JULY 2020 FREE
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Biking gone virtual
Feeding the Valley, one bus at a time
Ride for Runaways takes new form
Mobile food pantry delivers produce, dairy, grain
BY NICOLE VIVIANO
The Anchor House annual 500-mile bike ride fundraiser has been reimagined into a virtual experience to cater to the current restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s Anchor House Virtual Ride for Runaways will mark the 42nd year of the massive fundraising event that brings in over $500,000 for the year for the Trentonbased organization. “Everybody has their own goal,” COO of Anchor House Foundation Kathy Drulis said. “As much as they love biking and they love what we do, they so believe in Anchor House so that’s what has always made our event so successful.” This year’s change has brought many veteran participants back as well as new ones. Mark Smith has taken part in Anchor House’s traditional 500-mile trek for 30 years. To commemorate his years of commitment, Smith, a veterinarian at Hopewell Veterinary Group Inc., set a personal goal to raise $30,000, or $1,000 for every year he has participated. As of June 23, Smith raised $25,125 and pledged that if his donors help him raise within See ANCHOR HOUSE, Page 4
BY NICOLE VIVIANO
Hundreds of Hopewell residents gathered at the Hopewell Township Police Department June 13, 2020 to advocate for police accountability. The rally was organized by Paul Pierson, whose brotherin-law, Michael Sherman, filed a lawsuit against the department in 2017, citing racial discrimination and harrassment. Sherman is still on unpaid leave. (Photo courtesy of Sheila Fields.)
‘More than just protesting’ Residents seek accountability from township police BY SAM SCIARROTTA
Transparency is all Paul Pierson wants from the Hopewell Township Police Department. And he—along with hundreds of other Hopewell residents— took his case right to the building’s front door. Pierson organized the Hopewell Township Rally for Police Accountability, held June
13 in the parking lot of the township municipal complex parking lot. He set up the peaceful protest in honor of his brotherin-law, Michael Sherman, who has been an officer with the HTPD for over 20 years. Sherman, who is Black, sued the department for discrimination last year. He says he was the subject of racist jokes and remarks and overheard a number of racist comments during his time with the HTPD. Sherman repeatedly reported the harassment to high-ranking officers. The recent deaths of Ahmaud
Arbery, who was shot and killed by two white men while out on a jog, and George Floyd, the Minnesota resident who was killed by Minneapolis Police Department officer Derek Chauvin he held his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, spurred Pierson to speak up. He was also moved by the story of Christian Cooper, a Black man who was birdwatching in Central Park when Amy Cooper, a white woman, called the police on him without reason. “It’s those implied biases,” Pierson, a 15-year Air Force vetSee POLICE, Page 8
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Through the collaborative efforts of Hopewell Borough, Hopewell Township, Pennington Borough, the regional school district and dedicated volunteers, a local food pantry and delivery system has been up and running since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Resident families and individuals in the Hopewell Valley area who need help providing food due to financial troubles, time restraints or any other concerns are being catered to through the contactless and confidential startup. The Hopewell Valley Mobile Food Pantry was founded in March. HVRSD superintendent Tom Smith reached out to local towns regarding the actions being taken to ensure children in the free and reduced lunch program would continue to receive meals while in quarantine. It became apparent that many children, families and local residents, including seniors, were in need of similar help. “I think what the pantry showed, there is a need in our See PANTRY, Page 6
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Confronting what scares us SAM SCIARROTTA FROM THE EDITOR
who speaks on behalf of Michael Sherman, his brother-in-law who says he faced racial discrimination as a sergeant with the Hopewell Township Police Department (see story on the cover), as well as the over 90 residents who made their voices heard about racism in town at a council meeting in June. It’s important to approach the pandemic with a similar mindset, too. Coronavirus is real, and while numbers in New Jersey are on a steady decline, that doesn’t mean it’s over. We can’t ignore COVID-19 just because we’re bored or because we miss watching baseball at a bar. The reality is that we’re living through the catastrophic spread of a new disease that doesn’t have a cure or a vaccine and that has killed nearly half a million people worldwide. For now, it’s here to stay, and we have to alter our way of life, not go back to normal. Confront it head-on by listening to what health officials say. This country is transforming. It might be scary, difficult or annoying to face these realities, but the time for fragility is long gone. Racism kills, and it exists, even here. Black lives matter. Wear a mask. Keep your neighbors safe.
Sometimes it can be easier to ignore, rather than face, our problems or difficult situations. I know I’m certainly guilty of doing that. It can be hard to confront head-on something that makes us uncomfortable, or that makes us think critically about people, places and things we love. But it’s time to discard that way of thinking. We’ve watched as racism and racist policies have pervaded—and helped build—this nation’s foundation and history. And, not for the first time, that was challenged over the last month. Protesters took to the streets in defiance of police brutality against Black men and women. Thousands marched down Broad Street in Philadelphia, in New York City, in Minneapolis, in San Francisco and Washington, D.C.—massive demonstrations were held all over the world in some of our biggest cities. But they were also held here in the Hopewell Valley because, as difficult as it might be for some to admit, racism is just as pervasive here as it is anywhere Contact SAM SCIARROTTA: ssciarrotta@ else. It’s important for us all to acknowl- communitynews.org, (609) 396-1511, ext. edge that fact, just like Paul Pierson, 121, facebook.com/samsciarrotta1
We are a newsroom of your neighbors. The Express is for local people, by local people. As part of the community, the Hopewell Express 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 region a closer place by giving readers a reliable source to turn to when they want to know what’s going on in their neighborhood. EDITOR Samantha Sciarrotta (Ext. 121) STAFF WRITER Nicole Viviano CONTRIBUTING COLUMNISTS Robin Schore, Lisa Wolff AD LAYOUT AND PRODUCTION Stacey Micallef
Community News Service 15 Princess Road, Suite K Lawrence, NJ 08648 Phone: (609) 396-1511 News: news@communitynews.org Events: events@communitynews.org Sports: sports@communitynews.org Letters: ssciarrotta@communitynews.org Website: hopewellexpress.com Facebook: facebook.com/hopewellexpress Twitter: twitter.com/mercerspace 11,000 copies of the Hopewell Express are mailed or bulk-distributed to the residences and businesses of Pennington, Hopewell Township and Hopewell Borough 12 times a year.
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AROUND TOWN Community garden opens The D&R Greenway Land Trust’s inaugural Community Victory Gardens, located at the St. Michaels Farm Preserve, is open for business. The gardens aim to provide nearby residents with healthy ways of eating and support people in need of food security. “We are all hungry for a sense of belonging, being outdoors and living healthy right now,” said D&R Greenway president and CEO Linda Mead. “These times hearken back to the Great Depression, when Victory Gardens provided important sustenance for those who lost jobs or were on limited income, strapped for food. I especially liked the suggestion to include ‘Charity Plots’ where gardeners donate plants, time and harvest to support those in need.” Six of the 32 garden plots are reserved for charity. All plots are designated for this pilot year. Hopewell resident Corinne Egner is managing the schedule for gardeners who have donated plants and seed, and time to weed, water and harvest the produce. The vegetables will be donated to the new nonprofit at Hopewell’s Aunt Chubby’s Luncheonette, feeding 30 local families identified by local churches and a doctor. Many community members have already donated produce and time for charity plot use. The plots were designed with social distancing and safety protocol in mind. The 15-ft.-by-15-ft. plots were designed with 10-ft. wide pathways in between. The water tower that D&R Greenway keeps filled is the location of a sanitizing station for all gardeners to use. Social distancing rules apply, including wearing your own gloves when using any shared tools. D&R Greenway invites the public to visit the preserve. Remember to social distance to keep everyone safe. For more information, contact Deb Kilmer at dkilmer@drgreenway.org.
Stony Brook student wins art contest
The nonprofit Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey is celebrat-
ing the winners of the 18th annual Species on the Edge Art and Essay Contest with an online art show throughout the month of June. The statewide educational contest is open to all fifth-graders and inspires students to explore wildlife and biology by writing a well-researched essay and creating original artwork on New Jersey’s endangered and threatened species. Mercer County’s first place winner is Ishaan Puhan from Stony Brook Elementary School. “In this incredibly challenging time when we appreciate the natural world around us more than ever, these talented children inspire us with their vibrant artwork and passionate essays about rare wildlife species in New Jersey, from the bobcat to the piping plover,” said David Wheeler, CWF executive director. “We certainly wish that we could have honored them in person, surrounded by their families and teachers, but protecting their health through social distancing is obviously our top priority. We hope that they can join us for an in-person field trip later this summer if health guidelines allow it.” Students were asked to draw a picture of one of New Jersey’s over 80 endangered and threatened wildlife species and compose an essay about how the animal became endangered and what can be done to help protect it. The Species on the Edge Art and Essay Contest encourages students to learn about local environmental issues, express their concerns for the world around them, think creatively about ways to improve it, and to consider how their actions impact the natural world. This year’s group of winners was honored through a virtual art show. Artwork and an excerpt of each essay will be debuted on Conserve Wildlife Foundation’s Facebook page at facebook. com/wildlifenj and collected on CWF’s website at conservewildlifenj.org. WHAT DID WE MISS? What are you noticing in your community? What stories do you think we should tell? Do you have news to share? We want to hear from you. Send your news or tips to news@communitynews.org.
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ANCHOR HOUSE cont. from Page 1 $1,000 of his goal that he will make up the difference. He has sent out 240 letters requesting donations. Looking to this year’s virtual ride, Smith, 67, knows it will be a very different experience. Riding alone or with one friend will be more difficult than when riding with a large group, as it psychologically wears the rider down. The friendships that have been built over years of participation will also be missed, he said. Regardless of this year’s switch, Smith saw the pandemic as no excuse to forget about the needs of the youth population helped by Anchor House. “I see them as the most vulnerable population,” Smith said. “They can't do much themselves, and kids at Anchor House, they've been put into a really tough, tough spot as far as I'm concerned…And when I found out about Anchor House, and a chance to do more than just send a check once a year or twice a year, it was the perfect opportunity to do something to really help a lot of kids.” Participants have a profile on the official Anchor House Virtual Ride for Runaways website, where they can display the funds they have raised and what their monetary and distance goals are, as well as options for posting blog entries of their participation. The site will remain up throughout the length of the ride and the year, so donors may continue to contribute funds towards Anchor House. Involvement may be different this year but it has offered the option to join for those who haven’t been able to participate in the past. Along with the decision to forego the group aspect of the ride and move everything remote, the Anchor House team created two more options for participation. This year, participants can choose the regular 500-mile bike ride, the new 250-mile bike ride or a new 100-mile walk. Over the past 41 years of the ride, the 500-mile ride has been done over a course of a week. This year, the event has been expanded to last six weeks—43 days—to accommodate both new and veteran participants. “We wanted to kind of keep it that same endurance goal,” said Drulis, a Ewing resident. “We like to equate it with you’re helping out kids who struggle every day and so we want to have an event that is a struggle.” The change has found its way into including participants, including a mother and daughter from Lawrence. Cheryl Curbishley has participated in six Anchor House rides over the years, along with some of her family members, and is back again this year. She is set to complete the 500-mile ride, while her daughter, Gwyn, is signed on to complete the 250-mile ride. Although Gwyn has participated in the 500-mile ride in the past with her family, the option this year to do the shorter ride was what fit with her schedule this year. “I feel like it's more accessible for
4 Hopewell Express | July2020
Hopewell veterinarian Mark Smith bikes in the 2017 Anchor House Ride for Runaways. This year’s race will be done virtually. (Photo by Jeanne Imbrigiotta.) people to sign up for the six-week challenge because of the virtual ride… you're not going to have to take a week off of work,” Cheryl Curbishley said. “You can do an hour ride in the evening after your job. You can do that a couple times a week and then do a long ride on Saturday and Sunday.” A middle school language arts teacher in West Windsor-Plainsboro, Cheryl has known of the Anchor House ride since 1991, when she was dating her now-husband, who was a participating cyclist then and has participated several other times over the years. Being involved with Anchor House allows people to feel connected to helping the vulnerable children that may not have advocates and are living in unimaginable situations, Curbishley said. Anchor House Inc. serves abused, runaway, homeless, aging out and atrisk youth and their families in the Mercer County and Central New Jersey areas. Emergency shelter, transitional living, homelessness housing and street outreach programs, along with opportunities to learn life skills and receive school-based counseling and parent support services are initiatives that need the funding raised by the ride. Managing the funds raised is the charity arm of Anchor House, Anchor House Foundation Inc. Working as a separate, tax-exempt non-profit, the foundation provides the Trenton organization with grant funding throughout the year for its programs. The programs have helped youth grow to aspire and achieve their goals despite the difficult situations they find themselves in. Zena Aluboudi, 20, has been a part of the Anchor House Anchorage Transitional Living Program for about two years. Between working, attending community college and playing for her college’s basketball team, Aluboudi has experienced the help that the annual ride provides her and so many other youths.
“I'm a student-athlete and I've been working and I've been saving up,” Aluboudi said. “I'm just trying to succeed as much as I can and to set examples and standards for other residents and other people that were once like me with no home, to see that there is hope, that you can make it out and just work hard.” Contributions from the annual ride help those youths in Anchor House programs to continue education and work towards bigger goals. Aluboudi is on track to complete her associate’s degree and moving on to Rutgers-Newark to finish a four-year degree. Along with playing basketball for Rutgers, she wants to acquire an internship at the statehouse or a law office to help her achieve her dream of becoming a defense attorney and working in congress one day. In the past, Aluboudi and many other kids involved in Anchor House have participated in the ride’s send-off event and welcoming back celebration, traditionally held at Quaker Bridge Mall. This year will be different, but the children of Anchor House still see the importance of being a part of the fundraiser. Aluboudi plans to join Anchor House executive director Kim McNear, a Lawrence resident, in the 100-mile walking event, while creating and holding signs to bring awareness to Anchor House supporters and riders. “I feel like this ride affects specifically the community because I consider myself to be one of the lucky individuals that have come through these doors,” Aluboudi said. “Because Anchorage
and Anchor House, they really provide these youths with so much opportunities, with scholarships, with opportunities for work, just life skills in general.” The decision to go virtual was made jointly between the Anchor House Foundation Ride Committee, the foundation’s Board of Directors and the executive director of Anchor House. Changing the platform of the ride while keeping to the same start date as previous years was seen as the best option to keep the community of bikers engaged and safe. The ride kicks off on July 11, allowing participants to sign up until the day before. By making this year’s ride an option of different route lengths over a longer period of time, the goal was to encourage more individuals to join who may have helped out in previous years or shied away from the strenuous 500 miles traditionally completed in a week. “This is a unique situation,” President of Anchor House Foundation Board of Directors Thaddeus Mikulski said. “It appears that we are attracting some people who might not otherwise have been involved.” Although Anchor House intends to continue their ride fundraiser normally in coming years, they do intend to learn from this year’s altered event, said Mikulski, an attorney in Pennington. The six-week window is meant to create an option so that participants don’t need to take off from work and may complete their miles as they please, making aggressive training
not as necessary as previous years. Although the group aspect of the ride will not be the same Anchor House is working to make sure participants still know how much they are helping. Lawn signs and painted rocks are being worked on by Anchor House and its youth to help spread the word around Mercer County of the time and efforts the riders and walkers are contributing. Whether on their own, with family members, outside or indoors, the Anchor House ride is on its way to raising its funding for the year. Every rider or walker is asked to raise a certain amount depending on their participation. Every cyclist riding 500 miles is asked to raise $750. Cyclists riding 250 miles are asked to raise $500. Walkers or runners are asked to complete 100 miles and raise $200. “I think we're hoping that again, the awareness is raised for the issues that our young people are facing, the programs and services that Anchor House offers and how vital they are to our community,” said McNear, the Anchor House executive director. “We are really hoping in the midst of everything that's going on, really looking for an opportunity to provide a little bit of normalcy, if you will. So for those who've been going on the ride 30 plus years you become used to that, one or two years you become used to it…that sense of family.” Contact staff writer NICOLE VIVIANO: nviviano@communitynews.org, (609) 3961511, ext. 118, twitter.com/nicoleviviano, facebook.com/nicoleviviano609.
July 2020 | Hopewell Express5
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PANTRY continued from Page 1 community,” Smith said. “Whether it remains in its current location or transitions someplace else, I do think that there’s a need to support families in our community. So the future is probably that it will stay in the community.” With the HVRSD already using a bus delivery system for its free and reduced lunch program at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, adding a community food pantry to the operation would require teamwork from the municipalities and local organizations. Since its start, pantry volunteers have been abundant. The five-day-a-week volunteer schedule is managed on SignUpGenius and is booked through August. “For me it’s just so remarkable to see the outpouring of support,” Pennington Mayor Joseph Lawver said. “There’s not one person that I have reached out to who did anything but say, ‘Yes, and what else can I do for you?’” Daily volunteer Heidi Olson retired from 34 years of teaching in October, most of her time spent at Hopewell Elementary School. When the virus hit, she immediately started searching for ways to help her community. Since March, the Ewing resident has signed on to volunteer five days a week. She helps collect donations, sort supplies and bag them. “I was absolutely thrilled,” Olson said. “I still am. Because I know the families in the district and many of them I know more personally because I taught their kids.” Teachers and district parents are among those who help by volunteering their time at the pantry. Donations have been received from the teacher’s union and district students. “I’ve been impressed by the amount
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of donation and it’s been consistent for nearly four months now,” pantry volunteer Paula Hearle said. “And it’s increasing, people don’t forget, people don’t stop donating, they’re very kind. There’s a great sense of community.” Those involved with the pantry have been part of the push to reach out to more families that haven’t utilized the food available and may be in a tough situation. Hearle said that eligibility for the pantry is simply if there is any need. Those who may not consider themselves in need but may find themselves bogged down by athome work, child care and other commitments due to the pandemic are all welcome to take part in the pantry’s offering. Contacting the pantry or showing up for their weekly pickup option comes with no questions asked—only if they reside in the Hopewell Valley area. “It is kind of blurring those lines between education and community,” Smith said. “You got a lot of people who really love our community and want to make sure people are taken care of.” The pantry is working out of the gym in the school district’s administrative office building, located at 425 S. Main St., Pennington. Donations are sorted, bagged and sent off for contactless delivery on district school buses. Heather Van Mater, director of transportation for the HVRSD, has been involved with organizing grocery deliveries since the free and reduced lunch program went mobile. She manages the bus routes, drivers and driver assistants to ensure a smooth and safe delivery process for the pantry. She even takes some deliveries out herself. An email is sent out to those on the week’s list, explaining that the deliveries will be on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to around 1 p.m. Produce, dairy and grain donations are received from the USDA, Rolling Harvest, Gravity Hill Farms and Howell Living History Farm. When there are gaps in certain products needed for distribution, the pantry has worked with Pennington Quality Market to make up the difference. “The overwhelming amount of products come from people, just residents who continue to fill our donation bin every day,” Lawver said. “That’s where the vast majority of stuff comes from.” Fresh produce donations are kept refrigerated, off-site at the high school, until delivery days. Along with food donations and packing, the “Grab and Go” in-person pickup option, added to the pantry’s functions in late May, is also run at HVRSD administration building. The pickup option is held on Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. “We started the ‘Grab and Go’ so that other members in the community that we know could benefit from
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the food can just pull up to the board office and all we do is ask them if they live in Hopewell Valley, that’s their only requirement,” Olson said. “Folks should look at it really as a community who wants to support others, period,” Smith said. “And that’s it. There’s no judgement, no questions, nothing. It’s just making sure that people are being supported, particularly in this time. And then moving forward we want it to continue.” A June 18 update on the pantry GoFundMe shared that the school bus deliveries, special deliveries and “Grab and Go” helped feed 72 families in Hopewell Valley that week. This marks a 70 percent increase from just three weeks prior, according to Lawver. The families received 191 bags of groceries and 72 boxes of produce. Additionally, the pantry sent produce to HomeFront, in Lawrence, and continued sharing excess produce with Ewing Helping Hands, another startup created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Hopewell Council of Churches is also given key products and produce, which they use to prepare meals two to three times a week for about 15 seniors. The pantry is hoping to help more families in need through social media, word of mouth and further communication with local groups. After a communication push in late May, an additional 20 to 25 families were added to the list of those receiving confidential aide. Mayors from Pennington, Hopewell Borough, Hopewell Township, admin-
istrators from each town and president of HVRSD Board of Education were brought together to figure out the logistics of running a multi-town mobile pantry. District Board of Education president Deborah Linthorst has been working as an unofficial dispatcher. She is the point of contact for those inquiring about the pantry and manages social media. Pennington Mayor Lawver has played a large role since the idea for the pantry was thought up. He continues to manage volunteers and other efforts to ensure the pantry is helping as many people as possible. Financial donations are handled in part through the pantry’s partnership with the local YMCA. The aid that the nonprofit offers also includes securing food donations. As of June 25, the pantry’s GoFundMe has raised over $20,000, which is pledged 100 percent to helping Hopewell Valley families in need. “It’s just a sign that we live in a really lovely community,” Hearle said. “And people don’t forget, everybody’s having their hardships, but they’re not forgetting that people need help.” For more information on the Hopewell Valley Mobile Food Pantry, visit the official Facebook page. Contact the pantry via email HVMobileFoodPantry@ gmail.com or call (609) 403-0327. Contact staff writer NICOLE VIVIANO: nviviano@communitynews.org, (609) 3961511, ext. 118, twitter.com/nicoleviviano, facebook.com/nicoleviviano609.
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8 Hopewell Express | July2020
POLICE continued from Page 1 eran, said. “I began to have these internal conflicts about everything I believed in for this country that I was willing to die for. It also started with some other conversations I was seeing on Facebook. I said, ‘Enough is enough.’ I needed to do something.” So Pierson organized the rally and started to spread the word. “It’s more than just protesting,” he said. “It’s not a march, but it’s a rally for accountability, for the department to take ownership of its actions. It starts at the top. When we talk about systemic racism and what’s happening, we believe it starts at the top when something is reported and still nothing is done. We need to take a stand and let people know that it’s happening in your backyard.” Sherman’s suit has not been resolved, and he has not been allowed to get back to work, Pierson said. He has been on unpaid leave since the lawsuit was filed. “He’s fit for duty,” he said. “Let him return to work. If there are no issues, then he’s ready to work. He’s a police officer. That’s what he’s done for the last 20 years. Clear it up, and let him move on.” Pierson, a Bordentown resident, said Sherman has not ever heard from his employer—about the lawsuit or otherwise—in over a year. “If there has been an investigation, we want to see it,” Pierson said. “There is video footage. Release that to the public. That is what we’re asking for— transparency from the department that polices the community.” That is what Pierson hopes comes from the rally. He wants accountability from the system, from police officers all the way up to the chief of police and the mayor. He wants the results of any internal or external investigation related to Sherman’s lawsuit to be released. And he wants the rot in the department to be cleared. The rally had already been planned when five Hopewell Township Police Department officers, as well as another employee, were suspended earlier this week after posting and reacting to anti-Black Lives Matter sentiments—one of which called supporters of the movement “terrorists”—on Facebook, the Trentonian first reported. The Hopewell Township Committee says it learned of the post on June 8, and the employees were put on paid leave. “The township has employed an independent investigator to review the civilian cases, and an independent hearing office will review the police department cases,” the committee said in the June 16 statement. “We are committed to ensuring this investigation is completed as soon as possible.” In its statement, the township said it was unable to comment on any active legal matters. Also in its statement, the Hopewell Township Committee invited public comments at its June 22 Zoom-based meeting, as well as at future meetings. And residents answered that call. Over 90 people participated in the meeting, sharing testimonies about the way racism in the HTPD has impacted the community, said resident Olivia Allen.
Some spoke to Sherman’s character and called for him to be reinstated. Others said they hoped to see a complete restructuring of the HTPD. Many advocated for consistent bias training for officers and clear transparency from the department. Allen also discussed an incident where a high school classmate threatened to burn down her house because she has a Black father. Others shared countless instances of similar stories. “It was heartwrenching to hear those stories from our neighbors,” said Mayor Kristin McLaughlin. “I really don’t have a better word for it than ‘heartwrenching.’ As painful as it was to hear the sorrow and anger, I was also grateful that they took the time to let us hear their voices. We were elected to serve our neighbors. And it was very brave of them to come forward.” Committewoman Julie Blake has been active as the body’s police liaison. She’s also heavily involved with a race and diversity group in town for several years, so she has seen some claims like these firsthand. “We’re in the middle of a movement where people are comfortable sharing these stories publicly,” she said. “But privately, it’s not new.” She’s heard residents share experiences of intimidation, discrimination, slurs, racist social media posts—it’s painful to hear those stories, she said, but she and McLaughlin added that they are happy to be in a position where they can make real changes. She started a conversation with the HTPD about use of force in 2016 and went on to talk about immigration policies and practices with undocumented residents in 2017. Every year, Blake said, the committee has a discussion about policing policies that disproportinately affect people of color and how to keep them safe in police encounters. And now, the conversation has shifted to take a more proactive stance, she said. “We need to build trust with the community,” Blake said. “We can create standards in the police department and articulate goals, and I don’t know if we’ve ever done that as a body. We’re planning, but it’s early in terms of what can be instituted.” The township committee was set to meet via Zoom with Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri June 30, after this edition of the paper went to press. Residents were welcome to attend, and the meeting was set to be recorded and posted on the township website. Pierson—and many others with connections to Hopewell—hopes to see change at an even deeper level. “Ultimately, I believe that that police department needs to be rebuilt,” he said. “There is a problem in that department. Suspending the officers, that’s a start, but I believe if you’re the chief, if you’re the mayor, it starts with you. What happens from a leadership perspective? If they’re not going to say something, then what’s the problem? We need to continue to voice ourselves in a peaceful manner.” Contact SAM SCIARROTTA: ssciarrotta@ communitynews.org, (609) 396-1511, ext. 121, facebook.com/samsciarrotta1
the puzzle page Crossword
Community News Service - Trenton/Lawrence/Robbinsville Crossword - 7/20
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10 Like some songs or people 11 Barely get, with “out” 12 Soapmaker’s need 18 Actress Samantha 21 Equip again 23 Be bedridden 27 Emerged 28 Track events 30 “J’accuse” author 32 Kind of lamp 33 Broadcasted again 34 Like a gymnast 35 Negotiating 36 Phi ___ Kappa 38 High spirits 39 And others (Abbr.)
43 Carrot family 45 Flax family 48 Back muscle, for short 50 Owner's real estate value 53 Believe in 54 Surmise 56 Period in history 57 Move crabwise 58 Chamber groups 60 “Cogito, ___ sum” 62 Brings to a close 63 Bake sale org. 64 Ventilate 66 Way of the East
Puzzle solution is on Page 10
July 2020 | Hopewell Express9
COMMUNITYNEWS COMMUNITYNEWS
Help Tally the Valley LISA WOLFF
c o m m u nity new s . org
subject and log its GPS location. Other members can confirm your findings and add their own. Over time data is gathered to share sightings throughout the world. Tally the Valley will launch the first of the series On Sunday June 28 in your own backyard and in all of our preserves with butterfly data collection! To join, follow the steps below: 1. Download iNaturalist (compatible with Android and iPhone) and create an account. 2. Familiarize yourself with the app at inaturalist.org. 3. Join FoHVOS “Tally the Valley: Butterflies” project by selecting on “More” in the bottom right of the screen and search for our project name. Then select “Join”. 4. Use our “FoHVOS: Hopewell Butterflies” Guide to help you spot species in the Valley. You can log sightings in your backyard or we encourage you to visit one of our many preserves. Accessing our guide is as simple as joining our project, simply select “More” then “Guides”, and search “FoHVOS: Hopewell Butterflies” This collection project will be open until further notice. Keep an eye out for additional “Tally the Valley” Projects to be launched later this year! Visit fohvos.org if you need more information on joining Tally the Valley.
NATURE IN THE VALLEY
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Ever since the stay at home orders, people have been getting outdoors in record numbers. As the CDC has pointed out, it is far less likely to contract the virus outdoors. Further, if contracted outdoor exercise helps reduce or prevent the respiratory disease (ARDS) that is the major cause of death among COVID-19 patients. Hopefully as the state reopens folks will continue spending time outdoors, not only because it helps in this current crisis, but also it is helpful for long-term physical, mental, and spiritual health. Walking and biking are great ways to get around, but let’s talk about exploring a bit once you’re out there. As a bonus, maybe you can engage in a bit of citizen science. “Citizen Science” is a fancy way of saying regular folks can help observe nature and report back in order to contribute to scientific research. The biggest challenge is knowing how to get started. Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space is making it easy by launching a comprehensive citizen science series known as “Tally the Valley” that provides a fun and educational way to collect and report data using a free phone app known as INaturalist. Have you ever spotted an insect or a flower and wondered what it was? Trenton/Lawrence/Robbinsville Crossword - 7/20 Under Tally The Valley, an iNatural- Lisa Wolff is the executive director of ist Collection Project, you to snap a Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space. picture and it will search a vast data- She can be reached by email at lwolff@ base of flora and fauna to identify the fohvos.org.
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What else could happen? ROBIN SCHORE SCHORE TO PLEASE
establish residence under your deck, and no animal control service is willing to remove the creature. Even though you haven’t shopped in months, you discover that the owners of all your favorite big box stores are NRA-supporting, homophobic major donors to the Republican party. Where can you go now for your essential items like balloons, ribbons, screws, and cheapo batteries? Perhaps you left a librar y book out in the rain. Now you dread the moment (any year now) when the public libraries re-open and you are afraid that your librar y card might be revoked as punishment for showing insuf ficient respect for books. Speaking of wet, you could find that for the fifth day in a row, the newspaper has arrived soaked. And it hadn’t even rained in a week. You could discover that deer have eaten an entire rosebush just as it was about to bloom. You might find that you have suddenly developed an allergy to Oreos, a unique and untreatable condition never before seen in the histor y of medical science. The symptoms are best not discussed in public. So you’re off cookies, but you still have coffee. But what if your coffee spilled onto your laptop destroying a lifetime of irreplaceable pictures recording the growth of your favorite stand of poison ivy? You might wake up and realize that you forgot to put out your garbage in time for pick-up. You are now stuck for another week with a bin full of dirty diapers and the temperature is in the 90s. And, finally, the coup de grace, the ultimate in agony and misfortune, you stub your toe on the kitchen table and hop around the house shrieking for over half an hour. Even though it seems that the above unbearable possibilities might be just ahead, do keep a sense of propor tion. There is still a pandemic, still economic collapse, still police brutality, and still the imminent threat of a madman destroying the American democracy. Forget about your toe. When will this ghastly confluence stop?
OK, so we have a pandemic with over 100,000 deaths in this country, a collapsed economy with millions out of work, police murdering Black people on television and a president with “authoritarian tendencies” (code words for hankering to be a fascist dictator). What else could happen? What’s left? The oceans could rise and flood coastal areas. Rhinos could be dying out because some folks think their horns will enhance their masculine prowess. Elephants could disappear because people have an insatiable need for car ved ivor y. The Amazon could be destroyed so gold-diggers can dig for gold leading to rising temperatures world-wide. Toilet paper could become scarce. Or the police could start beating up old people. Oh yeah, all that is already happening. But what hasn’t happened yet? An asteroid could crash into the earth and cause total extinction of mankind along with the cancellation of at least one season of daytime television and drastic interference with cellphone operation. Aliens could invade from another solar system, colonize the planet, and require all earthlings to paint their skin orange. Perhaps the thong could rip out from a favorite pair of Flip-flops. The damage is irreparable. There goes $12.99 down the drain. Perhaps your mother-in-law could move in, requiring extensive research into mother-in-law jokes. You could wake up one morning and find that your car has a flat tire. And you haven’t driven it anywhere in two months. You might find yourself unfriended by your best friend over political differences. Now you have no friends. (Oh yeah, that already happened.) Perhaps your neighbor’s dog might once again start barking at 1 a.m. When it stops at 3 a.m., a mighty yowling might begin as cats engage in a fierce territorial battle over rights to the steps in front of your house. Worse than that, your kitchen might be invaded by ants (again). Robin Schore is a resident of Hopewell And even worse, a skunk might Borough.
Forget about your toe. When will the ghastly confluence stop?
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