November general election.

The report of disenfranchised voters is just the latest issue with the Nov. 8 election in Mercer County, where voters could not use voting machines at every polling place in the county as a result

of a printing problem with the ballot.

Robbinsville Mayor Dave Fried said that a residents in town and throughout the county who voted at the polls on Election Day have received letters informing them that their votes had been discounted.

The letter, which came from the Mercer County Board of Elections said: “This office is in receipt of your provisional ballot for the General Election on November

8th, 2022. Unfortunately, your provisional ballot was not counted for the following reason: Voted by Machine.”

Fried said that the letters are believed to have been sent to voters who signed in at their polling station with the intention of voting on the machine, but were given a provisional ballot because the machine scanners were not processing the ballots.

He said that poll workers were See ELECTION, Page 6

Area libraries are great places to spend the day

BY DAN AUBreY

Libraries are safe places that connect to the world of ideas and human memory and are always on the front lines of combatting censorship.

Yet they are often the physical representations of past values and designs — if one just takes the time to check them out.

So, let’s take a quick tour of some of the region’s vintage libraries.

First stop, the Trenton Free Pub-

lic Library on Academy Street in Trenton. It’s the oldest organized library in New Jersey and the embodiment of a particular American movement.

Founded in 1750 as the subscription-styled Trenton Library Company, it allegedly started with 50 books purchased by Benjamin Franklin.

Yet the person who turned that first page in Trenton’s history was Dr. Thomas Cadwalader, who served as the town’s first chief Bur-

gess and contributed 500 pounds. The collection was housed in rented spaces or subscribers’ homes until the British arrived in 1776 and destroyed the building that housed the collection.

The library was back and running by 1781 and by 1797 had 240 items in its collection. By 1804 the library collection was at 700 volumes and still growing without a permanent home.

That need was addressed in 1900,

See LIBRARIES, Page 9

Robbinsville High School girls’ basketball player Ava Aldarelli, a freshman, is one of the team’s best all-around players. For more on Aldarelli and the team, turn to page 14.

AroUND toWN

School district to develop new 5-year strategic plan

The Robbinsville Public School District is developing a five-year strategic plan with direct guidance from the community.

Nearly 60 volunteers have already signed up to participate in the detailed process, facilitated by the New Jersey Schools Boards Association.

“We are conducting a robust, collaborative, stakeholder-engaged strategic planning process,” said Superintendent Brian Betze. “A critical aspect of the strategic planning process is the involvement of a cross-section of district stakeholders. They will share their unique perspective about where they want the school district headed over the next five years.”

This Strategic Plan Working Group is tasked with developing long-term goals and objectives for the school district, focusing on the many strengths of the Robbinsville schools, the challenges they face and the ideas and hopes the community has for its students. A key goal is enhancing college and career readiness for all Robbinsville students.

Membership of the group includes Betze, district teachers, administrators, support staff, parents, community members and students.

The group will meet in-person four times: Tuesday, January 31 from 6-7:30 p.m., Wednesday, February 15 from 6-7:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 15 from 6-7:30 p.m. and Monday, April 3 from 6-7 p.m. The meetings will take place at various schools in the district.

“Betze, who has undertaken similar strategic plans in other school districts, expects the plan will have plenty of specifics in the first year,” said a school district news release. “But then, over the course of the following years, the plan is intentionally designed to be much more flexible, with the ability to easily adjust to new opportunities and challenges.”

Betze said the district underwent a similar process before the pandemic, but the school officials were eager to start fresh with a new five-year plan due to remote learning and other challenges caused by the COVID crisis.

The plan is expected to be ready for presentation to the school board by its July meeting for review and adoption.

Flag football registration open for area children

Robbinsville residents have an opportunity to sign their children up for flag football in an area league. Registration is now open for the Hightstown East Windsor Youth Baseball League’s Spring 2023 flag football season.

HEWYBL is open to boys and girls from all area towns, and has both co-ed teams and all-girls teams.

HEWYBL Flag Football is open to players who will be in grades K-9 this spring. The registration deadline is March 15 and the season will run from early April to early June. Games will be played in East Windsor.

HEWYBL flag football typically draws players from Allentown, Cranbury, East Windsor, Hamilton, Hightstown, Millstone, Robbinsville, West Windsor and

other surrounding towns.

Season details can be viewed at www. HEWYBL.com. To register, go to www. HEWYBL.com and select REGISTER at the upper right-hand corner. For more information about HEWYBL Flag Football or the upcoming season, email hewyblflag@gmail.com.

Socks donated

The Rotary Club of Robbinsville Hamilton Rotary teamed up with the PTAs at Pond Road Middle School and Sharon School’s Sharon Shines initiative to sponsor the “Socktober” sock drive for the month of October.

Through the combined effort, 2,715 pairs of socks were donated to benefit local organizations, including Womanspace, the Trenton Rescue Mission and Salvation Army.

The township sent out special thanks to Chris Merlino (Rotary Club vice president and “Socktober” event chair), and Danielle Liegl, the Sharon PTA president.

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

EDITOR

Bill Sanservino (Ext. 104)

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

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told to have voters do this after the township received a directive by the Office of the Superintendent of Elections when the problem with the voting machines first arose.

However, it now appears that the Board of Elections considered signing the book as a machine vote, even though no vote was actually cast on the machine, only via a provisional ballot, Fried explained. “As a result, those votes—and we don’t have any idea right now how many— were disqualified and those voters were unmistakably disenfranchised.”

Most of those discounted ballots appear to have been cast within the first two hours of the polls opening at 6 a.m.

The township said that Mercer County Superintendent of Elections Nathaniel Walker confirmed in an email to the township clerk’s office that the problem could not be reversed because the election has been certified.

Walker and the Board of Elections did not respond to requests by the Advance for comment on the problem and how widespread the issue was.

“We believe even one uncounted vote is too many, let alone hundreds,” Fried said. “Robbinsville has been among the most vocal critics of the 2022 General Election in Mercer County and has called

This is where you’ll savor life to the fullest. All in an area known for its wealth of cultural offerings, recreational opportunities, dining and shopping. Vintage at Hamilton is in the center of it all, close to I-195 and the New Jersey Turnpike and just minutes from the Hamilton Train with direct service to New York City and Philadelphia.

for a complete overhaul of the process. Brian M. Hughes, the Mercer County executive, has done the same. However, it is patently false for anyone at county to state that every vote was counted. We now know that is, sadly, not true.”

He added: “We have repeatedly expressed our dismay with the unfortunate events surrounding the 2022 General Election, and we will not stop until fundamental changes are made to our election systems in Mercer County.”

The problem with the machines 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 polls opened.

Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri has said that the results of an investigation by his office found no evidence of wrongdoing, and that the problem was caused by a coding error when the ballots were printed. Those codes had not been programmed into the machines.

Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello had called for an investigation after the Election Day problems to determine “whether this scanning problem occurred based on an error or whether something was intentionally done to create chaos and distrust in the election system.”

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MARCH 12: Hamilton YMCA

APRIL 16: Unity Tour

MAY 21: Miracle League

JUNE 11: NJ Autism

JULY 9: Joeys Little Angels

AUGUST 6: Whats My Name

SEPTEMBER 10: Ryans Quest

OCTOBER 8: I Believe in Pink

NOVEMBER 12: Shine & Inspire

DECEMBER 10: OneProjectNJ & Mobile Meals of Hamilton

Please consider visiting the websites of these organizations for additional donation opportunities!

when the organization became the free public library, and Ferdinand W. Roebling served as its first board president.

The library board purchased the property that had housed the street’s namesake, the Trenton Academy, since 1782, and hired architect Spencer Roberts. Roberts (1873-1958) was a Philadelphiabased architect who had attended Spring Garden Institute and worked for prominent architect Frank Miles Day.

The Trenton library building is an example of the popular Beaux-Arts design popular during the period that has also been dubbed the American Renaissance.

As “Public Art in New Jersey” author Thomas C. Folk notes, the style, “which dominated much of American artistic and intellectual life from the 1870s to the 1920s, existed as both a reality and a mental construct. Not specifically a style or a movement in the commonly accepted art historical sense of those terms, the American Renaissance was more a mood, or a spirit, or a state of mind.”

In addition to encompassing “many diverse idioms of painting, architecture, and sculpture,” the style also “had a broad base of support with many politicians, financiers, businessmen, academics, and men and women of the American middle class. As an idea or mental concept, the American Renaissance held both nationalistic and cosmopolitan ideals and looked to the past and the future.”

The building also hits another historic note for what it is not. As a library history reports, “Contrary to popular belief, the new library was not a Carnegie Library. Between 1883 and 1929, businessman Andrew Carnegie donated funds to construct over 2,500 libraries, but certain cities like Trenton and Newark felt that accepting this money would show that they were unable to provide for themselves.”

The current Lawrence Library is located in a building that was formerly a massive trucking terminal, but its history goes back to 1960, when a group of township residents gathered more than 1,600 signatures on a petition demanding a branch library.

According to Lawrence historian Dennis Waters, the residents’ request was finally approved in 1961, and that year, the Lawrence branch opened in a small 1,600-square-foot space at the rear of Dunham’s department store in the newlyopened Lawrence Shopping Center. It was an awkward location because it was not accessible from the main parking lot in front.

For the next 20 years, the Lawrence branch remained at the shopping center location, though it moved several times and gradually increased in size.

As time wore on, Lawrence residents grew increasingly unhappy with the size and services offered by the library.

In 1978 the Lawrence Township Library Committee commissioned a report to study the feasibility of leaving the county system and establishing a townshipoperated municipal library, as Hopewell Township had recently done. The report advised against leaving the county system, and the Library Committee accepted its recommendation.

However, the Mercer County Library System recognized that it needed a major upgrade, so during the period from 1979 to 1982 it began planning an expansion that would bring new library buildings to all of its member municipalities.

In particular, it planned a facility in Lawrence that would serve as the system’s headquarters and include a muchenlarged reference department. Financing was provided by the Mercer County Improvement Authority through a $10 million bond issue.

The site chosen for the Lawrence Headquarters Branch was 12 acres at the corner of Darrah Lane and Brunswick Pike. The site contained an abandoned trucking terminal that was originally built in 1953 for Riss Brothers, at that time one of the largest trucking companies in the eastern United States. The property was subdivided, with Lawrence Township receiving the western section, where the Senior Center now stands.

The trucking terminal was very well constructed, so it was decided to renovate it rather than tear it down and start over. Renovation began in the spring of 1983 and on April 7 of the following year it opened.

At more than 40,000 square feet, the branch was five times the size of the branch in the shopping center that it replaced, although some of that space was used by the county system for its headquarters, which moved from Ewing.

In 1994 the MCIA borrowed $15 million to fund another upgrade of the library system, including a 17,000-square -foot expansion at the rear and the west end of the existing building, providing an expanded reference section, additional community meeting rooms, and new offices for the headquarters staff, whose former offices became the fiction department “downstairs.” * * *

The Hopewell Public Library at 13 East Broad Street is housed in the red brick building that once upon a time had been the Hopewell National Bank.

While the current Hopewell library company was founded in 1914, there had been some sort of book or material lending system established as far back as

Page 11

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1802. According to a history compiled by the Hopewell Library, that was when Pennington resident Archilles Wilson ran a library that provided books for Hopewell residents.

The report indicates that a Hopewell Library Company had an organized catalog in 1804 and that it was incorporated twice in 1806, first as the Hopewell Library Company, then as the Hopewell Columbian Library Company a week later. The name change was to indicate the library’s location in the Columbian section of the township, now Hopewell Borough.

While it is unclear what happened to that company, it is clear that other efforts continued to supply residents with books and information. That included the Mrs. M. A. Carter, Library and Fancy Goods company, operating in 1887 on the corner of East Broad Street and Seminary Avenue, and circulating and traveling libraries organized by the Grange.

Today’s Hopewell Public Library was established by members of the socially minded Roundabout Club and opened in a former harness shop on West Broad Street. A few years later it moved to the Fireman’s Hall. A public referendum turned it into a municipal and publicly funded library.

According its own documents, “The library was extraordinarily popular: As of October 1916, with a Borough population of 1,200, the library had 680 active patrons and owned more than 1,300 books, and had circulated 10,127 books over the past year. The library quickly outgrew its new space and moved to 28 East Broad Street in 1924 and shared this new space with the Hopewell Museum.”

In 1964 the library moved across the street to the former National Bank building.

Opened in 1890, it is a simple, solid, yet homey two-floor structure — nothing like the American Renaissance-inspired banks that look like Greek temples.

Here one gets the old-fashioned type of library experience of being greeted by librarians at a desk in front of a wall lined with volumes that chronicle the community.

Although there are sections that show that it was a bank — it has a vault, for example — the building’s small rooms make visiting the library feel like taking a step back in time.

The New Jersey State Library in the capitol complex in Trenton has a long and fascinating history and a facility shaped by an important design movement.

The library began with a collection of documents used by legislators when New Jersey was an English colony and before Trenton became the state’s capital in 1790.

An actual library started in 1796 when the State of New Jersey assigned the house clerk with the responsibility of maintaining the documents, pamphlets, newspapers, and books used by both the senate and assembly.

As the collection grew, so did the effort to maintain it, and a fulltime librarian was appointed in 1822. By 1883 the library had more than 30,000 volumes and occupied the southern wing of the capitol building — designed originally by Philadelphiabased architect Jonathan Doane, whose colonial and federal design had American Renaissance-flavored modifications and expansions by John Notman (1845), Samuel Sloan (1871), and Lewis Broome, 1889.

The library moved in 1929 to a new art deco-influenced New Jersey State House Annex building, which also housed the State Museum.

The library got its own building when the State of New Jersey created the Capitol Complex during the post-war boom in late 1950s and early 1960s.

The building was designed by Frank Grad & Sons, a Newark-based company noted as one of the leaders in modernist government and corporate architecture.

The antithesis of American Renaissance or embellishments that connected to a particular nation or era, Grad’s approach was influenced by the international style’s emphasis on no-frills simplicity and clean lines — as demonstrated by the open spaces, windows, and sleek furniture.

While this modern style is no longer seen as modern, it — like all the buildings noted — offers both the opportunity to find a book as well as walk into history.

MCLS adult virtual programs for February

The following are virtual programs scheduled to be held during the month of February by the Mercer County Library System. E-mail hopeprogs@mcl.org to register to receive a link to the program.

Thursday, February 2

Vintage Valentine’s Day Postcards. 7 p.m. In honor of the February Valentine’s Day holiday, David Burchell will present a brief history of the wide variety of century old postcards in his collection with a special focus on the topic of Valentine’s Day. He will discuss the common practice of daily communication with “postals,” the everyday “emails” of a century ago!

Mr. Burchell is a lifelong New Jersey resident and resides in Ewing with his wife, Marla. He is a career educator, and a graduate of the College of New Jersey with a BA in Sociology and Anthropology, and an M.Ed in History and Geography. David retired after 30 years in Secondary Education as Chairman of the Social Studies Department at Burlington City High School. He has taught for the

See LIBRARY EVENTS, Page 12

past 15 years as a Senior Adjunct Professor of History at Mercer County Community College. Mr. Burchell is currently the Librarian of the Washington Crossing Card Collectors Club where he developed his interest in Deltiology (postcard collecting).

Monday, February 6

Guided Meditation. 4 p.m. Also Feb. 13 & 27. Relax, refocus, and rejuvenate. Take a moment to regain the peace lost during our busy days. Facilitated by Hightstown Branch staff member, Leena, who is a 14-year practitioner of Rajyoga meditation.

Tuesday, February 7

Creative Writing Workshop for Adults. 7 p.m. Also Feb. 21. Join us virtually for an opportunity to share original creative writing of all kinds in a supportive, group environment. Facilitated by Chip McAuley, poet and Hickory Corner librarian, this ongoing workshop is for everyone who enjoys working with words. We will share work, discuss writing techniques, give supportive feedback, read aloud and more in this all-in-one creativity hub.

Wednesday, February 8

Freedom to All: New Jersey’s African-American Civil War Soldiers. 7 p.m. Author and historian, Joseph G. Bilby discusses his book, Freedom to All, which explores the contributions of New Jersey’s African-American Civil War soldiers. An often overlooked subject, Mr. Bilby expands on the involvement and historical impact of almost 3,000 New Jersey African-Americans in the Union army and navy.

Friday, February 10

Teen Advisory Board. 3:30 p.m. All teens are welcome to join! Come be a part of the MCLS Teen Advisory Board. There are opportunities to enhance your leadership skills, earn community service hours, help run library programs, and write book reviews. New members always welcome!

Tuesday, February 14

ESL Conversation Group for Adults. Also Feb. 28. 10 a.m. If you already know some English and want to improve your speaking and comprehension skills, please join librarian Elka Frankel for some practice sharing your thoughts and ideas about all kinds of things with others in the group. We’ll also cover vocabulary, idioms and grammar relevant to our discussions. Bring your questions too!

Wednesday, February 15

The Life of Belle da Costa Greene. 7 p.m. Join us as Jeanne Johnson, docent at Princeton University Art Museum, as well as Morven Museum and Garden, presents the story of a phenomenal woman, Belle da Costa Greene, who became one of the most prominent librarians in American history. While cataloging and working with rare books at the Princeton University library, her work impressed the nephew of New York millionaire J. Pierpont Morgan, financier and investment banker of the late 1800s. Morgan hired Greene for the newly constructed Pierpont Morgan Library in 1906, which eventually led to her directorship of the Morgan Museum and Library.

Becoming one of the most important people in Morgan’s life and his library, Greene worked at the library for over 43 years, internationally known for her auction bidding

expertise. She toured the world in search of rare manuscripts and became a cutthroat bidder, even outbidding the British museum on several occasions. Years after her death, knowledge that Greene passed as white for her entire professional life became known, explored and discussed.

Wednesday, February 22

East Windsor’s African American West Airport Road Community. 7 p.m. The West Airport Road Project will commemorate contributions to agriculture and commerce in the Hightstown-East Windsor area by the Sumbry family and others who worked and lived there. In his talk Mr. Charles (Cappy) Stults, president of the Hightstown-East Windsor Historical Society, will outline that history and describe plans to erect interpretive signs along the road where African Americans first lived, built churches, and established businesses.

Thursday, February 23

The DASH or Mediterranean Diet. 1 p.m. Healthy Eating helps the body to stay in tip top shape. The differences between the Mediterranean Diet and DASH will be discussed in this webinar along with keeping your immune system strong. Presented by Dr. Karen Ensle, the Family and Community Health Sciences (FCHS) Educator/Department and Head for Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County.

Mercer County Library System adult programs

Thursday, February 2

Card-making with Alicia. 10:30 a.m. Join Alicia Vincelette in creating a Valentine’s Daythemed card. All materials will be provided. For ages 18+ only. Registration is required, space is limited. Sponsored by the Friends of the West Windsor Library. West Windsor Branch, 333 North Post Road, Princeton Junction. 609-799-0462.

2023 Refresh: How to Update your Home on a Budget. 7 p.m. In this workshop you will learn tips and tricks that you can implement immediately the next day to make amazing changes in your home on a budget! Presented by Olga St. Pierre, Keller Williams RE. Registration required. Robbinsville Branch, 42 Robbinsville-Allentown Rd., Robbinsville. 609-259-2150.

s aT urdays, February 4

Twilight Zone: Viewing & Discussion. 3 p.m. “You are about to enter another dimension. A dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into the wondrous land of imagination. Next stop—The Twilight Zone!” With these words the legendary Rod Serling took television viewers into extraordinary and sometimes terrifying realms. Now, re-enter the Twilight Zone at Hickory Corner Branch with librarian—and Twilight Zone resident—Chip McAuley. Each session, we will enjoy an episode of the classic Twilight Zone and then discuss its importance in modern society. Sponsored by the Friends of the Hickory Corner Library. Register. Hickory Corner Branch, 138 Hickory Corner Road, East Windsor. 609-448-1330.

Wednesday, February 8

Crochet & Knit Corner. Also Feb. 22, 2:30 p.m. Join us to work on your project and enjoy some good conversation. Assistance is available for beginning crocheters. Please regis-

Love in the Air and in Print

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

Love Poems of the Past and Present

By Rebekah Schroeder and Dan Aubrey

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SIX09

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dr. Ronak Patel

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

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

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

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

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

The Disappointment! (1756)

An Ode to Mr. Stockton

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

He breaks that cloud’s o’erspreading gloom

And chases midnight from my breast.

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

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

No more he joins the Social band

Around my cheerful fire side

Where friendships fascinating wand

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Evening Out (for Blossom Dearie)

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

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

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

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

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

Love (1902)

Let me but love my love without disguise,

Nor wear a mask of fashion old or new,

Nor wait to speak till I can hear a clue,

Nor play a part to shine in others’ eyes,

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

1666 Hamilton Ave. Hamilton, NJ 08629

Nor bow my knees to what my heart denies;

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

For love is but the heart’s immortal thirst

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

So take me, dear, and understand my worst,

And freely pardon it, because confessed,

And let me find in loving thee, my best.

Love in a Look

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

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

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

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

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

The Love Poem I Haven’t Written for Paul

After all this time, the love poem

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

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

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

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

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

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

Luray

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

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

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

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

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

Give Me Thy Heart

(1789)

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

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

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

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

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

Ode on an American Email

“More happy love! more happy, happy love!

For ever warm and still to be en -

joyed, For ever panting and for ever young.”

— John Keats

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

According to “The Poems of Philip Fre-

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

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

To Cynthia (1789)

Through Jersey groves, a wandering stream

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

Sweet murmuring stream! how blest art thou

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

That trembles o’er your shallow tides.

The cypress-tree on Hermit’s height,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by son of Black

(for HER lest we NEVER forget)

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

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

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

Aura Dermatology

Answers for Your Hair Loss

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

For more information, contact coworksprojects@gmail.com

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

What can I use to treat Androgenetic Alopecia?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dr. Darshan Vaidya

Hamilton Area YMCA

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

• Find Their Spark.

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

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

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

FindYourADVENTURE!

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

• Find Their Friends and Fun.

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

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

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

• Find Their Adventure.

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

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

See ad, page 11.

Russian School of Mathematics

Award-Winning Program

Comes to Princeton

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

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

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

Our summer schedule is designed

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

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

- Preparation for High School

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

of High School Math.

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

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

Summer Math

Summer Math

HARVEST

Transform

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

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

Regenerative Spine and Pain Institute

Treating Pain with PRP and Stem Cell Therapy

Pain.

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

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

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

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

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

• Osteoarthritis

• Rotator cuff tear

• Back pain

• Meniscus tears

• Tennis elbow

• Disc herniations

• Tendonitis

• Neck pain

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2023 SPRING REC SOCCER

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

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Friday Nights - Footwork exercises

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Lots of FUN and making friends!!!

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Lawrence hamnett soccer association

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

Registration Link More Information

SERVICES

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

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

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WANTED TO BUY

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

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

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

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

COMMERCIAL SPACE

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

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

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

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

Princeton Commercial

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

VACATION RENTALS

Florida Beach Rental: Fort Myers Beach 1br vacation

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

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

BUSINESS FOR SALE

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

CEMETERY PLOTS

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

National Classified

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Choreography by JOHAN KOBBORG and ETHAN STIEFEL

ter. Hickory Corner Branch, 138 Hickory Corner Road, East Windsor. 609-448-1330.

Lifestyle Changes for a Healthy Heart. 7 p.m. February is American Heart Month! Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US but can be prevented when people make healthy choices and manage their health conditions. Please join Heather Kennedy, M.A., ACSM-CEP and find out what you can do to lower your risk for heart disease. Registration required. Robbinsville Branch, 42 Robbinsville-Allentown Rd., Robbinsville. 609-259-2150.

Thursdays, February 9

An Afternoon at the Movies: Respect. 1:30 p.m. In honor of Black History Month, we will be showing the remarkable true story of Aretha Franklin’s journey to find her voice and become the Queen of Soul. Starring Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker, Audra McDonald, Marlon Wayans, and Saycon Sengbloh. (Rated PG-13; 145 min.) Registration required. Robbinsville Branch, 42 Robbinsville-Allentown Rd., Robbinsville. 609-259-2150.

Thursday, February 16

Cook Talks: Tricks of the Chocolatiers. 10 a.m. to noon. Come learn the basics of cooking with chocolate, when to use chocolate chips, chocolate bars, chocolate wafers and/or cocoa; how to keep your chocolate shiny, and what it means to temper chocolate. Learn to make 15-minute Dried Cherry, Walnut, and Dark Chocolate Truffles; 15 minute Bourbon Balls; and Chocolate covered pretzels and fruit. Advanced registration is appreciated. Lawrence Headquarters Branch, 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrenceville. 609-883-8292.

Tuesday, February 21

CrafterNoon: Make a Z Fold Fun Fold Card. 3 p.m. Join us as Alicia Vincelette from Inked Edge Paper Art instructs how to make a Z Fold Fun Fold card that can be used for various occasions. Alicia Vincelette has been an avid cardmaker and teacher for 30 years and has a passion for teaching others to create cards using a variety of mediums. Teaching the different techniques for cardmaking has brought her joy as she transforms paper into an art form. No prior experience is necessary. Sponsored by the Friends of the Lawrence Library. Registration is required and limited to 10 participants. Lawrence Headquarters Branch, 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrenceville. 609-883-8292.

Breathe, Relax, & Focus: Guided Meditation & Relaxation. 7 p.m. Be in the present moment and experience the joy of mindfulness, facilitated by Nila Satpute, a 12-year practitioner of Rajyoga. Sponsored by the Friends of the West Windsor Library. West Windsor Branch, 333 North Post Road, Princeton Junction. 609-799-0462.

Thursday, February 23

Adult Craft: Beaded Wrap Bracelet. 2:30 p.m. In our introductory jewelry-making class, we will use beads and a leather cord to make a beaded wrap bracelet. Sponsored by the Friends of the Hickory Corner Library. Please register. Hickory Corner Branch, 138 Hickory Corner Road, East Windsor. 609-448-1330. Black History Month Program: New Jersey’s Tuskegee of the North. 6 p.m. This program features the past and current history of the Tuskegee of the North—more commonly known as the Bordentown School. From its founding in 1886 to the present, Bordentown’s story has fascinated and in-

spired generations of advocates of African American History. The PBS documentary, A Place Out of Time: The Bordentown School (2010) will be featured in this evening’s program.

Dr. Mildred Rice Jordan, associate professor emerita at Rider University, will be our facilitator. Dr. Rice Jordan is the granddaughter of the founder of the Bordentown School and the author of a book describing its highly successful educational practices, Reclaiming African American Students: Legacies, Lessons, and Prescriptions (The Bordentown School Model 2017). As an author, former public school teacher, college professor, and social activist she brings authenticity and illuminating insights to the history of this iconic institution. Join us for an experience that will broaden and enhance your knowledge of New Jersey’s rich African American heritage. Advanced registration is appreciated. Lawrence Headquarters Branch, 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrenceville. 609-883-8292.

MCLS February youth programs

Wednesday, February 1

Kids’ Concert with Miss Kim (ages birth-7 years with a caregiver). 10 a.m. Come to enjoy classic and original songs by local musician, Kim Yarson. Sponsored by the Hightstown Library Association. Registration required at www.mcl.org. Hightstown Memorial Branch, 114 Franklin Street, Hightstown. 609-448-1474.

Womanspace Teen Dating Violence Awareness Program. 6 p.m. February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness month. Dating violence is when someone you are seeing romantically harms you in some way, whether it is physically, sexually, emotionally, or all three. Please join Womanspace for an awareness activity that consists of making artwork. For teens and parents. Sponsored by the Friends of the Lawrence Library. Registration is required. Lawrence Headquarters Branch, 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrenceville. 609-883-8292.

Tuesdays, February 7

Baby and Toddler Time (ages birth-18 months with a caregiver). 10 a.m. Also Feb. 14, 21 & 28. Come bring your baby or toddler to enjoy stories, songs, movement and more. No registration is required. Hightstown Memorial Branch, 114 Franklin Street, Hightstown. 609-448-1474.

Kawaii Craft Club. 6:30 p.m. Join us for this fun, new program where you can create the cutest Kawaii crafts! Kawaii is the culture of cuteness in Japan. This month we are making paper squishies featuring a design of your choice (cute of course!) Recommended for children, ages 5+, with a caregiver to supervise. Sponsored by the Friends of the Lawrence Library. Registration is required. Lawrence Headquarters Branch, 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrenceville. 609-883-8292.

s unday, February 26

Galaxy Painting. 2 p.m. Also Monday, Feb. 27, 4 p.m. Join Miss Molly to paint a watercolor galaxy. Sprinkle your painting with salt to create a swirl of shining stars! For all ages. Sponsored by the Friends of the Lawrence Library. Registration is required. Lawrence Headquarters Branch, 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrenceville. 609-883-8292.

SportS

Ava Aldarelli a new sensation in CVC basketball

Rich Fisher

Ava Aldarelli is a freshman with the wisdom of an upperclassman. Or maybe even a coach.

Asked if there is any facet of her basketball game she is looking to work on in the off-season, the Robbinsville High 9th-grader said, “I try to just improve all around. If I focus on one thing too much, it could just become the only part of my game.”

So true. And it appears she has been working on that all-around game already in her young life.

“When we played Lawrence she hit a bunch of threes,” first-year Ravens coach Justin Schmid said. “Against Nottingham it was a bunch of steals. With New Egypt she was coming off screens and hitting jump shots. Once we get her into the weight room she can really start to drive to the basket.”

Apparently, that’s the only flaw in an otherwise well-built design.

“She’ll drive into the middle of the paint and it’s a disaster there,” Schmid said. “You’ve got 17- and 18-year-olds in there. We tell her ‘You gotta pull up here, you’re not ready to go up and bang in

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there.’”

Which is something Aldarelli has no argument with.

“Yeah,” she said with a laugh. “That’s when you realize you’re a freshman.”

That may be the only time she looks that young on the court, however, as Aldarelli is one of the new sensations in the Colonial Valley Conference this season. Through Robbinsville’s surprising 9-5 start, she led the team in scoring (9.8 per game) and steals (44) and was second in rebounds with 88 despite playing guard.

“I honestly can’t be much happier at this point as a freshman,” Aldarelli said. “I wasn’t aware of the (leading) scoring thing happening. The people out there with me are a big part of me, Caroline (Walls), Abby (Reagan), Jackie (Maleson) and Reagan (Robinson). They’re there to pick me up when I’m having a tough time. I can always rely on them. Whenever I ask them a question, they have the answer.”

Stone Bridge Middle in Allentown for the previous six years and his sister, Kaitlyn, coached Ava at Pond Road. He not only watched her play, but got insight about her from his sister.

“She had to score at least in the 20s in middle school,” Schmid said. “When I got the job at Robbinsville in October, there was no one who really played significant varsity time. I talked to my sister and said ‘You think this Ava kid can play varsity as a freshman?’ Because it’s tough being 14 and coming in against 17 and 18 year olds.”

Kaitlyn, a former Wagner University assistant coach, gave a resounding “yes” to the question, but her brother wanted to go slow with the ninth-grader. That lasted for about two days of tryouts.

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Those girls are the four returning varsity players, none of which had ample playing time last year as Robbinsville did not return one starter. The four have come together nicely and it’s safe to say the arrival of Ava has been a difference maker.

“Reagan has been awesome,” Schmid said. “She’s leading us in rebounds (107 through 14 games) and assists (29). She’s been huge, I think she got the most varsity time out of all of them. You don’t really expect freshmen to come in and make an impact. But I have to say, I don’t know where we’d be without Ava.”

Aldarelli began playing rec basketball in the first grade and started playing seriously in fourth grade when she joined the Robbinsville travel team. From there she went to the Mid-Jersey Mavericks, led by Steinert coach Kristin Jacobs, and currently plays for the AUF Lady Hawks.

Jacobs recalled that “Ava is a fierce competitor that has a knack for scoring. Nothing shakes her. She keeps herself even keeled.”

Schmid got to see and hear first-hand how fierce Aldarelli played when she was in middle school. Justin coached the

“It was like ‘Uh oh, here we go,” Schmid said. “She was leading the break in drills, finishing around the rim. She was doing a little bit of everything in practice. In our first scrimmage we struggled to score against Delran. I put her in, and I think she had 10 points.

“You can slowly see it coming and I was glad. You never want to give a freshman the keys to the castle right away. But she started the first game and played pretty well, and you could just see it coming.”

Aldarelli had eight points, nine rebounds and six steals against Hamilton in her varsity debut, then continued to prove it was no fluke. Her best game was 25 points and 10 rebounds against Lawrence. She hit double figures six times in the first 14 games, and continued to do other things to help win.

“Anyone’s goal is to make varsity,” Aldarelli said. “I try to have confidence in myself; and (making varsity) was my goal. But no matter if I was on JV or varsity, whatever the situation, just winning games and helping that team is what mattered.”

She is helping the Ravens in many ways and, in what is a rare occurrence, has not drawn the ire or jealousy of upperclassmen.

“My favorite part about her is that noth-

‘Ava is a fierce competitor that has a knack for scoring. Nothing shakes her. She keeps herself even keeled,’ said Steinert coach Kristin Jacobs.

and greatly missed by all. Thank you my friend for all the memories.

With Deepest Sympathy to your friends and family, Brenda

The Barber Shop

ALDARELLI continued from Page 14

ing went to her head,” Schmid said. “It’s just ‘OK, on to the next game, just follow the game plan.’ There’s no cockiness. Sometimes you get a new kid coming in and messing up what (upperclassmen) thought is their season as juniors and seniors. The kids have embraced her.”

But she just works hard. She practiced all the rebound drills. And sometimes it’s just instinct and effort.”

As a new chapter unfolds for me in 2023, I invite all of our friends and customers to visit me at my new place of employment. Beginning in early February, I will be at The Barber Shop of Hamilton

As a new chapter unfolds for me in 2023, I invite all of our friends and customers to visit me at my new place of employment. Beginning in early February, I will be at The Barber Shop of Hamilton located at 1959 Highway 33, Hamilton Square.

For more information, please call the shop 609-586-6029 or my cell 609-947-0155.

For more information, please call the shop 609-586-6029 or my cell 609-947-0155. I appreciate your loyalty.

I appreciate your loyalty.

Brenda

Brenda

www.tbsbarbershops.com

And while Ava is not cocky and is respectful to her older teammates, that does not mean she will defer to anyone. Which is why she began leading the break in her first day of practice.

“It’s just kind of a natural instinct,” she said “I don’t really think that much about the age. When I go out there, I think that all these people are freshmen. It’s just ‘Get the ball up the court and score.’”

Which is exactly what she did in a Senior Night victory over Nottingham. Schmid started all seniors, as tradition decrees, and inserted Aldarelli when the game was still scoreless. Suddenly, the Ravens went up 11-2 and Ava finished with 16 points and eight rebounds in the

“She really reads the court well,” Schmid said. “She passes, finishes around the rim great, her jump shot is coming along. I don’t think she knows yet quite how good she can be.”

Aldarelli comes from a sports-oriented family, so effort is sewn into her DNA. She also plays softball and was part of a state championship team for Robbinsville Little League a few years ago. A lifelong soccer player, Ava switched to field hockey in the fall and ended up second on the team with eight goals for Jennamarie Colicchia’s 14-5, CVC Valley Division champion.

Asked why she changed fall sports, Aldarelli said “I honestly couldn’t tell you. It was kind of just a flip and I wanted to try something new. I actually ended up starting, which was a surprise.”

With her athletic skills, nothing should be a surprise.

“She’s one of those kids that can pick up anything,” said Schmid, who will be glad to know Ava considers basketball her main sport.

The refreshing thing about Aldarelli is that her modesty is as discernible as her talent. Schmid noted that after one win, he awarded her with the game ball that she sheepishly accepted, before saying to her coach “Couldn’t you just say you’re proud of me.”

are a dedicated team of board certified physicians who provide high quality healthcare to newborns, children, and adolescents through college age.

Scheduled appointments and same day sick visits are available weekdays, evenings, and Saturday mornings.

Probably the most amazing stat is her rebounding totals, as she stands just 5-6 and plays on the perimeter.

“I just try to get in the paint when the ball goes up,” Aldarelli said. “Abby’s leading the team in rebounds, she’s great at it. She’s just a little taller than me, so I just try to do whatever she’s doing.”

Schmid added that “a lot of her rebounds are offensive boards, which helps her get extra points. I really got on her early. She wasn’t hitting the glass defensively too well, and rebounding kind of was a big problem early on for us.

Which is typical of Aldarelli, who would rather talk about the team’s success than her own.

“I think just trusting each other and going about it together and learning has really helped us,” she said. “We have so many seniors that are leading this team. We also have our new coach who is building a new culture for our team. With all of that, I think it’s just coming together finally.”

And knowing Aldarelli has three more years to help it come together has to be a comforting thought for Ravens fans.

Lauren Levine

Michael DeLuca

Matthew Etter

Kevin Collins • Dr. Deolinda Reverendo

Alon Baker, DO, FAAP, FACOP • Sonya Boor, MD, FAAP Laura Brandspiegel, MD, FAAP • Stefanie Fiderer, DO, FAAP

thanks or to support our Emergency Response Fund, visit rwjbh.org/heroes

And please, for them, stay home and safe.

Is cardio or strength training better for your heart health?

Ask The Doctor

See our ads in SIX09 section pgs 5 and 7

Everyone knows that exercise is good for the heart. But what kind of exercise is most beneficial for optimum heart health— cardio or strength training?

Edward A. Wingfield, MD, Chairman of Cardiology, and Medical Director of the “M. Ghusson Cardiac Catheterization Lab,” Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (RWJUH Hamilton), an RWJBarnabas Health facility, sheds some light on this decades-old debate.

When it comes to cardio vs. strength training for heart health, is one more beneficial than the other?

The scientific evidence is still building around which form of exercise is best to prevent chronic disease. Historically, aerobic (or cardio) exercise was always recommended for heart and lung health with little attention paid to strength (or resistance) training.

What’s clear now, however, is that

strength training is as important to heart health as aerobic exercise and that a combination of both yields the best heart outcomes with regard to blood pressure, body composition, fitness, strength and metabolism. In turn, beneficial change in a person’s physiology yields a lower risk of diabetes, hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol), heart attack and stroke.

What’s the best way to combine these exercises?

Physical Activity

Guidelines for Americans, a 2018 report from the Department of Health and Human Services, recommends that each week, adults aged 18 to 64 do at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, 75 to 150 minutes of vigorousintensity aerobic activity or an equivalent combination of both. Strength training should be performed at least twice a week on nonconsecutive days to allow a period of rest for the muscle groups being stressed. How does age affect the type of exercise(s) a person should do?

As we age, safety becomes an issue. The aging adult should do both forms of exercise, but participation should take into account chronic medical conditions, such as musculoskeletal disorders, that may place the individual at risk for injury.

For people at risk for falls or with balance issues, resistance exercises, such as chair squats, heel lifts, rowing, resistance bands, bicep curls and shoulder presses, may be effectively and safely performed. Research continues to support strength/resistance training for older individuals. What advice do you have for the average person who wants to start an exercise regimen to improve their heart health?

Recommendations are based on age and whether the individual is new to an exercise program. First, choose exercise that you may find enjoyable. Second, set realistic expectations for how often and how long you’ll exercise. Third, choose exercises that you can safely perform. Fourth, consider partnering with others for motivation and socialization. Fifth, communicate with your physicians. Whoever your heart beats for, our hearts beat for you.

To learn more and/or schedule an appointment with one of New Jersey’s top cardiac specialists at RWJUH Hamilton, visit rwjbh.org/heart or call (888) 724-7123.

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, RWJBarnabas Health is located at One Hamilton Health Place, Hamilton. 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. To register for a program or for schedule changes go to rwjbh.org/ events.

Tuesday, February 7

Heart Disease Prevention: Congestive Heart Failure. 1 to 2 p.m. Connie Moceri, MSN, RN, AGNP-C, Director of Disease Management and Ann Mancuso, MSN, RN, CHFN, Heart Failure Program Coordinator will provide an overview of this disease, including prevention and treatment.

Wednesday, February 8

Over The Counter Hearing Aids-FAQ-What You Should Know. 10 to 11 a.m. Get the facts on the latest in over-the-counter hearing aids.

Learn the facts and get your questions answered by Dr. Lorraine Sgarlato, Au.D., A.B.A., a clinical audiologist with over 40 years of experience in the field of hearing science.

Tuesday, February 14

Managing Stress and Diabetes. 3 to 4 p.m. This support group is for people living with diabetes. Learn how to cope with stress and diabetes in a healthy way.

Thursday, February 16

Keeping Your Mind Sharp. 1 to 2 p.m. This lecture covers the basics of why our brains change and strategies for improving memory to keep our brains top notch. Presented by Sarah Masco, OTD, OTR/L, CLT-LANA.

Monday, February 20

Dance It Out! Also April 10. 1 to 2 p.m. When in doubt, dance the stress out. No experience needed. ALL ages welcome.

Wednesday, February 22

Fall Recovery Day. 10 to 11 a.m. Ketki Vyas, DPT, LANA, Senior Physical Therapist will provide insight on the dynamics of recovering from falls.

Cook For Your Heart. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. It’s the month of love! There is no better way to express love to yourself or others than through a heart-healthy home cooked meal.

Thursday, February 23

Love Your Crockpot. 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Dust off your crockpot, it’s slow cooker season! Explore new recipes and take home ingredients that will make your crock pot a regular counter top occurrence.

Monday, February 27

Seasonal Anxiety-Are You Experiencing the Winter Blues? 11 a.m. to noon. Discussion group about dealing with the Winter Blues. Easy tips and different strategies one can employ for coping.

Better Health Programs

These complimentary programs for those ages 65+ will engage your mind, encourage you to move and help you reflect. Registration required for all programs. Call 609.584.5900 or visit us on the web at www.rwjbh.org/events.

Thursday, February 2

Spinal Health & Successful Spine Surgery

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow Lunch & Learn. 12:30 to 2 p.m. Marc J. Levine, MD will join us for an engaging conversation with Q&A about spinal health and what’s changed in treatment and surgery. Orthopedic and Spine Institute/RWJBH, Director Spine Surgery Program RWJUH/Hamilton.

Wednesday, February 15

Acoustic Café. 1 to 2 p.m. Sheli Monacchio, CDP, HSAC, ADLS, Senior Vice President, Angelion Mobility & Singer/Songwriter will share her original music over snacks & beverages during this fun-filled time.

Thursday, February 16

Discussions with Sara Ali, MD: Love Your Heart. 1 to 2 p.m. Join Dr. Ali and Friends for a fresh perspective on loving your heart for life!

Dr. Edward Wingfield

HEALTH HEADLINES

BI-MONTHLY NEWS FROM CAPITAL HEALTH

Capital Health Regional Medical Center

Nationally Recognized as a Leader for Social Responsibility, Patient Safety

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Controllable Risk Factors for Stroke

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

High blood pressure

… High cholesterol

Heart/blood

vessel disease

Cigarette smoking

Visit capitalneuro.org to learn more.

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

— Balance

Is the person experiencing a sudden loss of balance?

— Eyes

Has the person lost vision in one or both eyes?

— Face Drooping

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

— Arm Weakness

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

— Speech Difficulty

Physical inactivity/ obesity/poor diet

… Diabetes mellitus

Atrial fibrillation

Sickle cell disease

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

— Time to call 911

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

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

AMERICAN HEART MONTH

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

This puts you in contact with a trained dispatcher who will tell you what to do and sends an ambulance to your location. When the ambulance arrives, treatment begins in your home and the emergency department is prepared for your arrival at the hospital. Because your symptoms may get worse, driving yourself is a bad idea.

The Chest Pain Center at Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell is accredited by the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care and the American College of Cardiology. This means the Center meets high standards for diagnosing and treating cardiac emergencies, such as heart attacks.

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

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

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

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

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

Coronary artery bypass surgery

Current, stable chest pain (angina pectoris)

… Heart valve repair or replacement

… Angioplasty or stenting to open blocked coronary arteries

Heart or heart-lung transplant surgery

Stable, chronic heart failure

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

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

YES

SYMPTOM MEN WOMEN

Chest Pain

Shortness of breath

Sweating

Crushing, center of chest

With or before pain, may occur

With cold, clammy skin, may occur

Arm Pain Pain, numbness

Back, Neck, Jaw Pain May occur

Stomach Pain May occur

Indigestion May occur

Anxiety May occur

Fatigue May occur

Dizzy/ Lightheaded May occur

Pressure, tightness, ache, stomach pain, sweating

With or before pain, common

Similar to men

Similar to men

More common than in men

Extend to abdomen or only abdomen

2x’s more likely than men

Mistaken for panic

Flu-like symptoms

More common than in men

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

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

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

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

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

KEY INFORMATION FOR YOU TO KNOW SERVICES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TRANSPORTATION

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

MEDICAL RECORDS

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

MAIN NUMBERS

Capital Health – East Trenton: 609.599.5000

Capital Health Regional Medical Center: 609.394.6000

Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell: 609.303.4000

An update on open space

DAVE FRIED MAYOR’S COLUMN

Seemingly lost in all the misinformation, rumors and just plain untruths surrounding the possible future preservation of Serenity Farms (aka Gafgen Farm; aka Lavender Farm), Robbinsville Township officially renewed its lease of a portion of Block 5, Lot 1—also known as the Thompson Tract/Cubberly Property—to Tri County Turf, LLC on Dec. 9, 2022 for the next five years.

The proposed change of use was requested by the Robbinsville Township School District to allow 38 of the property’s 152.6 acres, located adjacent to the high school, to be converted into athletic fields under a lease from the Township.

On June 9, 2022, Township Council and administration heard a presentation from the district, as well as from several Robbinsville residents and others over the course of the close to two-hour hearing. After careful consideration over many months, and after reading hundreds of comments, Council and Administration believed the district had not shown a current and immediate need justifying the change of use for those 38 acres. Council formally closed out that proposed change of purpose or use via Resolution on Jan. 26.

The land will continue to be farms for a rotation of corn and soybeans by Tri County, which has leased 117 of the 152.6 acres from the Township since 2013.

In addition to the June 9 presentation, the matter also was discussed at length at the Sept. 8 Council meeting, with many residents at that well-attended meeting voicing their objections to the proposed change of use.

This is another really good example of us listening. We have said time and time again that not every plan that comes across our desks is etched in stone. We care deeply

about open space. We have proven that time and time again. We also care deeply about making sure everyone’s voice is respected. Our open space, preservation, conservation, and rich farming history speaks for itself. The bottom line is you, the residents, didn’t want the change of use at the Thompson Tract. And we heard you.

We listened to every comment at those public meetings, and we read every email. If we can conserve or preserve property, we are absolutely going to do it because the truth is there are simply not that many parcels left. When they are gone, they are gone forever.

On Jan. 6, the Township distributed what we felt was a highly informative Q&A regarding recent open space questions and what it would take to get another open space question on the Nov. 2023 ballot after voters rejected the Nov. 8, 2022 ballot question asking for a 2-cent open space tax increase.

Can the Township purchase and preserve Serenity or Wittenborn farms without once again going out for referendum? The short answer is no. Putting the open space question back on the ballot in November requires 732 petition signatures of registered Robbinsville voters—or 15 percent of the votes cast locally in the last preceding general election.

The statute allows for a petition with those required number of signatures to be presented to Township Council, which would then be required to approve the new ballot question.

We will certainly keep everyone posted on any new developments. In the meantime, keep participating, keep emailing and please attend more Council meetings. Council changed its meeting times every other Thursday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. (by request) for that very reason.

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Your insurance shouldn’t be what keeps you up at night. Whether your needs are personal or business related, Nottingham Insurance of fer s an extensive selection of insurance products. With over 100 years of experience, we work with you to get the right coverage at an af fordable price. So that you can focus on what is impor tant. We’re t here when life happens. Ser

Dave Fried is the mayor of Robbinsville Township

“give it your all”

2330 Route 33, Suite 101, Robbinsville, NJ 08691

Office: 609-259-1414

375 Farnsworth Ave., Bordentown NJ 08505

Office: 609-298-9888

smiresandassociates.com

ROEBLING $195,000

Linda LeMay-Kelly, SA

Cell: 609-651-3583

This well kept row home is lled with original details, 9ft ceilings, hardwood ooring, newer kitchen. Great location, in the heart of Roebling!

MANCHESTER UNDER CONTRACT

BORDENTOWN $269,500

HAMILTON $390,000

Justin Reed, CO-OWNER, SA Cell: 609-433-3623

2 bed, 2.5 bath end unit townhome located in Williamsburg Village. Updated eat in kitchen, one car garage. Great location on quiet culde-sac, backing to woods. Close to all major roadways, downtown shopping and dining.

ALLENTOWN $529,000

Terry Parliaros, SA

Cell: 609-610-2252

2 bed, 2 bath bungalow in the 55+ community of Crestwood Village VI. Enclosed front sunroom with heat. Beautiful 3 season room overlooking wooded area. Home sits on a large corner lot. Move in condition.

Edward Smires, BROKER Cell: 609-638-2904

Stunning 3 bed, 2 bath home located in 4 Seasons, 55+ community. Sunroom addition, 2 car attached garage with walk up loft area. Amenities include both outdoor & indoor pool, tness room & much more!

Spacious 3 bed, 1.5 bath split with hardwood ooring. Lower level features a large family room with wood burning stove and den to o er additional living space. Basement and attached garage.

HAMILTON 334,900

Annie Parisi, SA

Cell: 609-532-8693

Linda LeMay-Kelly, SA

Cell: 609-651-3583

Beautifully renovated colonial -3 bed, possible 4th bed/bonus room, 2 full bath home. This property shines with all new re nished ooring, new kitchen, nice size yard with detached garage.

RINGOES $650,000

PENNINGTON $845,000

Natalie Smires, SA Cell: 609-477-3168

Maria Polcari, SA Cell: 609-577-5595

ALLENTOWN $1,290,000 Gorgeous 4 bed, 3 bath ranch home. Features 2 replaces, wet bar, walk out basement, inground pool, private fenced backyard, attached 2 car garage.

Edward Smires, BROKER Cell: 609-638-2904

4 bed, 2.5 bath custom built Colonial, reconstructed in 2020. Kitchen w/quartz countertops, on demand hot water heater, whole house generator, built-in repit, semi in-ground salt water pool w/trex deck. Hopewell Township Schools.

94 + acres located just outside of historic Allentown. Excellent well drained soil w/gentle slopes. Irrigation pond on property. 4 car garage w/living space above. Designated 2 acre building lot. Farm is in preservation.

William “Bill” Perilli, SA Cell: 609-635-7370

Joseph Perilli, SA Cell: 609-947-2435