Members of the High School North boy’s tennis team after winning the Mercer County Tournament. Pictured are Yousuf Rostom (left), Lukas Karapelou, Jacob Klein, Shiva Tripurana, Prithvi Sunkavelli, Jayant Venkatesan, Ravin Lalla, Charlie Xiang and Sai Siddesh. Coach Taylor Mastropasqua is at bottom.
Winning the Mercer County Tournament for boys tennis is difficult in an area loaded with talent.
Prithvi Sunkavelli and Jayant Venkatesan understood that bet-
ter than anybody on the High School North boys tennis team.
The seniors had been a part of the Knights program each of the previous three years when they had come up short. That history made winning the first county team title for WW-P North since
2009 all the sweeter.
“It definitely does mean a lot, not only to me but to the school, especially considering it’s our first time winning it in 15 years,” said Sunkavelli. “Everything just played out perfectly and it
See TENNIS, Page 9
Effort raises funds for children victimized by the Israel-Hamas warBY MICHELE ALPERIN
Listening to the news these days can bring unspeakable sadness.
For Princeton Junction resident Lee Goldberg, it was a radio report about presidential bad behavior shortly before the 2020 election that caused him to snap. Realizing that he was “tired of feeling scared, helpless, and angry,” he decided he was “going to do something about it.”
In response to the news report, he says, “I walked out of the shower with shampoo in my hair and a towel around my waist and got 35 names of friends in the area.”
He invited them to join what he dubbed the Blue Soup Wednesday Project, in which he sells homemade soups for $10 a quart and has donated the proceeds to 2020 presidential and down-ballot races, to the Georgia Senate races, and most recently to the children suffering on both sides of the IsraelHamas war.
Recalling making soup during the pandemic, Goldberg says,
“In the middle of this terrible situation I had 20 to 30 people coming to my door with smiles behind their masks—that one moment of communion.”
Their smiles, he continues, were “as important as anything else—and I didn’t feel quite as isolated or as helpless.”
But it is a lot of work—buying and storing ingredients, making a meat and a vegetarian soup each week, and then storing it in the accessory refrigerator in his garage. To make the soup, he uses “three humongous pots,” one on loan from a customer.
In January 2024, Goldberg felt compelled to bring out his pots again in response to the Israel-Hamas war.
“I was horrified by the Oct. 7 attack and equally horrified by the response. It was so at odds with the principles I was taught in Temple—just watching all those children suffering on both sides,” Goldberg says. “It was my duty to do what I could to alleviate the suffering.”
“I was crying inside for two months,” he says, but at the same time he was concerned that the high emotions over the war might result in his losing friends. So he waited. But ultimately he realized that silence was not an option and asked himself, “How do you raise your
Two local students, Anvita Kulkarni and Shirin Sood, recently graduated from the Governor’s STEM Scholars, a program of the Research and Development Council of New Jersey.
More than 120 New Jersey high school and college students completed the year-long program, which provides a 360-degree view of N.J.’s STEM economy through conferences, lab tours, and research.
Kulkarni is a junior at the Mercer County Technical Schools-Health Science Academy. She holds numerous leadership positions such as student council representative, student council special activities committee chairperson, HOSA (Future Health Professionals) class representative, MCTS Entrepreneurship Club representative, and HSA Newspaper Club officer.
She is a member of the High School South varsity dive team. As a selected member, she participated in South’s ACapella Group performances. Most notably, she is credited with initiating the
STEM Club at MCTS HSA, leading it as President.
Outside of school, she volunteers at two local hospitals, her ice skating rink, and a handful of summer camps. She is an avid figure skater and has been ice skating since the age of three.
This past year, she was selected to be on Skyliners (Synchronized Skating team), where her team won 1st place at Easterns (Regional Championships).
During her free time, she enjoys unicycling, knitting and reading. In the future, she aspires to be a neuroanesthesiologist, and is passionate in the STEM fields of science and mathematics.
Sood is a junior at High School North. As the president of the N.J. Sierra Club’s youth committee, she has worked alongside environmentalists to advocate for more technological advancements in the environmental field.
She is also the publicity team lead for the N.J. Student Climate Advocates, where she works with environmental justice community groups in order to seek
solutions to contain a better climate for all communities in N.J.
Sood co-founded an organization that aims to raise awareness and combat the impacts of plastic pollution. Being a part of a number of environmental groups has influenced Sood to take more STEM courses at her high school including higher levels of calculus and chemistry.
She is passionate in research, specifically the studies being done on regenerative agriculture and nutritional soil.
Outside of STEM, Sood enjoys the outdoors and works as a lifeguard and swim instructor year-round. She aspires to con-
tinue her passion for STEM by pursuing a career in Environmental Engineering and hopes to mitigate the inequalities in this field.
As graduates of the Governor’s STEM Scholars, students will have access to the Governor’s STEM Scholars alumni network of over 800 students, which will enable them to stay connected to STEM jobs and opportunities within the state.
Applications for the 2024-2025 Governor’s STEM Scholars program are still open through June 14, 2024. For more information go to govstemscholars.com/ apply.
We are a newsroom of your neighbors. The West Windsor and Plainsboro News is for local people, by local people. As part of the community, the Gazette does more than just report the news—it connects businesses with their customers, organizations with their members and neighbors with one another. As such, our staff sets out to make our town a closer place by giving readers a reliable source to turn to when they want to know what’s going on in their neighborhood.
SENIOR COMMUNITY EDITOR
Bill Sanservino (Ext. 104)
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Michele Alperin, Justin Feil
CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST
Paul Ligetti
AD LAYOUT AND PRODUCTION
Stephanie Jeronis
ACCOUNT SALES EXECUTIVE
Gina Carillo (Ext. 112)
Community News Service
9 Princess Road, Suite M Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
Phone: (609) 396-1511
News: news@communitynews.org
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17,000 copies of The News are mailed or bulkdistributed to the residences and businesses in Plainsboro and West Windsor 12 times a year.
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voice in a way that it’s actually heard and do something about alleviating the suffering that is being felt on all sides of this conflict?”
In January 2024 he decided “to focus on the children and the families” as recipients of his soup proceeds. He currently serves 12 to 20 customers (out of a 50-person mailing list), every other week. He makes gourmet soups, both meat and vegetarian, like lemony lentil and spinach; vegetable mushroom barley; and marvelous minestrone (which often requires a hunt for the parmesan rinds he uses in the base).
So far Goldberg has raised a little over $1,800 since January. His list of doneesdonees has varied, but currently includes Doctors Without Borders, UNICEF, and the New Israel Fund. On weeks he’s not cooking, he sells frozen classics. His wife, Catherine Beach, does the record keeping for the project.
Goldberg was born in Brooklyn, spent his childhood years on Long Island, and then moved with his parents to the family’s farm in Friendship, New York. His mother was a housewife and an active volunteer. His father owned a Brooklyn insurance agency. His parents were both political activists, initially socialists but eventually
Democrats. Early on they were both involved in labor organizing.
During World War II his mother drove a truck for the Red Cross as well as an ambulance to transport wounded returning soldiers from their ship to medical facilities.
During the Vietnam War his father supported a group called Businessmen against the War. “He used his position as a well-respected businessperson to oppose the war when it was not a popular thing to do,” writes Goldberg in an email. Goldberg attended antiwar protests with his mother. “My mom taught me to be active to make a difference in the world in whatever way you can,” he says.
Not only was his mother an activist. With her truck and ambulance experience during the war, she became the primary heavy equipment operator at the farm.
“She could fly our John Deere #9 through a heavy meadow and cut down the hay for the horses and not jam it like everybody else,” Goldberg recalls. “She had this light touch, like a crop-duster pilot.”
At haying time on the farm her cooking skills shined. “The neighbors would come over and bale at night until the dew set in and the bailer would jam,” Goldberg recalls.
His mother would leave a couple hours early to cook for everyone. “She would
West Windsor resident Lee Goldberg brews up a batch of soup.
drag one last bale of hay up to the barn, then hit the kitchen and pull out the pots and make two to three gallons of chili at one time or set up a barbecue,” he says.
Goldberg’s communal values were reinforced as a student at the Windsor Mountain School in Lenox, Massachusetts, which, he says, “was built as a community for learning and social equality and social change.” By design, a third of the students were on scholarship.
Students were considered “citizens” who were encouraged to take an active role in the school’s academic and social life. In a student effort to raise money for more scholarships, the school replaced all kitchen help, except for the cooks, and students rotated through serving, dishwashing, and cleanup three meals a day. Goldberg coordinated the labor of the student kitchen crew.
Goldberg earned an associate degree in electrical engineering at Alfred State College, then worked for more than 20 years as an electronics technician and engineer, starting an ending at RCA. He worked on the development of single-chip computers, on early research in wind and solar power, on ultrasonic test equipment, and on robotics and artificial vision.
Township of West Windsor Public Works
From his mother Goldberg learned “cooking for the masses.”
At RCA Astro in East Windsor he worked 10 to 11 hours a day on the Mars Observer Spacecraft, while studying at night for a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Thomas Edison State College, which he completed in 1995.
Township of West Windsor Public Works 70 Southfield Road, West Windsor “Paper Shred Event”
See GOLDBERG, Page 6
Township of West Windsor Public Works
Township of West Windsor Public Works 70 Southfield Road, West Windsor “Paper Shred Event”
70 Southfield Road, West Windsor “Paper Shred Event”
June 15, 2024 8AM – 12PM
June 15, 2024 8AM – 12PM
Township of West Windsor Public Works
70 Southfield Road, West Windsor “Paper Shred Event”
June 15, 2024 8AM – 12PM
Township of West Windsor Public Works 70 Southfield Road, West Windsor “Paper Shred Event”
Township of West Windsor Public Works
70 Southfield Road, West Windsor “Paper
70 Southfield Road, West Windsor “Paper Shred Event”
Township of West Windsor Public Works 70 Southfield Road, West Windsor “Paper Shred Event” –
June 15, 2024 8AM – 12PM
–
NOTE: May end prior to 12pm if shred trucks reach capacity Open to Residents ONLY – Proof of Residency Required
NOTE: May end prior to 12pm if shred trucks reach capacity Open to Residents ONLY – Proof of Residency Required
70 Southfield Road, West Windsor “Paper Shred Event” June 15, 2024 8AM – 12PM
NOTE: May end prior to 12pm if shred trucks reach capacity Open to Residents ONLY – Proof of Residency Required
June 15, 2024 8AM – 12PM
June 15, 2024 8AM – 12PM
NOTE: May end prior to 12pm if shred trucks reach capacity Open to Residents ONLY – Proof of Residency Required
Township of West Windsor Public Works 70 Southfield Road, West Windsor “Paper Shred Event” June 15, 2024 8AM – 12PM
June 15, 2024 8AM – 12PM
NOTE: May end prior to 12pm if shred trucks reach capacity Open to Residents ONLY – Proof of Residency Required
NOTE: May end prior to 12pm if shred trucks reach capacity Open to Residents ONLY Proof of Residency Required
NOTE: May end prior to 12pm if shred trucks reach capacity Open to Residents ONLY – Proof of Residency Required
NOTE: May end prior to 12pm if shred trucks reach capacity Open to Residents ONLY – Proof of Residency Required
Proof of Residency Required
Protect against identity theft – shred materials with your Social Security numbers, account numbers, confidential passwords, medical information, financial records and other confidential/sensitive personal documents.
Protect against identity theft – shred materials with your Social Security numbers, account numbers, confidential passwords, medical information, financial records and other confidential/sensitive personal documents.
NOTE: May end prior to 12pm if shred trucks reach capacity Open to Residents ONLY – Proof of Residency Required
NOTE: May end prior to 12pm if shred trucks reach capacity Open to Residents ONLY – Proof of Residency Required
Protect against identity theft – shred materials with your Social Security numbers, account numbers, confidential passwords, medical information, financial records and other confidential/sensitive personal documents.
Protect against identity theft – shred materials with your Social Security numbers, account numbers, confidential passwords, medical information, financial records and other confidential/sensitive personal documents.
No need to remove paper clips, staples or rubber bands. Please remove heavy metal-backed binder clips/3 ring binders.
– account numbers,
Protect against identity theft – shred materials with your Social Security numbers, account numbers, confidential passwords, medical information, financial records and other confidential/sensitive personal documents.
Protect against identity theft – shred materials with your Social Security numbers, account numbers, confidential passwords, medical information, financial records and other confidential/sensitive personal documents.
Protect against identity theft – shred materials with your Social Security numbers, account numbers, confidential passwords, medical information, financial records and other confidential/sensitive personal documents.
Protect against identity theft – shred materials with your Social Security numbers, account numbers, confidential passwords, personal documents.
No need to remove paper clips, staples or rubber bands. Please remove heavy metal-backed binder clips/3 ring binders.
No need to remove paper clips, staples or rubber bands. Please remove heavy metal-backed binder clips/3 ring binders. NO magazines, hard/soft cover books, newspapers, junk mail, online catalogs, coupon circulars, travel guides; these items can be recycled in your curbside recycling bin NO photos, x-rays, CD’s, VHS tapes or plastic credit cards
Protect against identity theft – shred materials with your Social Security numbers, account numbers, confidential passwords, medical information, financial records and other confidential/sensitive personal documents.
No need to remove paper clips, staples or rubber bands. Please remove heavy metal-backed binder clips/3 ring binders.
Protect against identity theft – shred materials with your Social Security numbers, account numbers, confidential passwords, medical information, financial records and other confidential/sensitive personal documents.
NO magazines, hard/soft cover books, newspapers, junk mail, online catalogs, coupon circulars, travel guides; these items can be in your curbside recycling bin NO photos, x-rays, CD’s, VHS tapes or plastic credit cards
NO magazines, hard/soft cover books, newspapers, junk mail, online catalogs, coupon circulars, travel guides; these items can be recycled in your curbside recycling bin NO photos, x-rays, CD’s, VHS tapes or plastic credit cards
Please remove heavy metal-backed ring binders.
No need to remove paper clips, staples or rubber bands. Please remove heavy metal-backed binder clips/3 ring binders.
No need to remove paper clips, staples or rubber bands. Please remove heavy metal-backed binder clips/3 ring binders.
No need to remove paper clips, staples or rubber bands. Please remove heavy metal-backed binder clips/3 ring binders. NO magazines, hard/soft cover books, newspapers, junk mail, online catalogs, coupon circulars, travel guides; these items can be recycled in your curbside recycling bin NO photos, x-rays, CD’s, VHS tapes or plastic credit cards
*LIMIT 8 boxes – 10lbs each* Please do not tape or seal boxes. Reusable containers are welcome & will be returned!
NO magazines, hard/soft cover books, newspapers, junk mail, online catalogs, coupon circulars, travel guides; these items can be recycled in your curbside recycling bin. NO photos, x-rays, CD’s, VHS tapes or plastic credit cards.
*LIMIT 8 boxes – 10lbs each* Please do not tape or seal boxes. Reusable containers are welcome & will be returned!
No need to remove paper clips, staples or rubber bands. Please remove heavy metal-backed binder clips/3 ring binders.
No need to remove paper clips, staples or rubber bands. Please remove heavy metal-backed binder clips/3 ring binders.
*LIMIT 8 boxes – 10lbs each* Please do not tape or seal boxes. Reusable containers are welcome & will be returned!
No need to remove paper clips, staples or Please remove heavy metal-backed clips/3 ring binders. magazines, hard/soft cover books, newspapers, junk mail, online catalogs, coupon circulars, travel guides; items can be recycled in your curbside recycling bin. NO photos, x-rays, CD’s, VHS tapes or plastic credit cards.
items can be recycled in your curbside recycling bin NO CD’s, VHS tapes
NO magazines, hard/soft cover books, newspapers, junk mail, online catalogs, coupon circulars, travel guides; these items can be recycled in your curbside recycling bin NO photos, x-rays, CD’s, VHS tapes or plastic credit cards
NO magazines, hard/soft cover books, newspapers, junk mail, online catalogs, coupon circulars, travel guides; these items can be recycled in your curbside recycling bin NO photos, x-rays, CD’s, VHS tapes or plastic credit cards
*LIMIT 8 boxes – 10lbs each* Please do not tape or seal boxes. Reusable containers are welcome & will be returned!
NO magazines, hard/soft cover books, newspapers, junk mail, online catalogs, coupon circulars, travel guides; these items can be recycled in your curbside recycling bin. NO photos, x-rays, CD’s, VHS tapes or plastic credit cards.
NO magazines, hard/soft cover books, newspapers, junk mail, online catalogs, coupon circulars, travel guides; these items can be recycled in your curbside recycling bin NO photos, x-rays, CD’s, VHS tapes or plastic credit cards
*LIMIT 8 boxes 10lbs each* Please do not tape or seal boxes. Reusable containers are welcome & will be returned!
*LIMIT 8 boxes – 10lbs each* Please do not tape or seal boxes. Reusable containers are welcome & will be returned!
*LIMIT 8 boxes 10lbs each* Please do not tape or seal boxes. Reusable containers are welcome & will be returned!
*LIMIT 8 boxes – 10lbs each* Please do not tape or seal boxes. Reusable containers are welcome & will be returned! **ADDITION
*LIMIT 8 boxes – 10lbs each* Please do not tape or seal boxes. Reusable containers are welcome & will be returned! **ADDITION
*LIMIT 8 boxes – 10lbs each* Please do not tape or seal boxes. Reusable containers are welcome & will be returned!
*LIMIT 8 boxes – 10lbs each* Please do not tape or seal boxes. Reusable containers are welcome & will be returned!
Send Hunger Packing WW-P and The Little Free Pantry are local programs of Mercer Street Friends addressing food insecurity. Food donations are needed to support these important programs. Shelf stable items most in need: Cereals (individual bowl or small boxes), Oatmeal, Rice, Dried Beans, Canned/Microwavable Soup Bowls, Canned/Tuna to go (Starkist, Bumble Bee or vegetarian equivalent), packaged Dried Fruits, Chef Boyardee Microwave Bowls or vegetarian equivalent, Hormel Complete entrée or vegetarian equivalent. Grocery store cards are also welcomed. NO GLASS items please.
Send Hunger Packing WW-P and The Little Free Pantry are local programs of Mercer Street Friends addressing food insecurity. Food donations are needed to support these important programs. Shelf stable items most in need: Cereals (individual bowl or small boxes), Oatmeal, Rice, Dried Beans, Canned/Microwavable Soup Bowls, Canned/Tuna to go (Starkist, Bumble Bee or vegetarian equivalent), packaged Dried Fruits, Chef Boyardee Microwave Bowls or vegetarian equivalent, Hormel Complete entrée or vegetarian equivalent. Grocery store cards are also welcomed. NO GLASS items please.
Send Hunger Packing WW-P and The Little Free Pantry are local programs of Mercer Street Friends addressing food insecurity. Food donations are needed to support these important programs. Shelf stable items most in need: Cereals (individual bowl or small boxes), Oatmeal, Rice, Dried Beans, Canned/Microwavable Soup Bowls, Canned/Tuna to go (Starkist, Bumble Bee or vegetarian equivalent), packaged Dried Fruits, Chef Boyardee Microwave Bowls or vegetarian equivalent, Hormel Complete entrée or vegetarian equivalent. Grocery store cards are also welcomed. NO GLASS items please.
Send Hunger Packing WW-P and The Little Free Pantry are local programs of Mercer Street Friends addressing food insecurity. Food donations are needed to support these important programs. Shelf stable items most in need: Cereals (individual bowl or small boxes), Oatmeal, Rice, Dried Beans, Canned/Microwavable Soup Bowls, Canned/Tuna to go (Starkist, Bumble Bee or vegetarian equivalent), packaged Dried Fruits, Chef Boyardee Microwave Bowls or vegetarian equivalent, Hormel Complete entrée or vegetarian equivalent. Grocery store cards are also welcomed. items please.
Send Hunger Packing WW-P and The Little Free Pantry are local programs of Mercer Street Friends addressing food insecurity. Food donations are needed to support these important programs. Shelf stable items most in need: Cereals (individual bowl or small boxes), Oatmeal, Rice, Dried Beans, Canned/Microwavable Soup Bowls, Canned/Tuna to go (Starkist, Bumble Bee or vegetarian equivalent), packaged Dried Fruits, Chef Boyardee Microwave Bowls or vegetarian equivalent, Hormel Complete entrée or vegetarian equivalent. cards are also welcomed. items please.
Send Hunger Packing WW-P and The Little Free Pantry are local programs of Mercer Street Friends addressing food insecurity. Food donations are needed to support these important programs. Shelf stable items most in need: Cereals (individual bowl or small boxes), Oatmeal, Rice, Dried Beans, Canned/Microwavable Soup Bowls, Tuna to go (Starkist, Bumble Bee or vegetarian equivalent), packaged Dried Fruits, Chef Boyardee Microwave Bowls or vegetarian equivalent, Hormel Complete entrée or vegetarian equivalent. cards are also welcomed. items please.
Send Hunger Packing WW-P and The Little Free Pantry are local programs of Mercer Street Friends addressing food insecurity. Food donations are needed to support these important programs. most in need (individual bowl or small boxes), Dried Beans, Soup Bowls, Tuna to go (Starkist, Bumble Bee or vegetarian equivalent), packaged Dried Fruits, Chef Boyardee cards are also welcomed. items please.
WW-P and are of Mercer Street Friends Food donations are needed to support these important programs. (individual bowl or small boxes), Soup Bowls, Tuna to go (Starkist, Bumble Bee or vegetarian equivalent), packaged Dried Fruits, Chef Boyardee cards are also welcomed. items please.
Send Hunger Packing WW-P and The Little Free Pantry are local programs of Mercer Street Friends addressing food insecurity. Food donations are needed to support these important programs. Shelf stable items most in need: Cereals (individual bowl or small boxes), Oatmeal, Rice, Dried Beans, Canned/Microwavable Soup Bowls, Tuna to go (Starkist, Bumble Bee or vegetarian equivalent), packaged Dried Fruits, Chef Boyardee Microwave Bowls or vegetarian equivalent, Hormel Complete entrée or vegetarian equivalent. cards are also welcomed. items please.
Send Hunger Packing WW-P local programs of Mercer Street Friends addressing food insecurity. Food donations are needed to support these important programs. tems most in need: Cereals (individual bowl or small boxes), Oatmeal, Rice, Dried Beans, Canned/Microwavable Soup Bowls, Tuna to go (Starkist, Bumble Bee or vegetarian equivalent), packaged Dried Fruits, Chef Boyardee Microwave Bowls or vegetarian equivalent, Hormel Complete entrée or vegetarian equivalent. cards are also welcomed. NO GLASS items please.
Send Hunger Packing WW-P and The Little Free Pantry local programs of Mercer Street Friends addressing food insecurity. Food donations are needed to support these important programs. tems most in need: Cereals (individual bowl or small boxes), Oatmeal, Rice, Dried Beans, Canned/Microwavable Soup Bowls, Tuna to go (Starkist, Bumble Bee or vegetarian equivalent), packaged Dried Fruits, Chef Boyardee Microwave Bowls or vegetarian equivalent, Hormel Complete entrée or vegetarian equivalent. cards are also welcomed. NO GLASS items please.
Monday, June 3; 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
With so much information out today on brain health, what methods really work?
Join Lorraine Sgarlato, Au.D., Senior Audiologist, to learn more about how to keep your brain young and turn back the clock on your brain.
SWEET
Monday, June 3; 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Monday, June 10; 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
A group for anyone with diabetes or caring for one of the 37 million Americans living with diabetes. Learn and discuss healthy ways to manage diabetes alongside peers and Taryn Krietzman, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Empower yourself and others towards a healthy lifestyle and success in diabetes self-management.
DANCE IT OUT!
Thursday, June 6; 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
When in doubt, dance it out! Find your rhythm and ease the everyday stresses of life with movement. All ages welcome.
WHAT’S EATING YOU?
Monday, June 10; 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Support group for people experiencing emotional eating. We offer a safe space to connect with others who are going through similar experiences.
HOW SOUND HEALS: THE SCIENCE OF SOUND HEALING
Monday, June 10; 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Science is catching up with what healers
have known for centuries, sound and vibration affect our mind, body and spirit. Adriana Hansen, will discuss the science behind sound and vibration and show you how and why certain sounds can help you sleep better, improve your mood, improve body function and even reduce pain! This is an interactive discussion, so come prepared to feel the good vibrations!
WHAT’S IN THE BOX?
Tuesday, June 13; 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
All things seasonal, all the time! Learn what wonderful fruits and veggies are up to this time of year and how to make them shine! Enjoy being an in-person studio-audience member as Taryn Krietzman, RDN, does a live taping or join us from your home via our live Zoom.
COOKING WITH CARDIOLOGY: STAY HEALTHY WITH SUMMER GRILLING
Thursday, June 13; 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
When done right, grilling can be one of the more healthful ways to prepare food. Very little fat needs to be added to foods cooked on the grill. Join Shakil Shaikh, DO, Cardiology, RWJUH Hamilton, and member of Hamilton Cardiology Associates, for a delicious insight on summer cooking.
SACRED BREATHWORK EXPERIENCE
Thursday, June 13; 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Kim Huston, Reiki Master and Certified Breathwork facilitator, is passionate about sharing this modality with anyone looking for true healing. Sacred
breathwork can help release negative patterns and fears that keep us stuck. Bring a yoga mat and blanket; chairs will also be available. Fee: $15
ANNUAL REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY
Monday, June 17; 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Join RWJUH Hamilton for their annual report to the community meeting. Registration is required, and a complimentary light breakfast will be served. Lisa Breza, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Chief Administrative Officer, will provide an overview of the hospital’s recent accomplishments and plans for future growth.
ASK THE DIETITIAN
Monday, June 17; 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Do you have a question about diet and nutrition? Join a community education dietitian for a one-on-one Q&A. Preregistration for each 1/2 hour appointment is required.
PREDIABETES CONNECT GROUP
Tuesday, June 18; 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Diagnosed with prediabetes? This group is for you to connect with others affected. Share and explore ways to improve lifestyle changes.
COLOR ME HOOPY: HOOLAHOOPING FOR FUN & FITNESS!
Tuesday, June 18; 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
If you think you can’t hoola-hoop, you’re mistaken! This class is so much fun that you don’t even realize that you are working out! It’s much easier with an adult-sized hoop... which is provided at the class. No experience necessary.
Angela Reitter, Certified HoopLove coach and Hoopa-Fit instructor. Fee: $15
MINDFULNESS MEDITATION
Wednesday, June 19; 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Quieting your mind, even for a short while, can have profound effects on both your body and your mind. Come learn to lower the volume of your mind’s chatter. No experience is necessary.
HEALTHRHYTHMS® DRUM CIRCLE
Wednesday, June 19; 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Drum your cares away with our monthly drum circle. It’s lots of fun and a great stress reliever. Beginners welcome; drums will be provided. Mauri Tyler, CTRS,CMP. Fee: $15
LGBTQ+ BREAST/CHEST HEALTH
Thursday, June 20; 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Join Cecilia Gomez, BS, Community Cancer Control Specialist, RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute, for this presentation that covers the basics of breast cancer as it relates to the LGBTQ+ community. We will discuss screening guidelines, health disparities, diet and lifestyle, and genetic counseling.
VISION BOARD WORKSHOP
Tuesday, June 25; 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Join this fun, interactive workshop where we will explore your vision, hope and intentions for the future. Please bring scissors; all other materials are provided.
Wednesday, June 26; 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Healthy eating starts early! Empower kids with culinary skills and nutrition knowledge to become their healthiest selves! For children 5 years and older. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Taryn Krietzman, RDN. Fee: $5 per person
Wednesday, June 26; 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Share the gift of Reiki with other practitioners. Give a session; get a session. Please bring a small sheet and pillow. Restricted to those certified in Reiki (any level).
Tuesday, July 9; 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
If you are considering surgery, are in the process of preparing or have undergone surgery, you are welcome to attend our support group meetings. Family, friends and support persons are also invited to attend. This is a great opportunity to meet others going through the same weight loss journey. Our meetings focus on achieving optimal wellness through weight loss surgery. Each month, we will discuss a different topic on nutrition, exercise and healthy living behaviors. To register or for more information, call 609-249-7510.
*All programs require registration and are held at the RWJ Fitness & Wellness Center, 3100 Quakerbridge Rd., Hamilton, NJ, unless otherwise noted.
Scan the QR code to register and become a member or call 609-584-5900 or email bhprogram@rwjbh.org to learn more.
*Registration and free Membership required to attend the Better Health Programs
Wednesday, June 5, 12, 19, 26
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Please join us for our ongoing program, “A Senior Social Group,” gathering in a collaborative setting to exchange thoughts, feelings and experiences amongst peers. This is a safe zone designed to be welcoming and understanding of all attendees while exploring this season of our lives – the ups and the challenges. This is a weekly program. Please feel free to attend one or all.
Wednesday, June 5; 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 6; 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Join us for a guided tour that provides a deeper look into the sculptural secrets and rich history of Grounds for Sculpture. Plenty to see and learn with over 42 acres and approximately 350 works of art!
Tuesday, June 11; 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Is there a correlation between our thinking and our eating habits?
Ekta Makani, FNP-C, MSN, Advanced Practice Nurse, will discuss this topic and the science behind the behaviors. This will be an engaging and fascinating conversation, providing answers to this age-old question.
Thursday, June 13 + 27; 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 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. Beginners welcome.
Tuesday, June 18 + 25; 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Krystal Loughlin, certified RYT, will be leading this gentle yoga class using traditional postures and breathing techniques, offering modifications of the poses for your body so that you can confidently participate. Beginners welcome.
Tuesday, June 18 + 25; 11:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Krystal Loughlin, certified RYT, 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. Beginners welcome.
Tuesday, June 18 + 25; 12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m. Krystal Loughlin, certified RYT, will be teaching Chair Yoga. Using a chair for seated poses and also for balancing poses, this class is perfect for those who haven’t moved their bodies for a while, are recovering from an injury or have mobility/balancing difficulties. A great place to start practicing yoga to help boost your flexibility, find inner peace, unwind and stretch. Many options are given to customize the practice for YOU!
Friday, June 28; 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Pinkies up! Let’s talk tea and try some famously tasty pairings. Hats are encouraged!
Scan QR code to view, learn more & register on-line for the programs listed above. Or visit rwjbh.org/HamiltonPrograms Email CommunityEdHam@rwjbh.org or call 609-584-5900 to learn more
A course in journalism at Thomas Edison, Goldberg says, “sort of changed my life.” He recalls his early freelance work doing “fun” stories for the Princeton Packet’s “Time Off” section. “That was when I discovered that when you have a pen and a pad in your hand you can satisfy your curiosity. The pay isn’t anything close to lucrative, but the perks are amazing,” Goldberg says.
After earning his bachelor’s degree, Goldberg landed a full-time job as a technology journalist at “Electronic Design” and realized that “the place I could make my contribution in the world was in writing.”
After six years he followed his boss to the first online publication for electrical engineers, but four years ago “Electronic Design” invited him back as a half-time contributing editor.
Goldberg especially enjoys writing about the relationship between technology and both the environment and society. In particular, he focuses on practical approaches to making products, and the economy they support, more environmentally friendly. this was the subject of his 1999 book “Green Electronics/Green Bottom Line: A Commonsense Guide to Environmentally Responsible Engineering and Management.”
In his private life Goldberg has been involved in meditation and spiritual pursuits through The Life Center, a former center for wholistic health and personal growth in Lambertville. He is also a pilot, and he studies Talmud, the book of Jewish rabbinic law, through the Jewish Center with Neil Litt.
Food wise, soup was not his first endeavor. He used to sell egg rolls to raise money for political and environmental causes (and sometimes for his flying lessons). In the earliest years of the Shad Fest in Lambertville, he sold falafel, which is how he met his wife, in 1988.
Goldberg has cut down his soup making to every other week due to the challenges of working on this project from his house. He would love to find an institution with a large kitchen that would loan him the space for a day every couple of weeks. He is also looking for “co-conspirators”— soup makers who share his mission.
Pointing to empty shelves on the side of his kitchen, he says, “When things are In full swing, these shelves are full of groceries, bordering on chaos.”
And yet he persists. “Raising money with food is very labor intensive, but it’s the only thing I know.”
Anyone interested in helping out can contact Goldberg at bearberg@gmail.com or 609-575-7669.
Jonathan Beiler First Violinist, Philadelphia Orchestra
Summertime means festivals and fairs, and June is a fine time to be outdoors in Central New Jersey. Community News takes you through just some of the area events that are planned to help you get out of the house and enjoy the weather — and maybe a little bit of culture, too.
One of the area’s most popular annual festivals is already in progress as we enter June: the New Jersey Renaissance Faire, which began on May 18 and is set to continue through June 9.
Now in its 15th edition, the Renaissance Faire looks to recreate a pocket of 16thcentury England at the Burlington County Fairgrounds in nearby Columbus. Vendors, artists, musicians and performers, many in period costume, look to entertain and edify festivalgoers each weekend. Attendees are invited to dress up in period clothes as well,
St. Gregory the Great’s
(Photos
and many do, but it is not required.
Every year’s faire has a theme, and this year’s theme is “The Brothers Grimm.”
The Brothers Grimm are neither from the 1500’s nor were they English (they were German), but they are known for popularizing many familiar folk tales, including “Cinderella,” “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Hansel and Gretel,” “Rapunzel” and “Sleeping Beauty,” among many others.
This year, Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm are visiting the Ren Faire and its make-believe village of Crossford. The brothers and some of their famous fairy-tale characters can be seen wandering the faire grounds each Saturday and Sunday to offer interactive storytelling.
There are six stages at the faire, each offering a variety of entertainment that includes belly dancing, live jousting, magic shows, circus shows, story times, comedy and more. Live music is scheduled throughout the day on the Evergreen Stage and at Fiddler’s Green; visit njrenfaire.com for schedules pertaining to each weekend of the festival.
Food vendors offer both period and modern cuisine, and wine and beer are available for purchase. Whisky tasting takes place in the Whiskey Tent. Some events require ticket purchases beyond the cost of admission, and while most are family friendly, some are marked as being appropriate for adults only. These include the after-hours concerts, which also have an additional
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cost to attend.
The NJ Renaissance Faire has grown over its 15 years, and now boasts of crowds of more than 5,000 daily.
“We are building and producing the show that we have always wanted, and can’t wait to celebrate with our faire family and fans this season when they see how different the shire looks and feels,” says NJRF general manager TJ Miller. Those differences include a new front gate with two 16-foottall towers, a new kids’ area and two 80-by40-foot tents for eating and relaxing.
Tickets are available on the Ren Faire website and include a number of pricing options for adults and children. Saturday and Sunday, June 1–2 and June 8–9 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., rain or shine. Burlington
County Fairgrounds, 1990 Jacksonville Jobstown Road, Columbus NJ.
Those looking to remain firmly ensconced in the year 2024 can head over instead to Mercer County Park, where the county will be hosting the 12th annual Cultural Festival and Food Truck Rally. The festival is set to feature live music and traditional dance performances featuring area residents with a diverse array of cultural backgrounds. The county says there will be art demonstrations, heritage crafters, children’s activities and a beer garden.
The county’s Division of Culture and Heritage makes an effort to keep the festival as diverse as possible, and that can be seen in the art, music and dance performances as well as in the food trucks on offer, which are set to represent the cui-
sines of the world.
Food trucks and food and drink vendors set to attend include those representing the cultures of Liberia, Colombia, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Mexico, Italy, Greece, Belgium, China, Korea, Thailand and Philippines. American regional cuisines including soul food and coastal New England will also be represented.
The event is free to attend and is scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 8 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Food and drink is provided for a cost. For weather updates, search for “Mercer County Cultural and Heritage Commission” on Facebook and follow the link. * * *
Two-time Grammy Award-winning soprano Angel Blue has been tapped to open this year’s June 7-22 Princeton Festival on Friday, June 7 at 8 p.m.
The soprano is expected to perform arias by Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, and George Gershwin. She will be accompanied by Princeton Symphony Orchestra’s Edward T. Cone Music Director Rossen Milanov as the orchestra performs orchestral pieces by Dvořák, Puccini, Ruperto Chapí, and Frederick Delius.
The Princeton Symphony Orchestra’s 16-day showcase for the performing arts is set to include fully staged performances of Mozart’s comic opera Così fan tutte, Broadway cabaret with Santino Fontana, orchestral music, Baroque and chamber concerts, dance with American Repertory Ballet and a Juneteenth celebration.
Rounding out opening weekend are The Music of Tina Turner with LaKisha Jones, Nova Payton and Matthew Johnson on Saturday, June 8 at 7 p.m. and a Family Day culminating with a concert featuring Latin Grammy Award nominee Sonia De Los Santos on Sunday, June 9 at 4 p.m. All three performances take place in the out-
door performance pavilion on the grounds of Morven Museum & Garden.
For a complete listing of Festival events at the pavilion and at nearby Trinity Church, visit princetonsymphony.org/festival.
This year’s Festival Family Day is Sunday, June 9, and begins with a free yoga class at 9 a.m. on the front lawn of Morven Museum and Garden (ages 10 and up).
From 1:30-3:30 p.m., there will be a middle school Listen Up! art exhibition opening, plus free hands-on musical activities and treats for children of all ages, followed by the 4 p.m. family concert featuring Sonia De Los Santos and her band, performing original songs sung in Spanish and English. Tickets are available now for all 2024 Princeton Festival events at Morven Museum & Garden and nearby Trinity Church, ranging in price from $10 to $150. Tickets can also be purchased online at princetonsymphony.org/festival.
* * *
On the following Saturday, gear up for one of the area’s newest annual festivals, the Juneteenth Freedom Day Ride followed by the Fourth Annual Juneteenth Festival, both in Mercer County Park.
The bike ride and festival have been held since 2021 in honor of Juneteenth, the federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. The bike ride is presented by nonprofit organization Let’s Cycle NJ along with the Samuel McCoy III Scholarship Fund.
Things kick off at 7 a.m. on Saturday, June 15 when in-person registration for the bike ride begins at the park. Riders have their choice of four levels of ride: a 75-mile ride, a 50-mile ride, a 35-mile ride and a nov-
See FESTIVALS, Page 3
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The L.E.A.D. Fest State Fair is held annually in Mercer County Park, this year from June 28 through July 7.
each year. Organizers say that more than 100,000 people attend the carnival each year.
ice ride, all set for staggered starts beginning at 8:30 a.m. Registration is online now at juneteenthridenj.com.
The Juneteenth Festival, organized by the African American Cultural Collaboration of Mercer County, is set to begin following the completion of the bike rides. Organizers say that the festival will feature live music, food trucks, vendors and reserved areas for members of participating cycling clubs.
More information is available on the website, or by emailing organizers Doug Smarr at dougsmarr@gmail.com or Tennille R. McCoy at tmccoy72@me.com.
* * *
One of the longest running fairs in the area is the St. Gregory the Great Carnival, an annual June tradition in Hamilton that was briefly pushed to fall by the pandemic. It’s back in June, and set for Monday, June 17 through Saturday, June 22 this year.
The Catholic church on Nottingham Way raises funds for its K-8 academy through the carnival, which features rides, a midway, food vendors, a balloon man, two nights of fireworks (Tuesday and Saturday) a drone light show on Thursday, June 20, and of course, the super 50/50 raffle, which rises into the tens of thousands of dollars
The carnival’s 22 rides are usually divided into rides for kids 8 and younger and for kids 8 and older, up to adults. There are 16 games of chance plus a money wheel. Food for sale includes carnival staples like fried Oreos and funnel cake, as well as stands from Four Boys Ice Cream, Momma Rosa Pizza, Kona Ice and G&L Gyros. Rain is often a factor that time of year, and all dates are weather permitting. The carnival is open from 6 to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from noon to 5 p.m. and 6 to 11 p.m. on Saturday.
St. Gregory the Great is located at 4620 Nottingham Way, Hamilton. Web: sggcarnival.com.
Those who haven’t got enough of the carnival vibe after St. Gregory’s rolls out of town will be able to head over to Mercer County Park starting Friday, June 28 for the annual L.E.A.D. Fest State Fair.
L.E.A.D. Fest events feature rides, food vendors, craft vendors, local business and community organization kiosks and live entertainment. This year’s festival runs through July 7.
L.E.A.D. stands for Law Enforcement Against Drugs, and the national nonprofit organization supported by police officers focuses its efforts on
and
De Los Santos and her band will perform original songs in Spanish in English at the Princeton Festival on June 9. (Photo by
communities from drugs, drug-related crime, cyberbullying and violence. L.E.A.D. holds fairs throughout the country each year to spread its message.
Organizers of the New Jersey state fair
say that more than 60,000 people attended last year’s event. Tickets are $7 during the week and $8 on the weekends, and can be purchased online at theleadfest.com. For more information, turn to page 12.
Central New Jersey’s burgeoning bakery scene received a fresh boost in March when L’Annexe de Mamie Colette opened the doors to its brand new building on River Road in Titusville.
A good number of bakeries have opened in the past 10 years in the region, a welcome rebound for a business model that had once seemed all but eliminated by competition from supermarkets and chains.
Just in Hopewell Valley, Madame Cupcake opened in Hopewell in January 2022, and Terra Momo Bread Company opened its second location in Pennington in May 2023. Down the road in Ewing, Hamiltonbased Nino’s Pastry Shop opened a second location on Scotch Road also in May of last year.
For many pastry chefs, an independent bakery is a labor of love, and such is the case for Magali and Isabelle Henry Noblanc, the married business partners behind Mamie Colette — a viennoiserie
in Newtown, Pennsylvania that opened in November 2022 — and now L’Annexe.
Mamie Colette is known for its croissants and danish, which Chef Magali and staff make in house in a process that takes up to three days.
L’Annexe has croissants, too. But the new bake shop is no mere copy of the original. L’Annexe features sweet and savory crêpes in the style of Brittany, France, as well as pastries of the kind that can be found in the city of Chartres.
L’Annexe crêpes are made with buckwheat, which is the way they are made in Brittany, known as the birthplace of crêpes. Brittany also happens to be the part of France where Isabelle spent the early part of her life.
The most popular savory crêpe since L’Annexe opened has been the egg, Swiss cheese and ham crêpe. Also popular has been the crêpe with goat cheese, fig jam, walnuts and arugula.
Sweet crêpes include one with lemon, almonds and honey, one with housemade chocolate sauce and one with salted butter caramel.
Also in the display cases are brioches, meringues and choupinettes — a choux pastry filled with different flavors of creamy pudding, such as pistachio raspberry, sea salt caramel and hazelnut praline and passionfruit.
Also setting L’Annexe apart from Mamie Colette is that it has a bread bakery onsite. The shop in Newtown did not have enough room to allow for bread baking, though breads made at L’Annexe now find their way to the Pennsylvania side.
“Our customers were all asking for bread, they said the croissants were great but they wanted bread as well,” Isabelle says. “Our ovens (for baking viennoiserie) are ginormous, we didn’t have enough room. So we started looking for a commercial kitchen where we could actually bake bread.”
Bread baked on site at L’Annexe de Mamie Colette on River Road in Titusville. (Photo courtesy of L’Annexe de Mamie Colette.)
Call us today to see how we can deliver the
(609)-865-8675
Breads for sale include baguettes, multigrain buckwheat loaves and levain sourdough loaves, which Isabelle describes as a “very different sourdough — it doesn’t taste acidic or sour. It’s made the way we make it in France.”
Once the pair had decided on opening a second location, they searched first in Pennsylvania and then in New Jersey for a suitable location for the new venture. Their first thought was Lambertville, and Isabelle remembers one day driving through Titus-
ville on the way north and seeing the building that would become L’Annexe.
“We saw the buildings and thought they were beautiful,” she says. “We thought, whoever was going to be in that location would be really lucky. Then one day we saw a ‘for lease’ sign, called and met with the owners of the building, and now we’re the lucky people who get to work there.”
Isabelle is originally from Brittany, and Magali from Chartres. Though they met in France, Isabelle was living in the U.S. at the time, and only temporarily back in France for her job as a business development professional.
When Isabelle returned home to the U.S., Magali moved with her, and took the opportunity to leave behind her unfulfilling job as a sales executive and embark on a new career as a pastry chef. She studied bread and viennoiserie baking at l’Ecole Banette in France, and worked for several bakeries in the Netherlands, France and New Jersey honing her craft.
Croissants became her passion, and when she and Isabelle decided to open a small business of their own, they made croissants and other viennoiseries such as pain au chocolat the centerpiece of their
She says that many customers have told them that they can tell the difference between their handmade croissants and those that come from other vendors, which are often made in industrial bakeries.
“Here, we wanted to introduce the real thing, show the real thing when it’s made from scratch, by hand,” Isabelle says.
While Mamie Colette and L’Annexe de Mamie Colette both rotate some of the flavors of their sweet and savory fillings, Isabelle says that the menu is generally fixed — as is the tradition in Brittany.
“In France, you go to a bakery, there’s never anything different on the menu,” she says. “You could go back one year or 10 years later, there’s the same things on the menu.”
In addition to the pastries and breads, L’Annexe also has a variety of coffee, tea and French juices for sale. Isabelle says some customers make regular stops in just for the coffee on their way to work. Though surely, there are days when they can’t quite resist getting a brioche or a crêpe to go as well.
bakery. Le Cordon Bleu, the legendary Paris-based culinary school, describes viennoiserie as “the bridge between patisserie and French bread.”
They financed the new business themselves, and named the bakery after Magali’s grandmother, Colette, a native of Guadaloupe who moved to Chartres with her six children in search of a better life. Magali says it was Colette who introduced her to
Mamie Colette pastries are made in house, from scratch daily. Isabelle says they are committed to using ingredients that are preservative and chemical free.
L’Annexe de Mamie Colette, 1462 River Road, Titusville NJ. Phone: (609) 303-7595. Hours: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. Closed Mondays.
Web: mamiecolettebakery.com.
Saturday, September 28th 12-6pm
Mercer County Park Festival Grounds - West Windsor, NJ
Over 100 Samples of Beer, Wine, Spirits Live Music • Food Trucks
Purchase your tickets at CJBEERFEST.com in June for the Biggest Savings! Use code: CNS2024
By Joe Emanski
Gretalia Hospitality Group has been busy lately, and especially busy in Hopewell Valley, where it is set to open no fewer than three restaurants in 2024. Two are already open: Union Boil Co. and Aperitivo, both located in the former TJ’s Trattoria space in Pennington Square (aka the shopping center with Pennington Quality Market).
Union Boil Co. — the brain wants the word “Seafood” between Boil and Co. — is a game attempt to jumpstart Mercer County’s nearly dead seafood scene. Union Boil Co.’s New England-style “Union Boil” is said to serve eight at a cost of just $250. It includes jumbo shrimp, crab legs and crawfish alongside the corn, potatoes and Andouille sausage.
A “Lil Boil,” intended for two or three people, costs $80. Aside from the boils, Union Boil Co is a pretty standard seafood restaurant, featuring fresh fish at market rate prices, crab cakes, oysters, clam chowder and more. Web: unionboil.com.
Aperitivo’s menu has an “coastal Italian tapas” vibe, featuring a variety of Mediterranean apps alongside crostones, bruschetta, “Venetian Tea Sandwiches,” stuffed panini, meat and cheese plates and salads, as well as two entrees: mixed meats with polenta,
and poached cod in a white wine sauce. The restaurants share a liquor license. Web: getforky.com/aperitivobar. Both restaurants are located at 25 Route 31 in Pennington (actually Hopewell Township).
Not yet open nor directly linked on the Gretalia website is Nimbu Indian Street Food, whose signs are already up at its future location on Tree Farm Road, near another Gretalia restaurant, Osteria Procaccini. Nimbu means lemon in Hindi. Future location 7 Tree Farm Road, Pennington. Web placeholder: getforky.com/ nimbu.
Gretalia — which owns and/or operates the growing array of PJ’s Pancake Houses in the area, as well Osteria Procaccini and several other, newer brands like Tavola Rustica in Lambertville and Lyberry Coffee Co. in Cranbury, is not the only chain-style restaurant with eyes on Hopewell Valley in general or Pennington Square in particular.
Bubbakoo’s Burritos, a Point Pleasantbased fast-casual chain started in 2008, has also opened a new location at 25 Route 31. Anyone familiar with Chipotle will be able to walk up and order something at Bubbakoo’s, although Bubbakoo’s leans a bit more americano with wrinkles such as buffalo, BBQ and Nashville hot-style burritos in addition to curly fries and wings. Web: bubbakoos.com.
Since 1971, the CENTURY 21 brand has been recognized as the most respected and recognized name in the real estate industry. The CENTURY 21 System is now comprised of approximately 14,000 independently owned and operated franchised broker offices and 146,000 agents in 84 countries and territories worldwide. Also, their commercial real estate division, CENTURY 21 Commercial® has a vast expansive network throughout North America that covers over 1000 commercial real estate offices.
CENTURY 21 Abrams and Associates has been a top producing agency in the CENTURY 21 System for over 3 decades serving the Mercer County area. They have two convenient locations to serve client’s real estate needs: 3228 Route 27, Suite 1A, Kendall Park, NJ 08824 (609-750-7300) and the recently opened commercial division located at 2104 Goldfinch Blvd., Princeton, NJ 08540 (609-683-5000 x 304)
CENTURY 21 Commercial® Abrams & Associates real estate services now include: Acquisition & Disposition, Landlord &
Tenant Representation, Property Management, and Valuation & Advisory. They specialize in commercial properties that include Industrial/ Warehouse/Flex, MixedUse, Retail, Office/ Medical Office, Multi-Family, and Commercial Land.
CENTURY 21 Commercial® Abrams & Associates offers a complementary commercial property evaluation and discounted short-term commercial listing agreements with proven results.
Contact information for Century 21 Abrams & Associates: Richard Abrams, Broker/Owner (609-7315638), Robert Warney, Vice President, Advanced Commercial Specialist, REALTOR® (609-222-1304), Rohan Shende, REALTOR® (609-865-8675).
See ad, page 8.
12th Annual 12th Annual
June 8, 11 am - 7 pm
June 8, 11 am - 7 pm
1:00 pM Coro d’italia, italian Folk music
2:45 pm Mariachi Garibaldi de New Jersey
4:30 PM The Broken Shillelaghs, IRISH
6:15 pm Jose Tabares Salsa All Stars, PUERTO RICAN
12:00 Pm Janosik Polish Dancers
12:20 pm trenton greek terpsichorianS
12:40 pm Nai-Ni-Chen Chinese Dragon & Drums
1:45 pm Let’s Dance Academy Bollywood Dances of India
▪ AMANDA’S LATIN CUISINE
▪ Buzzetta’s festival Foods
▪ carvel ICE CREAM
▪ CHA-YEN
▪ CHEF J’S LATIN DRAGON
▪ Coastal Flavors
▪ DANI’s Burgers
▪ DAN’s WAFFLES
▪ DIVINE HEAVENLY FOOD
HARRY‘s LIL KITCHEN
▪ HOT DIGGY DOGS
▪ JERKIN CHICKEN
2:00 pm Zawadi African Drums & Dance
3:45 pm Ricordando Mi Tierra Folkloric dance of Costa Rica
4:10 pm Ayazamana Cultural Center
5:20 pm Hea Sun Jung Traditional Arts Academy – Korean Fan Dance, Sword Dance, and Jindo (small drum) dance
▪ JERSEY PICKLES
▪ K.K. Sweets
▪ LOCAL HARVEST PIZZA
▪ LOS MUNCHIES
▪ Ma & Pa Tex-Mex BBQ
▪ MARIA’S AUTHENTIC FOOD
▪ MAUI LU HAWAIIAN BBQ
▪ MERAKI CAFE
▪ MULTICULTURAL AFRICAN CONNECTION
▪ one sweet place
▪ PAD THAI CUISINE
▪ ROLLING KUSINA
▪ SHABAZZ FISH & CHIPS
SNG BURGERS & DOGS
▪ SOUL BRUTHAS
▪ SOUVLA KING-GYROS
▪ THE LITTLE SicilLian
▪ THE SPIRIT OF SAN JUAN
▪ THE SWEET STOP
Coming to Mercer County Park June 28 to July 7
Carnivals and state fairs are beloved summer traditions. There’s no better place for the whole family to enjoy rides, food, music and fun than at 2024 L.E.A.D. FEST events. Bigger and better than ever, this year’s events include carnivals and a 10-day State Fair taking place from June 28 to July 7 at Mercer County Park Fairgrounds, 1638 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor Township.
Presented by L.E.A.D. (Law Enforcement Against Drugs and Violence), L.E.A.D. FEST events benefit the organization’s programs and related initiatives. L.E.A.D. provides the leadership, resources, and management to ensure law enforcement agencies have the means to partner with educators, community leaders, and families. The Allentown-based national nonprofit’s programs help to provide youth and adults strategies for avoiding drug use, drug-related crimes, bullying, and violence. L.E.A.D. is committed to reinforcing the mutual respect, goodwill, and relations between law enforcement agencies and their communities.
“The L.E.A.D. State Fair saw its biggest year ever in 2023 with more than 30,000 attendees. We hope to hit a new milestone in 2024,” said Nick DeMauro, L.E.A.D. executive director. “Funds raised
at our carnivals and the State Fair are important to L.E.A.D.’s mission, allowing us to make our programs more accessible to a greater number of youngsters in the communities we serve. We are excited to bring more amazing events to New Jersey this year. Our goal is to create familyfriendly, community-based events that are fun for everyone while at the same time promoting anti-drug and anti-violence activities in the state.”
The jam-packed State Fair promises something for everyone including free nightly musical entertainment as well as a Business and Craft Vendor Tent on the weekends. Favorite fan attractions include Robinson’s Racing Pigs, the always-popular pie eating contest, Cowtown U.S.A., and an all-day exhibit that contains an old-time creamery where patrons participate in preparing a cow for milking by hand.
The State Fair’s midway provider, Reithoffer Shows, will ensure there’s plenty of delicious food, carnival games and prizes, and rides for children and adults alike — from a first-class Kiddie Land to superspectacular thrill rides and everything in between.
Gate admission is $7 on weekdays and $8 on weekends. General admission, ride tickets, and Mega Passes are on sale now at theleadfest.com. Purchase tickets early for special presale discounts!
Additional L.E.A.D. FEST carnivals bring the fun to different locations throughout the Garden State this
summer. General admission, ride tickets, and Mega Passes for all carnivals can be purchased in advance online at theleadfest.com.
Westfield Garden State Plaza (One Garden State Plaza, Paramus) from May 23-27; May 29-June 2; and June 5-9. Hours are Wednesday through Friday from 5 to 11 p.m.; Saturday, Sunday and Memorial Day from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. Midway will be provided by Reithoffer Shows. “Once again, our Paramus event starts on Memorial Day weekend,” DeMauro said. “Attending the carnival that weekend is a great way to have fun and usher in the start of the summer season.”
Voorhees Town Center (180 Route 35, Eatontown) from June 14-23. Hours are Monday through Friday from 5 to 11 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 3 to 11 p.m. Midway
provided by Reithoffer Shows. Howell Township (5361 US Route 9, Howell) from June 27-July 7. Hours are Monday through Friday from 5 to 11 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 3 to 11 p.m. Midway provided by Reithoffer Shows.
Mercer County Park from June 28 to July 7. Hours are Monday to Friday from 5 to close and Saturday, Sunday and Holiday from 3 p.m. to close. Midway provided by Reithoffer Shows.
For more information and tickets, visit theleadfest.com. Check the website for attendance policies. Hours subject to change due to weather or safety situations. For more information about L.E.A.D., visit leadrugs.org or email info@leadrugs. org.
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was meant to be.”
WW-P North needed every half-point for the historic win. The Knights amassed 24 points to edge defending champion Princeton High’s 23.5 points.
High School South, which had won eight straight crowns before last year, was third with 23 points, and even fourthplace Pennington School picked up 22 points. North didn’t beat Princeton or South in head-to-head matchups in the regular season, but they edged them when it mattered most.
“The odds for the most part were against us,” said first-year coach Taylor Mastropasqua, who took over for Albert Paulsson, the only coach the program had ever had. “New coach, new group, South and Princeton were really strong teams that we knew we had to go up against, it was really special and the boys were so happy. It was awesome to see them do it because they really did come together that tournament.”
North’s depth made the difference. The Knights advanced all five flights to the second day of the tournament’s semifinals, but ultimately won only one flight. Still, they picked up major points with every flight making the semifinals to set up the final day’s action.
“We were really confident, but at the same time, we’re also kind of anxious because we had a lot of significantly tougher opponents than we did the first two rounds,” Venkatesan said. “So we played with caution.”
Charlie Xiang at first singles and Lukas Karapelou at second singles reached the semifinals before losing. Saikrishna Siddesh reached the third-singles final before taking second place behind the top seed.
Both doubles teams also reached their
finals, with the first-doubles tandem of Sunkavelli and Shiva Tripurana falling in three sets and Venkatesan and Ravin Lalla rallying for a three-set win at second doubles.
“If we didn’t win that match, then there’s definitely a really good chance that we wouldn’t have won because we only ended up winning by a half point,” Venkatesan said. “It was really nice, but it’s also kind of stressful at the same time.”
Hugely important to the win was the Knights bettering their seeds. Both third singles and second doubles were fourth seeds that reached their respective finals. Those advancements picked up unexpected points toward the team title.
“It’s not being scared of a number that was next to someone’s name,” Sunkavelli said. “We just played our game and that’s how we got it done all throughout the season.
“We don’t really care about who we’re playing, because it doesn’t matter,” he added. “As soon as you’re on that court, it’s not like anything’s going to change the result apart from your play. So that’s really all we focused on. We didn’t focus on this seeding.”
Mastropasqua tried to keep her team even keel through the emotions of the tournament. She didn’t want them thinking too much about the points and the importance of each match, though they knew each was crucial.
“For the most part all season the main message was just simple tennis or textbook tennis was our quote,” she said. “And I would always just say all in, everything you’ve got, all heart. And if you put it out there, whatever happens, happens. And every time they played simple, they played well.”
The mindset of the Knights was impor-
tant to their win. They won 13 of their first 17 matches this season, and for two days in the midst of the year no one was better.
“We haven’t been the most healthy, but counties was when everyone was healthy and everyone was focused,” Sunkavelli said. “I think just that stretch that week everyone was at their peak physically and mentally, and we went in with a different type of attitude that we are still trying to replicate, especially going into states. But we set the blueprint at counties. We know exactly what we have to do to win.”
The Knights came into the season confident it could be a special year. North returned everyone from their top seven, though this year the lineup was shuffled differently from a year ago. Players like Sunkavelli and Venkatesan have learned to adapt through their careers.
Sunkavelli has played doubles for all four years of his high school career. He played JV as a freshman, something that he wasn’t happy about, but it gave him a baseline of experience when he jumped into the varsity lineup as a sophomore. He has played with a different doubles partner each year.
“Just playing with all these different people taught me how to adapt,” said Sunkavelli. “On the court obviously everyone has a different play style. Everyone likes a certain shot more than another. I think part of what makes me so versatile and makes me so good on the court is my ability to really work with anyone and adjust whether that be my partner or even to the opponent, which is obviously more important. And honestly, building chemistry takes time, but I’m very patient with that type of stuff.”
Venkatesan has also had to adapt each year. He has gone from playing second doubles as a freshman to first doubles as a sophomore, then into the singles lineup
last year. That made moving back to doubles this year a bit more challenging.
“Actually I kind of forgot how to play doubles in a way,” Venkatesan said. “I had had a whole season of singles.” Venkatesan took some time to readjust to having more space to hit to. He and Lalla found their chemistry and hit their stride as they got to counties.
“It was kind of rough starting, but then as the season went on we got a lot better together,” Venkatesan said. “We figured out exactly how to play together, like what signs to make when each of us are hitting our shot and when to move, where to move. So communication is really key. And I feel like we kind of we really improved that as the season went on, like in every set.”
Having both Venkatesan and Sunkavelli in the doubles lineup was a boost. See TENNIS, Page 10
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TENNIS continued from Page 9
Their experience was a plus for their partners and the team. And they helped bring leadership from the team for their firstyear coach.
“Jayant and Prithvi are both really key guys,” Mastropasqua said. “Prithvi is our captain and he just always has that positivity. He’s always the guy that’s giving us our speech before our matches and he really helped the freshman too, just encouraging them. He’s patient with them, so having him as that positive guy to play on our team really helped.
“And then Jayant, he’s just like the know-it-all guy. He has all the knowledge, he gives us all the points and feedback and he’s our go-to for where we’re at. So he knew exactly where we were for points. Having those two leading us was really beneficial and I think they really led by example on the court and off the court.”
The two will be heading to college next year, both focusing on their computer science studies. Venkatesan is going to Purdue, and Sunkavelli is off to Rutgers. Both expect they will continue to play tennis at a club level, though they also have other interests. Sunkavelli also plays a lot of basketball.
“Me and my friends have our own AAU team right now,” he said. “Part of that is
learning how to be a team player it just directly correlates with me being a leader on the court for the tennis team.”
Sunkavelli enjoys outdoor activities and is picking up pickleball to play with his friends. Venkatesan is looking forward to some new interests at Purdue.
“I’ll actually think about joining their dance team,” he said. “And then just being involved and other events that go on, like going to sports games, all that type of stuff, and being involved with the regular life of Purdue. I was definitely thinking about exploring a lot of new things out there that I can’t do in high school.”
The two did finish their final high school season with something new in recent WW-P North history. And this year’s county win came in the final MCT as currently constructed. There are plans to retool it next year.
“Everyone knows their job and everyone knows their role,” Sunkavelli said. “And because everyone is comfortable in their position, everyone’s able to thrive at their position and the depth of this team is definitely something special.”
Said Venkatesan: “We went 15 years without winning, so we kind of realized that at some point in time we have to bring our name back up in the books. It means a lot to win the last Mercer County Tournament.”
Drive around certain parts of West Windsor and Plainsboro and you may be tempted to think our towns are only a few decades old.
Thousands of vinyl-sided single and multi-family homes, built over the past few decades, dot much of the landscape, like stalks of corn growing out of a farm field. Some of them abut commercial zones largely centered around larger interstate transportation corridors. However, interspersed among this somewhat modern landscape are swaths of centuriesold farmland, some of which is tended to by families with equally-old roots.
This agrarian culture is still preserved fervently by many locals and is the focus of “Farm Day at the Museum”—the first joint event ever organized between West Windsor’s and Plainsboro’s history museums. This family-friendly festival will take place at the historic Schenck Farmstead (50 Southfield Rd., just a minute away from Grover Middle School—look for the big red barn) on Sunday, June 2, from 1-4 p.m. Register in advance at: tinyurl.com/farmday24
Farm Day will feature multiple attractions for kids and adults and bring to life one of WW-P’s primary historical themes: agriculture. Tour several centuries-old historic buildings, including the 1700s-era Schenck Farmhouse and the unique Dutch-English Barn, 1800sera Parsonage Schoolhouse, early-1900s Wagon House, and more, surrounded by cultivated farmland. Each building houses 1,000s of artifacts from centuries past and are decorated according to how they were historically used.
Enjoy a petting zoo at the farmhouse, featuring baby chicks, goats, lambs, rabbits and more. Down at the old schoolhouse, children can make crafts and learn how students were taught in days gone by. You can also grab a copy of the West Windsor history book and learn how to volunteer for both of our museums—we accept youth and adult volunteers alike (and offer credit hours for students).
Farming in the WW-P area started thousands of years ago with the area’s first inhabitants: an indigenous society called the “Leni Lenape.” As with any other civilization, the Lenape required a predictable food source (especially during long winter months) to supplement wildgrown plants and animals. They stripped trees of bark to make them die and clear the land, and then used stone tools to
till the soil. They cultivated the “Three Sisters” of agriculture: squash, beans, and corn. The Lenape also used raised beds of soil to germinate seeds. Weeding was practiced ensuring crop health and fire helped clear forests and flush out prey. However, this changed with European settlement, starting locally in the late 1600s and accelerating in the mid-1700s. These colonial pioneers were, for the most part, farmers and crafts people. They cleared thousands of acres of forest, transforming them into immense tracts of farmland, stretching as far as the eye could see. These fields were dotted by stone and timber-framed houses, barns, mills, and more.
After this point, the WW-P area’s massfarming identity was dominant. Families cultivated fields of grains, expanses of fruit orchards, and more. Many crops were further transformed into end products such as flour, syrup, cider and whiskey, often with the help of local mills. Herds of livestock roamed the landscape in later years, with some larger farms boasting thousands of turkeys, hundreds of cows, and a variety of other animals— sheep, goats, chickens and more. Regrettably, this agrarian identity also incentivized the use of slavery, up until the mid-1800s.
Although the nature of farming evolved over time—with the advent of new technologies, cultivation practices, and changing markets—agriculture nevertheless remained the WW-P area’s primary identity for generations. Life on the farm was the only reality that thousands of residents knew for their entire lives, and a peek outside one’s window would reveal an endless horizon of crops, intercut only by creeks and groves of trees.
Instead of the sound of cars zooming by on paved roads, residents typically heard the cluck of chickens, the rustling of wind through the trees, or the hoot of an owl at night. This landscape only really began to change after World War II, when tens of millions of people across the nation, incentivized by cheap housing, mass-automobile infrastructure, and notions of the nuclear family moved to the countryside, much of which was replaced by vistas of single-family homes with manicured grass lawns and commercial centers of strip malls, hotels, and more. But still—through the hard work of local advocates (including municipal initiatives and the nonprofit Friends of West Windsor Open Space), some of this farmland was preserved in both townships. So, too, were two particularly noteworthy historic sites saved. In
Plainsboro, the historic 1800s-era Wicoff House—home to, among others, town founder and first Mayor J. V. B. Wicoff, after whom the nearby school is named— was turned into that town’s history museum in 1995. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places and hosts many popular community events each year.
Meanwhile, the Schenck Farmstead in West Windsor—originally established in the mid-1700s—once boasted over 800 acres of farmland. It was named after the Schenck Family, who settled the general area in the 1700s and bought this specific farm in 1899. After generations of use, the property was donated to the Township and opened as the West Windsor History Museum in 2002. It features a 1700s-era farmhouse and barn, 1910s-era wagon house, 1800s-era schoolhouse, and roughly two dozen acres of farmland that’s still cultivated to this day. It is managed by the all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit Historical Society of West Windsor, in collaboration with West Windsor Township. Visit the West Windsor History Museum (50 Southfield Road) on June 2 from 1-4PM to experience Farm Day. Learn about indigenous
influence, agricultural dominance and its implications, and the history of WW-P in general. Your kids will enjoy crafts and animals while you explore several centuries-old buildings filled with thousands of artifacts. All taking place at one of WW-P’s very oldest and most historic properties, and for free to the public for our the first-ever joint community event between Plainsboro’s historic Wicoff House and West Windsor History Museum. Register in advance at: tinyurl.com/farmday24. We’ll see you there!
Historical Society of West Windsor and Wicoff House Museum: Both the West Windsor History Museum and the Wicoff House Museum were established to preserve local history for the benefit of the public. We always invite volunteers to join our organizations and can give credit hours for students. Visit westwindsorhistory.com and wicoffhouseplainsboro.com to learn more about us. Also find us on social media and around WW-P in general during our many events each year!
Paul Ligeti is the head archivist of the Historical Society of West Windsor.
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