6-23 HP

In search of a donor

Mercerville resident looking to spread the word as she waits for a liver transplant

By SUe Ferrara

Barbara Tafrow Gerrity was barely two years old when Denver surgeon Thomas Starzl pioneered the world’s first liver transplant using a liver from a deceased donor.

Starzl lost his first patient, but never gave up the pursuit of refining an operation which could help save lives. He died in 2018, at the age of 91, leaving behind a wealth of knowledge contained in over 3,000 papers on the subject.

Fast forward 60 years, and Gerrity, who lives in Mercerville with her husband Jim Gerrity, now finds herself patiently waiting for her own liver transplant. She will benefit from the research Dr. Starzl left behind; but she hopes to take advantage of innovations which now allow a liver donation from a living donor.

She has a transplant team in place at the Penn Liver Transplant Program in Philadelphia. All she needs is one donor.

See DONOR, Page 10

Third-generation chef brings popular pizzeria back to life

By Joe EMansKi

Chef Mark Mazzone’s first restaurant job was working for his grandfather, Tony, at Gervasio’s Restaurant in Hamilton.

The bar and restaurant, which Tony Gervasio owned and operated from 1969 to 2006, was a popular Hamilton hangout, known for its Italian-American dishes and tomato pies.

Q&A: Mayor Jeff Martin

In the 47 years since Hamilton first moved to the mayor-council form of municipal government, only five people have been elected mayor of the township.

Jeff Martin is the fi fth of five, and just the second Democrat to hold the position since John K. Rafferty’s first term in 1976. He is running for a second term this year, and will be hoping to maintain the status quo on Election Day in November, when voters will decide whether Martin or Republican challenger Marty Flynn will lead the township for the next four years.

After Gervasio sold the business, it became Killarney’s Publick House. More that 50 years later, the building on White Horse Avenue continues to serve the community, albeit with new owners and a new identity.

Mazzone was 15 when the original Gervasio’s was sold. Since then, he has gone on to establish himself in the restaurant business. He has worked

as a cook and chef in the Philadelphia area at places like Wolfgang Puck Catering, Di Bruno Brothers, Xfinity Live and Border Café. All the while, he dreamed of one day opening his own place.

He realized that dream in May, when he opened the new Gervasio’s Restaurant in nearby Chesterfield. Mazzone revived

See GERVASIO’S, Page 9

Flynn, a long-time educator and current athletic director at Trenton Catholic Academy, was prominent on the staff of elected Hamilton mayor number four, Kelly Yaede. The Hamilton Post plans to interview Mr. Flynn in an upcoming issue.

On May 19, the Post sat down with Mayor Martin to discuss his first term, his hopes for a second term, his plans for the future, and more. The following Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.

Hamilton Post: As we are

See MAYOR, Page 18

Hamilton Township’s three high school marching bands together in Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, in May. The bands gave a joint performance in the Magic Kingdom. (Photo courtesy of Hamilton Township School District.)

Interview by Joe EMansKi

AROUND TOWN DeBoskey takes charge of Hamilton police

Hamilton Township Police Captain Kenneth DeBoskey will succeed Chief James Stevens upon the latter’s retirement, with DeBoskey taking charge on June 1, according to the office of Mayor Jeff Martin.

DeBoskey has served Hamilton Police Division in various capacities for nearly 35 years, including stints as patrol bureau commander, sergeant to the criminal investigations bureau, field training officer and honor guard commander.

DeBoskey’s career in law enforcement started nearly 35 years ago as a patrol officer. He has received more than 15 awards for his service, including being recognized as a rescue worker at the World Trade Center after 9/11.

The Barber Shop

orities when it comes to communication, transparency, and partnership with our residents, business owners, visitors, and the men and women of the Police Division. With Captain DeBoskey as the head of the Division, it is our continued goal to make Hamilton a safer and better place to live and work,” Martin said in a media release.

DeBoskey

DeBoskey succeeds retiring Police Chief James Stevens, who has served within the Hamilton Township Police Division for the last 38 years, with the last five of his career as Chief.

DeBoskey was set to be sworn in as Hamilton’s next police chief on June 1, with his mother, Patricia Giordano, wife Patricia and children by his side.

“Captain DeBoskey also shares my pri-

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, Rich Fisher, Bill Sanservino

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNISTS

Peter Dabbene, Thomas Kelly, Robert Sherman Jr.

AD LAYOUT & PRODUCTION

Stacey Micallef (Ext. 131)

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Jennifer Steffen (Ext. 113)

Community News Service

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RWJUH Hamilton June Healthy Living / Community Education Programs

*All programs require registration.

LUNG CANCER SCREENINGWHO QUALIFIES AND WHEN TO GET SCREENED

Wed., June 7; 5 to 6 p.m. Lung Screening Program Director, Dr. Eishan Patel and Program Manager Kaidlan Ricardo, CMA, BS-HA will discuss screening and early detection of lung cancer and treatment options.

CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP

Wed., June 7 & July 5; 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Supportive discussion group for those caring for a loved one who is aging or has a chronic illness-shared experiences can be healing. An Oaks Integrated Care caregiver specialist will conduct these interactive groups on crucial topics and facilitate a supportive group experience.

COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR GUARDIAN ANGELS

Thu., June 8; 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. How can we communicate with our Guardian Angels with clarity and purpose? Learn techniques to develop asking and receiving guidance from Angels available to each and every one of us. Donna Sweeney, Reiki Maser, IET® Master Instructor, Angel Healing ® Teacher. Fee:$15

MANAGING STRESS AND DIABETES

Tue., June 13 and July 11; 3 to 4 p.m. Have Diabetes? Join our support group and learn how to cope with stress in a healthy way. Ines Lecerf, LSW PLANT BASED PROTEIN TO POWER YOUR WORKOUT

Tue., June 13; 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Plants are powerful and so are you! Learn to support strength and maintain

healthful movement with plant-based sources of protein. Fee: $5. Taryn

Krietzman, RDN

ASK THE DIETITIAN

Wed., June 14; 9 a.m. to noon

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

Taryn Krietzman, RDN

NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN HEARING AIDS-COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY FOR YOUR EARS

Wed., June 14; 10 to 11 a.m.

Technological advances in hearing aids allow us to connect to our world in an exciting way! Join Dr. Lorraine Sgarlato, Au.D. to learn about the latest in treatment options. Hands-on demonstration available after the lecture.

ASK THE DIABETES COORDINATOR

Wed., June 14; noon to 1 p.m. Join us for an informative community Q&A session on how to manage your diabetes.

Shesha Desai, PharmD, RPh, BC-ADM. OSTEOPOROSIS SCREENING

Wed., June 14 & July 12; 1 to 3 p.m. Ultrasound of heel and personalized information. Appointment and registration required.

WHAT CAN HYPNOSIS DO FOR ME?

Wed., June 14; 6 to 7 p.m. Learn how hypnosis/hypnotherapy can access your own internal abilities. Matt Masiello, CCH will share how hypnosis programs are tailored to meet your specific needs. This informative program will include an overview of hypnotherapy, Q&A’s, and optional guided meditation/ hypnosis session.

SPRING FLING LUNCH AND MUSIC

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

Let’s celebrate Spring together with lunch, music, dancing, and more.

MEDITATION CLASSES

Fri., June 2 and 16; 11:30 a.m. to noon

Wipe away the day’s stress and let in some light. All levels welcome.

LET’S TALK, A SENIOR SOCIAL GROUP

Wed., June 7, 14, 21, & 28; 10 to 11 a.m. We gather to exchange thoughts, feelings and experiences amongst peers in partnership with PsycHealth Associates here in Hamilton. This is a weekly program. Attend one or all.

ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP

Wed., June 14; 6 to 7 p. m

Support and information for family and friends of people with Alzheimer’s disease. An Oaks Integrated Care caregiver specialist will conduct these interactive groups on crucial topics and facilitate a supportive group experience.

GRIEF AND LOSS SUPPORT GRUPO DE APOYO DE DUELO

Jueves., 15 Junio; 3 a 4 p.m.

Este grupo es para personas que están de duelo por la pérdida de un ser querido. Un lugar donde usted puede compartir sus dificultades con otras personas que han sufrido una perdida similar. Ines Lecerf, LSW

DANCE IT OUT!

Tue., June 20, July 18; 1 to 2 p.m. June 20: All That Jazz July 18: Oldies But Goodies

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

REIKI? WHAT IS THIS “REIKI”?

Tues., June 20; 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. You may have heard of the benefits of Reiki, but are still not sure what, exactly, it is or how it works. Come explore what energy work, including Reiki, can do for you. Patti McDougall, BSN, Integrative Therapies Nurse, Reiki Master/Teacher KIDS FIT IN THE KITCHEN!

Wed., June 21; 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Nature’s Candy. Cook up some fun and sample healthy foods in new ways! For children ages 5 and older with a parent/ caregiver. Register early – Class size is limited! Fee: $5 per child, $5 per parent/ caregiver. Taryn Krietzman, RDN

SOCRATES CAFÉ

Tues., June 6; 10 to 11 a.m.

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

YOGA CLASSES

Tues., June 13 and 27; 10 to 11 a.m.

Krystal Loughlin, certified RYT will be leading this gentle yoga class using traditional postures and breathing techniques offering modifications for all. Beginner’s welcome.

DRAWING IN NATURE INTRO AT GROUNDS FOR SCULPTURE

Wednesday, June 14, 2pm to 3:30 pm Enhance skills in visual memory through observation and rendering of the landscape and nature using graphite, charcoal, pen, and ink. All levels welcome, and all materials provided.

HEALTHRYTHMS® DRUMMING CIRCLE

Wed, June 21; 7 to 8 p.m. Join our drumming circle and help drum your cares away. This evidence-based program is shown to reduce blood pressure, calm stress and increase the fun in your life. Drums provided. Fee: $15. Mauri Tyler, CTRS, CMP SAFETY AND SECURITY AWARENESS IN TODAY’S WORLD

Thurs., June 22, 7 to 8:30 am

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

WHAT’S IN THE BOX? *VIRTUAL*

Thu., June 22; noon to 1:00 p.m. All things seasonal, all the time! Learn what wonderful fruits and vegetable are up to this time of year and how to make them shine! Taryn Krietzman, RDN WISE WOMEN DISCUSSION GROUP

Thu., June 22; 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Join our circle of women as we discuss finding purpose and meaning in our life and community. Ines Lecerf, LSW REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY

Mon., June 26; 9:00 a.m.

Join us as the senior leadership team at RWJUH Hamilton present the hospital’s recent achievements and plans for the future. Registration is required. Light breakfast will be served.

TIPS ON LOOKING YOUR BEST AT ANY AGE

Fri., June 16; 9:30 to 11 a.m.

Join us for this new program that is all about you – no models, no video. Caterina Young, Owner blo Out Lounge & Color Bar will share makeup tricks, choosing your hairstyle according to your face shape and how to maintain it all.

ADVANCED CARE PLANNING BREAKFAST

Tues; June 19; 10 to 11:30 a.m. The goal of ACP is to help ensure that people receive future medical care that is consistent with their values, goals, and preferences. Dr. Ali and Ted Taylor will lead this conversation to initiate dialogue between patients, their family or other decision-makers, and their health care providers in consideration with patient’s relationships and culture.

CARING FOR A LOVED ONE SUPPORT GROUP IN SPANISH ¿ESTÁ CUIDANDO A UN SER QUERIDO?

Martes., 27 Junio, 3 a 4 p.m. Este grupo de apoyo es para CuidadoresPersonas adultas que cuidan a un ser querido que tienen una enfermedad crónica. Es normal que el cuidado de un ser querido a veces produzca frustración y enojo. Pero no tienes que sobrellevarlo solo. Ines Lecerf, LSW COLOR ME HOOPY?

HOOLA

HOOP FOR FUN AND FITNESS!

Tues., June 27; 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Think you can’t hula-hoop? Think again! It’s much easier to find your rhythm and flow using a “grown up” sized hoop. Learn skills and techniques and have a lot of fun. Hoops provided. $15. Angela Reitter, certified Hoop Love Coach and Hoola-Fit instructor.

SALT, FAT, ACID, HEAT: WATCH PARTY & DISCUSSION

Fri. July 7, July 14, July 21, July 28; 11 a.m. to noon

Join this 4-week program to watch the popular series “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat”. Each week we explore one of these 4 central principals of flavor. Watch and discuss how to incorporate the elements into delicious dishes! Taryn Krietzman, RDN AVOID MEDICATION ERRORS

AT HOME

Fri., July 7; 2 to 3 p.m.

Shesha Desai, PharmD, RPh, BC-ADM will help to ensure you are taking medications properly, as ordered by your doctor. Bring all over-the-counter and prescription medications.

TAI CHI AT GROUNDS FOR SCULPTURE

Thu., June 22; 10:15 to 11:15 a.m.

This is a special edition Tai Chi class in nature (weather permitting) and serenity elevating your experience.

TEA PARTY

Fri., June 23, 2 to 3:30 p.m. Pinkies up! Let’s talk tea and try some famously tasty pairings. Hats are encouraged.

Water Works temporarily suspends residential shutoffs

Trenton Water Works has suspended shutting off service to residents who have fallen behind on paying their bills, the water utility announced on Wednesday.

TWW said that it made this decision in order to allow customers who are struggling with payment challenges extra time to access utility-assistance programs,

The Barber Shop

Shannon is BACK!

1959 Route 33, Hamilton 609-586-6029

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such as the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program.

“We are doing everything we can to help our customers catch up on past-due water bills, including offering payment agreements. We are sending a postcard to our customers this week reminding them about LIHWAP,” said Sean Semple, acting director of the city’s Department of Water and Sewer, which operates Trenton Water Works. “LIHWAP is an excellent resource, in addition to other state and nonprofit assistance, and I encourage those who need help to learn about it and submit an application.”

LIHWAP is a temporary federal program to assist eligible households in paying for drinking water and sewer services during the Covid-19 pandemic. Assistance payments are applied directly to a qualified customer’s water account.

The program can help water-utility customers avoid service interruptions, restore services, pay reconnection fees and stay up to date on payments.

The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs administers the federal program at the state level, and maintains a website where residents can apply: waterassistance.nj.gov.

New Jersey’s Winter Termination Program, a moratorium on shutoffs, ended on March 15. However, TWW said that

it is suspending residential service interruptions to give customers more time to learn about and apply for assistance from programs like LIHWAP.

Commercial and business accounts are not eligible, but Semple said TWW will work with business customers who have past-due balances. “All they have to do is call us at 1-866-TWW-BLUE to make payment arrangements or come into our office at 333 Cortland Street in Trenton,” Semple said.

* * *

The Water Works announced in April that it would begin low-velocity flushing of water mains using specialized equipment throughout its 683-mile water distribution system. That activity was expected to continue through May.

“The goal of the low-velocity water main flushing is to mitigate conditions that promote the growth of pathogens, including Legionella, by increasing and sustaining chlorine residuals,” Semple said. “Once we achieve this water-treatment goal, we will execute additional action steps to improve water quality in the TWW system.”

Low-velocity water main flushing is a conventional water-industry method that uses specialized equipment attached to a fire hydrant to restrict the flow to such levels that the sediment within a water

main is not disturbed or scoured. The procedure also allows for eliminating stagnant water and optimizing chlorine disinfection to minimize the conditions contributing to pathogens’ growth, such as Legionella, a type of bacterium found naturally in freshwater environments such as lakes and streams.

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

TWW is working with New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Health on Legionella mitigation. TWW provides weekly updates on this work every Friday at trentonwaterworks.org/legionella.

TWW says it has expanded systemwide monitoring for Legionella via sampling locations approved by the NJDEP, including storage tanks, the water-filtration plant on Route 29 South in Trenton, and the 100 million-gallon Pennington Avenue Reservoir.

The Trenton Water Works Office of Communications and Community Relations number, (609) 989-3033, is open for calls Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Cell: 609-209-9418

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Alumni, family celebrate life of ‘Big Reck’

For more than 30 years, Karl J. “Big Reck” Recktenwald III built and led the Hamilton High School West Hornet Band which, at its height, included over 300 students, with trips to Bermuda, Disney, and the Orange Bowl. His brother Thom “Little Reck” Recktenwald co-led.

Recktenwald, who died during the pandemic, wanted a celebration rather than a funeral to be held in his memory. The “Big Reck Bash” was held on May 20 at Villa Mannino in Bordentown.

A Memorial Scholarship was established at Hamilton High West, stewarded by Class of ’78 members Carla Olszewski Cook and Mark Napoleon. The Big Reck Bash committee also included Susan Passerella, Janet Parrotta and Janice Olszewski.

Teen receives Stars and Stripes Award

Autumn Adrian Feltz, 18, of Hamilton Square, has earned the American Heritage Girls Stars and Stripes Award.

Feltz was recognized in a Court of Honor Ceremony on Sunday, May 7 at Saint Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church.

Feltz is a member of Saint John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church and is active in drama club at New Jersey United Christian Academy, where she is a senior. She is the daughter of Edward and Victoria Feltz of Hamilton Square.

Feltz served Saint Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church by constructing a Marian Prayer Garden.

She has served as the Song and Skit Lead, and received the Dolly Madison Level Award.

Our

Attending the celebration of life for former Hamilton High band director Karl “Big Reck” Recktenwald on May 20 at Villa Mannino in Bordentown are Mark Napoleon, Carla Olszewski and members of the Recktenwald family: wife Carmella, daughter Christen with husband Mike Karolkiewicz and granddaughter Sammie, brother Thom “Little Reck” with his wife Ursula and sons Adam and Kurt.

the Gervasio’s name in honor of his grandfather, who died in 2021 at age 90.

The new Gervasio’s is located in The Shops at Old York Village, alongside several other food-related businesses that have opened in the past year: Fundaes, an arcade and ice cream parlor; and Mikey Bagels.

The cozy BYOB restaurant is serving a number of dishes that the original was known for, as well as some specialties that Mazzone has added to the menu.

“Tomato pies are the biggest thing,” Mazzone says. “We had to have those.”

In addition to standard Trenton tomato pies or white pies, customers can choose from among a variety of specialty pies, including margherita, buffalo chicken, and the “Tony G,” a tomato pie topped with sausage, cherry peppers and garlic. There is also the “Grandma pie,” a thincrust Sicilian style pizza with basil and plum tomatoes.

Another classic from the old restaurant that Mazzone wanted to feature is chicken cacciatore. “There was always a great recipe that my grandfather had that we use,” Mazzone says. “Actually, I think it was my grandmother’s recipe.”

The original Gervasio’s was known for its “special salad” — a chopped antipasto that Mazzone has looked to re-create in his restaurant. Another key recipe for Mazzone was the pasta e fagioli soup. Those four items were most important to Mazzone, in terms of bringing some of the old history into the new place.

The chef has also brought some of his own recipes into the mix, including his bucatini carbonara, which he says has been among the most popular dishes he has served over the course of the opening weeks. “We do it the classic Roman way — no heavy cream,” he says. “Egg yolks, parmesan, romano cheese, pancetta, black pepper.”

Another popular dish has been the shrimp and scallop portofino: seared shrimp and scallops in a mushroom demiglace sauce with artichokes and roasted red peppers.

It should be no surprise that chicken parmigiana and vodka rigatoni have also been popular in the early going.

“The biggest thing for me is to try to bring the highest quality of service and food and overall experience, and try to carry on the tradition of the family restaurant,” Mazzone, 34, says. “That’s always my call to action. If we’re doing something and it’s not in the vein of quality — if it’s only the vein of speed or money — then we’re doing something wrong.”

The Steinert High School grad grew up in Yardville with brother Anthony and parents Mark and Francine. Today, Mazzone lives in Audubon with his wife,

Amber, who grew up in Quakertown, Pennsylvania.

Amber, who works full-time as a nurse, helps out at the restaurant as much as she can. Mazzone says she has also been crucial to the restaurant’s web and social media presence.

Mazzone says the restaurant business is the only business he has ever known. “My parents both worked full-time jobs, and then on the weekends, they were here. We didn’t have babysitters; we were in the restaurant. We were either in the office, or they put us to work,” he says.

Mazzone says that many of the customers who have stopped in since the restaurant opened have been people who remember his grandfather’s place.

“I try to pop my head out (of the kitchen) as much as I can,” Mazzone says. “We’ve had a lot of people coming back and trying it — a lot of familiar faces, and some that I never knew, who used to come in before I was there. I sit down with them and they tell me things like, ‘We used to go there every Friday.’”

Business has been brisk in the early going, both in terms of dine-in and takeout. Mazzone says dine-in has been more popular during the week, with weekends seeing more of a 50-50 split. Gervasio’s has a special counter dedicated to takeout customers.

“I always felt like it was my thing to do this,” Mazzone says. “I have the experience in this business, and I wanted to carry it and keep the name alive.”

Gervasio’s Restaurant, 95 Saddle Way, Chesterfield NJ 08515. Open Wednesday through Monday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Open until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Tuesday. Web: gervasiositalianfamilyrestaurant.

Mark and Amber Mazzone at Gervasio’s in Chesterfield in front of a photo of Mark’s grandfather Tony, who owned and operated the original Hamilton eatery.

Gerrity has been diagnosed with fatty liver disease. The problem can be linked to diet. In Gerrity’s case, she said she was feeling poorly, but never knew her ailments might be connected to her liver. Finding a definitive diagnosis took time.

“I knew I had a fatty liver,” Gerrity said during an interview. “Doctors think I have had it for at least 20 years. I would go for blood tests, and my liver enzymes were elevated; but, the doctors didn’t think anything of it. “Then when I would return for follow-up blood tests; the results would be normal.”

Consequently, there seemed to be nothing to treat, or so Gerrity thought.

“I have learned the hard way, you have to be your own advocate,” Gerrity said. “You have to ask questions.”

Eventually, her local gastroenterologist noticed some trends with her liver enzyme tests.

“He suggested that she get to know the liver transplant team at UPenn’s Penn Medicine, she said. That suggestion, which happened pre-pandemic, turned out to be good advice. By March of this year, her Penn Medicine Liver Transplant team suggested she start looking for a living liver donor.

Since March 29, when she entered the National Kidney Registry, Gerrity now finds herself on a mission she never planned for.

“I am on the list for a deceased donor,” she said; “but I am also searching for a living donor.”

Living or deceased donor

While Dr. Starzl, as the pioneer of liver transplants, worked on transplanting complete livers from deceased donors here in the U.S., by the 1980s, physicians in Europe had started transplanting

portions of livers from deceased donors in children.

In an interview, Dr. Kim Olthoff, chief of transplant surgery at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia, noted that doctors realized “children were smaller, and there weren’t many pediatric donors,” so the European physicians experimented with transplanting a portion of a decedent’s liver in a procedure which would come to be known as a “reduced-size liver transplant.”

As physicians learned more, the transplantation of livers moved into a split liver phase, where the larger segment of a liver went to an adult, and the smaller portion to a child. According to a 2005 research article in the British Medical Bulletin, split liver transplantation significantly reduced the wait time for children needing new livers “to zero.”

The next phase in liver transplantation involved the transplantation of a portion of a liver from a live donor to a recipient. The same British Medical Bulletin article noted “the first successful living donor liver transplantation was performed in a child in 1989 in Brisbane [Australia] and in an adult in 1994” in Japan.

The beauty of the liver, Olthoff said, “is that it is made of segments. And those segments each have their own plumbing, so to speak — bile ducts — which helps to detox the body.

Allow me to walk you back to your high school biology or health class. Here is an explanation of the liver’s anatomy from Columbia University School of Medicine: “The liver consists of four lobes: the larger right lobe and left lobe, and the smaller caudate lobe and quadrate lobe. The left and right lobe are divided by [a] ligament, which connects the liver to the abdominal wall.” The smaller ducts flow toward a common duct, which “drains bile from the liver.”

But the glory of the liver doesn’t end there. The liver has the ability to heal and restore itself. Olthoff said that the liver “is the only organ that has cells which can regenerate and grow. You take the right lobe out, the left lobe gets bigger.”

The ability to transplant a portion of a living liver to a recipient-in-need revolutionized liver transplantation surgery for at least one very big reason. Waiting for a liver from a deceased donor means the sickest patients are the first to get an available liver.

With a live donation, a person in need of a liver transplant is likely to get

Brenda Bilardo

Gerrity

DINE & DONATE DAY

1973

YEARS

In honor of our 50th Anniversary, Brother's Pizza on Rt. 33 will host a "Dine and Donate Day" for a local charity. We have chosen one Sunday per month to donate 50% of our sales to a featured 501c organization. Please support our cause to give back to our community!

UPCOMING CHARITABLE EVENTS:

2023

JULY 9: Joeys Little Angels

AUGUST 6: Whats My Name

SEPTEMBER 10: Ryans Quest

OCTOBER 8: I Believe in Pink

NOVEMBER 12: Shine & Inspire

1973

DECEMBER 10: OneProjectNJ & Mobile Meals of Hamilton

DOUGH RAISED:

JAN. 15: Sea Girt Polar Plunge $4,733.56

FEB.19: Deborah Heart & Lung $3,680.33

YEARS

MAR.12: The Hamilton YMCA $4,398.07

Apr.16: Police Unity Tour 2023 $3,596.30

May 21: The Miracle League $4,860.53

2023

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

a liver sooner and thus have a better postoperative outcome.

That’s why Gerrity hopes a living donor will come through for her.

“The donor’s liver would regenerate,” Gerrity said. “I would get that piece of liver and that would regenerate in my body. It’s better for me. It’s a planned surgery as opposed to waiting by the phone for a call about a deceased donor.”

And while Gerrity has some time, she is hoping to find a donor sooner than later because she knows the sicker she gets, the harder it will be for her to bounce back from surgery. She can already see that her condition is deteriorating.

“I get tired,” she said. “I have leg swelling. I have some jaundice. My muscles have weakened. I have some of the early symptoms. It’s only going to get worse. It’s not going to get better.”

* * *

Gerrity attended Kuser Elementary School, Our Lady of Sorrows, and she was part of the high school class which started at Nottingham High School, but ultimately graduating from Steinert in 1979. She earned an undergraduate degree in business administration from Trenton State College (now TCNJ) in 1983. She then lived in Irvine, California—a sweet time when she and

a friend worked and played on the West Coast. She came back East after six years to be closer to family.

Gerrity’s husband, Jim, attended St. Raphael’s school and St. Anthony’s High School. He earned an associate’s degree from Mercer County Community College in Computer Science, and worked at NJTransit’s Corporate Office in Newark. They met late in life, and have no children. They are both retired.

Gerrity worked for many years in Philadelphia for the accounting firm KPMG, accepting a retirement package in 2021. Yet despite having moved on, when former coworkers learned she needed a liver, they stepped up to help.

“The company sent out 1,400 emails,” she said. “I was fortunate that the company would do that for me.”

Those emails are just a part of a campaign Gerrity is running on behalf of her health. “I have been trying all sorts of communication options–church bulletins

and [lawn] signs,” Gerrity said. She is on two transplant registries–UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing) a nonprofit organization under contract with the US. .government, and the National Kidney Registry.

“I am hoping to get a liver before November or December,” Gerrity said. “It only takes one person. I have people who have registered, but because of HIPAA laws, I can’t know anything,” she added.

Some of her Mercerville neighbors have seen her lawn signs and have stopped to talk to her about what is happening with her health. She hopes those visits will help spread the word of her need.

“For me, it’s the only thing I think about 24/7. Am I doing enough? Am I getting the word out? This is a full-time job in and of itself.”

The surgery for donor and recipient happens on the same day, at the same time, and can take anywhere from six

to eight hours, according to the Penn Medicine Liver Donation Program. Donors are typically in the hospital for five days; then depending on the nature of the donor’s profession, the donor can return to work in six to eight weeks. The recovery for Gerrity will be longer and more complicated.

According to Olthoff, living donations provide the best possible outcome for a patient in need of a liver. She added that the donor will get the “most complete physical workup you have ever had.”

Potential donors “get imaged; they get a cardiac workup. We want it to be safe for the donor” and the recipient.

People interested in becoming a living donor for the Liver Transplant program can read more about donor qualifications and the transplant process on the site for the Penn Liver Transplant Program. The basic registration requirements include being between the ages of 21 and 50, and being physically fit with no health problems. The donor must also have health insurance. Donors hoping to donate to a specific person, like Gerrity, must have a blood type compatible with the recipient.

Readers can learn more about how to register to donate to Gerrity on her page posted on the National Kidney Foundation site: www.nkr.org/ZDD358.

While Gerrity has some time, she is hoping to find a donor because she knows the sicker she gets, the harder it will be for her to bounce back from surgery.

Capital Health

Center Approved as a Participating National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program Site

Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell is now an NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) affiliate site of the Atlantic Health Cancer Consortium (AHCC). As a participating site, Capital Health Cancer Center will now offer residents in the greater Mercer and Bucks County region access to new and innovative NCI-sponsored clinical trials in the cancer prevention and control, screening, care delivery, and treatment areas.

“The vision for our Cancer Center is clear,” said Al Maghazehe, president and CEO of Capital Health, “To deliver exceptional care for our patients in a convenient location, with the clinical and support services they need and the research to support their fight and the advancement of care. Our participation in NCORP brings more opportunities to our patients, who are at the heart of everything we do.”

“Capital Health is known for its commitment to providing people of the greater Mercer and Bucks County regions with the highest quality care close to home,” said Dr. Cataldo Doria, medical director of Capital Health Cancer Center. “With the NCORP site designation, our Cancer Center will provide patients access to cancer clinical trials and cancer care delivery studies that are available at top institutions around the nation. We look forward to contributing to NCORP’s national network of research that focuses on cancer prevention, screening, and treatment, especially in regard to how it affects access to care among underserved populations. This aligns well with Capital Health’s mission to serve urban and suburban communities in our area.”

“Academic medical centers play an important part in cancer research, but most cancer care is provided in local communities,” said Dr. Doria. “By expanding research outside academic settings as an AHCC

NCORP site, we will provide access to a larger patient population that is more diverse and better reflects the complexity of cancer care.”

As part of AHCC NCORP, Capital Health Cancer Center’s team of providers and researchers will help patients gain access to clinical trials across a broad range of cancer care benchmarks, including symptom management, prevention, screening, surveillance, care delivery and quality of life. The NCORP network’s diversity in patient age, race, and geographic location, provides a natural laboratory for developing improved strategies for cancer prevention, more efficient cancer trials, and a better balance between the risks and benefits of interventions.

“On behalf of the entire organization, I am excited to welcome Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell to Atlantic Health Cancer Consortium Community Oncology Research Program (AHCC CORP), the only New Jersey-based NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP),” said Dr. Eric Whitman, principal investigator at AHCC CORP and medical director of Atlantic Health System Cancer Care. “Together we will continue to advance the science of cancer care and shine new lights on cancer journey pathways for our patients.”

To help connect patients to advanced care options, research staff at Capital Health Cancer Center will select trials from the NCORP research portfolio that may benefit the Center’s patient population. Appropriate studies are then presented to oncology physician teams to determine if they are good fits for specific patients. When a match is made, a primary investigator is appointed, and Capital Health research staff open the trial for Capital Health Cancer Center patients.

To learn more about open clinical trials at Capital Health Cancer Center, visit capitalhealthcancer.org/ncorp to sign-up for email updates or call 609.537.6363 to schedule a consultation with one of our physicians.

Cancer

Expanding Cardiac Services in Mercer County

Capital Health Heart and Vascular Institute offers comprehensive care with a multi-specialty approach highlighted by the most up-to-date techniques and treatment options. With multiple locations throughout the greater Mercer and Bucks county region, the Institute features the most sophisticated technology guided by highly trained clinical experts in medical fields such as cardiac surgery, general and interventional cardiology, nephrology, podiatry, interventional radiology, vascular surgery, and wound management and hyperbaric medicine. For more information, visit capitalheartandvascular.org.

Experienced Cardiac Surgery Team Joins Capital Health

Dr. Pasquale Luciano and Dr. Fredric Seinfeld, board certified and fellowship trained physicians specializing in cardiothoracic and cardiovascular surgery, have joined Capital Health Medical Group as Capital Health Cardiac Surgery Specialists. Dr. Seinfeld and Dr. Luciano have been working together as a leading cardiac surgical team in Central New Jersey for almost a decade and have been colleagues for more than 30 years.

As part of Capital Health Heart and Vascular Institute, Drs. Luciano and Seinfeld treat patients with heart conditions that require surgery, ranging from those who have recently suffered a heart attack (or are at high risk for one) to those who present with coronary artery disease, heart valve disease, or a range of general thoracic conditions.

Dr. Luciano performs most surgeries, including (but not limited to) open heart surgery, coronary bypass surgery, and drainage of fluid from around the heart and lungs. Dr. Seinfeld, a cardiac critical care intensivist, provides robust preparation for patients before their procedures and manages their care after surgery.

“Patients come to us from primary care providers, general cardiologists, and interventional cardiologists when they are diagnosed with serious cardiac conditions,” said Dr. Seinfeld. “Guided by the belief that accessibility is the cornerstone of patient satisfaction, we put patients and their loved ones at the center of our team. We maintain close contact with them to ensure we are always accessible and ready to provide personalized care.”

“Our collaborative approach to care aligns well with Capital Health’s philosophy of bringing the most comprehensive care for patients

who need it here in Central New Jersey and parts of Bucks County,” said Dr. Luciano. “We’re excited to provide direct consultation and guidance to patients and referring physicians, all with the goal of avoiding recovery in a rehabilitation facility whenever possible and discharging patients directly to their homes.”

DR. LUCIANO is a board certified thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon with more than 25 years of experience in central and southern New Jersey. Dr. Luciano completed a cardiothoracic fellowship at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia and a trauma and critical care fellowship at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, New Jersey. Before joining Capital Health, he worked for more than six years as the chairman of Cardiothoracic Surgery at St. Francis Medical Center in Trenton, New Jersey.

DR. SEINFELD is board certified in cardiothoracic surgery and has more than 40 years of experience in the surgical field. He completed his residency and fellowship training in cardiothoracic surgery at Yale-New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut. Before joining Capital Health Cardiac Surgery Specialists, Dr. Seinfeld was medical director of the Vascular Laboratory and chairman of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at St. Francis Medical Center in Trenton, New Jersey.

To make an appointment with Dr. Seinfeld or Dr. Luciano, call Capital Health Cardiac Surgery Specialists at 609.537.7277 or visit capitalhealth.org/cardiacsurgery for more information.

Capital Health Now Offers Minimally Invasive Aortic Valve Replacement

As part of the growing full-service cardiac program available at Capital Health’s Heart and Vascular Institute, physicians and staff from the Institute’s Structural Heart Program recently performed their first transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure at Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton, New Jersey.

TAVR is a minimally invasive treatment option for patients with severe aortic stenosis (narrowing of the aortic valve opening) or those with a failing surgical aortic valve who are at elevated risk for complications during open surgery. Experts from Capital Health’s Structural Heart Program perform procedures like TAVR to manage and treat heart valve conditions and other structural issues of the heart.

When severe aortic stenosis occurs, the heart needs to work harder to pump blood to the rest of the body, which in turn can limit your daily activity. With TAVR, an artificial valve is delivered to the heart through a thin, flexible tube (catheter) that is inserted into one of

several possible access routes and placed into the diseased valve. The procedure typically takes one hour or less to complete.

“Patients who get transcatheter aortic valve replacement experience all the benefits of minimally invasive procedures, including less pain, shorter hospital stays, and a lower risk for major bleeding,” said DR. DAVID DRUCKER, medical director of the Structural Heart Program and board certified, fellowship trained interventional cardiologist at Capital Health Cardiology Specialists. “The biggest benefit for many TAVR patients is that they usually start feeling better right away. With a heart valve that is working properly, they breathe normally, have more energy, and can go back to everyday activities.”

Following the TAVR procedure, patients are monitored in the intensive care unit (ICU) for a few hours before being moved to a standard patient room. Patients usually begin walking the same day as their TAVR procedure and are typically discharged within one or two days. To make an appointment at Capital Health Cardiology Specialists, or to find an office near you, visit capitalhealthcardiology.org.

Minimally Invasive Procedure Dramatically Reduces Stroke Risk For Certain Atrial Fibrillation Patients

Physicians and staff from Capital Health’s Heart and Vascular Institute recently performed their first Watchman implant procedure at Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton, New Jersey. Left atrial appendage closure, which includes the Watchman device implant, is one of the new procedures that Capital Health’s expanding full-service cardiac program includes. Implantation of the Watchman device is a one-time, minimally invasive procedure for appropriate patients to prevent blood clots from forming in the heart and reducing the patient’s lifetime risk of stroke.

Capital Health’s electrophysiology team, with experts from Capital Health Cardiology Specialists, performs procedures like Watchman device implants to manage and treat patients with conditions which involve abnormal electrical behavior of the heart.

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is an irregular heart rhythm that prevents the heart from pumping blood normally. This can lead to blood pooling in a part of the heart called the left atrial appendage (LAA), where blood can form a clot. Stroke results if this clot forms and dislodges from the heart, going to the brain. People living with AFib are often prescribed blood thinners to reduce their risk for stroke. The risk of blood thinners includes bleeding and brain injury if falls occur.

“The Watchman device is now a treatment option at Capital Health for people with atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem,” said DR. SCOTT BURKE, medical director of Cardiac Electrophysiology and a board certified, fellowship trained cardiac electrophysiologist at Capital Health Cardiology Specialists. “Guided through a narrow tube that is inserted into a vein through a small incision in the patient’s leg, the Watchman implant is designed to fit into the LAA and permanently close it to prevent the risk of clots dislodging from it. The procedure can be completed in as little as 30 minutes under general anesthesia, and most patients are out of the hospital in a day or less and able to return to their daily routines soon thereafter. During recovery, the patient’s own heart tissue grows over the Watchman device to prevent the clots from developing in the heart.”

After the procedure, most patients take blood thinners for up to one and a half to three months. Clinical trials show greater than 95% success in removal of blood thinners for patients who receive the device.

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

Capital Health Recertified as Level II Trauma Center Meeting National Standards for Trauma Care for More Than 25 Years

The Bristol Myers Squibb Trauma Center at Capital Health Regional Medical Center (RMC) has been recertified as a Level II Trauma Center by the Committee on Trauma of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). This achievement is the ninth verification for Capital Health since the first in 1998. The Center, also designated as a Level II Trauma Center by the New Jersey Department of Health, is one of only 10 designated trauma centers in New Jersey and the regional referral center for injured patients in Mercer County and adjacent parts of Somerset, Hunterdon, Burlington, and Middlesex counties as well as nearby areas of Pennsylvania.

“The ACS establishes the standards of care for treating those who are severely injured and is an important advocate for all surgical patients,” said DR. DOMINICK EBOLI, director of the Bristol Myers Squibb Trauma Center at Capital Health Regional Medical Center. “After a comprehensive review by their nationally recognized trauma experts, our recertification shows the residents of our community that Capital Health continues to meet and exceed national benchmarks for care when they need it most.”

Across the Spectrum of Care

In addition to providing the necessary resources for trauma care, ACS level II verification also means that centers like the Bristol Myers Squibb Trauma Center address the needs of injured patients across

the entire spectrum of care, providing patients at Capital Health Regional Medical Center with access to important injury prevention programs, pre-hospital care and transportation, acute hospital care, rehabilitation, and research.

“As a level II trauma center, we are able to provide comprehensive care that begins with injury prevention. At the time of injury, we’re ready with 24-hour immediate access to trauma surgeons and other appropriate specialists,” said DR. DENNIS QUINLAN, associate medical director of the Bristol Myers Squibb Trauma Center. “With programs and resources that are not available in most general hospitals, our role in patient care often extends beyond our initial encounters and continues through rehabilitation.”

To learn more about the Bristol Myers Squibb Trauma Center at Capital Health Regional Medical Center, visit capitalhealth.org/trauma.

The Art of Caring for One’s Self During the Caregiving Journey

A 10-WEEK PROGRAM FOR CAREGIVERS

Wednesdays | 12 p.m.

Location: Capital Health – Behavioral Health Specialists

100 K Johnson Boulevard North, Suite 201, Bordentown, NJ 08505

This group uses a cognitive-behavioral approach to provide support, coping strategies, and increased self-efficacy in order to cope with caregiving demands and stress. DR. KRISTINA MCGUIRE, a clinical psychologist from Capital Health – Behavioral Health Specialists, leads this group, which will also teach mindfulness, acceptance, and commitment skills.

For more information and to sign up, call Capital Health – Behavioral Health Specialists at 609.689.5725. This group therapy program will be billed to your health insurance.

sitting here on May 19, firefighters are still onsite at the former Goodall Rubber building on Whitehead Road, which caught fire early in the morning of the day before. Tell us about how this catastrophe unfolded from the mayor’s perspective.

Jeff Martin: There’s a funny situation where, whenever our fire chief goes on vacation, we get a major event. Chief Richard Kraemer went on vacation when we had the solar panel fire at Home Depot. Now Chief (Chris) Tozzi went on vacation, and we have this major fire.

I got a call at 1:15 a.m. yesterday from (deputy chief) John Retalis alerting me to the fire. There wasn’t much for me to do at that point. I got on scene probably a little after 7 and got an update from him on what exactly had happened.

From that point forward, my job became a public-facing thing, in addition to providing moral support and ensuring that all our departments were involved if they needed to be. I gave press conferences and stayed in touch with my chief of staff (Bianca Jerez), who is also our chief information officer, so we could get information out to the public, to the media, on what was going on, then worked on coordinating additional resources that we may need.

Later, I went door-to-door near the

site, knocking on doors, letting residents know that DEP was on site doing air quality samples. I let them know, if they had any damage, to go through their homeowner or renter’s insurance. I knocked on probably 20 doors, leaving them information.

I’ve been back and forth ever since, getting updates and information so I can communicate it to my staff. We’re blessed here in Hamilton to have great leaders in many departments, so they did a lot without me even being involved. We had 20 some fire trucks out at the scene — they used up a lot of diesel fuel, so we had to have public works bring fuel out from our Public Works yard out to the site so they could keep pumping water, keep their ladders up.

We had our police department out there doing traffic control, had people out there doing barricades and signs. That shows you the coordination of the different departments that had to go on to that kind of scene to make that a success.

HP: You’ve recently announced that Capt. Kenneth DeBoskey will become the new police chief on June 1. What was

your role in selecting Chief DeBoskey?

JM: Hamilton is a civil service town. That means there’s a state process for hirings, a state process for promotions. It does allow some wiggle room, but there’s a test has to be taken for the next police chief. Of the three captains who tested, Capt. DeBoskey came out number one.

So I knew then, from an objective standpoint, who was number one. Then I interviewed the three captains and let myself digest that information before making the decision. Chief (James) Stevens had a mandatory retirement, so we knew this was coming, which gave me time to think on it and have us have a smooth transition from Chief Stevens to soon to be Chief DeBoskey.

HP: You’re running for a second term as mayor this year. Was there any point in the last 3 1/2 years when you thought that you might not run again this year?

JM: Oh, there’s great days and there’s bad days. If you’re putting your heart and soul into this job, there’s going to be days when you’re asking yourself, Why am I still pursuing this? I think that’s probably

true in many jobs, but especially in this job.

I will tell you that the good days far outweigh the bad days. The good work you are able to do far outweighs some of the challenges. The positive feedback has far outweighed any of the criticisms of the past three years. There are things I still want to accomplish out there, and that made the decision to run an easy one.

HP: Tell us about those things you still want to accomplish.

JM: We’re still in the middle of pushing a transformation of Trenton Water Works. It’s not a one-day, one-month or even a one-year fix to get it on a different path. There needs to really be a systemic and structural transformation of Trenton Water Works. What that means in the end is a moving target a little bit, but we know there’s a lot of work to get it to a place where residents and businesses can trust without hesitation the water they’re getting.

There’s been strides made under Mayor (Reed) Gusciora, but it’s been a little of a roller coaster ride. I think now with help from DEP, uniting the servicing municipalities’ mayors and knowing that we are paying attention and pursuing this to a far greater degree than it has been in the past, I think we are on a way to that transformation.

See MAYOR, Page 20

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There is also the (proposed new) municipal complex, which is something I never anticipated doing or being involved in, but that comes with the job in a good way. Working in partnership with the school district and the school board, working in partnership with our council, council working in tandem with the county — we are talking about giving the town first a building that’s functional, but also a building that they can be proud of.

It’s going to sit in the center of the township, and we want people to come there and drive by there and have pride in that building. Those are two major goals to complete.

Third is, we’ve really been doing a good job on getting grants from a variety of sources. We want to pursue new grants and new opportunities, but I’ve been really excited about some of the grants we’ve received.

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

We’ve received a $75,000 grant to help at HGSA (Hamilton Girls Softball Association). We just received $750,000 in state grants for improvements to our Homedell complex. That’s a 100-year-old complex that houses three area nonprofits that all serve youth in the greater Hamilton area. It’s going to put a new roof on that building that hasn’t had a new roof since the 1980’s, help make structural improvements to help it last another 100 years. It also means we will be able to put in new playground equipment.

We got a $300,000 grant from DEP to make improvements to the ponds at Sayen Gardens. It’s been a number of years since those ponds had big structural maintenance projects, and we want to reinvigorate Sayen Gardens that way. We also got a grant for our first electric garbage truck in town. We want to move toward electrifying our fleet, and this is our first step toward that.

We want to see these projects through to fruition, and see more projects through in the future as well.

HP: What’s your relationship with the township council like? The mayor and

council serve different roles in the management of the township, but what are the most important areas where you work together?

JM: First, none of the accomplishments I’ve listed am I able to do by myself. We have a staff of over 700 people who work for the township, and we have a council that has to approve everything we want to do, whether it be the municipal building or pursuing grants.

As we are sitting here, one of the council members just called me. They call me, I call them, they bounce ideas off me, I bounce ideas off them. That’s what leads to a successful partnership. We introduce a budget, and we tell them that they need to do a thorough review of the budget. One, we may have missed something. Two, they have to give their thoughts and ideas on the budget as well.

We’re not put off, we’re not disgruntled if they come with ideas and opinions of their own — we encourage that so we can

The first electric vehicle charging station on Hamilton Township public property charging station was unveiled at Veterans Park on April 13.

get to a better place together.

The nice thing about our current council is that they all have different backgrounds. One is a law enforcement officer, one is a public school teacher. One is a union plumber, one is involved in economic development, one brings banking experience and finance experience as well. They all bring their expertise, and that allows them to tackle a variety of issues.

HP: The Water Works aside, what are you hearing from residents is the most pressing item on your administration’s agenda, and how are you addressing their concerns?

JM: I’d say many times the first thing I hear is property taxes, especially in these very challenging times, with high inflation like we haven’t seen since the 80’s. So what I’m proud of is that, three years in a row now, we have adopted a budget that keeps our tax rate flat. What that means for our residents is the municipal portion of their property taxes, which only makes up about a third of their tax bill, they know that will be flat for them, and that allows them to keep more money in their pockets.

Many of our residents need to stretch their dollar further to buy chicken, to fill up their gas tank. We’ve tried not to increase that burden on them. We want them to be able to enter their kids in a Little League or youth soccer program, to get their kids outside, to give them socialization that they didn’t have during Covid. Certainly that’s always a top concern of residents, and we’ve done our best to be fiscally prudent and still provide the services they are expecting from us every day.

HP: How have you been able to keep the tax rate flat? Is this something that is going to come due down the road?

JM: Tax increases are inevitable. For a few years, you can hold the line, and we think we’ve done a good job of it. The budget that just passed, we are ending with a higher surplus than we’ve ever had before. For sure we’ll have more money in surplus than I inherited in 2020. We’ve done it, but we try to look ahead toward the future. Looking ahead 10 years, 20 years, you can’t avoid [a tax increase] eventually, but by watching every dollar, pursuing grants, giving that message to your directors that we want to watch every dollar, all that stuff contributes to what we’ve been able to accomplish now for three years in a row.

HP: The Covid-19 pandemic, which hit right at the beginning of your term, presented unprecedented challenges for any administration. How do you look back on the way that your administration handled those challenges?

JM: Again, I think communication was key. Right at that time, we started communicating with our residents in a number of different ways. At the peak of

Covid, we were doing daily emails to let our residents know what was going on. There was so much information coming in that we wanted residents to know on that particular day.

We started a radio show — we know not all residents have the internet or access the internet every day, so in partnership with WBCB radio 1490 AM, I now have a monthly radio show. It’s morphed over time, but the first segment is almost always an update of what’s going on in town. We were communicating with our small businesses on what the rules and regulations were, because they were changing every week. For small businesses we also had a grant program, and helped them get access to those grants.

Those communications early in the pandemic actually allowed us to establish a relationship with our small businesses, and three years later, we are continuing that communication, letting them know about grants that are available now.

I’ve heard stories about some towns experiencing a 30% decline in small businesses, businesses that closed because of the pandemic. Yes, in Hamilton we’ve lost a few, but I think we’ve had more small businesses open than close. That just speaks to our economic development team and the efforts they have made to encourage small businesses to open in this town, and to help our small businesses weather an extremely difficult time as well.

HP: What are your feelings on how the consolidation of Hamilton’s fire departments has gone, both for the fire division as well as for the residents and businesses of Hamilton?

JM: I think certainly for our residents and businesses, it’s been a great success. I think the epitome of that has been the fire we just saw within the last 36 hours. Our firefighters and their leadership are a fantastic group, and kudos to them on the job they have done dealing with this situation.

With any big change (like consolidaSee MAYOR, Page 22

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MAYOR continued from Page

tion of the fire departments), there’s ups and downs. It’s a learning experience for all those involved. I think I was a little naive, originally telling people it was going to be a yearlong process. It’s really a four-five years long process.

I think that because everybody, from fire leadership to the union, went into it with good faith, that it will have a successful end. I’m not going to say there haven’t been challenges, but I think we’ve been able to work through those challenges together.

HP: You told the Post when you took office that three top issues on your agenda were the Water Works, fire consolidation and the animal shelter. What have you been able to do to improve the situation at the shelter? Is there more work still to be done?

Shelters are experiencing really challenging times post Covid. We’re at a very high occupancy rate, but our staff is taking on the challenge of making sure we don’t backslide, even as we have a very full shelter. Again, it goes back to a partnership, with council giving our shelter some of the tools and resources they need to be able to accomplish a lot.

HP: What are some of your key accomplishments in terms of economic development in Hamilton over your first term?

JM: We’ve had a number of projects on Route 33. Right where the Shop Rite is, you’re going to see the old gas station turned into a Valvoline car repair service, you’ll see a new Habit Burger next to that on what’s now a gravel lot. What I’m proud of too is, we had a developer approach us about a development further down 33, by the Cross and Shamrock. We didn’t feel like that was a great use of that site. We were able to get it so that the owner of that site donated that property to us, and now we get to preserve a small section of greenery on Route 33 as open space.

It’s not always projects that happen. Sometimes it’s projects that don’t happen that contribute to the town that way.

A fallacy for many people is that I have a magic wand, that I say yes or no to any particular project. We don’t have a monarchy where the mayor gets to dictate

everything. We have a planning board, that I think is representative of the town, that does make these decisions. We have people who have lived here all their lives, and people who are new to the township on the planning board.

What we strive to do with these boards is make them representative of our town. Whether residents are in favor of a project or against, they know that the board is made up of their neighbors, is made up of businesspeople in the town who will make decisions that are in the best interest of the town as well.

HP: Let’s talk about the planned municipal complex, which as proposed will become the new home of both the municipal government and the school district. What is the latest on that front?

JM: There are two features that I hope will drive the success of this building. One is communication, and one is transparency. They really go hand in hand. When we acquired this property, we communicated to the community that we had acquired it, but we asked the community: What do you want this to be? Someone suggested a joint municipal complex, and that led us to communicate with the school district, that led us to communicate with council that we thought it was a good idea.

We’ve included the school district in almost every meeting, because we want

them to enjoy the building and make sure it is functional for them as well. On Monday, June 12 at our senior center, we will have a public meeting, where community members can communicate not only what they want to see at the site, but also how the site can work better for them.

There’s no design as we sit here today on May 19. So while we’ve worked with the architects to date on how this office needs to function, how many people will be working there, things like that, we’ve intentionally held off on design. We want to get the greatest extent of feedback from our public, because it is the peoples’ building.

It’s where they’re going to be coming to council meetings, to school board meetings, and maybe it’s a place in the future where we can have farmers markets, where we can have outdoor events. But we want to hear from the public, so we can incorporate to the best extent we can some of their ideas.

HP: Is there anything else you want to tell the readers of the Hamilton Post?

JM: I’m really excited to be running. I hope to be re-elected in November, and I’m just so thankful that the residents elected me back in 2019. They gave me an honor of a lifetime, and I really hope they re-elect me in November and give me four more years to continue to serve them.

RAISE THE FLAG TO A SUMMER OF HISTORIC SIGHTS

Get festive with freedom at these military museums ahead of Flag Day, page 2.

from left

right: The Benjamin Temple House in Ewing, The Armed Forces Heritage Museum at the Captain James Lawrence House in Burlington, and a Nike Ajax missile on display outside the National Guard Militia Museum of New Jersey at Lawrenceville.

Pictures,

to

Flag Down a Whole Month’s Worth of Featured Museums

BY DAN AUBREY AND REBEKAH SCHROEDER

Flag Day on June 14 may mark the date that America adopted the iconic stars and stripes as we now know them in 1777, but it also recognizes the formation of the U.S. Army.

As the two occasions align in this annual patriotic pattern, stitch the imagery of independence with the country’s earliest branch of the armed forces and charge forward to visit these military museums across the region.

Editor’s Note: This month’s Six09 is composed largely of sections from stories that ran in previous issues of U.S. 1, Community News Service’s Princeton metro area paper, on various dates (see the end of the article on page 8 for details).

The content has been updated accordingly for both currency and clarity.

The National Guard Militia Museum of New Jersey at Lawrenceville

The original National Guard Militia

Museum of New Jersey is based in Sea Girt, but the secondary site at the Lawrenceville Field Artillery Annex, located on the New Jersey Army National Guard complex, uses its own military weapons, uniforms, photographs, documents, and interpretative texts to chronicle the state’s history of service from the early settlements through the present day.

It also claims to possess one of the largest collections of New Jersey-related Civil War research material in the country, including copies of diaries, letters, newspaper clippings, memoirs, regimental histories, and articles—all while paying attention to the diverse experiences of the New Jersey citizen soldier.

The NJ Militia Museum’s website recommends that visitors come prepared with a valid form of identification, such as a driver’s license, and enter the National Guard complex through Gate #3. After checking in with the security guard at the booth, follow directions to the parking lot and take note of the outdoor exhibits of historic tanks and large-caliber guns on display.

In a Facebook post, NGMM of NJ referred to the Nike Ajax missiles (see cover), co-designed by Bell Laboratories, as “the world’s first guided, surface-to-air

See Flag Day, Page 4

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Flag Day, continued from Page 2

While the Third New Jersey Regiment refused to give up the red, other state regiments did and created an alleged connection to today’s New Jersey: “The color of the flag adopted by the newly independent state of New Jersey was supposedly patterned after the buff facing of New Jersey’s soldiers in Washington’s army,” the museum noted.

Quickly, visitors learn that there were two uniforms used by New Jersey Revolutionary War soldiers. One was the Frenchmade uniform consisting of a blue coat with “white trim on the hat [that] depicts infantry and the white brocade [that] symbolizes the alliance with France.”

The other was the Colonial Rifleman’s uniform of flax, cotton, wool, and a rifleman’s hat. They also adopted the practice of wearing moccasins for comfort and, since riflemen often served as skirmishers and had to move quickly, mobility.

After a brief stop at the Whiskey Rebellion, when the New Jersey Militia organized 4,000 men to form three infantry and two cavalry regiments as part of a four-state militia force to address a Western Pennsylvania insurrection against the federal tax on whiskey in 1794, the next section transitions into materials on the Civil War. For additional context supplemented by

See Flag Day, Page 6

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Aubrey’s 2022 Memorial Day article on the Civil War legacies of the region, the Lawrence National Guard Militia Museum stated that New Jersey provided more than 88,000 men to the Union cause—some 10,000 over its quota—who participated in 37 infantry regiments, three cavalry regiments, five artillery batteries, and several independent militia companies. These units fought in both the Eastern and Western theaters of operations and were involved in almost every major battle.

Another text also cited the contributions of Black soldiers, noting that while a state census from the time listed some 4,866 African American men between the ages of 18 and 45, approximately 3,000 served in the Union Army and Navy.

The exhibit expands on the influence of several Civil War military leaders, such as Major General George B. McClellan, who later became Governor of New Jersey, and features a map of Trenton’s Civil War camps, such as Camp Olden and the Trenton Barracks, as well as Trenton Grand Army of the Republic memorabilia.

The following stop, Aubrey continued, focuses on the 1898 Spanish-American War, where “the declaration of war with Spain found the New Jersey National Guard

ready and eager to meet the call for troops.”

Then 20th and 21st-century conflicts take over a major section of the exhibition area with objects from World Wars I and II and the Vietnam War, which yielded the last U.S. military weapons on display at the museum.

While “war trophy” weapons from the Gulf War are on display, current military weapons are not, Kale added.

Director-curator Staff Sergeant

Andrew Walker confirmed in a quote that what Kale cited as one of the museum’s most unusual objects, “an Up-Armored Humvee door where the window ‘caught’ an RPG in Iraq between 2004 and 2005,” brings home the danger of war by showing the crater of the impact—as well as the technology that enabled soldiers to survive.

But these messages of endurance are

just as palpable when crossing over to storytelling, as the NGMM of NJ oversees the Center for U.S. War Veterans’ Oral Histories in partnership with the Library of Congress Veterans History Project, which has recorded interviews with over 600 veterans across varying campaigns and arms of service.

The National Guard Militia Museum of New Jersey at Lawrenceville, Lawrenceville Armory, 151 Eggert Crossing Road, Lawrenceville. Free admission and parking. Hours: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed on state holidays. (609) 213-3296 or njmilitiamuseum.org/lawrenceville.

Armed Forces Heritage Museum

The Armed Forces Heritage Museum is headquartered at the Captain James Lawrence House, a state-owned building on the campus of the Burlington County Historical Society that was once the family home of the naval officer who lent his name to Lawrence Township.

As commander of the USS Chesapeake during its capture during the War of 1812, Lawrence is said to have issued a fierce battle cry of “Don’t give up the ship!” as his last words, which became a rallying message

Flags fly at the entrance to the NGMM of NJ at Lawrenceville, upper left, and the Armed Forces Heritage Museum, lower left, the latter of which operates out of the Captain James Lawrence House in Burlington, right.

that lived on centuries after he perished in the attack.

That quote shares a similar inspiration for AFHM Executive Director Roy Plummer, who persevered in the decade-long process of opening the museum.

His concept originated back in 2010 as a brick-and-mortar educational center at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, which Plummer noted in “Welcome to the Armed Forces Heritage Museum,” from this year’s February 22 issue of U.S. 1.

After reconfiguring the format, the volunteer, nonprofit organization toured across Burlington County with a 32-foot mobile unit instead.

The Burlington County Historical Society campus comprises several historical buildings in Burlington City and previously hosted several of AFHM’s “Living History” lectures with veterans, so the groups built on this relationship to establish the physical AFHM museum at the Lawrence House.

Now with both permanent and rotating exhibits, Plummer continued, the organization plans for new additions like the “Immersive Experience Room,” which “will allow visitors to have an interactive, audiovisual journey into an aspect of our nation’s rich military history.”

To take a brief tour of the 1740s-era house online, visit the AFHM YouTube channel at youtube.com/@afhmus5700

The Armed Forces Heritage Museum, Captain James Lawrence House, 459 High Street, Burlington. Free. Open Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. afhmus.org.

Clarke House

The Clarke House at Princeton Battlefield State Park, built by Quaker farmer Thomas Clarke in 1772 on a vast acreage of farmland, is the sole surviving building from the Revolutionary War era and played a key role on the front lines of the Battle of Princeton.

According to the Princeton Battlefield Society website, when the Clarke family converted their farmhouse residence into a

The Thomas Clarke House, above, is known as the site where General Hugh Mercer was mortally wounded during the Battle of Princeton. “The Death of General Mercer at the Battle of Princeton, January 3, 1777,” an oil painting by John Trumbull, depicts this moment, left, with Mercer pictured at the center.

field hospital in the aftermath of the battle, they tended to injured men from both sides of the conflict. Although the Americans had secured a victory at the site, Continental Army General Hugh Mercer ultimately died from his combat wounds, with Mercer County later named in his honor.

Today, the Clarke House serves as a museum that features Revolutionary War exhibits and artifacts. Visitors are encour-

aged to walk around the battlefield and view the colonnade memorial by Thomas Ustick Walter, who served as the fourth architect of the United States Capitol.

The Thomas Clarke House, Princeton Battlefield State Park, 500 Mercer Road, Princeton. Free admission. Program fees

Flag Day, continued from Page 7

may apply. Wednesday to Friday tours by appointment only. Hours: Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon, then 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.; Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. 609-921-0074 or pbs1777.org

Benjamin Temple House

The Benjamin Temple House at Drake Farm Park in Ewing was built circa 1750, taking its name from an early area settler and prosperous farmer. Temple was the friend, as well as the brother-in-law, of Declaration of Independence signer and Hopewell resident John Hart.

While the Temple family maintained and modified the Georgian-style house at the border of Ewing and Hopewell for 150 years, records show that the house was

eventually sold in 1903 to Patrick Ryan, whose family operated a dairy there for the next half century at its spot along Pennington Road.

The Ewing Township Historical Preservation Society now operates out of the structure, which was moved and saved from demolition alongside its now-owner, Ewing Township, during the construction of Interstate 95 in the early 1970s.

From its relocated spot at Federal City Road on 26 acres of parklands, the landmark, sometimes referred to as the Old Ryan Farm or the Temple-Ryan Farmhouse, is active as a museum and a central hub for Ewing history.

Benjamin Temple House, 27 Federal City Road, Ewing Township. Free. Hours: Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2 p.m.; open house tours held on the first Sunday of every month from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.; all other times

are by appointment only with the site manager. 609-883-2455 or info@ethps.org

Washington Crossing State Park

But before the troops could successfully defeat British forces in Princeton, General George Washington’s troops famously crossed the Delaware River on Christmas Night, 1776.

As he led his men to confront the Hessians, the future president paved the way for Washington Crossing State Park in Titusville to become another reservoir of Revolutionary War historical knowledge.

Starting May 28, the Historic Education Committee of the Washington Crossing Park Association, or WCPA, will host free guided history tours on Sundays from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Washington Crossing Visitor Center Museum

According to the NJDEP website, these begin with the museum’s two galleries: one where guests can watch and discuss the NJN-produced film “Ten Crucial Days: The Road to Liberty” in the auditorium, which documents the time between Washington’s Crossing and the Battles of Trenton and Princeton, and another that houses the “over 500 authentic Revolutionary War artifacts” on loan from the Swan Historical Foundation Collection.

Managed IT Services by

Other stops include Sullivan Drive and Continental Lane, the Stone Barn, and the landing overlook by the Johnson Ferry House. Tickets must be reserved in advance via the WCPA’s page on EventBrite.

The Johnson Ferry House is a circa 1740 farmhouse that overlooks the Delaware River. Historians believe that Washington’s men might have stayed here prior to utilizing the transport services and making the journey across the freezing cold waters. The building is furnished with Colonial-era period pieces and reproductions, including an 18th-century kitchen garden.

Washington Crossing State Park is free to enter until July 1, at which point a $5 cash fee will be implemented every weekend until Labor Day on September 4.

Washington Crossing State Park, 355 Washington Crossing-Pennington Road, Titusville, Hopewell Township. Free. Hours (Visitor Center Museum): Every day from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 609-737-0623.

Hours (Johnson Ferry House): Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to noon, then 1 to 3:45 p.m. 609-737-2515. WashingtonCrossing@dep.nj.gov

More Sites to Salute

The Old Barracks, which were origi-

nally constructed during the French and Indian War in 1758 to house British soldiers, notably sheltered the Hessian forces during the Battle of Trenton. The site now actively hosts historical tours and events.

The Old Barracks Museum, 101 Barrack Street, Trenton. Open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission prices: adults, $10; students and seniors, $8; active military and children under five years of age, free. 609-396-1776 or barracks.org

Hamilton’s “Pepper House,” described online as “the first Civil War Museum in New Jersey,” has yet to reopen to the public since it closed “temporarily” because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the circa 1730 John Abbott II House down the road at 2200 Kuser Road remains in use by the Historical Society of Hamilton Township, with weekend hours from noon to 4:30 p.m.

The Civil War and Native American Museum, 2202 Kuser Road, Hamilton

Those looking for a one-of-a-kind trip into art, history, and New Jersey culture only need to drive less than an hour outside of the area code to join members of the Navy Lakehurst Historical Society for free tours of the Navy Lakehurst Heritage Center, which is located at the active US military base that is part of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

Whether you come to see exhibits in the aircraft hangar, the stained glass pieces at the Cathedral of the Air on the site’s border, or to visit where the infamous Hindenburg disaster took place, the naval history here makes the visit worthwhile.

Navy Lakehurst Heritage Center, Hangar One, Lansdowne Road, Lakehurst. Free. (732) 323-6547 or nlhs.com

As a final note, the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton also has a formidable collection of Civil War flags recovered from military units raised in New Jersey, encompassing nearly 200 cavalry, volunteer regiment, and captured Confederate battle flags that rotate through the exhibit.

***

The articles quoted and referenced, in order of online publication date: “Explore military history at National Guard Militia Museum” from November 10, 2021; “Free and Easy — Day Tripping With Kids” from March 16, 2022; and “Naval Lakehurst Keeps History Flying High” from February 8, 2023, were all written by Dan Aubrey and are available at www.communitynews.org.

Princeton Festival

Five Grammy Winners Plus Pulitzer Prize Recipients Featured

This year’s 16-day Princeton Festival showcases five recent GRAMMY® winners, including works by two recipients of the Pulitzer Prize for Music. The nineteenth season of the Festival, presented by the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, runs Friday, June 9 - Sunday, June 25. Tickets may be ordered online or by calling 609-497-0020.

The following events feature or honor GRAMMY winners.

• Friday, June 9. The trio Time For Three, winners of the 2023 GRAMMY for “Best Classical Instrumental Solo,” open the Festival with their unique brand of genre-defying music.

• Saturday, June 10. In “Aretha – A Tribute,” the Princeton Symphony Orchestra and dynamic vocalists Capathia Jenkins and Ryan Shaw sing hit songs by Aretha Franklin, who won 18 GRAMMYS during her illustrious career.

• Saturday, June 17. The Attacca Quartet, which won two out of the last four GRAMMYS for chamber music (2020 and 2023), team with dancers from American Repertory Ballet in a music and contemporary ballet program that includes works by 2002 Pulitzer Prize winner John Adams and Caroline Shaw, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for

Music (2013) and three GRAMMYS (2014, 2020, 2022) of her own.

• Monday, June 19. Singer, Met Opera star, and composer Will Liverman headlines a Juneteenth concert of spirituals and songs celebrating Black composers. Liverman’s 2023 GRAMMY recognized the recording of Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones, in which he sang lead.

The Festival takes place June 9-25 at Morven Museum & Garden, with performances almost every day, among them Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, hilarious improvisation with Broadway’s Next Hit

Musical, Andrew Lippa’s musical tribute to Harvey Milk, a collaboration of Attacca Quartet & American Repertory Ballet, a Juneteenth Celebration featuring Met Opera star Will Liverman, a “feel good” Mazel Tov Cocktail Party!, Peter and the Wolf Family Concert, and more.

2023 Princeton Festival tickets range in price from $10 - $125. While most performances take place in an outdoor performance pavilion at Morven Museum & Garden, some are located inside at Trinity Church. For dates, times, program information, and tickets, visit princetonsymphony. org/festival or call 609-497-0020.

About The Princeton Festival. The Princeton Festival is the Princeton Symphony Orchestra’s flagship summer program showcasing the performing arts. Founded in 2004, the Princeton Festival quickly established a reputation for artistic excellence and innovative programming. Every year in June, thousands of people from the mid-Atlantic region and beyond come to the Festival to enjoy the quality and variety of its programs. Offerings include opera, musical theater, dance, orchestra and chamber music, and a constantly evolving selection of other genres, including jazz, world music, choral concerts, and country music. The Festival has longstanding partnerships with public libraries and local churches, and promotes life-long learning in the arts through free educational lectures presented to a wide and diverse community.

See ad, page 11

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2023 Grammy Award winners Time For Three open the June 9-25 Princeton Festival at Morven Museum & Garden. Photo by Shervin Lainez.

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BLEND - Hamilton

Save the Date: Central Jersey Beer Fest Is October 14

Blend Bar and Bistro opened its doors in Hamilton in October of 2012 and created an anniversary event that has grown into a tasting extravaganza, the Central Jersey Beer Fest. 2023 marks Blend’s 11-year anniversary and this year’s event on Saturday, October 14th will be no exception. Blend also hosts smaller events at their restaurant location year-round.

Festival coordinator Antonio Carannante, and co-owner of Blend Bar and Bistro in Hamilton, is justifiably pumped. In the past #CJBeerFest featured a tasting of more than 150 craft beers, some wines, even a few spirits, up to 10 food trucks, live bands, and a variety of other vendors, including axe throwing. The festival has attracted an average of 3000+ festival lovers, Folks come from all over the Mercer County area, but even groups of family and friends from Philadelphia, Rhode Island, Connecticut, the Carolinas, California, New York, and more.

FaIrS & FeStIvalS SpecIal SectIon

“As with past events, we will have a strong focus on education and safety all throughout the festival grounds. Our slogan is ‘Drink Responsibly and Have Fun.’” You must be 21+ to enter. We always recommend inviting a designated driver, getting a ride, and using Ride Share options. Tip: schedule a ride a head of time.

The event will provide patrons with an unparalleled chance to sample craft beers from a wide variety of brewers, even if you “think” you don’t like beer. It’s a great chance to have a small sampling of so many new styles with different flavor profiles including some cocktails in a can, ciders and seltzers.

The beer tasting is allowed for four solid hours during the festival, but there is so much more to the event; creative food vendors, great live music and backyard games, such as bean bag toss, ladder ball, and more, to make the festival a lively day out.

“With all the other things going on, we encourage our guests to hang out while eating, listening to live music, playing games, and supporting our various other vendors, all the while remembering to drink responsibly.”

Check out our websites and social media accounts. For tickets and up to date info www.blendbar.com and www. CJBEERFEST.com

The event is rain or shine and tents will be set up in case Mother Nature decides not to cooperate. Outside food and beverages are not allowed but bring your lawn chairs or even a pop-up tent. The Central Jersey Beer Fest keeps getting bigger and better so start fall off with a bang and be part of the fun. Share your photos and experience of the event using

#CJBEERFEST on all major social media outlets. Visit www.cjbeerfest. com to purchase your tickets by June 30, 2023, for the last chance to SAVE BIG using code CNS2023. This event will sell out!

You may contact us at Blend Bar & Bistro, 911 Route 33, Hamilton. drinks@blendbar.com and info@ cjbeerfest.com. If you need to speak to someone regarding the festival sponsorship and marketing opportunities, you can reach Antonio at 609-817-5550. See ad, page 12.

L.E.A.D. FEST

Coming to Mercer County Park June 30 to July 9

Carnivals and state fairs are beloved summer traditions. There’s no better place for the whole family to enjoy rides, food, music and fun than at 2023 L.E.A.D. FEST events. Bigger and better than ever, this year’s events include carnivals and a 10-day State Fair taking place from June 30 to July 9 at Mercer County Park Fairgrounds, 1638 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor Township. Presented by L.E.A.D. (Law Enforcement Against Drugs and Violence), L.E.A.D. FEST events benefit the organization’s programs and related initiatives. L.E.A.D. provides the leadership, resources and management to ensure law enforcement agencies have the means to partner with educators, community leaders and families. The Allentown-based nonprofit’s programs help to deter youth and adults from drug use, drug-related crimes, bullying and violence. L.E.A.D. is

committed to reinforcing the mutual respect, goodwill and relations between law enforcement and their communities.

“The L.E.A.D. State Fair saw its biggest year ever in 2022 with more than 50,000 attendees. We hope to hit a new milestone in 2023,” said Nick DeMauro, L.E.A.D. executive director. “Funds raised

Saturday, October 14th 12pm

Mercer County Park **Live Entertainment**

Purchase Beer Fest tickets in June at CJBEERFEST.com for the Biggest Savings!

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at our carnivals and the State Fair are important to L.E.A.D.’s mission, allowing us to make our programs more accessible to a greater number of youngsters in the communities we serve. We couldn’t be more excited to bring more amazing events to New Jersey this year. Our goal is to create family-friendly, community-based events that are fun for everyone while at the same time promoting anti-drug and anti-violence activities in the state.”

The jam-packed State Fair promises something for everyone including free nightly musical entertainment as well as a Business and Craft Vendor Tent on the weekends. Favorite fan attractions include Robinson’s Racing Pigs, the always-popular pie eating contest, a petting zoo, educational puppet Granpa Cratchet and Cowtown U.S.A., an all-day exhibit that contains an old-time creamery where patrons participate in preparing a cow for milking by hand. The State Fair’s midway provider, Reithoffer Shows, will ensure there’s plenty of delicious food, carnival games and prizes, and rides for children and adults alike — from a first-class Kiddie Land to super-spectacular thrill rides and

everything in between.

Gate admission is $5 on weekdays and $8 on weekends. General admission, ride tickets, and Mega Passes are on sale now at theleadfest.com. Purchase tickets early for special presale discounts!

Additional L.E.A.D. FEST carnivals bring the fun to different locations throughout the Garden State this summer. General admission, ride tickets and Mega Passes for all carnivals can be purchased in advance online at theleadfest.com.

Westfield Garden State Plaza (One Garden State Plaza, Paramus) from May 25-29; May 31-June 4; and June 7-11. Hours are Wednesday through Friday from 5 to 11 p.m.; Saturday, Sunday and Memorial Day from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. Midway will be provided by Reithoffer Shows. “This year, our Paramus event starts on Memorial Day weekend,” DeMauro said. “Attending the carnival that weekend is a great way to have fun and usher in the start of the summer season.”

Monmouth Mall (180 Route 35, Eatontown) from June 2-12. Hours are Monday through Friday from 5 to 11 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 11 p.m. Midway provided by Reithoffer Shows.

Woodbridge Center (250 Woodbridge Center Dr., Woodbridge Township) from June 2 -11. Hours are Monday through Friday from 5 to 11 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 3 to 11 p.m. Midway provided by Reithoffer Shows.

Mercer County Park from June 30 to July 9. Hours are Monday to Friday from 5 to close and Saturday, Sunday and Holiday from 3 p.m. to close. Midway provided by Reithoffer Shows.

For more information and tickets, visit theleadfest.com. For more information about L.E.A.D., visit leadrugs.org or email info@leadrugs. org.

See ad, page 16

Trenton Farmers Market

Jersey fresh since 1939

Residents of the Trenton region have relied on the Trenton Farmers Market to provide locally grown Jersey Fresh fruits and vegetables since 1939. Starting off along the river in South Trenton, the Market moved to 960 Spruce Street in Lawrence Township in 1948. We’re celebrating 75 years on Spruce St. this year!

During the summer season, Trenton Farmers Market boasts half a dozen farmers from Mercer, Burlington and Atlantic Counties, many who are third generation family famers. The local season starts in April with cool weather crops like lettuce, arugula, asparagus, bok choy, leeks and spinach. May brings our famous local strawberries, kale, & leeks. June brings the first local blueberries, a brief cherry season, early beans, cabbage and carrots, and of course, sweet Jersey corn. That can only mean that Jersey tomatoes, peaches, nectarines and plums are coming in July! Local Jersey Fresh fruits and produce (including organics) will be available at Trenton Farmers Market now through November. We even have a mushroom farmer who brings both beautiful and flavorful mushrooms in many varieties.

Local fruits and vegetables are just part of the story at the Trenton Farmers Market. The Market has worked very hard to change with the times and to bring vendors in who help make the Market a destination beyond the area’s best produce.

The Trenton Farmers Market just wouldn’t be complete with our two Amish vendors, Cartlidge’s Meats, and King Foods. Fresh, top-quality meats and prepared foods with that homemade Amish country goodness are what brings so many people back week after week. Another top vendor is Pulaski Meats, the areas best connection for amazing luncheon meats, pierogies, and many other Polish and Eastern European specialties.

If that isn’t tempting enough, consider the Market’s TWO vegan eateries — Lady & The Shallot and the Savory Leaf Café! Every Saturday the Market features Terra Momo Bread Company — baguettes, croissants, focaccia, simple sandwiches,

whole grains, rye and sweet treats, too! Speaking of sweet, our own Pie’d Piper has its own following for overstuffed donuts, pies, cakes, salads and more, they are way more than a bakery. Nothing goes with great baked good like an awesome cup of locally roasted and ground coffee at Kafe Ojala or any one of hundreds of loose teas, matcha, bubble teas and fresh quiche at the Tea for All tea shop.

What’s that irresistible smell? No matter where you enter the market, chances are you’ll notice the unmistakable smell of BBQ — beef, brisket, pork, chicken, beans, corn bread and more at Hambone Opera — praised by both the Food Network and the New York Times always pleases hungry shoppers. Great for take-home dinner or eat-in lunch!

Since no one lives on food alone, the Trenton Farmers Market also features over a dozen artisan makers, creators and sellers who have been carefully curated for our shoppers. You will find handmade soaps, bath products and skin lotions, you will find our wildly popular Sea Moss vendor, textiles, woodcraft, jewelry, hand poured candles, oils and scents even a gluten free / vegan baker! And because we know pets are an important part of the family, the market has a dog treat “barkery” and vendor who sells anything you might need for your pet’s health and happiness. Need a watch or clock repaired? We have a guy. Need something from a variety store? We have a guy. We even have a smoke shop outside the market where you can try your luck at the lottery or stock up on smokes and supplies. Coming soon: a full-service lunch spot just outside the market that will be bringing sausage & peppers, burgers, hot dogs and sandwiches. Watch for the Grand Opening this summer. And watch for our night market and holiday market later this

year.

When was the last time you made a visit to the Trenton Farmers Market? Rediscover what thousands already know, that Jersey Fresh is ALWAYS in season at the Trenton

Farmers Market. 960 Spruce Street, Lawrence. Hours: Wed-Sat 9am6pm, Sunday 9am-3pm. Visit www. thetrentonfarmersmarket.com, Like us on Facebook & Instagram. See ad, page 10

HELP WANTED

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COMMERCIAL SPACE

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

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Credit Union of New Jersey celebrates 80th anniversary

Interview by Bill Sanservino

From its humble beginnings in the early 1940s, the Credit Union of New Jersey has grown to serve all government employees of the state of New Jersey in addition to the employees of more than 200 businesses and organizations.

The Ewing-based business, which was originally created in 1943 to serve State Highway Department Employees, has continued to grow over the years— expanding in both its field of membership and number of locations.

In April, CUNJ celebrated its 80th anniversary by opening a new location in Hamilton Township.

The new office increased the financial institution’s number of full-service locations to five, which are located in Mercer and Burlington Counties.

Other milestones over the years include a merger with the State Credit Union in 2002 to create the largest statechartered credit union in New Jersey, and the construction of its current headquarters on Parkway Avenue in 2003.

That building was the first project to be located on the site of the old General Motors plant and helped herald the even-

tual redevelopment of the site.

In May, Ewing Observer Editor Bill Sanservino sat down with Andrew Jaeger, the Credit Union’s ling-time CEO to talk about the anniversary, the operations of credit unions, and the issues that some banks have faced during the first few months of 2023.

An edited version of that conversation appears in the Q&A below.

Hamilton Post: This is a milestone year for the credit union, the 80th anniversary. Can you reflect a little bit on what it’s like to be a business that has been serving the community for such a long period of time?

Andrew Jaeger: When I think about the Credit Union of New Jersey in 80 years, I think about all the members and the people that have served on the board and worked here, and all the effort that’s gone into keeping the credit union moving forward and successful for all these years and all the lives that have been touched by the credit union, by helping everyday people and households and families with car loans, home loans, personal loans.

To be able to withstand all the different things that have happened in the past

80 years—we’re talking about 1943. The depression was over, but the U.S. was fighting World War II. I’m not going to go through all the history, but there’s been a lot of business cycles, ups and downs and challenges for credit unions over the years. It’s a testament to this credit union, to the leadership, that it’s been able to weather all of those and continue to stick to its core mission of serving members for all these years. I feel lucky to be part of that for all these years.

HP: What is the difference between a regular bank and a credit union?

AJ: That’s a good question and one I get frequently. There’s fundamental differences. Number one, under our charter, we’re not for profit. And that’s established by the U.S. Congress, because we’re owned by our members. We’re a financial cooperative. Technically, we’re financial cooperatives owned and directed by our members, so we exist for the benefit of the membership.

Congress has said cooperatives will receive certain benefits from tax treatment, so we’re tax exempt, and we use that to make sure members are taken care of. Another difference is because of that tax exemption, we’re not permitted to raise capital stock in the equity markets. The only way we can create capital is through retained earnings.

It’s a very simple business model. Members pool their money, lend it to each other. We offer services, we cover expenses, and then what’s left we give back to the members and make sure we have enough equity to be financially sound.

But we can only grow based on our ability to retain earnings, whereas a bank can go out and do a capital issuance to fuel growth. There are no stockholders, only members. So that’s a big difference. We’re no different than, say, Agway or a food co-op. We’re owned by the people that use us, and that’s a big difference.

Another key difference is that the governance of a credit union is by a noncompensated board of directors. When the members of the board do their duties, they do it because they care about the credit union and the membership. They’ll put in their two or three hours at the board meetings each month. They have to keep up on rules and regulations and understand risk. They have all of the same responsibilities of a for-profit financial institution director without the financial reward.

HP: How does one become a member of the credit union?

AJ: Every credit union has a field of membership that is approved by their board of directors and ultimately, it’s approved by the (government) regulator. When you adopt the field of membership, it’s in your charter who can join your credit union and then you can amend that field of membership through bylaw amendments or charter amendments.

We have about 250 companies that are within our field of membership and all the employees of those companies are eligible. Our history is that we started out as the Department of Transportation Credit Union. Back then it was the Highway Employees Credit Union in 1943. And then as the state changed the name from Highway Employees to the New Jersey Department of Transportation, we changed our name.

Then in 1994, the NJ DOT Credit Union Board approved adding other companies to the field of membership. They had the strategic foresight to say, “If we want to continue serving our current group, the NJ DOT employees, it would help the credit union if we started adding other groups to bring more people in, because the more members using the credit union, the stronger it becomes and it will have more of a sustainability over time. “

HP: How does one find out whether they’re eligible to be a member? Is

there a place they can go online?

AJ: On our web site there is a section where it says, “join the credit union,” and then there’s dropdowns. It asks you questions. Do you work for one of these companies? Do you live in one of these areas?

So people can go to our website CUNJ. org and determine whether or not they meet the eligibility requirements of our field of membership. Or they can call into our call center and we can walk them through that process.

HP: Talk to me a little bit about expansion. Why did you decided to open an office in Hamilton?

AJ: Any time a credit union opens a branch, they’re doing it really for two reasons. One, to serve your existing members in that area, which we have a lot. Being the credit union for state employees in New Jersey, an overwhelming majority of the people that work in Trenton live in Hamilton.

We also know there’s a lot of state employees that aren’t members, so we wanted to see if we could make ourselves more attractive to those existing state employees who are not members yet by having a branch there. It was an issue of convenience.

The other piece of that is we do need to continue to add members. Every organization does. If you’re for-profit, you

always need new customers. If you’re nonprofit, you still need new members. You need members to keep the organization moving forward and growing.

As members go through their life cycles, they age. They go from the building years and needing credit, to paying off their credit and saving. Because we’re a credit union, 75% of our income—our revenue that drives this operation— comes from loans. Our primary purpose is to provide credit at reasonable rates to people of modest means. That was the whole idea of credit unions.

If we don’t have borrowers, it’s going to be tough to survive in the future. And who borrows? That’s the 24- to 54-year old crowd. So we identified Hamilton is a very good area in terms of trying to get out into the community, talk to the businesses, get them to sign up and get their employees eligible for the credit union.

Hamilton represented a good growth opportunity for us as well as convenience for our existing members. So it’s kind of a win win in that respect.

The majority of our members actually don’t come to a branch, because if you

have direct deposit, a mobile phone and a debit card, you can do 95% of what you do on a daily basis without ever coming to the branch.

I mean, if you think about in your dayto-day banking needs, there aren’t many instances where you physically need to go to a branch anymore.

And we’re not far away from offering video chat. Our new branch in Hamilton, has ITMs—interactive teller machines. We don’t have tellers there. So when you go to the bank, you can do an ATM transaction, but but if you want to speak to a knowledgeable, friendly representative, you touch the screen and they come up and they’ll say, “Good afternoon, how may I help you?”

They’re not avatars. They are located right here in our operations center (at the Ewing headquarters). We have a group of what we call, “ITM tellers.” They talk to members through the video in our Hamilton branch.

Now, we do have financial representatives at the Hamilton branch to discuss things such as opening a new account or if you want to talk about your mortgage,

or you need problem resolution, or you want to do some financial planning. But for your basic routine teller transactions, we’re going to send you to the ITM.

HP: Is there anything else I haven’t touched on that you would like people to know about the credit union?

AJ: I think we’ve covered quite a bit. We feel honored to have been serving the area, the state employees, and all the employer groups in the area for 80 years.

It’s a lot of fun. Our employees love it. I think our members love it. We do a lot of good work for a lot of people, and if someone hasn’t heard of us or they are not familiar with what we do, check us out.

We’re happy to tell them more about the credit union, because we care about our members. We care about the member’s financial well-being, which is our primary purpose.

Our board purpose statement, is that the reason the credit union exists is to make sure members have the knowledge and ability to be in control of their financial lives. Another way to say that is we want to help members with financial well being. So they would have confidence if they became a member of the credit union that we’re an organization that cares about its members, puts members first and you can trust us to do the right thing.

Web: cunj.org.

Jaeger

June Events

Notary Oath Night

Thursday, June 1st, 3:00 - 7:00 PM

The Mercer County Clerk’s office will administer the oath to newly commissioned and renewing Notaries. Please call the Mercer County Clerk’s office to schedule (609) 989-6466 or email epagano@mercercounty.org

Wills & Power of Attorney

Thursday, June 8th, 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Presented by Jose D. Roman, Esq., Health and Elder Law Senior Staff Attorney, The Mercer County Legal Services Project for the Elderly

FREE 15-Minutes with an Attorney

Thursday, June 8th, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM

The Public Education Committee of the Mercer County Bar Association and the Mercer County Executive present!

LAWYERS C.A.R.E*

FREE 15-minute consultation with an Attorney

Lawyers C.A.R.E meeting will take place in-person. Advanced registration is required. For more information please call (609) 890-9800 or visit website: www.mercerbar.com

FREE Vision Screening

Tuesday, June 13th, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Half of all blindness is preventable through regular vision screenings and education, so have your eyes checked today! Princeton Health and the New Jersey Commission for th e Blind: Project Prevention Unit offer these free vision screenings to both adults & children. SPACE IS LIMITED. NO WALK-INS

AARP SMART Driver Course

Tuesday, June 20th, 10:30 AM – 4:30 PM

The techniques learned in this course coul d result in a reduction in insurance premiums (consult your in surance company for details), Participants will learn the current rules of the road, defensive driving techniques and how to operate your vehicle more safely in today's increasingly challenging driving environment.

MUST PRE-REGISTER ONLINE @ EVENTBRITE

Please call 609-890-9800 to reserve space

St. John a cool character for Steinert golf team

By Rich Fisher

One of the best things to have as a golfer is composure. There are always going to be bad shots in a round, but it’s the linkster who keeps their head and focuses on the next shot who will likely card a good score.

The Steinert High golf team had just such a fellow in Colin St. John.

“His composure is ... you don’t even know he’s alive half the time,” Spartans coach Darren Doherty said. “He’s not an animated kid. He’s quiet, very stoic. I don’t think anything really bothers him in life or on the golf course.”

The result of that on the golf course is evident, especially this season when St. John averaged just under 39 strokes per match and finished Top 10 in the Mercer County and NJSIAA Central-South Group III tournaments.

A man of few words, St. John put his valuable mindset into perspective; saying: “I try not to get mad at bad shots. It just makes the next ones worse, really.”

Couple that calmness with talent and you get a pretty good golfer, which St. John proved to be this year.

A late starter, Colin began playing recreationally as a freshman with his neighbor and former Steinert golfer Anthony Verde.

“He played a lot, so I went out with him a few times a week,” St. John said. “He’d ask me to go out, so I finally did it; it was really just for fun at first.”

A multisport athlete, Colin already had a hockey and soccer background, and he played both sports upon arriving at Stein-

ert. Golf got wiped out his freshman year due to Covid-19, but St. John continued to play and made the Spartans team as a sophomore.

In an abbreviated 2021 season he averaged a 42, which is respectable for a firsttime varsity golfer. After breaking 40 just once in his first 12 outings, St. John carded 37 and 38 his last two matches of the season.

“I started playing a lot that year,” he said. “And it started taking off.”

Last year, despite breaking 40 five times in 11 contests, Colin was up and down en route to a slightly improved 41.5 average. After shooting in the 30s four of his first five matches, St. John followed with scores of 44, 47, 42, 45 and 49 before carding a 37. He ended the year with a 44, and it didn’t look like things had improved to start this season when St. John opened with a 47.

“We had a rough day the first day against Princeton,” Doherty said. “It was 40 degrees and heavy winds, and we were playing on the East course in the back at Mercer Oaks. It was a tough day for the whole team all around.”

Colin was not happy, but he knew the best way to cure his woes.

“After the first match I started practicing a little more because that was a bad one,” he said. “So it was just a lot more practice after that and my consistency was better.”

After shooting a 41 in match two, St. John exploded. He reeled off eight straight scores between 36 and 38, and broke 40 in 11 of his last 13 matches. His average dropped from a 44 after the first two matches to 38.9 for the season.

Mixed in was a 74 in the Mercer County Tournament, at which he finished in a three-way tie for eighth, and a 78 in the Central-South Jersey Tournament at River Winds Country Club in West Deptford. That score put him in a three-way tie for 10th, and was third best among Colonial Valley Conference golfers.

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Brian M. Hughes, County Executive 957 Highway 33 at Paxson Avenue, Hamilton

“It was a good round,” he said. “I played really well on the front nine and shot oneunder. The back nine I had a lot more bogeys and shot seven over. It could have been better but overall it was pretty good.”

Asked if the back nine was more challenging, St. John just said “I had a few

Brenda Bilardo

bad holes, I didn’t think it was necessarily tougher. Just a few missed shots. My goal was actually 80, I just wanted to play better than last year and I did.”

When asked to assess St. John, Doherty found it difficult to find a weakness.

“He does everything well,” the coach said. “He drives the ball extremely long. He hits the ball straight. His biggest area of improvement this year is around the green. Putting and chipping have probably shaved about three strokes off his average. He’s really improved there.

“We get to see him finish on the ninth hole. He usually gets up and down, he’s on the green in two, and will usually get at least a two putt and sometimes a birdie.”

St. John was in full agreement with his coach, saying “I think the short game helps a lot lowering your scores. Everything else has been pretty consistent. Making more putts and chips really helps. My putting was definitely a lot worse. I just practiced more. It was a lot of repetition.”

Colin’s emergence helped Steinert to another winning season after the Spartans had struggled for several years. They went 10-4 last year but graduated five regulars. This year, with St. John leading the way, Steinert went 10-5, finished ninth in the MCT (fourth among public schools)

leader this season.

“Last year we had a really outstanding season and a lot of depth,” Doherty said.

“Coming back this year we knew we had a couple good guys. But I didn’t think going into the season we’d be able to qualify as a team for states.”

They did, however, as St. John got some help.

“Colin was big, and we had a first-time senior (Aidan Woodhead) who came out for the first time and did a great job, along with Nick Vernon,” Doherty said. “We got off to a good start, we beat Ewing and Robbinsville by one stroke, so without Colin’s scores you don’t win those.

“He really lifted the team and he took a lot of pressure off people. The other five guys that play on a regular basis kind of alternate having a good day. But he’s consistent, his consistency allows other guys to have a bad day here and there.”

Doherty then put it into perspective what it meant to have a standout No. 1 player; and he probably made Steinert baseball coach Brian Giallella a little jealous.

and qualified for the state sectionals.

“I think it’s more enjoyable when the team is doing well,” said St. John, who will major in business at The College of New

8AM-2PM

CAUTION HAZARDOUS WASTE

Jersey. “It makes playing more purposeful knowing we can win the matches.”

St. John helped in last year’s emergence, but truly stepped up as the team

HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION AND ELECTRONICS RECYCLING EVENT SATURDAY, JUNE 10, 2023

“It’s like a manager walking out there knowing you’re gonna get seven innings of three-hit ball out of your pitcher every time,” Doherty said. “It’s a big deal.”

But with his laid-back approach, St. John makes it look easy.

8AM-2PM

Dempster Fire School / 350 Lawrence Station Road

Dempster Fire School / 350 Lawrence Station Road

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

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

Aerosol Cans / Used Motor Oil / Propane Gas Tanks / Pesticides & Herbicides Car Batteries / Paint Thinner / Oil Based Paint / Stains & Varnishes / Gasoline

CAUTION

Anti-Freeze / Driveway Sealer / Insect Repellents / Mercury / Fluorescent & CFL Bulbs

MATERIALS NOT ACCEPTED

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

M. Hughes, County Executive / John P. Thurber, Chairman / Phillip S. Miller, Executive Director

Steinert senior Colin St. John averaged under 39 strokes per 9 holes for the golf team this season. (Photo by Rich Fisher.)

W. Reed Gusciora Mayor Sean Semple Acting Director

Legionella is a type of bacteria found naturally in freshwater environments, like lakes and streams. It can become a health concern when it grows and spreads in human-made building water systems.

According to the New Jersey Department of Health, individuals, particularly those at high risk, can follow recommended steps to decrease the risk of Legionella exposure and best practices to limit the growth of Legionella in household water systems and devices:

 Avoid high-risk activities. If you are at an increased risk for Legionnaires’ disease, consider avoiding hot tubs, decorative fountains, power washing, or similar activities, which may generate increased amounts of aerosols or mist. A conversation with your health care provider may help you assess your individual level of risk based on underlying health conditions and co-morbidities. Your health care provider may recommend that you consider installing specialty biological 0.2-micron filters on your showerhead if you are severely immunocompromised.

 Maintain in-home medical equipment. If using medical equipment that requires water for use or cleaning such as non-steam generating humidifiers, CPAP or BiPAP machines, nasal irrigation devices such as Neti Pots, and attachments for nebulizers, follow manufacturer’s instructions for use and maintenance. This often includes using sterile water instead of tap water in the device.

 Clean and/or replace your showerheads and faucet aerators (screens) per manufacturer’s instructions at all times. This is particularly important if you haven’t cleaned your showerheads or faucet aerators recently. Cleaning might require you to remove the showerhead and hose and soak in a solution (such as white vinegar or a bleach solution) to remove buildup. If using chemicals, follow instructions found on the back of the bottle for safe use.

 Keep your water heater set to a minimum of 120 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature will reduce Legionella growth and avoid potential for scalding (hot water burns). Setting the heater to a higher temperature may better control Legionella growth, especially if you have household members at increased risk for Legionnaires’ disease. However, if the temperature is set to greater than 120 degrees Fahrenheit, make sure you take extra precautions to mix cold and hot water at the faucet and shower to avoid scalding. If you have household members at increased risk of scalding, such as young children or older adults, you may consider installing a thermostatic mixing valve. A mixing valve allows your water to be stored at a higher temperature within your water heater to help kill bacteria while eliminating concerns with water being too hot at sinks or showers. If you decide to install a mixing valve, be sure to follow manufacturer’s instructions for routine cleaning and maintenance to avoid bacteria growth within the valve. Consider consulting with a licensed plumbing professional and ensure you are following your local codes and ordinances for home plumbing repairs.

 After cleaning showerheads and faucet aerators and increasing the temperature of the water heater, thoroughly flush the water at each tap (e.g., sink, showerhead) for 20 minutes. Try to minimize exposure to splashing and mist generation, for example, by leaving the room while the water is running to flush the line.

 Conduct routine flushing. Sinks and shower taps that are not used often can increase the risk of Legionella growth in other areas of the home. Let your faucets and showers run for at least three minutes when they have been out of use for more than a week. Minimize exposure to splashing and mist generation, for example, by leaving the room while the water is running to flush the line. Additionally, you may consider flushing your water following any water disruption to your home, such as low pressure or discoloration, resulting from a water main break or nearby hydrant flushing.

 Follow manufacturer’s instructions for maintaining your water heater and expansion tank, including periodic flushing, draining, and removal of sediment. If manufacturer’s instructions are unavailable, seek advice from a licensed professional.

 Clean and/or replace all water filters per manufacturer’s instructions. All whole-house (e.g., water softeners) and point-of-use filters (e.g., built-in refrigerator filters) must be properly maintained.

 Drain garden hoses and winterize hose bibs. Detach and drain the hose, shut the water valve off inside the home, and drain the pipe when not in use for the season.

 Follow manufacturer’s instructions for maintaining your hot tub. Ensure disinfectant levels (e.g., chlorine) and maintenance activities (e.g., cleaning, scrubbing, replacing the filter and water) are followed. For more information, be sure to review the CDC’s recommendations for residential hot tub owners at cdc.gov/healthywater/swimming/residential/index.html.

 Operate and maintain your indoor and outdoor decorative fountains according to manufacturer’s instructions to limit your exposure to Legionella. Household members at increased risk for Legionnaires’ disease should avoid exposure to decorative fountains. If manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning and maintenance are not available, minimum cleaning frequency recommendations can be found on the CDC’s website at cdc.gov/legionella/downloads/Control-ToolkitDecorative.pdf.

 Remove, shorten, or regularly flush existing dead legs. Plumbing renovations can lead to the creation of dead legs, a section of capped pipe that contains water but has no flow (or is infrequently used). For future renovations, ensure your plumber avoids creating dead legs.

Questions? Call Community Relations at (609) 989-3033. For updates on TWW's Legionella mitigation, visit trentonwaterworks.org/legionella and follow us on Facebook.

THE HAMILTON PARTNERSHIP

ANNOUCES NEW CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

NEWS TO KNOW

THE HAMILTON PARTNERSHIP ANNOUCES NEW CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Shop Small, Shop Local, Shop Hamilton.

As you shop this summer please remember to support our local small businesses and our neighbors and friends who own them. Visit our websites Hamilton-Strong.com and ShopHamiltonNJ.com

Jeannine Cimino Board Chairman 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!

THE HAMILTON PARTNERSHIP EXECUTIVE BOARD

Jeannine Cimino, Chair, William Penn Bank

Source: Unkown

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.

@thehamiltonpartnership @Hamiltonnjstrong

Gregory Blair (Emeritus), Nottingham Insurance Co.

Hon. Jeff Martin, Mayor, Hamilton Township

#HamiltonNJStrong

Lee Boss, The Mercadien Group

Gerard Fennelly, NAI Fennelly

Richard Freeman, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Hamilton

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

Frank Lucchesi, PSE&G

Patrick M. Ryan, First Bank

Tom Troy, Sharbell Development Corp.

THE HAMILTON PARTNERSHIP EXECUTIVE BOARD

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.

Jeannine Cimino, Chair, William Penn Bank

FOR MORE INFORMATION LOG ON TO: WWW.THEHAMILTONPARTNERSHIP.COM

Hamilton High pitcher Mark “Mac” Meara signs to play for Division III Catholic University next year. Pictured sitting in the front row are mom Cynthia, Mac Meara, dad Mark and grandfather Frank Colabella. Standing in the back row are Hamilton baseball head coach Mike “Mo” Moceri, pitching coach Matt Mayo and coach Tim Kline.

Gerard Fennelly, NAI Fennelly Richard Freeman, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Hamilton

PEACE OF MIND

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—Dr.

With a renowned reputation and unrivaled services and amenities, Maplewood Senior Living communities offer residents an exceptional lifestyle. No matter what our residents need, we provide the right level of support and the added peace of mind families are looking for.

Our VistasTM program was designed specifically for those looking for some extra support in their daily lives. Expert caregivers are available to lend a hand with personal care, or with more comprehensive support, such as medication oversight. We also offer a variety of health and wellness activities, a full schedule of social and cultural programs, fine dining experiences, scheduled transportation, and more. We take care of everything so our residents are free to explore their interests and pursue their passions.

Maplewood at Princeton One Hospital Drive

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Charles & Charlotte,, Residents

Raba overcomes injury to help lead Northstar baseball

By Rich Fisher

During a 15-minute conversation with Jordan Raba to discuss the outstanding season he is having for the Nottingham HIgh baseball team, the only mention of a health issue was when he hurt his lower leg during the middle of basketball season. Raba said when baseball started, he was 100 percent ready to go.

Nottingham coach Charlie Iacono had a different story.

“He had some back issues starting the season,” Iacono said. “He didn’t have them in basketball but he had them the year before in baseball too. Through the first half of this season he was gutting it out for us. He was stretching at practice and doing as much as you can. In games, he was doing it for the team and the coaching staff. We give him credit for that. He’s gotten better, he’s going to the chiropractor, he just gutted it out. He’s a team player for sure.”

Perhaps Raba did not bring up his back because he’s probably sick of talking about physical woes after having to sit out the second half of hoops season and watch his team reach the NJSIAA Group III state finals.

“Around the last week of basketball season, I felt 100 percent, but my dad (Stars hoops coach Chris Raba) was like, ‘Let’s not do anything, let’s just make sure you’re 100 percent so you’re ready for the baseball season,’ since it’s my main sport,” Raba said. “I was happy because we were winning, but it did hurt not to be able to play.”

Thus, he was not about to let some back pain bench him when baseball started. In watching Raba, no one would ever suspect it. From opening day against Hamilton West, when he collected a hit, three walks, two runs, an RBI and three stolen bases, Jordan set the tone for another big season.

Entering the state tournament, Raba was hitting .472 (34-for-72) with five doubles, two triples, 17 walks, 25 runs scored and 19 RBI through Nottingham’s 12-10 start. With his long (6-foot-3), lean build, and legs that can take gigantic strides, he had also stolen an amazing 27 bases in 28 attempts. Defensively he played a slick shortstop and captained the Northstars infield.

Bad back? Ha!

“I was ready for the season to start,” Raba said. “I was eager to get out and

play.”

What’s interesting is that, although Jordan plays hoops, his first love is hardball. This despite the fact his father has won two state titles in basketball and older brother Brandon was a two-time CVC Player of the year in that sport.

Iacono has the late “Pop Pop” Jacob Blanche to thank for getting a diamond on the diamond.

“At a young age, my pop pop taught me baseball, showed me the game,” Raba said. “He was like my best friend. We’d watch all the Yankee games and he would tell me ‘Even though your dad’s a basketball coach I could see you playing baseball at a high level.’ That’s really where it came from. And my dad was fine with it.”

Jacob wasn’t what you would call a great player. But he was a great follower of the sport.

“He loved baseball,” Jordan said. “He was like, crazy in the head when it came to baseball. He didn’t play in high school but he just loved the game.”

His love rubbed off on his grandson. Raba played for Sunnybrae Little League and won a district championship with the Hamilton Little Lads. He played travel ball in elementary school with the Yardville Skiers and Hamilton A’s/Mercer Aces, but gave that up after sixth grade and played Hamilton-Northern Burlington Babe Ruth.

As a Nottingham freshman, Raba won the battle for the starting third base job. He had a so-so year, hitting .216 without a stolen base. But the Northstar coaches liked what they saw.

“Going into that season I didn’t know what to expect,” Raba said. “I’ve always been around high school sports because

my dad coaches high school. But I didn’t know if I was gonna make varsity or play JV. I didn’t do great but I didn’t think I did too bad as a freshman. Everybody was telling me it’s good, you’re a freshman, we like what we see. I was always confident in myself.”

That confidence showed last year and it started during basketball season. Jordan not only made varsity, he was one of the Northstars top players.

“That helped a lot,” he said. “Basketball is a high paced game, a lot of athleticism. Being able to do that, I knew my athleticism would transfer over to baseball. It was just the mental aspect that could be my downfall. I think I’ve been pretty good at that.”

Uh, yeah. Not bad.

All Raba did as a sophomore was hit .362 with 25 hits, five doubles, 16 walks, 24 runs, 17 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. He earned All-Area honors after leading Nottingham in four offensive categories.

This season, the junior has taken it to a new level. He enjoyed a 12-game hitting streak and, after going hitless for two games, carried a four-game streak into the states. He hit safely in 18 of the Stars first 22 games, had 12 multi-hit games and seven multi-stolen base games.

Iacono, who was a base stealing whiz for Nottingham and The College of New Jersey, is impressed with Raba’s base running abilities.

“His style reminds me a lot of myself, minus a foot in height,” Iacono said with a laugh. “He’s got a lot of natural ability. We’ve talked a lot about dirty ball reads and his ability to communicate with me and be able to steal second and third.

“Sometimes it’s easier to steal third

when you see the trajectory of the baseball, you can see the dirty ball, you can see the pitcher, the catcher. A lot of those things come into play in base running. He does a great job of reading the pitcher and reading the defense and understanding how to take any base on the field. Sometimes he’s asking me to steal home.”

When Raba is on the basepaths, the little kid in him comes out.

“That’s probably my most confident thing out there; it’s my favorite thing to do,” he said. “I feel like when I’m on the bases I’m in control. The pitcher has to worry about me and worry about throwing a strike to the batter. I like to get into a pitcher’s head and get him out of a groove.”

He’s gotten a few pitchers out of their groove while at the plate. For the most part, Raba has been patient, waited for a pitch he could hit, and was fine with taking a walk knowing he would end up on second.

“As far as his approach at the plate and contact ability, he’s just looking to square the ball up and get on,” Iacono said. “He also walks a lot, takes a lot of pitches. He waits for his pitch in hitters counts. He’s on base probably 60 percent of the time, that helps us out huge.”

Raba got into a mini-slump after his hitting streak, but managed to pull out of it quickly.

“I tend to get antsy; I don’t try to look for my pitch and that’s when I swing and don’t do myself any good,” he said. But for the most part, things have been going very good.

“It’s been great,” Raba said. “I’ve been looking for my pitch, trying to stay calm at the plate, not get too antsy, not jump and swing at every ball I see. Just know what pitches I’m getting in what counts and I’m just ready to swing. I’ve been finding holes and I’ve been using my speed to get on too.”

Raba has been smooth and steady at shortstop. He makes it look easy and sometimes it; but he also works at it.

“There’s no awkward motion, everything just happens,” he said. “I do a lot of stuff after practice. I’ll take extra ground balls. During legion I do extra defensive work after practices. Usually (Lawrence High/North Hamilton assistant) Michael Suosso will help me.”

Raba would love to play in college but is the first to admit he has to bring up his grades. For now he is thinking about junior college, but he and Iacono both feel Jordan can play at a four-year program.

“He’s a scout’s dream,” the coach said. “You compare him to other guys, the sky’s the limit. We had a lot of conversations about bringing up those academics. He’s been picking it up and improving.

“Whoever gets him , they’re gonna be very fortunate to have him as a freshman. I think he can play at the college level as soon as he gets there with his height and speed; his arm strength. The power’s gonna come down the road. His physical abilities are things you can’t teach and he’s got the baseball IQ and takes advantage of that on the field.”

About the only thing he doesn’t do is complain about a bad back.

Multisport 6-foot-3 Nottingham High junior Jordan Raba batted .472 with 19 RBI through 22 games for the baseball team. (Photo by Rich Fisher.)

West-Nottingham softball merger proves a success

By Rich Fisher

It seems kind of funny in a way; but in order to bring girls from Nottingham and Hamilton together on the softball field, the powers that be turned to...a Steinert grad?

Who said rivals from all over the township can’t become friends?

The Hamilton-Nottingham softball merger has to be considered a success this season. The girls from both schools meshed together and their leader has been accepted despite the fact she went to the “other” school.

Gaby Bennett, one of Steinert’s greatest athletes of all time, has molded the co-op team into a winning outfit. H-N carried an 11-10 record into its May 23 Central Jersey Group IV tournament game with Freehold Township, and it actually won a title this year.

On May 16, H-N defeated Ewing, 4-3, in the Mercer County Tournament Invitational Bracket. Granted, it was the bottom eight grouping of the 16 MCT teams, but it was still something tangible for the new outfit to take pride in.

“I think it is a huge accomplishment for our program to have won the Invitational Tournament,” Bennett said. “This title shows how much our team has grown together, and how much potential is there for the future. I am very proud of the girls; they work hard as a team and consistently support each other. This season, we have shown that we are competitors who will give our best each game. I am very excited for what’s to come.”

Bennett noted that each school complemented the other one’s needs in order to make a winner. Hamilton was 6-11 last

year and Nottingham was 2-12 and barely able to field a team, so co-op was the way to go. Keeping with the township spirit, Bennett’s assistants are Nottingham grad Taylor Offredo and Hamilton grad Cindy Astore. Gaby’s father Frank, a former HGSA coach, also helps out.

“She brings a positive environment,” hard-hitting pitcher Allyson Fonollosa said of Bennett. “She makes sure that we get what we need from our practices.

She makes sure we know she’s there for us and she cares for us and she always cheers us on from the side no matter what.”

Catcher Kara Weaver concurred, saying that “She’s been a really good coach. She wants to win. I like that. I miss my old coach. (Danielle) Wilson was awesome. But Gaby’s really great — she just pushes us: ‘Let’s win, let’s win!” And I love it.” Fonollosa, a West student, is having an

outstanding sophomore year. Entering states she was batting .484 with nine doubles, five home runs, 22 RBIs and 19 runs scored. In the circle she had a 3.68 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 89.1 innings.

“She’s a good pitcher,” Bennett said. “She’s tough. She knows how to turn it on, she’s focused. I think her mentality has been really good this year, especially up at bat. She knows what she has to do, she’s able to correct herself and make

The combined Nottingham High–Hamilton West varsity softball team. Front row: Rachel Diaz, Olivia Williams, Savannah Chadee, Melodie Arzayus Rigelon and Kara Weaver. Back row: head coach Gaby Bennett, Arianna Acevedo, Yeimmyli Toucet, Angelica Roman, assistant Frank Bennett, Ava Umansky, Summer Howard, Allyson Fonollosa, assistant Taylor Offredo. Missing from the photo are Jamie Thornton, Aliana Valdez Williams, Naomi Blackburn and assistant Cindy Astore.

those adjustments. That’s something our whole team has to learn to do.”

Fonollosa, who originally wanted to be a dancer rather than a softball player, is happy she has gotten out of her rut from travel ball.

“It’s definitely a boost,” she said. “I struggled during travel season. I’m just getting my confidence back at the plate, which is a lot of fun. It just helps me fall more in love with the sport now that I’m actually hitting well.”

Weaver, a junior from Nottingham, was hitting .379 with six doubles, two triples, two homers, 10 walks, 16 RBIs and 26 runs.

“She bats second and she brings aggressiveness,” Bennett said. “She’s been solid catching for us. She’s another one who if you want to teach her something new she’ll jump right in. She’s got an open mind, which helps her a lot.”

And then there is the lightning fast senior, Arianna Acevedo, a Hamilton student and four-year veteran. The leadoff batter was hitting .464 with 22 stolen bases, 10 RBIs and 22 runs.

“It’s been crucial for her to get on base,” Bennett said. “She’s got the most speed out of anyone. When she gets on, that gives my next two batters the opportunity to get their RBIs.”

This was Weaver’s first year getting to play with Acevedo, and she has enjoyed it.

“She is a great leader; she drives the team,” the catcher said. “She starts it off, she gets on, and then the energy just keeps going. She’s an amazing player. She doesn’t get in your face but she really picks you up. She’s a great player and a good captain.”

Going around the diamond, there is a mixture of players from both schools in the starting lineup.

Weaver is behind the plate, and the infield is all-Hamilton with Angelica Roman at first, Yeimmyli Toucet at second, Acevedo at short and Rachel Diaz and Naomi Blackburn (.355, 8 doubles, 14 RBIs) alternating on third. Nottingham’s Jamie Thornton and Ava Umansky are in right and center, while several players alternate in left. Umansky is having a stellar freshman year, batting .383 with 14 RBIs.

While team chemistry may have been a concern with new faces all coming together, it didn’t last long.

“As soon as we met each other it kind of just clicked,” Fonollosa said. “It’s been a lot of fun. I’ve met so many new friends. I love them all. It’s probably the best thing for both teams. I feel like we’re better together.”

And while Weaver misses practicing on her old Nottingham field (they alternate schools for home games), she also feels life has been better with the merger.

“I really enjoy it,” she said. “It’s a lot more competitive. Last year was terrible. It was not fun to just continuously watch people get hit with the ball. This year we’re really team-oriented and we can all play. Now it’s very competitive. Since we’re all very good, it drives us to be better than each other.”

Bennett felt it was an early adjustment but noted that the relationships were not too difficult to form between the players.

“I think some of them played travel together when they were younger and a lot of them played for the Hurricanes,” said the coach, who teaches at West. “They’ve jelled really well. The Nottingham girls fit right in with the West girls. I was a little concerned about it but our girls are super friendly. I think they just welcome people in very well. I think I was more concerned with getting the Nottingham girls over here.”

But they did indeed arrive on time, and after some mid-season struggles things began working out. Hamilton-Nottingham started at 5-2 but then lost six of eight to better competition. It entered the states having won four of its last seven, with two of those losses by one run to Hun and Delaware Valley; both respectable programs.

“As the season went on we’ve been getting tougher competition but we’re playing them closer and getting that experience under our belt,” Bennett said. “We’re starting to learn how to make our adjustments and are getting sharper in the field.”

Equally important is that they have beaten the teams they were supposed to beat.

“Our mentality is we can’t take any team lightly,” the coach said. “We know what the programs have been like in the past. And yes, even though we have more talent, you can’t slouch on any game. You have to come ready to play. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing against. You have to play with the same intensity every single game. And the same focus.”

Weaver noted that H-N began getting more respect as the season went on.

“Once we started winning they started to put in their good pitchers,” she said. “At the beginning of the season we got their second-string.”

Overall, Bennett feels like it has been a successful merger.

“One hundred percent,” she said. “I believe we’ll stick with it next year. I think it’s worked out for both programs.

“It was definitely a challenge for me but I like challenges. It’s worked out well. I’ve enjoyed working with all these girls. They’re very receptive to learning, they listen well and they work hard. It’s fun.”

Fun to be friends with rivals. Who’d have thunk it?

Battalion chiefs, fire captains sworn in on April 4

Bob Sherman, Jr. FIRELINE

On April 4, Mayor Jeff Martin and Chief Christopher Tozzi swore in as Hamilton’s fire battalion chiefs Keith Greene, Jason Ryan, Raymond Pierce, Jarrett Gadsby, Timothy Sharpley Sr., Nicholas Buroczi Sr., and Charles Mull.

Sworn in as captains were Brian Pfeiffer, David Jurado, Patrick O’Reilly, Edward Glover, Michael Danbury, Christopher Dixon, Christopher Headley and Christopher Rosati. Sworn in as fire prevention specialist was Jeffery Peoples.

On April 13, Mayor Jeff Martin and Chief Christopher Tozzi swore in Hamilton’s newest firefighter, Jeanne Lennon. Hamilton Township Fire Division sampling of incidents for April 2023

April 1 at 12:55 p.m. Engine 2, Trucks 1,2, Squad 1, Rescue 1, Engine 3, 4, and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to 100 block of Lillian Ave. for an odor of smoke.

April 1 around 7:15 p.m. a severe thunderstorm with a possible tornado blew through the area. Hamilton companies

dispatched to numerous assignments, Fire and wires down on Groveville Allentown Road, hazardous electrical condition Old York Road and Church Street, transformer fire Klockner Road and Whitehorse Hamilton Square Road, wires on fire Extonville Rd and Sawmill Rd, transformer fire Norway and Hamilton Avenues, wires on fire Adella Avenue. Hamilton Fire Police were dispatched to Old York Road for traffic control.

April 2 at 11:12 a.m. Squad 1, Truck 1, 2, Rescue 1, Engines 2, 3, 4 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to 100 block of Jeremiah Ave for a dwelling fire with victim trapped. Arriving crews found heavy fire and initiated search and rescue, pulling a victim from the dwelling who was transported to the hospital in serious condition. Fire was investigated by Fire Marshal Jeff Peoples and listed as careless cooking. Hamilton Fire Police had traffic control. Mutual aid fire companies covered Hamilton stations.

April 2 at 1:49 p.m. Truck 1 dispatched to the 100 block of West Manor Way, Robbinsville for a commercial fire alarm.

April 3 at 3:39 a.m. Truck 1 dispatched to Meeting House, Quaker Road, Princ-

eton. Police reported fire showing from the rear of a 2 story place of worship.

April 3 at 3:28 p.m. Engine 3, Truck 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to the 700 block of Johnson Ave. for a vehicle fire.

April 4 at 1:05 p.m. Rescue 1, Engines 1, 2, 3, Squad 1, Truck 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to 1900 block of East State Street Ext. for a building fire.

April 5 at 1:24 p.m. Trucks 1, 2, Engines

1, 2, 3, Squad 1, Rescue 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to first block of Hollyknoll Drive for an interior smoke condition.

April 5 at 6:09 p.m. Engine 1 dispatched to Pond Run Apartments for a dumpster fire.

April 6 at 8:50 a.m. Truck 1 dispatched to 100 block of Robbinsville Edinburg Rd for a commercial fire alarm

April 6 at 10:27 p.m. Rescue 1, Truck 1, Squad 1, Engines 1, 2, 3, and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to the 200 block of Regina Ave for an interior odor of smoke.

April 7 at 1 p.m. Engine 3 dispatched to 1500 block of Greenwood Ave. for a rubbish fire.

April 7 at 11:13 p.m. Engine 4 dispatched to Blair Hall. Princeton University for smoke in the laundry room in the basement, starting to evacuate.

April 8 at 3:09 p.m. Engine 3 dispatched for mutual aid cover assignment at Station 22, Lawrence Road Fire Company.

April 10 at 4:36 p.m. Engine 4, Truck 2, Squad 1, Rescue 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to 100 block of Murray Ave for an interior gas leak.

April 11 at 6:16 p.m. Engine 2 dispatched to 400 block of Pitman Ave. for a

brush fire.

April 13 at 8:53 a.m. Squad 1, Truck 2 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to first block of Morton Ave. to assist Police.

April 13 at 8:44 p.m. Squad 1 dispatched to State Hwy 29 and North Bound Tunnel Entrance for a 3 vehicle motor vehicle collision.

April 13 at 9:30 p.m. Squad 1 Engines 1, 2, 4, Truck 1, Rescue 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to Dover Manor Apartments, South Broad Street for an interior odor of smoke.

April 14 at 9:02 p.m. Rescue 1, Trucks 1,2, Engines 1,3,4, Squad 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to Matthew Drive for a brush fire with exposure to the dwelling.

April 15 at 4:14 p.m. Truck 1, Engine 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to Quakerbridge Rd. and Terrill Ave. to assist Police.

April 15 at 5:21 p.m. Engine 4 dispatched to South Broad St. and Yardville Hamilton Sq. Rd for wire on fire.

April 16 at 7:56 a.m. Engine 4 and Truck 1 dispatched to 1100 Washington Blvd, Robbinsville for an interior smoke condition,

April 16 at 2:39 p.m. Engines 1. 2, 3, Rescue 1, Trucks 1, 2, Squad 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to first block of California Ave. for an appliance fire.

April 17 at 1:26 p.m. Truck 1 dispatched to first block of Sandtown Terrace to assist a citizen with smoke alarm service. Three smoke alarm batteries changed.

April 17 at 4:14 p.m. Truck 1 dispatched to 100 block of Sparrow Drive to assist a citizen with smoke alarm service.

April 17 at 5:03 p.m. Engines 1, 3, 4,

Rescue 1, Truck 1, 2, Squad 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to first block of Endicott Rd. for a dwelling fire.

April 18 at 5:42p.m Rescue 1, Truck 1, Engine 1, Squad 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to Mercerville Shopping Center for an interior gas leak.

April 19 at 5:19 p.m. Squad 1 dispatched to South Clinton and Maddock Avenues for a Pedestrian/ Motor Vehicle Accident.

April 20 at 7:08 a.m. Squad 1, Engines 2, 3, 4, Trucks 1, 2, Rescue 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to first block of Sunset Ave. for a dwelling fire.

April 20 at 8:04 p.m. Engine 4 dispatched to US Hwy 130 and Crosswicks Hamilton Sq. Road for a brush fire,

April 21 at 3:09 p.m. Engines 1, 4, and Truck 1 dispatched to 1100 block of Washington Blvd, Robbinsville for an interior odor of smoke.

April 21 at 8:39 p.m. Rescue 1 dispatched to Nottingham Way and Whitehorse Mercerville Road for a motor vehicle accident.

April 22 at 8:05 a.m. Engine 4 dispatched to 600 block of US Hwy 130 for a mulch fire.

April 22 at 4:44 p.m. Truck 1, Rescue 1 and Battalion Chief Patrick Sullivan dispatched to 1600 block of Whitehorse Mercerville Road for a motor vehicle accident with ejection of the driver. At 4:59 p.m. Hamilton Fire Police dispatched to assist Police with traffic control. Whitehorse Mercerville Road was closed to all traffic between Klockner Road and Cypress Land while Police investigated the fatal accident. Fire Police were on location until 10:30 p.m.

April 23 at 2:37p.m Hamilton Fire Police dispatched to assist Police at Quakerbridge Road and Sloan Roads for traffic enforcement.

April 23 t 6:50 p.m. Engine 2, Truck 2

and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to 1300 block of Sylvan Ave. for a vehicle fire.

April 24 at 6:20 a.m. Truck 1 dispatched to ARC Mercer-Robbinsville for a commercial fire alarm. Smoke detector in the dining room.

April 24 at 11:26 a.m. Engine 2 dispatched as EMS to 1100 block of South Olden Ave. for a stabbing victim.

April 24 at 6:13 p.m. Engine 3 dispatched to Station 30, Ewing Township for a fire department cover assignment,

April 25 at 8:15 a.m. Engine 2 dispatched to Lalor and Jeremiah for a Nissan minivan on fire.

April 26 at 1:20 p.m. Engine 4 Truck 2 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to Church Street and US Hwy 130 for an exterior gas leak.

April 27 at 4:18 p.m. Engine 1, Truck 1, Squad 1, Rescue 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to Youngs Road and Hughes Drive for a motor vehicle collision-rescue assignment. Hamilton Fire Police responded for traffic control due to wires down in the intersection.

April 27 at 11:08 p.m. Hamilton on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to Woodlands Way, Princeton for smoke condition on the second floor

April 28 at 3:50 a.m. Engine 4 dispatched to 200 block of Constitution Way, Princeton for an interior odor of smoke,

April 28 at 3:18 p.m. Truck 1 and Squad 1 dispatched to Joyner Court, Lawrence for a reported dwelling fire.

April 29 at 1:04 a.m. Engine 2 as EMS dispatched to Chambers St. and East

Franklin St. for a 5 vehicle collision with one person with face lacerations.

April 29 at 11:17 p.m. Engine 4, Truck 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to the first block of George Dye Road to assist Hamilton Police.

April 29 ar 11:53 p.m. Rescue 1. Trucks 1, 2, Engines 1,2,3, Squad 1 and on duty battalion chief dispatched to 600 block of Klockner Ave., interior odor of smoke.

April 30 at 2:15 a.m. Engine 4 dispatched to Interstate 195W, Robbinsville for a motor vehicle rescue/fire assignment.

April 30 at 5:35 a.m. Engine 2 dispatched to Wedge Drive and Independence Ave. for wires on fire.

April 30 at 12:44 p.m. Trucks 1, 2, Squad 1, Engines 1, 2, 4, Rescue 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to first block of Highland Ave for an interior smoke condition.

Hamilton Fire Division, Station 19, Engine Company 4 Battalion Chief Nicholas Buroczi Sr. with “A” Platoon: Capt. Joseph Muzzillo, and firefighters Jay Benjamin and Fred Nixon. (Photo by Bob Sherman Jr.)

Me and my Entourage

Peter Dabbene COMPLEX SIMPLICITY

Our family car, a 2007 Hyundai Entourage minivan, gave up the ghost a few months ago, with the odometer just short of 175,000 miles.

The Entourage model was only made for two years, and sold just 25,000 units in that time. Up until the end, seeing another Entourage on the road was as rare and arresting as catching sight of one’s own doppleganger.

Sometimes we called our vehicle “The Prisonermobile” because of the decorative static cling car stickers it bore, featuring images and sayings from the TV show The Prisoner. Most of the time, though, it was just the Entourage, which always seemed appropriate in more than just the obvious “this-is-the-name-of-yourcar-model” way.

The definition of “entourage” is “a group of people attending or surrounding an important person.” Our Entourage often transported groups of people, and what better indication that you’re an

important person than driving around in an old Korean minivan?

The name also worked well for wrangling dawdling family members before an excursion; the words “The Entourage is leaving” meant you’d better hustle or you were going to miss the party—such as it was.

* * *

We purchased the Entourage, with its toxic but appealing new car aroma, when my son was a year old and my wife was pregnant with our daughter. Now, it was old and dilapidated, but pregnant with memories, preserved mostly in the form of the smells that lingered inside it for the bulk of its lifetime—a potent mix of wet dog, stale sweat, rotten Go-Gurt, and

french fries, along with the eye-watering artificial air freshener scents sometimes introduced to conceal those smells.

Add to that the car’s mechanical malodors (some combination of overheated brake pads, burning oil, and the occasional dead animal on the tires) and it’s no wonder the dog used to stick her head out the window.

The sensory extravaganza wasn’t limited to smell; there were signature sights and sounds as well. Dust and dog hair abounded, the latter stubbornly clinging to the floor’s fabric like furry velcro.

A rumbling sound kicked in at 45 mph, replaced by a harsher thumping noise around 65 mph. At that speed, the steering wheel began vibrating noticeably, followed by the rest of the car. While experiencing this phenomenon, my nephew once enthusiastically observed from the back seat, “It’s like being in a helicopter!”

Ironically, from 70 to 75 MPH, the ride was smooth as silk.

The rain guards on the windows fell off years ago, along with most of the lettering on the trunk. By the end, I was driving an “UNDAI ENTO.” Working

airbags? Not since about 2012, thank you.

The passenger doors first lost their “automatic open” feature when the motors burned out with use; over time, manual wear and tear took its toll to the point where the doors would barely close at all. More than once, we drove some distance with my kids tightly gripping a door to keep it from sliding open, while we were serenaded by a chorus of warning bells.

For a brief time, we experienced perfect equilibrium, as one side of the minivan didn’t open, and the other side didn’t close.

Despite its many flaws, the Entourage served us well. I’m not usually a car guy, but I am a creature of habit, and there’s a certain respect and appreciation that’s earned when a vehicle serves reliably for 15 years. The Entourage survived long drives to Quebec, Ohio, and Florida, among other destinations, and with a little aquatic James Bond-style retrofitting, I’m sure it could have made it across the Atlantic.

One of the car’s final full-capacity drives delivered a car of passengers to a concert at PNC Arts Center. On the Garden State Parkway, a large tire suddenly appeared on the road (probably a spare from the undercarriage of a car ahead of us). Unsure of my ability to avoid it without losing control, I simply ran it over and hoped for the best. The car instantly got a lot louder—clearly, something in the exhaust system had been dislodged.

But by that point, I had enough faith in the Ento that I didn’t doubt our safety for

The rain guards on the windows fell off years ago, along with most of the lettering on the trunk. By the end, I was driving an “UNDAI ENTO.” Working airbags? Not since 2012.

a moment. We made it to the concert on time, and somehow ended up in the VIP parking section, to boot.

No one challenged us as I accidentally entered that high-end parking section, despite the fact that I hadn’t paid the extra fee to do so; one of the advantages of driving an old, loud, dented vehicle is that parking attendants and other drivers tend to avoid direct confrontation, assuming from your car’s desperate appearance that you have nothing left to lose and that any provocation, however slight, could result in a disproportionate and possibly dangerous response.

Another old-car bonus I enjoyed with the Entourage was the insurance cost, a mere $800 per annum for the final few years of its life. When a car loan is more than the value of the car, it’s called negative equity; when your insurance deductible is more than the value of the car, it’s called complete freedom.

In those final years, end-of-life signs emerged consistently: the brake light that didn’t turn off, requiring a new brake light switch; malfunctioning air conditioning, which led to several sweaty summer weeks before the cause was determined and fixed; a suspension system that needed replacement sway bar links, probably the result of too many speed bumps taken at faster than recommended speeds.

But I stuck by the Entourage. As I once said to my wife, I’m the kind of guy who likes to stick with the original model, even if it’s a little past its prime and more prone to breaking down. She responded by saying that she was more open to replacement, the kind of woman who preferred to trade in for a new model every few years. No longer certain we were talking about cars, I quickly changed the subject.

When more door problems arose, I knew that, as with another car I once drove on a regular basis, we were nearing Dukes of Hazzard status, where entry and exit would be restricted to

those limber enough to slide in and out of the windows. Maybe it was time to retire the Entourage to the car pasture, where it could romp and play with other old, unpopular, and discontinued models— look, there’s a DeLorean!—until it died a natural death and peacefully rusted away in a grassy meadow. Alternatively, maybe it was time to to get whatever cash I could in exchange for the car, to defray the cost of a new vehicle. Loyalty and sentiment only extend so far, and when I managed to negotiate a sight-unseen $700 trade-in credit, the fate of the Entourage was sealed. *

I’ll miss a lot about the Entourage; around this time of year, I always relished the contradiction of blasting heavy metal from a minivan’s open windows. Its long life is memorialized by “Canadian Entourage,” a card game I created, modeled on the French game Milles Bornes and based on our drive to Quebec.

In the game, an “Entourage card” can overcome any obstacle: flat tires, foreign languages, unexpected Nazi leaders. What greater tribute?

Thanks to the mechanics at Hamilton Lakeside Shell for keeping the old hulk going all these years; next month, the story of its replacement.

Peter Dabbene’s website is peterdabbene.com, and his previous Hamilton Post columns can be read at communitynews.org. His latest work, “Dear Leader: Advice from the Heart and Mind of Kim Jong-un” can be read at www.fictionontheweb. co.uk. His short poem “Cocktails” can be read at eunoiareview.wordpress. com/2023/04/05/cocktails, and another poem, “God Jazz,” can be heard on the podcast Dead letter Radio (Episode 59, from 4:38 to 8:44) at deadletterradio.libsyn.com/.

•

RYANS COMMERCIAL MAINTENANCE

Karen Wilbert-Keppel is an artist who works on her art every day, as artists are supposed to. She draws and paints a multitude of subject matter. She is a former art teacher who is skilled at all of the facets of art making.

One discipline she taught and still practices is making books by hand binding. It is a skill by which very beautiful books are made. Her books are a way to showcase her paintings.

Karen is now retired. She meets weekly with fellow artists in her studio, and they make art together for the love of it.

When did you begin in the arts?

I have always loved art and knew that it would always be a part of my life. I became an art teacher and had a rewarding career teaching in the New Jersey Correctional system for many years. I taught at Trenton State Prison, Garden State Youth Correctional Facility and Skillman Training Center. I had small classes of about five.

It was very interesting teaching those who were incarcerated. These people had all day to work on their art. They became very good. They would paint landscapes, cityscapes and figures. I learned as much from them as they did from me. Now, in retirement, I spend a large part of each day in my studio.

Which media do you work in?

I started with oils, but now I use all sorts of media: gouache, Artgraf (watercolor graphite), watercolor, acrylic paint, acrylic ink, gel printing and anything else I care to experiment with. I create handmade books both as an art form and for sketchbooks, and many of the media techniques are used in that process.

Which media is the most difficult to work in?

Watercolor certainly, but the transition from oils to acrylics has been a bit of a relearning process. I do use watercolor to color ink drawings on paper.

Which media do you most enjoy?

I find a great pleasure in creating a handmade book. From the creation of the cover with its various forms of artwork and design to the layout and sewing of the pages. I love using all the tools (bonefolder, piercing cradle, sewing

frame, and awl) that help make the book come together. It’s a very satisfying process.

Gouache has become my go to medium for painting. When I paint miniatures, the fast-drying process, and the ability to paint over and layer, works very well for me.

Who are some of your inspirations or influences?

Mel Leipzig, the retired professor from Mercer County Community College, who in class, would tell us that you must pick

Shelves of handbound books by Karen Wilbert-Keppel.

A handbound book made by Karen Wilbert-Keppel.

up a brush every day. He is an amazing artist who has continued to do that throughout his entire life. I try to attend as many of his lectures as I can because fifty years later, he is still so inspiring.

One of my early influences was Van Gogh and a current favorite is Maud Lewis a painter from Nova Scotia. I love the seemingly simplicity of her work.

Where did you study art?

Mercer County Community College— Associate of Fine Arts; Trenton State College (The College of New Jersey)—a bachelors degree in art therapy and art education; from Hahnemann Medical College— a master’s degree in creative art therapy.

Which are your favorite art museums or venues?

Local art exhibits are my favorite. I enjoy attending yearly events such as the Ellarslie Open, Covered Bridge Open Studios, Phillips’ Mill and assorted galleries.

What fight/struggle do you have regarding your art?

Fortunately, I have a beautiful little studio that I spend time in every day. Retirement has enabled me to find the artist in me again, and I am content with creating for the pleasure of it.

Do you still meet with an artmaking group?

I no longer run the artmaking group, but I regularly meet individually with friends and family members for assorted art activities. My dearest friend and I have been meeting for 13 years or so to do bookbinding projects, painting and experimenting with all types of media. What are you working on now?

For 12 years, I have maintained a 365day art regimen where I do some type of art every single day documenting it in multiple sketchbooks. This year I divided a large piece of watercolor paper into little squares roughly one and a quarter inch and do a tiny painting or drawing daily. The paper has been cut and folded to make a “snake” book to make it easier to manage.

What is on the horizon? What are you looking forward to?

I am coordinating a small group of friends who will meet regularly for plein air, outdoor, onsite, painting and sketching. Typically, I paint from my photographs, but I want to get better at painting from moment.

Peace of Mind.

Thomas Kelly is a Hamilton-based artist and member of the Hamilton Arts Council. His work can be found at thomaskellyart.com.

Artist Karen Wilbert-Keppel at work handbinding a book.

New screening options for smokers and former smokers

Ask The Doctor

If you’re a smoker who uses cigarettes now or gave them up years ago, you may be at greater risk of health problems, especially lung cancer. Yet 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 Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Hamilton’s Cancer Center.

“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.

Who should undergo lung cancer screening? Patients should be 50 to 80 years old and currently smoke or have quit within 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 packyear 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.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14

New Developments in Hearing Aids-Computer Technology for Your Ears. 10 to 11 a.m. Technological advances in hearing aids allow us to connect to our world in an exciting way! Join Dr. Lorraine Sgarlato , Au.D. and Mindy Staller Au.D. from Unitron Hearing to learn about the latest in treatment options. Hands-on demonstration available after the lecture.

Ask the Diabetes Coordinator. Noon to 1 p.m. Shesha Desai, PharmD, RPh, BC-ADM, will host an informative Q&A session on how to manage your diabetes.

What Can Hypnosis Do For Me? 6 to 7 p.m. Learn how hypnosis/hypnotherapy can access your own internal abilities. Matt Masiello, CCH will share how hypnosis programs are tailored to meet your specific needs. The program includes an overview of hypnotherapy, Q&A’s, and optional guided meditation/hypnosis.

TUESDAY, JUNE 20

Reiki? What is This “Reiki”? 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. You may have heard of the benefits of Reiki, but are still not sure what, exactly, it is or how it works. Come explore what energy work, including Reiki, can do for you. Patti McDougall, BSN, Integrative Therapies Nurse, Reiki Master/Teacher.

THURSDAY, JUNE 7

MERCER COUNTY

MERCER COUNTY LOW-INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LIHEAP) 2022-2023 PROGRAM ENDS June 30, 2023

MERCER COUNTY

How can RWJUH Hamilton help me quit smoking? 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).

Safety and Security Awareness in Today’s World. 7 to 8:30 p.m. Learn about cybersecurity, internet scams and how to protect against identify theft, as well as about personal safety at home, in the community and in the work place. Bob Field Jr. Assistant VP of Support Services, Safety and Security at RWJBH Hamilton, is a respected security professional with over 35 years of military, federal law enforcement and private security experience. FREE.

Better Health Programs

LOW-INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LIHEAP) 2022-2023 PROGRAM ENDS June 30, 2023

LOW-INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LIHEAP)

2022-2023 PROGRAM ENDS

June 30, 2023

The County of Mercer will be accepting applications for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) for the 2022-23 until June 30, 2023. Mercer County will continue accepting applications for the Universal Service Fund (USF) Program throughout the year. Residents who pay their own heating costs, and meet the following income guidelines, may be eligible to receive financial assistance with their winter heating bill. Residents with medical conditions may also be eligible to receive cooling assistance:

The County of Mercer will be accepting applications for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) for the 2022-23 until June 30, 2023. Mercer County will continue accepting applications for the Universal Service Fund (USF) Program throughout the year. Residents who pay their own heating costs, and meet the following income guidelines, may be eligible to receive financial assistance with their winter heating bill. Residents with medical conditions may also be eligible to receive cooling assistance:

The County of Mercer will be accepting applications for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) for the 2022-23 until June 30, 2023. Mercer County will continue accepting applications for the Universal Service Fund (USF) Program throughout the year. Residents who pay their own heating costs, and meet the following income guidelines, may be eligible to receive financial assistance with their winter heating bill. Residents with medical conditions may also be eligible to receive cooling assistance:

MONTHLY INCOME GUIDELINES

MONTHLY INCOME GUIDELINES

MONTHLY INCOME GUIDELINES

RWJBarnabas Health and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, together with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey— the state’s only NCIDesignated Comprehensive Cancer Center— provide close-to-home access to the latest treatment options. For more information, call 844.CANCERNJ or visit www.rwjbh.org/beatcancer.

* Federal income limits are subject to change during the program year. Please call for incomes above 8 persons.

Coming up this month at RWJU Hospital Hamilton

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

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7

* Federal income limits are subject to change during the program year. Please call for incomes above 8 persons.

* Federal income limits are subject to change during the program year. Please call for incomes above 8 persons.

The public is permitted to enter the building without an appointment at this time. If an inperson appointment is necessary, clients can call 609-337-0933 or email heatingappt@mercercounty.org to schedule an appointment. Applications can be sent by regular mail to 640 S. Broad Street Room 106, PO BOX 8068 Trenton, NJ 08650-0068 or faxed to 609-278-2758.

The public is permitted to enter the building without an appointment at this time. If an inperson appointment is necessary, clients can call 609-337-0933 or email heatingappt@mercercounty.org to schedule an appointment. Applications can be sent by regular mail to 640 S. Broad Street Room 106, PO BOX 8068 Trenton, NJ 08650-0068 or faxed to 609-278-2758.

The public is permitted to enter the building without an appointment at this time. If an inperson appointment is necessary, clients can call 609-337-0933 or email heatingappt@mercercounty.org to schedule an appointment. Applications can be sent by regular mail to 640 S. Broad Street Room 106, PO BOX 8068 Trenton, NJ 08650-0068 or faxed to 609-278-2758.

The County will continue to receive applications up until the deadline of June 30, 2023 by regular mail, fax, email and in person. Applications, forms, and information can be accessed at this site: http://www.mercercounty.org/departments/housing-communitydevelopment/housing-and-community-development-programs

For more information, call (609) 584-5900. To register for a program or for schedule changes go to rwjbh.org/ events.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7

Let’s Talk, A Senior Social Group. Also June 14, 21, & 28; 10 to 11 a.m. Please join us for our ongoing program “Let’s Talk, a Senior Social Group,” gathering in a collaborative setting to exchange thoughts, feelings and experiences amongst peers. This is a safe zone designed to be welcoming and understanding of all attendees while exploring this season of our lives – the ups and the challenges. This group is a partnership between RWJ University Hospital Hamilton and the PsycHealth Associates here in Hamilton. This is a weekly program. Please feel free to attend one or all.

FRIDAY, JUNE 16

The County will continue to receive applications up until the deadline of June 30, 2023 by regular mail, fax, email and in person. Applications, forms, and information can be accessed at this site: http://www.mercercounty.org/departments/housing-communitydevelopment/housing-and-community-development-programs

The County will continue to receive applications up until the deadline of June 30, 2023 by regular mail, fax, email and in person. Applications, forms, and information can be accessed at this site: http://www.mercercounty.org/departments/housing-communitydevelopment/housing-and-community-development-programs

Applications can be sent by regular mail, fax, email and in person:

Mercer County LIHEAP/USF Programs

Applications can be sent by regular mail, fax, email and in person:

640 S. Broad St, Room 106 P.O. Box 8068

Applications can be sent by regular mail, fax, email and in person:

Mercer County LIHEAP/USF Programs

Trenton, NJ 08650-0068

Lung Cancer Screening-Who Qualifies and When to Get Screened. 5 to 6 p.m. Lung Screening Program Director, Dr. Eishan Patel and Program Manager Kaidlan Ricardo, CMA, BS-HA will discuss screening and early detection of lung cancer and treatment options.

Board of County Commissioners

Board of County

Commissioners

email address: housing@mercercounty.org

Mercer County LIHEAP/USF Programs

TUESDAY, JUNE 13

640 S. Broad St, Room 106 P.O. Box 8068 Trenton, NJ 08650-0068

Fax: 609-278-2758

email address: housing@mercercounty.org

640 S. Broad St, Room 106 P.O. Box 8068 Trenton, NJ 08650-0068

Fax: 609-278-2758

email address: housing@mercercounty.org

Fax: 609-278-2758

Brian M. Hughes, County Executive

Brian M. Hughes, County Executive

Brian M. Hughes, County Executive

Edward Pattik Housing Director

Edward Pattik Housing Director

Plant Based Protein to Power Your Workout. 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Plants are powerful and so are you! Learn to support strength and maintain healthful movement with plant-based sources of protein. Fee: $5. Taryn Krietzman, RDN.

Tips on Looking Your Best at Any Age. 9:30 to 11 a.m. Join us for this New Program that is all about you – no models, no video. We are happy to welcome back Caterina Young, Owner blo Out Lounge & Color Bar. She will share with us makeup tricks to look your best and how to choose the right hairstyle for your face shape and how to maintain it. Be sure to register early.

FRIDAY, JUNE 23

Tea Party. 2 to 3:30 p.m. Pinkies up! Let’s talk tea and try some famously tasty pairings. Hats are encouraged.

Dr. Medina

Blink and they’re grown.

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