5-24 EO

Two charged in 2008 cold case murder

Two men have been charged in connection with the 2008 robbery and fatal beating of Leroy Julious in Ewing Township.

Breyon Goodman, 36, of Trenton, and Jason Howard, 41, are each charged with Murder (1st degree), Felony Murder (1st degree) and Robbery (1st degree). Goodman was arrested in Trenton on April 15 by members of the U.S. Marshals NY/ NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office has filed a motion to detain him pending trial. Howard, 41, was served his complaints in Rhode Island, where he is incarcerated for an unrelated incident.

The charges were announced on April 22 by N.J. Attorney General Matthew Platkin and Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri following an investigation by the Mercer County Homicide Task Force (MCHTF) in conjunction with the N.J. Attorney

See COLD CASE, Page 3

Collins repeats as NJSIAA state wrestling champ

By Justin Feil

Shellitha Collins’ lightning quick escape, takedown and pin brought a roar of approval from the NJSIAA Girls State Wrestling Championships crowd at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City in March.

But when the Ewing High School senior channeled her inner Simone Biles to celebrate, the crowd’s crescendo grew even louder.

After Collins became the first to defeat Union’s Alissa Alcindor this season to claim her second straight 235-pound state

title, she immediately popped up from Alcindor, took a short running start and executed a perfect roundoff cartwheel, and upon sticking the two-footed landing, she promptly dropped into a full split. Her memorable celebration capped an unforget-

See COLLINS, Page 15

ESCC on track to be rebuilt

InteRVieW By Bill SAnseRVinO

This September will be two years since a catastrophic fire burned down a large section of the Ewing Senior and Community Center. Now Ewing Township almost has all the pieces in places for the construction of a new center on the site.

The five-alarm blaze on Sept 30, 2022 destroyed the gymnasium and damaged many other parts of the ESCC, rendering the facility unusable.

Since then, the ESCC—a major hub for community activity—and outdoor facilities at the center have been closed, and most of the programs and offices, including Community Affairs and Recreation and the Senior Office, have been relocated to the Hollowbrook Community Center at 320 Hollowbrook Drive.

Ewing Observer editor Bill Sanservino recently sat down with Mayor Bert Steinmann to talk about various issues cur-

Ewing High School’s Shellitha Collins (center) stands atop the podium after winning the 235-pound state title at the NJSIAA Wrestling Championships on March 2, 2024 in Atlantic City.

Movin g Ewing Forward!

Community Focused

Sound Fiscal Management

Improved Public Safety

Smart Economic Growth

rimary

COLD CASE continued from Page 1

General’s Cold Case Network.

According to the public documents filed in the case, on May 9, 2008, Ewing Police responded to the report of a caller stating that the victim, Leroy Julious, was injured and on the ground, bleeding. Upon arrival, officers observed a vehicle parked diagonally in front of a residence at the scene.

There were multiple individuals on scene, including Howard, who was standing outside of the open driver’s door of the vehicle.

Witnesses directed officers to Julious, who was lying on the ground in a gravel lot. The victim had severe head trauma, with blood on his face, head and neck, and officers noticed his pockets were turned inside out. Julious was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities said that investigation revealed robbery to be a potential motive in the case. Officers learned that Julious was known to carry money and that his wallet was not on him when he was found. According to the complaint affidavit, investigation also indicated that the assault on Julious started in the garage carport of a nearby house and his body was dragged to

the empty gravel lot.

In March 2023, the Mercer County Homicide Task Force received new information and the case was reopened. At the direction of Prosecutor Onofri, the case was presented to the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability’s (OPIA’s) Regional Cold Case Task Force.

In the fall of 2023, all viable physical evidence was resubmitted to the NJ State Police Central Regional Laboratory, including DNA evidence. Technological advancements in forensic science provided new information related to the case.

“For 16 years the senseless, cruel death of Leroy Julious has gone unsolved,” said Platkin. “But law enforcement did not forget, and did not give up. We hope the charges bring a measure of relief to the victim’s grieving loved ones.”

“Dogged detective work, technological advances, inter-agency cooperation, and a shared, unflagging desire for answers and accountability for this terrible crime have brought about these charges,” said Thomas J. Eicher, executive director of the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability. “This development in this long-dormant case demonstrates the effectiveness

of the cooperation and capabilities of the Cold Case Network.”

“These detectives are relentless in the pursuit of justice,” said Onofri. “The technological and investigative resources made possible through this collaboration of law enforcement agencies are invaluable, and I’m grateful to the Attorney General’s Office for the formation of the Cold Case Task Force. Now we are able to announce charges and provide Mr. Julious’ family with answers after all of these years.”

“We are continuing to investigate this murder and are asking for the public’s help,” Onofri added. “Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact MCHTF detectives at (609) 989-6406 or mchtftips@mercercounty.org.”

Platkin and Onofri commended all of the New Jersey Cold Case Task Force’s participating agencies, including the Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office. They also expressed their appreciation to the NJSP Office of Forensic Sciences, the NJSP Central Regional Laboratory, the U.S. Marshals

See COLD CASE, Page 4

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

EDITOR

Bill Sanservino (Ext. 104)

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Justin Feil

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST

Donnie Black, Helen Kull

AD LAYOUT AND PRODUCTION

Stephanie Jeronis

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Christine Storie (Ext. 115)

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

Phone: (609) 396-1511

News: news@communitynews.org

Events: events@communitynews.org

Sports: sports@communitynews.org

Letters: bsanservino@communitynews.org

Website: ewingobserver.com

Facebook: facebook.com/ewingobserver

Twitter: twitter.com/mercerspace

17,000 copies of the Ewing Observer are mailed or bulk-distributed to the residences and businesses of Ewing 12 times a year.

ADVERTISE

call (609) 396-1511, ext. 110 or e-mail advertise@communitynews.org

Sat. Oct 14 9 am - 1 pm

The location of the events will be the Ewing Municipal Building

DOCUMENTS SHREDDED ON SITE!

safe and secure way to clean out those old checks, bills, and any confidential documents that need proper disposal.

This

For more information, please call 609-882-3382 or check ewingnj.org and click on recycling.

COLD CASE continued from Page 3 NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force, the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, and the Ewing Police Department, under the direction of Chief Albert Rhodes, for their assistance.

The charges are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

filled out prior to arrival, and blank applications can be downloaded and printed out from www.ewingnj.org. This event will take place rain or shine.

Womanspace to honor Ewing’s Watson Coleman

First-degree murder and felony murder crimes carry a sentencing exposure of 30 years to life in state prison and fine of up to $200,000. First-degree Robbery crimes carry a sentence of up to 20 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000. The potential sentences are provided solely for informational purposes, as any potential sentence is determined by a judge.

Free Rabies Clinic set for May 11 at municipal site

Ewing Township will host a free Rabies clinic for cats and dogs on Mayor Bert Steinmann announces that on Saturday, May 11 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Veteran’s Memorial Pavilion located in the rear parking lot of the Municipal Complex.

Vehicles should enter on Graphics Drive by River Horse Brewery and exit by Jake Garzio Drive to help keep the process smooth.

All pets must be brought to the clinic site on a leash or in an appropriate carrier by someone capable of maintaining control of the animal, and pets should remain in the cars with their owners.

To determine vaccine eligibility, bring your pet’s vaccination records. The ealth Department will be offering both new and renewal dog licensing during the clinic and will accept payment by check or exact cash only.

All dog license applications must be

MILLER'S PLACE

Womanspace, a Lawrence Townshipbased nonprofit dedicated to serving individuals and families impacted by domestic violence and sexual assault, has announced that its honoring U.S. Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman.

Watson Coleman, a Ewing resident, will receive the Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award in recognition of her advocacy, dedication, and achievements in advancing gender equality, empowering women, and supporting initiatives that promote a more just, equitable, and violence-free community for all.

The 28th Annual Awards Dinner will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 30, at the Boathouse on Mercer Lake in Mercer County Park, West Windsor.

Watson Coleman has served as the U.S. Representative for New Jersey’s 12th congressional district since 2015 and is the first Black woman to represent New Jersey in Congress.

“I am honored and humbled to receive the Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award,” Watson Coleman said. “Barbara and my father served together on the Mercer County Board of Freeholders. When she and my mother had cancer, Barbara would come comfort my mother. To receive an award previously granted to such esteemed peers as Cokie Roberts, Diane Sawyer, and C. Vivian Stringer is a high honor.”

For information on agency events and updates, follow Womanspace on Facebook and Instagram.

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RYAN

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

The Stroke and Cerebrovascular Center at the Capital Institute for Neurosciences is a major referral center for the treatment of all types of neurovascular diseases, including (but not limited to) cerebral aneurysms, strokes, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs), intracranial stenosis as well as Moyamoya disease.

The only certified Comprehensive Stroke Center in the region, Capital Health Regional Medical Center (RMC) in Trenton provides safe emergency stroke and neurovascular services 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“As soon as you call 911, our prehospital alert system allows our team in the hospital to prepare for your arrival, saving valuable time to treatment,” said Dr. Rochestie. “Your call activates basic and advanced life support service to provide safe, immediate care at your location before you even arrive at the hospital.”

Controllable Risk Factors for Stroke

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

High blood pressure

High cholesterol

Heart/blood vessel disease

Cigarette smoking

Physical inactivity/obesity/poor diet

Diabetes mellitus

Atrial fibrillation

Sickle cell disease

Visit capitalneuro.org to learn more. If you or someone you know is experiencing signs of a stroke, call 911.

Don’t Delay: Call 911 If You Suspect a Stroke

Stroke is a time-sensitive emergency. If you suspect you or a loved one is experiencing a stroke, B-E F-A-S-T to know the signs of a stroke and call 911 immediately.

B

E

F

ABalance

Is the person experiencing a sudden loss of balance?

Eyes

Has the person lost vision in one or both eyes?

— Face Drooping

Does one side of the face droop, or is it numb?

—

Arm Weakness

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

S—

Speech Difficulty

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

T— Time to call 911

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

UNDERSTANDING BRAIN TUMOR SYMPTOMS

SIGNS TO GUIDE YOU TO THE RIGHT PLAN FOR CARE

Brain tumors, while relatively rare, do not discriminate, affecting men, women, and children across all age groups and ethnicities. And because the brain is the critical organ that controls all others, it’s important to recognize the signs that may suggest a brain tumor and discuss them with your health care team.

“The many parts of the brain control different body functions, so symptoms will vary depending on tumor location, type, and size,” said DR. NAVID REDJAL, director of Neurosurgical Oncology at the Capital Health Center for Neuro-Oncology. “However, there are some common symptoms to watch for which, if ongoing, may indicate the presence of a brain tumor. Anyone experiencing one or more of them over an extended period of time should see their doctor to get an accurate diagnosis.”

“At the Center for Neuro-Oncology, our advanced technological resources and multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis and treatment are just as important as the compassionate and individualized care we provide,” said Dr. Redjal. “If a person experiences new symptoms or changes to existing ones, talking to your doctor is an important first step.”

The Center for Neuro-Oncology, part of Capital Institute for Neurosciences and Capital Health Cancer Center, is a referral center for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer involving the brain and spine. The Center is housed in state-of-the-art facilities where patients have access to an experienced and caring team of physicians, nurses and staff who work closely with referring physicians to facilitate rapid and thorough evaluations and recommendations for patients and their families. In addition to providing advanced neuro-oncologic and neuroscience care, the Center participates in clinical trials to help fight and find cures for cancer.

To learn more about Capital Health’s Center for Neuro-Oncology, visit capitalhealth.org/neurooncology.

COMMON BRAIN TUMOR SYMPTOMS INCLUDE:

HEADACHES:

A persistent, progressive pain that is different from a migraine, does not respond to over-the-counter pain medication (like aspirin or ibuprofen), gets worse when laying down, and may be accompanied by vomiting or changes in vision.

SEIZURES:

In some cases, a seizure may be the first indication that a person has a brain tumor.

FOCAL PROGRESSIVE SYMPTOMS:

Localized symptoms—such as hearing problems, difficulty walking or speaking, or feeling clumsy—can often help identify the location of the tumor.

MASS EFFECT:

Occurs when a brain tumor presses on surrounding normal tissue, causing nausea and vomiting, drowsiness, vision problems, headaches, and behavior changes.

SUDDEN PERSONALITY CHANGES, COGNITIVE CHANGES, MEMORY LOSS:

A tumor may cause disruptions in normal brain function that lead to changes in a patient’s behavior and ability to reason, remember, and learn.

Getting to the Heart of the Matter with Valve Disease

Heart valve disease is the general name for several conditions that affect how blood moves through the heart and supports the body. The four chambers of the heart each have a valve that keeps blood flowing in the right direction. When someone has heart valve disease, the flaps of a valve aren’t working properly and the heart can’t move enough blood to keep the rest of the body functioning as it should. Left untreated, heart valve disease can lead to serious complications such as heart rhythm abnormalities, blood clots, heart failure, and stroke.

Someone with mild to moderate heart valve disease can go for years without knowing they have it, but the risk for damage can still be serious. Symptoms can develop gradually over time or very quickly if the condition becomes severe, so it’s important to understand your risk factors and recognize symptoms when they occur.

The risk for heart valve disease increases as we age, but it’s also more likely if you’ve had a heart attack or have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or other conditions that can affect your heart health. Physical signs of heart valve disease can include:

Irregular heartbeat.

… Shortness of breath.

… Fatigue or inability to maintain your normal activity.

Lightheadedness or fainting.

… Swollen abdomen, ankles, or feet.

Severe aortic stenosis is one form of heart valve disease in which narrowing of the aortic valve opening occurs due to thick or stiff valve flaps. As a result, the heart needs to work harder to pump blood to the rest of the body, which in turn can limit your daily activity. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a minimally invasive treatment option at Capital Health for patients with severe aortic stenosis or those with a failing surgical aortic valve who are at greater risk for complications during open surgery.

“Heart valve disease symptoms don’t necessarily tell the whole story about how serious a person’s condition is,” said DR. DAVID DRUCKER , medical director of Capital Health’s Structural Heart Program and board certified, fellowship trained interventional cardiologist at Capital Health Cardiology Specialists. “This is why it’s important to talk to your cardiologist any time you notice anything out of the ordinary that could indicate heart valve disease or other cardiac conditions. Getting a specific diagnosis as soon as possible is more likely to lead to a better outcome.”

Dr. Drucker leads a team of experts at Capital Health’s Structural Heart Program to perform minimally invasive procedures like TAVR to manage and treat heart valve conditions and other structural issues of the heart. With TAVR, an artificial valve is delivered to the heart through a thin, flexible tube (catheter) that is inserted into one of several possible access routes and placed into the diseased valve. The procedure usually takes one hour or less to complete, and many TAVR patients start feeling better as soon as their new valve is placed. Patients usually begin walking the same day as their TAVR procedure and are typically discharged within one or two days and ready to return to their normal activities.

To make an appointment at Capital Health Cardiology Specialists or to find an office near you, visit capitalhealthcardiology.org.

FREE UPCOMING HEALTH EDUCATION EVENTS

Register by calling 609.394.4153 or register online at capitalhealth.org/events and be sure to include your email address. Please register early. Class size is limited. Zoom meeting details will be provided via email 2 – 3 days before the program date. Registration ends 24 hours before the program date.

Nutrition Tips for Thriving as You Age

Wednesday, May 8, 2024 | 6 p.m.

Location: Zoom Meeting

Join Mindy Komosinsky, registered dietitian/nutritionist and certified diabetes care and education specialist, to learn ways to build solid nutrition habits that can pave the way for a healthier brain and body as you age. Topics include nutrition for maintaining cognitive health, promoting strong bones, preserving muscle mass, and preventing or managing some chronic conditions.

Stroke: Preventable, Treatable, Beatable

Thursday, May 16, 2024 | 6 p.m.

Location: Zoom Meeting

Do you have a family history of stroke, or have you experienced a stroke and want to learn how to prevent another one in the future? Get the latest information from registered nurses and Stroke Program Coordinators Maria Gilli and Pamela Esher, who will discuss stroke signs and symptoms, types of strokes, individual risk factors, and treatment options.

Demolition begins at old Naval Air Warfare site

An architectural rendering of one of the planned new building’s at the Naval Air Propulsion Center on Parkway Avenue.

Ewing Township and developer KRE Group on April 22 officially kicked off the redevelopment of the decommissioned United States Naval Air Propulsion Center on Parkway Avenue.

Mayor Bert Steinmann, members of Township Council and other officials were on hand at a ceremony marking the commencement of the demolition of the old building, which has sat vacant on the site for decades.

Redeveloper KRE Group’s plans for the site call for construction of industrial and flex space. The redevelopment of the property is the second and final phase of the township’s Parkway Avenue Redevelopment Plan, which was first adopted in 2013. The project follows the transformation of the former General Motors factory into the Ewing Town Center, which offers a mix of retail and residential.

KRE Group’s redevelopment plans include four new buildings, featuring a 285,152-square-foot single-story warehouse, and three standalone flex space structures each measuring 20,000 square feet.

Planned site improvements include new stormwater management infrastructure, landscaping and lighting, a new N.J. Transit bus stop, surface parking, a landscaped walking trail, roadway improvements to Parkway Avenue, and the addition of a traffic circle at Parkway Avenue and Jack Stephan Way.

“Today’s demolition day is a longawaited step in our redevelopment plan that promises to breathe new life into this historic property,” said Steinmann said, who operated the excavator that took the first swipe in the demolition of the building during the event.

“As the bricks begin to fall, we are at the crossroads of history and innovation, and I am excited about the future,” the mayor added.

In addition to Steinmann, also delivering remarks were: Ewing Council President Kevin Baxter; Jeffrey Persky, executive vice president, KRE Group; Helen Kull, local historian; Chuck Latini, executive director, Ewing Township Redevelopment Agency; Hal English,

See DEMOLITION, Page 10

Mayor Bert Steinmann mans the excavator as it takes is first bite out of the structure at the soon-to-be demolished dilapidated Naval Air Warfare Center.

DEMOLITION continued from Page 9

CEO, Princeton-Mercer Regional Chamber; and Lucylle Walter, Mercer County Commissioner.

Jonathan Kushner, president of KRE Group, expressed his excitement about the project. “We are thrilled to embark on this revitalization effort and are proud to be the ones capable of moving this important project forward after so many years of inactivity. This redevelopment initiative, long championed by Mayor Stein-

mann, will complement the progress already made within the redevelopment zone while laying the groundwork for an innovative future.”

Operated by the U.S. Navy as a jet engine test facility from 1951 until 1997, the Naval Air Propulsion Center played a crucial role in bolstering America’s military capabilities. The site’s narrative dates back even further, with the General Motors Inland Fisher Guide manufacturing plant on Parkway Avenue being requisitioned by the government during World War II in December 1941.

The plant swiftly transformed into Eastern Aircraft, a division of GM, retooling to produce the Avenger, the US Navy’s primary torpedo bomber. While the GM plant focused on aircraft production, the Navy utilized 1,000 acres across the street, which it had purchased from GM, for a different purpose—to build a testing facility for jet engines.

This strategic decision led to the establishment of the Naval Air Turbine Test Station (NATTS) in 1951, which became operational in 1956 and contributed greatly to advancing aviation technology.

TSpanning approximately 26.28 acres, the site is bordered by Mercer County Airport to the north, a Conrail railroad line to the east, Parkway Avenue to the south, and Jack Stephan Way to the west.

LUNCH AND LEARN: STROKEIT CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE!

Wednesday, May 1; 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Roughly 1 in 4 adults over the age of 25 will have a stroke in their lifetime.

Yet, most aren’t aware of the F.A.S.T. warning signs and that stroke is largely preventable, treatable, and beatable. Our medical experts will discuss risk factors, symptoms, treatment, and the needs of stroke survivors. Mandy J. Binning, MD, FAANS, Chief, Division of Vascular/ Endovascular Neurosurgery and Director of Stroke Programs at Global Neurosciences Institute; Ashley Sarrol, MS, CCC-SLP, Senior Speech Language Pathologist; and Sarah Masco, OTD,OTR/L, CLT-LANA, Senior Occupational Therapist.

SWEET SUCCESS SOCIETY: A DIABETES GROUP

Mondays, May 6 + June 3; 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Monday, May 13; 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

A group for anyone with diabetes or caring for someone living with diabetes. Learn healthy ways to manage diabetes alongside your peers and Taryn Krietzman, RDN.

CATCH SOME ZZZZZ’S!

Monday, May 6; 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Insomnia affects our mental and physical health, making us more prone to heart disease and other serious illnesses. Join Patti McDougall, BSN, to learn more about how we should spend a third of our lives.

ORTHO 101: TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT

Monday, May 6; 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Join Orthopedic Program Coordinator Denise Berdecia, MSN, RN, ONC, and

physical and occupational therapists for an in-depth discussion on total knee replacements. These experts will explain preventative treatment, how to decide if surgery is right for you, and recovery options available through outpatient therapy.

GOT STRESS?

Tuesdays, May 7 + June 4; 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Support group about dealing with stress. Gain valuable insight about how others deal with similar situations.

SPIRITUALITY, COMPASSION AND VEGANISM

Wednesday, May 8; 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Compassion is a sensitivity toward the suffering of others and responding with actions that can help. Veganism invites us to widen our circle of compassion to include all species of animals. In this talk, Michele Granberg, MA, CHT, CPLT, Mindset Coach, explores the nature of compassion and how it intersects with spirituality and veganism.

DESIGNER BAG BINGO!

Friday, May 10; 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

This event is a great way to get out with your friends for a night of fun, with many designer bags up for grabs. Admission ticket includes 12 rounds of Bingo. Tickets are $45. For more information or to purchase tickets, email Shannon.Neely@rwjbh.org.

WHAT’S EATING YOU?

Monday, May 13; 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Support group for people experiencing emotional eating. Peer support is key. We offer a safe space to connect with others

who are going through similar experiences.

BARIATRIC WEIGHT LOSS SUPPORT GROUP

Tuesday, May 14; 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

AN EVENING OF YOGA NIDRA MEDITATION

Tuesday, May 14; 6:30 p.m. - 7:45 p.m.

Experience the benefits of Yoga Nidra. Translated as yogic sleep, Michelle Gerdes (trauma-informed yoga and meditation teacher and owner of Princeton Doula Center) will explain how the practice of Yoga Nidra guides brain waves into optimal states for relaxation and rejuvenation. She will lead you through this guided relaxation that has been shown to reduce stress / anxiety, promote better sleep, and foster a profound sense of joy and well-being. Bring a yoga mat and anything else you need to be comfortable in meditation.

Fee $15

MINDFULNESS MEDITATION

Wednesday, May 15; 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Quieting your mind can have profound effects on both your body and your mind. Come learn to lower the volume of your mind’s chatter. Patti McDougall, BSN, Integrative Therapies Nurse

STROKE PREVENTION, BECAUSE IT MATTERS

Thurs., May 15; 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Stroke is the number 5 cause of death, and leading cause of disability in the U.S., and up to 80% may be prevented.

Connie Moceri, MSN, RN, AGNP-C, Director of Disease Management and

Stroke Coordinator at RWJUH Hamilton will educate you on why managing risk factors is key to reducing your chances of having a stroke. Dinner provided.

HEALTHRHYTHMS® DRUM CIRCLE

Wednesday, May 15; 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Drum your cares away with our monthly Drum Circle. It’s lots of fun and a great stress reliever. Drums provided. Mauri Tyler, CTRS, CMP. Fee $15

MENTAL HEALTH IS WEALTH

Monday, May 20; 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

You are not alone. Millions of people are affected by mental illness each year. Certain thoughts, behaviors, symptoms, and conditions can be linked to mental illness. Join Jasmeet Mehta, MD, to discuss topics related to anxiety, depression, and ADHD in adults.

PREDIABETES CONNECT GROUP

Tuesday, May 21; 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Diagnosed with prediabetes? This group is for you to connect with others.

CALMING AND COPING STRATEGIES FOR KIDS: A PARENT WORKSHOP

Tuesday, May 21; 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Enhance your parenting journey with effective coping strategies from educator, author & Wings to Learning Advocacy owner, Trenna Stout, B.Ed., BCEA. Discover how to help your child self-regulate & support their emotional well-being, empowering them to navigate life’s challenges confidently. Fee: $5

KIDS IN THE KITCHEN: HERBACEOUS FLAVORS

Wed., May 22; 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Empower kids with culinary skills and nutrition knowledge to become their healthiest selves! For children 5 years and older. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Taryn Krietzman, RDN. Fee $5 per person

REIKI SHARE

Wednesday, May 22; 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

For folks who have been Reiki certified to come share the gift with fellow practitioners. Give a session, get a session. Bring a sheet and small pillow.

2024 HEARING AID EXPOLEARN ABOUT THE LATEST IN HEARING AID TECHNOLOGY

Thursday, May 23; 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Lorraine Sgarlato, Au.D., is proud to offer a presentation on today’s “computers for your ears.” Advances today in hearing aids allow us more than ever to connect to our world in an exciting way! We can now stream music, television, and more with ease! New technology offers better hearing in noise, tinnitus therapy, and helps protect our brains as we age. Learn about these new advances in technology along with a hands-on demonstration from representatives from the companies Oticon and Signia.

*All

Better Health Programs/Complimentary Membership at 65+ Years Old

Scan the QR code to register and become a member or call 609-584-5900 or email bhprogram@rwjbh.org to learn more.

*Registration and free Membership required to attend the Better Health Programs

A SENIOR SOCIAL GROUP

Wednesday, May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, June 5; 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Join us in a collaborative setting to exchange thoughts, feelings and experiences among peers. This is a safe zone designed to be welcoming and understanding of all attendees, while exploring this season of our lives – the ups and the challenges. Please feel free to attend one or all.

TAI CHI CLASSES

Thursday, May 2 + 16; 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

YOGA CLASSES

Tuesday, May 7 + 21; 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

MEDITATION CLASSES

Tuesday, May 7 + 21; 11:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

CHAIR YOGA

Tuesday, May 7 + 21; 12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.

GROUNDS FOR SCULPTURE WELLNESS WALK

Wednesday, May 8; 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Thursday, May 9; 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Grounds for Sculpture welcomes us for their Wellness Walk! Whether you are a fast or slower walker, there will be a group for you as we feast our eyes on the beautiful art and nature. Member attendees are invited to enjoy GFS for the remainder of the day. Two dates to choose from. One registration per person.

TEA PARTY

Friday, May 17; 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Pinkies up! Let’s talk tea and try some famously tasty pairings. Hats are encouraged!

LUNCH AND LEARN WITH RWJUHH MEDICAL EXPERT PANEL

Tuesday, May 14; 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Who do you see the most when you are hospitalized? That’s right, nurses.

Does caring for our aging population require additional training? You bet it does. Join nursing experts to learn how our needs change as we age and how our nurses are being trained to better serve and care for our aging population. Panel includes: Tammy Leigh, MSN, RN, Director of Emergency Services & Intensive Care; Lisa Nevius, MSN, RN, OCN, NEA-BC, Nurse Manager; and Cynthia Russo, Clinical Nurse Specialist, MSN, RN-BC, APN.

LUNCH AND

LEARN,

SENIORS ACHIEVING GOOD HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Wednesday, May 22; 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Aging can present us with challenges from the loss of loved ones, isolation, physical changes, and more. Join Dilys Ngu, M.D., RWJUH Hamilton’s new geriatric psychiatrist, for a hopeful conversation and learn ways to bring back the brightness to your days.

“S.A.V.E” TRAINING PROGRAM

Friday, May 31; 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. S.A.V.E. is a training program to help identify warning signs that someone is having thoughts of suicide. Heather Church-Soto, LCSW, Suicide Prevention Coordinator, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs leads this program that provides caregivers and community members with the tools to act with care and compassion if they encounter someone who is in crisis or experiencing suicidal thoughts. This is NOT exclusive to veterans.

Scan QR code to view, learn more & register on-line for the programs listed above. Or visit rwjbh.org/HamiltonPrograms Email CommunityEdHam@rwjbh.org or call 609-584-5900 to learn more

rently facing the township in 20 24.

The portion of the interview with the mayor focusing on the appointment of Aaron Watson’s appointment and the 2024 municipal budget ran in the April issue of the Observer and can be read online at communitynews.org.

The progress on the ESCC was the topic of discussion in this month’s section of the interview. An edited version of the interview appears below.

* * *

Ewing Observer: What’s going on in town in terms of community and senior programs.

Bert Steinmann: We offer programs, especially to our seniors to stay active. It’s a little bit more difficult now because our senior center is in phases. We’re very fortunate in Ewing that we have a very cooperative Board of Education and School Board and a superintendent of schools who is allowing us space in the schools where we can accommodate some groups.

We’re using the gymnasium of Marie Katzenbach School. In Hamilton, thanks to Jeff Martin or the mayor over there, some members of our Pool Sharks group are now there for the time being. So, I’m very grateful for all these outside groups that have invited us with open arms, and that just shows you how tight knit the community is.

EO: You brought up the senior center. There was the fire there a while ago now, and you’re announced some plans for reconstructing that facility. Where do you stand now in terms of getting funding for that and also moving ahead with the project?

BS: We’re still actively going after funds, whether it’s federal funds or state funds or, just general funds that are out there that we can kind of get to. So far, I’ve

been very fortunate that the State of New Jersey has given us $5 million towards the rebuild of that building. Mr. Watson (Business Administrator Aaron Watson) and I just went back to the state and had a conversation with the governor’s office about additional funding. We’re waiting for that to come through.

So, we’re very hopeful in that situation. I just got a letter from our congresswoman, Bonnie Watson Coleman. She was able to secure a million and $50,000, for the senior center. So, we’re moving in the right direction, and thanks to those groups, we can do that.

EO: What’s the total estimated cost for the project?

BS: Basically, the total estimated price for the rebuild of the community center, which would be from the ground up now, is $42 million. It’s a hefty price tag. But in today’s standards, it’s really not all that bad. I mean, when the original building was constructed back in 1992, it was a $6.5 million project, and people thought the end of the world was going to come.

We’ve got approximately 52,000 square feet here. This one is going to be 72,000 square feet. And so the price of that it’s pretty good compared to what it used to be. So we’re happy with that. Well, not happy, obviously. We still have to go out to bid and get the actual numbers.

But I feel because conditions have changed a little bit—the supply has been able to get freed up, and they’re not charging over-exorbitant prices now. The prices have started to come down, especially with steel and other stuff. I expect that the estimated price tag of $42 million may be lower than that. Obviously, that’s the hope that I have. You really never know.

As far as the design is concerned—the building has been designed. They’re just See STEINMANN, Page 13

putting in the final touches and working with our Council members. I’m going to put the financial packages together over the next month and a half and start moving forward. I hope that we can put this project out to bid, sometime May or early June, with an approximate start date of September or October.

We should be taking advantage of our winter months because they haven’t been all that bad. The construction will take approximately between 18 to 24 months. So again, I think we’ll have a very useful and spacious building where we can do things now that we couldn’t do with the old building. We had to turn groups away constantly because we were at capacity. So now we have designed the building that for a better use, more groups can use it and we can offer more services to the community.

When I took over as mayor back in 2011, our population was around 34,000 plus. Right now, we’re at 38,000 plus and growing. As you can see, with the Ewing Town Center going up, and construction going around the township, we’re very busy and it reflects in our population. Believe it or not, we’re getting people from outside the area that love it here and the services that we provide. That’s why we really need this new community center to attract the younger families that are coming in, and also attract older individuals that need a place to go and need things to do. I think we’re accomplishing that with that new building.

EO: I know you were fighting with the insurance company to maximize the amount that you’re able to get from them. Do you know how much you will be able to get in terms of replacement costs for reconstruction of the building?

BS: Well, ironically, they’re offering us $18 million for the reconstruction of that building. They’ve paid out, I believe, $10 million so far. So, we’re still waiting for an additional $8 million. Obviously, that’s not going to cover the tab, and I don’t think that was fair from the insurance company. I’m outspoken as you well know. I’ve had a

big argument with the insurance company when we were on the site, when the guy said, “Well you don’t need to tear the building down. There are things that you can save, and you could save some money. “.

I said to him, “You think I can rebuild this building for $18 million, even the way it stands today?” And they really don’t have an answer for that. And the other thing is that everything that we do today, I have to bring it up to code. I have to meet ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements. There’s a host of things that we have to do that back in 1950 when this building was built, the codes weren’t that way, and now they are. We have to meet it.

The building was full of asbestos. Even the parts that were still able to stand. And we had to remediate all of that. So at the end of the day, the cost was very prohibitive even to try to rebuild what we had, and then we would build a building that wouldn’t be sufficient. I mean, why spend money on a building that you know isn’t going to meet the needs of the people?

It was an easy decision to say, “Okay, look, let’s just start from scratch.” We’re going to preserve the history of the building. It was built by the Jewish Federation (as the Jewish Community Center). We’re going to keep the cornerstone that they had and we saved the memento box that they had. We’re going to incorporate that back into the new building. I don’t want to lose sight of that.

Our architects, the DIGroup, looked at the original building, looked at the bathhouses and they incorporated the Kahn bathhouses (structures that were designed by noted architect Louis Kahn) in their design of the new building. It all just fits together. I’m very excited about it to be quite candid with you. I just really can’t wait to put a shovel in the ground.

EO: Initially you had hoped that you might be able to preserve parts of the building and then add on to it. Is that the plan anymore? Or have you just razed the whole site and are going to rebuild the whole thing.

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BS: The whole site has been razed because once we got into that, a lot of problems appeared. The electrical service, the gas lines—all of that needed to be replaced. So all the mechanical stuff— that was gone. Those are your biggest expenses. So again, what you were able to save wasn’t worth saving, to be quite candid with you.

EO: How heavily was the center utilized by multiple facets of the community?

BS: It was in use every day from 6:30 in the morning when the Lawyers League— they used to have a basketball league— would come to the center and have pickup games with other lawyers. And that happened every day at 6:30 in the morning, that building would open, and we would not be out of that building until 9, 9:30, 10 at night. So that was a good 14 or 15 hours of activity going on in that building. More and more groups wanted to come there, but more and more groups had to be turned away, because we didn’t have the space.

With the new building, we’ve enlarged the gym, so that it’s basically a gym and a half. We can have other activities, not just one. People could be playing pickleball in a smaller section and have a basketball game or an indoor soccer game or whatever in the main gym. People wanted a walking track, and we’ve accomplished that. We put a walking track inside the gymnasium. It’s raised, so you can walk up there and see activities and what’s going on below.

Some individuals were clamoring about an indoor pool. We designed the building with an indoor pool. Unfortunately, when we looked at the size of the pool and the cost of the pool, it wasn’t worth the investment to go ahead and do it. All the related activity that they had to do to keep that pool running 24/7 wasn’t worth it. So that was scrapped.

We kept the black box theater in there, we kept the sound studio in there, although we’re going to go out for alternate bids on that and see where it fits into that $42 million. It’s not going to be anything fancy. We’re going to dumb it down a little bit, but it’ll still be for groups that want to be in that theater-type setting or a sound situation. We can have internships that go there, apprentice programs. Other groups could use that. So again, we’re trying to make sure that whatever activity is out there today that wasn’t there 10 or 20 years ago, we can accomplish it today. So that was the whole the whole idea about it.

EO: Many times, when the government proposes a project like this, they may have detractors out there who say, “They’re building a Taj Mahal. They’re overbuilding. They’re building a monument to themselves or monument to the architects.” How would you answer those types

of criticisms?

BS: Believe it or not, not many people have said that. We had two public meetings. We’ll have another one when we present the plan to the planning board. We have to do a courtesy review to our planning board, so they’ll roll out the plan again. We had taken a lot of input from members of the public. The first time around, we had questions and answers and what people would like to see in the building, and that’s how we designed the building—what people wanted to see in it.

So, we wrote that all down on paper. Then we went into the functionality of the building. Then we went into the design of the building, and we put that all together. We had conceptual plans all drawn up. We rolled it back out to the public. Other than one or two individuals complaining about the swimming pool that we took that out, there was not a word. One of the questions, which was a very legitimate question, was, “What is that going to do for my taxes?”.

We sat down with our investors and the people that look at our overall strategy for bonding and things like that. They came up with the plan where we can borrow up to $27 million, if we need to, and that’s the top mark that I’m shooting for. I’m not going over that. There would be no tax increases. In fact, our debt service is actually dropping in the next year or two.

This will not lower the debt limit, but it’s not going to get it to a point where it sees significant tax increases. And what I like about the way we proposed this plan is that we still put in an additional $5 million a year in for things that we need in the town, whether it’s equipment, whether it’s trucks, whether it’s upgrades to our park system, whether it’s upgrades to some buildings. We have that built into that and it still will not affect the tax rate.

EO: And yes, interest rates have unfortunately been going up in the past few years. Generally, what is the rate that the township is paying on its on its bonds or borrowing power?

BS: About 3%. We’re very, very fortunate. Since I took over, we took an A- minus rating to AA stable, which is significant for around here. We’ve maintained that, and that’s thanks to my CFO (Joanna Mustafa). She really stays on top of things. She tells me, “We may have a situation here, let’s address it.” We’ve done that. So, we’ve stabilized that. We’re able to meet our debt limit. We were able to pay our bills as we go. We’re very fortunate in that respect. So again, it’s all about making sure that year over year, you do the prudent things and raise it where you need to raise it. We look at every corner of what we’re spending and where we can cut or where we may be at to have to add a few dollars. But, like I said, it’s been very stable over the last 13-plus years.

HomeFront’s ArtSpace program hosts its 15th annual “ArtJam” pop-up gallery at 45 Hulfi sh Street in Princeton from Friday, May 3 to Saturday, May 18, with over 500 works on sale to raise funds for the nonprofi t organization, page 2.

THIS MONTH IN MERCER EATS:

JASON

SEE FULL STORY ON PAGE 6

“Louie’s by Chef Jason” owner Dominic Maglione and chef Jason Dilts pose with the sign outside their Robbinsville restaurant, left, and with sta , right.

HomeFront’s ArtJam ‘Pops Up’ in Princeton

By Rebekah Schroeder

HomeFront ArtSpace’s “ArtJam 2024” marks the 15th iteration of the nonprofit’s free pop-up art gallery, which debuts at a new location in downtown Princeton at 45 Hulfish Street from Friday, May 3 through Saturday, May 18, with all proceeds benefiting HomeFront families.

According to a press release, over 500 works from 75 national, local, student, and “undiscovered or self-taught” HomeFront ArtSpace artists “who bravely embark on a journey to heal from poverty, abuse, or homelessness” will be on display, showcasing original paintings, sculptures, pottery, glassworks, handcrafted gifts, and handsewn items from HomeFront’s SewingSpace program.

An opening reception is scheduled for Friday, May 3, with other community dropin events, including a fashion show at the Arts Council of Princeton, art discus-

sions, live painting demonstrations, paintalongs, and musical entertainment planned throughout the two weeks; a closing reception takes place on Friday, May 17, from 5 to 8:30 p.m.

The gallery at 45 Hulfish Street in Princeton will be open to the public during the following hours: Monday through Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursday to Friday, noon to 8 p.m.; and Saturday to Sunday, noon to 6 p.m.

HomeFront is a Mercer County-based nonprofit social service organization dedicated to ending homelessness and breaking the cycle of poverty in Central New Jersey.

By addressing both the immediate and long-term needs of low-income families through supportive programs that draw on community resources, HomeFront empowers its clients to achieve self-sufficiency.

After witnessing firsthand the conditions of unhoused families living in welfare

HomeFront’s 15th annual ArtSpace ArtJam returns with a pop-up gallery at 45 Hulfish Street in downtown Princeton from Friday, May 3, to Saturday, May 18.

Above photo of a previous ArtJam event courtesy of HomeFront.

motels along Route 1 in Trenton more than three decades ago, HomeFront founder Connie Mercer mobilized a group of vol-

unteers around her kitchen table to begin

DPhone: (609) 396-1511

News: news@communitynews.org

Events: events@communitynews.org

Letters: rschroeder@communitynews.org

Website: communitynews.org

Facebook: facebook.com/mercereats

Twitter: twitter.com/mercerspace

Six09

distributed each month in the Greater Mercer County, N.J. area.

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“Mermaid” and “Feeling Blue” by HomeFront ArtSpace’s Kimberly L., above and at right, are two pieces are included in HomeFront ArtSpace’s 2024 ArtJam. Photos courtesy of Ruthann Traylor and HomeFront.

From ART JAM, Page 2

providing what would become thousands of meals over the years.

In September 2022, Mercer stepped up to become the CEO of the NJ Coalition to End Homelessness and advocate for legislative reform on similar systemic issues, passing the torch to current CEO Sarah Steward as the nonprofit continues to expand.

HomeFront’s ArtSpace, the nonprofit’s

therapeutic art program, is based both at the Lawrence headquarters and the Family Campus in Ewing, with the former also turning a “formerly empty warehouse space” into a fabric arts studio for SewingSpace, which teaches clients how to sew, stitch, and even sell an array functional and stylish products—bags, hats, pillows, and more—fashioned from recycled materials.

Created by HomeFront’s ArtSpace and SewingSpace director Ruthann Traylor in 2007, the visual therapy programs help clients “work through trauma, find new entre-

preneurial skills, and discover themselves as artists,” the press release continues.

According to the HomeFront ArtSpace website, the annual ArtJam “directly underwrites HomeFront’s innovative therapeutic art programs—bringing hope, healing, and for many, a newly found creative outlet.”

“ArtJam 2024 brings together so many people who want to support the creativity of our HomeFront families. It is important that our clients have the opportunity to build valuable skills. Prior to the show, our volunteer curators look close to home and

beyond to find new and established artists of all genres,” Traylor says in a quote.

“This year, HomeFront put out an open invitation for artists wanting to join its efforts. As a result, several wonderful new artists are participating in the show.”

“ArtJam is an amazing experience,” HomeFront CEO Sarah Steward explains. “It serves as an important reminder of the creative spirit of both our client families and the community that comes together to support our work.”

“The arts can lift spirits; they empower

ArtJam 2024 features works by members of the ANEW Artists Alliance, a cooperative of self-taught Trenton creatives. From top left , Carol Johnson’s

“My Father’s Gone but I Have His Guitar,” Charles Smith’s “Imagination Is Your Art,” John Hendryx’s “Melody of Oranges,” and Paul Norris’ “Female Arch #3.” Photos courtesy of Susan Darley and HomeFront.

our artists and enhance their self-esteem. We continue to be very grateful for the community support of ArtJam, the many local businesses, community members, our volunteers, and artists who contribute their works, and for all the support we get for Mercer County families in need,” she adds.

Artists participating in this year’s event were able to submit up to 10 pieces and will receive half of the proceeds from each sale.

The constant flow of pieces through the pop-up’s pipeline—rotated and replaced daily by curators over the course of the twoweek event—makes the gallery a dynamic experience.

Participants in SewingSpace, the sister program to HomeFront’s ArtSpace initiative, will also have the chance to showcase their stylish creations with a fashion show at the Arts Council of Princeton, Paul Robeson Center for the Arts, 102 Witherspoon

Street in Princeton, on Saturday, May 11, from 3 to 4:30 p.m., while a reception follows around the corner at ArtJam 2024’s 45 Hulfish Street gallery from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

According to an April press release, parents can also paint with their children at a drop-in table from 10 a.m. to noon on the Sunday of Mother’s Day, May 12, as part of the month’s ArtJam festivities. ***

To view a list of the featured ArtJam 2024 artists, see the digital “ArtJam 2024 Artist Bio Book” of artist and artisan statements, as well as biographical information, at homefront-artspace.com/artjam-2024

For more information, contact ArtSpace/ SewingSpace director Ruthann Traylor at (609) 883-7500 ext. 316 or ruthannT@homefrontnj.org

For more on HomeFront, visit homefrontnj.org or call (609) 989-9417, Ext. 107.

Mercer Eats

The Cult and Culture of Louie’s by Chef Jason

By Joe Emanski

What does it take for a restaurant to be considered a hidden gem? It must start with the part about being hidden, right?

And it must be a gem.

Louie’s by Chef Jason, the Robbinsville restaurant from Jason Dilts and Dominic Maglione, has certainly proved itself to be a gem.

Dilts’ cooking has garnered raves wherever he has worked. At 31, he has already developed a loyal following among area gourmands.

Maglione is even younger, at 23. But he and his front-of-house staff have wasted little time in winning over regulars with their congenial hospitality.

The gushing posts from freshly satisfied Louie’s diners on Facebook foodie groups just hit different compared to those for most restaurants.

But it’s the first part, the “hidden,” where Louie’s might not quite be up to the title.

Sure, it’s located in a small white building in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it plot on Route 130 that, for decades, was the home of Shrimp King, a seafood shop.

Still, Dilts and Maglione have done everything they can to turn their utilitarian space into the kind of destination many remember from the heyday of Trenton’s largely Italian-American Chambersburg neighborhood.

Walking into the dining room back then felt like stepping into someone’s home. Louie’s by Chef Jason clearly aims for a similar vibe.

With each passing month, the BYOB feels less like a hidden gem, and more like one of Mercer County’s few true must-try dining experiences.

Dilts calls his food “redefined American cuisine.” It draws heavily on his time working in Italian-American restaurant kitchens and from growing up eating in the same Chambersburg restaurants that his restaurant now harkens back to.

He has fond memories too of growing up eating Sunday dinners with his part-ItalianAmerican family. He savors the tradition of gathering with loved ones at the dinner table for a comforting feast.

Those memories inspire him to share his love of food and, where possible, impart that love through his cooking.

The Louie’s menu has a modern feel, mixing comfort classics like chicken parm and short rib macaroni and cheese with tra-

ditionally upscale dishes like Chilean sea bass, twin lobster tails and rack of lamb.

Dilts also puts a chef’s twist on familiar Italian classics. There’s cherry pepperglazed calamari, poached pear sacchettoni with cranberries, and linguine with fermented black garlic and smoked pork belly. And Italian-style desserts like limoncello, tiramisu and cheesecake are house made.

In Maglione, Dilts has found a partner whose background complements his own. Like Dilts, Maglione comes from a family where food was always important.

Dominic Louis “Louie” Maglione grew up in Hamilton, but he also grew up working in dad Brian’s Lawrence pizzeria, Fedelo’s, on Route 206.

When Brian was hospitalized with Covid19 during the pandemic, it fell to Dominic, still a teen, to run the restaurant.

Once Brian had recovered, he discovered that his son had enjoyed that taste of management and felt ready to break out on his own. The task then became to find the perfect opportunity for him to do so.

***

Jason Dilts grew up in Robbinsville, but his chef’s journey began at DiMattia’s, in Allentown, when he was 14.

There, the son of Ken and Mary Dilts started as a busboy and, given a chance, proved himself a capable cook.

He graduated from Robbinsville High in 2011 and continued to hone his skills in kitchens while attending Virginia Radford University. After college, he worked at FunniBonz BBQ, then LoLa Restaurant in

Robbinsville, where he rose to the position of chef-partner with owner Mark Longo.

He left LoLa to work as head chef at Zinna’s Bistro in Cranbury and later, at the popular Revere Ristorante Italiano on River Road in Ewing. It was while he was at Revere that he first met Brian Maglione, who became one of Dilts’ best customers.

During the pandemic, Dilts had no choice but to learn how to work in a kitchen that was only making food for takeout. The experience was eye opening.

“People still wanted to support restaurants. We were busy. People were getting takeout food created the same way as eating there, except maybe we couldn’t have things like calamari on the menu, because it would never taste good by the time you got it home.”

He says that Revere did double the business on Mothers Day 2020 that it did the year before, when there was no pandemic. That kind of success inspired him to leave Revere to open his own restaurant, Chef Jason’s 1275, in the former Zinna’s space, with Zinna’s having moved to a new location.

He opened in October 2020 for take-out only. “My own ideas, my own new concept. All the pieces came together when I didn’t have to worry about anyone telling me what I was doing.”

Chef Jason 1275 eventually opened its dining room when the state permitted it, and continued to thrive until closing abruptly in May 2022. Dilts wrote on Facebook that he had closed the restaurant because the landlord was selling the building. Once again he

Louie’s by Chef Jason chef Jason Dilts and owner Dominic Maglione outside of the restaurant on Route 130 in Robbinsville.

Photo courtesy of Louie’s By Chef Jason.

found himself between jobs.

It was not long before a new opportunity cropped up for Dilts — and it came from loyal customer Brian Maglione, who had a proposal to make.

“He called me up and said, ‘Jay, my son wants to run a restaurant. I think you guys would be perfect together,’” Dilts says.

The pair hit it off, and went about finding a location in which to open their new joint venture. They settled on the former Shrimp King and named it Louie’s by Chef Jason. After extensive interior renovations, they opened in December 2022 for lunch and dinner.

The lunch menu skews toward salads, like the shaved Brussels sprouts salad and the chicken Caesar salad, and sandwiches including the Louie Burger, the Italian chicken, the Just-in-Case-You’re-a-Vegatarian Wrap (that’s what it’s called) and a braised short rib sandwich.

Dinner service is split into first courses, mains and desserts, filled with popular dishes from Dilts’ previous stops, like pretzel-encrusted chicken and “boom boom

Left: Short rib mac and cheese, one of the most popular dishes on the menu at Louie’s by Chef Jason. Right: house-made tiramisu. Photos courtesy of Louie’s By Chef Jason.

chicken,” a combination of vodka rigatoni and chicken parm. There’s also a variety of old and new dishes like steak “Don,” pork osso bucco, shrimp fra diavolo and pumpkin ravioli.

Although some items on the menu may change seasonally, Dilts has learned that customers expect some dishes, like the Brussels sprouts salad and the pretzel encrusted chicken, to always be there.

“They say, ‘Don’t touch my boom boom chicken,’” Dilts says with a laugh.

Dilts says he loves having a hands-on partner like Dominic. “I did the silent partner thing with 1275. At the time I thought it might be better to have a hands-on guy. Somebody to be the face of the restaurant, somebody to shake your hand and welcome you to the restaurant.”

Which is not to say that Dilts avoids his customers, not at all. Dilts makes it clear that he cherishes the relationships that he builds with regulars, and Maglione will usually tell him if there are familiar faces in the dining room.

Dilts was also a instrumental in creating Louie’s Chef’s Social events. On the first Monday of each month, Louie’s goes reservations only for the night. Guests sit at shared tables and eat a prix-fixe, five-toseven course meal of seasonal cuisine, with the menu inspired by the ingredients that are available and what Dilts feels like mak-

ing. (Guests with allergies and aversions are accommodated, of course.)

It’s a setting in which diners put their trust in Dilts to make them dishes they will enjoy. Dilts, in turn, joins them in the dining room each course to explain each dish and the inspiration behind the dish.

“Dom asked me if I was going to tell people what’s on the menu, I said ‘No,’” Dilts says. “The whole idea was that I didn’t even know what I was cooking before that day. I go to the market, get fresh things, and I design a menu so that I get to interact with the guests. It’s something that is fun for me, gives us a busy Monday and is kind of an exclusive kind of thing.”

Louie’s held its first Chef’s Social in August and drew nine people, two of whom were Maglione’s parents.

April’s Chef’s Social, on the other hand, attracted 40 guests, many of them repeat customers. The word, it seems, is getting out.

“The coolest thing about it is the social aspect,” Maglione says. “After month two or three, we had people call us up and say, if So-and-So is going to be there, can we be put with them?’

“Last month I put a table of 10 together, five couples at one table. I go back two courses later, and there’s a guy, he didn’t know anyone at the table at the start of the night, and now he’s sharing a story with the

Celebrating 30 Years

Neighbors

Join us in our mission to support those who wish to age in place!

Set your own schedule. Volunteer opportunities include:

• Rides to the Doctor

• Grocery Shopping Assistance

• Friendly Visits

A little time can make a big difference to a neighbor in need!

Volunteer Today 609-393-9922 www.icgmc.org

whole table. People enter as strangers, but they open their bottle of wine, start eating, start sharing stories and before you know it, they’re leaving as friends.”

Louie’s has also established a tradition of being open on holidays, even Christmas Day. For special occasions, the restaurant offers special menus both for dining in and for family-style takeout. The restaurant will be offering both options for Mother’s Day; check out the website at louiesbychefjason. com for details.

If there is one thing that Dilts and Maglione might say could be better about Louie’s, it would probably be the building, which in addition to being bland and nonhandicapped-accessible, is just a space that they have had to make work, rather than a space that was designed to be the kind of restaurant that they want to operate.

They have made the best of the situation

by painting the interiors in soothing colors and decorating the walls with homey, touches like black-and-white family photos and pictures of restaurants where they have worked.

But they were happy to tell me that they do have an agreement in place with their landlord to move into a newly built space sometime in the next couple of years.

While the duo would not share any details about the location for publication, they did say that the restaurant would remain in Robbinsville and that they are hopeful of opening sometime before the 2025 holiday season.

Louie’s By Chef Jason. 1111 U.S. 130, Robbinsville NJ 08691. Open 7 days a week from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Reservations recommended for weekends and holidays. To make a reservation for the next Chef’s Social, call (609) 208-3685.

month long

AllCure Spine and Sports Medicine

Helping seniors find the right diagnosis and right treatment

AllCure Spine and Sports Medicine is a multidisciplinary family practice that has been in business for over 10 years. Over the past decade, the senior community has been a big portion of our patient demographic.

We hear many different complaints week to week, but one of the biggest complaints we see with our seniors is balance and gait dysfunction. As our bodies get older, degenerative changes take place, which can lead to a host of symptoms taking away from your quality of life. This can lead to loss of balance, decreased range of motion, decreased strength, trouble with gait mechanics, and much more.

Here at AllCure, we provide the proper imaging and testing to help us diagnose these common complaints before they become debilitating. We always say that a small problem will remain small if it’s treated early

enough. We strive to get ahead of each patient’s chief complaints and provide a comprehensive plan of care. One of the major issues seniors face is getting a proper diagnosis early enough to find effective treatments. In many cases we see that patients are given a prescription for medication that will only treat the symptoms, but not the root cause.

This will lead to worsening symptoms over time and keep patients from an active and independent lifestyle.

We pride ourselves in making tailored treatment plans to fit each patient’s individual needs and impairments. There is no one-size-fitsall approach to healthcare and each patient should be treated with that mindset.

We strongly feel that a multidisciplinary approach is the best way to get patients the care they need and the relief they deserve in a safe, fast, and efficient manner.

Our experienced team of providers consisting of chiropractors, physical therapists and acupuncturists collaborate on each case to get the patient the best plan possible to achieve their goals.

We do accept Medicare! We find that most of our Medicare patients don’t have to pay a dime out of their pocket, rather just commit the time and effort.

Please give us a call today and we would be happy to hold a free 10 minute consultation for you or a family member to make sure that you are comfortable and get the correct information to make an important decision for improving your health and quality of life. We look forward to hearing from you!

AllCure Spine & Sports Medicine, 140 Cabot Drive, Suite A, Hamilton. 609-528-4417. www. allcurespineandsports.com. See ad, page 12.

Brothers Anthony Alfieri, DC, left, and Victor Alfieri, DPT.

Age 0 to age 21, you’re treated by the nation’s leading provider in inpatient rehabilitation care.

For children and young adults in our inpatient programs, care goes far beyond treating a specific illness or injury. We work with each child and their family to create an individualized treatment plan that addresses their immediate medical needs, emotional health and long-term wellbeing. As the nation’s leading provider of inpatient rehabilitation care, we provide a full range of rehabilitative services:

• Brain Injury Program

• Burn & Wound Care

• Chronic Illness Management

• Chronic Pain Management

• Diabetes Management Program

• Infant Toddler Rehabilitation

• Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Program

• Spinal Cord Injury Program

We also offer outpatient therapy services for needs both special and complex. Learn more at rwjbh.org/cshinpatient

• Multi-Complicated Trauma

• Neuromuscular and Genetic Disorders

• Post-Surgical Orthopedics

Premier GI of Hamilton

Introducing Dr. Maulik Shah

Premier Gastroenterology of Hamilton prides itself on providing exceptional care for advanced digestive health in its beautiful office conveniently located on Route 33 in Hamilton Township.

At Premier GI, compassionate and state of the art care will be provided for a wide range of gastrointestinal problems such as abdominal pain, colon polyps, colon cancer screening, constipation, diarrhea, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, hemorrhoids, gastroesophageal reflux disease, Barrett’s esophagus, difficulty with swallowing, peptic ulcer, GI bleed, blood loss anemia, celiac disease, IBS, Women’s digestive health, gas and bloating, hepatitis, cirrhosis, gallstone disease, pancreatic cysts, and pancreatic cancer.

The doctors and staff of Premier GI bring high tech, high-touch approach to patient care. The advantage of a

Regenerative Spine and Pain Institute

Treating Pain with PRP and Stem Cell Therapy

Pain.

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

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

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

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

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

WOMEN’s HEALTH

small practice is that the physicians and staff of Premier GI will get to know you personally and treat you like friends and family. They will work hard every day to earn your trust and to make Premier GI, the practice of your choice for advanced digestive health.

Among the exceptional, caring doctors of Premier GI is Dr. Maulik Shah, who obtained his medical degree from Rowan-Virtua SOM in New Jersey. He completed his Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine at Jefferson Health. He then went on to complete his Fellowship training in Gastroenterology at Jefferson Health, where he was honored to be selected as Chief Fellow. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. He is an active member of the American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterological Association and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

Dr. Shah caters to a spectrum of medical needs, including (but not limited to) nausea and vomiting, acid reflux, stomach pain, pancreatic and biliary diseases, liver disease, diarrhea, IBD and IBS. He is an expert in

• 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

general gastroenterology procedures as well as advanced endoscopic procedures such as ERCP, endoscopic luminal stenting, and EMR. He has a strong passion for teaching and routinely gives lectures to the community on a variety of gastroenterology disorders. Dr. Shah is committed to providing the highest quality of care to his patients to ensure their longevity and to provide a positive and fulfilling lifestyle.

Outside of work he enjoys traveling, hiking, cooking, golf, and spending time with his family.

Call 609-917-9917 for an appointment. Locations are 2271 Rt 33, Suite 110 Hamilton, NJ 08690 and 601 Ewing St, Suite C7, Princeton, NJ 08540, 609-921-7620.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Dr. Maulik Shah

quick Google search and find a 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. Having an initial consultation sets up a low-stakes atmosphere where the dentist gets the chance to examine your child’s teeth, begin to build a rapport

with them, and show that the dentist’s office doesn’t have to be a scary place. Your child also gets the chance to experience the new environment and have a positive experience while you ask the dentist crucial questions.

* * *

Prioritize Preventative Treatment. The best way to protect their oral health for most children is through preventative treatments instead of waiting for problems to crop up. An excellent pediatric dentist knows the available preventive techniques to help protect your child’s teeth from needing to fill cavities near Mercer County, NJ, and other issues before they start.

* * *

Choose Hamilton Dental Associates for Your Pediatric Dentistry Needs!

Hamilton Dental Associates has the perfect mix of a welcoming atmosphere and expertly trained pediatric dentists to help your child’s ongoing oral health needs. We take the time to ensure your child feels as comfortable as possible throughout their dental visit and ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible. Contact our team to schedule your child’s first dental care consultation today!

Hamilton Dental Associates, 2929 Klockner Road, Hamilton Square; 609-359-0063. 2501 Kuser Road, Hamilton; 609-403-3217. www. hamiltondental.com. See ad below

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RWJBarnabas Health

A Woman’s Guide to Key Screenings and Other Steps That Can Improve Wellbeing Throughout Life

In every generation, women often do the work of caring for themselves and their families, raising children, and attending to aging parents.

RWJBarnabas Health has long recognized women’s complex role of nurturing others while tending to their own health needs, from reproductive care and breast health to menopause and heart care. RWJBarnabas Health is a leader in the region in women’s health, offering a multitude of programs and services tailored to the unique needs of women.

Our women’s health programs and services are backed by the largest healthcare network in New Jersey, making sure women have access to the highest level of care, the most state-of-the-art technology and the most experienced doctors and specialists. The breadth of our services for women empowers mothers, daughters and grandmothers to take the crucial preventive steps they need to chart a path of wellness through the life cycle.

example, unprotected sex, sexually transmitted disease or use of drugs with needles).

Heart Health

• Blood pressure test: Get one at least every two years if not at your annual checkup.

• Cholesterol panel: Establish your total, LDL, HDL and triglycerides in your 20s. Discuss follow-up with your provider in subsequent years.

problems or catch them earlier, and stay healthier longer,” say

Vice President of Women’s Services at RWJBarnabas Health. “Main also key to living healthy.”

Diabetes

Here are vital steps to take—and details on when to take them—

General Health

• Blood glucose or A1C test: Get screened if you have sustained blood pressure greater than 135/80, take medicine for high blood pressure or are at risk of developing diabetes.

• Full checkup: See a primary care provider yearly.

• Sleep habits: Discuss at your annual exam.  • Thyroid (TSH) test: Discuss with your healthcare provider.

Skin Health

• HIV screening: Get tested if you are at risk for HIV infectio disease or use of drugs with needles).

• Skin exam: Do a self-exam of skin and moles monthly and as part of a routine full checkup.

Heart Health

Oral Health

• Blood pressure test: Get one at least every two years if not

• Dental cleaning and exam: See your dentist twice yearly.

• Cholesterol panel: Establish your total, LDL, HDL and triglyc subsequent years.

 SHOOTING, BURNING, STABBING SENSATION

Women’s health concerns often focus on milestones such as pregnancy, childbirth and menopause. But day-to-day and year-to-year health maintenance and preventive measures are also critical to wellbeing throughout life. “Getting recommended exams, screenings and immunizations are some of the most important things you can do to prevent problems or catch them earlier, and stay healthier longer,” says Suzanne Spernal, DNP, APN-BC, RNCOB, C-ONQS, Senior Vice President of Women’s Services at RWJBarnabas Health. “Maintaining a healthy weight throughout the life span is also key to living healthy.”

Here are vital steps to take—and details on when to take them— throughout a woman’s life.

General Health

• Full checkup: See a primary care provider yearly.

• Sleep habits: Discuss at your annual exam.

• Thyroid (TSH) test: Discuss with your healthcare provider.

• HIV screening: Get tested if you are at risk for HIV infection (due to, for

Mental Health

Diabetes

• Behavioral health screening: Talk with your provider about whether this would be helpful.

• Blood glucose or A1C test: Get  screened if you have sustained high blood pressure or are at risk of developing diabetes.

Skin Health

In each decade working with your healthcare provider to keep on top of regular tests and practices throughout life can have long-term benefits by detecting or monitoring chronic conditions that, left unchecked, often snowball into potentially serious problems. To find an RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group primary care provider right for you, call 855-5712500.

• Skin exam: Do a self‐exam of skin and moles monthly and as pa

Oral Health

• Dental cleaning and exam: See your dentist twice yearly.

Mental Health

• Behavioral health screening: Talk with your provider about wh

In each decade working with your healthcare provider to keep on have long‐term benefits by detecting or monitoring chronic cond potentially serious problems. To find an RWJBarnabas Health Med 855‐571‐2500.

SCAN THIS CODE TO DOWNLOAD A DETAILED, DECADEBY-DECADE BREAKDOWN OF WOMEN’S HEALTH GUIDELINES.

Learn more at rwjbh.org/ womenshealth. Let’s be healthy together. See ad, page 9

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.”

WOMEN’s HEALTH

Dr. Gianna graduated from Temple University in 2003 and became a certified strength and conditioning specialist, then later completed a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree and an orthopedic PT residency. She worked with athletes of all ages (including children) and abilities (including at a professional level), specializing in helping those with chronic conditions. She spoke at the 2023 New Jersey Conference for Women and has presented at private corporate events and conducting community educational talks.

Her team also includes physical therapists Dr. Easton Reedenmeyer and Dr. Ayesha Mustafa, as well as office manager Caterina Bigliani, Dr. Gianna’s younger sister.

The emphasis at Fluid Physio is not on machines,Dr. Gianna says. 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 re-education,” says 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 11

HELP WANTED

PreK Head Teacher position and a Teacher’s Aids wanted for familyowned Hopewell Township preschool. Full Time or Part Time. Starting$15.50 -$22 per hour depending upon position and experience. If you are interested in either position, email info@camelotschool.net or call 609-577-5584.

WELLNESS

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SERVICES

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LEGAL SERVICES

Wills, Power of Attorney, Real Estate, Federal and NJ Taxes, Education Law. House calls available. Bruce Cooke, Esq. 609-799-4674, 609721-4358.

Guitar Lessons for Seniors. Call Jane 609 510-1400. $25.00 per lesson.

WANTED TO BUY

Wanted: Baseball, football, basketball, hockey. Cards, autographs, photos, memorabilia.

Highest cash prices paid! Licensed corporation, will travel. 4theloveofcards, 908596-0976. allstar115@ verizon.net.

Cash paid for World War II Military Items. Helmets, swords, medals, etc. Call: 609-581-8290, E-mail: lenny1944x@gmail.com

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

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To book a classified ad in this section, please email your text and any other information to sjeronis@communitynews.org. Classifieds run at 75 cents per word with a $20 minimum per month. For more information, call 609-396-1511, ext. 132.

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table career in the girls division that has taken off.

“Winning this year, the feeling was greater,” Collins said. “I felt more accomplished because last year I felt like maybe it’s just luck, I couldn’t do it twice. And I did it twice. So I have it in me.”

The celebratory move after making more history was something that Trenton wrestler Princessstorm Woody had dared her to do if she won again. Collins could barely hold in her emotions after the win as her accomplishment set in, but she remembered the dare after battling back from a 1-0 deficit to start the third and final period.

“I just got up and did it,” Collins said. “I don’t think I was that tired ‘cause if I was really tired, I wouldn’t do it.”

Collins had plenty of energy left to celebrate her final achievement, another title to one-up both of her brothers, who also wrestle. Younger brother Patrick Collins was a freshman this year for the Blue Devils. Older brother Lavinsky Collins competes for Clarion University now. He placed as high as fourth in the boys state wrestling championships, and it was him that prompted her to start with Ewing recreation wrestling in second grade.

“I was in my follower stage and my brother wrestled, so I wanted to wrestle too,” Shellitha said. “I was following everything my older brother did.”

Now it’s everyone else that is following her. Collins became the first wrestler in Ewing High history to win a state wrestling title last year. She proved it was no fluke with this year’s win.

“Whenever you reach the peak, it’s mainly just con-

tinuously pushing them to get better and for them to not get complacent,” said Ewing High head coach DJ Zedalis. “For the most part, she had that drive herself, so it was mainly just finetuning things, making sure that we perfected every single move, even like the tiniest little quirk in a move. Me and my assistant coach, Jason Bruno, were right on or to just make sure she was in tiptop shape.”

Collins fought through some early challenges to get to her second state title. She lost two of 21 matches according to FloWrestling statistics, falling 5-2 to eventual fourth-place state finisher Samantha Domask of Palmyra, after losing earlier in the year to Alcindor in the Bloomfield Holiday Tournament after defaulting due to injury.

“We were telling her at the beginning of the season, ‘You know people are after. You’ve got the target on your back,’” Zedalis said. “I think being that it happened so early in the season, I’m glad that it happened early on because it was almost kind of a wake-up call for her. Like oh shoot, people are going to be chasing me. I can’t plateau here. I have to continue making the peak of the mountain higher.

“So for her to lose two early on, she lost to the Union girl that she ended up beating in the finals and the girl from Palmyra, two really good wrestlers, and bounce back like she did. She didn’t hang her head. She just kind of took it as a, all right, I gotta get after it now.”

Collins had plenty of motivation when she reached Atlantic City for states. While she was defending state champion, she was the No. 2 seed because of the earlier loss to Alcindor. She looked focused on a mission

See COLLINS, Page 16

as she marched to states with three pins in regions in a total of 1:21 wrestling time. Another two pins in 2:24 and 4:37 put her in the state title where Collins earned her payback on the biggest stage.

“I’m anemic, “Collins said. “The day that I lost, I was like really low on iron and I was weak, but I just proved why I’m the champion.”

Collins was also champion at 235 in the inaugural Mercer County Girls Tournament. Ewing placed third in the team standings, just two points behind runnerup Hamilton West. Trenton won the title. Collins was one of three individual champions that day for the Blue Devils. Samantha Dupee won the 120-pound crown an Alexandra Neuberger won the 152-pound weight class. Franchesca Edouard was second at 165 and Khyla Villard took second at 185 pounds.

“I was surprised,” Collins said. “I didn’t think they would actually do it, but they did and we placed third. It was so much fun.”

Collins also enjoyed being a part of the growing Ewing team. The Blue Devils regularly had nine girls in their practices along with the boys team. Dupee and Neuberger both had winning records while competing with the boys team, but there are enough girls that they are mov-

ing towar getting their own girls-only season schedule. Collins has never been a fan of wrestling boys, and seeing the emergence of the girls side was a big plus to her career.

“I love the community that I have with all the girls that joined my team this year because a lot of them are first-time wrestlers and all that stuff,” Collins said. “I just love it. Now it’s like a bigger community than it was because it was small. Everybody almost knew each other. It was fun to see new people come into the mix.”

Collins’ success has opened the eyes of other girls to the opportunity to wrestle and flourish in it. Winning again has put that standard out there again.

“You could see it in the rec program,” Zedalis said. “The rec program’s growing. I think it’s also just good for the community itself. The sport is tough and nobody from Ewing has ever done it before. So for somebody to finally reach that pinnacle and not only once, but twice, it’s driving a lot more kids to join that rec program and it’s just growing the wrestling community as a whole. So I’m having a lot of interest now from just girls at the high school that are like, the sport is growing, ‘I’ve always been interested in it. I didn’t realize how big it is.’ And you know Shellitha really put that on the map for Ewing as a whole. It’s pretty cool.”

Ain’t yo mamas but sho is good!

Collins has come a long way from her rec wrestling days, and even over her high school career. She placed fifth at states as a sophomore before winning back-to-back championships.

“I feel like I had more confidence in the beginning,” Collins said. “I thought I was going to beat everyone. But then after you lose, then you actually think to yourself, maybe I can’t beat everyone. I just take all my opponents seriously.”

Collins has developed into a smarter wrestler in her time at Ewing High. There are plenty of strong girls in the 235-pound class, and she needed to rely on more than power. It’s one way that Collins has evolved into a better wrestler.

“I use my head a lot more,” Collins said. “It’s not about my brute strength because I’m not that strong honestly. I just use my head and I use logic. I try to see stuff happening in my head before it happens that way I can prevent it. I’m very cautious.”

Collins’ reputation as a strong wrestler grew each year. She had other wrestlers in Atlantic City telling her that they were scared of her.

“I feel like I look like a really friendly person because I am friendly,” Collins said.

Except on the mat.

“Yeah,” Collins said. “Not at all.”

On the wrestling mat, Collins was a different person. She brought everything

necessary to be a champion.

“Wrestling is a sport where it’s individual,” Zedalis said. “So if you go into a match thinking you’re going to lose or even have the slightest bit of doubt, you’re probably not going to go out there and do well. She had the confidence. She had the moves. She had the strength, the size. She’s just a great all-around wrestler.”

Collins is still debating whether her wrestling career is over. She is looking to attend a four-year college, but would have to find the right combination of a school with a women’s wrestling program to continue.

“It’s something I’ve thought about, it’s something that I have to consider,” Collins said. “I have to really think if that’s the best fit for me.”

Collins has cemented her spot in Ewing wrestling history. She became a dominant wrestler, one of only three girls wrestlers in all of Mercer County to win two state titles in their careers. She ended her high school career atop the podium for a memorable finish.

“It was great,” Collins said. “I broke a lot of records. I broke Ewing records. I broke a lot of records and I can know my name is going to be out there for a while about the things I did.”

Including an all-time great celebration after repeating as state champion.

MERCER DEALS

Marrazzo’s Serenity Plaza

May 11th

12:00 - 2:00PM

1400 Parkway Ave, Ewing

Marrazzo’s will be handing out a single rose on Mother’s Day to mothers wishing them a Happy Mother’s Day

Our H2Open Forums empower you with knowledge about your drinking water and provide direct access to water utility leadership for any questions. The town-hall style discussions cover vital topics such as water quality, lead service lines, operations, and capital projects, all of which support the well-being of our service-area communities.

• May 1, Trenton, City Hall, 319 E. State Street

• May 15, Hamilton Township Public Library, 1 Justice Samuel Alito Way

• July 10, Ewing Township, Hollowbrook Community Center, 320 Hollowbrook Drive

• August 14, Lawrence Township, Lawrence Senior Center, 30 E. Darrah Lane

• September 11, Hopewell Township, Stony Brook Elementary School, 20 Stephenson Road, Pennington

Ewing rec wrestling finishes a successful season

By Justin Feil

Gibril Huq ended the recreation wrestling season on top of the podium with a gold medal eight years in the making.

The eighth-grader has been a part of the Ewing Recreation Wrestling program since he was 6 years old. Each year, he had competed in the end-of-season Delaware River Wrestling League tournament.

“He always came short,” said Ewing head coach Dashawn Tye. “There were times he didn’t take any medals. There were times he got third. Two years in a row, he took second. This year, I told him this is going to be your year. If you want this, you have to come get this, be smart, listen to us and give everything you have. And he came home with a gold medal. As soon as he got his hand raised, the kid cried like a baby. He almost made me cry. He was so proud of himself, and I was so proud of him.”

There were more happy tears last year from Lilia Polisario, who went through almost the entire season before finally picking up a win. Lilia was overjoyed when she finally picked up and win, and she returned even stronger this year.

“There’s a girl that lost every match, and she won that one match and it made her

Members of the 2024 Ewing Rec Wrestling Team include Daniel Alsieux, Manny Ortiz, Tyler Ortiz, Mason Dunn, Fashion Reed, Austin Werner, Michael Varchetto, Aidan Knight, Lilia Polisario, HowardMoore, Peter Durda, Matthew Vanderhoff, Lucas Furman, Lincoln Mellon, Kyle Chianese, Alexandero Rellana, Griffin Cruz, Makenzie Hill, Dominic Comito, Shiloh Henderson and Liam Jacques.

feel good,” Tye said. “This year, same girl, she won 11 matches this year and she came in second place at the end-of-the-season tournament.”

Another second-place finisher from Ewing was Matthew Vanderhoff. He thought his season was over when he broke his elbow in the second match of the year. He kept coming to practices and doing whatever he was allowed to, then

got his cast off the week before the final tournament.

“I had to put him in so he had a spot then, but I said, ‘I’ll watch him this whole week

See WRESTLE, Page 20

and see if I’m comfortable letting him do the tournament,’” Tye recalled. “Something I love about what his father said, he didn’t question it, he said, ‘Tye, whatever you decide, I have nothing but trust in you.’ I let him do the end-of-the-season tournament and he ended up taking second place.”

Another young wrestler came up to Tye after the season and told him that he’d never made it through another sport, but that Tye’s leadership style and positivity had helped him stick it out for wrestling.

Those triumphant finishes are just some of the success that fuels Tye to continue to coach. Now at it more than a decade, the 1997 Ewing High School graduate has continued to foster the program through unprecedented growth in numbers and results.

“Stories like that are what keeps me coming back,” Tye said. “And seeing the kids who love the sport.”

Tye sounds like a proud parent when he talks about the Ewing rec program. When he took over the wrestling program, he had six wrestlers. This year, there were 60, 36 that were new to the program. It’s a 33 percent increase from the year before when they had 45 wrestlers.

At the year-end tournament, Ewing wrestlers won 14 gold medals with four winners repeating from a year ago, 11 silver medals and 11 bronze medals. Those achievements added up to a third-place team finish out of 18 teams in a year in which the league had an all-time high of over 600 wrestlers.

“One thing I like about wrestling is all those medals were medals that were earned,” Tye said. “We don’t give them participation medals. All those medals are kids that actually wrestled and earned them. That makes it awesome, especially with 600

Ewing Recreation

May 2024

The Moody Park Summer Basketball League is accepting registration for boys in 4th – 8th grade, Register at communitypass.net., the deadline is May 20th. The season starts Monday, June 3rd. For more info go to the league website at www.moodyparkbb.com.

The Ewing Community Pools System offers two pools for seasonal members and daily patrons. The Hollowbrook Pool located at 320 Hollowbrook Drive, is scheduled to open on weekends & Memorial Day on Sunday, May 26th. Operating hours are Sunday – Friday 12:00pm – 8:00pm. Saturdays can be rented for private events, email Raquel at rince@ ewingnj.org to schedule an event. The ESCC pool will open on weekends & Memorial Day starting Saturday, May 25 and both pools will open full time starting on Monday, June 17 from 12:00 noon – 8:00pm. Senior Swim and Senior Water Aerobics are offered and will start on Monday, June 17, seniors register at the Senior Office for these programs. Online registration for seasonal memberships, swim lessons and Senior Swim/Water Aerobics is required at communitypass.net.

The Ewing Recreation Summer Camp will run from June 24 – August 23 for grades K – 5 and is held on the grounds of the Ewing Sr. & Community Center (ESCC) and the rain location is Fisher Middle School. Hours are from 8:30 – 4:30pm, Monday – Friday. Early hours are from 7:30-8: 30am and late hours are from 4:30 - 6:00pm. Online registration is required at communitypass.net. Teen Travel will be for grades 6 – 8 and run from July 1 – August 16. The camp will travel 4 days a week and stay in Ewing the other day. Camp-

wrestlers and 18 teams. We came in third. We were four points shy of taking second place.”

Ewing’s program has taken off since the COVID-19 pandemic. Numbers were in the low 30s before the pandemic and they have bounced back strong.

The program is open to children in first to eighth grade. Sign-ups come every year starting in September, and they wrestle December to March. This year the influx of interest forced a couple of good problems.

The rec wrestling program needed more space to accommodate them, so they used both Ewing High School and Fisher Middle School for their Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday practices. They also needed more coaches. Tye found eight coaches that were willing to work with the program. They work together to help match wrestlers by levels.

“I’m pretty good at putting them in the spots where they shine at,” Tye said. “All of our coaches have backgrounds in wrestling. We get the kids, we weigh them all before the season starts, before our first practice, and we know how their skill levels are just by watching. Then we pair them up that way.”

“It exposes the other kids in the room to more partners,” Tye said. “Sometimes, for example, we had a kid who was an athletic kid, strong and athletic, never wrestled before but just because of his athleticism, he helped one of the guys out who’s been in the program longer but didn’t have a good partner. We paired them up and they both helped each other to do well at the end-of-the-season tournament. Having more kids around gives us an opportunity to pair them up with different kids and different looks.”

Each weekend, the Ewing wrestlers get a chance to test themselves against outside program competition. Ewing attends one meet per weekend on a Saturday or Sunday within the Delaware River league.

“What I like about the Delaware Valley league, the way they want the program to run is they want the kids to be 50-50,” Tye said. “They want 50 wins, 50 losses. That helps out a lot. Traveling and going to different schools gives the kids an opportunity to see different competition versus just staying in that little bubble we have around our surrounding area.

ers can participate in day camp on weeks Teen Travel is not being held.

Ewing Recreation Shelly Dearden Basketball Camp is scheduled for Monday, June 24 – Friday, June 28 at Ewing High School, from 9:00am – 3:00pm. The camp is for kids in grades 4 – 8, and will be directed by EHS Boys’ Basketball Coach, Paul Jones, he will be assisted by other staff members and players. Daily sessions will include work on individual skills, drills, 3 v 3 and full court games, competitions, daily prizes, guest speakers and end of camp championships. The cost is $95 and includes a camp shirt and more. Register at communitypass.net.

Ewing Recreation Department is taking applications for picnic area permits at the following parks, John Watson on Upper Ferry Rd., Higgs Park on Summerset St., Betor Park behind the Municipal building. Email Nancy at npappano@ewingnj.org or contact the office for more information or to reserve a date. The ESCC camp picnic area will be closed for use this season.

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

For more information on these or any other programs you can contact the Recreation Office at (609) 883-1776, online at www.ewingnj.org/communityaffairs. The Recreation Office is located at Hollowbrook CC and is open Monday – Friday, 8:30 am –4:30 pm.

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

“Coach Imran (Huq) is the assistant coach and everyone else is volunteer coaches,” Tye said. “We are the main two people. I couldn’t do what I do best —which is to coach—without the other coaches in my corner.”

Ewing has a wide range of experience in the program. The program has youth joining from other sports as well as those that wrestle year-round.

“The kids that do multiple sports –football, soccer, baseball—I’ve gone and watched them,” Tye said. “I try to make a point of making sure they know I’m there and know I care about them. I go to their other sports to watch them play and I can see the wrestling helps them in the other programs they do.”

The increase in numbers helped each wrestler develop over the winter. The Ewing rec program was able to expose their wrestlers to a variety of styles.

“Going to Pa., going to DelVal, going to Hunterdon Central gives us better competition. Mercer County has really good competition, but traveling like we do and seeing different schools helps us out tremendously.”

At the end of each season, the league tournament gives each wrestler a chance to gauge their growth. Tye is working with Ewing High School’s wrestling program to open up out-of-season opportunities for some to maintain and further develop their skills. It’s another way for him to explore ways to spread his passion for wrestling. He has been encouraged by the growth of Ewing Recreation Wrestling and its wrestlers.

“Our saying is team equals family,” Tye said. “When it comes to our program, I try to live by that. Me being the head coach, I could not do what I do for the program without the backing of the seven other coaches and the parents who volunteer their time for the program during the season.”

The Ewing Public Schools

The Ewing Public Schools

The Crazy Chemistry of Between the Lines Leads to a Phenomenal Run at EHS

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

Picoult’s best-selling novel-turned-musical a success in its first-ever NJ HS production

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

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

When Mr. Alex Minter, EHS Director of Choirs and EHS Artistic Director, first proposed Between the Lines as his first Ewing High School production, he knew he had a winner. “I wanted this first show to help students make connections between script, song and their own lives.”

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

The Ewing High School production of Between the Lines had its run in the new Ewing High School Auditorium from March 13th-16th, and was viewed by fans of musical theater, those yearning for a heartfelt, modern coming-of-age story, and many who had read the New York Times bestseller a decade ago. What all of those patrons also received was a number of show-stopping vocal and choreography performances which showcased the immense talents within the cast.

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

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

In the song “Crazy Chemistry,” protagonist Allie McAndrews (senior Jordan Griffin) presented the hardship teenagers face dealing with the duality of romantic pursuit while navigating the ongoing gaze of peers in the hallways and classrooms. Griffin’s searing vocals highlighted the rocking, up-tempo song which served as one of Between the Lines’ most memorable numbers. “When I first realized, this is my song, at the very end – I had the power in that moment, being a boss in that moment, it felt so nice. I had never played a role like that. I was always to the side, but now, empowered!” Griffin shared. Indeed, the whole notion of students writing their own story – the overarching theme of Between the Lines – was something every actor took to heart in this production. Griffin was reflective. “A lot of people ask me about my journey, my process – it wasn’t straightforward, it was bumpy at the begin-

Safety Town

June 30 - July 11

Contact: Jean Conrad

609-538-9800 x1302 for application

ning, as I am a girl and I am Black. Joining theater and watching more people like me encouraged me to pursue my passion in theater.”

It wasn’t just the lines and the lyrics which needed to be learned and rehearsed – so many elements needed to be devised from scratch, since this musical is brand new to high school theater. According to Minter, there was no source material available – visual elements, sound, lights and choreography, were all created by the directors and the students. “The challenge of putting on a high school show with high school-aged students is teaching them to act like high school students who are very different from themselves!”

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

Someone who had no trouble assuming new characters was Shaine Wilson-Gibson, a cast member in his very first musical production in the dual role of Frump and Ryan. “In the beginning, I wasn’t sure of doing it and didn’t see myself in the theater. It only takes one person to get you to help you find yourself. In this production, I found new friends and explored a new side of me. I tried something new, and learned that in life, you have to take a chance. Finding yourself – that’s what the show is about.”

Ewing High Students Attend Gorbachev Presentation

The main character of the story, Delilah (sophomore Haley Petrushun), served as a symbol of all that is possible when we realize, as Mr. Minter put it, “We get to steer the story in whatever direction we wish.” As she interacted with Price Oliver (portrayed by senior Chaz Heading) in the story, her focus turned from belonging, to love, and finally – personal empowerment. “Everyone in their life goes through hardships,” shared Petrushun. “I’ve had hardships, and I’ve wondered if I could escape, and what would happen if things were different. The song “A Whole New Story” captures what could happen if things were different. Delilah realizes that she could change her story. ” “A Whole New Story” featured Petrushun’s soaring and emotional vocals, breathing life and power to the show’s message as the first act came to a close.

Whitney Lewis, EHS Freshman

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

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

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

Yet, Wilson-Gibson had to write his own part of the story – an energetic tap dance routine which stole the show. It was his very first tap dance.

Have a Happy Summer!!

“I play the drums and know how to set my feet – that helped me to tap. Once I knew what to do to get the right sound, the choreographers helped me out. And then, they allowed me to add in my jumps and the split. I enjoyed putting on the tap shoes, and seeing family, audience and Minter so proud.”

GoodNews will resume with the September issue of the Observer

“I’ve been in a ton of shows, but this one hit home. There is always another way to change your story... even when you feel trapped. You need to remember who’s in charge – you can change your perspective on things.”

The sophomore could not be more proud of her castmates as they told Picoult’s story – and made it their very own. “The mom Grace (played by senior Elaja Deleon) is struggling with a divorce and struggling with providing for her daughter. Allie McAndrews (Griffin) struggles with her own inner thoughts, and Delilah is simply struggling to belong. That’s what made our audience as engaged as they were – really, all of us were in this show!”

Due to budget restraints

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

The production realized Minter’s vision as a vocal director, artistic director and an educator, which was to empower students at an important time in their lives.

Ewing Students Perform with CJMEA Elementary and Middle School Honors Band and Orchestra

Mrs. Colleen Trast, Fisher Middle School and Ewing High School Orchestra Director, and Ms. Melanie Mayerson, Antheil Band and Orchestra Director, had the pleasure of nominating several instrumental music students who were accepted, and participated in the Central Jersey Music Educators Association (CJMEA) Honors Band and Orchestra. The CJMEA Elementary and Middle School Orchestra concert was held on Saturday, April 13th, and the Band concert was held on Saturday, April 27th. The ensembles were made up of outstanding instrumental music students nominated by their band and orchestra teachers in Central Jersey. Mrs. Trast and Ms. Mayerson are proud of the 24 students who participated and represented Ewing’s music program.

Antheil Orchestra students: Andy Liu (violin), Ethan Paguiligan (violin), Sedona Youngblood (violin), Nahomy Gonzalez DelCid (violin), Olivia Procaccini (violin), Abby Slok (violin), Mateo Angon (viola), Antonio Thomas (cello), Arianna Morel (cello), Anthony Capuano (bass).

Antheil Band students: Charlie Hoepfner (clarinet), Zane Canada (trumpet), Liam Inyang (baritone), Nassere Kaba (trombone), Ian McCarther (percussion)

Fisher Middle School Orchestra students: Anna Somorin (cello), Audrey Deturk (cello), Molly Harkins-German (violin), Sa'maya Mixon (violin), Empress Canada (violin), Kaia Bak (violin), Adorelis Rocha (violin), Jordan Bennett (bass) and Astro Treadwell (viola).

The Ewing Public Schools

Proud Dad Changes FMS Track & Field Record Board!

Angel Johnson, Fisher Middle School 8th grade student-athlete, broke the FMS Girls Track record for the 55m hurdles in 8.7 seconds on Friday, April 12th, at the Hightstown High School track meet versus Kreps and Cranbury Middle Schools. Pictured is Angel and her proud dad, Daniel Johnson (EHS Track & Field Coach), putting up the new record on the board at Fisher.

EHS Unsung Hero

Alan Chausse

On Thursday, March 21st , Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Gentile, and Ewing High School Principal, Ed Chmiel, had the pleasure of attending the first Mercer County SBA Unsung Hero Awards Night for deserving seniors county-wide sponsored by the Mercer County School Boards Association. The honorees are students who make outstanding contributions to their schools and communities and may have overcome difficult academic or personal challenges, and demonstrate good citizenship and/ or a spirit of quiet strength that inspires others. Ewing High School’s recipient is Alan Chausse.

Principal Chmiel proudly shared, “Alan is an outstanding student and highly involved member of the Ewing community. Throughout his four years at EHS, he has joined many clubs and organizations as both a member and in a leadership role. Alan is viewed as a respectful, productive member of the community by both his teachers and peers. Perhaps most importantly, Alan is a kind and respectful member of the Ewing community; often observed helping others. His hard work over the last four years has earned him a spot in the top 10% of his graduating class. After graduating, Alan intends to attend the University of Maine, to study Forestry, further illustrating his consistent commitment to making a positive impact on the world.” Congratulations Alan, the honor is well deserved.

District Title I Family Math “Escape Room” Night

On Thursday, March 21st, 100 Kindergarten through Grade 8 Ewing Public School families came together to rise to the challenge of solving four math puzzles at the District Title 1 Math “Escape Room” night. After successfully meeting each math challenge, families earned a ¼ of a key, which when put together enabled them to escape to the ice cream room!

This family centered event was organized and facilitated by staff and “unlocked” the joy of math for all who attended.

EHS Junior EzraVon Young Selected for Jersey Boys State Program

Ewing High School junior, EzraVon Young, has been accepted to the American Legion Jersey Boys State (ALJBS) program, which will take place in June at Rider University. EzraVon is a junior who is currently ranked in the top 10% of his class. The leadership program is sponsored by the American Legion and includes seminars, guest speakers, a college and career fair and more. Participants learn about democracy, government, and leadership during the week-long program. Senator Cory Booker, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, and former Governor Chris Christie are among the notable alumni of the ALJBS program.

EHS Students Commitment to Service

On March 13th, Ewing High School Rotary Interact Club collaborated with Ewing High School’s other service clubs to host an event geared towards assembling bagged lunches for the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen. Led by advisor Victoria Burd, students assembled over a hundred food bags, which consisted of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, fruit cups, and granola bars. Over 40 students volunteered, led by club officers Ava Lombardo, Liam Ta, Jakob Falkoff, Christian Ciron, and Valentina Angon Rojas. The bagged lunches were immediately transported to the Soup Kitchen afterwards, with a total of 120 lunches being donated. The project is now a monthly event hosted by both the Key Club and Rotary Interact Club at Ewing High School until the end of the school year.

Other activities performed by Ewing High School’s service clubs include various drives, such as the Thanksgiving Food Drive, Christmas Toy Drive, and the Elementary School Book Drive (in collaboration with the class, Students Voices in Action), where students purchased and collected items to donate to certain organizations and our local schools. Club members also assist with local elementary school events in events such as various dances and the famous Halloween Trunk or Treat. Rotary Interact Club and Key Club are focusing on future projects, both for the remainder of the current year and planning for the upcoming school year.

The EHS Football Program was invited to participate in “Read Across America” at Antheil, Lore, and Parkway Elementary Schools during the month of March. Several football players read to students ranging from grades Kindergarten through 2nd grade. It was a very successful event that was enjoyable for everyone involved!

The Ewing Public Schools

Senior Spotlight: Meet Tatyana Peagler

It is May; the next few months will be very exciting. What are you most looking forward to at the end of your senior year? I am most looking forward to being able to walk the stage since we were not able to in 8th grade due to the pandemic. I am excited to share this moment with the people closest to me and my peers.

What is your favorite subject? My favorite subject is math because there is always one solid answer. There is never any room for an opinion or different perceptions, plus there are no essays!

Who is your favorite teacher and why? I have experienced so many great teachers throughout my high school career. I could not choose just one, so I selected two that have had the most positive impact on me in high school. Mr. “K” Kocubinski, the culinary teacher, who radiates so much positive energy, it is contagious. It was also a delight being able to create wonderful food dishes in his class. One of my favorite teachers is also Mrs. Hewlett. She is the teacher who fueled my passion for accounting, and helped me determine my career path.

What activities do you participate in school? In school, I participate in one of our cultural clubs, Black Student Alliance aka BSA. I am the current treasurer who handles all the budgeting for our events, such as our Afro Arts Fest held in February and our Juneteenth Jubilee held in June! I am also a part of the Bridge to Employment program, which aims to increase the number of students who enroll in higher education as well as increase the number of students pursuing health or science careers.

What is your greatest accomplishment to date?

My greatest accomplishment to date is my academic success throughout my entire school career. I have maintained a 4.4 GPA with little to no stress and will continue to strive for that goal through college. I am also proud of my character development and who I am becoming as a person.

How do you define success? I define success as something that is individualized and is determined by the goals you set for yourself. Success is not about how much money you make or how famous you are. It is also not defined by one big thing; a multitude of little things that you do can be deemed as successful. Success is in the eye of the beholder; and it’s perceived by one’s perception.

Who or what has influenced your life in a positive way? Both of my parents have influenced me and my life in positive ways. I have always strived to become better for them. Their stories of trials and tribulations and coming out on top has resonated with me. I am who I am because I have had such an amazing team on my side and I plan to repay them back tenfold in the future.

What is your favorite quote or book? My favorite quote is “You have to trust the signs. Everything will turn out fine, so why aren’t you smiling?”W.A.Y.S by

Jhené Aiko

What are your plans after you graduate Ewing High School? After I graduate from Ewing High School, I plan to further my education at Kean University and get my Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in either business or accounting. I also want to become partners with my mom and become a real estate agent.

The Power of a Teacher’s Letters to her Students

Angela Dodson.

Outstanding Ewing High School educator, Nicole BaileyWilliams, shared that one of her essays was published in the anthology, We Refuse to be Silent (Broadleaf Books), edited by

Ms. Bailey-Williams will be delivering a TED Talk for TEDxDilworthPark on May 11th. The talk will center around the introductory letters that she has been writing to her students at the start of every semester throughout her 29-year tenure as a teacher at Ewing High school and is based on her 7th book,

Somebody, Help Me Find My Chalk: Lessons in Letters to and from My Students. It will be available to view on the TED page and on YouTube by mid-June.

Somebody, Help Me Find My Chalk: Lessons in Letters to and from My Students is a collection of introductory letters written at the start of every semester from Nicole Bailey-Williams, Ed.M., a beloved, high school English teacher, to her dear students. Beginning with a letter written in January of 2006 and ending with a letter written to her students trying to stay afloat in 2021 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the collection features response letters from Bailey-Williams' students and her reflections of teaching in both amazing and abysmal circumstances.

The Ewing Public Schools

May 2024 Schedule in Ewing Schools

May 1 Lore - Title I Bingo Night @ 6:30pm

May 2 Antheil - PTO Meeting @ 6:30pm

May 4 SAT @ EHS - 7:30am-1:30pm POAC Autism Walk for a Difference 2024 @ FMS - 11am-2pm

May 6-10 Parkway - PTA Scholastic BOGO Book Fair

May 6 District Counseling Event: The Challenges of Raising Healthy Children @ 6:30pm (EHS Auditorium)

May 9 ESL Family Night @ Antheil - 6pm

May 13-17 Antheil - PTO Scholastic BOGO Book Fair

May 20 Board of Education Meeting @ 6pm - EHS Auditorium (Public Session @ 7pm - Celebrating EHS)

May 21 Lore - 5th Grade Spring Vocal Music & Instrumental Concert @ 7pm

May 22 Parkway - Spring Vocal Music & Instrumental Concert @ 6:30pm

May 23 FMS - Spring Band Concert @ 7pm

May 27 SCHOOL CLOSED – Memorial Day

May 28 FMS - Spring Orchestra Concert @ 7pm

May 29 EHS - Spring Vocal Concert & Visual Art Show @ 7pm Antheil - Field Day Grades K-2

May 30 EHS - Athletic Office Spring Sports Awards Night @ 6:30pm

May 31 Antheil - Field Day Grades 3-5

Parkway - Field Day Grades K-5

EVERYONE WON AT FMS STAFF VERSUS STUDENT VOLLEYBALL GAME!

Join us in the thrilling recount of the Staff versus Student Volleyball Game at Fisher Middle School (FMS), where excitement echoed through the gymnasium, fostering camaraderie, and strengthening bonds within the school community. With cheering fans filling the stands, a vibrant mix of students and teachers alike, the atmosphere was electric. Gilmore the Eagle, FMS’s beloved mascot, soared through the air, keeping spirits soaring high.

In a fierce battle of skill and teamwork, the teachers emerged victorious, showcasing their prowess on the court. However, the true triumph was the unity and joy shared by all who participated and cheered on their peers. The event proved to be a fantastic opportunity for students and staff to come together for an afternoon of fun and friendly competition, fostering lasting memories and building stronger connections within the FMS community.

Antheil Musicians Inspired by Special Guests

On April 24th, Antheil Elementary hosted professional musicians from the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra who worked with the 4th and 5th grade musicians in the Instrumental Music Program. The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra is a world-class ensemble based out of Newark whose mission is to “connect with the people and diverse communities of New Jersey through the power of live symphonic music to inspire, entertain and educate.” The New Jersey Music Educators Association sponsors these educational workshops in schools throughout the state.

Trombonist Vernon Post, led rehearsals with fourth and fifth grade band students, and violinist Helen Vassiliou led rehearsals with fourth and fifth grade orchestra students. Vernon and Vassiliou gave incredible insight to the students on ways to improve their musicianship and ensemble skills. Antheil’s students were inspired by their mastery and learned what being a professional musician is really like.

This experience was a highlight in our young musician’s musical careers. Whether practicing at home or with their classmates, students will be able to rehearse like real symphonic musicians in preparation for their upcoming spring concerts in June.

Food Services Welcome New Director with Local Roots

Valerie Chernish started as the new Director of Food Service on March 11, 2024. Valerie comes to us with deep roots in Ewing as she grew up here, graduated from Ewing High School and still lives in the township. She has vast culinary experience starting in her family’s Ewing-based restaurants, growing up, attending culinary school and advancing her career as a pastry chef. Over the last six years, Valerie has focused on school food service and the value of providing nourishing and delicious meals to students. Valerie will put importance on meals not only being healthy, but also being more cohesive. She will be collecting feedback from students and staff, and looks forward to giving students access to more local produce.

We are currently hiring Food Service Substitutes, Cooks and Food Service Workers. This is a great job for anyone who is a crossing guard looking to fill their time in between scheduled stations, parents interested in similar schedules as their children and the retired community. The positions are 10 months, offering the summer time off!

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton Celebrates Hospital Week 2024

Ask The Doctor

See our ads in SIX09 section pgs 5 and 7

National Hospital Week is May 12-18, 2024, and Seth D. Rosenbaum, MD, MMM, SVP and Chief Medical Officer at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (RWJUH Hamilton), an RWJBarnabas Health facility, answers questions about how RWJUH Hamilton in Hamilton Township serves its community.

Cardiovascular diseases remain prevalent in the U.S. Can you tell us about your heart and vascular care program at RWJUH Hamilton?

We are part of one of the largest cardiac care programs in New Jersey and provide essential heart and vascular care such as cardiac catheterizations and angioplasty to clear blocked arteries, as well as nonemergent angioplasty procedures. We are currently constructing a new 5,500-square-foot Cath lab scheduled to open in January 2025. Also available right here inside the hospital is our Cardiac Rehab Program, an individualized, medical-supervised health and fitness program designed to benefit people who have been treated for a heart attack or heart failure, have received a coronary stent, or have undergone cardiac surgery such as a bypass or valve procedure. What differentiates the Cancer Center at RWUH Hamilton from others?

RWJUH Hamilton specialists work with our patients to develop a treatment plan tailored to their medical, emotional, and educational needs, with dedicated oncology social workers and nurse navigators supporting the patient and their loved ones at every step.

What is The Orthopedic and Spine Institute at RWJUH Hamilton?

Dr. Seth Rosenbaum

The Orthopedic & Spine Institute (OSI) located inside the hospital, is comprised of a highly skilled team, members of RWJBarnabas Medical Group, and offers early diagnosis and sophisticated techniques to treat and/or manage conditions caused by arthritis and degenerative joint disease, injuries, congenital issues, and general wear and tear—all with the goal of alleviating pain and helping patients enjoy life on their terms. RWJUH Hamilton is nationally certified in hip and knee replacement and spine surgery by The Joint Commission and performs minimally invasive surgery with advanced technologies like the da Vinci Xi Surgical System, MAKO RoboticArm Assisted Surgery and now Globus Medical’s ExcelsiusGPS® for robotic spine surgery.

What would you like community members to always remember about RWJUH Hamilton?

Coming up this month at RWJU Hospital Hamilton

For more information, call (609) 5845900. To register for a program or for schedule changes go to rwjbh.org/events.

Healthy Lives Hamilton Program. At RWJUH Hamilton, 1 Hamilton Health Place, Hamilton. The Healthy Lives Program at Hamilton is designed to help individuals and their loved ones understand what’s needed to help them live their best life and manage Heart Failure. This unique approach to heart failure care is designed to support proper monitoring and lifestyle choices to improve patient outcomes and quality of live for those living with heart failure. Participation in Healthy Lives may begin during an inpatient stay at RWJUH Hamilton; or, your physician may refer you to Healthy Lives Hamilton on an outpatient basis. From symptom monitoring and management to lifestyle education, a multidisciplinary team of experts guides you towards living a healthy life. Start here by calling 609-203-4326.

TUESDAy, MAy 7

Breast Cancer Support Group. First Tuesday of Each Month; 6-7:30 p.m. At the Cancer Center at RWJUH Hamilton, 2575 Klockner Road, Hamilton. This Support Group wel-

comes those who have received a breast cancer diagnosis in all phases of their journey. Meetings are held in the lobby of The Cancer Center at RWJUH Hamilton. The group is led by an Oncology Nurse Navigator and Certified Oncology Social Worker. It offers participants an opportunity to share personal experiences, helpful resources, and methods of coping with feelings of anxiety and distress. For more information, call Patty Hutman Parker, BSN, RN, OCN, at 609584-2836 or Roberta Weiner, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C, at 609-584-6680.

TUESDAy,

MAy 21

Gynecologic Cancer Support Group. Third Tuesday of Every Month; 2-3:30 p.m. At the Cancer Center at RWJUH Hamilton, 2575 Klockner Road, Hamilton. This Group meets on the third Tuesday of every month in the conference room at the Cancer Center at RWJUH Hamilton. It brings individuals with gynecologic cancer the support, education, and empowerment they need to move along the path to recovery. Topics discussed include coping with the emotional impact of cancer, adjusting to changes during and after treatment, and managing concerns about recurrence. This program is facilitated by Roberta Weiner, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C, Certified Oncology Social Worker. For more information, please call 609-584-6680.

Our expert multidisciplinary team at the RWJUH Hamilton Cancer Center offers advanced treatment options with individualized care. Through our partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, the state’s only National Cancer Institute-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, patients benefit from access to innovative clinical trials, complex surgical procedures, precision medicine, immunotherapy and advanced radiation therapy techniques.

RWJUH Hamilton provides worldclass care, is nationally awarded and recognized, and allows its patients access to New Jersey’s largest health care system and the state’s only National Cancer Institute-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center—and it’s all right here for our community members.

How does being part of the largest academic health system in New Jersey benefit your patients?

The benefits are immense. Patients who begin their health journey here have access to the most comprehensive healthcare system in the state and are able to tap into the latest resources to receive the most advanced, high-quality care.

Learn more at rwjbh.org/hamilton

My mom and memories of her soccer days

BLACK

My mom who never played soccer one day in her life is going to get a soccer field in Ewing named after her. Sorry Georgie, but all of our hard work, sweat and tears didn’t cut it. Even Mr. Ilene (that’s what my dad called himself). Sorry dad. I know you coached my Incarnation team for 2 years and could put together a starting lineup like no other. Nope, you don’t get a field either. Sorry boys. Mom wins again! As she should.

First of all, I have to thank Bruce Angebranndt. This guy is the epitome of West End Boys Soccer. From the rec soccer parades down Scotch Road, to the infamous National Invitational Tournament on Labor Day, you were the man behind everything. You even had the keys to that trailer at the “Super Fresh” fields. All of us players always wondered what was in that mysterious green trailer that we kicked countless soccer balls against.

You all remember it was angled so badly that when you kicked it to the right you had to chase it into the parking lot? Every parent would yell, “Watch out for the cars!!!” You had to jump over the grey wires that were held up by those brown tree trunk looking things. You would sprint into the parking lot dodging incoming cars and the glass that was all over the ground.

One day while I was coaching Division 7 in the cage with my best friend DJ Powlish, we got to go into that green trailer. It was a soccer player’s dream. It was full of soccer balls sizes 3-5, corner flags, orange cones we practiced countless days with, pinneys that have been handed down from genera-

tion to generation. Everyone here knows the gross smell of those pinneys. Later in my West End career, my team was like, “Forget these pinneys, shirts and skins it is.”

Thank you, Bruce! You are the godfather of west End Soccer and always will be. I know it’s Ewing Soccer now, but we all thank you for keeping West End Soccer alive as long as you did. You have done more for boys’ soccer in Ewing than anyone.

I need to talk about my mom now, don’t I? I can tell you that this woman didn’t know the difference between a corner kick and a goal kick. She thought at one time in her long soccer mom career that a corner kick happened when the ball actually hit the corner flag.

This was when my brother was 15 years old and had been playing soccer for close to 10 years. I was 11 years old and myself and my brother’s teammate/cousin Craig Farber laughed then explained that’s not how it works. I don’t think she ever understood the corner kick thing. Did it matter? Not really! Not until she got her F license to coach soccer just in case any West End coach couldn’t make it to a game.

I remember one time she actually had to coach a game of mine. My two coaches, Justin Burroughs and Mike Stanzione, were running late and couldn’t be there for warmups or the start of the game. Mom stepped in because she was the only parent with an F license and was flawless. When I mean flawless, she asked me and DJ, “What do I do? We both answered, “We got it.” Drew Pearson and I were captains of the team, and we lead our warmup drills and set the lineup as our coaches would have. I’m pretty sure we won that game. Good job

Mom, you have an undefeated record! My mom was always the ultimate team mom. Everyone who played for West End Green Lightning II at about the age of 12 remembers this story. I was only 8 so I don’t remember much besides playing with Justin Davis and Andrew Furman. The ref was blatantly cheating our team and cursing at our players during the game. My mom didn’t have it. She chased the ref down at the end of the game and proceeded to give him the old West End whooping. The dude deserved it. You don’t mess with Momma Black’s boys.

Let me talk about my mom who guided me through my soccer journey. Here is a significant Ilene Black “Mom Moment. Our dog at the time, Corky, had eaten half of my right cleat, and I had a game at Super Fresh in 2 hours. She told me to get in the car and we rushed to Ewing Sports Center to get new cleats. She forgot her purse and had no money. She begged Bill Munley to set me up with a new pair of cleats. and of course he obliged. (Full disclosure: my mom is literally best friends with Bill Munley’s wife Kim so he kind of had no choice). We all remember Ewing Sports Center. Greatest place ever.

She wasn’t just Georgie’s and my mom. She was everyone’s team mom. Her go to quotes on the sideline were, “Way To Go, “Pick It Up,” and “Keep it Going.” I recently attended one of my brother’s games where he was coaching Red Bank Catholic’s girls’ soccer team, and my mom was there sitting to my left. I heard those exact quotes.

“Cmon Green! Let’s go Casey’s! Pick it up!” She never changed up, she was always the ultimate cheerleader and team mom. Nothing negative came out of her mouth during games.

I could’ve had the worst game ever and she would say. “You trapped the ball really well.” Really? I trapped the ball well? That’s my mom though. The glass was never half full. It was overflowing. Everyone knows that my mom would always be positive with all of her boys. She loved every single one of you like you were her own. You all know this already because of the open-door invitation to her house on Theresa Street. You would be greeted with that Ilene smile and a glass of that banging iced tea. If you didn’t swim in our swimming pool, you played basketball on our dirt basketball court.

Ilene didn’t care who you were, and I bet you went into the house at one point and had an Ilene session. An Ilene session is a heart to heart to see how you were doing in life. The ultimate therapist. My mom loved her boys who played for her West End teams. My brother and I both have kept in touch with most of our teammates, and in my case, one of them is still my best friend

and was in my wedding party.

My mom spent more time at the soccer field than she wanted. Actually, I think she really enjoyed it. The West End Board became her family. She was the only female on the board at the time and the men always treated her with respect. I honestly think they were afraid of her because of the story about her beating up the ref. The guys on the board became her brothers and used to call her their little sister.

Shout out to Bruce again, Ted Forst, John Powlish, Wayne Hullfish, Dave Barth, Don Garay, Karl Gunkel, Joe Dyton and Jim Housman. If I missed someone, I’m sorry! Bruce then trusted her with the title of director of the NIT. I think he did that because he was tired of the phone calls at his house. Thanks Bruce because I couldn’t talk to my girlfriend or go on the internet for about 6 weeks.

We didn’t have cell phones back then, so our phone lines were always clogged up. I know my brother and dad remember that. We couldn’t go through a meal or watch TGIF without the phone ringing off the hook. We all know my mom was the greatest. I’m keeping her column in the Ewing Observer going in honor of her, but naming a field in Ewing after her is the ultimate.

We have Armstrong Fields, Fasilino, Limato, Moody Park and a quick shout out to the Bauer family and Karen Bauer. She was the glue of Ewing Little League for so many years. Mrs. Bauer was a Ewing gem and still is, and so is my mom. I know you both are talking about Ewing baseball and West End Soccer as I write this. You both are missed terribly!

Now let’s talk about the municipal soccer fields. The municipal fields were named that because the Ewing Police station and the municipal building are right next door. There are four of them. The “lit field aka the top field” just became the Ilene Black Field. Nickname it whatever you want. My mom just got a field named after her, and she never played a minute of soccer in her life.

That’s how much this woman has meant to so many people and this township. The woman that couldn’t tell the difference between a corner kick or a goal kick has a field named after her. Ironic? I don’t think so. Iconic? That’s what she is! I think it’s much deserved, because of the impact she had on West End Soccer. I will personally make sure that every kid that touches that field from here on out knows the name of the woman that this field is named after.

We all love you Momma Black!

Donnie Black was born and grew up in Ewing Township. He currently works at radio station XTU in Philadelphia as a producer, on air personality and promotions director.

Remembering the Naval Air Propulsion Center

It has been a sleeping giant along Parkway Avenue for decades. The enormous buildings and structures comprising the Naval Air Propulsion Center, originally built super-tough and strong, slowly deteriorating and being engulfed by rust and vegetation, have silently remained a huge presence in the Township for decades.

But that is now changing, as the current demolition of the property (See story on page 5) and its structures begins to remove the longtime “giant” from its place of seemingly perpetual inactivity.

However, this “giant” was once a critical piece of our nation’s defense and aviation capabilities, a significant employer in the area, and a “claim to fame” for Ewing. In respect, it seems more than appropriate to offer a eulogy - or at least some historical background! So here goes:

When the US entered World War II in December of 1941, the 3-year-old General Motors Inland Fisher Guide manufacturing plant on Parkway Avenue was ordered by the government to quickly reorganize as Eastern Aircraft (a division of GM), and to retool to build the Avenger, the US Navy’s brand new primary torpedo bomber, and the largest single-engine plane in the Navy’s fleet. The Avenger would become the most effective and widely-used WW2 bomber, sinking battleships and submarines. The first aircraft from Eastern/GM was delivered within nine months, and the first 1000 aircraft were delivered within 13 months.

But these new planes needed to be tested before delivery, and the large Avenger needed ample room to be tested. The planes were carried over the neighboring railroad tracks across the street to a field for machine gun testing, and for test flight, and then for flight to the ultimate destination. Eventually the Navy purchased 1000 acres across the street from GM for this purpose.

Fast forward to the end of the war, and several things became apparent:

• Larger, gas turbine engines were needed to improve planes;

• Such turbine engines would need to be tested for behavior at various altitudes and environmental conditions; and

• Such ground-based testing would need to be under controlled and repeatable conditions.

The Bureau of Aeronautics conducted

a study, and determined that “there are no laboratories available either in the commercial industry or the government capable of conducting dynamometer tests of large full-scale internal combustion turbines under simulated altitude condition” and “conversion or modification of existing facilities for gas turbine testing would be both uneconomical and unsatisfactory”.

In 1947, the Navy and the Air Force tested engines in the wind and icing conditions on Mount Washington in New Hampshire. Clearly, there needed to be a more convenient place to test engines!

Since the Navy had purchased land in Ewing with ample space to build such a facility, access to railroad and transportation, sufficient electrical power available, and access to cooling water in the Delaware not far away, the decision was made to build a testing facility for jet engines right here in Ewing. The Naval Air Turbine Test Station (NATTS) was commissioned in 1951, activated in 1956, and full scale engine testing started in 1956. The total spent from 1948 to 1956 on this project was $41M.

The Naval Air Systems Command report on the history of the NATTS in Ewing from which I am pulling much of this information (Naval Air Systems Command- The Naval Air Propulsion Center Story, Trenton New Jersey, 19531998) then goes into a lot of engineering and technical detail which I readily confess is beyond my understanding, and I don’t want to misrepresent the material. But clearly the NATTS tested turbine engines under a variety of simulated situations, including differing altitudes, temperatures, wind speeds, environmental conditions, etc., and determining how to design and manufacture the best and safest engines possible.

So from the first test of an engine at the facility in November, 1954, through turboprop tests, sea level tests, turbojet altitude tests, turbofan testing and even cruise missiles, the NATTS in Ewing provided a singularly critical step in assuring that each new engine design was safe, and would perform predictably. While the facility merged with other Navy facilities and changed names a few times (including the “Naval Air Warfare Center”), it remained a crucial piece of our defense ability until its last test in 1997, and its closure in 1998.

Thank you for your service, NATTS!

Kull is an advisor with the Ewing Township Historic Preservation Society.

Senior Corner

May 2024

ALL PROGRAMS HELD AT HOLLOWBROOK COMMUNITY CENTER, 320 HOLLOWBROOK DRIVE

MONDAYS

10 a.m. Exercise - Karen Martin

Noon Tech/Trends For Seniors 2nd and 4th Monday of the Month

1 p.m. Jewelry/Craft-Anne’s

TUESDAYS

10 a.m. Exercise - Karen Martin

12:30 p.m. Bible Study

12:30 p.m. Bingo

WEDNESDAYS

9 a.m. Chair Yoga- Lisa Caruso

9:30 a.m. Knitting/Crochet

1 p.m. Mexican Train/5-Crown Cards

10:30 p.m. Water Color - Ally Lyons Mercer County Library – Ewing Branch

2 p.m. Mahjongg - Christine Kamph

THURSDAYS

10 a.m. Exercise - Karen Martin

1 p.m. Pinochle - Mercer County Library - Ewing Branch

1 p.m. Rummikub

1 p.m. Balance Class - Bob Kirby

1 p.m. Bid Whist

FRIDAYS

9:30 a.m. Line Dancing – Joanne Keephart

12:30 p.m. Tai Chi – Liz Allen

2 p.m. Circuit Training– Jeff Prunetti ( $5 session)

SENIOR CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMISSION (SCAC): 3rd Thurday of the month.

General Body 10 a.m. Meeting is open to the public.

CLUBS: (All held in Room #201-202)

Live Wires—11 a.m. ( 2ND Thursday of the month)

Busy C’s—11 a.m. ( 3RD Tuesday of the month)

Club D—11 a.m. (1st Thursday of the month)

HB Seniors—1 p.m. (2ND Friday of the month)

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

SENIOR LUNCHEON SHOW: May 17—International Cooking Program. Mother’s Day Tea Party (Noon-2 p.m.). entertainment by “Ambiance The Duo.” $9 pp/ $14 couple—make reservations in advance. Tickets available senior office ( M-F 8:30-4:30 p.m.)

REGISTER FOR ALL PROGRAMS AGES 60 AND OLDER

EWING RESIDENTS: HOLLOWBROOK COMMUNITY CENTER

2nd Floor Rm# 207 Senior Office

QUESTIONS: 609-883-1776

Senior Corner is paid content by Ewing Township.

Helen