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Paying it forward

State of the Township event helps a Robbinsville family in need

Robbinsville Township Mayor Dave Fried recently presided over his eighth Pay it Forward/State of the Township event.

As part of his annual address, the mayor and his team raised more than $65,000—a new record for the event—to help the McLaughlin Family of Robbinsville—Karen, Bruce, Nico and Mikayla.

Robbinsville High football enters camp with optimism

By RIch FISher

As training camp quickly approaches, one of the things that excites Robbinsville High football coach Andrew Patterson the most is being able to see his complete team in action for a full season.

Because what he saw in just half a season last year was pretty darn good.

When the Ravens began 2022 with a 1-4 record, the talk around Mercer County was that they couldn’t handle the jump to the West Jersey Football League Valley Division

(even though they went 1-1 vs. division teams in that stretch). That could not have been further from the truth. The problem—which pretty much fixed itself midway through last year—was banged up body parts.

See FOOTBALL, Page 9

Nico has waged a life-long battle with Evans Syndrome, which afflicts less than 1,000 people in the world. Evans syndrome is an extremely rare blood and auto-immune disease in which the body’s immune system produces antibodies that mistakenly destroy red blood cells, platelets and sometimes certain white blood cells known as neutrophils.

Recently Mikayla, who suffers from Crohn’s/colitis, had a colon resection. Even more recently, it was learned that Bruce needs a liver transplant. The family’s car also has been rendered inoperable.

Since debuting the Pay it Forward initiative, Robbinsville has raised over $450,000 for individ-

uals and organizations in need.

Fried honored the McLaughlin Family and also delivered his Stet of the Township Speech at The Stone Terrace by John Henry’s in Hamilton.

The text of his address, which has been edited for space, appears below.

Tonight, we are Paying it Forward to the McLaughlin’s. This wonderful family has been on our radar for many years, but Nico’s incredible strength and his will to live a full and happy life gave us confidence that we could wait a little longer. Well, that time is now. Karen was actually so good. I’m actually thinking about having her do my speech for me next year.

First, I’d like to thank all our sponsors and donors and to our Pay it Forward coordinator Jody Stephens, who helped us raise over $65,000.

When we started Pay It Forward back in 2015, the idea was to get a wheelchair accessible van for the Shepard family. Their son Trey, was part of a contest for a van. So we all stepped up, including many of you who are here tonight, and we made it happen.

Nine years later, thanks to Phil Mastellone, John Crooks and the team at Robbinsville Dodge Jeep on Route 130, we’ve come full circle.

See FRIED, Page 6

Robbinsville High School football player Chris Naperkoski (who was one of four players who missed multiple games last year) protects the ball as he runs up field during a 2022 game. For more photos from last season, turn to Page 11. (Photos by Don Ryan Photography, donryanphotography.com.)

EdITed by BILL SanSerVIno

around town Sharon School students give back to area nonprofits

The Sharon School Parent Teacher Association, Sharon School Student Council along with Sharon Elementary School recently hosted their fifth-annual “Sharon Shines” event, a day of servicelearning in which the entire school supported several nonprofits in the local community.

Across the 54 pre-K to 4th grade classrooms, excitement and engagement were felt by the 1,000 student participants, 79 parent volunteers, and members of the Robbinsville Town Council and Board of Education.

The students learned about 13 local nonprofit organizations in the community through an engaging video and lesson plan.

During the interactive piece of the lesson, pre-K, kindergarten and first grade constructed 359 snack bags to be delivered to the local organizations. Second grade students wrapped 2,150 utensils in napkins. The third and fourth grades created 217 activity bags and 209 cards.

“Sharon Shines is an incredible program that introduces the students of Sharon Elementary to philanthropy,” said Danielle Liegl, Sharon PTA president.

“Not only does it aim to educate the students, but it also provides hands-on experience. This shows that no matter the age, one person can make a difference.”

This year’s event benefitted the Robbinsville Senior Center, Robbinsville Meals on Wheels, Rose Hill Assisted Living, Project Freedom Inc., HomeFront, ONE Project, Be Kind, Shine and Inspire, Inc., Mercer Street Friends Preschool, Better Beginnings Child Development Center, NJ Rise, JFCS of Greater Mercer County and the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen.

Ott Installed as new Rotary Club president

George Ott of Hamilton Square has been installed as president of the Rotary Club of Robbinsville Hamilton.

Ott was handed the gavel from outgoing president Kalpana Patel at an installation ceremony at Tessara Restaurant in Hamilton on June 22.

“Rotary is not just an organization. It’s a movement fueled by compassion and a desire to create positive change,” Ott told his fellow Rotarians. “Together we have

the power to address the most pressing challenges facing our communities and work towards a brighter future.”

Ott is a retired chemical engineer. He is a volunteer and executive board member at the Roebling Museum, and a member and past president of the Antique Automobile Club of America, Mid-Jersey Region.

The Rotary Club performs a variety of service projects in its two communities and supports charitable causes locally and around the world. Information about club activities and membership is available at rhrotary.org.

Members and guests meet weekly at Pj’s Pancake House, 17 Main St., Robbinsville on Friday mornings at 7:30 a.m. The club welcomes new members.

League of Women Voters advocacy groups merge

The League of Women Voters of Princeton Area and the League of Women Voters of East Windsor-Hightstown Area are merging into a new league.

The new organization is being called the League of Women Voters of the

Greater Princeton Area. Together the new league has over 80 members.

The new LWV-GPA covers towns spanning three counties including Princeton, Robbinsville, East Windsor, Hightstown, West Windsor, Cranbury, Plainsboro, South Brunswick, Rocky Hill and Montgomery.

The merger became official on July 19 when the new group voted yeah to finalize the merger.

The stated reason for the merger, is to allow for more efficient operation of the previously separate organizations.

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan, grass roots civic organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.

Membership in the League is open to people 16 years and older of all gender identities. With over 100 years of experience, the League is one of America’s oldest and most trusted civic nonprofit organizations.

For additional information, visit the League’s website at lwvprinceton.org

Sharon School students from multiple grade levels show off the artwork they made during a recent day of service-learning that benefited 13 local nonprofit organizations.

Phil not only loaned the McLaughlin’s a vehicle for over a month free of charge when their family SUV died, but they stepped up with the help of all of your donations to provide Karen, Bruce, Nico and Mikayla with a brand new Plymouth Voyager.

I’d also like to thank Jeannine Cimino (executive VP and chief retail officer for William Penn Bank, Hamilton). Janine has been a fixture to our Pay It Forward events since day one. There’s really no one else we’ve ever considered as our emcee. Year after year, she knocks it out of the park with her wit and charm.

She’s been an amazing advocate for both the business community and for our expanded community. No one really ever considers having a charitable event in Mercer County without including Jeannine. So to her dedication to Mercer County and the Robbinsville, we are giving her our first ever Pay it Forward award tonight and just want to thank her for everything she done.

When Janine did this the first year, we did not know how this is going to work out, and there’s a whole bunch of funny stories that we could tell about how we actually pulled the first night together. But when it ended, Janine called me the next day and she’s like, “I have no idea

The township is attempting to acquire the former Investors Bank building for a new municipal building. The Town Center-based office and retail building was constructed in 2005 and has been occupied by Investors Bank (and its predecessor, Roma Bank). The bank sold the building in 2021 to Realty Management Systems for $20 million in a leaseback deal. Investors Bank subsequently vacated the building after being purchased by Citizens Financial Group in 2022.

what you’re going to do next year, but we’re in.”

I’d also like to thank my wife, Kitt, and my kids Brett and my new college

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graduate, Ashley, for all of their love and support. You know, there’s a saying that behind every successful man, there is an amazing woman who manages to keep it all together. Believe me when I tell you, I am no exception. So thank you, sweetheart.

I’d like to thank the Robbinsville School District and the Board of Education for being here and also their parts from the partnership.

The district is also navigating some difficult waters right now, and although we are two separate forms of government with two entirely different budgets, we do work together when we can to share costs and to help make the learning experience for our students better.

The council has our budget and we were able to increase our contribution to the cost of the school resource officers by $152,000.

I’d also like to thank our (state) legislators. Senator Linda Greenstein is here with us tonight. Also assemblymen Wayne DeAngelo and Dan Benson, who had a family emergency. I want to thank them for everything they do and also their efforts in trying to help our schools get their fair share of state aid.

why, and I want to thank you for that.

Almost every year I’ve had the rare pleasure of doing something no other town in New Jersey could claim: Stand up here and announce nearly a decade of either flat or reduced municipal taxes. Those were the good times.

I’m not going to sugarcoat it—this year’s going to sting a bit. The 3.7-cent increase, which amounts to an average of $144 per household, did not come because we failed to plan or we failed to act. Quite the contrary.

We took some incredible measures and many sacrifices were made, but ultimately the worst inflation battle since the ‘70s led to runaway costs for nearly everything. For us, trash, pension payments, health insurance and a healthy down payment on our future police and court building were the biggest drivers.

No one hates raising taxes more than me, but know this—Robbinsville taxpayers are still getting a tremendous value for their money. The quality of our services has not—and will not—suffer.

Home values are still up, as are sales of existing homes and there aren’t many available. In fact, home values are increasing faster than every other town in Mercer County except for Princeton.

The investments we want to make this year will have a significant impact on our future budgets.

One of those investments may be outside the box, but that’s what we do when things get a little bit dicey. Right next door to our municipal building is the building formerly occupied by Roma and then Investors Bank. Right now, those 47,000 square feet are appraised at $9.3 million, and it’s vacant.

We’d like to purchase that building and move all of our operations—with the exception of the Department of Public Works, fire and the senior center—under one roof. I know you must be thinking right now, “This guy just told us he wants to raise taxes and now he wants to buy a building?”

The short answer is yes. The long answer is we built our existing municipal building in 2015 because it was absolutely the right thing to do at the time. If there’s one common theme of our daily operations since I’ve been mayor is we believe in doing what’s appropriate in the climate we’re operating in, while always casting an eye toward the future.

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I’d also like to recognize Wayne DeAngelo for his efforts to make our electric grid safer. This quiet work is done behind the scenes without much fanfare. But for those of you who have lived in Robbinsville through the blackouts and have noticed that they’ve been happening less and less, Wayne is one of the big reasons

We love our municipal building. It has been a one stop shop for residents and professionals. We certainly don’t have to move next door, but there may be too much value there to ignore.

When all is said and done, this will turn out to be tax savings. For the past three years, we have been looking for a suitable location and a suitable developer to

build our new police station and court in partnership with Hightstown Borough.

I’d also like to thank the mayor of Hightstown, Susan Bluth, who happens to be with us tonight. Together, we’ve been able to save our taxpayers money and provide many interlocal services, including EMS.

We have been sharing our police station and court since Hurricane Irene in 2011. Since COVID, the costs to complete the court police station have exploded to the tune of $14 million. And that’s without cost overruns and inflation by the time we get shovels into the ground.

As we were contemplating our next move, we looked out the eastern window of our existing building and saw a possible solution. Without getting too deep into the weeds when it comes to the math, we think we can sell our existing municipal building, then the land where our existing police and court facilities are on Route 130.

So instead of paying $14 million to build a new building, we can possibly move most of our daily operations next door for the appraised value of $9.3 million or $4.7 million in savings. It’s ambitious, but it also makes sense, both logistically and from a business and budgetary standpoint.

As I said earlier, we like to make decisions based on what makes sense at the time, and this seems to make the most sense. Achieving goals like this vision that I just laid out cannot be achieved without decades of trust from our residents. They allow us to take chances that others might be unwilling to take.

They also cannot be accomplished without the incredible support of my staff, led by our business administrator, Joy Tozzi, and our town council—President Debbie Blakeley, Vice President Mike Todd, Mike Cipriano, Chris Ciaccio and Ron Witt.

The council was a huge part of that confidence and trust, and I’d like to pause here and recognize someone who has decided not to run again.

Councilman Witt is an amazing asset to our community. He is the reason we take on some of our more ambitious building projects. He’s not only a great friend to me on council, but also personally. They say you cannot choose your family. But if I could, I would choose him. Ron, thank you for your service and dedication to Robbinsville.

This council wants what we all want. For our government to be transparent and to make decisions based on what’s best for the entire town. Remember, this is your government, your community, your schools. Never be afraid to make your voice heard. As far as the township, keep writing us. It really does make a

Residents often come up with ideas that we never thought of. As elected officials, we’re constantly learning from you as well. The day that we stop listening to each other, above all the rhetoric and noise, is the day we start moving forward together as a community.

I’d like to thank all of our generous sponsors led by our corporate partners, Route 130 Dodge Jeep, William Penn Bank and their CEO Ken Stephon, Hexa Builders, Legacy Treatment Services, BAPS Charities, and also Mr. Adam Elias.

My friend Adam is running for assembly. He’s an attorney by day and has been opening coffee shops by night. He is deeply involved in our community, and in every way I cannot thank him enough for stepping forward and being one of our lead sponsors tonight.

Thanks to tonight’s very special Pay it Forward event, we are fast approaching half a million dollars raised for our friends, neighbors and organizations in need.

I’d also like to recognize my dear friend Roy Leitstein, CEO of Legacy Treatment Services. Roy has been part of Pay it Forward from the beginning. He is one of the reasons our very first event was a success, and he never fails to step up for those in need.

In fact, I will digress for a moment. When we first needed to get a van, I called Roy and I said, I need a handicapped van.

He said “Great when do you need it?”.

I said, “Next week.”

He’s like, “You know, they take six months, right?”

I’m like, “No.”

It just so happens the Roy was able to step forward and help us. So I always appreciate his hard work. He’s always one of my first phone calls.

As I mentioned at the outset, our department heads have made incredible sacrifices across the board while never compromising the services that they provide to our constituents.

I’m not going to spend a lot of time on open space. However, no town in Mercer County has preserved more acres over the past 18 years than Robbinsville, and although though the community voted down raising our open space tax last November, our clerk’s office has the required signatures to put it back on the ballot on Nov. 7.

That decision will be up to the council, but I would be remiss not to thank the county for their help in our open space process. Starting with our county executive Brian Hughes, and our county commissioners, two of whom are here tonight.

John Cimino, the least famous of the See FRIED, Page 8

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dynamic duo, is joined by Nina Melker, who has become well-known for her own charity work throughout Mercer County.

I think we can agree one of the biggest stories of the past year has to be one of the election challenges we had here in Robbinsville. Ballots from one of our districts were lost.

Those are the board’s (Mercer County Board of Elections) words, not mine. And we suffered some with faulty machines for the second year in a row. County Clerk Paula Covello is also with us, and I want to thank her for being willing to put money from her budget into purchasing new voting machines for all of Mercer County. I really do think this will go a long way to fix what was broken. So thank you and thank you for being here tonight.

And thanks for our residents for being outspoken and determined to get answers from elected officials. One of the absolute pillars of the five tenets that we talk about every year is keeping our residents safe, and none do it any better than our Robbinsville Police Department, led by Chief Mike Polaski.

Truth be told, I could stand up here and give awards to these guys all night. But when you talk about having a deep roster of capable men and women, Lt. Tom Egan stands out as one of our true anchors of our police team.

He is our Swiss Army knife. He can do it all. This year, Lieutenant Egan and a handful of his brother and sister officers, along with our affordable housing guru, Gail Pfister, worked day in and day out to find shelter for a woman who was left homeless after years of domestic abuse.

Policing in America has never been tougher. The environment our officers work in today has never been more challenging. Our first responders put themselves in harm’s way every day, and the current climate out there is not their fault.

It is our responsibility as elected officials to make sure that they have the best training and the best possible equipment to make sure there are zero compromises in the hiring of people so that we have the best outcomes each and every day. We need to hold ourselves accountable and salute the brave men and women who choose to serve and protect us each and every day.

On April 22, we were reminded just how dangerous policing can be. When Ptl. Connor Boyle was struck head on by a reckless driver on Route 130. Upon watching the video close to 50 times, how Officer Boyle survived that crash with relatively minor injuries, only God knows.

Ironically, it was Conner’s last shift before being assigned to Pond Road (Middle School) as a school resource officer. Safe to say that Saturday shift will be one he will never forget.

Because of Ptl. Boyle’s close call, awareness was raised for the PBA Survivor Fund. This nonprofit is dedicated to providing survivor benefits to the families of PBA members, some of whom have made the ultimate sacrifice. Thanks to the CARE program and your generosity, tonight, we are donating $5,000 to the Survivor Fund in Connor’s name.

We have another individual here tonight that I’d like to recognize. Dave Doran has been a fixture in Robbinsville for decades. He has given of himself to numerous causes and causes and was the driving force of many Irish parades, both here and our neighboring Hamilton.

Dave is currently fighting ALS, and the costs of that, even after insurance, are enormous (Sadly, Doran passed away on June 11, 2023, following the mayor’s speech). Thanks to your incredible generosity over the years, we’ve raised enough money to aid the Doran family with a $5,000 check to help with some of their many expenses.

And there’s something else. We do not name things lightly after people here in Robbinsville. We’ve only done it once in all my years with the Vince Calcagno Senior Center. But tonight, it’s my honor and privilege to announce that we have officially renamed our recreation building in Miry Run as the Doran Center.

I’d also like to thank our fire department, led by Chief Dan Schaffener and his leadership team, along with our EMS workers who are out there 24 seven, keeping our community safe.

In closing, I’d also like to take a moment to thank all the mayors throughout Mercer County—in particular, Mayor Jeff Martin and East Windsor Mayor Janice Mironov. Both of them have walked side by side with me these past few years, and I really appreciate their friendship and unwavering support. They exemplify service even after all of my years of serving as mayor, they continue to teach me.

Thank you to all the residents and local businesses for sticking with us, for trusting us, and most of all, for doing your part to keep Robbinsville special. We do have one last surprise gift for our guest of honor. As many of you may know, the McLaughlins established a Go Fund Me account totaling about $10,000 to help with the mounting costs and also to help preserve their home.

So tonight, in addition to the van, we are working with the family’s mortgage lender, and we are going to present them with another check of $10,000 to get them current. This is truly one of my favorite events of the year, and I really could not do it without each and every one of you. I want to thank you so much for making this possible and for also making people’s dreams possible and when you can, pay it forward.

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Robbinsville played without four of its top performers during that time, as injuries decimated the roster. Junior running backs/linebackers Hayden Perusich, Liam Astemborski and Chris Naperkoski all missed the season’s first five games, while do-it-all junior Grayson Hopkins started the season opener against Montgomery only to suffer a season-ending injury in the first quarter.

“If I go from my game scrimmage film to my Montgomery second-quarter film, it looks like we’re a different team,” Patterson said. “And we were, because of a number of guys who weren’t present because of injuries in scrimmages.”

When Perusich, Astemborski and Naperkoski returned for Game 6, Robbinsville won its final four regular-season games and tied Hightstown for the Valley Division title with a 4-1 record.

After losing to Carteret on the last play of the game in a state consolation contest, the Ravens finished 5-5.

“It’s not that the kids we had on the field weren’t any good,” Patterson said. “They were athletes as well. But we had to wrap our heads around the fact we have to now revamp so much stuff on both sides of the ball because guys who were doing it all in preseason weren’t there anymore. Losing one guy is enough, we were down five projected starters at one point.”

But three returned for the second half, and four will be back this year.

And despite losing leading rusher Matt Surtz and some veteran linemen, the Ravens could be even better this year if everyone (knock wood) stays healthy.

“We’ll be back with the ‘hidden Ravens’ that nobody saw at the start of last year,” Patterson said with a laugh.

Leading that brigade is Hopkins, who was on track to be one of the team’s top defensive backs and receivers before injuring his shoulder making a catch against Montgomery. It was his third catch of the young game but last of the season.

“He had some fabulous catches in that firstquarter drive and then he goes down,” Patterson said. “He’s just versatile. We can play him as a slot receiver, an outside receiver, defensive back or inside/ outside linebacker. He’s a kicker/punter and kicks from 45 to 50 yards in practice. Once he came back last year he wasn’t cleared to have contact for the entire season.”

As Hopkins returns this season, he brings more with him than just talent. He brings a presence.

“He’s always positive, just a ball of

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‘Losing one guy is enough, we were down five projected starters at one point,’ said head football coach Andrew Patterson.

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against Bordentown and Pascack Hills, it would be unbelievable. He had a pick six against Bordentown, he had some circus catches. In just one play, we lost a kicker, punter, outside linebacker and top receiver.”

And in several other plays, Robbinsville losta a ton of depth at running back and linebacker.

So much so, that when Surtz was forced to leave the Allentown game by an official who feared a concussion (which proved negative), the Ravens did not have a running back. The Redbirds were able to rush the quarterback and play pass coverage, virtually ignoring the run game. Thus, an 18-7 lead turned into a 35-18 loss.

Even when Surtz returned the next week against Notre Dame, his yards were limited. He finished with 110 but 80 came on one play as he gained just 30 on his other 14 carries.

That all changed the following week when the wounded returned. After rushing for 491 yards in the first five games, Surtz exploded for 795 in the final five.

“Most of Matt Surtz’s production last year started when he had a 250-pound fullback (Naperkowski) blocking for him,” Patterson said. “He’s a similar size to Surtz. Once he came back he was obviously Surtz’s lead blocker in our iso power stuff, but he himself had 101 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries and also had 11 catches (for 59 yards). That’s just in five games where he was mostly the lead blocker.”

With Surtz gone, Naperkoski will likely get more carries and also block for Perusich and Astemborski, who can both tote the football. Astemborski had 101 yards and a TD on 31 carries upon his return.

Perusich had six carries for 27 yards and two catches for 21 yards, and can also back up first-team Valley Division quarterback Luke Hanuscin if necessary.

“He was the freshman quarterback two years ago and did a great job,” Patterson said. “He knows the package –the run game, pass game. He can carry the ball as a running back, he can play inside linebacker or outside linebacker, and he’s just a great kid all around. He’s as sweet as can be until he puts the helmet on and starts to play.”

Then there is Astemborski, another two-way threat, who Patterson said “is a big kid, and he’s legit. He could be there as a starting running back for any team. So you look at those four, and that was a good portion of the team that nobody saw much of at all for the first half of the season. Once they came back we rolled the rest of the season.”

Robbinsville hopes that roll continues this season. Aside from the four injured players, Hanuscin is back after throwing for 1477 yards and seven TDs and rushing for 250 yards. Alex Giordano and Andrew Freeman are returning receivers and defensive backs, Donnie Ryan had 44 tackles as a linebacker/defensive back, two-way lineman Sebastian Leigh was Valley Division first-team at defensive line and 6-3, 240-pound two-way lineman Patrick Meehan is also back.

Barring another disaster where nearly half the starting lineup gets hurt for any length of time, Robbinsville could succeed this year in a way it hoped to last year.

“The first five games of the season will look different this year if everybody stays healthy,” Patterson said. “I’m not gonna predict wins or losses, but at least the first five games will look like what we thought it would look like last year.

“I don’t see us not being competitive in every game. When the fourth quarter comes around we should be in the mix if not in the lead. If we’re healthy we’ll look more like we did in our last five games last year.”

That’s what happens when the “hidden Ravens” show themselves.

Four RHS football players (pictured above) who were injured in 2022 are returning to action for the 2023 campaign. Clockwise from top left: Hayden Perusich (#7) and teammates on the field; Grayson Hopkins hauls in a catch; Liam Astemborski eludes a tackle; and blockers clear the way for Chris Naperkoski.

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Tue., August 8; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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OSTEOPOROSIS SCREENING

Thurs., August 10; 10 a.m.-noon

Ultrasound of heel and personalized information. Appointment required.

ASK THE DIETITIAN

Mon., August 14; 3 – 6 p.m.

Do you have a question about diet and nutrition? Join a community education dietitian for a one-on-one Q&A. Registration is required. Taryn Krietzman,

RDN

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF MEDITATION?

Mon, August 14; 6-7:30 p.m.

The practice of focused concentration, known as meditation, brings yourself back to the moment over and over again. Explore the benefits of meditation in this informational session with optional demonstration. Matt Masiello, CCH, founder of Esteem Hypnocounseling, will guide the group through this practice.

PREDIABETES 101

Tue. August 15; 11 to 12 p.m. What you need to know and do if you have been diagnosed with prediabetes.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX? **VIRTUAL**

Tue., August 15th 2023; 12 - 1 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

MINDFULNESS MEDITATION FOR BEGINNERS

Wed., August 16; 1 to 2 p.m. Learn how to rest your body and quiet your mind with the simple (although not always easy) practice of meditation. No experience necessary.

TAKE HOME COLORECTAL SCREEN KIT AND LECTURE

Wed., August 16; 5 to 6 p.m. Learn how to use a simple take-home test to screen for colorectal cancer and take part in a lecture about how to reduce your risk. Registration required.

DESTROY THE CLOTS: INTERVENTIONS FOR DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS AND PULMONARY EMBOLISM

Wed., August 16; 6 to7:30 p.m. Lasanta Horana, MD, Emergency Department Chair and a Medical Staff Officer at RWJUH Hamilton will discuss the importance of timely interventions when faced with “blood clots”

HEALTHRYTHMS® DRUMMING CIRCLE

Wed, August 16; 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

COLOR ME HOOPY! FUN AND FITNESS WITH HOOLA HOOPS!

Tues, August 22; 1 to 2:00 p.m. Yes, you can hoola-hoop. It’s much easier to find your rhythm and flow using a “grown up” size hoop. Learn skills and techniques and have a lot of fun. Hoops provided. Fee $15. Angela Ritter, certified Hoop Love Coach and Hoola-Fit instructor.

MEET LOCAL WRITER JESSICA WILSON, AUTHOR OF HEALING JOURNEY’S.

Tues., August 22; 6 to7 p.m. Join Jessica Wilson, author of “Healing Journeys” for a book talk on toxic relationships, where we’ll delve into the different types of abuse and explore what constitutes a toxic relationship. I’ll share strategies to guide you through these challenging situations and empower you on your healing journey.

FEELING BURNED OUT AT WORK?

Tue., August 22; 6 to 7 p.m. Job burnout can affect your physical and mental health. Learn about signs of burnout and what you can do about it.

PICTURE THIS: CRAFTY CREATIONS

Thurs., August 31; 6 to 7:30 p.m. Bring your favorite summertime memories and a creative spark. Craft the night away with family and friends as the summer dwindles down. Fee: $5 per person

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

SUPPORT GROUPS

To learn more about these groups visit www.rwjbh.org/HamiltonPrograms

CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP

Wed., August 2; 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

GRIEF & LOSS SUPPORT GROUP

Thu., August 3, August 17; 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

CARING FOR LOVED ONES WITH CHRONIC CONDITIONS

Mon., August 7, August 21 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

ADULT CHILDREN CARING FOR PARENTS

Mon., August 7, August 21st 5:30 to 7 p.m.

LETTING GO OF CLUTTER

Tue., August 8; 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP

Wed., August 16; 6 to 7 p.m.

MANAGING STRESS AND DIABETES

Wed., August 23; 3 to 4 p.m.

WISE WOMEN DISCUSSION GROUP

Thu., August 24; 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

Better Health Programs/Complimentary Membership at 65+ Years Old

LET’S TALK, A SENIOR SOCIAL GROUP

Wed., August 2, 9, 16, 23, & 30; 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 RWJUH Hamilton and PyschHealth Associates here in Hamilton. This is a weekly program. Please feel free to attend one or all.

OVER THE COUNTER HEARING AIDSFAQ-WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

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

to learn more

Tues., August 8; 10-11 a.m.

Get the facts on the latest in over-the-counter hearing aids. Learn the facts and get your questions answered by Dr. Lorraine Sgarlato, Au.D. A.B.A. a clinical audiologist with over 40 years of experience in the field of hearing science.

SOCRATES CAFÉ,

Wed., August 9; 2 to 3 p.m.

“Socrates Café” is about discussing a topic, sharing our thoughts, our beliefs, our ideas, and experiences. An unofficial mantra describes that we (people) learn more when we question, and question with others. This is a “safe zone” to share where all views are accepted. Come with an open mind, respect for one another, and a willingness to see where it takes us.

TAI CHI CLASS

Thu., August 10 & 24; 1 to 2 p.m.

Tai Chi is recommended for seniors because it improves balance, strengthens muscles in the legs and increases flexibility and stability in the ankles. It can help reduce falls and back pain. Beginner’s welcome.

GAME TIME

Thurs., August 10; 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Join us for game time, snacks and some wholesome fun. A variety of board games will be available or you are welcome to bring your own

YOGA CLASSES

Tue., August 15 & 29; 10 to 11 a.m.

Krystal Loughlin, certified RYT, will be leading this gentle yoga class using traditional postures and breathing techniques offering modification of the poses for your body so that you can confidently participate. Beginner’s welcome.

MEDITATION CLASSES,

Tue., August 15 and 29; 11:15 to 11:45 a.m.

Krystal Loughlin will lead this meditation class focusing on reducing stress and bringing inner peace. See how you can easily learn to practice meditation whenever you need it most. Beginner’s welcome.

TECHNOLOGY CLASS

Wed., August 16; Noon to 1 p.m.

Frustrated navigating online registration for Better Health Programs? Can’t figure out how to text your grandkids. Back to help us with our technology challenges are our friends from “Camp Fire NJ, Teens on Fire.” Whether you have questions about your

mobile device, a laptop, or iPad, bring your device and learn how to complete simple tasks.

PREDIABETES 101

Tue. August 15; 11 to 12 p.m.

What you need to know and do if you have been diagnosed with prediabetes.

ANTIQUES ON THE ROAD

Thu., August 17; 2 to 3:30 p.m

We ask all attendees to arrive promptly at 2 p.m. and be ready for a fun and informative program. Each attendee can bring only ONE item to have appraised. Together we will learn some history about our treasures and find out what’s hot and what’s not in the antique and collectables market. Thomas Petrino will lead this program. He has been a full-time Personal Property Appraiser and is Certified by the Appraisers Guild of America. He also serves as acting appraiser for the NJ Treasury, consults with banks, attorneys and insurance companies to authenticate and appraise estates.

or call 609-584-5900 to learn more

Storytelling and Voice Sound Loud at Grounds for Sculpture

BY REBEKAH SCHROEDER

If you concentrate on a story, staying mindful of its nature as a living, breathing vessel for keeping traditions alive or unpacking trauma, then you might be able to hear when the speaker, once given the chance to share without judgment and forge interpersonal connections, exhales in relief. The words used still have meaning but no longer bear their heavy weight alone, newly empowered by a mutual sense of community and revitalized by human interaction.

Everyone has the right to express themselves in their own syntax, but only a few people have the opportunity to amplify that point of view with complete control over the language used.

Reaching that loud volume, like any tale worth telling, is always better with company.

The Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton presents this platform to members of New Jersey’s Indian diasporic community for “Local Voices: Memories, Stories, and Portraits,” a living exhibit that opened on the ground floor of the Domestic Arts Building on April 23, 2023, and runs

through January 7, 2024.

This project, along with “Spiral Q: The Parade” on the upper level, are the first to debut in GFS’ new “Perspectives” series, which draws from the creative practices of the artists at its helm as well as the accounts of the people who bring it to life.

Madhusmita “Madhu” Bora, a folk and traditional artist, journalist, educator, writer, and dancer, organized the exhibit in partnership with co-curators Kathleen Ogilvie Greene, the chief audience officer at GFS, and Quentin Williams, the founder and CEO of Dragon Tree Media Group, to ensure personal autonomy and authenticity.

The 15 subjects actively participated in and led the process of chronicling their lived experiences, doing so through video interviews, photography, and by choosing objects that held significance to them.

This range of deep, emotive stories maintains the vulnerabilities that make them unique without being exploited, and the exhibit leaders hope to bridge the conversational gap between individuals of different backgrounds and demonstrate the importance of dialogue.

Upstairs, “Spiral Q” conveys the creativSee Local Voices, Page 4

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From Local Voices, Page 2

ity behind activism via puppets and protests, with the Philadelphia-based group organizing processions on social issues from transgender rights to affordable housing.

Virtual walkthroughs of both exhibits are available online, with the “Local Voices”

“Local Voices: Memories, Stories, and Portraits,” on display in the Domestic Arts Building at the Grouds for Sculpture, left, is co-curated by artist Madhusmita “Madhu” Bora, a journalist and dancer, right, and runs through January 7, 2024. Installation view courtesy of Bruce M. White. Bora, pictured at the storytelling retreat, courtesy of Monica Herndon.

page on the GFS website, groundsforsculpture.org/exhibitions/local-voices-memories-stoaries-and-portraits, linking to the YouTube videos and audio-only interview segments for each storyteller.

According to the exhibit materials, Grounds for Sculpture developed this project in response to the museum’s 2021 audience demographic census, which revealed a correlation between its attendees and the

JimManfredoniaSingsSinatra

United States Census for those who selfidentified as Asian.

To interact and engage with a specific community from that group, GFS collaborated on an exhibit in which people could

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share their stories as a look at the Indian community in New Jersey, described as “the largest ethnic group among the Asian diaspora” in the state.

According to the Indian American Impact Project, an organization that was founded to promote the voices of Indian Americans and South Asian Americans in politics, “nearly 5% of New Jersey’s population is South Asian, more than any other state in the nation.”

The website continues that “over 1 million Asians live in New Jersey, with Indian Americans making up the largest ethnic group,” particularly concentrated in Middlesex County—Edison and Iselin’s Oak Tree Road, known as “Little India,” is a bustling shopping district at the cultural center of the community.

According to a May 2022 Washington Post analysis of Census Bureau data from 2020 in “An American life: How Asian migrants built unique communities,” Mercer County itself recorded a 48.2% growth of Asian American and Pacific Islander, or AAPI, populations since 2010.

The four storytellers from the Mercer County area are Shazard Mohammed, Hamilton/Ewing; Shivani Patel, Princeton Junction/West Windsor; Yogesh Sharma, Lawrenceville; and Shoba Panoli, Pennington.

“My whole intention was to uplift and celebrate the diverse tapestry of India,” Bora said in an interview, noting that she worked alongside the GFS team, especially Greene, to identify demographic “lenses” such as age, language, religion, economic status, immigration, ability, region, caste, and sexual orientation to incorporate a wide spectrum of storytellers.

Each subject was then liberated from these labels, symbolically unchecking the boxes, as the exhibit materials explain, and prompted to recount a story that affected their life.

“Local Voices” expanded as Bora began to see the emerging pattern of personal agency in each narrative, creating a colorful mosaic of people with roots across India and the globe who collectively followed at least seven religions and spoke more than 10 languages.

After seven months of planning, the group gathered at the Grounds for Sculpture for an all-day retreat in February that included storytelling workshops and training, as well as individual photography sessions in which the subjects “were asked to arrive in clothing [that] made them feel powerful and celebrated,” according to the GFS exhibit page.

The speakers then collaborated with female BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color) photographers to envision portraits capturing their most authentic selves, selecting which image would be on display.

At the end of the retreat, many of the storytellers left behind objects of significance and scheduled their respective video sessions.

Although the subjects spoke for hours at a time with Bora and photojournalist Danese Kenon, the managing editor of visuals for the Philadelphia Inquirer, the exhibit could only feature a single three- to five-minute story from each person.

Bora disclosed that the full versions would be preserved in a personal copy for the participants as well as in the archives of the exhibit partner, the South Asian American Digital Archive, or SAADA, to document the comprehensive oral histories.

“Local Voices” is a “living exhibit” focused on cultivating relationships over the program itself, but the theme of art with a pulse is familiar to Bora and a natural extension of her own craft.

Inquirer to the Tampa Bay Times

She lived in places like Washington, D.C., Iowa, and Indiana, even settling in Cape May for a three-year period where she wrote for the Press of Atlantic City.

But in 2008, Bora relocated from Florida to Philadelphia, where she has resided ever since.

While she would continue to freelance, Bora decided to experiment with her artistic inclinations and co-founded the Sattriya Dance Company with her sister-inlaw, Prerona Bhuyan, in 2009.

Sattriya is a living dance tradition that originated in the Hindu monasteries of Assam over 500 years ago.

Although the art form had been traditionally practiced by celibate monks, the Indian government recognized Sattriya as a major Indian classical dance in 2000, which led to more women “embracing” the art form, Bora said.

Now, Bora is currently an adjunct instructor at Lincoln University and has since returned to the newsroom as the managing editor of suburban coverage for WHYY, a Philadelphia public radio station.

in this world. As a trained journalist, I’m always curious about the world around me. I was raised in a household of storytellers and disruptors,” she added.

“I grew up with my grandparents in a very rural Indian town, surrounded by art and culture and discussions of politics. Both my grandfathers were freedom fighters, and so I was raised in this atmosphere where culture and stories were always part of my education in this world.”

“Then, as an immigrant living in diaspora, I’m always thinking about what it is like to be an immigrant, how important our stories are, how important identity is, [and] how important stories are in terms of also passing our experiences and wisdom to the next generation and connecting us to our habitat. Stories connect us in very, very deep ways as humans.”

“When somebody’s sharing a story with you, it has a very spiritual overtone, because it’s something very sacred that somebody’s trusting you with their vulnerabilities and their experiences,” Bora said.

“Especially when people who do not have a chance to tell their story are invited to share their story. They are transformed, and we are transformed from listening to their experiences.”

The response has been “overwhelming” from both local and Indian media, according to Bora, with the exhibit having attracted about 500 or so attendees on opening night alone.

Bora said that because of her initial focus on the practical, behind-the-scenes aspects of the project, she rarely had the time to consider the tremendous “impact and outcome” the stories might carry.

But seeing the subjects take “collective ownership” over their stories and embrace the empowerment that comes with that, she added, deeply impacted her as well.

Now, Bora noted that she takes comfort in knowing there is this extended family of people to support each other, and the resilience she has personally learned from them has been invaluable.

Originally from the Northeastern Indian state of Assam, Bora finished her undergraduate and a master’s degree at two institutions in New Delhi before continuing her studies at the Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism in Illinois, where she graduated with another master’s degree.

Bora has worked in newsrooms around the country, tackling business and technology at papers from the Philadelphia

“As a practitioner of this art form, I am drawn to stories. I’m also deeply aware of what it means to not be represented in mainstream art tapestries; it is so specific and nuanced. I guess it makes me a lot more sensitive to folks who are in the margins, because I feel like I operate from the margins, too, with my art form. My journalism is a sense of inquiry and curiosity, and that training of being objective, listening to people, and asking questions is what informed and drove this project,” she explained.

“Everything I do informs how I move

“To be on this journey with them, in sharing their joy and their sorrow and their trauma and then how they overcame so many of life’s hurdles, I was on all those journeys with them, and so it’s been really, really beautiful,” she said.

“It’s important to tell your story. It’s very crucial for each one of us to record the stories of our families, of our elderly people, [and] of our own stories. Stories are magical; stories are transformative; stories help form community and allow us to really be better people,” she said, adding that everyone should tell and claim their stories, as well as place that same value on actively listening to what others share.

See Local Voices, Page 6

At its core, Bora emphasized, “Local Voices” is a “connective project.”

The 15 subjects first met at the museum retreat in February, where they took part in a series of workshops and individual photography sessions. Photo by Monica Herndon, above, from left to right: Kiran Rajagopalan, Farzana Rahman, Asha Lata Devi, and Shoba Panoli.

At its core, Bora emphasized, “Local Voices” is a “connective project.”

“It is owned by the community; it is driven by the community; and again, it’s an offering that speaks to love, loss, and resilience that connects us all as humanity,” she said. ***

Shazard Mohammed Ewing/Hamilton

Born in the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago, Shazard Mohammed, better known by his nicknames “Todd” or “Toddy,” immigrated with his family from the town of San Juan to the Mercer County area in

Mohammed lives in Ewing but owns Roti Plus Caribbean Restaurant at 1147 South Olden Avenue in Hamilton, which he opened in 2021 after helping his uncle, Ramesh Hayban—the then-owner of Trenton’s Hot on D Spot, now under new ownership and the name of Annie’s Hot on D-Spot Roti Shop—run the Trinidadian restaurant.

In his “Local Voices” interview, Mohammed explained that he had never previously traveled outside his country before deciding to take “a page out of history” and follow in the footsteps of his “forefathers who left India to come to Trinidad to become something better and make a better life for their family. They had a 90-day journey, and I was only getting on a plane for five hours.”

As a high school dropout, Mohammed shared that he was unsure about his future in America, but after landing on a Wednes-

day, by that Monday, he “started working at a factory for eight bucks an hour.”

“By the time I left in 2009, I was making almost triple digits,” he said, but the “pressure” of the workplace began to weigh on him, with the “insults” negatively affecting his state of mind.

“Being called ‘highly paid morons’ and having to do dirty work that no one else wanted to do, I felt like I was in slavery. It was taking away from my mental health, so I decided this [was] no longer going to work for me, so I left that and had no idea what I was going to do to support my family.”

After learning through reading his trusty Home Depot books and watching videos, Mohammed took up a job as a handyman, eventually becoming a self-taught licensed contractor in the construction business.

Mohammed then expanded on the troubles of his economic situation, which included veering into the restaurant industry after making an ultimately ill-fated agreement with a family member and having to pick up the pieces himself when it fell apart.

Without this person in the picture, Mohammed “was a housing inspector for hotels and multiple dwellings,” forced to “juggle both jobs, working full-time, and coming to the restaurant afterwards,” he said, starting to get visibly upset from speaking about the toll it took on him.

“There [were] days I drove home and didn’t even know how I got home. It was just all muscle memory,” he continued, breaking again with emotion. “I told my

wife, ‘I have to choose. Either we sell the business or I give up the state job.’”

In the end, Mohammed had to forfeit his retirement plan with the state and continue investing in the business, but as Bora said in her interview for Six09, he was able to create “a place that’s home away from home for so many people,” not just the local Trinbagonian population.

“At times I want to quit. I want to give up, but then I see people come in sometimes— and I’m a humanist, and I also struggle with depression—and some days I see sadness walking in the door, and I just say a few kind words, I serve them with a smile, I ask them how their day [is] going, how’s their family, is everything okay, and by the time they leave, most of them [have] a smile on their face,” Mohammed said.

“That brings joy to me to know that I’m not just running a business; I’m running a business where someone can feel safe when they come in here.”

Some speakers in “Local Voices” were asked additional questions, such as the meaning of their names and why they chose their objects.

Shazard, for example, means “prince” in Arabic, a suggestion from his mother’s best friend, who assumed a grandmotherly role for Mohammed and remarked that he “looked like a prince” at birth.

Meanwhile, his nickname, “Toddy,” came from his older brother, who gave him the title after a young Shazard would ask for a milkshake of the same name.

“Coming to America, people just started calling me Todd. Because I was intimidated

Shazard “Todd” Mohammed, left, the owner of Roti Plus Caribbean Restaurant in Hamilton, and Shivani Patel, right, from West Windsor’s Princeton Junction district, shared what resilience means to them. Photos by Sahar Coston-Hardy and Erica Lee.

or shy to let people know my true name, which is Shazard Mohammed, after 9/11, I just carried the name Todd, so most people thought I was American when they [spoke] to me over the phone, not knowing that I was of an immigrant culture,” he said.

Mohammed’s object is a hoodie with the coat of arms of Trinidad and Tobago, which bears the motto “Together we aspire, together we achieve.”

When people ask what it means to him, Mohammed says that he encourages them, again, to be humanists and to tackle greater challenges as a community.

“I take that to heart, because my interpretation of it is, ‘If we unite, we can conquer; if we come together as people, we can overcome any obstacles in our way,’ so I do wear that hoodie with pride,” he said.

Shivani Patel

Princeton Junction/West Windsor

Shivani Patel, also known as “Shivu,” was born in New Jersey and spoke about her experiences as a young person with autism and epilepsy, as well as the difficulty of managing both conditions while grieving the death of her beloved “late dada” or “dadaji,” which means paternal grandfather.

“When he died, it was so tragic, and it was so sad,” Patel said, adding that it also felt “humiliating” for her because her grandmother “knew nothing” about her autism.

Without his comforting presence, Patel found it “really hard to understand everything after losing dadaji and being with only her” during visits to her grandparents’ house in London.

“But after losing him, I have learned— thank God—how to control myself, etc., how to even control my own medical issues when having a super moment, like [an] unspeakable, un-breathable type of episode

See Local Voices, Page 8

Mohammed chose to display a sweatshirt with the coat of arms of his home country, Trinidad and Tobago, because he follows the “humanist” motto of the nation he immigrated from in 2000: “Together we aspire, together we achieve.”

The red khartal, a wooden clapper consisting of blocks and jingles, above, is an ancient musical instrument that resonates with Patel.

of high blood pressure issue when something doesn’t make me feel like, ‘Okay, I’m not comfortable in this position. I need to run away,’ or ‘I need to scream my head off, and I’m about to feel like I’m going to faint.’”

“Thanks to God and Grandpa, remembering all that and praying all that, I know how to handle those issues, because Dada used to tell me when I was younger that, ‘If you don’t calm down, you’re going to have a heart attack or a seizure, try to calm down,’ and I would manage it, I would calm down,” Patel explained, adding that in the time since his passing, she has worked on remembering the techniques he taught her to cope with stressful situations.

To Six09, Bora described Patel as “a beautiful spirit” who arrived at the retreat in “her full, glorious self,” eager to embody that strength for others.

Patel’s object is the khartal, a two-piece percussion instrument from Rajasthan, India, where a pair of “wooden blocks with small dimples are held in each hand,” then “clapped together when devotional and folk songs are performed,” she said.

The sound comes from the meeting of the cymbals, typically brass plates, adorning the two parts.

Yogesh Sharma

Lawrenceville

Yogesh Sharma founded Lawrenceville’s Radha Krishna Temple, “one of the oldest Hindu religious and cultural centers in Central New Jersey,” in 2002, according to its website.

Located at 357 Lawrence Station Road, the temple provides “Hindu and Vedic services, poojas, and ceremonies,” having expanded from one room to four buildings as the years progressed.

Sharma details that while she started the sacred space to assist priests and others in need, the temple only came to be because another living being close to her needed help—after neighborhood complaints about her dog’s barking reached the courtroom, a judge ordered its euthanization.

“I started going to another temple to pray for his life,” she recalled. “There, I met a priest who was in trouble in that temple. He asked me to help him out, and after a few days, he asked me to start a new temple where he [could] get his green card or visa, but I said, ‘Well, we don’t know anything about the temple, and so therefore we cannot do it,’” she explained.

“But he tried to convince me that, no, he will ‘take care of everything’ and ‘it will be a great thing for [the community].’”

Sharma shared that she and her husband did not have the background to run a temple, but the priest insisted, beginning a pattern of broken promises from people she assumed to be “very honest and honorable people” due to their religious backgrounds.

Although they were initially shocked to encounter the opposite, the Sharmas built the place of worship together and recruited those of the faith who kept their word.

In addition to having grown the Radha Krishna Temple from these uncertain beginnings, Bora commented that Sharma “is just a force of nature and has also overcome so many challenges in her life.”

“My dog was saved with my prayers, and [the] community is very happy with that

little temple,” Sharma reflected, noting that now, “We are like one big, huge family. We all love each other in that temple and try to do the best for the community.”

Sharma stated that in the future, she hopes to bring in even more priests, particularly Indian women—a new addition for most temples—as part of her mission to keep growing the community at Radha Krishna.

Sharma’s objects are “a silk sari and figurines of Rama and Sita,” the latter being two figures from the Sanskrit epic poem “Ramayana” who are incarnations of the Hindu gods Vishnu and Lakshmi

As the most common adaptation of the story goes, Rama rescued his wife, Sita,

Sat. 11/04/23

In-person: Rosedale Park Pennington, NJ Virtual option available.

Participation Options:

-5k in-person -1 mile in-person

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Inspire youth to BE GREAT & strive for great futures!

Both Yogesh Sharma of Lawrenceville, above, the founder of the Radha Krishna Temple, and Shoba Panoli of Pennington, opposite page right, reflected on the transformative power of religion and love. Speaker photos by Roshni Khatari and Erica Lee.

Sharma loaned GFS a pair of figurines depicting Rama and Sita, the avatars of Hindu deities Vishnu and Lakshmi, above, while Panoli chose her prayer book and photo card of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, a “central figure” in her Baha’i faith and the son of its founder, Bahá’u’lláh, pictured on the following page.

The tale is a classic testament to the triumph of light over darkness, or good over evil, as conveyed through holiday legend.

Shoba Panoli Pennington

In her interview, Shoba Panoli introduces herself as “a Malaysian American of Sri Lankan and Indian heritage” who dreamed of settling down in Australia like her aunts but would end up in the United States as the result of an unexpected romance.

“But life sometimes has surprising twists, and you end up in a different place,” she said, sharing how their paths first crossed. “One day I was bored, and I was surfing the web, trying to look up the place that my dad was visiting in India. As I was reading up on Kerala, I stumbled upon a chat room, and there were only a handful of individuals in that room.”

“A guy said hello to me, and we started a small conversation, and he was attracted to my Sri Lankan Malayali background, and he found that a bit unique since he hasn’t met anyone with that background; little did I know that this would be the guy that I would one day get married to.”

Even when Panoli moved to Switzerland, she “continued chatting every day” with him, exchanging “hundreds of emails” that the two never deleted and still treasure

See Local Voices, Page 10

today.

“After finally chatting for about two years, we decided to meet face-to-face, so I flew to New York to meet him, and as the plane was touching down, I was feeling very nervous, and I was thinking to myself, ‘What if everything that he’s told me was a big lie?’ ‘What if he was a fake?’” Panoli said. This worry escalated as she spent over an hour searching for his face among the airport crowd, unable to find the man she was supposed to meet until Panoli spotted him—dressed in the exact outfit he had described to her—and immediately recognized her future husband.

“I was in the United States for only a week, and he took me places; we saw a lot of things, and he took me to the top of the Empire State Building and asked me to

marry him,” she remembered fondly.

“I believe this was fate. If my dad wasn’t visiting India, I wouldn’t have gone online that day trying to look up the place that he was visiting, and we’ve been married for 23 years and have two wonderful boys.”

Panoli, characterized by Bora as a mother with “a very tender, sweet family,” received her name, meaning “light,” from her great-grandfather.

Panoli’s object is a prayer book and photo card of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, an important figure to her as a lifelong member of the Baha’i Faith.

“‘Abdu’l-Bahá is the master of the Baha’i faith, and he showed us how a Baha’i should live his life. I always carry that picture with me to remind myself of how a Baha’i should act,” Panoli explained in the audio interview.

Panoli added that prayer has always been an “important component” of her life, connecting her with God and guidance, and she has had this book for at least 15 to 20 years, which contains prayers for a variety of purposes and applications.

On the exhibit page for “Local Voices,” Panoli said that the following quote from the founder of the Baha’i Faith, Bahá’u’lláh, is always an inspiration for her:

“Do not be content with showing friendship in words alone; let your heart burn with loving kindness for all who may cross your path.”

***

“Local Voices: Memories, Stories, and Portraits” runs through January 7, 2024, in the Domestic Arts Building at the Grounds for Sculpture, 80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton.

For more information, call 609-586-0616 or visit www.groundsforsculpture.org

Back to School

The Cambridge School

Where children who learn differently can thrive

Children who learn differently deserve to be educated in a school where they can thrive. For over 20 years, Cambridge School, in Pennington, NJ, has been that place, an extraordinary K-12 school that specializes in educating students with language-based learning differences. The guiding principle of the Cambridge School, since its founding, has been that every child deserves the opportunity for an excellent education.

Cambridge is committed to providing that education in a warm, nurturing and individualized learning environment for children who learn differently. Our mission is to prepare each student with the necessary academic, personal and social skills to succeed.

Students diagnosed with languagebased learning differences such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, auditory processing disorder, or executive function challenges, typically struggle in traditional academic settings. Cambridge teachers are highly trained language specialists who utilize a student-centered approach to provide a personalized, yet comprehensive educational experience. When taught using research based methods that target their unique learning difference, these

bright children achieve measurable academic success. The Cambridge language curriculum is supported by the use of evidence based programs. Utilizing explicit, direct and systematic instruction, our teachers are able to scaffold and support the unique needs of each child. As educators, we believe that multisensory teaching strategies create more engaging, concrete and meaningful learning experiences. Enhanced by small classes, our approach allows each student to progress at his or her own pace. The result? Students increase their learning skills, gain confidence and self-esteem; and learn that they can thrive.

Cambridge School also has an impressive staff of highly qualified Speech and Language Pathologists and Occupational Therapists. For students who require these additional services our therapists design an individualized and comprehensive therapeutic program. They work with the student individually in therapy as well as collaboratively with his or her teacher to ensure that the therapy goals generalize into the academic classroom.

If you feel your child might benefit from a Cambridge School education, we invite you to come for a personal tour. Our campus is located in the Princeton, NJ area, though our students come from all over New Jersey and parts of Pennsylvania, particularly Bucks County. Discover how your child can thrive at thecambridgeschool.org

Back to School

Princeton Ballet School

Beyond technique: Empowering dancers

Princeton Ballet School is the official school of the American Repertory Ballet, celebrating over 65 years of excellence in dance education.

Classes are designed for all ages to build confidence, artistry, discipline, and foster students’ love of dance. Its world class faculty is dedicated to helping each student reach their full potential, with spacious studios, new state-of-the-art dance floors, and live music. The perfect environment to learn and grow.

What Sets the School Apart.

Founded in 1954 by Audrée Estey, Princeton Ballet School is one of the nation’s finest non-profit dance schools. Many things set Princeton Ballet School apart from the usual dance school, the most important being: its philosophy, its faculty, its affiliation with a professional ballet company, its dedication to live music in the classroom and its facilities.

The School’s Philosophy

Princeton Ballet School is known for nurturing developing dancers in a safe and progressive way. The school teaches age and developmentally appropriate ballet technique classes from a syllabus that allows younger students more time for movement exploration while providing advanced students with the tools to become professional dancers, if they so choose. As a result, all students develop self-esteem, self-discipline, and a strong fitness level that will provide a powerful edge in any future endeavor.

Outstanding Faculty. Princeton Ballet School has more than 20 specialized faculty members. Many have attained graduate degrees in dance education and have won major teaching awards. All are committed to the school’s philosophy of dance education and to helping students

St. George Preschool

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Full- 1/2 day, early morning drop off, late pick up schedules available Competitive tuition rates - secure environment indoor gym - outdoor playground - qualified educators

achieve their best. Members of the outstanding faculty have performed professionally with companies including American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Cuban National Ballet, and American Repertory Ballet.

Live Music. The school’s ballet classes have live musical accompaniment. This is particularly fun for the children’s classes, where frequent improvisational exercises provide an opportunity for students to interact and collaborate with the staff of professional musicians.

Facilities. Princeton Ballet School has studios in Cranbury, New Brunswick, and Princeton,

New Jersey. All locations are wheelchair accessible and feature sprung dance floors and marley from Harlequin Floors. The striking Princeton and Cranbury facilities were designed by the late Ralph Lerner, an internationally known architect and former Dean of the School of Architecture at Princeton University. The studios in New Brunswick are part of the state-of-the-art New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, which opened in 2019.

More information: arballet.org/ princeton-ballet-school/. See ad, page 12.

Angela Gering Director

“Building a foundation for a lifetime love of learning”

St. George Preschool

A Safe Place for Growth

At St. George Preschool, we believe that each child has an innate drive for exploring, discovering, communicating, and learning. Our purpose is to provide a safe, warm, and nurturing environment for children to develop this innate drive to the fullest, and become life-long learners. Our goal is to help each child develop his/her individual interests, creativity and potential at their own pace by providing a wide variety of fun and ageappropriate activities and materials. In addition to the developmental goals in the areas of math, language, science, cognitive skills, motor skills, etc., stipulated by the state, the school aims to promote learning skills for life.

At the same time, we aim to enhance the child’s social, moral, cultural and spiritual growth through group interactions, uplifting stories, cultural events and gentle guidance. Since “a healthy mind is in a healthy body” as the Ancient Greeks said, we provide a huge indoors gym and a beautiful play ground with regular physical activities.

We offer high quality academic English programs for Preschool (3 years and potty trained) and Pre-K (must be 4 years old by October 1 of school year). Early morning care, after care, and enrichment programs are also available. We are part of the Saint George Greek Orthodox Church and state

licensed by the New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services. Our experienced staff has a passion building a foundation for a life-long love of learning. We are truly a family and we treat your children as such. For more information regarding

our program, please visit our website.

Saint George Preschool, 1200 Klockner Road, Hamilton. 609-586-2223. Contact director Angela Gering at director@stgeorgepreschool.org. See ad, page 11

Classes are designed for all ages to build confidence, artistry, discipline, and foster students’ love of dance. Our world class faculty is dedicated to helping each student reach their full potential, with spacious studios, new state-of-the-art dance floors, and live music. The perfect environment to learn and grow!

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Cash paid for World War II military items. Helmets, swords, medals, etc. Call 609-581-8290 or

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RISTORANTE & PIZZA

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!

RISTORANTE & PIZZA

UPCOMING CHARITABLE EVENTS:

2023

SEPTEMBER 10: Ryans Quest

OCTOBER 8: I Believe in Pink

NEW

DATE:

NOVEMBER 12: Shine & Inspire

DECEMBER 10: OneProjectNJ & Mobile Meals of Hamilton

1973

DOUGH RAISED:

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

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

MAR.12: The Hamilton YMCA $4,398.07

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

YEARS

May 21: The Miracle League $4,860.53

June 11: Autism New Jersey $3,871.84

2023

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

Celebrate the past at Mercer County’s history museums

By Dan Aubrey and Rebekah Schroeder

The state of New Jersey is steeped in historic attractions that provide a yearround reminder of the state’s role in America’s independence and in other important events in military history.

For those history buffs looking for a refresher course or an educational and family-friendly summer excursion, below is a guide to the military museums in the Mercer County area.

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 Pres-

ervation Society now operates out of the structure, which was moved and saved from demolition alongside its now-owner, Ewing Township, during the construc-

tion 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 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.

National Guard Militia Museum of New Jersey

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, regimen-

The Benjamin Temple House in Ewing, which is the home of the Ewing Historic Preservation Society.

tal 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 missile system.”

The museum offers docent-led tours and educational programming in its mission to conserve and convey the nuances of the armed forces in New Jersey, an extensive legacy enriched by displays in galleries that span “over 350 years” of state history on the subject, according to its website.

The NGMM of NJ launched its Mercer County sister location at the Lawrenceville Armory in 1998. Thanks to about $1.2 million in federal and state funding, the museum expanded with new buildings and reopened in October 2021.

The approximately 6,000-square-foot facility now has “display space to better complement the impressive collection of armored vehicles and artillery surrounding the complex,” according to the online history page for the museum.

William Kale, the volunteer co-curator of the museum, has said that the second site was chosen as part of a larger desire to highlight the important New Jersey Revolutionary War battle sites in Trenton

Peace of Mind.

and Princeton.

Kale, a retired lieutenant colonel who was born and raised in Trenton, worked for the state upon his return from being stationed in countries like Germany and Vietnam before stepping into similar curatorial shoes as his brother, the late Army Colonel Donald W. Kale, who helped found the Lawrenceville museum.

One of the featured exhibits is a mannequin in a “Jersey Blue” uniform worn by soldiers from the first militia regiment, which was established by provincial legislators in 1673. The blue coat and red facings remained unchanged until the early stages of the American Revolution.

In 1779, General George Washington established uniform regulations that required the facings to be buff-colored.

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 French-made 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 skirmishSee HISTORY, Page 16

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The National Guard Militia Museum of New Jersey is located on Eggerts Crossing Road in Lawrence Township. The museum also features a collection of armored vehicles and artillery on display at the Lawrenceville Field Artillery Annex.

HISTORYcontinued from Page 15

ers and had to move quickly, mobility.

After exhibit is 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.

Another stop 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.

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.

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.

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 18thcentury kitchen garden.

Washington Crossing State Park charges 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 a.m. to 4 p.m. 609-7370623. Hours (Johnson Ferry House): Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to noon, then 1 to 3:45 p.m. 609-7372515. WashingtonCrossing@dep.nj.gov.

More sites to visit

The Old Barracks, which were originally 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. 609396-1776 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 U.S. military base that is part of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

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.

And please, for them, stay home and safe.

Did you get enough sleep last night?

Ask The Doctor

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in three American adults do not get enough sleep on a regular basis.

A lack of sleep or poor quality sleep has been linked to chronic diseases and conditions, such as Type 2 Diabetes, obesity, depression, and heart disease.

From preventing minor mistakes at work to an increased risk of injury, good sleep is important to your health. Kevin Law, MD, RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group, who specializes in pulmonology, critical care and sleep medicine, answers some key questions regarding sleep disorders and the first steps in determining the cause of sleep disturbance.

What are the most common types of sleep disorders? The most common sleep disorder is sleep apnea, which affects as many as 18 million Americans. Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder that disrupts a person’s sleep and usually is accompanied by snoring. Men and people who are obese are at greatest risk.

Restless leg syndrome is often referred to as “the most common problem you have never heard of.” It is a neurological movement disorder characterized by an uncomfortable sensation in the legs. Because it occurs most frequently late in the day or at night, especially when lying down, restless leg syndrome is a leading cause of sleep problems.

Narcolepsy, another prevalent sleep disorder, is a chronic neurological disorder that is characterized by involuntary sleep attacks at inappropriate times, such as falling asleep at your desk or during a business meeting.

How can sleep disorders impact your health?

If untreated, sleep disorders can increase a person’s risk for heart attacks, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, heartburn and depression. Lack of sleep also can lead to “drowsy driving,” which is a dangerous situation for everyone on the road. In addition, sleep disorders can impact your work productivity and personal relationships.

What should I do if I suspect that I have a sleep disorder?

Talk to your doctor. “Snoring, insomnia, sleep apnea and other sleep disorders are more common than you think. They can be a sign of a serious health condition and put you at risk for high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and the inability to maintain a healthy weight,” says Dr. Law. An overnight sleep study may be needed to pinpoint the cause of your sleep disturbance. RWJUH Hamilton ‘s Sleep Center is an accredited Medical Center by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and offers a full range of services used in the evaluation, diagnosis and management of many sleep-related disorders in adults and children. The Center offers customized scheduling for your convenience and is located at 1 Union Street, West Lake Building, in Robbinsville.

To learn more about Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, visit rwjbh.org/Hamilton or call 609-586-7900.

Coming up this month at RWJU Hospital Hamilton

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

TUESDAY, AUGUST 8

Dance It Out! 6 to 7 p.m. When in doubt, dance it out! Have fun and destress with this interactive program. No experience required, all ages welcome.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9

Create Your Own Vision Board Workshop. 6 to 8 p.m. What is your deepest desire for what you would like to be, do or have? Come create your own vision board to help bring your dreams to life. Please bring scissors, all other materials provided.

MONDAY, AUGUST 14

Ask the Dietitian. 3 to 6 p.m. Do you have a question about diet and nutrition? Join a community education dietitian for a one-onone Q&A. Registration is required. Taryn Krietzman, RDN What Are The Benefits Of Meditation? 6 to 7:30 p.m. The practice of focused concentration, known as meditation, brings yourself back to the moment over and over again. Explore the benefits of meditation in this informational session with optional demonstration.

Matt Masiello, CCH, founder of Esteem Hypnocounseling, will guide the group through this practice.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16

Prediabetes 101. 4 to 5 p.m. What you need to know and do if you have been diagnosed with prediabetes.

Destroy The Clots: Interventions For Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism. 6 to7:30 p.m. Lasanta Horana, MD, FACEP, Director of Emergency Medicine, will discuss the importance of timely interventions when faced with “blood clots”

TUESDAY, AUGUST 22

Healing Journeys: Discussion with Author Jessica Wilson. 6 to 7 p.m. Join Jessica Wilson, author of “Healing Journeys” for a book talk on toxic relationships, where we’ll delve into the different types of abuse and explore what constitutes a toxic relationship. I’ll share strategies to guide you through these challenging situations and empower you on your healing journey. Feel free to ask any questions in a safe and supportive environment. Let’s unravel the complexities of toxic relationships together. Free.

Feeling Burned Out at Work? 6 to 7 p.m. Job burnout can affect your physical and mental health. Learn about signs of burnout and what you can do about it.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 31

Picture This: Crafty Creations. 6 to 7:30 p.m. Bring your favorite summertime memories and a creative spark. Craft the night away with family and friends as the summer dwindles down. Fee: $5 per person.

Better Health Programs

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

TUESDAY, AUGUST 8

Over the Counter Hearing Aids-FAQ-What You Should Know. 10 to 11 a.m. Get the facts on the latest in over-the-counter hearing aids. Learn the facts and get your questions answered by Dr. Lorraine Sgarlato, Au.D. A.B.A. a clinical audiologist with over 40 years of experience in the field of hearing science.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16

Technology Class. Noon to 1 p.m. Frustrated navigating online registration for Better Health Programs? Can’t figure out how to text your grandkids. Back to help us with our technology challenges are our friends from “Camp Fire NJ, Teens on Fire.” Whether you have questions about your mobile device, a laptop, or iPad, bring your device and learn how to complete simple tasks.

Dr. Kevin Law

Capital Health Regional Medical Center Earns National Awards for Excellence in Stroke Care

Capital Health Regional Medical Center (RMC) recently received the American Heart Association’s Gold Plus Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Quality Achievement Award. This award recognizes the hospital’s commitment and success in ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.

The American Heart Association also awarded Capital Health Regional Medical Center its Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll Elite award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between a patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke.

Capital Health Regional Medical Center earned these awards by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. Before discharge, patients also receive education on managing their health and have a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.

“For many years now, our community has come to rely on Capital Health to provide the most advanced stroke care possible,” said Dr. Dustin Rochestie, director of the Stroke Program and director of Neurology and Neuro Critical Care at Capital Institute for Neurosciences. “By meeting and exceeding the standards established by the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines initiative at RMC—which is home to Capital Institute for Neurosciences and our Stroke and Cerebrovascular Center—we demonstrate our ongoing commitment to ensuring more stroke patients in Central New Jersey and Lower Bucks County can experience longer, healthier lives.”

Additionally, Capital Health Regional Medical Center received the Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award. Hospitals that qualify for this recognition ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes, who might be at higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to stroke.

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

— Balance

Is the person experiencing a sudden loss of balance? B

—

Eyes

Has the person lost vision in one or both eyes? E

—

A

Face Drooping

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

— Arm Weakness

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

— Speech Difficulty

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

T— Time to call 911

If someone shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 911 and get the person to the hospital immediately. Check the time so you’ll know when the first symptom appeared.

UNDERSTANDING CLINICAL TRIALS

In the medical field, researchers are constantly looking for new information to prevent and cure diseases, treat symptoms, and provide a better quality of life to those who are suffering. One way of gathering this information is through conducting clinical trials.

Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell is now an NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) affiliate site. As a participating site, Capital Health Cancer Center now offers 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. DR. CATALDO DORIA, medical director of Capital Health Cancer Center, leads a team that is dedicated to working with patient volunteers in order to achieve the best outcomes of the studies.

“I think the best way that we achieve the goal is to be one hundred percent honest with the patient and to describe the important details,” said Dr. Doria. “One session might not be enough. One single conversation might not be enough. Sometimes you have to give the patient the time to digest the information. You have to be in the position of giving the patient some materials that he or she can read. And then sometimes you have to follow up with another phone call or with another visit.”

People participate in clinical trials for different reasons. Patients with cancer may want to have access to the latest drugs or treatments. By doing so, they receive added care and attention by the physician and care team. Others may want to help researchers and help patients with the same disease in the future.

After a promising drug has been tested in the lab, it needs to be tested in a clinical trial. As an NCORP participating site, Capital

Health Cancer Center’s team of providers and researchers 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.

When participants volunteer for a study, they are informed about the risks and benefits of the study. To best understand the potential risks, it’s important for participants to have a conversation with the researchers or points of contact in the study. These professionals are always open to communicating and begin by sharing what is known as clinical trial protocol, which includes:

… The goal of the study

… Who qualifies to take part in the trial

Details about tests, procedures, and treatments

… The expected length of the trial

… What information will be gathered

In addition to the clinical trial protocol, it’s crucial for volunteers to always ask questions so they have a full understanding of the study and can determine if it is a good fit for them.

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 a Cancer Center physician.

Gynecologic (GYN) Cancer Support Group

Second Tuesday of Every Month | 10 − 11 a.m. | Location: Zoom

Meeting

Our newest support group is designed specifically for women diagnosed with gynecologic cancers (ovarian, uterine, cervical, vulvar, vaginal). Our support group offers a safe space to share experiences, learn from one another and obtain the social support needed to develop a healthy sense of well-being. This group is open to all from diagnosis to survivorship regardless of where you are receiving your treatment. Meetings will be held virtually via Zoom.

There is no cost to participate, but pre-registration is required. To register, scan the QR code or visit capitalhealth.org/events.

@capitalhealthnj

capitalhealthcancer.org

CAPITAL HEALTH MEDICAL CENTER – HOPEWELL REDESIGNATED AS A BABY-FRIENDLY HOSPITAL

ONE OF 13 BABY-FRIENDLY HOSPITALS IN NEW JERSEY

Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell in Pennington, New Jersey has again achieved the international Baby-Friendly designation after a rigorous review process conducted by Baby-Friendly USA, the organization responsible for bestowing this certification in the United States.

Being Baby-Friendly means Capital Health meets the highest standards of care for breastfeeding parents and their babies. These standards are built on the “Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding,” a set of evidence-based practices recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for optimal infant feeding support in the precious first days of a newborn’s life.

“I would like to congratulate our entire team for their extraordinary commitment to our patient community. This third Baby-Friendly® designation ranks us among a select group of facilities that demonstrate an abiding commitment to ensuring every parent feels confident and comfortable feeding their new baby,” said Alexandra Nelson, divisional director of Maternal Child Health Services, Capital Health.

“From the prenatal setting, to inpatient care, and into our pediatric clinic, our teams are wholly committed to providing excellent clinical care grounded in compassion and responsiveness to each family’s unique goals,” said Melanie Miller, manager of Lactation Services at Capital Health. “We are proud to have maintained this designation throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and to have grown our services to include expanded in-house lactation support and increased access to human donor milk.”

The positive health effects of breastfeeding are well documented and widely recognized by health authorities throughout the world. According to the Surgeon General’s 2011 Call to Action to Support

Breastfeeding, “breast milk is uniquely suited to the human infant’s nutritional needs and is a live substance with unparalleled immunological and anti-inflammatory properties that protect against a host of illnesses and diseases for both mothers and children.” Maternity Services at Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell is the most comprehensive maternity program in the area. From routine deliveries to high-risk needs, services at the Josephine Plumeri Birthing Center provide a full range of prenatal, obstetrical, postpartum, and neonatal care options so newborns have the greatest chance for a healthy start. In addition, the Regional Perinatal Center at Capital Health Medical Center - Hopewell provides neonatal care, including Mercer County’s only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for at-risk births. To learn more, visit capitalhealth.org/maternity.

FREE UPCOMING CHILDBIRTH AND PARENT EDUCATION CLASSES

For more information, or to register, visit capitalhealth.org/childbirth.

NEW PARENT SUPPORT GROUP

Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell

One Capital Way

Pennington, NJ 08534

August 7, 2023 | 1:15 p.m.

August 14, 2023 | 1:15 p.m.

BABY CARE BASICS CLASS

Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell

One Capital Way

Pennington, NJ 08534

August 8, 2023 | 6 p.m.

August 22, 2023 | 6 p.m.

September 12, 2023 | 6 p.m.

UNDERSTANDING BIRTH ONE-DAY CONDENSED

PREPARED CHILDBIRTH CLASS

Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell

One Capital Way

Pennington, NJ 08534

August 12, 2023 | 9:30 a.m.

August 26, 2023 | 9:30 a.m.

September 9, 2023 | 9:30 a.m.

UNDERSTANDING BREASTFEEDING CLASS

Zoom

August 7, 2023 | 6 p.m.

August 16, 2023 | 6 p.m.

August 21, 2023 | 6 p.m.

FIND A CAPITAL HEALTH MEDICAL GROUP PRIMARY CARE OFFICE NEAR YOU

1. Capital Health Primary Care – Bordentown 100 K Johnson Boulevard N., Suite 101, Bordentown, NJ 08505 609.298.2005 | capitalhealth.org/bordentown

2. Capital Health Primary Care – Browns Mills 6 Earlin Avenue, Suite 290, Browns Mills, NJ 08015 609.303.4560 | capitalhealth.org/brownsmills

3. Capital Health Primary Care – Brunswick Avenue 832 Brunswick Avenue, Trenton, NJ 08638 609.815.7400 | capitalhealth.org/brunswickavenue

4. Capital Health Primary Care – Columbus 23203 Columbus Road, Suite I, Columbus, NJ 08022 609.303.4450 | capitalhealth.org/columbus

5. Capital Health Primary Care – East Windsor 557 US Highway 130 North, East Windsor, NJ 08520 609.303.4480 | capitalhealth.org/eastwindsor

6. Capital Health Primary Care – Ewing 51 Scotch Road, Ewing, NJ 08628 609.883.5454 | capitalhealth.org/ewing

7. Capital Health Primary Care – Hamilton 1445 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road, Suite 103, Hamilton, NJ 08619 609.587.6661 | capitalhealth.org/hamilton 1401 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road, Suite 218, Hamilton, NJ 08619 609.689.5760

8. Capital Health Primary Care – Hopewell Two Capital Way, Suite 359, Pennington, NJ 08534 609.303.4440 | capitalhealth.org/primarycarehopewell

9. Capital Health Primary Care – Lawrenceville 133 Franklin Corner Road, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 609.815.7270 | capitalhealth.org/lawrenceville

10. Capital Health Primary Care – Levittown 4533 New Falls Road, Levittown, PA 19056 267.540.8220 | capitalhealth.org/levittown

11. Capital Health Primary Care – Mountain View 850 Bear Tavern Road, Suite 309, Ewing, NJ 08628 609.656.8844 | capitalhealth.org/mountainview

12. Capital Health Primary Care – Newtown 3 Penns Trail Road, Newtown, PA 18940 215.504.1761 | capitalhealth.org/primarycarenewtown

13. Capital Health Primary Care – Nottingham 1700 Nottingham Way, Suite 18, Hamilton, NJ 08619 609.303.4870 | capitalhealth.org/nottingham

14. Capital Health Primary Care – Princeton 300 Witherspoon Street, Princeton, NJ 08540 609.303.4600 | capitalhealth.org/princeton

15. Capital Health Primary Care – Quakerbridge 4056 Quakerbridge Road, Suite 101, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 609.528.9150 | capitalhealth.org/quakerbridge

16. Capital Health Primary Care – Robbinsville 2330 Route 33, Suite 107, Robbinsville, NJ 08691 609.303.4400 | capitalhealth.org/robbinsville

17. Capital Health Primary Care – Washington Crossing 1240 General Washington Memorial Boulevard, Suite 3 Washington Crossing, PA 18977 267.573.0670 | capitalhealth.org/washingtoncrossing

18. Capital Health Primary Care – West Windsor 352 Princeton-Hightstown Road, Suite A6 West Windsor, NJ 08550 609.537.7400 | capitalhealth.org/westwindsor

19. Capital Health Primary Care – Yardley 1690 Big Oak Road, Yardley, PA 19067 215.736.9362 | capitalhealth.org/yardley

Policing in America is not getting any easier

DAVE FRIED MAYOR’S COLUMN

On July 12, I signed Executive Order 2023-43 declaring July 30 to August 5, 2023 “Police Appreciation Week” in Robbinsville Township.

I did this for the eighth consecutive year to support our law enforcement community, both here and across the nation, in the face of enormous challenges.

I invite the Robbinsville community to tie blue ribbons around their mailboxes and swap out their white porch lights for blue through Saturday, Aug. 5. Local businesses (and residents) can prominently display “We Support Law Enforcement” (a limited supply courtesy of Triangle Copy will be available at the Township Municipal Building and Police Headquarters), while all Township buildings will be adorned in blue.

We choose this week to honor law enforcement because it corresponds with “National Night Out,” which will be held on Tuesday, August 1 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the RTPD Complex (1117 Route 130 N). Celebrating its 40th anniversary, “National Night Out” is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make

our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. NNO provides a wonderful opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances.

Robbinsville continues to invest in the only facility in New Jersey teaching shoot/ don’t shoot de-escalation techniques because we want the best-trained officers in order to avoid worstcase outcomes.

Our community policing efforts, which include “Coffee with a Cop” and “Cone with a Cop” sessions, the C.A.R.E. program, Ice Cream Reward Program, the very successful Summer Youth Academy and the S.A.F.E. (Secure Awareness for First Encounters) registry to help officers interact with members of the community who have autism or other communication disabilities, are a model any law enforcement department would be proud to emulate.

For more information on our NNO event, or to reserve a table, contact Sgt. Tom Egan at thomase@robbinsville.net. We hope to see you there!

Congratulations to Officer Shawn Emmons, who retired from the RTPD force on June 30. Shawn will always be known as a “Cop’s Cop” and was a vital public servant for more than 26 years. Thank you for your service, Shawn, and enjoy retirement!

* * *

Early congratulations to Captains Simon Hernandez and Manny Iglesias, who are preparing for their respective “end of shift” and well-earned retirements come Sept. 1.

Both Simon and Manny have been consummate leaders and have passed their vast knowledge onto new recruits, giving them the wisdom needed to both perform their duties and keep themselves and their RTFD brethren safe. Thank you from Administration, Council, staff, and a grateful Robbinsville community.

* * *

Robbinsville recently welcomed his High Holiness, Mahant Swami Maharaj, to Robbinsville. He will continue to greet

visitors from throughout the world to the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, located at 112 North Main Street, through October.

Welcome, Mahant Swami, and all of our out-of-town guests! * * *

If you have not yet had a chance, do yourself a favor and check out our Farmers’ Market, located at the Miry Run Recreation Area (66 Sharon Road), each Tuesday from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. through August 29. Our Recreation Division has done a fantastic job turning our market into a weekly destination event!

Dave Fried is the Mayor and Director of Public Safety for Robbinsville Township

3pm Thurs - Fri Saturday by appointment. Please call to schedule.

Liz’s Hours 9am to 3pm Tuesday-Friday

Saturday by appointment. Please call to schedule.

Vacation August 5th thru 14th

Our community policing efforts are a model any law enforcement department would be proud to emulate.