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Zamost was pleasantly surprised when the opportunity to create rejuvenated so many of the patients she interacted with. Hospitalized children especially came alive given the chance to make art.

The very seed for the idea of healing through creativity was planted when Zamost was studying fine art at Rutgers in the 1980s.

“I was thinking about art therapy, but it wasn’t offered as a major back then, so I studied psychology and took communications as a minor,” Zamost says.

After graduation, she continues, “I fell into public relations in the medical area, then fell into project work, then medical education programs, and that’s how my career blossomed.”

But after a few years of long commutes and raising four little ones, Zamost had strayed from art and was feeling burnout. Just in time, her husband (urologist Dr. Gary Karlin) gifted her with an easel and paint box.

“It was one nicest gifts I ever got,” Zamost says. “I started with classes at Artworks (in Trenton) and was doing a lot of realism, but then shifted toward more expressive painting.”

The real “aha” moment came when she saw a tiny ad for art study with Lambertville-based teacher Kate Appel, who almost immediately suggested that Zamost learn techniques of meditation.

“We started with tempera paints, like you use in kindergarten, and very large paper,” Zamost says. “There were no critiques, which was very unlike what I experienced in college. Kate said, ‘It doesn’t matter whether I like it or not.’”

“That was my departure toward (embracing) flow, and I continued from there, taking all kinds of workshops, exploring everything — mosaics, cold wax, collage, adding whatever I wanted, allowing myself to be free,” she says.

At some point, Zamost realized she had the skills to lead workshops in the curative powers of art. “When not in the studio, I lead individuals and groups on workshops so that they, too, can discover the restorative power of making art,” Zamost says.

She recalls leading one particularly exceptional workshop at the Peddie School during finals.

“I did a ‘flow’ kind of thing, no theme, just some down time for the students during a stressful week,” she says. “One student wouldn’t — actually, couldn’t — start without instruction. So I said, ‘The instruction is no instruction; just start with a mark or a color or something.’ She did it, and said the experience was really freeing.

“Later on, I got a note from their teacher, who said, ‘They’ll think about that workshop for a long time,’” Zamost says. “It gave them a break to just ‘be,’ to not just be concerned about hitting all those achievement marks.”

Originally from Highland Park, Zamost was encouraged to be artistic by her parents, but only to a certain point. Her father was in the lumber business, and her mother was a stay-at-home mom, and both were born during the Great Depression. Making a living as an artist did not seem practical to them.

“My parents bought me art supplies, but they were both Depression babies and hesitated when I said I wanted to be a fine artist and ‘paint the world on fire,’” she says.

“Although my mom was artistic in her own way, for example, she used to make hats, and also baked the most amazing cakes, and would decorate them so creatively,” Zamost recalls.

While at Rutgers’ Mason Gross School of the Arts, Zamost had the opportunity to take a semester abroad at the Sir John Cass School of Art and London Polytechnic in London, England.

After graduating from Rutgers, Zamost combined her talents for both art and writing into a career in public relations. She first worked for Burson-Marsteller (division of Young & Rubicam at the time) in New York City, followed by Projects in Knowledge, a medical communications/ project company, first in New York, then Secaucus.

Zamost’s works have been exhibited in five solo and more than 65 two-person and group exhibits based in the United States and Canada. Her works can currently be seen at the Copelouzos Family Art Museum in Athens, Greece, on the TV show “Househunters,” the film “Hide,” and in private, corporate, and hospital collections including both Capital Health hospitals (Pennington and Trenton) and Englewood Health.

She also founded LUX Gallery in Hopewell, with artists Mic Boekelmann, Kathleen Varga, Donna Blachford, and Margaret Miller.

Her children are now grown (ages 27 through 34), and Zamost has a granddaughter who seems to be a budding artist. “Kids have no reservation, they just go and make art, they don’t judge, they just do,” she says.

One of the most rewarding experiences for Zamost in making art that heals was creating “Hope Rises,” the first in a series of vibrant works that is now permanently on view in the Infusion Room at Capital Health Hopewell.

“My ‘Hope Rises’ series of mixed-media artwork began during a challenging time in my life when my cousins, brother-inlaw, and childhood friend were losing their battles with cancer, and they were all so young,” Zamost says. “I started ‘Hope Rises’ to grace the wall of the Infusion Room at Capital Health Hospital. It was my way of completing the conversation with my cousin, (who asked), ‘Why must I lay for hours with only a blank ceiling before me?’”

Currently, both Capital Health hospitals in Mercer County have artwork from this series in their permanent collections, and the Lefcourt Family Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center at Englewood Health has just received “Hope Rises V” for display.

“My conversations beckoned me to create a view of hope and beauty, to lift the spirits of those facing challenges and the professionals providing their care — as well as myself who was grieving,” Zamost says. “Following the making of (the first ‘Hope Rises,’) I couldn’t stop at one mixed-media piece. There was so much more to say, and thus ‘Hope Rises’ grew from one project to a series.”

“(Through my paintings), may you feel my joy and sadness, excitement and frustration,” she says. “Know that each of these emotions is touched by my belief that hope always exists in this imperfect world of ours.” throws to me, we go hit together, we get our work done.”

Zamost on the Web: janezamost.com.

The Eilbachers moved from Hillsborough to the Banks of the Delaware prior to ninth grade. Covid-19 wiped out their freshman year. Logan made varsity as a sophomore and hit .233, and the two exploded as juniors.

“Notre Dame helped a lot,” Eilbacher said. “It gave me confidence and it just proved to me where I was against other high schoolers. My junior year I wasn’t supposed to have a spot and then a couple kids quit and I beat out a couple kids and that’s when I really persevered, got my confidence and started playing really well.”

Legion ball was not on his radar prior to this summer; as Lance wanted to show his wares to college recruiters. But with him and Logan both secured by Catholic University in Washington, D.C., it was time to have fun this summer.

“I heard about it from (ND/Post 414 teammates Justin Prekop and Chase Burrows),” Eilbacher said. “They both go to Notre Dame with me. I wanted somewhere to play, because Diamond Jacks didn’t have a team for the summer. So I gave it a shot. It was pretty fun.

“It’s definitely a lot more laid back. I don’t have much pressure like ‘Oh I have to do this, or that.’ I just go out and have fun.”

Zegarski noted that it’s a common occurrence in legion. Despite the fact involvement keeps dwindling, some solid high school graduates enjoy the lower key approach that still provides good competition before college.

“It happens a lot with the seniors,” Zegarski said. “Senior year there’s not much travel ball to be played because you know where you’re going to school, so they want to come play here.”

Eilbacher’s addition helped Lawrence carry a 17-7 overall record into the Final 8, where Lawrence opened against MCALL rival Hamilton Post 31. The flyhawk has been key at the plate and in the field.

“He’s been our centerfielder and number-three hitter most of the season,” Zegarski said. “He can go get ‘em, he’s got a great arm and has thrown a couple guys out at the plate this year. Once teams see that, their running game starts to shut down a little bit, which is nice as well.

“With our lineup he can hit anywhere. He’s very aggressive. If you ever watch him swing he goes after those first couple pitches but it’s good, he has a couple homers. Sometimes we tell him ‘You gotta tone it down a little bit,’ But it’s nice to have that aggressive approach. He’s up there, he wants to hit.”

Eilbacher feels the casual summertime approach of legion helped him relax this season.

“I found my groove,” he said. “Hitting wise it’s more laid back here than it is in high school. I guess it’s more of a comfort thing.”

Lance hopes to carry that comfort with him to Catholic, where he will room with Hamilton West graduate Mac Meara.

Concerning his choice of schools, Eilbacher said “It was a hard decision for me. I had a couple other offers I was weighing out. But I knew I would play at Catholic my freshman year because they had seniors graduating. They told me I would compete for a spot. And their business program is what I want to major in so it had my track for what I wanted to do.

“Catholic actually came out of nowhere. Scranton was my other choice because they had a really good business program. It was a battle about which one I wanted to go to and I decided on Catholic. I didn’t know Mac personally until I went on a visit and he was there and we started talking. I knew of him because of Hamilton West but after that we were in contact and he let me know he was going so we decided to room together.”

Asked if Logan was a roommate option, he laughed and said ‘No, 18 years is enough.”

As roommates, maybe. But he is certainly anxious to have his brother as a teammate once again.