4-24 HP

Hamilton Post

Singh’s Kitchen: a success story in the Square

By SUe FerrArA

Hanging below the cash register at Singh’s Kitchen is a sign reading: Faith-Family-Friends.

Those three words guide everything that happens in this small eatery on Whitehorse Hamilton Square Road.

Originating in 2021 as a consequence of a side gig, Singh’s Kitchen is a joint venture of married owners Gurpreed Singh and Harjeet Kaur, who managed to open and nurture a new restaurant business during the pandemic that continues to thrive. The two credit their success to their religious faith, their nuclear and extended families, and the new friends they have made locally.

Singh and Kaur were both born in India. He grew up in the State of Punjab, in northwestern India; Kaur lived in Delhi, India’s largest city. This fall, they will celebrate 27 years of marriage. They have three children whom they preferred not to name: an elder daughter who is 19; a daughter who is a high school

See KITCHEN, Page 8

By JOe EMANsKi

Even for people who are sticklers about recycling, the rules regarding what plastics can go in which bins can be frustrating.

In Hamilton, only plastics marked as number 1 or number 2 plastics are accepted at the township’s ecological facility, and even then, they are accepted only if they come in certain forms. There are seven classifications of recyclable plas-

Community helps out a ton as Girl Scout reaches lofty recycling goal

tic altogether, but a great deal of it ends up in landfills each year because there is not enough demand for forms of plastic that can be difficult to reuse in a cost effective way.

However, thanks to Girl Scout Dana Trotta and Trex Company, Inc., there have been bins at the Hamilton Township ecological facility over the past year for collecting plastic film — think produce bags and bubble wrap. It is a form of plastic that is not usu-

You have no family history of colon cancer. You still need a colon cancer screening.

ally collected, but which Trex turns into composite decking material through its NexTrex Recycling Challenge program.

Trotta, who lives in University Heights, set herself a goal of collecting one ton of plastic film over that time. She made the effort the focus of her Girl Scout Gold Award project. The Gold Award is the highest award a scout can earn.

Thanks in large part to plas-

See RECYCLING, Page 6

Burying the hatchet

Hamilton native will compete this month in World Axe Throwing Championships

By JUsTiN FeiL

Joe Hovemeyer grew up in Hamilton dreaming about playing a professional sport.

Now, decades later, he’s at the highest level of a sport he never expected. Hovemeyer is headed to the World Axe Throwing Championships for the second straight year.

Tulsa, Oklahoma will host this year’s world championships at the WeStreet Ice Center from April 18-21, and while Hovemeyer has made all the arrangements already, he’s also accepting any financial support for his world championships encore.

“For this year, I’m going to try to be as relaxed as possible and take everything in stride,” Hovemeyer said. “I’ve found that thinking too much about it gets to your head, and then you can kind of play mind games with yourself, and that’s not ideal for anything or for anyone

See

AXE CHAMP,

Page 11

Dana Trotta, a junior at The Hun School of Princeton, with plastic that she has collected to be donated to Trex Company, Inc. to be recycled into composite deck materials. Trotta estimates that the bags in the photo hold just 80 of the 2,000 pounds she collected in her pursuit of a Girl Scout Gold Award.

RWJUH Hamilton April Healthy Living / Community Education Programs

SWEET SUCCESS SOCIETY: A DIABETES GROUP

Monday, April 1, May 6; 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Monday, April 8; 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

A group for anyone with diabetes or caring for someone living with diabetes. Learn about healthy ways to manage diabetes alongside peers and Taryn Krietzman, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.

SPRING MINI MEDICAL SCHOOL: “THE SCIENCE OF LONGEVITY”

Tuesdays, April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30; 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Focus on the science of longevity: the extension of human life, and wellbeing. This approach may prevent chronic disease and extend long-term health. Changing your view from “lifespan” to “healthspan”.

Week 1: John DiBiase, MD; orthopedic surgeon, clinical instructor

Week 2: Javier Villota, MD; Medical Director of Occupational Medicine, Corporate Health and Travel Medicine

Week 3: Sara Ali, MD; Geriatrician and Palliative Care Specialist

Week 4: Maureen Stevens, DPT; Senior Physical Therapist

Week 5: Patricia McDougall, BSN, RN; Integrative Therapies Nurse

WHAT’S IN THE BOX?

Tuesday., April 2; 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Learn what wonderful fruits and veggies are up to this time of year and how to make them shine! Enjoy being an in person studio-audience member as Taryn Krietzman, RDN does a live taping or join us from

your home via our live zoom.

KIDS IN THE KITCHEN: SPRING BREAK(FAST)

Thursday, April 4; 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

With the kids having a day off from school, take advantage of a great way to get them out and interested in healthy eating! 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

DANCE IT OUT!

Friday, April 5; 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

With the kids having a day off from school, take advantage of a great way to get them out and moving in a fun activity for all ages.

Monday, April 15; 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

When in doubt, dance it out! Find your rhythm and ease the everyday stresses of life with movement.

TAPPING FOR STRESS RELIEF

Monday, April 8: 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Stress creates blockages in the body that impedes healing. “Tapping” uses the same meridian system as used in acupuncture to help restore the body to heal itself. Patti McDougall, BSN, Integrative Therapies Nurse.

UP, UP, AND AWAY: EXPRESSIVE ARTS FOR OUR WISHES AND INTENTIONS

Wednesday, April 10; 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

We make wishes on birthday candles and shooting stars! Let’s take a look at wishes and intentions,

Better Health

*Registration and free Membership

to attend the Better Health Programs

and formulate how they could be expressed in this workshop. We will read relevant, heartfelt poetry and create a beautiful collage on canvas of a hot air balloon over our thoughtful journaling. We’ll send those wishes and intentions up, up, and away! Rochelle L. Stern, expressive arts facilitator. $15

DINNER WITH A DOCTOR: HEALTHY BONES CLUB

Thursday, April 11; 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Internal Medicine Physician, Anjali Bhandarkar, MD will be discussing the diagnosis, risk factors and treatment for osteoporosis. Also included, insight on the treatment of Vitamin D deficiency and when to measure Vitamin D levels. Dinner provided.

CRYSTAL BOWL SOUND IMMERSION

Monday, April 15; 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Sound healing uses instruments like singing bowls, gongs, drums and chimes to create an atmosphere promoting deep rest, nervous system rebalancing, and emotional release. Sit or lay while the practitioner takes you on a sound journey for mind, body and spirit. Bring a yoga mat, blanket, pillow or anything that makes you comfortable. Adriana Hansen, RYT200, SHA1 of the Learning Collaborative. Fee: $15

NUTRITION, FEEDING, AND SWALLOWING AFTER STROKE

Wednesday, April 17; 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Join dietician Taryn, Oc. Therapist Sarah, and Speech-Language

DR. ALI, BREAKFAST AND LEARN, HEALTHY AGING FOR WOMEN

Thursday, April 4; 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Dr. Sara Ali, Board Certified in Geriatrics and Internal Medicine, will lead a focused conversation on concerns for women as we age, such as gynecological cancers, bone health, sexual health and more.

TAI CHI CLASSES

Thursday, April 4 &18; 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

A SENIOR SOCIAL GROUP

Wednesday, April 3, 10, 17, 24; 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Please join us for our ongoing program “A Senior Social Group,” gathering in a collaborative setting to exchange thoughts, feelings and experiences amongst peers. This is a safe-zone designed to be welcoming and understanding of all attendees while exploring this season of our lives.

Pathologist Ashley to discuss management of nutrition and eating after stroke. Learn how to adjust food choices throughout the recovery process for optimal nutrition, frequently utilized adaptive equipment for self-feeding, and common strategies to manage swallowing problems after stroke.

HEALTHRHYTHMS® DRUM CIRCLE

Wednesday, April 17; 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 $15

BRAIN HEALTH-LEARN PROVEN WAYS TO KEEP YOUR BRAIN YOUNG

Monday, April 22; 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. With so much information out today on brain health what methods really work? Join Dr. Lorraine Sgarlato, Au.D. to learn more about how to keep your brain young.

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR HEALTH

Thursdays, May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, June 6; 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Take Control of Your Health/Chronic Disease Management Program is a cost-effective evidence-based health promotion program for people with any ongoing health condition, such as arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, and similar conditions. Participants will learn how to problem solve, set goals, and relaxation techniques to help manage chronic conditions. Participants must attend all 6 classes.

YOGA CLASSES

Tuesday, April 9 and 23; 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

MEDITATION CLASSES

Tuesday, April 9 & 23; 11:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

CHAIR YOGA

Tuesday, April 9 and 23; Noon to 12:45 p.m. Krystal Loughlin, certified RYT, is introducing Chair Yoga to our Better Health Program. Using a chair for seated poses and also for balancing poses, this class is perfect for those who haven’t moved their bodies for a while are recovering from an injury or have mobility/balancing difficulties.

A great place to start practicing yoga to help boost your flexibility, find inner peace, unwind and stretch.

ART THERAPY & HISTORY FEATURING GEORGIA O’KEEFFE, “THE MOTHER OF AMERICAN MODERNISM.”

Thursday, April 11; 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Tapping into your creative side is

a great way to de-stress, improve mental outlook, and simply have some fun. Lisa Bayer from Always Best Care Senior Services, created this program that combines art history with an art project based on the works of artist, Georgia O’Keeffe. Using pastels, you will draw your own oversized flower and learn the techniques to layer and blend the pastels.

HOSPITALS AND OUR AGING COMMUNITY

Tuesday, April 16, 2024; 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m Should hospital care change as we age and if so, what does it look like? Join us to delve into this important topic about how hospitals can better serve our aging population. Panel includes: Lisa A. Breza, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Chief Administrative Officer; Dr. Sara Ali, Board Certified Geriatrics and Internal Medicine; and Dawn Hutchinson, MSN, RN, PCCN-K, NEABC, Chief Nursing Officer

CATCH SOME ZZZZZ’S!

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

Insomnia affects your mental as well as physical health, making you prone to heart disease and other serious illnesses. Join Patti McDougall, BSN, Integrative Health Nurse to learn more about how we should spend a third of our life.

ORTHO 101

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

Join Orthopedic Program Coordinator

Denise Berdecia, MSN, RN, ONC, as she leads Physical Therapists and Occupational Therapists in an in-depth discussion on total knee replacements. These experts will explain preventative treatment, talking to a surgeon, the decision for surgery, hospital expectations, and recovery with outpatient therapy.

DESIGNER BAG BINGO!

Friday, May 10; Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

This popular 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 CommunityEdHAM@ rwjbh.org.

*All programs require registration and are held at the RWJ Fitness & Wellness Center, 3100 Quakerbridge Rd., Hamilton, NJ, unless otherwise noted.

FOR MEN ONLY!

Wednesday, April 24; 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Ashish Desai, LCSW, from VA NJ Health Care System will lead this open discussion with flexible topics that will be suggested by and of interest to you! This group will meet quarterly.

HERBAL MOCKTAIL PARTY

Tuesday, April 30; 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Amanda Crooke, Herbalist and Owner of the Locust Light Farm in New Jersey, will teach us how to craft delicious herbal mocktails (non-alcoholic cocktails) using a variety of infusion and blending techniques. You’ll sip and sample these refreshing drinks as we explore herbal extractions, flavor pairings, and ingredients. You’ll make your own tasty oxymel and receive delicious mocktail recipes to take home.

AROUND TOWN

Rain Barrel Workshop –

‘Daisy T-Rex’ aims to shed light on experience of dyslexia

Daisy T-Rex Is Dyslexic, a new book published by Indigo River Publishing and written by debut author Sarah Moore, is specifically designed to shed light on the experiences of individuals with dyslexia.

book, saying: “Love this very timely text for helping to build an understanding of dyslexia.”

Daisy T-Rex Is Dyslexic tells the tale of Daisy, a lovable dinosaur with a passion for art, math, and science. However, when it comes to reading and spelling, Daisy faces challenges that leave her puzzled and questioning why words and sounds do not align as expected. Through Daisy’s journey, readers may learn that she has dyslexia, a learning challenge that affects many children and adults worldwide.

Krista Koziarz, an educator at Holland Patent Elementary, has praised the

Melissa Milligan, Librarian at Franklin Parish Library, expressed her eagerness: “This is a story that I cannot wait to get into the hands of so many little readers.”

Moore, a Hamilton resident, is the supervisor of elementary education for Princeton Public Schools.

Through the Institute of Multi-Sensory Education, she instructed more than 500 teachers in the OrtonGillingham methodology. In addition to her masters degree in education from The College of New Jersey, she taught as a reading specialist and has written journal articles on literacy.

Hamilton Post

We are a newsroom of your neighbors. The Hamilton Post 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

Joe Emanski (Ext. 120) CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Sue Ferrara, Justin Feil, Rich Fisher

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNISTS

Peter Dabbene, Thomas Kelly

AD LAYOUT & PRODUCTION

Stacey Micallef (Ext. 131)

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Jennifer Steffen (Ext. 113)

Jamie Griswold

Community News Service

9 Princess Road, Suite M Lawrenceville, NJ 08648

Phone: (609) 396-1511

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40,000 copies of the Hamilton Post are mailed or bulk-distributed to the residences and businesses of Hamilton 12 times a year.

TO AdVERTISE

call (609) 396-1511, ext. 113 or e-mail advertise@communitynews.org

Moore

Chick-Fil-A reopens in Hamilton Marketplace

Hamilton Mayor Jeff Martin with franchisees Josh and Katie Leon and children on March 21, 2024 at the ribbon-cutting event for the newly reopened Chick-Fil-A in Hamilton Marketplace. The brand new Chick-Fil-A, across Marketplace Boulevard from the previous location, is only slightly larger in square footage, but can accommodate a significantly greater amount of drive-through traffic. (Staff photo by Joe Emanski.)

QUALITY OF LIFE

QUALITY OF LIFE HERE IN HAMILTON TOWNSHIP/NO TO WAREHOUSE SPRAWL

PROTECT YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE HERE IN HAMILTON TOWNSHIP/NO TO WAREHOUSE SPRAWL

PROTECT YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE HERE IN HAMILTON TOWNSHIP/NO TO WAREHOUSE SPRAWL

WHAT’S AT STAKE:

WHAT’S AT STAKE:

HERE IN HAMILTON TOWNSHIP/NO TO WAREHOUSE SPRAWL

tics contributed by township residents, Trotta reached her goal last month, or at least, she was pretty sure she had — at the time of this writing, she was less than a hundred pounds short with a number of bags of plastic waiting to be sorted.

“I’m so grateful for the support the residents of Hamilton are showing for my project. Thank you to everyone for your support,” Trotta says.

Trotta, an 11th grader at The Hun School of Princeton, already has an impressive résumé when it comes to recycling. For her Girl Scouts Silver Award, she partnered with a company called Preserve to collect number 5 plastics for its “Gimme 5” program.

(View of property in RRC zone)

(View of property in RRC zone)

(View of property in RRC zone)

• PRIME FARMLAND

ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE LAND

• ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE LAND

• PRIME FARMLAND

FOREST HABITAT, WETLANDS, AND FIELDS SAFE, RURAL, UNCONGESTED ROADS

(View of property in RRC zone)

• PRIME FARMLAND

• FOREST HABITAT, WETLANDS, AND FIELDS

• SAFE, RURAL, UNCONGESTED ROADS

Though number 5 plastics (yogurt cups, plastic cutlery) are not typically collected, Preserve uses them to make recycled household items such as toothbrushes and reusable water bottles.

QUIET NEIGHBORHOODS

• ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE LAND

• QUIET NEIGHBORHOODS

• FOREST HABITAT, WETLANDS, AND FIELDS

• ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE LAND

• PROTECTION OF THE RURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION

• SAFE, RURAL, UNCONGESTED ROADS

• FOREST HABITAT, WETLANDS, AND FIELDS

• QUIET NEIGHBORHOODS

• SAFE, RURAL, UNCONGESTED ROADS

• QUIET NEIGHBORHOODS

PROTECTION OF THE RURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION (RRC) ZONE AN IMPORTANT PROPERTY ~ 100 acres IN THE RRC ZONE IS THREATENED BY DEVELOPMENT LOCATED NEAR EDGEBROOK AND CROSSWICKS – HAMILTON SQUARE ROAD EAST OF THE ROUTE 130 COMMERCIAL ZONE

• PROTECTION OF THE RURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION (RRC) ZONE

• PROTECTION OF THE RURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION (RRC) ZONE

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

While Trotta had success with the Gimme 5 program, not enough people were. Preserve discontinued the program, although it is still in operation today (Web: preserve.eco).

made of composite materials, which she then dedicated to Hun’s middle school. The bench now sits in a courtyard on the Hun campus.

As she was thinking of ideas for her Gold Award, Trotta learned about the NexTrex program from a family friend whose school had embarked on the program. At the time, the NexTrex challenge was to collect 500 pounds of plastic film in six months.

Since then, Trex changed the program to require 1,000 pounds of plastic to be collected in one year. Since Trotta had already met that requirement once, she decided to go for it again, setting herself a total target of one ton of plastic collected.

And once again, she reached the goal in just six months. In the meantime, The Hun School has started up its own NexTrex program, no doubt inspired by Trotta.

AN IMPORTANT PROPERTY ~ 100 acres IN THE RRC ZONE IS THREATENED BY DEVELOPMENT LOCATED NEAR EDGEBROOK AND CROSSWICKS – HAMILTON SQUARE ROAD EAST OF THE ROUTE 130 COMMERCIAL ZONE

AN IMPORTANT PROPERTY ~ 100 acres IN THE RRC ZONE IS THREATENED BY DEVELOPMENT LOCATED NEAR EDGEBROOK AND CROSSWICKS – HAMILTON SQUARE ROAD EAST OF THE ROUTE 130 COMMERCIAL ZONE

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

AN IMPORTANT PROPERTY ~ 100 acres IN THE RRC ZONE IS THREATENED BY DEVELOPMENT LOCATED NEAR EDGEBROOK AND CROSSWICKS – HAMILTON SQUARE ROAD EAST OF THE ROUTE 130 COMMERCIAL ZONE

Email mayor Martin at Mayor@hamiltonnj.com and/or Email your council member at Government > Township Council at hamiltonnj.com (please send a copy to North Crosswicks Friends of Open Space at oranjpaddler47@gmail.com so we can tra PLAN to attend the Township Council meeting concerning an ordinance to rezone the referenced properties from the RRC zone to RD, look for the announcement on Hamiltonnj. com, in the newspaper, or call NCFOS at 609 298-1157

1ST Email mayor Martin at Mayor@hamiltonnj.com and/or Email your council member at Government > Township Council at hamiltonnj.com (please send a copy to North Crosswicks Friends of Open Space at oranjpaddler47@gmail.com so we can track your efforts)

1ST Email Mayor Martin at Mayor@hamiltonnj.com and/or Email your council member at Government > Township Council at hamiltonnj.com (please send a copy to North Crosswicks Friends of Open Space at oranjpaddler47@gmail.com so we can track your efforts)

Trotta got started last year, and exceeded her goal by 100%, collecting 1,000 pounds over that period. Much of which she collected came to her through bins placed at the ecological facility. Each week, Trotta would retrieve what had been donated, and go through it to weed out any material that did not meet Trex’s requirements.

“It’s really great to know that Trex is real company and they’re really committed to making everything sustainable and helping the environment with their practices,” Trotta says.

Trotta says she first became interested in environmental causes when she spent three months in Germany on a family trip with her parents, Janet and Rob.

IN THE PHONE CALL AND AT THE MEETING, TELL THEM: PROTECT THE RURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION ZONE NO TO REZONING THIS PROPERTY FROM THE RRC ZONE TO A RD (RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT) ZONE AND NO MOR WAREHOUSES OR OTHER COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT ON FARMLAND, WETLANDS, AND IN WOODS IN THIS AREA

1ST Email mayor Martin at Mayor@hamiltonnj.com and/or Email your council member at Government > Township Council at hamiltonnj.com (please send a copy to North Crosswicks Friends of Open Space at oranjpaddler47@gmail.com so we can track your efforts)

2ND PLAN to attend the Township Council meeting concerning an ordinance to rezone the referenced properties from the RRC zone to RD, look for the announcement on Hamiltonnj. com, in the newspaper, or call NCFOS at 609 298-1157

As a reward, Trex gave her a bench

“While we were there, we explored

2ND PLAN to attend the Township Council meeting concerning an ordinance to rezone the referenced properties from the RRC zone to RD, look for the announcement on Hamiltonnj. com, in the newspaper, or call NCFOS at 609 298-1157

For more information call Dan Dill at North Crosswicks Friends of Open Space (NCFOS):

2ND PLAN to attend the Township Council meeting concerning an ordinance to rezone the referenced properties from the RRC zone to RD, look for the announcement on Hamiltonnj.com, in the newspaper, or call NCFOS at 609 298-1157

IN THE PHONE CALL AND AT THE MEETING, TELL THEM: PROTECT THE RURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION ZONE NO TO REZONING THIS PROPERTY FROM THE RRC ZONE TO A RD (RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT) ZONE AND NO MORE WAREHOUSES OR OTHER COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT ON FARMLAND, WETLANDS, AND IN WOODS IN THIS AREA

IN YOUR EMAIL AND AT THE MEETING, TELL THEM: PROTECT THE RURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION ZONE NO TO REZONING THIS PROPERTY FROM THE RRC ZONE TO A RD (RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT) ZONE AND NO MORE WAREHOUSES OR OTHER COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT ON FARMLAND, WETLANDS, AND IN WOODS IN THIS AREA

IN THE PHONE CALL AND AT THE MEETING, TELL THEM: PROTECT THE RURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION ZONE NO TO REZONING THIS PROPERTY FROM THE RRC ZONE TO A RD (RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT) ZONE AND NO MORE WAREHOUSES OR OTHER COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT ON FARMLAND, WETLANDS, AND IN WOODS IN THIS AREA

For more information call Dan Dill at North Crosswicks Friends of Open Space (NCFOS): 609 298-1157

For more information: 609 298-1157 or visit savehamilton.com

(Chart courtesy of Trex Company, Inc.)

the bordering countries, we traveled all around Germany and I saw all their sustainable practices,” she says. “They had like eight different bins for plastic and everything was so much more organized with all of their environmental awareness.

“It was like, ‘If these other countries can do it, why can’t we do it in the United States?’”

The Hun School allows students to choose some of their own courses of study, and last year, Trotta chose to study sustainability. As part of the program, she traveled to London to learn about sustainable practices their and how to bring them back to her home community.

“Any time I have a chance to learn about sustainable and environmental practices, I always look to do that,” she says.

Trotta says that staff at the township ecological facility tell her that people dropping off plastics for her program have been asking if there are other ways that they can increase the amount of plastic they are dropping off for recycling.

“I thought if I started this kind of project, I could raise awareness,” Trotta says. “It feels good that so many people are interested in learning more and doing more to help the environment.”

To learn more about the NexTrex program, go online to nextrex.com.

Education foundation recognizes Nami

On Feb. 8, 2024, Anthony Nami of Prior and Nami Business Systems received the HEF Business Leadership Award at the Annual Awards Dinner at The Stone Terrace by John Henry’s.

Drs. Alex & Dawn Rockwell DMD

Dr. Natasha Rockwell

There’s lots to love about Vintage at Hamilton, the Award Winning*

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• 3 bedrooms

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• Clubhouse with pool, pickleball, and

KITCHEN continued from Page 1

senior, and a son in 8th grade. Six years ago, “we all moved to this wonderful country,” Singh said.

In India, Singh worked in the world of textiles. He was employed by Hong Kong based Li & Fung doing quality and planning. In 2018, the family moved to East Windsor, where they currently reside. Singh hoped to continue his career in textiles in the U.S., but that didn’t happen. Instead, he took whatever jobs he could find. He pumped gas. He worked for Amazon. To supplement his income, Singh added a side job. “I posted signs in laundromats offering home-cooked Indian food,” Singh said. Some of his first orders came from single Indian men who worked in finance, or for international firms. Bolstered by the response, Singh decided to hone his culinary skills by taking part-time jobs at restaurants.

“I couldn’t find a job,” Singh said, “so, I took the alternate route to cooking.” He worked four days at Amazon; and two days a week found him working and learning at restaurants: one in New York City, and one in Maple Shade.

available. And, in 2021, Singh’s Kitchen moved in.

The location has a small kitchen. It lacks a commercial refrigerator and commercial dishwashing equipment. So, Singh’s Kitchen packs customer orders in to-go containers for people to carry out; or, patrons can take their food to one of seven tables, or to a counter to eat in. Singh’s provides plastic utensils, plates and napkins.

“I didn’t come to America thinking I would open a restaurant,” Singh said during an interview. “It was a big risk opening during the pandemic.”

But Singh said he found support and encouragement from the small business owners that line Whitehorse Hamilton Square Road. “They all came to congratulate us,” Singh recounted. “They gave us orders to boost our business. I feel lucky to be surrounded by such nice people.”

Singh also credits a tenet of his religion for the success of his business. He said, “I believe in destiny. I believe in karma.”

Gurpreed Singh and Harjeet Kaur, the married couple behind Singh’s Kitchen in Hamilton Square. (Photo by EMH Studios.)

Singh and his wife are practicing Sikhs. The word Sikh translates to “a learner.” Karma in the Sikh religion is about personal responsibility. “The deeds we do,” Singh said, “create karma.”

It’s a belief that follows the idea that you reap what you sow. Sikhs, Singh said, are also taught: “Be humble, be soft, be kind and down to earth. The only time to raise one’s voice in the Sikh religion is when it is raised against injustice.”

One can witness Singh and his wife, Kaur, practicing those teachings as they patiently explain menu items to curious, or confused, diners. Or, when a young man didn’t have enough money for a meal he had ordered, Singh waved his hand, telling the young man to sit down and eat. The appreciative customer said he would return to finish paying the next day.

The lack of fine dining at the location deters some people, Singh noted; but, fans of the restaurant come for the taste of traditional Punjabi food so lovingly prepared by Singh, Kaur and two assistants.

The Punjab region of India is rich with traditions both agricultural and cultural. Culturally, the area was under the control of what was known as the British Raj until 1947, when India was granted independence. The British Raj was split in two, with one part of the region becoming part of Pakistan, and another portion incorporated into India.

According to India’s government website, “the mostly Muslim western part of the province became Pakistan’s Punjab Province; the mostly Sikh eastern part became India’s Punjab state.”

The name Punjab derives from two words Punj (Five) and Aab (Waters). Five rivers flowed within the Raj before being divided in two. Now, three of the rivers run through India, and two through Pakistan. Those rivers infuse the area’s fertile agri-

cultural lands. That agricultural richness infuses the food of Punjab providing meat, vegetables and wheat to make bread.

Further south, the cuisine tends more toward vegetarian offerings and rice–with rice flour being used to create crispier, more cracker-like offerings at meals instead of breads.

At Singh’s, one can try traditional offerings like baingan bhartha — a dish of pureed Indian eggplant, peas and tomatoes with spices — or Rajmah, a curried kidney bean dish. There are also a variety of curry offerings, and traditional dishes using paneer, a cheese made using a foodacid, like lemon juice, to separate the curds from the whey. The whey is then wrapped in cloth and pressed under a weight to remove excess water.

Singh sources ingredients from local Indian grocery stores and other suppliers. He prepares Halal meats, knowing some of his customers require it. “When it’s slow,” Singh said, “we keep busy with prep work.”

All in all, life and work are good for the husband and wife team. Often, their children help at the restaurant as well. Their elder daughter created the traditional Indian artwork which hangs from a wall.

While he acknowledged apprenticing in restaurants, Singh also credited his mother as a teacher. “She was an excellent cook,” Singh said with a smile. She is still his guiding light each day as he prepares meals and homemade naan in a tandoor—a clay oven that can reach 900°F.

“My motto for the restaurant,” Singh said, “is to sell the same food my mom used to serve us.”

Singh’s Kitchen, 2611 Whitehorse Hamilton Square Road. Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Friday from 3 to 9:30 p.m.; Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Sunday 11:30 to 8:30 p.m. Closed Tuesday.

Sawmill Summer Camp offers Day Camps, Diverse Abilities Camp, and Specialty Camps for youth, K through age 15.

• 50 acres of outdoor space

• Daily swim lessons are offered as an add-on

• Special Events are the highlight of the week! We’re looking forward to:

- Red Valley Ranch - Petting Zoo

- Trenton Thunder - Boomer visit

- Grounds For Sculpture - STEAM Fair

- Bounce Houses

- Foam Party

- Swal Family Creamery - Ice Cream Fridays!

- and so much more!

With a summer full of unforgettable experiences, anything is possible!

in that position. So I’ll try to be as relaxed and open-minded as possible.”

Hovemeyer, 36, works as senior partner specialist with an IT services and consulting company. He grew up playing traditional sports like baseball and soccer. He continued with those sports recreationally while attending Steinert High School, where he was a pole vaulter on the Spartan boys track and field team.

“I was subpar or average,” Hovemeyer said of his high school track career.

But when he got into axe throwing, he found a sport in which he has been able to excel, something that has taken a significant spot in his life. He threw an axe for the first time at a friend’s birthday party, and now he’ll be competing against the best in the world.

“I grew up playing baseball, soccer, and I always thought growing up it would be cool to become a professional baseball player or whatever. As I got older, that never materialized,” said Hovemeyer, who now lives in Plainsboro. “I never thought six years later I’d be throwing axes and having fun and making money off it. That’s unheard of. I’m grateful for where I’m at and all the people who I have met and have taught me different things over the years. It’s definitely something I never thought would happen.”

Once Hovemeyer started to get more interested in axe throwing, though, he found himself getting serious fast. He invested in the tools needed, upgrading to better and more expensive axes, and put in the time to improve his throwing while

AXE CHAMP continued from Page 1

Joe Hovemeyer competing in the U.S. Pro-Am axe throwing event held in Appleton, Wisconsin.

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training frequently out of his home venue, Jersey Axe House in Nutley.

“For me, it’s all about practice,” Hovemeyer said. “Practice is huge for me. If I can’t go up to Nutley to get practice in, I’ll go to the local Bury the Hatchet and ask the coaches there can I get a couple hours in there during the week.”

Hovemeyer typically practices one or two hours three times a week to stay sharp. “A lot of people can just show up and throw, but for me it’s all about practice,” he said. “Those repetitive motions, making sure that I’m getting my technique into top shape. Anything to help me go that extra mile.”

Hovemeyer was introduced to axe throwing with heavy estwing hatchets. Not long after, he bought a more manageable hatchet and started to practice.

“As time went on, I evolved my throw from a step to no step,” Hovemeyer said. “I ended up buying my first Ace of Spades hatchet from the World Axe Throwing League, which is the organization I throw with. I started throwing the Ace of Spades, and from there I’ve probably changed up my throw about 100 times, always trying to find the type of throw that will feel comfortable for me.”

It has taken time and experimentation to get to that point. There is a big range of styles, though many of the top throwers use a similar technique, and Hovemeyer has worked tirelessly to find his style, going from a baseball throwing technique early to his current style.

“Long story short, it’s been a developed throw,” he said. “It’s developing the mind and body, one step at a time.”

Hovemeyer looked online for pointers, and he has studied other throwers. When he joined a Facebook group for axe throwing, one of his first questions to the

group was: Where to find the sharp-looking jerseys that some wore in pictures. The answer?

“You have to qualify to earn a bid to go to Worlds,” Hovemeyer remembered the answer he got back. “I was like, ‘Game on, I’ll try my best throughout the year to gain enough circuit points to get to that point.’”

Hovemeyer travels to tournaments on the circuit to build qualifying points. The Jersey Axe House in Nutley held a rules preparation tournament on Mar. 24 to help those going to Worlds, and Hovemeyer was in Pennsylvania for another competition just two days earlier. Competitions have taken him near and far, going around the country.

“Last summer in June, I drove all the way out to Iowa — 17 hours one way, 17 hours back,” Hovemeyer said. “It was a tier-one tournament, but I was also part of a team at that point. In order for us to go to our team worlds, we had to take part in two different tier one tournaments, and my second one was there. I couldn’t fly because the prices were outrageous. But

Hovemeyer in action at last year’s world championships, held in Appleton, Wisconsin.

I’ll probably never do that again, because that drive was too long.”

There are four disciplines in axe throwing. Hovemeyer is qualified to compete in hatchet and big axe, not in duals or knives this year. Worsening carpel tunnel syndrome makes the flicking motion used for knives difficult, and Hovemeyer and his partner didn’t qualify in time for duals.

Now, he’s putting his focus into the hatchet and big axe, for which he feels best suited. Hovemeyer is calling on his previous big tournament experience to help his second time through the worlds. His first time was surreal.

“I get out there and I’m around the champions from the past years, and it was a great experience to get out there and be around people that care about throwing,” Hovemeyer said. “The community is a great community of throwers, spectators, competitors. Everyone wants to see you do better, everyone wants to see you take your game to the next level.”

He had to win a regional competition to gain entry into the big axe category. “I went in there with an open mind. I knew I wasn’t going to go far, but I surprised myself in big axe going a lot further than I thought I was. And it just opened my eyes to how welcoming everyone is,” he said.

Hovemeyer continues to improve with his practice and dedication. He competed

in the U.S. Pro-Am in Appleton, Wisconsin, in November. Appleton also hosted last year’s world championships.

Hovemeyer finished in the top 16 at the pro-am out of field of more than 200 throwers. “The top four guys got onto ESPN2 for the filming,” he said. “I was that close, but I didn’t quite hit the mark.”

Hovemeyer is looking to be on target at the world championships. Qualifying again is affirmation that his dedication and practice are paying off. Axe throwing has become a big part of his life. He is looking for sponsors to continue to support his competition trips, and he is so invested that he is exploring possibly opening his own axe throwing venue in Mercer County so he can share his passion for the sport even more.

“It all depends on interest from the community and interest from other people as well,” Hovemeyer said. “It’s tough. It’s a growing sport, but at the same time you have to get that interest from people in the community. I coach at Stumpy’s Hatchet House in Princeton every once in a while, so I’m able to coach people, let them know about my techniques. As long as they’re having fun and it’s putting a smile on their face, I think my job’s done.”

Anyone wishing to support Hovemeyer’s axe throwing career can send email to jhovemeyer11@gmail.com.

CHARLES CONRAD ABBOTT WORLD RENOWNED HAMILTON ARCHAEOLOGIST

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP PUBLIC LIBRARY

BI-MONTHLY NEWS FROM CAPITAL HEALTH

U.S. News & World Report Recognizes

Capital Health on Best Hospitals for Maternity List

Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell, home to the most complete maternity facility in the Greater Mercer County, New Jersey area, was named among the best in the nation for maternity services, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals for Maternity list. Capital Health is one of 19 hospitals in New Jersey and the only hospital in the Greater Mercer County area to earn this recognition.

To be recognized among the Best Hospitals for Maternity, Capital Health’s Maternity Services Program excelled on multiple quality metrics that matter to expectant families, including complication rates, C-sections, whether births are scheduled too early in pregnancy, how successfully each hospital supports breastfeeding, and transparency on racial/ethnic disparities, among other measures. “High Performing” status, the highest ranking U.S. News awards for that type of care.

For the very first time, U.S. News’ Best Hospitals for Maternity Care evaluation recognized “Maternity Care Access Hospitals” across the nation. Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell was one of 73 essential hospitals to earn this designation by providing quality care to expectant parents who wouldn’t otherwise have access to maternity care and serve communities that would otherwise be maternity care deserts. This new category is based on a number of measures including geographic isolation, number of obstetric providers per 10,000 births and hospital quality.

“We’re extremely proud to have earned two important designations from U.S. News & World Report for our Maternity

Services Program,” said Kira Przybylko, medical director of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Capital Health. “For the outstanding teams at our Josephine Plumeri Birthing Center, being named a high performing hospital validates their commitment to providing the highest level of care to expectant mothers. On an organizational level, the ‘Maternity Care Access’ recognition goes a long way to demonstrate our broader commitment to the community by assuring growing families in Trenton and other nearby underserved neighborhoods that we’re here to help them get off to the healthiest and safest start possible.”

“Hospitals that receive a High Performing designation as part of Best Hospitals for Maternity Care meet a high standard in caring for parents with uncomplicated pregnancies,” said Jennifer Winston, health data scientist at U.S. News. “These hospitals have C-section rates that are 26% lower, and newborn complication rates that are 37% lower than unrecognized hospitals. Parents-to-be can research their local hospitals’ performance metrics for free at health.usnews.com to help them choose where to have their baby.”

The Maternity Services Program at Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell makes up the most complete maternity facility in the area. From routine deliveries to high-risk needs, staff at the Josephine Plumeri Birthing Center provide a full range of prenatal, obstetrical, postpartum, and neonatal care options so newborns have the greatest chance for a healthy start. The designated Regional Perinatal Center provides neonatal care, including Mercer County’s only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for at-risk births. To learn more, visit capitalhealth.org/maternity.

While you can’t completely avoid allergens, being aware of these facts can help you prepare:

… Tree, grass, and ragweed pollen surges during seasons of warm days and cold nights.

APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY FLOWERS… AND ALLERGY SEASON

… Pollen counts are higher on warm, windy days, and in the spring, they are generally highest during evening. Rainfall offers temporary relief, but pollen counts often soar afterward.

… Molds thrive in high heat and humidity.

While it’s exciting to see trees, lawns, and flowers begin to stir, spring fever can give way to “hay fever,” or what is commonly known as seasonal allergies. The itchy eyes, runny noses, and coughing that come with seasonal allergies can stop the most enthusiastic optimists in their tracks.

The main cause of seasonal allergies is pollen from plants, the yellowish, powdery grains released by male plants as part of their reproductive process. “There is a lot of pollen in the air this time of year, and if you’re allergic, your body’s immune system releases histamine to fight it,” said DR. KATHRYN HAMILTON, a board certified family medicine physician with Capital Health – Virtual Primary Care. “This can cause inflammation, overproduction of mucous and other common symptoms of allergies. Allergens like pollen, mold, and dust mites are everywhere, but the severity of symptoms can vary, depending on the person and the location.”

… Look to local news and weather outlets for daily pollen counts.

… Keeping windows and doors shut at home and in your car on high pollen count days can help reduce exposure.

“Millions of adults and children live with seasonal allergies, so you’re not alone,” said Dr. Hamilton. “If you’re not sure what’s causing your allergies, schedule a visit with your doctor to identify your triggers and develop a plan for treatment.” Nasal sprays or rinses can ease symptoms, but your doctor might suggest anti-histamines or steroids. For more long-term relief, allergy shots, also known as immunotherapy, may be recommended. Spring is a season for new beginnings, so don’t let seasonal allergies hold you back. Contact your primary care provider to develop a plan that will help you spring forward to better health. Capital Health Virtual Primary Care is a team of more than 35 primary care providers who can address a wide range of health conditions, including (but not limited to) seasonal allergies, the common cold, flu, symptoms of COVID-19, upper respiratory infection, and more. For details, or to request an appointment, visit capitalvirtualcare.org.

Wednesday, April 10 to May 29, 2024 | 4 – 5 p.m.

Location: Capital Health – Behavioral Health Specialists

100 K Johnson Boulevard N., Suite 201, Bordentown, NJ 08505

Connecting with others who have also experienced a loss can be comforting and helpful. Join Licensed Clinical Social Worker Meredith Kudrick as she leads you through an in-person eight week support and psychotherapy group.

To sign up, call 609.689.5725. This group therapy program will be billed to your health insurance.

Find the “fund” in celebrating a cause with a night out at the Arts Council of Princeton’s Art People Party, then “raise” a glass to the glamor of galas, benefi ts, and more, page 2.

Photos courtesy of Tamara Gillon, above, and Ooika, right.

Get Your Gala On: Parties Pay it Forward for Spring

By Sara Hastings

Sample galas and benefits galore with a look inside the staple event of the nonprofit spring calendar, which previews upcoming parties hosted by the area’s arts and cultural organizations, as well as social service providers, that support programming.

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Arts Council of Princeton

The Arts Council of Princeton hosts its annual Art People Party on Friday, April 5, from 7 to 10 p.m. The evening features food, drink, music, and dancing, as well as a tombola, or Italian-style art lottery. Works of art, each valued at more than $350, have been donated by local artists.

Participating guests will each receive a number and select an artwork to take home with them when their number is called. All entrants are guaranteed to go home with something.

Being honored this year is architect J. Robert Hillier of Witherspoon Streetbased Studio Hillier.

The firm’s many Princeton-area projects include work on private homes as well as faculty housing at the Institute for Advanced Study, an addition to the Lawrenceville School’s Kirby Math and Science Center, and renovations at the Princeton Marriott and YWCA Princeton

Signed copies of “Hillier: Selected Works,” a recently published monograph of projects undertaken by the husband-and-wife team of J. Robert and Barbara A. Hillier during the last 25 years, are for sale as part of registration for the party for $50.

Proceeds from the party benefit the Arts Council’s Anne Reeves Artist in Residence Program and other outreach initiatives.

Tickets are $150, with sponsorship opportunities starting at $500. Tombola entries are $350 each.

Arts Council of Princeton’s “Art People Party” returns on Friday, April 5, from 7 to 10 p.m.

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Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street, Princeton. 609-924-8777 or artscouncilofprinceton.org.

Phone:

News:

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e-mail advertise@communitynews.org

The

at the Paul Robeson Center for the Arts building,

Witherspoon Street, in honor of Studio Hillier architect J. Robert Hillier. Photo of 2023 event courtesy of Tamara Gillon and the Arts Council of Princeton.

Bohren’s (an agent of United Van Lines) Moves Into Its Second Century of Operation

Family-Owned Robbinsville Company Celebrates Its 100th Anniversary

The moving and storage industry has changed dramatically in the last 100 years since Bohren’s Moving & Storage Company opened for business in 1924 with one Model T Ford truck based at a small warehouse on Chambers Street in Princeton. But through four generations of family ownership, the company has demonstrated its resilience, savvy and foresight, looking for new opportunities while also adapting to many changes over the past century.

In this 100th year of operation for Bohren’s United Van Lines, President Denise Hewitt and her father, Chairman of the Board Ted Froehlich, are grateful for their overwhelming success in the moving category. They are also thankful that decisions made over the decades to diversify the brand have allowed them to keep up with the times.

Hewitt, an Allentown, N.J., resident, and Froehlich, a Princeton resident, intend for 2024 to be a year of celebration and sharing with their employees, customers and the public. Over the year they’ll look back over the decades but also keep an eye on the future, an approach that has kept the business successful for so long.

In the beginning, E.L. Bohren delivered baggage for Princeton University students and did small moves with his Model T truck. By the second generation, Bohren’s son-in-law Warren Froehlich expanded the business and in 1955 became an agent of United Van Lines. His grandson Ted began working for Bohren’s every day after school when he was 12. By the time he was 17, he was driving trucks on routes from New York, Boston, or Pittsburgh to Washington D.C. on a regular basis.

When Ted Froehlich was 27, his dad passed away. Ted had three brothers, but none were interested in running the business. Ted was intrigued, even though his experiences at that point were limited to being a dispatcher, a claims adjuster and, of course, a truck driver. Seeing an opportunity to take on and shape the business, he stepped into the CEO role. He immediately hired management consultants to help him make the business more efficient and professional, the first of his many strategic and prescient decisions.

Another important key step to expanding and increasing the profitability of the company was to become a stockholder in United Van Lines (UVL). As a part owner of UVL, Froehlich and his business became eligible to make moves across the 48 states as well as Canada and Mexico. This made Bohren’s a major player in the moving and storage business as the firm moved families and commercial entities across the country. Throughout this period of growth, excellent service was always his top priority. Froehlich said it took 12 service members in a variety of jobs, from customer service, to sales, to crews, to provide outstanding customer service for every single household move.

Over time, he noted, a shortage of long-haul drivers was becoming a major issue for the industry. It forced Bohren’s to re-evaluate some of

the long-distance moving capabilities. Local and tri-state moving and storage still remain a specialty today.

In 1985 and 1989 respectively, Ted’s daughters Denise and Louise joined the business. Louise managed the Human Resources Department and served as Vice President until her departure in 2021 to pursue other interests. Denise worked in virtually every position in the company before she became President in 2002 and Ted became Chairman.

Denise and her father quickly realized the benefits of Bohren’s being a woman-owned and operated business at that time, welcoming the opportunity to become certified as such by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council the following year. That certification gave the company access to hundreds of corporate clients and government agencies providing a percentage of contracts to women- and minority-owned businesses.

Following in her father’s footsteps, Denise focused on increasing efficiency and expanding new opportunities. One example of that came as Bohren’s customers with residences in the Hamptons and Long Island inquired about the transport and storage of their art collections. Denise recognized the unique need for a trusted, reliable vendor and capitalized on the company’s strengths in those areas. Bohren’s Fine Art Transportation & Storage was created to handle the personal collections of their residential clients but quickly grew to service major art galleries and museums.

In the past century, Bohren’s has expanded from its original humble warehouse in Princeton to as many as five locations in New Jersey and Florida. But again, Froehlich’s instincts told him at a certain point that consolidation would make sense, and in 1999 the father-daughter team brought it all into one 12-acre facility at 3 Applegate in Robbinsville, where they operate today.

One hundred years in, Bohren’s has morphed from a single-owner shipper to Bohren’s Companies, encompassing three divisions: Bohren’s Moving & Storage, Bohren’s Fine Art Transportation, and Bohren’s Logistics. Their services range from household and commercial moving and storage, to trade shows, to transport and storage of art as well as high-valued electronic and medical equipment. Bohren’s has moved and/ or stored everything from microwaves to Elvis Presley memorabilia, Andy Warhol art to Apache helicopters, and RCA communications satellites to Rothko sculptures.

The company is looking forward to what the leadership of the fifth generation will do to expand the future of Bohren’s into the next century.

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

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Community News Service Ad-high res.pdf 2 3/19/24

Louise Froehlich (left) and Denise Hewitt (right) pictured with Ted Froehlich (seated).

on Saturday, April 6, at 6 p.m.

The evening starts with cocktails and a silent auction, followed by an awards presentation and live entertainment during dinner. Silent auction winners will be announced before the evening concludes at 9 p.m.

This year’s honorees include Maria Richardson, Patron of the Arts Excellence Award; Phillip McConnell, Outstanding Emerging Artisan Award; and Wise Intelligent & Culture Freedom, The Poor Righteous Teachers

Richardson is the City of Trenton director of recreation, natural resources and culture and the acting director of health and human services. A statement from Passage lauds her as “a good friend to the theater, to the arts community in Trenton, and to Trenton youth and families. For over three decades of service, Maria has been a tireless advocate in municipal government, the private sector, and academia.”

Passage materials explain that McConnell is a “multidisciplinary visual artist, filmmaker, writer, and spoken word artist,” with a focus on glitch art, “the aesthetic of digital errors, created by corrupting the data of pictures…Phillip ultimately wants people to see that thinking abstract or dis-

cussing emotions within art should be a normal thing for a black creative and that fellow black creatives shouldn’t have to always discuss trauma within their work.”

Wise Intelligent and Culture Freedom of the Poor Righteous Teachers, a hip hop group originally from Trenton, have been center stage at Passage this season with their music serving as the backdrop for the world premiere of “Ghetto Gods in Divineland” earlier this year.

“Apart from launching his own record label — Intelligent Muzik Group (2007) — for nearly 25 years, Wise Intelligent has leveraged his business sense and recognition as a hip-hop pioneer into social entrepreneurship, activism, youth advocacy, and the development of educational and entrepreneurship programs that train and inspire from the unique vantage point of hip hop culture,” Passage materials state.

A Trenton native, “Culture Freedom, along with his wife, were youth ministry leaders for 15 years.” He “has experience publicly speaking to various groups,” including at-risk students involved in organizations from Trenton to California.

Initiative hosts its “Spring Luncheon” benefitting the

Dreams” children’s

Passage Theater, Trenton’s only community theater, has a stated mission to create and produce “socially relevant plays and arts programming that deeply resonate with and reflect our community. Through professional productions, educational programs, and community engagement, we present diverse voices that inspire audiences and invigorate the art of live theater.” Proceeds from the gala support its continued programming.

The Trenton Country Club is located at 201 Sullivan Way in West Trenton. Tickets are $125. Registration is available online or in person at the box office on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call ahead at 609-392-0766. HomeFront’s

Passage Theater, Mill Hill Playhouse, 205 East Front Street, Trenton. passagetheatre. org/2024gala.

American Repertory Ballet

American Repertory Ballet celebrates its 70th anniversary with a Platinum Jubilee Gala on Saturday, April 20, at 6:30 p.m. at Jasna Polana in Princeton.

Reporter Dan Aubrey explained the journey that led to the nonprofit dance company’s founding in a 2013 article marking the 50th anniversary of “Nutcracker” productions at McCarter Theater:

“One dreamer was Audree Estey, the Canadian-born founder and director of Princeton Ballet Society that, after a few name variations, became the professional American Repertory Ballet (which maintains the Princeton Ballet School).

“After a typical nomadic dance experience — studying in Winnipeg, performing with a Hollywood dance company, touring the vaudeville circuit, and dancing for Fox Films — Audree Phipps married Lawrenceville School English teacher Wendell ‘Bud’ Estey and moved to the Princeton area in 1933.

“Here she began providing classes at the Lawrenceville School and seemingly any place she could use, including the garage of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer. She also continued her study, including in the early 1950s with prominent choreographer Antony Tudor at Jacob’s Pillow in Massachusetts. It was then that she began to dream of creating her Princeton company.”

Princeton Ballet School was founded in 1954 to offer dance classes; American Repertory Ballet, the professional dance company, was established in 1963 as the Princeton Ballet Society.

The black tie-optional celebration features dinner and remarks by current ARB trustees Nancy S. MacMillan, Penelope Lattimer, and Susan Croll in honor of the evening’s honorees, the chairs of ARB’s board from 1954 to the present. The festivities also include live music, dancing, and a

silent auction.

Jasna Polana is located at 4519 Province Line Road, Princeton. Individual tickets are $300. Sponsorship opportunities range from $2,000 to $20,000.

American Repertory Ballet, 301 North Harrison Street, Princeton. arballet.org.

HomeFront

Lawrence-based nonprofit HomeFront’s Women’s Initiative holds a celebratory Spring Luncheon that spotlights the goals and impact of HomeFront’s children’s programming as experienced by and expressed through the voices of the families it serves on Sunday, April 21, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton.

The event includes coffee, cocktails, and mocktails followed by a buffet brunch. Tickets include access to view the sculpture grounds. All proceeds benefit HomeFront’s Joy, Hopes & Dreams educational and cultural enrichment programming.

The mission of HomeFront’s Women’s Initiative, as stated on its website, is “to mobilize a group of 1,000 caring and committed women of all ages who will lend their expertise and support to help alleviate family homelessness in our community.

The Women’s Initiative works in concert with HomeFront’s rich array of programs and services. Through these efforts, we strengthen our community, making it a better place to live, work and raise a family.”

Grounds For Sculpture is located at 80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton. Tickets cost $75 per person or $750 for a table of 10. To register or for more information, call 609989-9417, extension 107, or email PaulaA@ HomeFrontNJ.org.

HomeFront, 1880 Princeton Avenue, Lawrenceville. 609-989-9417 or homefrontnj.org.

United Way of Greater Mercer County

The United Way of Greater Mercer County (UWGMC) board of directors hosts its fourth annual United in Impact Awards on Tuesday, April 30, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Grounds For Sculpture.

The annual event celebrates community champions who demonstrate leadership, passion, and a commitment to a thriving and equitable community in their everyday life. This year’s community champions are:

Patrick L. Ryan, president and CEO of First Bank, Live United Corporate Award; Ida Jackson Woods, assistant vice president and chief diversity officer for ETS, Advocate Award; Denise Mariani, civil trial attorney at Stark & Stark, Community Quarterback Award; and Edward W. Bullock, president of the board of trustees for The Trenton Literacy Movement,

Eugene Marsh Community Impact Award. Brenda Ross-Dulan, founder and managing principal of the Ross-Dulan Group, serves as the event’s mistress of ceremony. Proceeds from the event directly provide food, rental assistance, health insurance access, tax preparation services, children’s books, school supplies and other resources to help individuals and families get ahead. There are more than 60,000 families in Mercer County struggling to make ends meet.

Tickets are $150 and sponsorship opportunities are available.

More information: uwgmc.org/ unitedimpactawards. See PARTIES, Page 6

Isles

Trenton-based nonprofit Isles hosts its spring celebration on Saturday, May 4, at 6 p.m. at the Social Profit Center at Mill One in Hamilton.

The event features locally sourced springtime cuisine, fun cocktails, and music at the historic mill that Isles renovated into a community hub for nonprofits, social impact offices, and artists, as well as its own headquarters.

Being honored at the event are U.S. Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, a Democrat representing the 12 Congressional District, and Stacy Denton, director of TRiO Upward Bound at Mercer County Community College, a program for high school students from low income families in which neither parent holds a bachelor’s degree to encourage completing a high school diploma and pursuing post-secondary education.

Proceeds from the event benefit Isles, the 43-year-old community development and environmental organization with a mission to foster “self-reliant families and healthy, sustainable communities,” according to its website.

Mill One is located at 1 North Johnston Avenue in Hamilton. Tickets for the event are $125. A commemorative Isles tote bag is available for an additional $50. The bags were created by Inspired Threads, a Hamilton-based nonprofit that employs people with disabilities to create ecofriendly, upcycled products from discarded fabric scraps.

More information: isles.org.

The Jewish Center Princeton

The Jewish Center celebrates 75 years — its diamond jubilee — on Saturday, May 4, with a cruise-themed gala.

The event, titled “Sail the Chai Seas!” will turn The Jewish Center’s Nassau Street campus into a cruise ship along with two excursion destinations.

Guests will be welcomed to the event along the “gangplank,” purchase duty free goods from promenade shop vendors in the lobby, enjoy cocktails in the Lido Bar and Lounge, gamble the night away in the Atlantic Deck casino and Sky Deck sports bar, enjoy a delicious buffet dinner and dancing to the tunes of DJ TY in the grand ballroom, lounge in the Empress Deck piano/karaoke bar, be entertained by mentalist Ben Seidman, and take excursions to both Paris and the Islands. The cruise will set sail at 7:30 p.m.

Princeton’s first Jewish congregation emerged in the mid-1920s, and a growing Jewish population led to the formal cre-

ation of the Jewish Center in 1949. In 1958, the congregation moved to its current Nassau Street space, which underwent additional expansions in 1983 and 1990.

Tickets for the event are $175 per person, with raffle tickets available for an additional $100. Sponsorship packages, which include multiple event tickets as well as recognition in print, online, and with a carved brick in the Jewish Center’s courtyard, range from $540 to $75,000. For more information about sponsorship opportunities, contact executive director Joel Berger at jberger@thejewishcenter.org

Jewish Center of Princeton, 435 Nassau Street, Princeton. 609-921-0100. thejewishcenter.org/diamond-jubilee.

Housing Initiatives of Princeton

Housing Initiatives of Princeton holds its spring garden party and fundraiser on Sunday, May 5, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Princeton home of Tibbie and Greg Samios. The event includes light fare, drinks, and a presentation by John N. Robinson III

Robinson is associate faculty in American studies and assistant professor of sociology at Princeton University. He studies the racial underpinnings of money and markets, with emphasis on housing and credit policies. Robinson’s current book project explores the ongoing rise of the affordable housing industry in the U.S. and its intersections with racial and economic inequality.

The event benefits the nonprofit founded in 2001 to assist local individuals and families experiencing housing insecurity build toward a sustainable future via stable housing, better employment, and a network of support services.

HIP provides services including transitional housing and temporary rental assistance and engages in advocacy efforts to raise awareness of insufficient housing options and challenges facing the working poor.

Individual tickets are $90. Sponsorship opportunities range from $150 to $1,000.

More information: housinginitiativesofprinceton.org

Capital Harmony Works

Capital Harmony Works, the Tren-

The evening of music and

Capital Harmony Works, the Trenton nonprofit behind the Trenton Children’s Chorus, Trenton Music Makers, and Music for the Very Young, holds its “One Voice Many Sounds” gala on Tuesday, May 7, at 5:30 p.m. at Cooper’s Riverview in Trenton. Photo courtesy of Capital Harmony Works staff.

hosted by Bradd Marquis, a Trentonborn singer, songwriter, and producer. The evening starts with cocktails and appetizers, followed by dinner and live entertainment from the Trenton Children’s Chorus and Trenton Music Makers.

Proceeds from the gala benefit the organization’s decades-long history of providing free music education to children and families in Trenton.

The Trenton Children’s Chorus, founded in 1989, is a nationally recognized group that has performed at the White House and the United Nations. In addition to choral music education, the program provides instruction in drumming and keyboard, music theory, and assistance with school work, standardized tests, and college admissions.

The Trenton Music Makers, part of the El Sistema program, teaches the values of leadership and teamwork through instruction in violin, viola, cello and bass instruments, as well as musicianship and composition.

Music for the Very Young is a program that incorporates music education into Pre-K classrooms in Trenton.

Cooper’s Riverview is located at 50 Riverview Plaza, Trenton. Tickets for the gala start at $150 per person. Sponsorships are available at levels ranging from $1,000 to $25,000.

Capital Harmony Works, The Social Profit Center at Mill One, 1 North Johnston Avenue, Suite A209, Trenton. 609-3948700 or capitalharmony.works.

McCarter Theatre Center

The biggest party of the year at Princeton’s McCarter Theater is its annual gala, taking place Saturday, May 11, at the theater and under the stars.

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The centerpiece of the evening is a cabaret performance by Tony Award-winning Broadway star Laura Benanti. Prior to the show, guests enjoy a cocktail reception and three-course dinner featuring topshelf wines. Drinks and dancing follow the performance.

Benanti first rose to fame as a teenager playing the role of Maria in Broadway’s “The Sound of Music.” She has starred in 10 subsequent shows, including a Tony Award-winning performance in “Gypsy.”

Her latest film roles include Sony Pictures’ “No Hard Feelings” and Netflix’s “Worth.” She can also be seen in Max’s “The Gilded Age” and Hulu’s “Life & Beth.”

PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY

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Most recently, she created, wrote, and starred in “Nobody Cares,” an original musical comedy show for Audible.

Proceeds from the gala benefit the nonprofit theater’s programming, arts education initiatives, and community engagement activities.

Tickets start at $300, which excludes dinner service. Individual tickets including dinner range from $600 to $2,000.

McCarter Theater, 91 University Place, Princeton. 609-258-2787 or mccarter.org.

Morven Museum & Garden

Morven Museum & Garden’s annual Morven in May spring garden party takes on special significance this year as it also launches anniversary celebrations for Morven’s 20th year as a museum.

The party is happening rain or shine on Friday, May 17, from 7 to 9 p.m. on the museum grounds.

Peonies will be in full bloom for the party, which also includes food, drinks,

See PARTIES, Page 8

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Ooika Matcha ‘Teas’ Up for Lawrenceville Opening

By George Point

Matcha, the finely ground powder of specially grown, uniquely flavored green tea leaves that are at the heart of “chanoyu” —the traditional Japanese tea ceremony— is now available at Ooika, a cozy tea house on Lawrenceville’s Main Street dedicated to offering high-quality matcha in its many forms.

Ooika opened its doors on February 27.

“Ooika” is a Japanese word that represents the aroma from the high-quality, shaded matcha offered at owner Joann Lui’s establishment.

According to the Ooika website, Lui “grew up in a family of tea enthusiasts.” Her father is from Chaozhou, China, a city “renowned for Gongfu cha,” described as “the skillful art of tea brewing.”

She eventually met Marc Alexandre, Ooika’s miller, who had apprenticed under tea expert Shunan Teng before his journey led him to Japan, where he discovered heritage matcha.

As continued on its website, Ooika invites its customers to savor “...the unique experience of single-origin heritage matcha from the most celebrated multigenerational family farms across Japan in Uji, Yame, Hoshinomura, Shizuoka, Kagoshima, and more, freshly ground inhouse with traditional Japanese Ishi-Usu stone mills.”

Lui wrote the following on her Facebook page:

“Ooika’s commitment to traditional matcha cultivation and production techniques helps to preserve this ancient art form for future generations to enjoy, while also making matcha more accessible to a Western audience.”

“If you’ve ever had bitter, yellow matcha here in the U.S., that’s because most matcha sold here are months, if not years old.”

“But matcha is meant to be consumed fresh, just like coffee, with a vibrantly green color,” she continued. “That’s why we’re obsessed with stone-milled singlecultivar matcha to bring you the unparalleled freshness that we can’t find here in the U.S.”

A rotating selection of hot and cold matcha-based beverages are available, ranging in price from $3.45 for hot Binchotan Hojicha—a charcoal roasted green tea that is absent matcha’s vegetal green flavor and is caffeine free—to $9.95 for a strawberry matcha parfait.

Patrons are invited to specify the desired level of sweetness; this reporter enjoyed a sugar-free hot matcha latte ($6.85) made with freshly ground matcha and steamed Oatly oat milk.

Ooika also offers a selection of matcha and teaware available for purchase from its website, ooika.co

Membership in their Matcha Mill Club is also available, giving subscribers the opportunity to “explore Japan’s rare, sin-

Joann Lui is the owner of Ooika Matcha, the new tea house now open at 2661 Main Street in Lawrenceville, which grinds the green tea into fresh powder using in-house Japanese stone mills. Photos courtesy of Ooika.

gle-origin matcha shipped to you within 24 hours of stone-milling every month.”

In one of the bolder mission statements put out by any establishment, Ooika promises “to preserve heritage Matcha across the historic terroirs of Japan by making uncompromised matcha accessible to the U.S.”

Why not drop by and decide for yourself?

From PARTIES, Page 7

music, and the chance to see the special exhibit “Morven Revealed,” showcasing rarely exhibited objects and photographs of the mansion and its notable residents through the years.

Morven was built by Declaration of Independence signer Richard Stockton in the 1750s on property granted to his family by William Penn in 1701. After a fire, it was rebuilt and named Morven in 1758.

Four subsequent generations of Stocktons lived in the home before it was leased to General Robert Wood Johnson in 1928.

From 1945 to 1981, it was home to five governors as New Jersey’s first governor’s mansion. The property was restored and

reopened as a museum and garden in 2004.

Proceeds from the garden party support the continued upkeep of the property and the museum’s exhibitions.

In addition to celebrating its 20th anniversary, Morven is also preparing for special programming in honor of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026.

Tickets for the garden party range from $250 to $20,000.

Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton Street, Princeton. 609-924-8144 or www. morven.org. * * *

And guess what? You’re invited.

* * *

Ooika, 2661 Main Street, Lawrenceville. Currently open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. www.ooika.co

Hours are subject to change during the soft opening period, with a formal opening planned in early June.

Morven Museum & Garden’s “Morven in May” spring garden party blossoms in recognition of the museum’s 20 years in operation on Friday, May 17, from 7 to 9 p.m. on the its grounds in Princeton. Photo courtesy of Morven Museum & Garden.

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Blend Bar & Bistro

Bringing Together Food, Cocktails, and People

When Antonio Carannante, coowner of Hamilton’s BLEND Bar & Bistro, is asked how his team came up with the name Blend, he explains, “Blend is all about bringing it together, whether it’s people or ingredients, to share something creative with each other. Pick up a bottle of your favorite wine, beer, or spirit and more often then not you see the word blend or they will list ingredients they use to Blend together. There’s Blended whiskeys, beers, vodkas, wines and more. It’s a word you can’t get away from. But also mainly just the idea of the word has a positive vibe. We like the idea of blend to bring food, cocktails, and people together.”

Indeed, “blend” is something this establishment does very well. In addition to a modern American cuisine concept, the restaurant also offers dishes that represent other global influences. “We have chicken pot

You’re Invited

dumplings and Ahi Poke Bowl, but we also have nachos, quesadillas, and empanadas, as well as gnocchi. Some popular grilled items are our Bone-in Ribeye, Porkchop and handmade never frozen angus burgers served with our very popular handcut fries ,” explains Carannante.

“So we offer a good mix of different flavors and flair to make sure everyone is happy while providing a fun environment and a family friendly dining experience.

In additional to offering both large and small seasonal dishes, more than 100 spirits, 20 draft lines, and a variety of wines, the restauranteur also offers catering, for both on and off-premises. Blend caters at multiple venues in the area including but not limited to Sayen Gardens, Grafton House, Nottingham Ballroom, and also has a dining room for private events that can seat 50 people. They have curbside dining with their outdoor patio, featuring heaters throughout.

Our events include weddings, rehearsal dinners, baby and bridal showers, bachelor parties, retirement

dinners, and much more.

Many of our off premises events are branded under a branch we call, New Jersey Weddings and Events, a catering and event planning company, that we target the more formal events off premise . “We are one-stop service in that way. If a customer chooses to, we can coordinate their entire event, with flowers, music, whatever they desire. We are always happy to make recommendations for what vendors to use as well.”

The Carannante Family originally started and still includes, Brother’s Pizza on Route 33, allows them to offer a variety of pizza-themed parties for customers, including wood-burning pizza ovens for backyard parties and cocktail hours for any special event. Blend consistently holds special events at the restaurant, like wine pairing dinners and happy hours, as well as fundraiser events and holiday parties, but one of its biggest events is the Mercer County Central Jersey Beer and Wine Festival. At the next festival, on Saturday, September 28, from noon to 6 p.m., guests can taste hundreds of different beers and wines

while listening to live music, meeting brewers, and enjoying food vendors. Find tickets at www.cjbeerfest.com, Use Code: CJBEERFEST Antonio Carannante is the event coordinator that executes this production which it attracts thousands of people together for live music, food and drink.”

Now that spring is here, Carannante notes, “it’s time to start thinking about your upcoming special events through summer and fall. It’s always good to pencil in your dates ahead of time!”

Blend Bar & Bistro, 911 Route 33, Hamilton. 609-245-8887. drinks@blendbar.com. planner@ NJweddingsandevents.com. See ad, page 12

K’s Event Decorations and Rentals

Let Our Passion Create Your Memorable Experience

At K’s Event Decorations and Rentals, we understand that every occasion is unique and deserves personalized attention. Our team of experienced designers will work closely with you to understand your style, preferences, and budget. Whether you envision a romantic and elegant wedding or a fun and vibrant birthday party, we have the expertise to bring your vision to life. Our wedding and event design services encompass every aspect of your special day. From selecting the perfect color palette and theme to creating stunning floral arrangements and tablescapes, we pay attention to every detail to ensure a cohesive and visually stunning event. Our team will work closely with you to create a design concept that

You’re Invited

reflects your personality and creates a memorable experience for you and your guests. In addition to our design services, we also offer a wide range of event rentals to enhance your occasion. From elegant table linens and chair covers to stylish centerpieces and lighting options, we have everything you need to create a truly unforgettable event. Our extensive inventory ensures that we can accommodate events of any size and style.

At K’s Event Decorations and Rentals, we understand the importance of quality and reliability and that is why we only work with trusted vendors who share our commitment to excellence. Our team will coordinate with these vendors to ensure seamless execution of your event, allowing you to relax and enjoy your special day. We take pride in our exceptional customer service and strive to exceed your expectations.

Our team is dedicated to providing prompt and professional assistance throughout the planning process and on the day of your event. Antonia James is the CEO and creative

designer who found her purpose designing and creating memorable experiences through life’s momentous celebrations. Antonia has worked in the service industry for more than 22 years and her belief that customer service is the number one priority carries over into everything K’s does. She prides herself in providing the best service with integrity and hard work, starting with an initial consultation that sets clients on the right path to turning their dream event into reality.

We believe that every client deserves personalized attention and we are committed to making your experience with us enjoyable and stress-free. Whether you are planning an intimate gathering or a grand celebration, K’s Event Decorations and Rentals is here to make your occasion truly unforgettable.

Contact us today to schedule a complimentary consultation and let us help you bring your vision to life. Allow our enthusiasm and expertise to craft your unforgettable occasion.

K’s Event Decorations and Rentals, LLC, 966 Kuser Road, Hamilton. 609-341-8724 www. kseventdecorations.com. See ad, page 11

You’re Invited . . . to Camp

Ewing Recreation Department

Camps & Pools

The Ewing Community Pools System offers two pools for seasonal members and daily patrons. The pools have shaded areas, pool furniture, changing rooms and shower facilities and ESCC has a snack bar. The Hollowbrook Pool located at 320 Hollowbrook Drive, is scheduled to open on weekends & Memorial Day on Sunday, May 26. Operating hours are Sunday to Friday, noon to 8 p.m. 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 noon to 8 p.m. Swim lessons start with evaluations on Saturday, June 15, and space is limited. Senior Swim and Senior Water Aerobics start on Monday, June 17; seniors needing assistance registering can 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. Labor Day is the last day that the pools will be open.

The Ewing Recreation Summer Camp will run from June 24 – August 23 for grades K – 5 and is held on the grounds of the Fisher School and Ewing Senior & Community Center (ESCC). The hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday. Early hours are from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. and late hours are from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Online registration is required at communitypass.net. Teen Travel will be for grades 6 – 8 and will run from July 1 – August 16. The camp will travel four days a week and stay in Ewing the other day. Campers can participate in day camp on weeks Teen Travel is not being held. Camp also offers a Counselor in Training program for children entering 9th grade.

For more information on these programs call the Ewing Recreation Office at 609-883-1776 x6203. You can also go to ewingnj.org, Community Affairs. See ad, page 10.

Gra on House

Once home to the First Sheri of Mercer County, NJ, the recently renovated Grafton House can accommodate a variety of functions and special gatherings. This historic jewel quietly hides behind the Hamilton Marketplace in rural, south-east Hamilton Township, just minutes from the New Jersey Turnpike, Interstate 195 and State Highway 130. The house was bestowed the name “Grafton” after a historic plantation located near where the home sits today!

110 Edgebrook Road Hamilton, NJ 08691

quisite and memorable…

The Sayen House & Gardens is available for a variety of functions and gatherings. The House serves as an elegant, out-of-the ordinary setting for wedding receptions, showers, holiday parties and much more. The Sayen House is nestled amongst 30 acres and serves as the perfect backdrop for your outdoor ceremony and photos!

155 Hughes Drive Hamilton, NJ 08690

Program Coordinator at (609) 890-3874 or PKrzywulak@hamiltonnj.com

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WE’RE BACK! Let me be your helper. In the home or on the road. Part-time/Day or evening. Very good references. Call Mary Ann, 609-298-4456. View thistimebesttime. wordpress.com.

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

FOR SALE

Don’t miss out on our spectacular estate and garage sale! Join us on April 6th & 7th for amazing deals on

household items and furniture. Discover treasures for every room in your home and patio, elegant furniture pieces to kitchenware, decor, costume jewelry, clothes, shoes, electronics and more. Whether you’re furnishing your first home or looking for unique finds to complement your space, we have something for everyone. Mark your calendars and be sure to stop by! 8am3pm No early birds. 3 Cottonwood Court in Plainsboro.

Home Contents Sale

Furniture, Lamps & Oddities. Bordentown City old items and very old items. Saturday, April 13th Starting 8 am. Do not bring change. 11 E Church St. Call 609-298-4456.Email mak1kieffer@aol.com for partial list.

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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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Our trucks have changed over the years but our commitment to our customers remains constant.

It started in 1924 with great-grandfather E.L. Bohren. Just one man, one Model T truck and a small warehouse in Princeton, NJ. Now one hundred years later, we have grown into the Bohren’s Companies, encompassing three divisions: Bohren’s Moving & Storage, Bohren’s Fine Art Transportation, and Bohren’s Logistics.

Through the years thousands of families, businesses and art galleries have trusted our family to move their most precious items. With everything we do, we push ourselves to deliver the best possible performance on every job, in every department, for every customer, every day. We move the things that matter. Call us today!

Understanding Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is one of the most common forms of cardiac arrhythmia, a range of cardiac conditions in which the heart beats in an irregular way (either too fast or too slow). AFib is indicated by a rapid heart rate due to uncoordinated electrical signals in the upper chambers of the heart. While a normal heart rate is around 60 to 100 beats per minute, a person with AFib can have a heart rate that ranges from normal to extremely rapid.

AFib can be caused by many different issues including heart conditions or other contributing causes such as high blood pressure, pneumonia, obstructive sleep apnea, infections from viruses, thyroid problems, high alcohol intake or other drug use, and age. AFib symptoms can include fatigue, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and chest pain.

“In addition to its underlying causes, AFib also increases the risk of stroke, heart failure and other complications,” said DR. SCOTT BURKE, medical director of Cardiac Electrophysiology and a board certified, fellowship trained cardiac electrophysiologist at Capital Health Cardiology Specialists. “Anyone having any symptoms of atrial fibrillation should make an appointment with a cardiologist to get a diagnosis and learn more about which treatment option is right for them. Medication is typically the first line of therapy, but the highly trained physicians in our Cardiac Electrophysiology Program also offer the latest minimally invasive options when more advanced care is needed that result in less pain, shorter hospital stays, and less risk for complications.”

The Watchman device is an option for people with atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem, which can lead to blood pooling and forming a clot in a part of the heart called the left atrial appendage (LAA). In a minimally invasive procedure, the Watchman device is guided through a narrow tube inserted into a vein in the patient’s leg and implanted into the LAA to permanently close it. During recovery, the patient’s own heart tissue grows over the Watchman device to prevent clots from developing in the heart and dramatically reduce the risk of stroke for certain AFib patients.

A pacemaker is a small device usually implanted in the chest with thin wires (or leads) that connect to the heart through blood vessels to monitor and deliver electrical impulses that stabilize the heart’s electrical system. Capital Health cardiac

electrophysiologists offer leadless pacing options, which eliminate the wires and allow a miniaturized device to be placed directly into the heart and perform like a traditional pacemaker. Catheter ablation is the elimination of electrically active abnormal tissue that uses recording, imaging, and mapping tools guided through thin catheters into the bloodstream to allow physicians to localize the sources of cardiac arrhythmias like AFib. After the specific location is revealed, the area triggering the arrhythmia can usually be treated with radiofrequency ablation (heat energy) or cryoablation (cold energy).

To make an appointment with one of the cardiac arrhythmia specialists at Capital Health, call 215-860-3344 or visit capitalhealthcardiology.org for more information.

Mindful Yoga

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. Registration ends 24 hours before the program date.

Wednesday, April 10, 2024 | 6 p.m.

Location: Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell

NJ PURE Conference Center, One Capital Way, Pennington, NJ 08534

Join certified yoga instructor Marsha Rudolph to experience a gentle, slow yoga practice that links breath and body awareness to increase calm, promote peace of mind, and lift your mood along with many other health benefits. Please wear comfortable clothing and bring a yoga mat or large towel and two yoga blocks (if you have them) for additional bliss.

Fitness Options for Aging Well

Monday, April 15, 2024 | 6 p.m.

Location: Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell

NJ PURE Conference Center, One Capital Way, Pennington, NJ 08534

There are many exercise options available as we age. The important thing is to learn how to do them safely and to find out what type works best for you. Cheryl Ann McGinnis, manager of Rehabilitation Services at Capital Health, will demonstrate how to properly stretch and review options for fitness programs that are individualized to each person’s needs.

ADDITIONAL UPCOMING HEALTH EDUCATION EVENTS:

THE SHOULDER: DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

Thursday, May 2, 2024 | 6 p.m. Zoom Meeting

NUTRITION TIPS FOR THRIVING AS YOU AGE

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

STROKE: PREVENTABLE, TREATABLE, BEATABLE

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

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SPORTS

The Johnston brothers: naval officers turned Pirates

By Rich Fisher

Major League Baseball rooting interests in Hamilton are mainly divided between the Phillies, Mets and Yankees. Hamiltonians, however, may want to adopt the Pirates as their second favorite team, or even favorite team 1A.

Within the Buccos minor league system are two brothers who grew up in the township. Jonathan Johnston is now the Pirates minor league hitting development coordinator, while Shawn Johnston is assistant director of coaching and player development. Their father, Tinker Johnston, is a former Hamilton West football and baseball standout and long-time coach/ manager for Broad Street Park Post 313.

The Pirates’ situation is a pleasant surprise for the family.

“I went all my life trying to play ball and as a dad you’re telling them ‘You gotta work, you aren’t gonna do anything with baseball,’ and you’re trying to get them to grow up with that mentality,” Tinker said. “Seeing these guys doing exactly what they love and getting paid for it, we couldn’t be happier or prouder of them.”

The added bonus of working in the same organization was not exactly the game plan.

“Definitely not,” Jonathan said with a laugh. “It’s certainly a special thing to be able to work with your brother. Not every combination of brothers is the same, but our family is very tight and has very good relationships. Shawn is really good at his job. He’s really good at everything he does. Being able to work with him and see him every day is a blessing.”

Shawn added that “It’s definitely a blessing and not something that you can really draw up or expect. Our paths just kind of merged within coaching and me getting involved with the Pirates. It’s definitely a cool experience to be able to work toward something with him and the rest of the group here.”

At 37, Shawn is three years younger than Jonathan. Their lives have had similar tracks in some respects. Both are Florida residents and fathers of young children. Both played baseball for Sunnybrae Little League, Hamilton Babe Ruth, BSP Post 313 and the Peddie School. Both played in college — Jonathan at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, and Shawn with Union College in New York. Both joined the Navy and reached the rank of lieutenant.

From there, they each tempo-

rarily veered into separate directions before landing with the Pirates. While on a ship during one of his three deployments, Jonathan was drafted by the A’s (an organization in which Hamilton product Chris Pittaro is an assistant to the general manager). Oakland was impressed after watching him play for the Naval team in San Diego.

He gained a release from the ship and began playing in their farm system on Memorial Day 2008. When a feature appeared on Johnston serving two uniforms, a higher up in the Navy saw the story and wasn’t happy. By Fathers Day, Jonathan was back at sea.

Once his hitch was up, he tried playing again, but “I think the days passed me by by then. I really enjoyed baseball. And I decided to get into coaching right after that,” he said.

He coached college ball at UC San Diego and UNC Asheville with the goal of becoming a head coach. While that was transpiring, Shawn earned a law school degree and passed the New York bar to become a lawyer. But during school he still had a yearning for baseball over barrister work and, through connections Jonathan had with Pittsburgh, Shawn gained an internship the summer of 2016 at Pirate City in Bradenton.

He returned to school, then interned for baseball operations in Pittsburgh in 2017. A year later, he graduated and became a permanent fixture for the Pirates; getting fully into Player Development in 2019.

Soon after, the club was looking for minor league managers and remembered Jonathan — “Probably because another See JOHNSTON, Page 20

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JOHNSTON continued from Page 19

Johnston was right in front of them there,” he said — and reached out.

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Unable to get a head job in college, Jonathan accepted the position of manager for Single A Bradenton and guided the Marauders to a league championship his first year. After three seasons, Jonathan was promoted to his current position.

support they need to help our players move forward and develop in our system and ultimately to help our team win in Pittsburgh,” Jonathan said. “I’m also part of our leadership development program. We have several tracts for coaches, one of them is leadership.”

He feels the leadership responsibility is a result of his naval experience.

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“It’s definitely a big jump in responsibility,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to work with a good group of hitting coaches and lead a department. It’s exciting as far as the scope of the job and the impact that we can have on the organization.”

½ Hr. Intermission with Refreshments (Doors will open @ 1 pm)

½ Hr. Intermission with Refreshments (Doors will open @ 1 pm)

He feels being a manager helped prepare him for the role of overseeing hitting development.

“I always gravitated towards going into the Naval Academy because I enjoy leading teams,” Jonathan said. “That’s probably my greatest passion aside from baseball. It’s good to know I’m doing something that gets people to be confident in my ability.”

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“I learned a lot about how professional baseball works and how we do things to help players develop,” Jonathan said. “It was a little bit of a smaller scale running the Bradenton affiliate, and all the ins and outs of that have given me a lot of experience I can take to a larger scale now.”

Shawn, who served as a surface warfare officer during his six-year Navy hitch, gained the Pirates’ confidence pretty quickly. After his internships, he became coordinator of project management. Last year, he gained his current position of assisting coaching and player development.

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Jonhnston will not be a hands-on hitting instructor. His duties are to oversee the development of the organizational offensive philosophy and the implementation of the Pirates development philosophy and programs.

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“I’m in charge of giving the hitting coaches and coaches on the ground the

In his previous position, Johnston worked on initiatives to improve the minor league system’s infrastructure and technology. He was also involved in advancements made to support the staff and players. That job morphed into his latest duties, as he has been given more formal budget responsibilities and has instituted the coaching development program.

“It’s a program we put all our uniformed staff through to try and continue to grow them,” Shawn said. “It’s a big project. Ultimately it comes down to aligning with the major leagues and the philosophies that are being implemented at that level; and then working to systematize it specifically with the coaching development program.”

enough to provide the long-struggling Pirates with good young players. As a small market franchise, Pittsburgh has been reluctant to sign big name free agents, which means it depends on bringing up homegrown talent. Improvement was evident last year as the Bucs went from 62 to 76 wins, and their minor league system is ranked 12th in MLB.

“We talk all the time that the way to get to where we want to be is through improving our own players,” Shawn said. “So that puts a lot of onus on creating a development system that is capable of doing that. It’s a great organization to work in if you have a passion for getting players better.”

Jonathan has similar thoughts, saying that, “Our organization is very supportive of our development and leans on our ability to develop players greatly. They’ve poured a lot into us as a player development system. We definitely feel connected to the goal that they have.”

And just how does one “coach” the coaching staff? They start by asking coaches to focus on five areas of training every day. “We put them through courses on leadership, tactical baseball, a mental performance course, a data and information center course and a transformational coaching course, which is rooted toward understanding the most effective coaching techniques in the industry. We also put a lot of resources into developing their understanding of skill acquisition and motor learning, which has become pretty prevalent in the sports industry the past couple years,” Shawn said.

Like his brother, Shawn draws from his Navy experience.

“More than I even realize,” he said. “You get put into situations really early as a young officer where you don’t necessarily know everything, you need to trust your people and communicate well with them in order to get a good decision. A lot of jobs end up being success or failure and it’s determined by your ability to do that effectively.”

The Johnstons hope to be effective

Neither Shawn nor Jonathan has longrange plans of getting to the big club. That’s not to say they don’t want to, but both brothers insist that their sole focus is to do the best job possible in the positions that they have, and everything else will take care of itself.

As for Tinker, he’s doing what he can to bring Pirate fever to Hamilton.

“You’d be surprised,” he said. “Naturally I get Pirates stuff and I’m wearing sweatshirts and T-shirts, and a lot of people will stop me and say “Hey, the Pirates, that’s my team!”

With his sons doing their best to bring Pittsburgh a winner, perhaps more township residents — and even Steel City residents — will be proud to call the Pirates their team.

Shawn and Jonathan Johnston with dad Tinker Johnston in Bradenton, Florida.

Nursing Home Neglect

Fonollosa enriches a family legacy on the softball diamond

By Rich Fisher

Probably the best thing for Ally Fonollosa the pitcher, is that she does not have to face Ally Fonollosa, the hitter.

And vice versa.

Playing for the Hamilton-Nottingham co-op softball team, the Hamilton West senior is one of the Colonial Valley Conference’s marquee players this spring both at the plate and in the circle.

A Delaware State commit for pitching, Fonollosa has a career earned run average of 3.35 with 297 strikeouts and just 78 walks in 208.2 innings pitched. Offensively, in 136 games, she has a .419 average with 10 home runs, 14 doubles, 47 RBIs and 31 runs scored.

“She’s a captain for a reason,” coach Gaby Bennett said. “All the girls, especially the new girls, look up to her a lot as an offensive force and not just as a pitcher, but the way she fields the ball and throws the ball. She’s a good example for all the other girls.”

When Fonollosa is not pitching, Bennett has her at first base or perhaps shortstop, which brings a groan from Ally, since she’d have to live up to the exploits of big sister Gabbie, who played college

ball for Rowan.

“She’s definitely the person I wanted to be,” Fonollosa said. “She was the golden softball player in my family. She could do no wrong at shortstop, so if I ever play short I have big shoes to fill. Just seeing Gabbie play throughout the years and seeing her have so much joy in the sport really inspired me.”

Ally has done nothing to tarnish the family reputation in softball. She is a pitcher first and foremost who can also hit well when she has the opportunity.

“She’s strong. She does a lot in the off-season to prepare,” the second-year coach said. “She works out, lifts, does all the things that you would want a player to do. Her approach is ‘I want to make good contact, I want to get a hard hit and that’s gonna give me the best chance to get on base.’”

Fonollosa hopes to increase her home run total by at least one this year, as she has gone from two to three to five in her first three seasons. But home runs are just a by-product of her approach.

“I’m definitely a hitter who hits for average and happens to have power,” she said. “I don’t get much of an opportunity to hit in travel. It’s a more mental thing for me.

to play Division I softball. Committing was like a weight off my shoulders. Now that it’s out of the way it’s all about fun and just doing my best at this point.”

Fonollosa began playing T-ball in HGSA at age 4 and played one travel season for the Hurricanes. She moved on to the Ninjas, Central Jersey A’s, Outlaws, and now plays for Skelly’s.

She began as a third baseman and outfielder — “which is shocking because I’m slow” — but eventually saw college games on TV and began to see the power a pitcher had over a game.

“I started taking lessons,” she said. “After I started pitching, it kind of just fit the puzzle piece. I was somewhat good at it so I stuck with it.”

Fonollosa had a strong freshman campaign with a 2.49 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 78.2 innings. Her playing time curtailed as a sophomore and last year she came back with a career year offensively, batting .478 with 22 RBIs and nine doubles. Her right arm forged a 3.74 ERA and 119 strikeouts in 95.1 innings.

Especially now that I’m committed, I don’t have to worry about making an impression as much. I’m more calm and relaxed.

“I was so relieved to even get the chance

“She throws everything,” Bennett said. “We play it day by day, whatever she feels is the best when she’s warmed up, that’s what we’re going to first. We’ll mix it

Two-way senior Abby Fonollosa is a top competitor in the circle and at the plate for Hamilton-Nottingham softball.

around from there.”

Fonollosa is also the unquestioned team leader. Bennett calls her the most vocal player on the team but noted she also leads by example.

“All the girls look up to her and talk about her. I had some girls at eighth grade orientation the other day and they were referring to her as Miss D-I,” Bennett said. “They know she’s a good player and they look at her like ‘That’s what I want to do too.’”

Fonollosa is a leader off the field as well, as she was a member of Hamilton’s PEER Leadership Club, Unified, and the teacher’s club, NJFEA.

Fonollosa’s search for a college was interesting. She was recruited by Wesleyan and Howard and several New Jersey schools, but continued to look around. She and her mom checked out some Delaware schools, and planned on touring Delaware State. There was a big “but” to that plan, however.

“They had a shooting or a scare right before we went, it’s a pretty rough story,” Fonollosa said. “Security was high at the time, obviously. We couldn’t drive through, but I knew the second I saw just the outside alone I completely fell in love with the atmosphere. It felt right to me.

“From what I saw with my online research, I fell in love with it. I reached

out through SportsRecruits and they were interested. We kept in touch and by October 2022 I (verbally) committed. They invited their 2023 commits and said, ‘Stop by and see how we do things.’ We immediately loved the coaches and girls on the team.” Although recruited as a hurler, Fonollosa was told she will have opportunities to hit.

Until then, she will try and help Nottingham-Hamilton continue their resurgence as a co-op team. N-H went 11-11 last year and looks to get even better this season. At Del State, Fonollosa plans to major in early childhood education with a minor in business. she hopes to own her own daycare facility.

She heads into her final season looking for N-H to be competitive and individually she wants to reach 400 career strikeouts.

Despite the fact her high school teams have not won much during her time, Fonollosa enjoyed the ride.

“I definitely have some good memories with our past graduating classes,” she said. “Every coach brought a positive environment. It was an all-around fun event even if we didn’t win. Of course it was frustrating. But after we combined teams, the energy, the vibe, and especially what Bennett gave us, it’s the perfect way to end. I don’t think I’ll ever leave softball here with any regrets.”

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THE HAMILTON PARTNERSHIP

ANNOUCES NEW CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

NEWS TO KNOW

Meszaros embarks on lax coaching career at Stuart

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Rachel Holland Executive Director

The Hamilton Partnership is proud to announce Jeannine Cimino, as newly elected Chaiman of the Board and Rachel Holland as the newly appointed Executive Director.

Jeannine Cimino Rachel Holland Executive Director

Since 1993, The Hamilton Partnership has worked with community business leaders, government officials, and private decision-makers to deliver services and employment opportunities that are essential to Hamilton Township’s continued success.

The Hamilton Partnership is proud to announce Jeannine Cimino Board and Executive Director.

Congratulations to Jeannine and Rachel, the first females to serve in each of their roles!

By Rich Fisher

Steinert graduate Paige Meszaros is still wearing the Green & White, but as a Tartan, not a Spartan.

When Stuart Country Day School Athletic Director Frances Lyons was considering Meszaros as her new lacrosse coach, she contacted former Steinert coach Lorraine LaMontagne for input. It was as if Paige’s résumé had sprung to life as a real live person.

said. “I was never able to get to practice on time. It was one of my life goals, to be able to coach at the high school level.”

Making athletics part of her life was almost like a birthright considering Meszaros’ background. Her dad, Greg “Mooch” Meszaros, played soccer and baseball at McCorristin High (now Trenton Catholic Academy) and played baseball at Rider. Her mom, Kim, is associate director of athletics/staffing and administration at Princeton University. Younger brother Ryan pitched for Steinert and Princeton and was a Carpenter Cup selection.

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“I said I didn’t want to tell them how to do their job, but they should definitely hire her,” LaMontagne said. “Paige is such a dedicated and warm individual who always wanted to learn and be the best she could be for herself and those around her. Her loyalty and pride when it comes to her teammates and school are qualities that are difficult to find in people nowadays. She will certainly be relatable to the players who will play for her.”

“Growing up in my household, we always had sports on television or the radio,” Meszaros recalled. “It didn’t matter the time of year, it was always something. Growing up around sports and especially growing up in athletics with my mom on Princeton’s campus has been awesome.”

Congratulations to Jeannine and Rachel, the first females to serve in each of their roles!

Richard Freeman, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Hamilton

Frank Lucchesi, PSE&G

Patrick M. Ryan, First Bank

Since 1993, The Hamilton Partnership has worked with community business leaders, government o cials, and private decision-makers to deliver services and employment opportunities that are essential to Hamilton Township’s continued success.

Tom Troy, Sharbell Development Corp.

THE HAMILTON PARTNERSHIP EXECUTIVE BOARD

Jeannine Cimino, Chair, William Penn Bank

Gerard Fennelly, NAI Fennelly

Richard Freeman, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Hamilton

Frank Lucchesi, PSE&G

Lyons apparently agreed, as the former three-letterwinner and record-setter is the Tartans’ new lacrosse coach. It is the first high school coaching job for the 2016 Steinert graduate, whose only other experience was working at youth camps/clinics and coaching young children while living in Florida.

“This is something I’ve always wanted to do. It was just really hard to find something that worked out with my elementary school hours in Florida,” Meszaros

Her dad coached a lot of her youth teams, and instilled many of her core coaching values. “And I don’t know if I’d have been as good of a player if my brother and I were not beating up on each other and competing with each other at home. All three of them helped mold me into the person I am today, not just athletically but off the field as well. I’m grateful for that.”

Meszaros played soccer, basketball and lacrosse at Steinert, although lax was by far her best sport. She graduated as the

Paige Meszaros is a new lacrosse coach at Stuart Country Day School.

Spartans all-time scorer with 121 goals in just three seasons, until former teammate Hannah Hart broke that mark with 166.

Meszaros went to play at McDaniel College in Maryland, but injuries took their toll after two years and she transferred to Florida Gulf Coast University to focus on academics. After graduating, she taught elementary school for three years, but a touch of homesickness brought her back to Hamilton last June.

After landing an ESL position at Lawrence High School and Intermediate School, Meszaros decided to take a shot at the Stuart job. With little experience to boast of other than her volunteer youth coaching in Florida and working the Steinert summer basketball camp and the Jess Gonzalez soccer camp, Meszaros just decided to be herself in her interview.

And with her personality and vision, that’s usually a good game plan.

“I let them know my coaching philosophy was to make sure all the girls would build close relationships on and off the field,” she said. “I will let the girls know I’m there for them not just as a coach but as a person if they need anyone to go to. They will work hard and have positive attitudes.

“I told them I always wanted a position like this. I feel like, as a player, I always saw the field well. That was one of my strengths. Now as a coach, I’ll be able to use that from the sidelines.”

Meszaros’ noted that her passion for leading a program comes from former Steinert coaches such as Mike “Stinger” Hastings, Lisa Pittaro, Jim “Jules” Giglio, LaMontagne, Kristin Jacobs and James Angiolino. “They all had a big influence on me wanting to coach,” she said.

LaMontagne can see her coaching potential as a player. “Paige is a natural

teacher and coach,” she said. “If something doesn’t come immediately or naturally, Paige is the type of person who will hunker down and work at it until she succeeds. She was like that both as a student and an athlete.”

After her first week of preseason practice, Meszaros felt things went better than expected. She praised the administration, her assistants and the atmosphere at the all-girls school in Princeton, saying, “this is really a special place to be. It aligns with all my morals and values.”

She inherits a team that went 5-10 last year, but returns junior Allison Lee, who scored an amazing 100 goals as a sophomore. “These girls want to win,” Meszaros said. “They’re not just great people on the field but off it. The experienced players are really helping out the newcomers.”

Even though it’s her first year, Meszaros is not shying away from her goals. “I’m expecting a great season out of them. The freshman class will be really helpful. They’re picking things up quickly.”

The Tartans host Princeton in their Apr. 5 regular-season opener. As monumental as that game will be for Meszaros, the next one will be equally huge as Stuart visits Steinert on April 8. That also happens to be her dad’s birthday.

“I think I’ll have a lot of people there watching that day,” she said with at last laugh.

There will be at least two people on hand.

“I’m certainly going to be bringing my son to watch that game,” LaMontagne said. “Honestly, I could say a million amazing things about Paige. She deserves everything great that comes her way.”

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11 questions with folk artist Don Wolf

Thomas Kelly

Don Wolf makes vehicles from beverage cans. The vehicles are based on true vehicles and are in scale. These cars, trucks and motorcycles are folk art.

This art of the people can be learned formally or self-taught, as Wolf has done. A longtime tradition of using of recycled objects to make art that can reflect a segment of a community. These sculptures are for the people who like cars and other machines. They are both new and old and can take us back to a simple time when all it took was a model car to make us happy. Art for the folks indeed!

When did you begin creating in the arts?

I grew up with my dad in the Navy so we moved around a bit. Music and art were sometimes my best and only friends. We ended up in Hamilton, NJ, and I went to Steinert High School for four years. I was a good art student and really liked the classes. One of my art teachers pulled me aside and said, “You should really be

creative long after high school.” That struck a chord with me, and I aimed to stay creative.

How did you get started making the aluminum sculptures?

On a visit to Florida my future wife and I visited a flea market. I saw a ship made of aluminum cans and gravitated toward it. I already had training in making model cars when I was a kid. I had it all figured out, like painting the car parts before breaking the parts loose from the molded

tree that they come out of the box on. The ship really got me started.

Where do you get the designs?

I work with upcycled aluminum cans. I have not put a can in the recycling bucket in 30 years. I cut off the top and bottom

Folk artist Don Wolf (left) and some of his aluminum creations.

with an exacto knife. Then I cut the tube remaining open and flatten the can into what I call a flat. I have drawers of these “flats” in every brand and color. I have them from Budweiser through Yuengling.

I make my own designs. The ship in Florida was what I call a “standard.” So are the biplanes that you will see around. You can see these anywhere. The designs I make sometimes get there from studying Hot Wheels cars and trucks. Hot Wheels are in 1/64 scale and are 3 inches long. The designs I make are more like 1/24 scale so they are quite a bit larger.

Which tools do you use, and do you save the plans so you can make multiples?

Besides the exacto knives, I use scissors, a table saw with a specific blade, pliers and special glue. My one tool that is very much needed is a block of wood that is about as large as a half loaf of bread. I roll the material to make the flats on the edge of the block, and use it to make all the bends and folds. I make templates and patterns that are labels and are in sets for each model. I currently have 22 different vehicles measured, patterned and in production.

How do you decide which brand cans to use?

I get commissioned to do certain models with a certain can. Collectors wish to have certain favorite beverage can either soda, beer, or even Arizona Iced Tea. For some models I will buy certain items such as beads or model wheels from the craft store, but it is mostly just the cans. I use the parts of the cans so you can see the logos the best.

Do collectors make requests/ commissions?

Oh yes. It takes a while for me to develop a new model. I have begun making Zamboni machines like the ones used for ice rinks. The conditioner part in the back lifts up, just like the real machine. I want the sculpture to work like the real vehicles do. I also recently started making golf carts and firetrucks. These are proving to be very popular.

What are your favorite designs to make?

Whichever I am making at the time. I work on these every day. I make about 50 pieces a year. I make pickup trucks, monster trucks, helicopters, jeeps, a Harley, a front end loader, even a steam train.

Which is the most difficult

piece to make?

The fire trucks take a lot of work, but once I get the measurements and templates correct, all is good.

Do you ever get cut making this art? Do you take safety measures?

No cuts, I have been at this quite a while. I also get “you must drink a lot of beer.” I will respond, “Only when I have rush orders!” Actually my friends will save cans for me. They rinse them out, of course.

What fight/struggle do you have regarding your art?

When I do have rush orders for holidays, it is quite a challenge. Last Christmas I had 20 pieces ordered on Dec. 1 and I was able to deliver. But please do order early.

Have you ever shown the work in an exhibition?

I will be showing some of these at the Hamilton Library during the month of April. Please stop in and have a look.

Web: facebook.com/colorful.cans.

Playing the fool

Peter Dabbene COMPLEX SIMPLICITY

It’s April, the month most associated with the arrival of spring, and I’m happy to announce that as part of my own personal spring celebration, anyone who e-mails this column to five friends will receive a unique, personalized telepathic thank you from me.

I’ve been working on telepathy for many years now, and having recently mastered the technique, I am offering you, dear readers, the chance to experience it in action. Please note, however, that due to the delicate nature of the process and the potential obstacles to successful transmission—such as the signal receiver’s wearing of clothing, recent (within 24 hours) consumption of food or water, and the absence of a colander or similar metal-conducting device on the receiver’s head—no guarantees can be made regarding the clear reception of this telepathic thank you.

Thank you for your understanding. If you met the criteria listed above, I just thanked you telepathically, as well.

I’m hoping I don’t need to explain that opening as the lead-in to a column on April Fool’s Day, but in case I do, that’s just what it is. Feel free to wander your home hungry, thirsty, and naked but for a colander cap if that appeals to you, though.

I thought I knew the origin of April Fool’s Day, it having something to do

with people who refused to switch from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian and its Jan. 1 start date.

It turns out that’s just one of several theories, but there are definitive historical records of the holiday going back to the 1500s. Still, I don’t think

anyone would deny that April Fool’s Day really hit its stride in the 20th century. *

A great April Fool’s joke, in my mind, is more about a gradual, growing awareness in the victim than a suddenimpact realization. As with hand buzzers

A New York City urban legend captured in sculpture by Joe Reginella.

and embarrassing the hosts instead of bystanders, or maybe just because it shares my Staten Island-bred sense of humor.

A joke can be too subtle, however— or just too esoteric. A prime example is Institute for Advanced Study astrophysicist Don Schneider’s announcement of the discovery of a quasar with a redshift of 4.1, back when the largest quasar redshift known was 3.7 (this event was recounted in the book Who Got Einstein’s Office? by Ed Regis). Schneider’s hoax was the source of great amusement to those present and the talk of the local scientific community for a time, but it’s not the kind of humor that easily translates to the public at large— or, I now realize, to a monthly newspaper column.

A more famous (or infamous) hoax was George Plimpton’s April 1, 1985 Sports Illustrated article on the unknown phenom Sidd Finch, an aspiring monk and potential New York Mets prospect who played the French horn in the bathtub, spoke several languages, had never played baseball before, and could throw a pitch 168 miles an hour, with accuracy.

A successful hoax requires a certain level of gullibility in the intended audience; as a 12-year-old Mets fan, I was so thrilled that Sidd Finch might be joining the team that I blazed through the 14 page article, youthfully and intellectually oblivious to the story’s impossibility.

Apparently I wasn’t the only one, because “The Curious Case of Sidd Finch” stands as a landmark in April Fool’s history, along with Taco Bell’s 1996 announcement that it had purchased the Liberty Bell, and a Swedish newspaper’s 2004 report that had people vigorously shaking their phones in order to access the new 3G network.

Staten Island is home to my favorite active hoaxer: Joe Reginella, a sculptor who created a beautiful bronze memorial for the victims of the Staten Island Ferry Disaster, a 1963 incident involving a giant octopus that dragged a ship and 400 passengers down into the sea. It never actually happened, and Reginella has since made a name for himself as the creator of fake monuments (and documentaries, and brochures) commemorating the “1977 UFO Tugboat Abduction,” the “1929 Brooklyn Bridge Elephant Stampede,” and more.

My favorite is a monument showing wolves attacking a camera-toting tourist, with a dedication “to the many tourists that go missing each year in New York City” and a reminder “as to why the parks close at dusk.” I asked Joe what makes a good hoax, and he answered, “absurdity

and plausibility, all at once.”

A hoax trades on trust and precedent, which is why newspapers, venerable sports magazines, and official-looking monuments are able to fool people, if only for a short time; they’re using their own reputations against you. My own brother got me once, when we were exploring lodging options in Newport, Rhode Island, and he convinced me he’d arranged for us to stay at the National Museum of American Illustration because his friend’s parents ran the place. Thirty-plus years of benefiting from his strange-but-true connections with the rich and semi-famous had left me primed for the setup.

Is it even possible to get a widespread hoax going in 2024? Fewer people read newspapers, and the May issue of Sports Illustrated will be its final print edition. Although social media offers undeniable evidence of people’s willingness to forward “news” without verifying it, we’ve all become pretty skeptical— sometimes to the extreme, rejecting even facts that have been clearly proven.

According to the Pew Research Center, public trust in government fell to nearhistoric lows in 2023, and an Axios poll showed similar lows for Americans’ trust in mass media. Without some degree of trust, any hoax attempt is a non-starter.

A good hoax also depends on someone admitting at some point that it’s false; it’s the difference between Uri Geller and Penn and Teller, and it seems to be what’s missing from much of the hoaxing going on these days. Whether it’s QAnon, Covid vaccination warnings, Russian disinformation, or any of the other top contenders, there’s never any admission of being mistaken or intentionally misleading, merely a doubling down on the vitriol.

But amid the AI and deepfakes and targeted news, I’ve become more appreciative of satisfying hoaxes that have their fun, don’t hurt anyone, and reveal themselves promptly, especially if they fool me along the way. They serve a greater purpose than simple entertainment, reminding us to ask questions and seek proof rather than blindly believing whatever we’re told. So happy April Fool’s Day… and don’t forget to wear that colander.

Joe Reginella’s website: nycurbanlegends.com.

Peter Dabbene’s website is peterdabbene.com, and his previous Hamilton Post columns can be read at communitynews.org. His graphic novel biography George Washington: The Father of a Nation is now available through Amazon.com for $20 (print) or $10 (ebook).

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New screening options for current and former smokers

Ask The Doctor

See our ads in SIX09 section pgs 5 and 7

Many current and former smokers are unaware of a lung cancer screening that can save lives. “It’s a quick screening that can result in early detection,” says Benjamin Medina, MD, a thoracic and vascular surgeon at the Cancer Center at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Hamilton. “Updated screening guidelines may mean you’re newly eligible to receive the test.”

How are lung cancer screenings done?

They consist of an annual, low-dose CT scan. You lie on a table while an X-ray machine takes images of your lungs. The scan only takes about five minutes, is very low dose and is very safe. Insurance covers recommended lung cancer screenings in most cases.

What happens after images are taken?

A radiologist looks for small lumps

called nodules. These are not necessarily cancerous, but they can become cancerous over time. Depending on a nodule’s size and characteristics, your doctor may recommend having a biopsy; undergoing another CT scan in three to six months to see if the nodule has grown or changed; or waiting and having it reassessed at next year’s screening.

What if the test finds lung cancer?

Lung cancer is easier to treat or even cure when it’s detected early. If part of a lung has to be removed, earlier detection means the excised area will be smaller than if the cancer were found later. Taking out less lung helps preserve lung function. Early detection also means there is less chance the cancer has spread to other areas of the body. When lung cancer spreads, survival rates become much lower.

the past 15 years. They also should have a 20 pack-year history or more of smoking. A pack-year is equivalent to smoking an average of one pack of cigarettes a day for a year. So, if you smoked a pack a day for 20 years, that’s a 20 pack-year history—and so is having smoked two packs a day for 10 years. These guidelines were updated in 2021.

Why did guidelines change?

To increase screening opportunities for people who are at highest risk of lung cancer and reduce disparities. Broader eligibility should especially enhance early detection at younger ages among women and Black adults, who are likelier to develop lung cancer after less cumulative tobacco exposure.

Health and Travel Medicine; Week 3 — Sara Ali, MD, Geriatrician and Palliative Care Specialist; Week 4 — Maureen Stevens, DPT; Senior Physical Therapist; and Week 5 — Patricia McDougall, BSN, RN; Integrative Therapies Nurse.

THuRSdAY, APRIL 11

dinner With A doctor: Healthy Bones Club. 6:30 =8 p.m. Internal Medicine Physician, Anjali Bhandarkar, MD of RWJ Barnabas Health Medical Group and Primary Care Express will be discussing the diagnosis, risk factors and treatment for osteoporosis. Also included, insight on the treatment of Vitamin D deficiency and when to measure Vitamin D levels. Dinner provided.

MONdAY, APRIL 22

Brain Health-Learn Proven Ways to Keep Your Brain Young. 10 –11 a.m. With so much information out today on brain health what methods really work? Join Dr. Lorraine Sgarlato, Au.D. to learn more about how to keep your brain young and turn back the clock on your aging brain.

THuRSdAY, MAY 2

Who should undergo lung cancer screening?

Patients should be 50 to 80 years old and currently smoke or have quit within

ACCESS ALL OF THIS MONTH'S COUPONS AT MERCERDEALS

Through RWJBarnabas Health’s Institute for Prevention and Recovery, we offer a 12-week program in which you’ll get a personalized plan, free nicotine patches and behavioral therapy that can help you manage challenges and prevent relapse. Someone will call you regularly to go over your goals and keep you on track. “It’s a wonderful program,” says Dr Medina. For more information about Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton’s Lung Cancer Screening Program, call 855. RWJ.LUNG (855.795.5864).

RWJBarnabas Health and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton Cancer Center, in partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey — the state’s only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, brings a world class team of researchers and specialists to its cancer center, providing close-to-home access to the latest treatment and clinical trials.

For more information, call 844. CANCERNJ or visit rwjbh.org/beatcancer.

Coming up this month at RWJU Hospital Hamilton

Take Control of Your Health/ Chronic disease Management Program. Also May 9, 16, 23, 30, June 6. 10 a.m.–Noon. Take Control of Your Health/ Chronic Disease Management Program (CDSMP) is a cost effective evidence-based health promotion program for people with any ongoing health condition, such as arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, and similar conditions. During the course participants will learn how to problem solve, set goals, and relaxation techniques to help manage chronic conditions. It is expected that participants will attend all 6 classes.

Better Health Programs

Registration required for all programs. Must be a Better Health Member. Call (609) 584-5900 or go to rwjbh.org/events. All events at RWJ Hamilton Fitness & Wellness; 3100 Quakerbridge Rd.

TuESdAY, APRIL 16

Hospitals and Our Aging Community. 1011a.m. Should hospital care change as we age, and if so, what does it look like? Join us to delve into this important topic about how hospitals may be able to better serve our aging population. Program’s Medical Panel includes: Lisa A. Breza, Chief Administrative Officer, RWJUH Hamilton, Dawn Hutchinson, Chief Nursing Officer, RWJUH Hamilton, and Sara Ali, MD, RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group, RWJUH Hamilton.

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

TuESdAY, APRIL 2

Spring Mini Medical School: “The Science of Longevity.” Also on Tuesdays, April 9, 16, 23, 30. 6-7:30 p.m. Focus on the science of longevity: the extension of human life, and well-being. This approach may prevent chronic disease and extend long-term health. Changing your view from “lifespan” to “healthspan.” Week 1 — John DiBiase, MD, orthopedic surgeon, Clinical Instructor; Week 2 — Javier Villota, MD, medical director of Occupational Medicine, Corporate

Breakfast and Learn — Healthy Aging for Senior Women. 10-11:30 a.m. Sara Ali, MD, RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group, RWJUH Hamilton, will lead a focused conversation on some concerns for women as they age, discussing gynecological cancers, bone health, sexual health and more.

WEdNESdAY, APRIL 24

For Men ONLY! 1-2 p.m. Ashish Desai, LCSW, VA New Jersey Health Care, will lead this open discussion with flexible topics that will be suggested by the members and what is of interest to members. This group will meet quarterly.

Dr. Benjamin Medina

NOTICE TO PERSONS WANTING MAIL-IN BALLOTS

If you are a qualified and registered voter of New Jersey who wants to vote by mail in the Primary Election to be held on June 4, 2024, the following applies:

• You must be registered as a Democrat or Republican by no later than May 28, 2024 to be able to receive a mail-in ballot.

• You must complete the application form below and send it to the county clerk where you reside or write or apply in person to the county clerk where you reside to request a mail-in ballot.

• The name, address, and signature of any person who has assisted you to complete the mail-in ballot application must be provided on the application, and you must sign and date the application.

• No person may serve as an authorized messenger

or bearer for more than three qualified voters in an election but a person may serve as such for up to five qualified voters in an election if those voters are immediate family members residing in the same household as the messenger or bearer.

• No person who is a candidate in the election for which the voter requests a mail-in ballot may provide any assistance in the completion of the ballot or serve as an authorized messenger or bearer.

• A person who applies for a mail-in ballot must submit his or her application so that it is received at least seven days before the election, but such person may request an application in person from the county clerk up to 3 p.m. of the day before the election.

• Voters who want to vote by mail in all future

elections will, after their initial request and without further action on their part, be provided with a mail-in ballot until the voter requests otherwise in writing.

• Application forms may be obtained by applying to the undersigned either in writing or by telephone. Or the application form provided below may be completed and forwarded to the undersigned.

• If you are currently signed up to receive mail-in ballots, but wish to now vote at the polls, either on Election Day or before, in accordance with NJ’s new “Early Voting” law, you must first opt out of vote by mail by notifying the county clerk in writing at the address below. You may find a form for removal from the permanent list on the Mercer County Clerk’s website at https://www.mercercounty.org/ government/county-clerk/elections.

Dated: April 9, 2024, Mercer County Clerk, Paula Sollami Covello, 209 S. Broad St., Election Dept., P.O. Box 8068, Trenton, NJ 08650, 609-989-6495