5-23 LG

Goal oriented

Communities struggle to find new police officers

INTerVieW By Bill SaNserViNO

Lawrence Municipal Manager Kevin Nerwinski recently sat down with the Lawrence Gazette to talk about issues impacting the township.

The first part of the Q&A resulting from that interview ran in the April issue of the Gazette and addressed the future of fire and emergency services in the township. To read that article, go to communitynews.org.

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This month, Nerwinski talks about the police department and difficulties facing law enforcement in 2023.

One of the biggest problems facing towns is the dwindling number of people seeking jobs in law enforcement.

“Law enforcement agencies across the United States are struggling to recruit and hire police officers. Though agencyspecific needs exist depending on size or locale, the difficulty with recruitment is a significant

problem that is broadly affecting the field of law enforcement—it is not simply a result of poor agency management or localized failures,” said to a report released in 2019 by the International Association of Chiefs of Police titled “A crisis for law enforcement.”

That number has only gotten worse. In 2021, the N.J. State Police reported that applications dropped from 15,000 to 20,000 to just 2,130 over a one-

See NERWINSKI, Page 6

Deadly legionella bacteria once again detected in TWW system

By Bill SaNserViNO

Seven cases of Legionnaires’ disease have been reported between last October and March in towns served by Trenton Water Works.

According to the state Department of Health, the cases occurred in Trenton, Ewing, Lawrence Township and Hamilton township. Of the seven, two individuals have died.

The state has been conducting testing for legionella in all

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TWW towns since cases were first reported in late 2021.

In an effort to mitigate the problem, TWW started lowvelocity flushing of water mains last month using specialized equipment throughout its 683mile water distribution system next week.

Thieactivity will continue through May. TWW personnel is conducting the flushing Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Equipment used by TWW personnel may sometimes

remain in place overnight.

“The goal of the low-velocity water main flushing is to mitigate conditions that promote the growth of pathogens, including legionella, by increasing and sustaining chlorine residuals,” said Sean Semple, acting director of the city’s Department of Water and Sewer, which operates Trenton Water Works. “Once we achieve this water-treatment goal, we will execute additional action steps to improve water

See TWW, Page 3

Senior Jessica Everman is pictured at a recent LHS girls’ lacrosse practice. She is hoping to break the school’s all-time scoring record. For more on Everman and the team, turn to Page 12. (Photo by Rich Fisher.)

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TWW continued from Page 1

quality in the TWW system.”

According to a statement release by TWW, low-velocity water main flushing is a conventional water-industry method that uses specialized equipment attached to a fire hydrant to restrict the flow to such levels that the sediment within a water main is not disturbed or scoured.

The procedure also allows for eliminating stagnant water and optimizing chlorine disinfection to minimize the conditions contributing to pathogens’ growth

During the flushing program, servicearea residents should not notice any changes in their water, such as brown or discolored water. However, residents may notice a chlorine smell as TWW personnel work to increase chlorine levels in parts of the water distribution system.

TWW is working with the state Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Health on legionella mitigation. It has expanded systemwide monitoring for Legionella via sampling locations approved by the NJDEP, including storage tanks, the water-filtration plant on Route 29 South in Trenton, and the 100 million-gallon Pennington Ave-

nue Reservoir.

TWW customers and service-area residents can learn more about Legionella at the NJDEP’s webpage at dep.nj.gov/ trentonwater/legionella.

Legionnaires’ disease, which is caused by the legionella bacteria, is a type of pneumonia that people can get after breathing in aerosolized water containing the bacteria.

People cannot get Legionnaires’ disease by drinking water that has Legionella. Though uncommon, people can get sick when water containing Legionella is aspirated into the lungs while drinking.

Anyone who has questions about TWW’s Legionella mitigation should call its office of communications and community relations at (609) 989-3033, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

LMS principal honored

Lawrence Middle School principal Dr. Mindy Milavsky has been selected as Visionary Principal of the Year (Secondary), by the NJ Principals and Supervisors Association. She has also been selected by the National Association of

See AROUND TOWN, Page 4

LAWRENCE GAZETTE

We are a newsroom of your neighbors. The Lawrence Gazette 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 WRITER

Rich Fisher

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST

Kevin Nerwinski

AD LAYOUT AND PRODUCTION

Stacey Micallef (Ext. 131)

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Christine Storie (Ext. 115)

Community News Service

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Community forum Passage Theatre seeks community support

Dear Theatre Lovers,

We’re writing to you as a valued supporter of Passage, and want you to know some important news first. In the next day we will be reaching out to the public to ask for help. We have a cash-flow crisis that will force the theatre to cease operations immediately if we cannot solve it.

This is a short-term problem, but Passage needs to keep its doors open until the next grants arrive in late May. You can make a difference in the future of theater in New Jersey’s capital city. Help us build on our success by donating now.

Passage kept its doors open after the pandemic. But like many US theatres, Passage has found that familiar funders have refocused their giving priorities in the post-pandemic economy. A drop in both corporate and individual gifts has created a gap in Passage’s cash flow between April and June.

To prevent immediate closure, Passage is tackling this shortfall from many directions. Our Board and Staff are working tirelessly to reach granting organizations to see if funds can be released earlier. We have

contacted family and friends of Passage across this country to help us survive. And they are answering.

But we must raise $75,000 before the end of May to ensure that we are here to produce our 39th season and beyond. Some staff have already been laid off or had their hours greatly reduced. The hard truth is we can no longer cut our way out of this crisis.

A state capital needs professional theatre. Trenton’s is Passage. It creates thoughtprovoking, liberating theatre that tells the stories of our entire community.

Recent seasons have attracted national attention, and several plays that Passage has created are going on to be produced across the country.

In this incredibly difficult time we are asking those whose lives have been touched by Passage, or those who love art in urban America, to contribute to our survival.

Staff and board members are happy to talk or answer questions. Reach out to us at admin@passagetheatre.org.

To donate, visit www.passagetheatre.org.

AROUND TOWN cont. from Page 3 Free seedlings available

Secondary School Principals as Principal of the Year.

Dr. Milavsky has spent her entire professional career as an educator, first as a teacher, then as the assistant principal at Lawrence High School (LHS), and for the past eleven years as the principal at LMS.

At LMS, Dr. Milavsky has focused on students’ social emotional well-being, character education, and leadership and community building. Implementing the NJDOE Social and Emotional Learning Competencies, Dr. Milavsky’s goal was to create a school community where everyone feels a sense of belonging.

The three-house system she put in place supports the students’ feelings of belonging, helping them meet their goals and enriching the students’ educational experiences.

Through school-wide mantras, assembly programs, and curriculum changes, Dr. Milavsky has made “LMS Nation” a place where students and staff work together to grow and learn. Dr. Milavsky is a true advocate for her students, and sets the highest standards for her school community.

Free tree seedlings are available to area residents beginning as part of the N.J. Forest Service’s N.J. Tree Recovery Campaign. Residents will be able to pick up tree seedlings at the Lawrence Municipal Building during normal business hours.

This year the Township has Black Walnut, Bur Oak and Chestnut Oak seedlings. Seedlings are available on a first come, first served basis and come with instructions on how to store, care for, and plant the trees.

The guides help residents choose the right place on a property to plant a tree while keeping in mind the tree’s fullgrown size in the future. Residents should plant the seedlings within two days after pick-up in order to prevent the roots from drying out.

When properly planted and maintained, trees can be assets to a community. They improve the visual appeal of a neighborhood or business district, increase property values, reduce home cooling costs, remove air pollutants, and provide wildlife habitat, among many other benefits.

For more information, contact Brenda Kraemer at (609) 844-7087 or bkraemer@ lawrencetwp.com.

Officials in several Mercer County communities interviewed by the Gazette have confirmed that the trend is continuing.

Also discussed with Nerwinski was the state of this year’s municipal budget and money raised by taxing the sale of adult-use cannabis. An edited version of Nerwinski’s conversation with the Gazette appears below.

Lawrence Gazette: I have spoken to officials in several towns who have said that the numbers of people applying for police officer jobs is way down. Do you find that to be the case?

Kevin Nerwinski: That’s correct and I think that’s nationwide—not only here. I mean, you spend a little bit of time on social media and you understand the difficulties that police sometimes cause themselves. But other times, you know, it has become a dangerous job, not just physically dangerous, but also, you can find yourself in a situation you never expected.

I think people are looking elsewhere. We are a civil service community, so we hire police more often than not from the civil service list. Going through a list to find applicants that satisfy our require-

ments is becoming more difficult. People just aren’t of the quality that we need at this point in time, because the job is is challenging on all levels—physically, emotionally.

We’re looking for the personality traits that look to de-escalate versus responding more forcefully. So that so that’s becoming a challenge. Chief (Christopher) Longo has done an incredible job.

I’m really happy with his leadership and his style of leadership.

We included a captain—Captain Joseph Lech, into the department hierarchy there, and the captain is supposed to take on primarily the day to day operations of the police department, where the police chief kind of sets the policy and tone. And I think it’s working really well.

We’re hiring now. We’re coming upon a group of officers that are ready to retire, and we never really know when they’re going to hit the button to retire because they’re always looking for their next situation, and when they find that, that’s when they hit the button. So there’s no way to plan.

retiring, we’re immediately looking for applicants and then waiting for the scheduling of the next academy, because it’s its only like two or three times a year.

Then, because the older police officers are retiring, you have a deficiency of officers in the middle of the pack—the 15 year veteran. We’re missing that element, so we’re trying to use the ability to hire transfers from other departments.

I think that helps us fill that gap so we can have a more consistently built police department where the ages are incrementally higher. With time on the job comes experience.

Think about it. You give a young person a badge and a gun and you train them, but in the end, they’re out there on their on their own and they’re going to rely upon their own skills, background, integrity and morals. There’s an element of hope that they do the right thing every single time. I would not be honest if I said that I don’t worry about that at times.

law enforcement officer, for sure. They come across a lot of different challenges throughout the course of their day.

LG: Yeah, and I don’t think many people stop and think about how difficult a job policing is.

KN: And now add on to it. I think more so than ever, people are feeling empowered to push back without civility and without basic respect prompted by nothing. That’s a challenge for any police officer at any level of experience to make a traffic stop and immediately be exposed to a disrespectful individual before they even engage them.

LG: I see a lot of videos on social media where from the get go, a person is totally uncooperative with the officer and the officer is being professional. And the situation just escalates from there, because the person won’t comply with what the officer is asking for. They say, “I don’t have to show you my ID. The Supreme Court says I don’t have to. And then there’s the sovereign citizens.

CAUTION

HAZARDOUS WASTE

A new officer from the from beginning to getting that officer hired to on the street to work as a police officer is a little less than a year. So it’s an investment of time to get them.

LG: Lawrence is an interesting community because it kind of runs the gamut from very high-end housing to basically urban rim areas. And you also have Route 1, which comes with its own set of difficulties.

HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION AND ELECTRONICS RECYCLING EVENT

So when an officer signals they’re

KN: I think from a law enforcement perspective, it’s definitely a very eclectic community to navigate through as a

KN: I talked to Chief Longo about that when he first started as chief. He and I both agree, we’re on the same page that the way you combat that is through training and knowledge.

I’m sure you’ve seen on social media, where nine times out of 10, police offi-

Dempster Fire School / 350 Lawrence Station Road

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MATERIALS ONLY ACCEPTED ON THIS DATE AND TIME, RAIN OR SHINE

ACCEPTED MATERIALS

Aerosol Cans / Used Motor Oil / Propane Gas Tanks / Pesticides & Herbicides

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ACCEPTED ELECTRONICS Computers / Printers / Copiers / Fax Machines / Stereos / Televisions / Microwaves

cers get themselves in trouble because they just don’t know the law themselves. And if you don’t know the law, then all of a sudden you start to push back in a negative way that escalates the situation.

I know our police officers are engaging in more and more training in that regard, and that’s the best we can do. And those tools that we give them to help them each day is our obligation to them.

The municipal budget and cannabis revenue

LG: Okay. Let’s move on to let’s talk about the general economy now and how it has affected the township budget. I know you’ve addressed the budget in your column (in the Gazette) and on your blog, and you explained a lot about what’s going on with the budget. What are some of the challenges that inflation and the pandemic have created?

KN: I’m trying to make the budget process as transparent as I can in my communications with the community, so they better understand where we’re coming from, because it is their money that funds the municipal services that they receive.

So, as I said in my budget message for

this year, the inflation that our residents feel is also felt by the municipal government the same way. The cost of gasoline that we put in our equipment and vehicles and equipment is at a higher cost. We feel the same thing in insurance increases.

Waste disposal is a significant thing. We contract with a vendor. We go out to bid. We hope to get multiple vendors bidding. But we only have one that bids, and they set the price of the contract. Going in house (for trash collection) is just not something that’s doable at this time.

The contract went up 20%. A significant amount, because they’re experiencing the shortage of manpower and quality workers that they need to rely upon. And so that gets passed on to the end user, which is the town, which is the residents.

So that’s why in my budget message I really tried to stress that there are things beyond our control and in this year’s budget we can’t control several big factors. One is that all the employees here are under a bargaining unit agreement, a labor agreement. The negotiated cost of living increase for 2023 among each one—because I work hard to try and keep things equal among all the bargaining units—is 2.25%.

About 40% of our municipal budget is

the salary and wages of the people that we pay. And then as of Jan. 1 of 2023, it was 2.25% higher. That’s a significant increase that we have to deal with in some way.

In this year’s budget we have identified firemen, EMTs and two public works employees that are absolutely necessary to do (hire). And when you look at those two combined things, there’s only several hundred thousand dollars more that you can look at and say, “okay, this is the increase of $1.2 million from last year, the amount that we’re raising for taxation.”

I think that our municipal government and our departments are staffed really lean. We don’t have excess people anywhere. So the thought of downsizing at this time is not realistic, because we won’t be able to produce the services that we need to produce.

LG: The tax increase 2.5 cents. Any tax increase is too much in the minds of a lot of people, but 2.5 cents isn’t horrible, all things considered. I’ve seen much, much worse.

KN: I think is for this year. Lawrence always comes out of the gate sooner than most other municipalities in our county as far as work on our budget. I’m really interested to see how other towns are

affected. I think that budget from year to year also relies upon what you’ve done in years past.

In the five years getting to this point, we have reduced our debt. We have increased our surplus, we have made ourselves a top-rated municipal government by Moody’s (bond rating company), which allows us to get the best financing possible. We have all those things happening and then add the fact that we focused on grants over the last couple of years.

We had a part-time municipal engineer, Brenda Kraemer, and I thought it was a perfect choice for us to give her a full-time position and make her centrally responsible for all our grants. We have $5 million in grants in this last budget that we have. It’s crazy. That allows us, as a community, to keep moving forward with capital improvements. Whether it’s a dog park or the Brunswick Avenue streetscape or whatever. We don’t have to sit here and enlarge our debt to do things. And I think it’s allowed us to continue to grow the way we need to grow.

LG: This is the first year where I would assume you’ve seen some revenue from cannabis sales. Generally, how much did that revenue help the township?

KN: It’s incredible. It’s a gamechanger. Say the town gets a new development or a new warehouse. They don’t normally move the needle that much because there’s always a cost behind it. But the cannabis tax for this municipality is about $900,000 that goes to the municipal government.

LG: Right. And that was just one facility.

KN: Yeah one. I’m really proud of how we handled this. First of all, 70% of New Jerseyans felt that the legalization of cannabis was appropriate. In our town, the numbers are a little bit higher than that, in terms of how they voted in that referendum. So, we knew that the people thought it was a good idea, or an accept-

Our challenge was, do we want it in our town? And if we do, how should we regulate it? Because the state law really gave the towns a lot of power, we determined that, number one, we do want it. And number two, that we need to ensure that it’s highly regulated. We were able to identify the corridor along Route One away from all residential communities and neighborhoods, making it a destination place and limiting it to two retail cannabis sellers.

It’s worked out really well, and now, the second one—at the former Crab Shack on Route 1, is really close to being final.

LG: It’s basically across the street from the other retail location—Zen Leaf. Both sides of the highway are basically being served.

I don’t know if you have ever driven by Zen Leaf. There are always cars there, and I don’t think it’s going too far to say that there was probably a little bit of a public safety issue there. The second site is going to help eliminate that. It’s not going to be just one location, so it’s going to be less people there. Spread out. I think it is a safer situation for all.

In 2023 we were able to include in our

budget a half a year of that tax, $450,000. You can only budget for what you have realized in the year prior. We only received $450,000. So next year, in the 2024 budget, we’re going to be able to realize $900,000. So, if it’s 2023 and it had a full year, our tax increase would have been a penny less.

We know that money’s going to be there, but we have to comply with budget law. So literally, $460,000 is a cent. We would really be at 1.5 cents, but we’ll get that next year. Which allows us to hire police officers, firefighters, EMTs, it’s a big deal.

LG: Do you anticipate it will stay at that level going into the future?

KN: It’s going to get less every single year, but being out front is important, because there’s only, I think, 12 permits statewide. That’s going to double or triple by the end of this year, I think. So now people aren’t going to be coming into Lawrence from 25 miles away. I think the closest one right now is Bordentown. I don’t expect the $900,000 to continue, but with businesses on both sides of Route One, we’ll probably still get our fair share.

LG: What about manufacturing and grow facilities? Do you have any?

KN: We have none online right now.

LG: Are there any on the horizon?

KN: I’ll tell you what. One of the concerns I think any municipal government has is a consequence of the pandemic. I don’t know if it’s a negative consequence, but I think companies realized they don’t need to bring their workers into work every day. That home employment has its positives, if done the right way. And so some of our corporate centers are becoming less occupied and some not occupied at all.

They have to be reimagined in some way. And I think the cannabis industry is going to fill that void. We have a couple of large buildings in our industrial zones that I think are perfect for that type of industry. So, we’ll see.

Be a ‘Parte’ of the Past and Present at Point Breeze

The Bordentown estate of Joseph Bonaparte, the exiled king and Napoleon’s brother, gets right to the point with the May opening of a new Discovery Center in the renovated Gardener’s House at historic Point Breeze, page 2.

The Gardener’s House in Bordentown is the only building that remains standing from the time when Joseph Bonaparte, the exiled King of Naples and Spain, erected his extravagant estate at Point Breeze Ahead of its opening to the public as a longawaited Discovery Center this May, the renovated structure has received the royal treatment and will be a place where visitors can learn about the historic and natural narratives of the land.

Despite Point Breeze’s eras occupied by the Lenape Native Americans, a British politician, an entrepreneur, and several religious organizations, these stories were often blown past with the same swiftness suggested in the name—in favor of the former monarch, who was the older brother of Napoleon Bonaparte—rather than comprehensively told.

But the property that was once on the verge of being redeveloped has more chapters to come thanks to a collaboration of community conservation efforts from the City of Bordentown, the State of New Jersey’s Green Acres Program, and the nonprofit Delaware & Raritan Green-

way Land Trust, which partnered to purchase it in late 2020 from the Society of the Divine Word, or Divine Word Missionaries, its prior owner of 80 years.

D&R Greenway is the Princeton-based land preservation group that oversaw and funded the reconstruction of Bonaparte’s circa 1820 Gardener’s House, the two-story structure they bought in addition to one of the 60 available acres. With upcoming exhibitions and events, the environmental entity will operate the Discovery Center at Point Breeze as an extension of their commitment to protecting natural open space throughout New Jersey.

Linda Mead is the president and CEO of D&R Greenway, which is now finalizing their informational materials alongside Miles Truesdell III, the creative director and photographer of Leigh Visual Imaging in Princeton. Truesdell is responsible for the design and installation of the imagebased panels covering everything from archeology to horticulture, incorporating additional research by the D&R curatorial team.

D&R Greenway will debut these displays during their gala on Sunday, May 7, a fundraiser and garden party offering the first chance to take a docent-led tour of the Dis-

See Point

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Point Breeze, continued from Page 2 covery Center from 4 to 6 p.m. Be ready to browse the historic vegetable and herb garden they restored last year, which grows 27 heritage varieties reflective of what was planted in the 1820s.

Johan Firmenich is set to be awarded the 2023 Donald B. Jones Conservation Award for his leadership on Mountain View Road in Montgomery Township during the program. For tickets or more information, see the D&R Greenway website at drgreenway.org

The celebration at Point Breeze will recognize the region as part of the ancestral home of the Lenni Lenape, known as “Lenapehoking,” first stewarded 13,000 years ago.

Named after the upward winds that rise from where Crosswicks Creek flows into

and joins the Delaware River, this site sits at the confluence of the two waterways and is the southern access point to the Abbott Marshlands, a central New Jersey expanse of wetlands, woods, and diverse wildlife. As the grand unveiling of Point Breeze approaches on Saturday, May 20, the Discovery Center looks to reestablish the “spiritual connection” between the earth’s resources and its inhabitants, just as the “original people” (a literal translation for Leni Lenape) once did.

During the program, guests can enter the Discovery Center for a recommended yet voluntary $10 donation from 1 to 5 p.m. and attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony with key figures in the restoration saga, including a Native blessing by Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania storyteller Barbara “Bluejay” Michalski. Summer hours will then be on subsequent Thursdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.

Mead suggested typing “Divine Word Missionaries” into the GPS rather than the address to avoid being sent downtown, then entering the estate at 101 Park Street and following the dirt road to the right. Bordentown has relocated its new municipal building complex with administrative offices and a city hall in the heart of the huge property, which will also be the site of the new police station.

As part of this evolution of civic engagement that culminated in the $4.6 million joint sale, the remaining state-owned land will continue serving as a public park that Mead hopes to see flourish and instruct visitors on exactly what the project protects.

Trained as a lawyer and diplomat, Joseph Bonaparte became the King of Naples when his younger sibling Napoleon, the ruthless French military commander who would declare himself the First Consul of France and emperor, rose to power.

In Naples, Joseph was relatively respected and admired, but Napoleon soon grew disappointed in his performance. He was deposed in favor of his younger sister Caroline’s husband, Joachim Murat, and made to govern Spain in the aftermath of the French invasion. Although Joseph ended the Spanish Inquisition, he failed to reclaim any semblance of his former popularity and would later abdicate the position—after making multiple offers of his own to do so—just before his brother’s Waterloo 1815 defeat.

As the allied troops encroached on Paris, Joseph left his French residence at the Château de Mortefontaine and escaped from Europe in the hull of a ship without his wife, Marie Julie Clary, surrounded by casks of wine and with papers designating him as an “M. Bouchard.” Joseph renamed himself “Comte de Survilliers,” or “Count of Survilliers,” after the title of a petite property near

his Mortefontaine residence, but he was swiftly recognized and encouraged to seek political asylum from President James Madison; while Madison rejected an official meeting with him, he permitted Joseph to stay as long as he did so discreetly.

Joseph settled in Bordentown the following year and purchased Point Breeze from Stephen Sayre, a merchant and the former High Sheriff of London.

Napoleon had personally recommended that Joseph find an area between Philadel-

phia and New York to settle, which made Point Breeze an optimal spot for him to live a lavish lifestyle away from prying eyes; he did so by building an enormous, three-story mansion of palatial grandeur that made any initial secrecy somewhat of a moot point for the ex-monarch.

He would ultimately own more than 1,800 acres in the surrounding area, which included the estate where he lived from 1816 to 1832 before returning to London and then splitting his time between the two

until 1839, when he left Point Breeze for the last time before his death.

The home touted what was regarded as both the earliest and most expansive major art gallery, including a copy of the oil painting “Napoleon Crossing the Alps” by Jacques-Louis David, as well as one of the first to implement landscape design. He was also known to have the largest collection of books in the country in his private library, which comprised over 8,000 volumes—even more than the Library of Con-

gress did.

Bonaparte erected numerous buildings and fixtures, both scenic and functional, on the bluff, such as a large belvedere observation tower to take in the view, bridges, a temple, and a massive European-style garden. To take care of everything and execute Joseph’s vision, the “picturesque” Point Breeze required an exorbitant number of laborers and maintenance workers, many of whom also lived on the grounds.

Gorgeous statuaries, fountains, and Etruscan vases populated Point Breeze in as much abundance as the diverse ani-

See Point Breeze, Page 4

D&R Greenway President Linda Mead and exhibit designer Miles Truesdell III of Leigh Visual Imaging pose in the “Crown Jewels Gallery,” left, in the Discovery Center at Point Breeze, which Joseph Bonaparte first built as the Gardener’s House. Image credit to Miles Truesdell III of Leigh Visual Imaging.

Point Breeze, continued from Page 5 mal and plant life did, demonstrating how deeply Joseph, who was often hands-on and wore a coating of dirt he thought mightier than any crown, preferred his pastimes of “beautification” above all else.

Napoleon astutely predicted his brother’s American lifestyle in a quote that would prove true even in spite of setbacks: “He will be a bourgeois American and spend his fortune in making gardens.”

On January 4, 1820, the first mansion caught fire as Joseph returned from New York, with neighbors rushing to retrieve his belongings and nearly securing all the valuables that could be safely saved.

Richard F. Veit, Ph.D., a Monmouth University professor, historian, and archaeologist, has overseen the onsite excavations in 2007 where the first mansion was and in 2021 near the Gardener’s House, which resulted in the recovery of at least 20,000 artifacts.

This loss, according to Veit and Michael J. Gall’s 2011 “Archaeological Examination of Joseph Bonaparte’s Point Breeze Estate” report via the Abbott Marshlands website, led Joseph to start the process of building his second home. He then converted the estate’s preexisting horse stables closer to Park Street into an aesthetic resembling an “Italian villa,” a contrast to the other mansion’s neoclassical design.

Another addition was that Bonaparte also devised a system of underground tunnels to better maneuver across the vast estate, which connected to the waterway for commerce and transportation as well as to provide a potential escape route.

Yet, because of Julie Clary’s poor health, Joseph’s wife never came to live at Point Breeze and remained in Europe, while his daughters, Zénaïde and Charlotte, arrived a few years later—the former with naturalist Charles Lucien, a collaborator of John James Audubon who would become known as the “father of American descriptive ornithology.”

The son of Joseph and Napoleon’s younger brother, Lucien Bonaparte, Charles Lucien married his cousin, Zénaïde, which made him Joseph’s nephew and son-in-law. The couple lived in the “Lake House,” a new abode by the second mansion.

During this time, Joseph added more lodging for guests in the “Wash House,” as well as a residence for his gardener on the eastern side of the property, the “Gardener’s House.” Although the latter building’s exterior was initially a combination of brick and wood with a smooth white stucco that matched Joseph’s second home, the textured design was added during Divine Word’s ownership of the site.

From the garden at the rear of what will

now be the Discovery Center, the vestiges of the great orchard can be seen in the distance, leaving only a few trees in their place.

After officially opening in October of last year, the space will be used for varieties of plants from Bonaparte’s era, including several indigenous crops that the Lenape cultivated.

Gardener and land steward Lara Periard, who will also be the manager of the Discovery Center, researched the plants and aligned the plots according to the original ones from the historic 1847 map of the site with oversight from an advisory committee.

D&R’s Land and Property Steward, David Seiler, is also a carpenter with experience in historic renovations who designed and built the wooden fence to keep any animals, such as deer, from perusing the plants inside.

They began planting what they could in the fall of 2022, but being prepared at the start of the growing season this time around has enabled them to use more of the space for spring produce, Mead added, and she is especially looking forward to the squash and corn.

An arch indicates where the Gardener’s House’s back door and a flight of steps, one of which was discovered underground, would have been. Divine Word Missionaries donated a statue of St. Joseph, the patron saint of workers, families, travelers, and others who represent the diversity of individuals linked with Point Breeze, that presides over the native plants and French lavender growing nearby.

Originally founded as a center of camaraderie and study for anyone looking to pursue a religious profession, Divine Word changed courses to a high school seminary in the 1940s, expanding over the years with more facilities until Harris Hays Hammond’s mansion—which the prior owner had opulently transformed from the estate of Henry Beckett—caught fire in 1983.

This damage to the chapel and residence area marked the school’s closure, but thanks to its insurance policy, Divine Word was reimbursed for the losses and, following some litigation, was able to remodel the former classroom building and turn it into a residence for active and semiretired missionaries.

On the way into the house, there is a walkway made of recycled bluestone recovered from the second Joseph Bonaparte mansion, which has since been integrated into the patio and path as a starting point for tours, Mead said. This way, she added, those coming to the estate can “walk in the footsteps of history.”

The two bronze sturgeon statues by Kate Graves, Mead explained, gesturing to the rocks around the signature sycamore tree, remind her of Hammond, the investor and wealthy financier who owned the prop-

• CHRISTOPHER TAYLOR • THE CLAREMONT TRIO BOYD MEETS GIRL • THE SEBASTIANS

The bluffs of Point Breeze sit above the confluence of Crosswicks Creek and the Delaware River in the Abbott Marshlands, left, as seen in an 1818 painting by Thomas Birch. The estate also has a historic garden growing produce from the 1820s, right, and represented in a still life by Paulette Z. Hill in the Discovery Center kitchen, center.

erty from 1911 until he lost it in the 1929 stock market crash—at which point the bank repossessed it and it remained empty for more than a decade.

Hammond hired stonemasons to erect a Chinese water garden at the end of the property with waterfalls and a tunnel system that called to mind Bonaparte’s own, as the exhibit materials explain. The magical, almost fairylike aesthetics of the grotto area once encircled the perimeter of a swimming pool that Harris’ brother, inventor John Hays Hammond Jr., made his own history in.

Hammond Jr. was a torpedo of a force renowned as the “Father of Radio Control,” whose pioneering work became the basis for contemporary radio remote con-

trols. He acquired “over 400 patents” in his career, expanding science, communication, and even naval warfare equipment with missile guidance systems that are still in use today—and, according to Mead, he tested that very technology in the Point Breeze rock garden swimming pool.

When they lowered Graves’ sturgeon sculptures onto the ground using a crane and remote control, Mead said, it felt like a full-circle moment.

D&R Greenway began working on the Gardener’s House in the summer of 2021, and while the current structure is not an exact recreation of the original house, according to Mead, they hoped to instead “create a historical interpretation of the building” that will tell stories about the lay-

ers of land through a design evoking the period of its creation.

The main entrance was outfitted with paneled mahogany double doors based on historic drawings, which also showed two trees where the solitary sycamore now is.

Two flags will adorn the outside pole, with the first being specially made for the estate and representing the three Lenape clans—turtle, wolf, and turkey—designed by Eric Labacz. Truesdell is working on the other, which will have a crest symbolizing Joseph Bonaparte’s role at Point Breeze.

Mead emphasized that this project would not have been possible without the work of former mayor James “Jim” Lynch, whose spirited involvement helped safeguard the

open space from turning into housing complexes or warehouses.

Lynch was concerned about severing this connection to local history and the potential health dangers these facilities posed, as the Delaware River supplies clean drinking water to approximately 15 million people.

Thanks to care from those such as director-manager Father Poole and Rev. Martin H. Padovani, the latter of whom spent 60 years at Point Breeze and holds the record for the longest assignment there, Divine Word shared the same vision D&R Greenway had and approved the sale.

Through the “People of Point Breeze” room is the “Gardener’s Kitchen,” which has only been lightly updated with a deep sink perfect for washing produce. Hanging next to an 1830 Morris Tasker iron bake oven on the wall is a still life of vegetables by artist Paulette Z. Hill. She used the same list compiled by Val Sassaman and the Bordentown Historical Society’s vice president, Doug Kiovsky, to scout farmers’ markets for uncommon crops like white eggplants.

When they started work on the Gardener’s House, Mead noted that most of the building was outdated, with drop ceilings, shag carpeting, and dusty drapes, as a result of changes Divine Word made in the

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1960s.

These also carried over to the left room, now known as the “Crown Jewels Gallery,” where non-bearing walls separated a path to the bathroom and the living spaces for the retired priests, four of whom were still living at Point Breeze until 2020.

After taking those down, the curatorial team discovered the antique, hand-printed wallpaper underneath and restored the picture rails in every room.

erect a “modern” residence of his own; the Vincentian Fathers of Philadelphia, an all-male Roman Catholic society of apostolic life who used it as a short-lived summer retreat; Hammond; and finally, Divine Word from 1940 to 2020.

• Patio and walkway repairs: sunken, uneven areas re-leveled and pitch corrected…patios and walkways cleaned and re-sanded.

• Steps and front porches: rebuild, or repair and renovate

• Cracked foundations: repair and re-stucco.

• Concrete steps and sidewalks: repaired and resurfaced. Township sidewalks creating a liability. We can fix that!

• We make steps safer!! Are your steps unsafe? Uneven or too deep? Are your steps greater than 8” from one step up to the next? We can help!

• Loose brick, cracked bricks, loose railings: We replace broken brick and repoint your brick walls and steps. We tighten loose railings.

• Masonry painting- epoxy and enamel-based masonry coatings for steps, porches and foundations.

Te

ST i MON i ALS :

“A craftsman in his work & a FIVE STAR rating in customer service!

Jo Schmidt, Pennington

“Greg is more than just a mason…he is a true craftsman, dedicated to finding innovative solutions. Precise planning, attention to detail, professional results…Re-New delivers it all!”

Julie M., Lawrenceville

In the exhibit materials, Veit wrote that the title of the space comes from the legend of when the former king, before coming to America, fled to and secretly buried crown jewels in Switzerland—as well as solitaire diamonds, rubies, emeralds, pearls, fashionable items of value like collars and epaulets, swords, belts, and more—then sent Louis Mailliard, his secretary, personal assistant, and “closest confidant,” to fetch them.

Those riches financed Joseph’s lavish lifestyle; he spent time in Hamilton’s Bow Hill mansion, rented a townhouse in Philadelphia, and purchased 150,000 acres in upstate New York around what is now called Bonaparte Lake.

The inaugural set of revolving exhibits will be displayed at least through the end of 2023 and showcase paintings of prominent spots, or “the Jewels of Point Breeze,” that align with D&R Greenway’s interpretation that “the land and the resources,” such as the fruit orchards, rock garden, carriage bridge, and the view from atop the Bordentown bluffs, hold the true value.

D&R trustee Wendy Kvalheim has donated the display cases that house wooden duck decoys, ceramic panels celebrating Divine Word’s annual gala, and archaeological finds.

Enhanced interior features highlight the historic components that culminate at Point Breeze. The house’s windows, for example, are now sporting Empire-style curtains from Nancy Robinson-Long and Bert Kerstetter of Calico Corners in Yardley, which were based on photographs of 1820s French drapes.

An American brass chandelier greets guests at the entrance, along with an Italian blown glass piece named “Vento” (“wind”) that floats over the staircase like the grass at Point Breeze and complements the Spanish fixture on the top floor.

These chronicle the chapters of Bonaparte’s life on the way to the “Walk Through Time” room, which delves into the other owners that succeeded him: Thomas Richards and his wife Anna Bartram, the granddaughter of botanist John Bartram; Beckett, the British Consul at Philadelphia, described as “a fervent Francophobe” who destroyed Bonaparte’s second mansion to

Another figure of focus here is Mailliard, Joseph’s “right hand man” for 36 years. In a Community News Service exclusive, Mead shared that the room’s mantel, the only original one left in the entire home, will be reunited with the visage of its most famous former tenant and display a neverbefore-seen 1819 French portrait of Joseph Bonaparte above the fireplace.

This 19th-century art piece (see cover) by Louis Goubaud was recently restored and had been privately held for years until the William S. Mailliard family learned of D&R Greenway’s work at Point Breeze and offered to loan it for a three-year period.

The “Natural World” room on the upper right will be home to a small library and display case with types of Native American patterned pottery fragments, an arrowhead collection, and stone tools. There is also contemporary work by Jane “Walkingstick” Roop, a member of the Lenape tribe of Pennsylvania and a Cape Maybased artist who creates wood carvings and animal beadwork.

Truesdell, a Pennington native who has lived in Mercer County his entire life, said learning about the full history of Point Breeze was an “eye opener” for him. In his perspective, the most challenging aspect of the exhibit process has been tying all of the elements together in a cohesive way that marries the global and local connections within Point Breeze’s legacy.

But Bonaparte is only one brushstroke of the Point Breeze portrait, with years of community-wide conservation converting each structure, whether debris or salvaged, into a synthesis of historic and natural knowledge.

Mead shared that a conversation with her Lenape advisors crystallized this important takeaway for her, which is that the land has been here before us and will be here after us, and with every generation come new stewards who will shape its future.

Humans have survived by cherishing this relationship, Mead noted, and so she has always felt a similarly strong pull towards preservation—and to do her part in layering these stories against the landscape of the Discovery Center at Point Breeze. ***

women’s health

Hamilton Dental Associates

How to Pick the Perfect Pediatric Dentist for Your Kids

Your child’s oral health is a complex issue for parents to deal with throughout childhood. Finding a pediatric dentist for your child’s ongoing oral health needs requires careful consideration before committing. If you make a good choice in your child’s pediatric dentist, you can help set the tone for your child’s relationship with their dental health for the rest of their life.

Knowing what to look for when selecting a pediatric dentistry practice can make a difference in your child’s oral health. Here are some of the most important factors to consider before making your child’s first appointment.

Know the Difference Between a Pediatric and Family Dentist. When picking a dentist for your child’s first dental checkup, you might do a quick Google search and find a

Aquatic Performance Training

The Safest and Most

Effective Exercise Program

Aquatic Performance Training was born out of necessity for any person who is looking to improve their overall health but may be limited at a traditional gym due to an injury or physical limitation.

The owner of Aquatic Performance, John Dohanic, was inspired to create the business after having four shoulder surgeries by the time he was 19 years old, including a shoulder replacement. Being active in sports and traditional workouts such as weight lifting and powerlifting all of his life contributed to the extensive injuries that John was experiencing that left him out of shape, gaining weight, and full of pain.

Doctors told John to get in the water and he joined a local aqua aerobics program that included noodles, foam dumbbells, and kickboards. Although the water felt good on his injury, the program and

Finding a good pediatric dentist for you child can help them develop a positive relationship with dental health.

nearby family dentistry practice and call it a day. However, did you know that while a family dentist can treat patients of all ages, they might not have the same level of training as a pediatric dentist?

Not every dentist can practice on children. Dentists have to undergo years of extra training before diagnosing and treating children. Children’s oral health presents

unique challenges that adult dentists don’t have to deal with, so pediatric dentists must undergo specialist training to deal with these factors. Additionally, the training helps pediatric dentists learn how to better communicate with their young patients and have them feel as comfortable as possible in what can be an overwhelming situation.

A Kid-Friendly Atmosphere. For

many people, going to the dentist can spark feelings of anxiety and unease from the moment you step through the door. These feelings can get magnified in a child’s mind with their wild imaginations and distrust of new experiences. So when you’re deciding on a pediatric dental office to bring your child to for their next checkup, check out how the vibe of the website and office feels.

If you look online and in the actual building and you’re seeing a healthy dose of kids, bright colors, and a general sense that kids can come in and not feel overwhelmed by the office, it’s generally a good sign. A warm, open, and happy environment can do a lot of good for your child’s experience at our kid’s dentist’s office in Hamilton, NJ.

Initial Consultations. Building a good rapport between your child and their dentist remains a vital component of their dental experience. You want your child to be able to trust their dentist and feel comfortable in the chair during the examination.

More information: www. hamiltondental.com. See ad, page 16.

at the new Quakerbridge Road facility are a wide range of highenergy group sessions that are led by amazing instructors. Aquatic and land-based personal training are geared towards individuals who need more one on one attention and accountability. You will find the world’s first all aquatic gym that includes aqua bikes, underwater treadmills, aquatic ellipticals, and swimming. Anti-gravity treadmills increase your cardio health and leg strength without the wear and tear of normal land treadmills.

the equipment were not effective enough to deliver the results John was looking for. He started doing extensive research and education on more specialized equipment for the pool and began investing in underwater bikes, aquatic treadmills, and strength training equipment for the pool that would deliver the results he was looking for.

Aquatic Performance Training has been growing since 2010 and has

helped more than 5,000 local clients accomplish their health goals. This aquatic exercise company specializes in helping people who want to lose weight without the stresses of gravity and recover from surgeries such as joint replacements and spinal fusions. There is a wide variety of programs that can benefit athletes with sports injuries, special needs, as well as MS and Parkinson’s patients.

The different programs offered

The mission of Aquatic Performance Training is to provide the safest, most effective exercise and soon to be aqua therapy company in the country. We look forward to the opportunity to help you with your goals very soon!

P.S. If you are looking for swim lessons for kids or adults we have a great partnership with Eggert Aquatics who has been voted #1 swim lesson company in Mercer County for three years in a row.

More information: www. aquaticperformancetraining.com

See ad, page 12

health

JANS Caregiver Services

Top of the Line Care That You Can Count On

Founded in 2020, JANS is family owned and operated. Our name is a combination of the four members of our family, and serves as a constant reminder that we are a family first organization. The founder, Angel Torres, has more than 10 years of experience with in-home care. He is passionate about caring for people and has built a company of likeminded individuals in order to provide top of the line care that you can count on.

No two individuals are alike and no two cares plans are alike. JANS will offer you a customized plan. We specialize in meeting with our families, understanding their needs, requirements and resources to build a plan that will work specifically for them. We do not provide a cookie cutter offering, because we know how special each person is.

JANS Caregiver Services can provide the following therapeutic

services in home care, both short and long term.

Short Term:

• Post Surgery

• Post Injury

• Short term disability

Long Term:

• Elder Care

• Memory Issues

• Mobility Issues

We are trained and certified to

assist with the following chronic health conditions:

• Alzheimer’s

• Dementia

• Diabetes

• Parkinson’s

• Fibromialgia

Our services Include:

• Personalized In Home Care

• Basic Grooming

• Bathing

• Feeding and Specialized Diet needs

• Light housekeeping including (laundry, dishes, vacuum)

• Meal Preparation (Including special diet needs and restrictions)

• Medication Reminders

• Mobility Assistance

• Personal Hygiene

• Physical Therapy Assistance/ Continuation of care plan

• Toileting and Incontinent Care

• Transferring and Positioning

• Companion and Security Care

• Spending time in conversation

• Card and Board Games

• Puzzles and other activities that stimulate active thinking

• Providing the security of loved one not home alone

• Provide a presence in the neighborhood so that loved one is not always alone

For more information call 609-7569089 or email info@janscaregiverservices.com. janscaregiverservices.com.

See ad, page 16

From

Our

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analyze your movement and restore normal movement patterns.

women’s health

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 cutting-edge 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 appointment and learn more.

See ad, page 3.

Dr. Ronak Patel MD

Roxanne Gennari, Coldwell Banker

A Top Producer in the Mercer County Region

Are you looking to buy or sell a property in Mercer County, Bucks County, or the surrounding areas? Look no further than Roxanne Gennari, a top producing real estate in the local region with Coldwell Banker Realty.

Recently named among the top sales professionals within Coldwell Banker Realty, Roxanne was awarded the 2022 International President’s Elite Team accolade. This award exemplifies the best and brightest in the real estate industry, and Roxanne is a testament to this. In 2022, Roxanne helped over 80 buyers and sellers’ complete successful real estate transactions totaling more than $49 million in Mercer County and the surrounding area.

With more than 40 years of real estate experience under her belt, Roxanne has built a reputation for

The Roxanne Gennari Team

providing exceptional service. Her continued success is based almost entirely on wordof-mouth referrals, a testament to the trust and respect she has earned in the local areas.

Roxanne’s name is a staple in the Real Estate community, and she loves what she does. Her passion for real estate is evident in every transaction she completes, and she always goes above and beyond to ensure her clients are satisfied.

www.RoxanneGennari.com Rox@RoxanneGennari.com

The Roxanne Gennari Team

Top Producing Agent

Gianmichele “John” Gennari, Sales Associate (305) 409-2828 - Cell John.Gennari@CBMoves.com

So, if you’re looking for a real estate agent who has the experience, expertise, and strong reputation, look no further than Roxanne Gennari. Contact her today via email at rox@ roxannegennari.com or via cell at 609-306-7148 to get started on your real estate journey.

Office 609-799-8181 Owned by a subsidiary of Anywhere Advisors LLC.

See ad, page 17

“Radiology

advancements in technology. We are excited to provide our patients with the most advanced imaging technology which will allow our radiologist to make recommendations that will lead to better patient outcomes.This continues the tradition of providing quality care for over 50 years to the residents of Mercer County”said Dr. Eric Bosworth, Chief Medical Officer for RAI Lawrenceville, Hamilton, and Windsor.

Patients are our first priority, and great healthcare depends on great technology. RAI’s new 3T MRI includes new and groundbreaking acceleration technology, which is powered by Artificial Intelligence. It takes advantage of convolutional neural networks to accelerate MR scans, making them faster than ever before.

Radiology Affiliates Imaging is a 33-physician radiology practice serving New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware for over 50 years. RAI is an affiliate of Radiolgy Partners, the largest physician-owned and physician-led radiology practice in the US.

We offer early morning, evening and weekend appointments. In addition to MRI services, RAI offers reduced radiation 64 slice CT and digital x-ray, ultrasound, thyroid biopsy, bone density,3D mammography, Breast MRI and Calcium Scoring. For more information the media can contact Ruth Hawthorne at Ruth. Hawthorne@radpartners.com.

See ad, page 14.

women’s health

Fluid Physio Helping People Move

Dr. Gianna Bigliani, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS, owner and founder of Fluid Physio is excited to help people move more comfortably.

“The first thing you need to know about Fluid Physio is that we can get fast results.. We are different than any other physical therapy practice because of our approach: a full hour of one-on-one specialized manual therapy treatment that will return you to pain-free optimal performance and function much faster than others.”

Dr Gianna graduated from Temple University in 2003 and became a certified strength and conditioning specialist, complimented by her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. She became a certified orthopedic specialist. She worked with athletes of all ages (including children) and abilities (including at a professional level). Dr Gianna pursued a career in physical therapy after sustaining her own rowing sports injuries.

The emphasis here is not on machines, she said. There are

exercise balls, bands, and a giant mirror, among other therapy tools, but the primary treatment is manual therapy, including manipulating joints, soft tissue (muscles and ligaments), and nerves. “Manual therapy is followed by movement reeducation,” said Dr. Gianna “The body needs to learn how to move without the restrictions it previously had so that the effect of the therapy is lasting.”

“Every patient is an athlete at Fluid Physio,” she says. “Our goal is to maximize your performance in the activities you love, whether they are on the water, on the road, on the field, or on the floor.”

“I often treat hips and backs in the winter when people slip and fall on snow or ice. Also, they can hurt their backs raking leaves or shoveling snow. Another condition I often treat is foot pain.”

She gives her clients “homework,” “Each patient gets specific exercises and movements to do at home according to their needs and goals.”

“We’re not created to be sedentary. It’s good to be physically active.

I chose the name Fluid Physio because ‘fluid’ is how movement should be. Physio is how the rest of the world refers to physical therapy. I also like water and how the water moves, so I thought fluid physio was quite appropriate.”

Fluid Physio, 160 Lawrenceville Pennington Road, Suite 16, Lawrence. 609-436-0366. Fluidphysio.com. See ad, page 10

Let our office introduce you to one of the fastest growing dental products in North America:

• Mini Dental Implants are great for stabilizing loose, uncomfortable dentures & replacing some missing teeth.

• This quick,minimally invasive procedure will give you back your smile.

health

RWJUH Programs and Support Groups

Healthy Living for Mind, Body, Spirit & Support

Whether you are seeking support and camaraderie, trying to slim down, or searching for stress relief, the community education offerings provided by Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Hamilton, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, will help you make informed decisions about your health, wellness, and fitness. Each month, community members participate in more than 75 RWJUH Hamilton health and wellness programs, 11 support groups, and

many health screenings. Most of these programs are free.

Programs cater to a wide range of interests and ages, from young children to older adults. “Through surveys and research, we determine the top health needs of the surrounding communities and then design programs to address them,”

LESS TIME IN THE MRI

says Diane Grillo, Vice President, Health Promotion at RWJUH Hamilton. A Medical Advisory Panel composed of 28 board-certified physicians advises on program development to maximize the benefit to attendees. Programs are held in-person at the RWJUH Hamilton Center for Health and Wellness, located at 3100 Quakerbridge Road, in Hamilton, virtually online and out in our local communities.

Information and Education. The Mini-Medical School program is one of the many educational offerings available to the public through RWJUH Hamilton. This program is aimed at those who have an interest in healthcare as a career or just want a deeper understanding of human anatomy. RWJUH Hamilton physicians teach this 8-week course, focusing on a new element of healthcare and the body each week.

Holistic Health. RWJUH Hamilton’s holistic programs focus on non-medical wellness techniques, such as meditation, aromatherapy, and Reiki, which is a practice that promotes healing by improving energy flow around the body. In addition, the Holistic Program at RWJUH Hamilton’s Cancer Center offers a holistic approach to cancer care at no cost to our patients and their families.

A Focus on Nutrition. Learn new healthy eating habits from a Registered Dietician by attending a program in our demonstration kitchen at the RWJ Fitness and Wellness Center. These programs provide participants with quality nutritional information and are taught by a trained chef who understands the importance of healthy eating and loving the food you eat.

Better Health Program. There’s no better time to be 65+ and no greater way to enjoy this time than with RWJUH’s Better Health Program.

Become a member complimentary and experience the exclusive programs that engage the mind, encourage movement, and promote reflection. Participate as much or as little as you want, bring your friends or meet new friends, go on outings, and learn from doctors and professionals who prioritize your well-being. Healthy aging is a choice that requires nurturing of the body, mind, and spirit. The Better Health Program focuses on the whole person to create a personalized approach to wellness that is right for you.

“Given the variety of programs offered by RWJUH Hamilton like Tai Chi, yoga, meditation, nutrition and activities like art, crafts, music, spirit and more, there are Topics covered for everyone and any age to come and enjoy,” says Grillo.

On Tuesday, May 9, 6 to 7:30 p.m., RWJUH Hamilton is holding a Women’s Night special program, “Bubbles & Brushes,” where we will learn about the healing nature of painting while sipping bubbly and enjoying, chocolates and strawberries and each other’s company. The program will be led by Jane Zamost, artist and healing art instructor. Registration is required for the program and a $5 donation is kindly requested upon entry. Scan the QR code below to register.

Scan code to register for “Bubbles & Brushes” program on May 9, 2023! Visit rwjbh.org/HamiltonPrograms to view the monthly program calendar online.

Registration for any program can be completed online, by email CommunityEdHAM@rwjbh.org, or by phone at 609-584-5900.

See ad, page 15

Pictured from left are: Wendy Jones RN; Taryn Krietzman RD; Joyce Cantalice, Manager, Better Health; Christie Ring, Coordinator; Patricia McDougall RN; Kelly Zappley, Specialist; Brian Weiner, Director, Community Education; and Ines Lecerf LSW.

Wide Bore available at Lawrenceville

RWJ Hamilton Healthy Living / May Community Education Programs

All programs require registration.

Colon Cancer Isn’t Just a 50+ Disease

Wed., May 3; 6 to 7 p.m.

Join Meera Yogarajah, MD, Board Certified in Hematology and Oncology, for a discussion about colon cancer and the importance of recognizing symptoms, early screenings and interventions.

Raised Bed Basics

Tue., May 9; 1 to 2 p.m.

A little garden knowledge goes a long way towards enjoying bountiful crops of your own. Learn to plan ahead for a fruitful season! Fee: $10. Taryn Krietzman, RDN

Bubbles and Brushes

Tuesday, May 9; 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Ladies join us for a fun evening of relaxation with bubbly while you paint away the stresses of your day. Painting instruction will be led by Jane Zamost, Artist/Healing Art Instructor. A $5 donation will be requested at the door.

Osteoporosis Screening

Wed., May 10; 1 to 3 p.m.

Ultrasound of heel and personalized information. Appointment and registration required.

Stroke: Every Second Counts

Thu., May 11; 1 to 2 p.m.

Learn the signs of stroke and what increases your risk for having a stroke. Connie Moceri, MSN, RN, AGNP-C, Director of Disease Management and Stroke Coordinator will give you the knowledge and tools you need to reduce your stroke risk.

Safety and Security Awareness in Today’s World

Mon., May 15; 10 to 11:30 a.m.

Learn about cybersecurity, internet scams and how to protect against identify theft, as well as personal safety at home, in the community and in the work place. Bob Field Jr., Assistant VP of Support Services, Safety and Security at RWJBH Hamilton, has extensive knowledge and practical experience in physical and personal protection. FREE

Take Home Colorectal Screening and Lecture

Mon., May 15; 1 to 2 p.m.

Learn how to use a simple take-home test to detect early colon cancer and take part in a lecture about how to reduce your risk.

Chakras 101: Understanding Your Energetic Anatomy

Mon., May 15; 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

This workshop explores the chakras-energy centers within the body that interact with physical and emotional well-being. You will come away with an understanding of this energy system and the way it can help you lead your best life. Fee: $15. Michelle Gerdes, of Princeton Doula Center, RYT-200.

Dance It Out!

Tue., May 16; 1 to 2 p.m.

May 16: Kick Up Your Heels Line Dancing

Never miss a chance to dance! All ages welcome, no experience required.

Ask the Dietitian

Wed., May 17; 9 a.m. to noon

Do you have a question about diet and nutrition? Join a community education dietitian for a one-on-one Q&A. Taryn Krietzman, RDN

Mindfulness Meditation for Beginners

Wed., May 17; 1 to 2 p.m.

Learn how to rest your body and quiet your mind with the simple (although not always easy) practice of meditation. No experience necessary.

HealthRythms® Drumming Circle

Wed, May 17; 7 to 8 p.m.

Join our drumming circle and help drum your cares away. This evidence-based program is shown to reduce blood pressure, calm stress and increase the fun in your life. Drums provided. Fee: $15. Mauri Tyler, CTRS, CMP

What’s in the Box? *VIRTUAL*

Thu., May 18; noon to 1:00 p.m.

All things seasonal, all the time! Learn what wonderful fruits and vegetables are up to this time of year and how to make them shine! Taryn Krietzman, RDN

Woman’s Situational Awareness and Self Defense

Thurs., May 18, 25 and June 1; 6:30 to 8 p.m. This three part series will cover situational awareness, de-escalating conflict and escaping basic holds as well as vulnerable points on the human body in which to strike effectively. It is expected that participants engage in all three classes. Anthony Jackson, of Dao Concepts is a US Veteran Tai-Chi instructor and self-defense educator. $50 for the series of 3 classes.

Seasonal Anxiety-Watch out for Spring Fever!

Mon., May 22, 11 a.m. to noon

Discussion group about dealing with Spring Fever. Easy tips and different strategies one can employ for coping.

Better Health Programs/Complimentary

Let’s Talk, A Senior Social Group

Wed., May 3, 10, 17, 24, & 31 and June 7; 10 to 11 a.m. Gathering in a collaborative setting to exchange thoughts, feelings and experiences amongst peers. This group is a partnership between RWJ University Hospital Hamilton and the PsycHealth Associates here in Hamilton. This is a weekly program. Please feel free to attend one or all.

My Aching Joints – Advancements in Arthritis Treatment and Joint Replacement with Michael Duch, MD, Orthopededics, Lunch & Learn, Mon., May 8; Noon to 1:30 p.m.

Dr. Duch will lead this interactive program about advancements in arthritis treatments and when joint replacement might be the best option.

Tai Chi Classes

Tue., May 16 and 30; 10 to 11 a.m.

Tai Chi is recommended for seniors because it improves balance, strengthens muscles in the legs and helps reduce falls and back pain. Beginner’s welcome.

How Smart are Animals

Thu., May 11; Noon - 1 p.m.

Gabe Matt introduces his service dog Louie, and shares the process of training a service dog and their many talents for detecting early medical warnings. Marge Archer will share what animals are the smartest, can they solve problems, show emotions or identify illnesses? Join us to find out the answers.

Meditation Classes

Fri., May 12 & 26; 11:30 a.m. to Noon

Sifu Tony Jackson, DAO Concepts leads this program. Meditation can wipe away the day’s stress, bringing inner peace. Beginner’s welcome.

Socrates Café, Wed., May 17; 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.

“Socrates Café” is about discussing a topic, sharing our thoughts, our beliefs, our ideas, and experiences. Come with an open mind, respect for one another, and a willingness to see where it takes us.

Grounds for Sculpture Wellness Walk for New Better Health Member Attendees Only

Thu., May 18; 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. (Rain date: Thursday, May 25)

Kids Fit in the Kitchen!

Wed., May 24; 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Can You Make the Cut? Get put to the test! Learn knife safety and skills in this interactive class. For children ages 5 and older with a parent/ caregiver. Register early – Class size is limited! Fee: $5 per child, $5 per parent/caregiver. Taryn Krietzman, RDN

Reiki Share

Wed., May 24; 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

For folks who have been Reiki certified (at any level) to come share the gift with fellow practitioners. Give a session, get a session. Please bring a sheet and small pillow. Fee: $5

Wise Women Discussion Group

Thu., May 25, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Join a community of women as we discuss relevant topics and find purpose, meaning and community.

The M Word: Menopause

Thu., June 1; 5 to 6 p.m.

Hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, oh my! Come discuss perimenopause and menopause with Kunali Dalal, MD. With over 15 years of experience, Dr. Dalal will help you navigate all of the changes that are associated with this transition.

Lung Cancer Screening-Who Qualifies and When to Get Screened

Wed., June 7; 5 to 6 p.m.

Lung Screening Program Director, Dr. Eishan Patel and Program Manager Kaidlan Ricardo, CMA, BS-HA will discuss screening and early detection of lung cancer and treatment options.

at 65+ Years Old

Spring Fling Lunch and Music

Thu., June 1; 12 to 3 p.m.

Exclusive opportunity to join us as Grounds for Sculpture welcomes us for their Wellness Walk! Whether you are a fast or slower walker, there will be a group for you. Only first-time registrations will be honored. Member Attendees are invited to enjoy GFS for the remainder of the day.

No Place Like home, Lunch & Learn & More!

Friday, May 19: Noon to 3p.m.

Sara Ali, MD Board Certified Geriatrician, and Sheli Monnachio from Angelione Mobility will discuss how to best prepare to live-out your life at home from a medical perspective and from a safety perspective. There will be raffle drawings, lunch at noon, and camaraderie as you learn how to plan for your future.

Grounds for Sculpture Wellness Walk

Mon., May 22; 10 to 11 a.m. (Rain date: Mon., June 5)

Better Health members are invited to join the group for a guided Wellness Walk at Grounds for Sculpture! Attendees are invited to enjoy GFS for the remainder of the day.

Let’s celebrate Spring together with lunch, music, dancing, and more. Must be a Better Health Member to attend.

RWJBarnabas Health

What Healthy Women Know: 5 Keys to Optimal Health

Women go through many life stages and their health needs change accordingly. Staying healthy may seem daunting, but it’s not complicated. “Preventive health is extremely important,” says Lisa Tufankjian, DO, RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group. “Beyond having an annual physical — which every woman should do — there are screenings and tests that women should have at different ages, as well as steps they can take on their own, or in tandem with their healthcare provider, to help ward off disease.”

1. Maintain Your Gynecologic and Reproductive Health. Starting at age 21, women should have an annual gynecologic checkup that includes a pelvic exam, a Pap smear (generally every one to three years), a breast exam and other age-appropriate screenings, such as HPV tests. “All women should know how to do breast self-exams,” says Dr. Tufankjian. “And starting at age 40, women at average

risk of breast cancer should have a mammogram yearly.”

2. Eat a Healthy Diet. The adage “you are what you eat” is more than just a cliché. “All women should maintain a healthy diet that, generally speaking, includes a balance of lean protein, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates such as whole grains and a variety of fruits and vegetables,” says Dr. Tufankjian. Women who have special dietary needs, restrictions or health issues should consult with their primary care provider and/or a registered dietitian or nutritionist. “It’s important to limit salt and sugar intake and to choose fresh foods rather than processed foods whenever possible,” says Dr. Tufankjian.

3. Exercise Regularly. “It’s important to do some form of exercise every day,” says Dr. Tufankjian. While every woman’s needs and abilities are different, regular exercise is essential for optimal health. Take a walk, ride a bike, swim, dance — just get moving, and aim for at least a half hour of moderate exercise per day, incorporating strength training twice a week. “Being sedentary is not just bad for your heart, it’s also bad

for your bones,” says Dr. Tufankjian. Inadequate exercise can also affect your mental health. Studies have shown that exercise can help alleviate some symptoms of depression, stress and anxiety and can also help with selfesteem.

4. Get Proper Sleep. Sleep is more important than many people realize. “It is one of the few things we cannot live without,” says Dr. Tufankjian. “Like water and oxygen, it is essential to our survival.” Yet the majority of people either do not get enough sleep — usually seven to nine hours a night — or enough quality sleep, which means restful, restorative, uninterrupted sleep. To get restorative sleep, be consistent with your bedtime habits (i.e., try to go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time every day); sleep in a dark room; be sure your bedroom temperature is comfortable and not too warm; avoid large meals, caffeine and alcohol before bedtime; and turn off electronic devices, including your phone. “Exercising during the day will also help you sleep better at night,” says Dr. Tufankjian.

5. Don’t Neglect Your Mental Health. Simply put: Mental health is

Tufankjian, DO, RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group

health. Your mind is part of you, and, when it comes to staying healthy, it’s impossible to separate your body and your mind. It’s important to address and manage stress, anxiety and depression and to know when to seek professional help. Exercise, yoga and meditation can help alleviate mild symptoms, but if you begin to feel overwhelmed, you should seek professional help. Talk to your health provider and learn more at rwjbh.org/ behavioralhealth.

Use your smartphone camera to hover over the QR code and learn more about RWJBarnabas Health and our women’s healthcare team.

Visit rwjbh.org/ WomensHealth or call 888-724-7123.

The Dental Difference

Mini Dental Implants: A True Innovation in Dentistry

Mini Dental Implants (MDIs) have changed the face of implant dentistry. Unlike traditional implant placement, where multiple dental visits are often required, MDIs can eliminate the need for extensive surgery. The most common use for MDIs is the stabilization of dentures and overdentures. MDIs firmly anchor the dental prosthesis, which means there is no longer a need to suffer with ill-fitting, loose and ANNOYING dentures!

MDIs are designed to eliminate elaborate bone grafting and to expedite treatment. Traditional implants may require significant bone grafting and a longer recovery period. The latent period allows the anchor of the implant to properly embed itself into the jawbone. The smaller size of MDIs means that no recovery period is possible, and the denture can be fitted the same day.

What are the advantages of MDI placement?

MDIs are a true innovation for people who are reluctant to have invasive dental surgery and who are suffering denture wearers. One significant advantage MDIs have over traditional implants is that they offer a viable treatment choice for patients who have experienced extensive bone loss. Depending on the quality and density of jawbone available at the implant site, four or more of these mini implants may be implanted at one time. The most common use for MDIs is to stabilize a lower denture, however they can be placed anywhere in the mouth.

Other advantages associated with MDIs may include:

• Better smelling breath

• More self-esteem

• Clearer speech

• Easier chewing and biting

• Easier cleaning

• Firmer denture fit

• Good success rate

• Less denture discomfort

• No cutting or sutures

• No need for adhesives or messy bonding agents

• No rotting food beneath the denture

• No slipping or wobbling

• Quick treatment time

• Reduced costs

How are mini dental implants placed?

The whole mini dental implant placement procedure takes approximately one hour. Generally, in the case of lower jaw implants, four to six MDIs will be placed about 5mm apart. Prior to inserting MDIs, Dr. Mosmen will use many diagnostic and planning tools to find the optimal location to implant them.

After placement, a denture will be modified and affixed to the MDIs. The rubber O-ring on each MDI snaps into the designated spot on the denture, and the denture then rests snugly on the gum tissue. MDIs hold the denture comfortably in a tight-fitting way for the lifetime of that implant.

In almost all cases, no stitching is required, and no real discomfort is felt after the procedure. When the denture placement procedure is complete, light eating can be resumed. The denture can be removed and cleaned at will. MDIs enhance the natural beauty of the smile and restore full functionality to the teeth.

If you have any questions about mini dental implants, please call Dr. Kevin Mosmen for a FREE consultation appointment to see if you’re a candidate for this procedure or traditional implants.

The Dental Difference – 2131 Route 33, Suite A, Hamilton, NJ 08690. 609-445-3577. www. thedentaldifference.com. See ad, page 13.

Dr. Kevin Mosmen

To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9. Copyright ©2023

Puzzle solutions on pg 20

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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.

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

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Singers, ringers and harmony lovers in community chorus

By Julia Tell

Professionals can learn from working with amateurs. Just ask Alex Meakem. A professional singer and music teacher, the Lawrence Township resident also works as a choral scholar for Voices Chorale NJ, an auditioned chorus of more than 40 amateur community singers that rehearses and performs in the Princeton area.

“I’m not somebody who’s only interested in singing with professionals. I do love singing with pro ensembles, but it’s also nice to be a part of a community,” says Meakem, an alto and 2018 graduate of Westminster Choir College in Princeton. “Voices seemed like a great organization, and the members rubbed me the right way,” she continues.

Early-career singers get a chance to use their technical proficiency and talent to support the volunteer singers in the choral scholars program of Voices Chorale NJ.

For young singers like Meakem, getting hired as “ringers,” or extra singers to supplement community or church choirs, provides income that can help them make a living from music.

When she first became a choral scholar in 2018, Meakem says, “I was doing a lot of

gig work back then, scouring all the Facebook groups for ‘we need an alto—come do this gig.’” With these mostly short-term gigs, Meakem would squeeze in as many ensembles as she could during the high seasons to tide her over into the slower months for performances. In the Voices

program, singers chosen as choral scholars are paid for all rehearsals and through the concerts.

“I liked the idea of it being steady,” says Meakem of why she decided to try out for Voices.

It wasn’t a love of music that initially brought Meakem to choral singing, but the lure of an amusement park. A friend in middle school convinced her to join the choir because they would be performing at Dorney Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania. She wasn’t planning on staying in the choir, but her dad insisted it would be good for her, as he had been part of the same choir program. “I ended up actually loving choir and sticking with it.”

She continued singing in her hometown of Ringwood, New Jersey, meeting many

mentors linked to Westminster, including her high school choir director. She didn’t even apply to any other colleges. “They told me: ‘you’re going to Westminster.’ I said, ‘okay, I guess I am,’” she says.

After graduation, in addition to singing gigs that helped pay the rent, Meakem started teaching voice and piano lessons at Octopus Music School, a privately run music school in Hillsborough and North Brunswick. But when the pandemic began drying up singing jobs, Meakem went to full-time remote music teaching for the school.

Then, as more performance opportunities returned, Meakem reduced her teaching to two days a week to expand her other roles in the local music scene.

That includes serving on the artistic committee for Voices and helping select repertoire and more. “Seeing how to run board meetings, seeing how community ensembles can succeed and fund raise and hold events,” she says gives her a better understanding of the administrative side of music performance.

Looking towards her future, Meakem says, “In my ideal world, I would love to do admin work for a pro ensemble and sing with them as well.”

Meakem says she is completely smitten with choir singing, whether alongside amateurs or in professional ensembles.

“When you’re singing in four-part harmony, and you get a chord that just lines up exactly the way that it’s supposed to — you can hear the overtones buzzing, and you know that everybody is so engaged. It’s a really rewarding experience. And everyone’s in this together. It’s teamwork. I love being a part of a team, and that’s what choir can really be.”

Alex Meakem (far right) in 2021 with choral scholars Thaddius Banks, Benjamin Kirk, Tyler Kim and Aiden Gent.

PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY

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

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

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE NERVE DAMAGE?

Peripheral neuropathy is the consequence of damage to your peripheral nerves. There are over 100 different kinds of peripheral nerve disorders or neuropathies – some are the result of a disease like diabetes, while others can be triggered by a viral infection. Still others are the result of an injury or compression on the nerves. No matter where the problems begin, it is imperative nerve disorders are resolved as soon as possible to prevent permanent damage. Many people suffer with pain for years, not realizing that their symptoms may be due to Peripheral Neuropathy. Symptoms start gradually, then get worse, including numbness, burning or tingling sensations and sharp, electrical-like pain. Treatment options have been limited to a small assortment of pain medications, which can lead to further issues. Ignoring the problem or masking the symptoms has never been a viable solution. If you suffer from any of the aforementioned symptoms, we can help.

Healthy Nerve Cell

Damaged Nerve Cell

Everman chasing coach’s lacrosse goals record

By Rich Fisher

While in middle school, Jessica Everman would watch Sarah Berardi score goals at a phenomenal rate en route to a Lawrence High lacrosse school record of 184. Little did Everman, now a Cardinal senior, realize that a few years later, that same woman would be encouraging her to surpass that mark.

“I keep telling her ‘I want you to beat my record,’” said Berardi, who’s in her first year as LHS coach while completing her final year at Rowan University. “Her

THE

THE

THE

shots are perfectly placed, she knows right where to shoot the ball based on whether the goalie is right or left. Her shots are so powerful. I know it’s a lot but I want her to do it. If anyone could do it, she could definitely do it.” It would be tough; but not impossible. To own the record, Everman would have to score 101 goals this season, which would be two more than Berardi tallied her senior year. Jess had 31 through the Cardinals 3-3 start. That gave her 114 with 12 regular-season games and at least one Mercer County Tournament contest

remaining, meaning she would have to average roughly six goals per contest.

Everman’s task has been made more daunting by the fact she lost her entire freshman year due to Covid shutdowns; but early in the season she wasn’t stressing about it.

“It would be cool, but it’s not the end of the world if I don’t,” she said. “We’re out here to have fun. But scoring is fun too.”

So is hitting milestones, as Everman discovered on Apr. 14 when she tallied her 100th career goal against Allentown.

second grade and picked up lacrosse two years later. While watching Berardi play on the girls team, she would also watch her brother Alex compete with the boys. Much like his sister, Alex had his career numbers diminished as Covid 19 ruined his senior year, leaving him three short of 100 goals.

“He’s only three years older than me so we grew up playing together more than me just watching him,” Jessie said. “We’d be in the backyard, shooting around, playing defense on each other. It was a good time.”

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“I never really check my stats, so I didn’t know I was close until coach told me,” she said. “It’s pretty cool to achieve. It definitely shows some of the work I’ve put in, especially building up the team the last couple years. We try to work together on attack and it’s a testament to all the other girls on the attack.”

Defense was Everman’s main duty for the Cardinals soccer team, while offense is her forte in lacrosse. She is a midfielder in both.

One in particular is senior Megan Simpson, who had 24 goals through six games and was 37 shy of 100.

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Mercer CountyTop Producer Broker & Sales Associates

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Princess and Pirate Camp

July 24th - 28th 9:30am - 11:30am

Ages: 3-7

Each day your child will enter a world of imagination where story time becomes an adventure with music, art, crafting and dance.

Cost: $185.00

Pre-registration required.

Last day to register: July 17th

Performance: July 28th

“Megan and I definitely work really well together,” Everman said. “We’re best friends, we already know what each other will say so that translates on the field. We’ve been playing together since fourth grade. Playing that two-man game together is my favorite part of scoring. It makes it more fun than just dodging to goal by yourself all the time. It just makes it more creative to have someone to work with.”

Everman has been working at her craft since a young age. She began soccer in

“I’m always running,” Everman said. “In soccer I set people up more, but in lacrosse it’s kind of hard not to get into the action on attack when you’re at midfield. I definitely enjoy both aspects of it. I really like lacrosse, the fluidity of it, the movement of attack, just working together with everyone.”

As a middie, Jessie feels she can understand each part of the field, giving her an advantage in both roles.

“Lacrosse is definitely set up for the attacker to win so as a defender you have to think about what move they’re gonna do,” she said. “You can see the body language of someone trying to drive to the goal. I’lve always loved being able to rebound and shut it down on defense.”

When Berardi took over in March, she

What should women know about uterine fibroids?

Ask The Doctor

We’re committed to keeping women of all walks of life healthy, thriving and well-cared for, and by the age of 50, as many as 70 to 80 percent of women may have fibroids,” says Robert Mayson, MD, RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group. Here Dr. Mayson shares a quick guide to uterine fibroids.

What are Fibroids? Fibroids are noncancerous growths in the uterus. There are several types, defined by their location. Intramural fibroids are contained within the uterine wall. Submucosal fibroids protrude into the uterine cavity.

Pedunculated fibroids are attached to the outside of the uterine wall by a stalk. What mainly determines whether fibroids will cause symptoms are their size and location. “Location is what matters most,” explains Dr. Mayson, “Submucosal fibroids are usually the ones that cause the most problems.”

Symptoms can include heavy menstrual

bleeding (which can be severe enough to cause anemia); pelvic pain, pressure or bloating; increased urinary frequency and constipation.

In very rare cases, fibroids can be dangerous if they grow so large that the uterus expands and compresses blood vessels and other structures in the pelvis.

Fibroids may stay the same size, grow larger or even shrink over time. “Once a woman reaches menopause, fibroids tend to shrink,” says Dr. Mayson. “We don’t know if it’s estrogen, progesterone or a combination of the two hormones that cause fibroids to grow.”

Many women will only find out they have fibroids during a routine pelvic examination or on unrelated imaging.

Options for treatment

1. Observation: A doctor may decide to monitor the growths by doing repeat imaging every few months to assure they’re not increasing in size or number. If symptoms are mild, a woman may not need any treatment or may be able to manage

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discomfort with over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen.

2. Prescription Medications: There are new prescription medications available that can reduce the heavy bleeding associated with fibroids. “But these medications can only be used up to 24 months because there’s a risk of bone loss and other side effects with longer use,” says Dr. Mayson.

3. Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE): “This is a procedure done by an interventional radiologist,” says Dr. Mayson. “The radiologist places a catheter in the patient’s groin. Using CT scan guidance, they guide the catheter to the blood vessels that supply the fibroids. They put a substance into the feeding blood vessels to decrease the fibroid’s blood supply.”

4. Hysteroscopic Fibroid Resection (also called Hysteroscopic Myomectomy): “This is a procedure that’s done without any incisions,” explains Dr. Mayson. “A camera is inserted into the uterus through the vagina, and fibroids within the cavity of the uterus, or partially in the cavity, can be removed.”

5. Myomectomy: “This is a surgery to remove just the fibroids,” says Dr. Mayson. “It can be done through an open surgical approach or laparoscopically.” This procedure is mainly recommended for women who want to retain their fertility. Patients need to understand that the risk of new fibroids forming may be as high as 60 percent.

6. Hysterectomy: “This surgery— removal of the uterus—is the only definitive management for symptomatic fibroids. Once you have your uterus removed, you’ll never have another fibroid or associated bleeding,” says Dr. Mayson. The surgery can usually be done minimally invasively with only tiny incisions. About 600,000 hysterectomies are done in the U.S.A. each year, and the most common reason for the surgery is fibroids.

Which treatment, if any, is right for you is something you need to discuss with your doctor. Visit rwjbh.org/WomensHealth or call 888-724-7123 to learn more about the women’s healthcare team.

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.

Go to rwjbh.org/WomensHealth or call 888-724-7123 to find the nearest hospital near you and learn more about our women’s healthcare team. Use your smartphone camera to hover over the QR code to learn more now.

WEDENSDAY, MAY 3

Colon Cancer Isn’t Just a 50+ Disease. 6 to 7 p.m. Join Meera Yogarajah, MD, Board Certified in Hematology and Oncology, for a discussion about colon cancer and the importance of recognizing symptoms, early screenings and interventions.

THURSDAY, MAY 11

Stroke: Every Second Counts. 1 to 2 p.m. Learn the signs stroke and what increases your risk for having a stroke. Connie Moceri, MSN, RN, A-GNP-C, Director of Disease Management and Stroke Coordinator will give you the knowledge and tools you need to reduce your stroke risk.

THURSDAY, MAY 178

Woman’s Situational Awareness and Self Defense. Also May 25 and June 1. 6:30 to 8 p.m. This three part series will cover situational awareness, de-escalating conflict and escaping basic holds as well as vulnerable points on the human body in which to strike effectively. It is expected that participants engage in all three classes. Anthony Jackson, of Dao Concepts is a US Veteran Tai-Chi instructor and self-defense educator. $50 for the series of 3 classes.

Better Health Programs

Registration required for all programs. Must be a Better Health Member. Call (609) 584-5900 or go to rwjbh.org/events.

WEDENSDAY, MAY 3

Let’s Talk, a Senior Social Group. Also Wednesdays, May 10, 17, 24, & 31 and June 7. 10 to 11 a.m. Join us for our ongoing program “Let’s Talk, a Senior Social Group,” gathering in a collaborative setting to exchange thoughts, feelings and experiences amongst peers. This is a safe zone designed to be welcoming and understanding of all attendees while exploring this season of our lives. This group is a partnership between RWJ University Hospital Hamilton and the PsycHealth Associates here in Hamilton.

MONDAY, MAY 8

My Aching Joints–Advancements in Arthritis Treatment and Joint Replacement with Dr. Michael Duch, Lunch & Learn. Noon to 1:30 p.m. Joining us for the first-time is Michael R. Duch, MD, Orthopedics. Dr. Duch will lead this interactive program about advancements in arthritis treatments and when joint replacement might be the best option.

Dr. Robert Mayson

About my salary...

KEVIN NERWINSKI FROM THE MANAGER’S DESK

I recently came upon a Facebook post on one of the several community pages that stated the following:

While raising our taxes, the town manager went from a salary of about $140000 to $225,000. Why is the council making these moves. Did anyone else ever get a salary increase like that???????! No wonder the manager wants behind-closed-doors meetings instead of public discussions.

So, I thought, “ok, this may be the time where I peel away the onion of misinformation and celebrate a little more transparency with facts and context.” My salary was an issue at the last election, and it seems like it may be again in this year’s election. I responded to the post as follows (with some slight modifications included):

Not everything you find and read online is true or provides context or explanation. The agreement I negotiated and executed with the township is dated April 28, 2017, and is available to anyone who makes an OPRA request. I took over the position of municipal manager from my predecessor, Richard Krawzcun, who was earning approximately $227,000 annually (yes, six years ago). My initial salary was $164,000, not $140,000, as the post suggests.

The employment agreement provided for annual adjustments based on the cost of living increases received by other “unclassified and/or exempt” personnel working for our town. In addition, the agreement provided for performance appraisals conducted on a semi-annual basis for Dec. 2017, 2018 and 2019, and June 2018 and 2019 (a probationary period to allow the elected officials to evaluate my performance more regularly and make incremental salary adjustments to close the salary gap with my predecessor). These performance reviews were negotiated and built into the agreement, because the disparity between the initial salary of $164,000 and the salary of my predecessor was substantial. I would not have accepted this position otherwise.

The township hired me as the municipal manager and Qualified Purchasing Agent with a separate average statewide salary of about $45,000. In addition to the responsibilities of a municipal manager by statute in our form of government, I am the director of community development (previously a full-time township position), a member of the planning board, and director of public safety. Also, when the director of affordable housing (Andrew Link) retired (earning a salary and benefits

that totaled more than $120K), I took on his responsibilities, because I knew affordable housing from when I worked with him as the municipal attorney. I did this for no additional compensation (and hired an outside firm to process applications for less than $12,000/yr., so we didn’t have to employ any support staff— saving the town about $115,000.

With these savings, we were able to add the community aide position to our operations— providing the township with a professional and designated information officer to better communicate with our residents and support new businesses. The governing body wanted to implement this for several years, and we seized the opportunity to do it at the right time.

In addition, for those that have stated publicly and incorrectly, I do NOT take health benefits from the township, which can cost more than $20,000 for families.

Moreover, because of my experience as the municipal attorney for the township, I frequently review and prepare documents that, under my predecessor, were done by the township attorney (charging an hourly rate). There are way too many instances to name where my prior municipal attorney experience has allowed our community to save thousands of dollars in legal fees because we do not have to engage and pay a private attorney to do the work or provide guidance on issues.

Finally, when my contract was renewed and extended in July 2020, the governing body included that I am to maintain a social media presence on various social media sites (which consists of a blog site) and to roll out a committed social media program and communications plan for the township. So, if you judge me, please consider the facts and what I do for the community. Also, please do not compare me to business administrators in Ewing, Hamilton, Trenton, or any other community with a directly elected mayor. That would be comparing apples to oranges. They have fewer responsibilities than municipal managers. We are a Council-Manager form of government. Our elected officials are part-time. Our mayor has no authority or responsibility over municipal operations or even an office in our municipal building. A municipal manager is responsible for all of the day-to-day operations of the municipal government (and all that it entails, with 12 departments and more than 200 employees providing services to our community) AND is ultimately responsible for resident concerns.

Our elected officials appoint the municipal manager, set policy and are responsible for adopting a municipal

budget and passing other essential ordinances and resolutions.

For directly elected Mayor towns, along with a full-time business administrator, the Mayor is a full-time position, earning a full-time salary (and benefits), with authority to hire and fire department heads, handles constituency concerns, and is involved more directly in preparing the municipal budget. And has one or more full-time assistants. That is not what we do here.

I hope this shines more light and clarifies how much I am paid, how my salary has increased over the past six years, and my overall responsibilities.

As for the comment that I want “behind closed doors meetings,” I can only say that it is not only false, it is simply incredible in light of all of the information I have made available to all of you in the past six years.

The effort I have made to explain our decisions or the process we follow is well documented, and the community is more informed now than ever before.

Kevin Nerwinski serves as Lawrence Township’s municipal manager. He is a long-time resident of Lawrence.

Veterans Entrepreneurship Training Program

APPLY BY MAY 11

HONE YOUR BUSINESS SKILLS.

Program benefits:

» Free, seven-week summer training program for veterans, their spouses and dependents.

» Explore the feasibility of your business concept or grow your existing business.

» Learn from dedicated faculty in Rider’s AACSB-accredited Norm Brodsky College of Business.

» Gain valuable skills including how to conduct market research and draft a market plan.

» Class size is limited to 20 students to guarantee individualized attention.

Thanks to our partner, The Uncommon Individual Foundation, the program is offered at no cost to veterans, their spouses and dependents.

Learn more:

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