Firefighters help deliver baby on South Broad

Bob Sherman, Jr.

June 1 at 9:12 a.m. Squad 1 dispatched to Kuser Road and Yardville Hamilton Square Road for a motor vehicle collision with injuries.

June 1 at 1:31 p.m. Engine 1 dispatched to 1300 block of Whitehorse Hamilton Square Road for a mulch fire.

June 2 at 3:05 a.m. Truck 2 dispatched as EMS to the 4200 block of S. Broad St. for a pregnancy, baby born.

June 2 at 11;04 a.m. Engine 2, Truck 2 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to first block of Magnolia Ln to assist police.

June 2 at 2:27 p.m. Engine 1 dispatched to Route 33 Nissan for a mulch fire.

June 2 at 4:33 p.m. Hamilton Fire Police dispatched to assist Robbinsville Police at State Hwy 33 and County Route 526, Town Center. All traffic lights out.

June 3 at 1:02 a.m. Truck 1, Squad 1 dispatched to 3300 block of Route 1, Lawrence. Mulch fire with exposure to building.

June 3 at 5:27 p.m. Engine 1, Rescue 1, Squad 1, Trucks 1, 2, Engines 3,4, and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to RWJ Barnabas University Hospital for an interior odor of smoke.

June 4 at 1:17 a.m. Engine 3 dispatched as EMS to first block of 6th Street for a male shot in the leg. Colonial Special Services 18 dispatched to assist Hamilton Police with lighting of the area.

June 4 at 3:17 a.m. Engine 3, Truck 1 and on duty Battalion chief dispatched to first block of 6th Street to assist police.

June 5 at 7:50 p.m. Engines 1,2. 3. Trucks 1, 2, Rescue 1, Squad 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to 100 block of Richland Ave. Appliance fire.

June 6 at 2:28 p.m. Engine 2 dispatched to 300 block of Rowan Ave. Rubbish fire.

June 6 at 6:29 p.m. Hamilton dispatch started to receive numerous calls for heavy smoke throughout the township from the Canadian wildfires. Units were dispatched to Fairlawn Ave, Regina Ave, Klockner Road, Jenicho Dr, Woodlawn Ave, and E. Park Ave.

June 7 at 8:41 p.m. Engine 2 dispatched to 1300 block of Kuser Road. Rubbish fire.

June 7 at 10:59 p.m. Engine 4, Truck 1 dispatched to Rosehill Assisted Living, Robbinsville for a commercial fire alarm.

June 8 at 6:53 a.m. Squad 1, Truck 2 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to 3100 block of Quakerbridge Road for a motor vehicle fire.

June 9 at 1:52 a.m. Engine 4, Squad 1, Truck 1 dispatched to Amberfield Rd, Robbinsville. Interior odor of smoke.

June 9 at 4:33 p.m. Engine 4 requested as an extra engine for a brush fire across from Drews Farm, Upper Freehold.

June 10 at 10:22 Engine 1 was dispatched to the 700 block of Route 33 for a dumpster fire with exposure.

June 11 at 8:05 p.m. Engine 3, Rescue 1, Squad 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to 700 block of Sloan Ave for a motor vehicle accident rescue assignment, vehicle overturned.

June 12 at 4:07 p.m. Engine 4, Trucks 1 and 2 dispatched to Newtown Blvd, Robbinsville for a reported building fire.

June 13 at 7:10 p.m. Engine 4, Truck 2 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to Martins Ln for a vehicle fire.

June 14 at 7:02 a.m. Truck 2 dispatched to Amazon Warehouse of Robbinsville for a water flow fire alarm.

June 14 at 8:37 a.m. Engines 2, 3, Trucks 1, 2, Rescue 1, Squad 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to Versilles Ct for a reported dwelling fire,

June 14 at 3:31 p.m. Engine 4, Truck 1 dispatched to Robbinsville Township Senior Center for a air conditioner on fire with exposure to the building.

June 14 at 7:48 p.m. Rescue 1 dispatched to Quakerbridge Rd and Sloan Ave for a motor vehicle collision.

June 15 at 6:28 a.m. Squad 1, Truck 2 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to Scenic Overlook North I-295N for a vehicle fire.

June 16 at 11:42 a.m. Rescue 1, Engines 1,2,3, Trucks 1,2, Squad 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to Nami Ln for an interior odor of smoke.

June 17 at 7:51 p.m. Truck 1 and Squad 1 dispatched to Oneill Ct., Lawrence, for an interior odor of smoke. for a fire alarm in a 4 story, wood frame, multi family dwelling.

June 19 at 6:28 p.m. Engines 1, 2, 3, Trucks 1, Rescue 1, Squad 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to Jed Ct for an appliance fire, contained to the oven.

June 20 at 2:11 a.m. Rescue 1, Trucks 1, 2, Engines 1, 2, 3, Squad 1 and on duty battalion chief dispatched to Princeton BMW of Hamilton. Reported building fire.

June 21 at 11:35 a.m. Engine 3 dispatched to cover Station 30, Ewing Twp Fire Department.

June 21 at 1:36 p.m. Truck 2 was dispatched to 100 block of West Manor Way for a water flow fire alarm.

June 22 at 11:58 a.m. Engine 1 and Truck 1 dispatched to North Commerce Sq., Robbinsville.

June 22 at 10:20 p.m. Truck 2 was dispatched to the 100 block of west Manor Way for a commercial fire alarm.

June 23 at 3:34 p.m. Engine 1 dispatched to Washington Blvd., Robbinsville for an elevator rescue.

June 24 at 7:42 a.m. Engine 1 dispatched to Chamberlin Ct., Lawrence for a water flow fire alarm.

June 25 at 1:443 a.m. Engines 1, 2, 4, Truck 2, Squad 1, Rescue1, and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to Pilgrim Way for an appliance fire.

June 25 at 1:52 a.m. Engines 2,3,4, Trucks 1,2, Squad 1, Rescue1 and nonduty Battalion Chief dispatched to 500 block of East Park Ave for an interior smoke condition, Homeowner reported the house was struck by lightning and then filled with smoke.

June 25 at 11:56 p.m. Rescue 1, Squad 1, Engine 2 and on duty battalion Chief dispatched to Interstate 295N for a motor vehicle accident/rescue assignment. NJSP reported a Mercedes-Benz ran off the road to the right, overturned and struck a sign support. As a result of the

Our

Hamilton crash, the driver sustained fatal injuries

June 26 at 2:20 p.m. Rescue 1, Squad 1, Engines 1,2,3, Trucks 1, 2 and on duty

Battalion Chief dispatched to 1600 block of Klockner Road for an appliance fire. Fire was confined to the oven.

June 27 at 12:08 a.m. Engines 1,3,4, Truck 1, Rescue 1, Squad 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to 100 block of Joan Ter for an interior odor of smoke, 9-1-1 caller smells fire, doesn’t see a fire.

June 27 at 1:27 p.m. Truck 2, Engines 1, 2, Rescue 1, Squad 1, and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to 1300 block of Whitehorse Hamilton Square Rd for a commercial fire alarm. Arriving unit found burnt popcorn,

June 27 at 3:59 p.m. Engine 4 was dispatched to 200 block of Nassau St., Princeton for a dwelling fire. Smoke coming from a house.

June 27 at 6:19 p.m. Squad 1 was dispatched to Sunnybrae Blvd and Hasting Rd for power line down in the street and pole smoking. Hamilton Fire Police responded for traffic control.

June 27 at 6:44 p.m. Burlington E3222, Truck 2 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to Twin Pond Development for an uncontrolled water leak.

June 27 at 8:26 p.m. Engines 1,2,4, Trucks 1,2, Rescue 1, Squad 1 and on duty battalion chief dispatched to Homewood Suites By Hilton, US 130 for an interior smoke condition.

June 28 at 10:31 a.m. Engine 4 dispatched to Dunkin Donuts of Robbinsville for an exterior gas leak called in by PSEG.

June 28 at 5:58 p.m. Squad 1 dispatched to Oscar Way for wires on fire.

June 29 at 9:59 p.m. Truck 1 dispatched to Brandywine Senior Living, Princeton. Interior odor of smoke.

June 30 at 4:54 p.m. Reserve Engine 5, Colonial Special Services 18 dispatched for special assignment, Veterans Park for Hamilton Township 4th of July fireworks.

Peter Dabbene

Until recently, my knowledge of Portugal was limited. I remember hearing about Vasco Da Gama when I was in elementary school, but if you asked me as an adult what he discovered, I’d have been hard-pressed to answer (correct response: a sea route to India).

Geographically, I always thought of Portugal as “that small country near Spain.” And while I knew that Portugal once controlled a vast empire, it now seemed like just another also-ran in the contest for global hegemony.

I gained a better appreciation for Portugal last month when, at the invitation of a friend with ties to the country, we visited for a week and took in the sights.

Our itinerary was ambitious, and a car was necessary to make it happen. Manual transmissions are standard in Europe, and I never learned how to drive stick shift, so I was removed from the driving solution.

My wife, who hadn’t driven stick in 25 years, took on a share of the driving duties and did an admirable job, though with the bumps, sudden turns, and near misses of European traffic, it sometimes felt like we’d signed up for the Jason Bourne Automobile Tour of Portugal.

The first highlights we saw in Almada, just outside of Lisbon, seemed strangely familiar—the longest suspension bridge in Europe, which is the same color

(“International orange”) as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and similar in design to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge; also, a giant statue of Christ the King, inspired by the Christ the Redeemer statue that overlooks Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

We recovered from jetlag with an easy day at the Costa de Caparica beaches, and got to watch up close as the local fishermen pulled in their nets of sardines and mackerel.

From there, we traveled north to Porto, known for its port wine. Bowing to the relaxed standards of European drinking traditions, my wife and I allowed our kids to participate in a port wine tasting and basically watched them get tipsy for the first time sitting across a table from their parents. My “Father of the Year” award will arrive shortly, I expect.

We stayed at Pousada Mosteiro Guimaraes, a former monastery that’s now a hotel, where our kids got locked out after a late-night swimming session, and we caused enough noise and commotion to make up for centuries of silence.

Next it was on to Coimbra, famous for its university, which was founded in 1290. We toured the school, and between the black capes provided to students and the ornate, bat-monitored library, along with Porto’s distinctive Livraria Lello bookstore, it’s easy to see how J.K. Rowling found visual inspiration for the Harry Potter series when she lived in Portugal in the early 1990s.

The Castle and Convent of the Knights

Templar in the city of Tomar, and Obidos, a medieval town surrounded by castle walls, were amazing, but so were the Palace of Mafra, the Castle of Moors and Palacio de Pena in Sintra, and our tuktuk tour of Lisbon. English is spoken in most of the tourist areas, but traveling with someone who spoke Portuguese smoothed out any potential stumbling blocks.

The food was fantastic, a combination of restaurants and home-cooked meals by our friend’s family. I learned that wine comes not just in red or white, but also green. My kids learned, through hardearned experience, that bidets are not just “toilets for short people.”

There were also happy accidents, like coming upon a free pipe organ concert at the Clerigos Church in Porto, or getting to see some of Tomar’s “Festa dos Tabuleiros,” which happens for one week every four years and covers the town in colorful paper flowers.

I tried to be humble, appreciative, and respectful, and thankfully my mutterings of “Oh my God” and “Jesus Christ.” upon entering the exquisite interiors of churches, or a museum area filled with dozens of crucifixes, seemed to be taken as expressions of religious awe, rather than mere astonishment at the scale and beauty of the place, or an utterance of exasperation, respectively—I mean, after 10 or 20 crucifixes, you get the point already, right?

Portugal isn’t perfect, a fact most obvious in its inexplicable tolerance for graffiti, even on the walls of some of its most beautiful places. But it was an incredible place to visit. Everyone we met said we needed more time in Portugal to truly experience everything it had to offer, and I believe them.

Our flight back to New Jersey effectively drained some of the magic from the traveling experience, thoughtfully preparing us to resume life as usual. The last time I flew to and from Europe, 20 years ago, you were granted an actual can of soda; now you’re provided a half-filled paper cup, and you’d better hope there’s no turbulence. When it comes to airline food, choosing a dinner option is still like picking what kind of coal you’ll get at Christmas. I did think it wise, however, that while the maps displayed on our seat-back screens marked the locations of famous shipwrecks—Lexington (1840), Titanic (1912), Thresher (1963)—they refrained from doing the same with the sites of comparable air disasters. Approaching Newark at night, we spotted the flashing lights of police activity across the city, a stark contrast to the welcoming daylit views of terracotta rooftops that greeted our arrival in Lisbon. Within a few minutes of landing, we were dealing with a moody taxi dispatcher who helped to fully consign the trip to the category of a pleasant, unforgettable memory.

Peter Dabbene’s website is peterdabbene.com, and his previous Hamilton Post columns can be read at www.communitynews.org. His essay, “The U.S. Needs to Tax Religions” can be viewed at morningmoot.com, and his story, “The Mysterious Origin of ‘Marco Polo’” can be read at pikerpress. com. His book, Complex Simplicity, collects the first 101 editions of this column, along with essays and material published elsewhere. It is available at Amazon.com or Lulu.com for $25 (print) or $4.99 (ebook).

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