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The shows will go on For local musicians, the past year has been a mix of missed and new opportunities By Joe EMansKi

Darla (left) and Butch are among the dogs that are available for adoption at the EASEL Animal Rescue League in Ewing right now.

EASEL saw record number of pet adoptions in 2020 By Joe EMansKi

The year 2020 will be remembered for a lot of things. At the EASEL Animal Rescue League, it will be remembered as the year more people rescued dogs and cats than any year before. EASEL is the nonprofit, no-kill shelter for dogs and cats based at the municipal complex in Ewing Township. Mark Phillips, EASEL’s director of operations, says that while dog adoption numbers have been on the rise for several years, 2020 saw the biggest jump yet.

The standard at EASEL used to be 75 to 95 dogs adopted per year. That number was up to around 250 in 2018 and 2019, and rose to more than 300 this year. For cats, 600 adoptions were typical in a given year before jumping to about 800 in 2019. In 2020, EASEL had already surpassed 1,000 adoptions by November. Phillips says the increase in applicants is not due to people making impulsive decisions to adopt a pet during a pandemic. Rather, it has been a result of the pandemic rearranging

people’s lives in a way that made pet adoption more practical now. “It was families that had thought about [adopting] for a while, and now was a really good time to do it, with everybody being home,” he says. “Particularly with dogs, we saw that families that previously were too busy to train dogs suddenly had lots of availability.” The shelter has seen similar trends with cats. “You had people who were stuck at home, they had one cat, they had been thinking about getSee EASEL, Page 6

Carnegie Hall. Many musicians dream of performing live and in concert in New York’s famed, 130-year-old concert venue. Alex Otey was all set to do it last April. Otey — a singer, songwriter, pianist and composer — was on a good run. On Feb. 27, he accompanied Grammy Award-winning Hawaiian folk singer Kalana Pe’a in the Appel Room at Lincoln Center. As April approached, he and other members of a group called the Indie Collaborative were scheduled to give an Earth Day concert in Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall. Then, on March 11, New York City shut its collective doors. All live performances were off because of the coronavirus pandemic. At the time, Carnegie Hall rescheduled the Indie Collaborative concert for April of this year. But Otey says he recently learned that the concert has been pushed back to 2022. The reason: too many mouths to feed. When the concert was initially canceled, Carnegie Hall’s schedulers would have been hoping they would be shut down for weeks or months at most. By the time concert venues in New York,

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New Jersey and many other parts of the country are fully open again, a year or more will have been lost. A year in which thousands and thousands of live performances were canceled or postponed. “Once things open up again, it’s going to be like floodgates,” says Otey, who lives in Ewing. “People who haven’t been able to earn money are going to have to get back into the queues to get into the venues. From a musician’s perspective, it’s probably going to be frustrating finding places to perform.” The past year has been challenging for music venues, which have been unable to host live indoor events at anything resembling full capacity. And it has been difficult for the musicians who used to play those live events. Both groups hope that with Covid19 vaccines now approved for distribution, things will be different soon. But even once things return to some semblance of normal, there will still be challenges to overcome, and one of them will be finding ways to get gigs again when just about every musician out there has been equally starved for opportunities. When the weather was warm, musicians were able to eke out a buck here or there working outdoor gigs. Now that winter — and a new wave of coronavirus — is upon us, some musicians worry that opportunities may be few and far between until spring. If there is good news, it’s that both musicians and venSee MUSIC, Page 8

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Mercer County Curbside Recycling Information All recyclables must be in official buckets and at the curb by 7:00 a.m. • NO ITEMS IN PLASTIC BAGS WILL BE COLLECTED

2021 MERCER COUNTY Curbside Recycling Schedule MONDAY Lawrence

TUESDAY Ewing

Princeton

July 12, 26 Aug. 9, 23 Sep. 11, 20 Oct. 4, 18 Nov. 1, 15, 29 Dec. 13, 27

Jan. 11, 25 Feb. 8, 22 Mar. 8, 22 Apr. 5, 19 May 3, 17 June 5,14, 28

Jan. 4, 18 Feb. 1, 15 Mar. 1, 15, 29 Apr. 12, 26 May 10, 24 June 7, 21

WEDNESDAY

July 5, 19 Aug. 2, 16, 30 Sep. 13, 27 Oct. 11, 25 Nov. 8, 22 Dec. 6, 20

Entire City of Trenton July 7, 21 Jan. 6, 20 Aug. 4, 18 Feb. 3, 17 Mar. 3, 17, 31 Sep. 1, 15, 29 Apr. 14, 28 Oct. 13, 27 May 12, 26 Nov. 10, 24 Dec. 8, 22 June 9, 23

Hamilton Zones 1 and 4 Jan. 13, 27 July 14, 28 Feb. 10, 24 Aug. 11, 25 Mar. 10, 24 Sep. 8, 22 Apr. 7, 21 Oct. 6, 20 May 5, 19 Nov. 3, 17 June 2, 16, 30 Dec. 1, 15, 29

FRIDAY

HOLIDAY COLLECTIONS

Hamilton Zone 3

Jan. 2,15, 29 Feb. 12, 26 Mar. 12, 26 Apr. 9, 23 May 7, 21 June 4, 18

If collection day falls on a holiday (Christmas, New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day and Thanksgiving) collection will be the following SATURDAY.

July 2, 16, 30 Aug. 13, 27 Sep. 10, 24 Oct. 8, 22 Nov.5, 19 Dec. 3, 17, 31

Hopewell Township Hopewell Boro and Pennington

Jan. 12, 26 Feb. 9, 23 Mar. 9, 23 Apr. 6, 20 May 4, 18 June 1, 15, 29

July 13, 27 Aug. 10, 24 Sep. 7, 21 Oct. 5, 19 Nov. 2, 16, 30 Dec. 14, 28

THURSDAY

Hamilton Zone 2

Jan. 14, 28 Feb. 11, 25 Mar. 11, 25 Apr. 8, 22 May 6, 20 June 3, 17

July 1, 15, 29 Aug. 12, 26 Sep. 9, 23 Oct. 7, 21 Nov.4, 18 Dec. 2, 16, 30

July 6, 20 Aug. 3, 17, 31 Sep. 14, 28 Oct. 12, 26 Nov. 9, 23 Dec. 7, 21

Jan. 5, 19 Feb. 2, 16 Mar. 2, 16, 30 Apr. 13, 27 May 11, 25 June 8, 22 West Windsor

Jan. 7, 21 Feb. 4, 18 Mar. 4, 18 Apr. 1, 15, 29 May 13, 27 June 10, 24

SPECIAL RECYCLING EVENTS Household Hazardous Waste Collection and Electronics Recycling Events Dempster Fire School (350 Lawrence Station Road) March 27, June 05 and September 11 / 8AM - 2PM

July 8, 22 Aug. 5, 19 Sep. 2, 16, 30 Oct. 14, 28 Nov. 11, 27 Dec. 9, 23 OPEN TO ALL MERCER COUNTY RESIDENTS!

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Remembering Mark Nebbia ings. I hit the ball short and straight, and Mark hit it long and crooked. Not JOE EMANSKI a great combo, to be honest, but we FrOM THE EdITOr always had fun. Scrambles will not be the same without him. Mark was born in Hamilton, New Like most of my colleagues, I have been working from home most of the Jersey on May 31, 1961 to the late Leo time this year. On those rare days and Helen Nebbia. He has been a lifewhen I have gone into the office, I long resident of the area. He is a graduate of Steinert High have always been able to count on School and the College seeing Mark Nebbia, of New Jersey. A veteran our account executive in ad sales, he was a wellfor Ewing, Lawrence and loved member of the Trenton. Community News SerIn normal times Mark vice community. spent much of the workMark’s favorite thing day outside the office to do was being with his on sales calls, like any daughters. He enjoyed good account exec. The playing golf, watching pandemic has changed Yankee baseball, going everything, of course, to the movies, listening but Mark soldiered on, to comedy shows and doing whatever he could reading about military from his desk to help our history. He was a memadvertisers reach their Mark Nebbia ber of the Church of St. customers. The office is always quiet nowadays, Ann in Lawrence. He is survived by his wife Margueand mostly empty. But that emptiness is more profound than ever now that ritte Korenz Nebbia, his daughters we have lost Mark, who died on Nov. Leah-Michelle and Eva Nebbia, his brother Leo, sister-in-law Margarita, 28 at the age of 59. From the day he started at Commu- brother and sister-in-law Tom and nity News, Mark felt like an old friend. Ria Korenz, his nephew Matthew and That was a quality that served him nieces Lauren, Amanda and Rachel. well in a career spent in sales. As the office’s only two avid golf- Contact JOE EMANSKI: jemanski@comers, Mark and I were always drafted munitynews.org, (609) 396-1511, ext. 120. into foursomes for corporate golf out- facebook.com/EwingObserver.

Observer bserver Ewing

we are a newsroom of your neighbors. The Observer is for local people, by local people. 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. As part of the community, the Ewing Observer does more than just report the news—it connects businesses with their customers, organizations with their members and neighbors with one another. EDITOR Joe Emanski (Ext. 120) CONTRIBUTING WRITER Matthew Guear CONTRIBUTING COLUMNISTS Ilene Black, Helen Kull ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Mark Nebbia (1961-2020) AD LAYOUT AND PRODUCTION Stephanie Jeronis

CO-PUBLISHER Tom Valeri

MANAGING EDITOR, COMMUNITY DIVISION Rob Anthes MANAGING EDITOR, METRO DIVISION Sara Hastings

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Thomas Fritts PRODUCTION MANAGER Stacey Micallef DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL INITIATIVES Joe Emanski

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Trenton Water Works, the public water system owned by the capital city that serves nearly a quarter-million consumers in five municipalities in Mercer County, sought approval from the city council on Dec. 22 to accept $15 million in funding from the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (I-Bank). The funding will be used for Phase 3 of its six-year Lead Service Line Replacement Program. If approved, Phase 3 of the LSLRP will remove 1,850 more lead services (short for lead service lines) from TWW’s 683-mile water distribution system and private homes in its service area, except for Hopewell Township, which has newer infrastructure. Fifty percent of the funding, or $7.5 million, is a grant from I-Bank, an independent state financing authority that issues revenue bonds to make loans to finance the construction of eligible environmental and transportation infrastructure projects. In the $25-million Phase 1 of the LSLRP, TWW personnel and two vendors operating under publicly awarded contracts with TWW—South State, Inc. and Spiniello Companies— have removed 2,620 lead services in Hamilton Township and Trenton. Phase 1 is on track to remove a total of 3,850 lead services by April 2021. The $25 million Phase 2, which begins in April 2021, will remove 3,500 lead services by March 2022. Phase 3 is scheduled to start in June 2021, with plans to remove 1,850 lead services by May 2022. Also, TWW will utilize personnel from its construction and maintenance operations to remove 900 lead services, bringing the combined total number of lead services removed from TWW’s waterdistribution system to 10,000. The LSLRP is part of TWW’s six-year, $405-million capital plan announced in 2020. “When I took office in July 2018, I pledged to apply the leadership and resources necessary to modernize Trenton Water Works, which has nearly 63,000 customers, and to prioritize this policy goal,” said Mayor W. Reed Gusciora in a media release. “TWW has made substantial progress in regulatory and administrative consent order compliance, developing and executing a $405-million capital plan, implementing corrosion control, removing lead services in the TWW system and at private homes, improving customer service, and strengthening its workforce. “Much work remains, particularly addressing lead, and we are determined to remove all lead services from the TWW system within five-tosix years.” According to TWW’s inventory,

there are 17,463 lead services in Trenton, 11,618 in Hamilton Township, 5,236 in Ewing Township, and 2,383 in Lawrence Township. Hopewell Township has no lead services because its infrastructure is newer. TWW regularly revises its overall inventory as it assesses pipe materials at private homes, using internal survey teams, LSLRP contractors, and information from homeowners. Service-line pipe material made of galvanized steel is considered a lead service. Homeowners who have verified that their pipe material is galvanized steel can still sign up for a future phase of the LSLRP at twwleadprogram.com. Residents can also refer their questions about the program to a hotline (609-989-3600) and will receive a return call from the TWW communityrelations team. The Ewing Observer went to press the afternoon of Dec. 22, too late to report on the outcome of the vote. For updates, visit our website, communitynews.org.

PEAC Health and Fitness closes after 24 years PEAC Health & Fitness permanently closed its doors at on Nov. 29, 2020 after 24 years in business. The facility on Lower Ferry Road in Ewing featured a wide variety of fitness equipment for members’ use as well as extensive facilities for fitness classes and organized sports. Owner Michael Briehler sent a letter to members on Nov. 11 explaining the decision to close. “Unfortunately, like many other fitness centers and businesses, PEAC has been greatly affected by the extended New Jersey mandatory closure and further impacted by the imposed regulations for our reopening. These state regulations have restricted us from offering a majority of our services, programs, events and amenities making it impossible for us to operate adequately and successfully,” reads the letter. While Gov. Phil Murphy’s executive orders have allowed gyms and fitness centers to remain open during the pandemic, the orders have restricted occupancy to 25% and instituted other mandatory policies, including mask wearing and social distancing. Starting Dec. 5, organized indoor sports were prohibited due to the ongoing surge of Covid-19 cases in the state. Interestingly, the letter also acknowledges that at least some PEAC members have expressed that they may not feel comfortable even once gyms are able to be open with fewer restrictions. “Due to the current circumstances

An exercise class at PEAC Health and Fitness, which closed permanently in November, citing difficulties arising because of the Covid-19 pandemic. (Facebook photo.)

we understand and appreciate members’ apprehension in returning to PEAC,” the letter reads. “As a result we had to make this difficult and very emotional decision.” PEAC pledged that members would have no further account deductions made or payments collected after Nov. 29. Members who were entitled to refunds for prepaid training, massage therapy, court time, field rentals, programs, or paid membership fees extending past Dec. 1 can apply online for refunds at peachealthfitness.com. The fitness center held a liquidation auction in mid-December to unload its fitness equipment. PEAC has continued to maintain its Facebook page (facebook.com/ PEACHealthFitness) with updates including alternative facilities members can patrnoize in the area, including Schafer Sports Center in Ewing.

County buys Hopewell Valley Country Club

The County of Mercer and the Mercer County Park Commission have completed the acquisition of the Hopewell Valley Golf Club. This 186acre, 18-hole course includes a clubhouse, ballroom and pro shop along with additional offerings and amenities that will be a first for the park commission. Hopewell Valley Golf Club, located on 114 Hopewell-Pennington Road in Hopewell, will become the fifth golf course to be operated by the Mercer County Park Commission. The others are Mountain View Golf Club in Ewing, Princeton Country Club in West Windsor, and Mercer Oaks East and West courses, located together in Mercer County Park. The formerly private golf club opened in 1927 with a course designed by Thomas Winton. The clubhouse features a patio overlooking the 18th green, indoor dining and a full-service bar, which will be open to the public once the facility is operational. “This latest acquisition furthers our commitment to protect Mercer

County open space, and successes on this scale are the result of years of behind-the-scenes collaborative efforts of our planning department, led by director Leslie Floyd, and the Mercer County Park Commission, led by executive director Aaron T. Watson,” said Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes in a media release. Visitors will also have the option to play tennis at the facility with the addition of three Har-Tru outdoor tennis courts and three platform tennis courts. In a first for the park commission, the club also has a pool, which the county says will be open in the summer months. “The addition of a pool gives us the opportunity to provide something new and exciting in the county, and opens the door to new programs and events at this location,” Watson said in the release. Hopewell Valley Golf Club, located on Pennington-Hopewell Road, is currently closed to the public. Over the winter months the property will remain closed as employees and contractors begin work on the buildings, greens and courts. The park commission anticipates opening the facility in spring 2021 for golf, food and beverage. Tennis courts and the pool will be open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Currently, most, but not all, county parks and facilities are open in accordance with Gov. Phil Murphy’s executive order.

Literacy NJ to offer virtual tutor training

Literacy New Jersey’s Mercer chapter is looking for volunteers tutors to help adults improve their English literacy skills. Tutors work one-to-one or in small groups to teach adults who are learning to speak, read and write English. The next tutor training workshop will take place via Zoom in six Wednesday sessions, Jan. 13 through Feb. 10, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Participants are expected to attend all training sessions and complete some independent online assignments. Previous teaching experience not necessary. Training is designed to provide tutors with all the skills and support necessary to be an effective tutor. After the training, volunteers will be ready to start meeting with students online once a week. To register, call (609) 587-6027 or email mercer@literacynj.org.

Ewing senior citizen supervisor Spann leaves Ewing Township senior citizen supervisor Jeanette Spann announced on Dec. 3 that she will be leaving the employ of the township after 25 years of service. Spann’s tenure ended on Dec. 16. Raquel Ince is director of Hollowbrook Community Center, which is currently closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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EASEL continued from Page 1 ting a second cat, and now was a good time to do it,” he says. The coronavirus pandemic made a huge impact on most businesses, and EASEL was no exception. EASEL has a staff of just 10, and many of those work part time. So it depends on its very active base of volunteers to help out with important tasks like dog walking and cat socialization. But when the pandemic started, EASEL limited staff to employees and senior volunteers, Phillips says. They did not utilize the usual number of walkers and socializers, but used play groups and a small number of senior walkers to maintain activity and socialization for their dogs. They canceled all on-site adoption events, but continued to do adoptions by appointment. “We slowed down a little while we adjusted,” Phillips says. “But there were no interruptions in taking or adopting animals.” Because of the pandemic, weekly training sessions for shelter dogs did cease for a few months, and no new volunteers were accepted for a time. But both activities have since resumed. The pandemic has actually given a bit of a boost to EASEL’s cat-fostering program, with more volunteers home and available to take cats in temporarily. More fosters also helps EASEL minimize the need for volunteers to spend time at the shelter helping with things like cat socialization.

Every animal up for adoption at EASEL has a story. Roxy (left) and Flash (center) both lost their homes when their owners were no longer able to manage caring for them. Dave (right) was surrendered by his owner when he was unable to adjust when a new pet was introduced to his home. There are descriptive biographies of each of the animals on the EASEL website.

EASEL’s board of directors has also helped the staff and volunteers work through the pandemic. The board provided personal protective equipment and helped with logistics and to fill in when volunteer opportunities were limited, Phillips says. Karen Azarchi is president of EASEL’s board of directors. Phillips says that when the adoption rate began to rise during the pandemic, he and the staff were not sure whether it was truly a positive thing for the animals.

They worried that people who had taken in animals because they had more down time might decide that they had made a mistake once they were able to return to the office. “That hasn’t happened, but that’s basically because things haven’t really opened back up yet,” Phillips says. “So we still don’t really know if it will happen once people do go back to work in bigger numbers.” One Covid-related thing the shelter does know is that the pandemic has been hard on some pet owners. A

share of the animals that EASEL has taken in have come from owners who, due to lost income and changing personal circumstances, have made the often difficult decision to surrender their pets. That misfortune might have overburdened a shelter like EASEL in years past. But because of the increase in applications that EASEL has seen, they have been able to handle the volume. The Increased adoption volume has also enabled EASEL to take more of

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these animals from other shelters, locally as well as out of state. (As a no-kill shelter, EASEL sometimes takes in animals from other shelters that do not have a no-kill designation. Those shelters euthanize pets that have gone unrescued for a certain amount of time.) “I’ve been doing this for 14 years,” Phillips says. “What I’ve seen is that animal rescue in general has become so much more popular. You hear people say ‘don’t go to a breeder, don’t go to a pet store, do rescue.’ Everybody wants to help jump in and be a part of that. That is something unrelated to Covid. (Animal rescue) has just taken off.” From the start of the pandemic, EASEL stopped accepting walk-ins. The shelter encouraged people to apply online and get preapproved to adopt before scheduling the appointments. All operations require social distancing and masks. Phillips cautions that the rescue process might not be the right fit for some prospective adopters, like those who are looking only for a certain breed of dog. But he says EASEL staff counsel people to consider other factors when looking to adopt. “We’re more interested in the personality of the animal,” Phillips says. “To us, ‘friendly and adoptable’ is the best kind of breed. A lot of people show up and they’ll meet the dogs and wind up picking one based on that interaction.” Phillips was not anticipating any kind of holidayrelated bump in adoptions. For one thing, Covid has in a way been like one long holiday when it comes to animal rescue. “The amount of applications we have gotten has been pretty steady since Covid started,” he says. ‘We do sometimes do Thanksgiving events or Halloween events, and around Christmas we usually do pictures with Santa for dogs and things like that to kind of get more attention for the animals.” EASEL has long had success coordinating week-

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end adoption days at area pet supply stores. That, too, was put on hold at the start of the pandemic, before starting up again once EASEL and the stores felt that it was safe. In December, EASEL had scheduled cat adoptions at Petsmart in Nassau Park every Saturday, as well as dog adoptions on most Saturdays at either Bag of Bones Barkery in Hamilton or Concord Pet Food and Supplies in Princeton Shopping Center. More adoption days are scheduled for January. To see a complete schedule of events, go to easeljnj. org/events. “As stores have come back, we’ve started going to them again, taking just a handful of animals,” Phillips says. “Three or four dogs, a couple of cages of cats. At Petsmart we have our cats there all the time. We do pretty brisk adoptions out of that location. The majority of adoptions, however, still happen at the shelter, and most of the time, the first contact between shelter and adopter is online. For those interested in potentially adopting a dog or a cat, the process at EASEL is simple: go to the EASEL website (easelnj.org) and fill out the online application. On the application, prospective owners can provide details on their adoption preferences, including type, size and age. The approval process typically takes around 48 hours. EASEL keeps an up-to-date list of available pets on its website, and Phillips suggests that people take a look at what they have before applying. “It helps to put on your application what you’re looking for — puppy or kitten, large dog or something 40 pounds or less,” he says. “What I recommend is just give us a good overview in terms of what you’re looking for, then someone will reach out and set up an appointment.” On the cover and on page 6 are a few examples of animals that, as of press time, were available for adoption at the shelter.

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January 2021 | Ewing Observer7

MUSIC cont. from Page 1 ues have been basically forced to innovate to get through the pandemic. And whether that means setting up stages for live streaming, or going on a songwriting and recording blitz in virtual studios, most have had busy years even while the stages have been mostly dark. *** Otey, 60, comes from a musical family. His father, Orlando Otey, was a composer and concert pianist. Alex was accepted into a conservatory at age 18 for trumpet, but decided instead to go into a career in software development and clinical pharmaceutical research. “I would have been a musician, but I was too interested in science,” he says. He never lost his love of music. For many years, he performed live and in the studio, sometimes with his wife, Amy Otey, the popular children’s music artist known as Miss Amy. In 2018, Otey retired from his day job to get a master’s degree in music business through Berklee College of Music’s online program, and to pursue a full-time career in music. His timing has been a little unlucky, but he says that he is fortunate to have savings from his previous career to help him cope with the financial hit he has taken in the past year. “Musicians and actors are really struggling,” Otey says. “I’ve heard some say, ‘I have to get a day job, I can’t live like this.’ There have been a lot of challenges, and people have had to be creative. I’ve been fortunate in that I have savings.” Before the shutdown, Otey had a regular gig at the King George Inn in Bristol, Pennsylvania. That arrangement is on pause during the pandemic. Some venues have continued to host live shows in front of limited crowds. Like Vault Brewing in Yardley, where Ewing-based Jon Savage and the Classic Rockers, for instance, are scheduled to perform there on Friday, Jan. 8 starting at 7 p.m. (Web: vaultbrewing.com.)

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But for the most part, artists like Otey are looking for new ways to make music and reach audiences during the pandemic. One such way is to live stream performances on social media outlets such as Facebook. In December, Otey live streamed a couple of Christmas concerts from the 1867 Sanctuary, one as part of a trio and another a benefit for the Sanctuary with New Jersey-based jazz vocalist PJ Parker. Bob Kull, a board member with New Jersey Preservation, the nonprofit organization that manages the renovated church, recently installed new wi-fi to ensure the quality of the transmissions, a clear sign that the Sanctuary expects to do more such shows in the future. “The industry is kind of realizing that for now we have to do this, and then going forward, the good thing that’s going to come out of this (pandemic) is that whole online thing will probably continue,” Otey says. “Once things do lighten up, there’s now another sort of pathway that some venues can use. That’s what the 1867 Sanctuary has focused on.” Improving technology is making live streaming more accessible even for independent artists. It’s also making it easier for musicians to write and record music. Many musicians who were unable to get out on stage much in the past year used the down time to compose new music. Otey was able to make music that he has submitted to the Grammy Awards in part because he and other musicians were able to work together even though they were not in the same studio. “The whole industry is going that way,” he says. “You can get recorded content out there, which is good even though it is also frustrating because you can’t perform it live.” He compares the creative spurts of many artists in 2020 to George Frideric Handel, the Baroque composer who, “plagued by financial worries and ill health, and abandoned by

Alex Otey is one of the many local musicians who have been unable to perform live during the Covid-19 pandemic. (Photo by Amy Otey.)

almost everyone except those closest to him, shut himself away and worked day and night on ‘Messiah,’” one of his best known works. *** Which is not to say that there are no more barriers to entry when it comes to online performances. One challenge that remains for the industry is to figure out how to make the same sort of money on live streams that shows bring in live and in person. The main options are to go pay-perview, which requires patrons to commit ahead of time to watching the live stream, or to go the donation route, which requires patrons to make the decision to pay for something that they can also watch for free. Another challenge with streaming involves copyright laws and the various licenses that venues obtain from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, or ASCAP, which represents songwriters. Some licenses permit the live streaming of

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copyrighted works, but do not allow for any rebroadcast of the material. Licenses that do permit recording and rebroadcast of live streams are more costly, which is obviously an issue for venues at a time when their revenues are down substantially. But musicians are used to having to work for what they get, and many are finding ways to connect with audiences despite the obstacles. Like Ernie White, the legendary local rocker who has become known for the annual holiday concert fundraisers he does for the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen. This year, White has done multiple live streams via Facebook with other local musicians, including Tom Reock and Mark Sacco to maintain the tradition despite the challenges. The streams have attracted many of White’s fans and helped to continue raising funds for TASK. As much as musicians, venues and music lovers want things to get back to normal, Bob Kull says it will be interesting to see how quickly that happens even once capacity restrictions are lifted. “There will still be people who will not be comfortable being in a space with people, probably for at least the next year,” he guesses. “I think it will be a process. I think the Sanctuary will be able to become active again later in the spring, and I think other places may start a little sooner than that. But the building and the church that resided in it survived the influenza pandemic in 1918, and I understand they never skipped a service during that time,” Kull says. “I think if they got through that, we’ll be able to get through this OK.” The 1867 Sanctuary has another live stream concert scheduled for this month. Classical guitarist Brad Rau is set to perform on Friday, Jan. 8 at 8 p.m. Web: 1867sanctuary.org. Otey has set up a GoFundMe campaign for the 1867 Sanctuary. To contribute, go online to charity.gofundme. com/o/en/campaign/1867-sanctuarysos-campaign.

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GOODNEWS June January

Adopt-a-Survivor Program Begins at Ewing High School Nearly sixty years since Allied forces liberated the Nazi concentration camps, the now elderly survivors of the Holocaust are turning to a new generation to preserve their testimony about their wartime experiences for future generations. High school studentsarein steadily Ewing High School Holocaust survivors dwindling in have proven be made successful the art courses number. Many to have it their in mission to educate during thethat pandemic. Throughout history andlead esthe world anti-Semitism and racism easily pecially during times,thethehorrors arts have to murder, and todifficult speak about they been and shown to have therapeutic healing qualities. their families suffered. With theand passing of time, it has Many studies come out recent becomeprofessional urgent to find a newhave generation to in continue the survivors’ mission and tell their storiesofafter years that show the beneficial outcomes artsthe on survivors can Now, no longer do so. individuals. more than ever, the arts are an On April 12,a balanced the Adopt-a-Survivor (AAS) important part of curriculum and lifeprogram was introduced to the Trenton area at Ewing style for children to adults. With these uncertain High School. Sixemotional Holocaust survivors times, a healthy outlet canwere be adopted through by twelve Ewing High sophomores. The adopted the arts. For children and adolescents, art prosurvivors—Moshe Gimlan, fosters Vera Goodkin, motes a sense of identity, maturity Marion though Lewin,critique Ruth Lubitz, Rojer andand Jackprovides Zaifman—a peer and Charles collaboration, were originally from Germany, Czechoslovakia, way to process or express difficult thoughts, feelPolandorand Belgium. that can be more meaningful ings, emotions The AAS programthan pairswords. a survivor with one or and easier to express A student in Ms. more students. The students embark on a joint journey Weber’s Ceramics 1 course said recently, “This is withonly the different/hands survivor throughondiscussions about the activity that I getlife to before, during and after the Holocaust. Participating do all day.” Giving the students an opportunity to students able toand represent the to survivor anda be handswill on, be creative, have time work on tell the survivor’s story with accuracy and feeling in project where they do not have to stare at a screen the years to come. In addition, each student makes can be the change of routine in the day that can a commitment to tell the survivor’s story in a public become a therapeutic time for them. venue in the year 2045, a hundred years after the Art teachers at EHS and across the district are liberation of Auschwitz. going above and beyond to make sure students The twelve student adopters are Dave Angebranndt, have the materials they need to be successful in Tyler Barnes, Annie Cook, Liz Dunham, Emily Everett, the art courses, whether they are fully virtual stuCurtis Fornarotto, Vildana Hajric, Devon Jones, dents or hybrid. EHS Art Teachers are setting up Jen Meade, Billy O’Callaghan, Nikyta Sharma and material pick-up/drop-off days continued for students and Melysa Wilson. on page A2

The Ewing Public Schools Schools

Teacher of the Year Recipients are Honored

Success in the Arts through Hybrid and Virtual Learning at EHS

parents are showing their support by making it happen for their child. We are thankful for the Safety Town support of parents in our district that are picking June 30 - July 11 up the materials for their children and the stu-

Contact: Jean Conrad 609-538-9800 x1302 HOUR for application

2021 2005

Ewing Schools Focus on Trauma-Informed Practices

As the country makes its way through the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing emphasis is being placed upon the considerable impact that trauma and life-impacting events can have on children. “Children enduring personal or family hardship, understandably, can have a difficult time focusing on schoolwork and their studies,” Director of Counseling Services Dr. Karen Allen stated. “Our foremost concern is always our students’ mental and emotional health, and we know that many of our kids have been through a lot recently, so we want to make sure our staff is empathetic and well-trained.” In September 2020, all Ewing Schools staff participated in several “Trauma Informed” professional learning webinars by Prevent The recipients of the 2005 Teacher of the Year Awards were honored at a luncheon on April 29th. Jan presented Fay, 2004 Mercer County Teacher of the Year, was a guest speaker. 1st row (L to R): Joan Zuckerman, Antheil; Sharon Solomon, Lore; Jan Fay, 2004 Child Principal Abuse.org. This opportunity provided staff Mercer County Teacher of the Year; Inetta Emery, Principal Parkway; Danielle Miller, EHS; Superintendent Ray Broach. 2nd row: Darrell a “phase one” awareness and understanding of dents are FMS; doing theAndreas, amazing work. We are Jackson,that Principal Donna Antheil; Don Barnett, FMS; Betsy Turgeon, Parkway; Rodney Logan, Principal EHS. how trauma, such as the pandemic, impacts the all working together to make school successful body and our behavior. forEwing students right now. Students The support of Attend admin- brain, High Gorbachev Presentation The district’s efforts will be further supported istration, teachers, parents, and students canLewis, be EHS Freshman Whitney as the Ewing Schools were fortunate be a reclearly visible theMs. artwork produced by our of On April 18, in 2005 Chiavuzzo, Mrs. Walker Perestroika. His policies reopened to churches, cipient of a grant through Prevent Child Abuse. talented EHSHigh students. “We are EHS andseveral we are released political prisoners, and lifted bans and 30 Ewing School freshmen joined on org. The grant is valued at approximately $2,000 EHS Strong by high working together.” Mercer County school and college students, previously censored books. and The the funds from a local supportive MerIf you have a to child at EHS that is not given currently and politicians hear a presentation by 20th come anniversary of Perestroika was cer County business – Dermody in an artGorbachev course they canSovereign considerBank joining the one of the essential themes ofProperties. Mikhail at the Arena. Gorbachev’s The grant facilitates a “Phase the disEHS Art Club. Thelast EHS Art Clubleader meetsofvirtuGorbachev was the communist the presentation. The policy’s main 2” goalto was to trict’s training by providing each elementary ally on Thursday afternoons Soviet Union from 1985 to (2:45PM–3:30PM). 1991. During his make the Soviet economic system more efficient. school with:involved Nature the Wellness for afrom halltermEHS he instituted various policies including his Perestroika transferWalks of control All students interested in the arts and at any way in each building, Mini “Calm-Down Kits” political of Glasnost and economic skill levelpolicy are welcome to join. It can be policy a time the government to the business owners. This policy continued chimes, on page A2sphere breathing to work on one’s own art or join in with an art (includes mindfulness balls), a Mindfulness Kit support direct stututorial or community outreach initiative through Due to budget torestraints dent instruction and access for one staff member the arts. Any questions about EHS Art Club can NO Summer School Programs to a Yoga Ed subscription. Additionally, a total be sent to GoodNews Ms. Weber (lweber@ewingboe.org). will resume will(virtual) be offered by the of three, live professional development with the September workshops will bePublic providedSchools to the districts’ elEwing issue of the Observer ementary schools. during the Summer of 2005. “We are grateful to be a recipient of this grant how to program and debug a com- to support our students and staff,” Dr. Allen addputer algorithm. ed. “As we hopefully have a return to normalcy These interactive, in the near future, we know that there will be hands-on activi- long-lasting impacts of the crisis, and we want to ties help students ensure our staff is trained and ready to meet the needs of the school community.” learn computational thinking skills.

Have a Happy Summer!!

OF CODE 2020

This year during Computer Science Education Week, December 7th–13th, Antheil, Lore and Parkway Elementary School students participated in this year's Hour of Code in their Technology Enrichment Specials with Ms. Papadopoulos, Ms. Hughes, and Mr. Shaw. Students learned the basics of computer programming and learned

The Ewing Public Schools Parkway Principal Harris Announces Retirement Parkway Elementary School Principal Nicole Harris has announced her retirement at the conclusion of this school year. The Board of Education accepted her retirement, with regrets and well wishes, at their December meeting. Since becoming principal in 2007, Harris has shaped the close-knit, special culture that characterizes the Parkway School. Always visible, accessible and highly involved in her school, the sight of the student-centered Harris welcoming students in the morning has been a constant at the Parkway School for the past thirteen years. “It was a very difficult decision for me, but it felt like the time was right,” Harris stated. “I have enjoyed my time at Parkway tremendously and have many wonderful memories of students, teachers and families that I will treasure forever.” For Harris, it was a particularly emotional decision as Parkway has meant as much to her as she has to the school community. "Ewing Township Schools has been my educational home since 1998. In that time I have seen and been a part of many great changes and programs that the schools have undertaken,” she stated. “I have been blessed and humbled to be a part of the successful journey of many Ewing Township students and a mentor to many of its hard-working teachers." Harris began her career as an elementary school teacher in the Highland Park School district in 1993, and assumed her first administrative job as an assistant principal at Cambridge Elementary School in 1997. Harris joined the Ewing Schools as an Assistant Principal at Antheil Elementary School in 1998 before being promoted to Parkway School Principal in 2007. Harris earned her Bachelors of Arts in English and Communications and Masters in Early Childhood/Elementary Education from Rutgers University. Harris’ time with the school district was marked by many accomplishments and contributions to the Ewing School Community. While at Antheil Elementary School in 2003, she helped design a Best Practice award-winning program in the area of Safe Learning Environment for innovative physical educational programming. During her time at Parkway, two of the school’s Odyssey of the Minds teams qualified for the World Championships, the school received a Promising Practice Award for its partnership with TASK from Character.org and their inno-

Senior Spotlight: Meet Destiny Dollson As we kick-off the new year of 2021 do you have any ‘words of wisdom’ to share with your classmates as we are still navigating the COVID-19 health crisis? Be kind, be thoughtful, take care of yourself and do your part to take care of other people. In which activities do you participate in school? I am currently Vice President of Student Council. I’m dance captain/choreographer for the school musical. I’m a member of National Honors Society, Future Business leaders of America, Key Club, and I’ve been a Varsity Fall cheerleader since freshman year. What activities do you participate outside of school? Outside of school I’ve been dancing at Stewart Johnson Dance Academy for 14 years. I also participate in a business and entertainment internship that I started this year. My internship consists of a variety of projects and materials. I am learning how to use software such as FL Studio as well as the business aspect of the Music and Entertainment Industry. I have also edited a music video that promoted small businesses and has been posted on YouTube. What awards or acknowledgements have you received? I received a Ewing High School Activity Award for Outstanding Service for the Class of 2021. At dance I was awarded Most Improved Dancer of the year. vative Courtyard Garden was recognized by The National Wildlife Preservation as a Certified Schoolyard Habitat Site. Harris was also a member of the first school leadership team to develop and implement PBIS in a Ewing Township School, she worked with her Positive Education-trained teachers to develop and implement mindfulness programming and expanded school-wide Title 1 programs. “With her leadership, Nicole has created a sense of family, not only among the staff at Parkway, but within our school and our surrounding community,” Parkway teacher Josephine Stevens stated. “She has always been present and available at school, to her staff, the students, and our community. You could easily count on seeing her at a school event or wiping down tables during lunch duty. No task was ever too small or too big for Mrs. Harris. We follow her lead, and she is the reason why Parkway is “the place to be”!” “Our Parkway family has been blessed to have Principal Harris at the helm for the past 14

Who is your favorite teacher and/or coach why? My favorite teachers are Mrs. MonacoCaldwell and Mrs. Montferrat. Mrs. MonacoCaldwell is one of my favorite teachers because she made English entertaining and brought the books to life! Mrs. Montferrat is one of my favorites because she made math fun and helped me understand the concepts. Ms. Clark is my favorite coach because she made Cheerleading fun and enjoyable for everyone. She was a fair coach and believed in us even if we didn’t believe we could do a certain stunt. I’m grateful that I ended my final cheer season with Ms. Clark as a coach. Who or what has impacted your life in a positive way? My Mom aka big has had the biggest impact in my life because she has been my number one supporter and biggest fan. She has encouraged me to think outside the box and be the best person I can be. What are your plans after you graduate from Ewing High School? I would like to attend college and double major in Film and Business and minor in Music Technology or Industry. What is your favorite quote or book? My Favorite book is Twilight. My favorite quote from Twilight is “I’m just going to do what I want now, and let the chips fall where they may.”(Meyer) I can relate to this because I’m my own person and I don’t do things based on what people expect me to do.

years,” fellow teacher Debra Klevze-Cornelius added. “Her leadership has made us all stronger and she will be dearly missed when she retires.” The school district will begin the search for Principal Harris’s successor immediately. A posting will be developed and disseminated widely. A district email has been established, pesprincipalsearch@ewingboe.org for any school community member to share thoughts or ideas related to the principal vacancy and search. A committee of stakeholders with relevance and expertise will be a part of the screening process, as the district seeks to hire an outstanding school leader to be the next principal of Parkway Elementary School. “We are deeply appreciative of Principal Harris’ leadership and all that she has done for the school community as she moves toward what hopefully will be a wonderful retirement,” Superintendent Michael Nitti stated. “It is well-deserved, as she has left behind a legacy of students who have benefited from her work.”

The Ewing Public Schools January is School Board Recognition Month! Gov. Phil Murphy has proclaimed January as School Board Recognition Month in New Jersey, citing the “countless hours, without remuneration” spent by nearly 5,000 local board members who oversee operations in 580 school districts. The governor acknowledged the important role board members play in making New Jersey’s public schools among the best in the nation. “New Jersey’s local boards of education endeavor to meet the challenges facing public schools and help students attain the education necessary for postsecondary success so they may compete in a global economy,” the governor stated. In honor of School Board Recognition Month, let’s get caught up with two longtime Ewing BOE members who stepped down last month after many years of service to the community. Carl Benedetti 1. What made you first decide to run for the Board of Education? I knew from the time that I was a senior in Ewing High School that I wanted to serve my community upon graduation. Having the luxury of staying home for college and getting my education locally allowed me to explore the opportunity of running for the board. Being a recent graduate of the Ewing Public Schools, I had never seen a younger individual with a seat at the table. I thought that I could provide a unique perspective to the discussion which previous boards had been missing. Several key stakeholders in the community encouraged me to run, and on my second attempt, I was successful. 2. How many years have you served on the Board? What was your driving force to want to continue to serve on the Board for longer than one term? I have served on the Board of Education for nine and a half years. What has motivated me to serve beyond one term are the various projects that you become passionate about over the course of time that you spend on the board. For example, when pursuing my third term, the Board and Administration were in the early stages of assembling our Referendum '18 proposal that would be put out to the public for a vote. Knowing how significant of a legacy these projects would be to our schools, I felt a responsibility to visit and hear from the various parent and student organizations throughout the district. For this once in a generation project, we, as a board, needed to do as much as we could for as many students as possible in that

referendum. As a result, with the public's support, we are in the process of state-of-the-art facilities upgrades that will benefit decades of students in Ewing Township. 3. What accomplishments are you most proud of? The accomplishments that I am most proud of are those projects that have provided a greater range of in-house services to Ewing's students while simultaneously benefitting the tax payers of Ewing Township. Our greatest example of that kind of work is in the Frank O'Brien Academy. With this facility, we are able to service our most vulnerable population of students with our own highly-qualified staff. Historically, the district has sent these students to out-of-district placements, which can be incredibly expensive. These students can now thrive in the comfortability of their home district, while Ewing saves hundreds of thousands of dollars every year. I am also incredibly proud of the technological advancement our district has made during the last nine years. We are now at a 1:1 ratio for students to computers in the Ewing Public Schools. We've also continually upgraded from various SMART Boards to Promethean Boards in the classroom. Our students cannot succeed unless we provide a 21st century learning environment. As a new board member, this was something I considered a main objective in my tenure, and I could not be prouder to see it come to fruition. 4. Do you have any last thoughts that you would like to share with the school community? I would like to thank the Ewing community for your trust and support to serve this district for three terms on the Board of Education. Now, more than ever, we need parents and community stakeholders to attend meetings and interact with the board. If you cannot attend every meeting, please try to attend some throughout the year. It has been the honor of my life to represent the district that gave me so much as a K-12 student. Our strength is in our diversity, and being a product of the Ewing Public Schools has taught me that lesson. I have become the person I am because of our incredible staff and administrators, and I will always be an advocate for the Ewing Public Schools. Karen McKeon 1. What made you first decide to run for the Board of Education? I first decided to run for the Board of Education when my children were students at Antheil Elementary. As a volunteer with the Antheil PTO I wanted to become a stronger advocate for smaller class sizes. I believe that class size has a direct im-

pact on the success of a child’s education. I am proud this was something that we as a board were able to address. 2. How many years have you served on the Board? What was your driving force to want to continue to serve on the Board for longer than one term? December 2020 will conclude my 12th year and fourth term as a member of the Board of Education. I continued to serve to ensure small class sizes and to maintain student exposure to a strong fine arts and music program. In addition, my belief in the importance of extracurricular activities & sports and desire to make them available to a greater number of students was a driving force behind serving longer than one term. 3. What accomplishments are you most proud of? Looking back over the past 12 years I can honestly say that along with my fellow board members and the district administrative team we have made a positive impact on the Ewing Community. I am proud to walk away knowing that our focus has been on meeting the educational needs of every student and I wish our students continued success. Looking ahead for the future of the Ewing School District I am very proud of Referendum '18 which is focused on creating safer, healthier, and more modern schools for Ewing students. These referendum projects not only impact our current students but future students in the many years to come. 4. Do you have any last thoughts that you would like to share with the school community? I have been fortunate to be able to serve this community and see all the amazing opportunities that are available to Ewing students. Thank you to all of those who work tirelessly to ensure students are given every opportunity to succeed. I encourage families to become involved and volunteer. Of course, I would highly recommend running for the Board of Education, it has been one of my most rewarding experiences. I have been fortunate to collaborate with my fellow board members and district administrative team, who care very deeply about the school community. My last year serving on the Board of Education was not as expected due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. I am proud of how our school district continues to handle the challenges presented by this pandemic and always makes decisions that are in the best interest of the school community. Thank you to all BOE members, past and present!

The Ewing Public Schools January 2021 Schedule in Ewing Schools Jan 1

Schools Closed – HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Jan 4-8

All Ewing Schools OPEN VIRTUALLY

Jan 4

BOE Organization Meeting @ 7pm

Jan 11

‘In-Person’ Students Return to Buildings

Jan 18

Schools Closed – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Parkway School Pancake Break f ast Will Happen “Panther-Demic” Style

The annual Parkway School Pancake Breakfast will be held on Saturday, February 6th, from 10:00AM to 11:00AM. This annual event has been successfully hosted by the Parkway School PTA and staff for over 20 years. This year, with the assistance of our local iHOP, we are still able to make this event possible. The pancake breakfast is open to all Ewing township residents. Order forms will be available on the district and Parkway School websites for anyone one who would like to attend. The ticket cost is $8 for adults and children. The breakfast will consist of three pancakes, two pieces of breakfast sausage (pork or turkey), juice, syrup, butter, a placemat and utensils. If you would like to be a sponsor of the event the cost is $25. Your sponsorship entitles you to advertisement on a placemat and two breakfasts. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor please contact Marianne Gilleo at parkway.pta@yahoo.com. The breakfasts will be pre-packaged for pickup at Parkway School between 10:00AM and 11:00AM on Saturday, February 6th. There will be contactless pick up on McCarthy Drive. For every ticket you purchase your name will be entered into a drawing for door prizes. Door prize names will be drawn on Friday, February 5th. All door prizes will be given out during pick-up on February 6th. We hope to see you on McCarthy Drive, on February 6th, ready to enjoy pancakes from Parkway School “Panther-demic” style.

Exploring Patterns during Math Enrichment The third grade students at Antheil had a chance to explore the Fibonacci Sequence during Math Enrichment with Mrs. Hartigan. The discussion started with a discussion about what students noticed and wondered when looking at the beginning of the sequence- 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34. The ideas and questions the students shared demonstrated the strengths of our elementary mathematics curriculum in fostering mathematical thinkers! Some students were able to identify the sequence and what the next numbers would be. While this activity started with mental math, it was evident that it was time to apply some addition strategies. In keeping with “going green”, the students used dry erase markers on their desks (which they cleaned when they were done), to solve the problem and identify numbers in the sequence. It was a great math class that integrated so many important mathematical concepts and demonstrated how math occurs in nature and the world around us! 12Good News | January 2021

Welcome 2021!

The Ewing Public Education Foundation trustees hope this year brings a renewed sense of living, giving, and believing in the future! We experienced many challenges within the foundation during this difficult time, and fully recognize everyone in this world is going through the same. So, the Foundation wants to thank Ewing School District for all you have done and continue to do! This includes the administration, the school board, teachers, support staff, paraprofessionals, custodial staff, etc. We realized each day was more different than the day before, which required quick decisions to unexpected challenges at any moment. The entire Foundation is so proud of all that you have accomplished this year, day in and day out. The Foundation truly wishes to thank the hardest working teachers and paraprofessionals that we know. We could not fathom the daily challenges that fell upon them. Yet, we have seen firsthand how our teachers and paraprofessionals managed these challenges with determination, compassion, and grace. These amazing folks were not taught how to teach in a pandemic but wrote the book on it. They know their job is to teach our children and figured it out! The Ewing Public Education Foundation could not be prouder of you. We hope 2021 brings love, happiness, good health, smiles, and much laughter. You represent the BEST in Ewing Township! Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who puts their heart and soul into their job every day. It does not go unnoticed. To give to EPEF, please go to www.epef.org. Thank you to our supporters and partners. We would not be able to do what we do without you!

Emergency School Closings

We will communicate during emergencies via our official communication portals: the district website, Instant Alert, Channel 19/31. Twitter is not an official emergency communication tool. If there is bad winter weather, the school community should be ready for the possibility of having a traditional “school closed/snow day” or prepared for a district-wide virtual day of learning. Since all of our schools are running on an early dismissal schedule anyway, the choice this year will be either school being closed, or a virtual learning day.

Please visit our website daily for up-to-the minute information: www.ewing.k12.nj.us

For questions or information, please contact: Superintendent’s Office 609-538-9800 ext. 1102 Email: thullings@ewingboe.org Website: www.ewing.k12.nj.us

SUPPORT COUNSELING

FOR COVID-19 FRONT-LINE WORKERS Through a statewide partnership, Capital Health is addressing the immediate emotional needs of all health care workers and emergency medical services personnel who have been on the front-line of the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes: … Individual supportive counseling and assessment … Virtual support groups … Mindfulness-based stress relief techniques … Referrals to mental health and substance abuse disorder treatment, if needed. If you or anyone you know needs to speak with someone, please call our helpline (Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.):

609.303.4129 This program is a Crisis Counseling Program (CCP) brought to you by NJ Hope and Healing and Capital Health, in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Human Services’ Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Disaster and Terrorism Branch, through a FEMA grant.

Welcome to Capital Health OB/GYN. We believe your health starts with more than an appointment. It starts with trust. It starts with doctors who ask the right questions. And then really listen to your answers. Where you spend more time talking through your concerns, than you do feeling concerned that you don’t know the “right way to ask.” It’s a different approach to women’s health. One that we’ve been taking for over a hundred years. Backed by a world-class medical group, an award-winning hospital with the largest maternity facility in Mercer County, and practices that are expanding to provide more expert doctors that are closer to you.

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Ewing novelist brings mysteries to life with book series By Matthew Guear

Have you ever thought about writing a novel? Maybe you love the idea of writing but you just aren’t sure about where to start? Kate Immordino says it all starts by simply putting a pen to paper. “You have to just get something down on paper because at the end of the day, you can’t edit a blank page,” says the Ewing resident and author. Writing under the pen name of Kate Francis, Immordino is the author of two mystery novels. The first, Double Image, was published in 2017. She published her most recent, Triple Damages, in 2020. The main character of the two novels is New Jersey State Police officer Kenna Devlin, who begins the first novel as a member of the governor’s executive protection team. In both novels, Devlin becomes enmeshed in mysteries that she solves in the tradition of the detective novel. Mystery writers whom Immordino admires include J.D. Robb, Marie Force, Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke. Immordino worked for many years at the Department of Transportation. She says those years of experience gave her perspective on how things happen in government. “I’ve seen the governor’s advance

Left: Ewing resident Kate Immordino, writing as Kate Francis, signs copies of her books for some friends. Right: the cover of her latest book, “Triple Damages.” team and what they do. I have a sense of how things happen behind the scenes,” she says. “I may have made up details about certain things that happen (in the novels), but a lot of it is based on things that really go on in government. I was never in the state police, but I’ve always admired what

they do.” Immordino retired in 2006 as an assistant commissioner. She says when she started at the DOT in the late 70’s, there weren’t a lot of professional women in the ranks. “Being one of the few and learning to find your way was something differ-

ent that I tried to give to the character,” she says. Immordino grew up in Willingboro. She has lived the past 33 years in Ewing, and has set her novels in and around Mercer County. “I love New Jersey,” she says. “It gets overlooked and people don’t understand that this is such an incredibly beautiful state. I want to put that message out there that New Jersey really is an amazing place, with so many beautiful sights.” Immordino studied history at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania before going on to attend graduate school at Rider University. While she and her husband, Howard, both worked for the DOT for many years, they originally met at Rider, when they were in a class together and assigned to write a paper with one another. She later went on to earn a doctorate from Rutgers University, where she currently works as an instructor. She and Howard have two children, Matthew and Jacqueline. Son Matthew and his wife, Kristen, have two children and reside in Ewing. Daughter Jacqueline and her husband, Chris Wollett, live in Lawrence. Triple Damages is now available at the Ewing Library, and both Triple Damages and Double Image are available to purchase from Amazon.

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January 2021 | Ewing Observer15

Who’s Zooming whom? ILENE BLACK BETTING ON BLACK

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Even if you’ve never participated in a Zoom meeting, I’m sure you’ve seen them in action on TV. In short, a Zoom meeting looks like a very advanced version of the opening scene from The Brady Bunch, with all the squares and people’s heads in them. Zoom allows us to actually see and hear participants; colleagues, family, friends. Zoom allows companies to conduct interviews with potential employees. It allows churches to offer contact-free services. Zoom even lets you meet with your doctor instead of going to their office. In short, Zoom is a fabulous tool in these times of contactless interaction. But, like everything, Zoom can have its moments. Disclaimer: I mean no disrespect to those who have never used Zoom or don’t know how to work within it. But when you use Zoom as much as I do, for meetings that vary from 4 participants to over 100, you’re bound to find something extremely entertaining about it. If you have been invited to attend a Zoom meeting, you click on the invitation link. This brings you to a screen that allows you to choose whether you want to use the camera and the microphone. In the meetings in which I participate, I use both. You will then see an extremely unflattering live-action shot of yourself on the screen. There’s been meetings where I can see every pore in my face, not to mention a bit of chocolate on my face from the candy bar I scarfed down before the meeting. The best part is the microphone. If you’re attending a large meeting, you’re supposed to mute your microphone. This ensures that the meeting doesn’t sound like those taped versions of crowd noises at an NFL game. If you’re participating in a smaller meeting, you usually don’t have to mute yourself. But then you run the risk of this happening:

I have heard people shouting at one another. I have heard people talking to their kids. “Get in that bathtub now,” followed by a crying half-nude child visible on the screen. I have been guilty of forgetting to mute myself and been heard talking to my dogs who are conducting a wrestling match in the room where I am sitting. “Peaches! You literally walked over a duck to get to the duck that Jax has! Let him have it! Go get your Lambie! Your LAMBIE!” Or the helpful spouse/partner: “Do you want your scotch straight up or on the rocks?” Or the ever-frequent sound of someone chewing something crunchy. Recently, I was hosting a meeting for more than 100 people. In the middle of someone speaking, we heard a loud groaning sound. Everyone stopped for a second, and then we continued. Then once again the groan. Then it progressed into belching and I think a vomiting sound. We had been hacked. Luckily one of our participants figured out who the uninvited guest was and booted him/her. I was too busy ducking under my desk and laughing to figure it out. One time, I signed on early and was playing a game on my phone and singing “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy,” and really getting into the chorus. Dancing and swaying in my chair…the whole works. I looked up from my phone to see someone staring at me from the screen. Luckily, he was smiling! I guess he’s a country music fan. Another time, during a work Zoom, I had to screen-share a YouTube video to the group. I did it successfully, but along with the video, my screen clearly showed a thumbnail of all the videos I had recently watched, like, “NFL Reporters Getting Hit compilation,” “Tiny Angry Cat at Vet Clinic, “and “$chitt’s Creek Bloopers.” So, if you ever have to attend a Zoom meeting for work, remember these important hints:

I have forgetten to mute myself while talking to my dogs, who were wrestling in the room where I was sitting.

1) Be fully dressed. And stay dressed through the whole meeting. *4 voices speak at once* 2) Mute yourself. “And so, I was thinking about…..” 3) Ban your fighting dogs to another “So the newsletter…..” “I had an idea for the newsletter…….” room. 4) Put your scotch in a travel mug. “This week’s newsletter…” Then there’s silence. Then…. “Go ahead.” “No, you go.” “You were saying?” “Huh?”

16Ewing Observer | January 2021

Ilene Black has been a resident of Ewing for most of her life and lives across the street from her childhood home. She and her husband, George, have two sons, Georgie and Donnie.

The Voices of Ewing project We begin 2021 with an announcement and invitation directly from the Ewing Township Historic Preservation Society: We experience our life as the history of our family, our community, our country, and our world. Family history is passed down from generation to generation often through the oral history of our elders. Even in today’s totally interconnected world of texts, emails, Instagram, and the multitude of other ways to connect through social media, we learn a great deal from sitting around a kitchen table talking to our parents and grandparents. It can be difficult to remember everything that we hear, especially through our childhood. Putting memories down on paper or taking photographs help to provide documents to support our memories in the decades to come. The year 2020 will be a very memorable year for many generations to come. Worldwide pandemics are certainly not a common event. The Ewing Township Historic Preservation Society has been challenged during our 47 years to preserve documents and artifacts relevant to the history of Ewing Township and its residents, and to make them available to researchers and others. Future generations will want to know what our experience of this difficult year was like. Thus, we are launching our Voices of Ewing Project to collect the stories, trials, difficulties, and challenges that members of the Ewing community have experienced throughout this past year. The Ewing Historic Society has collected some wonderful photos of and letters from many individual members of the Ewing Community which date back to at least the 1860-70s. These archives tell the stories of the people who lived in the various neighborhoods of Ewing before our time. One of the earliest photos in our collection is an image of the Benjamin Temple House with Temple family members that dates probably from the 1860s since it appears to be a Carte de Visite Print (these antique sepia tone images are printed on thin paper that is glued to heavy cardstock). Early Ewingites also suffered through pandemics and the spread of serious illnesses. We have letters from John Vernam, Helen Kull is an adviser to the Ewing Jr. writing home from France during Township Historic Preservation Society.

Future generations will want to know what our experience of this difficult year was like.

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World War I about the woman he was engaged to dying from the “Spanish Flu” in early 1919. Collecting and sharing your history of the past year is important to us and future members of the Ewing Community. In a 2020 spring edition of the Ewing Observer, photographer Heather Raub took photos of families on their front porches, and they shared how their lives had changed in the months since COVID-19 was influencing their choices. We want to hear from you to help us document this important time. Consider sending us photos, drawings, observations, anecdotes, journal entries or poems of your experiences this year. We would like to hear from individuals who were sickened by COVID-19 or were part of the front line health care responders. But we also would really like to hear from everyone else since we all lived through a very changed life experience in the last year. Those with more technical skills should consider providing us with either an audio tape (an oral history) or a video. Please send your 2020 story to the Ewing Township Historic Preservation Society at 27 Federal City Road, Ewing NJ 08638 or to info@ ethps.org. Guidelines for the proper format for sending information is available on our website at www.ethps. org. We hope to be able to keep all material that is sent to us in our archives. ETHPS has plans to share some of your stories with the general public on our website and eventually have a public display during a future program at the Benjamin Temple House. It is possible we may display some photos or artwork at the Ewing Township Municipal Building. Of course, all participants will be contacted to complete a signed Release Form to give ETHPS permission to use the material you send us before any material is publicly displayed. You will retain copyright to your words, images, and art. Finding a way to express your thoughts and feelings about the events of your life can often benefit your mental, emotional, and physical health. As a member of the Ewing community you can help others to see the commonality of how all of us are experiencing these trying times. Share your story of Ewing history with Helen by emailing her at ewingthenandnow@gmail.com.

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January 2021 | Ewing Observer17

capture the courage and compassion of health workers here and across America. To share your thanks or to support our Emergency Response Fund,

Preventing, treating and curing colorectal cancer visit rwjbh.org/heroes

And please, for them, stay home and safe.

offer insight on screening recommendations for colorectal cancer outlines warning signs and lifestyle changes to lower your risk of developing colorectal cancer. When should I have my first See our ads in colonoscopy? SIX09 Dr.section Eisengart: The American Socipgs 7 and Rectal Surgeons recety5ofand Colon ommends that individuals consider By Dr. Howard Hardy III and their first screening at age 45. On the Dr. Charles Eisengart other hand, men and women who have RWJ-104 Heroes Work Here_4.313x11.25_HAM.indd 1 4/17/20 1:21 PM Although colorectal cancer is the a personal or family history of colorecsecond-leading cancer killer among tal cancer, polyps or a personal history men and women in the U.S., it is a of long-term inflammatory bowel dispreventable, treatable and curable ease may need to be screened before age 45 to develop a baseline. disease if caught early. The It’s best to discuss your risk best way to catch colorectal factors with your physician cancer early is to screen for to determine when you it. should begin screenings. According to the Centers How often do I need a for Disease Control and colonoscopy? Prevention, only 59 percent Dr. Hardy: Colonosof people of screening age copies are recommended go through with today’s every 10 years if no polavailable tests. This year, yps are detected. If polyps the American Cancer Sociare detected, it is recomety expects over 101,610 Dr. Hardy mended that the patient new cases of colon cancer have another surveillance and over 43,340 new cases colonoscopy in three to five years. of rectal cancer to be diagnosed. Howard Hardy III, MD, and Charles Again, if you are at high risk, have a Eisengart, MD, from Robert Wood family history, or have had colon canJohnson University Hospital Hamil- cer before, speak with your physician ton, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, about how often you should have the

Ask The Doctor

procedure. Are there any warning signs of colorectal cancer? Dr. Hardy: Adults should talk to their family and doctors to determine their family history, but they should also know the following warning signs and symptoms: a change in bowel habits that lasts for more than a few days, including diarrhea, constipation, or a sensation that your bowel is still not empty after a bowel movement; bright red or very dark blood in your stool; constant tiredness; stools that are thinner than usual; stools that appear slimy or that have a mucous film on them; persistent gas pains, bloating, fullness, or cramps; unexplained weight loss; or vomiting. Is colorectal cancer genetic? Dr. Hardy: While a healthy lifestyle can greatly reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer, genetics still play a major role. Colon cancer can often be caused by genetic factors, or mutated genes that are inherited from our ancestors and immediate family members. Genetic testing may provide peace of mind to those with a history of family illness and can eliminate the need for unnecessary checkups. For individuals with high colorectal cancer risk factors, screening should begin at an earlier age and they should be screened more often. How can I prevent colorectal cancer? Dr. Hardy: Many lifestyle-related factors have been linked to colorectal cancer. Some lifestyle changes that help to reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer and to promote overall wellness and colon health include: exercising at least 30 minutes a day, five times a week; maintaining a healthy weight with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 18-25; limiting alcohol consumption; and stopping smoking and/or using tobacco. Schedule an appointment with Howard Hardy, III, MD at (609) 896-1700. downsizing or creating healthier surroundings, this discussion is for you. Shirley Roberts, MA, LPC, NCCVirtual

class. Call to register. 10:30 a.m.

Thursday, January 7

Healthy Bones. (609) 584-5900. Join, Sara I. Ali, MD, Geriatric & Internal Medicine to learn how diet, physical activity and other lifestyle factors can affect your bone mass. Virtual class. Call to register. 1 p.m.

Monday, January 11

Plant Based Comfort Foods. (609) 5845900. Cold winter months often center on feel good food…and that’s OK! Learn how to optimize delectable down home favorites into wholesome recipes that the whole family will enjoy. With Alyssa Luning, RD, CSOWM, registered dietitian/ board certified specialist in obesity &andweight management. Virtual class format. Call to register. 6:15 p.m.

Tuesday, january 12

Fireside Chat. (609) 584-5900. Learn about CHF—its causes, signs and symptoms, diet, when to notify the MD/NP, and more. With Ann Mancuso, BSN, RN, CHFN. Virtual class. Call to register. 10:30 a.m.

Tuesday, january 19

Healthy Mind, Healthy Aging. (609) 5845900. Join Shirley Roberts, MA, LPC, NCC and Community Health Educator, to learn what it means to take care of our brain and cognitive function. Shirley will also touch on our emotions and psychological health. Participation exclusive to Better Health members. Virtual class. Call to register. 1:30 p.m.

Tuesday, january 26

Navigating the Medicaid Process. (609) 584-5900. ustin Scott, Esq. and author of Senior Shakedown: Unknown Dangers of Getting Old, and How to Protect Your Loved Ones, discusses the process and benefits of Medicaid. Participation exclusive to Better Health members. Virtual class. Call to register. 3 p.m.

Wednesday, january 27

Catch That Fall Before it Happens. (609) 584-5900. Winter weather can create risks, and a fall can be life-changing. Join physical therapist Dr. Maureen Stevens and occupational therapist Sarah Masco to learn about risk factors, prevention and staying safe both inside and outside. Virtual class. Call to register. 1 p.m.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Like us on Facebook and Instagram 18Ewing Observer | January 2021

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O L E S

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No payments for

90 Days3

Apply today at gocunj.com/lifestyle or by calling (609) 538-4061.

1 Data regarding 2018 credit card debt in New Jersey households was pulled from ValuePenguin: (https://www.valuepenguin.com/average-credit-card-debt#by-region). 2 Annual Percentage Rate (APR) effective as of July 1, 2018. Subject to credit approval. Financing available up to 60 months. Rates as low as 6.24% for 36 months, 7.24% for 48 months, and 8.24% for 60 months. Rates are based on credit worthiness. Payment amount is determined by APR and term. The loan payment is $30.54 per $1,000 borrowed at 6.24% for 36 months. The loan payment is $24.07 per $1,000 borrowed at 7.24% for 48 months. The loan payment is $20.40 per $1,000 borrowed at 8.24% for 60 months. Rates subject to change at any time. 3 Each personal loan closed during this promotional period will make no payments for 90 days. Accepting the terms of "no payment for 90 days offer" will extend the maturity of your loan for at least 90 days but less than 110 days. If accepting the delayed first payment, you will not be eligible for any other skipping/delaying your payment during 2020. Interest will accrue during this period. Loan amounts of up to $25,000 are available. Processing fee of $35 will apply. Federally insured by NCUA. Equal Housing Lender.

20ď&#x20AC;źEwing Observer | January 2021