Hamilton Hamilton Post
FEBRUARY 2022
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Community embraces John O. Wilson Center John Rafferty in 1978. The center was named after its founder, Rev. Wilson. The mission of the Wilson Center Social services are any provided services intended to aid disadvan- is to strengthen individuals, support taged, distressed, or vulnerable per- families and build thriving communisons or groups. These are services ties in Hamilton. Half of the Wilson Center facility is occuthat no one thought pied by Gateway Head they might need, but Start Mercer County which thankfully have and ushers in 85 prebeen provided for many school age kids every years in Hamilton. weekday morning. This There are a few is one facet of the Cenplaces in Hamilton that ter, which has six preoffer social services on school classrooms. an ongoing basis and The other main focus offer support for people of the Center is a food in need. The longest pantry, and homeless social services center in prevention services Hamilton is the John O. which can be rent Wilson Hamilton Neighand utility assistance. borhood Center, located There are also many on 169 Wilfred Ave.,off Laurethea Kidd senior services such Cedar Lane. as administering the “We look after the forgotten people.” Say Wilson Center’s Mercer County Senior Nutrition Prodirector, Laurethea Kidd. “Yes there gram, meaning hot meals at a much are forgotten people right here in Ham- reduced price for our seniors. Livia Childers, from Hamilton, is among the many students who train and perform Alongside the lunches there is a with Ballet Central New Jersey. (Photo by Anna Ksenzenko.) ilton. The young, the single moms, the sick, the old and those with dementia. computer lab where those who need It is my life mission and in my make up emailing, copying or printing are free to do so. There are also monthly to help them.” The Wilson Center was a vision Lunch-and-Learn meetings that prothat originated from the late Rev. Dr. vide lunch and discussion of finance, othermorning, topics. a message written in chalk appeared John O. Wilson, who wished to estab- health, exercise and One front of RWJBarnabas Health facility. The words Nestled in what is in known asan White lish a program to assist children of couldn’tfrom havethe been simpler, or more soul stirring, low income families in Hamilton. The City and built two blocks more accurate. Phillips Church, program began in the basement of St. original center at St. or Phillips Baptist Church on Parkinson the Wilson Center is a mainstay of By ThOMas KeLLy been in its Hamilton location for 10 the neighborhood. Director Kidd Avenue in Hamilton. years now and is sending students out The program became Mercer puts her arms out in a hugging into the ballet world. Ballet originated in Italy in Renais“Heroes County Head Start of Hamilton. Head motion and says, “The neighbors and sance Located on Tennis Court near the work Italy here.”in the early 1500’s. DancStart programs try to ensure the neighborhood embrace this center. ers were entertaining royalty and aris- popular Ice Land Skating Center, Balschool readiness of infants, toddlers, They are participants, stakeholders, tocrats with dances showing strength, let Central New Jersey has three large and preschool-aged children from originators. They are happy that we grace and beauty. Today, this dance is dance studios and has recently nearly Three words of gratitude and popular, encouragement thatroyalty tripled in size. Director-owners Alexare here.” low-income families. even more and not for capturefrom the Lincourage and compassion of health Kidd, who is originally Growing out of the St. Phillips ander Dutko and Thiago Silva have alone anymore. workersdegree here and To share yourcenter created something different that in across church basement a new facility was den, earned her bachelor’s ThereAmerica. is a ballet training thanks or to supportinour Emergency Fund, from Rowan built on Wilfred Avenue with federal law and criminal justice Hamilton thatResponse is helping to make focuses on dance artistry and getting master’s degree champions in dance, not just here but the student dancers out into real world Housing and Urban development University and her visit rwjbh.org/heroes funds and dedicated by then Mayor beyond. Ballet Central New Jersey has See WILSON, Page 10 See BALLET, Page 17 By ThOMas KeLLy
Their courage and compassion inspire us all.
Ballet CNJ marks 10 years in Hamilton
And please, for them, stay home and safe.
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2Hamilton Post | Februar y 2022
Around Town 3 Hamilton Township schools receive character awards Three schools in the Hamilton Township School District have received 2022 New Jersey School of Character awards from Character.org, a national organization. Seventy schools received awards in 2022, out of 180 applicants; 16 were awarded in New Jersey. The three Hamilton schools to receive the award this year are McGalliard Elementary School, Morgan Elementary School and Crockett Middle School. This is the second State of Character award for both McGalliard (2016) and Morgan (2017). Crockett Middle School received an honorable mention award for their work in restorative practices, peer leadership mentoring program, character traits, and virtual clubs. Each year, Character.org certifies schools and districts at the state level that demonstrate a dedicated focus on character development which has a positive effect on academic achievement, student behavior, and school climate. “Each of these schools and districts have put into place a comprehensive initiative that equips and empowers their staff to reinforce and model a range of positive core values that will shape and form the hearts,
Hamilton West High School AP Spanish class: Jocelyn Gonzalez Naranjo, Mellanie Cortes, Arlene Peralta, teacher Seth Chorba, Gian Garcia-Sanmartin, Shalma Massiry Fontalvo and Widmary Hernandez-Lopez.
minds, and choices of their students,” said Dr. Arthur Schwartz, Character.org’s president, in a statement released by the school district. ***
The school district has also initiated a new dual enrollment in conjunction with William Paterson University to offer eligible students access to intermediate-level courses in Spanish and
give them a jump-start on earning college credits while in high school. Twenty-nine students from Hamilton Township’s three high schools— Steinert, Nottingham, and Hamilton West—are enrolled in dual enrollment courses Intermediate Spanish I, Intermediate Spanish II, and Advanced Spanish Composition. Each course is taught by Hamilton teachers under the supervision of Professor Maria Tajes of William Paterson University’s Department of Languages and Cultures. Students who complete the courses will have their credits recorded on an official William Paterson University transcript. In addition, upon entry to the dual enrollment program, Hamilton Township School district students are conditionally admitted to William Paterson pending successful completion of the dual enrollment course with a grade of C or better, and attaining a high school diploma. Students who enroll at the University may apply their credits toward a major in Spanish or toward the world language requirement. For more information, contact Patrick Noonan, director, transfer proSee NEWS, Page 6
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we are a newsroom of your neighbors. The Hamilton Post is for local people, by local people. As part of the community, the Post does more than just report the news—it connects businesses with their customers, organizations with their members and neighbors with one another. As such, our staff sets out to make our town a closer place by giving readers a reliable source to turn to when they want to know what’s going on in their neighborhood. EdITOr Community News Service Joe Emanski (Ext. 120) 9 Princess Road, Suite M Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 CONTrIBuTING WrITErS Phone: (609) 396-1511 Sue Ferrara, Rich Fisher, Thomas Kelly, Bill Sanservino News: news@communitynews.org CONTrIBuTING COLuMNISTS Events: events@communitynews.org Peter Dabbene, Thomas Kelly, Bob Sherman, Jr. Sports: sports@communitynews.org CONTrIBuTING CArTOONIST Letters: jemanski@communitynews.org Liam Simonelli Website: hamiltonpost.com Ad LAyOuT & PrOduCTION Facebook: facebook.com/hamiltonpostnj Stacey Micallef Twitter: twitter.com/mercerspace SENIOr ACCOuNT EXECuTIVE Jennifer Steffen (Ext. 113)
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NEWS continued from Page 3 grams and special sessions, at noonanp@wpunj.edu or Alejandro Batlle, HTSD world languages supervisor, at abatlle@htsdnj.org.
charges were filed. “For six years, the residents of Hamilton have been reminded of the awful fire that took place in 2015,” Martin said in a statement. “It is due time to move forward and rebuild. While we have more work to do on many other Township to demolish vacant and abandoned properties, this fire-damaged East State is a great place to start.” Once demolition is complete, the Street properties township will seek to convert the land Last fall, the Hamilton Township to affordable housing units. Council voted in favor of the demolition of East State Street properties dam- Hamilton schools aged in a 2015 six-alarm fire. On Jan. 26, Mayor Jeff Martin was joined by announce 2022 Summer council vice president Chuddy Whalen, Camp Program councilman Anthony Carabelli, Jr., and director of the Department of CommuThe Hamilton Township School Disnity and Economic Development Fred trict has released details on its 2022 Dumont as demolition began. Summer Camp Program. Seven of the eight condemned propHTSD plans to offer four weeks of erties were damaged in the fire that Camp for Hamilton Township resitore through the 1700 block of East dents, grades K through 12. This State Street, in Hamilton’s Bromley year’s offerings will be in the areas Neighborhood, displacing dozens of of humanities, science, technology, residents. These units are all set to be music, arts, engineering, math and demolished. A private developer pur- sports. All camps are taught by district chased the eighth property prior to educators. acquiring the other vacant properties “We are excited to once again run in 2021 by the township. a summer camp in HTSD. The proAccording to a report in the Tren- gram for the Summer of 2022 includes tonian, township fire officials said some of our most popular camps and that the fire started while roofers a few new and exciting additions. were working on the roof of one of This year’s summer camp looks to get the buildings. In the process of the our students engaged in a variety of roofers heating tar paper for the pur- activities and experiences,” said Scott pose of installing it on the roof, some- Rocco, superintendent of schools, in a thing caught on fire. The fire was con- media release. sidered accidental, and no criminal Parents and guardians may register
Hamilton A’s collect Toys for Tots
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The Hamilton A’s rising 10U baseball team under manager Coach Dave Wariner took the lead for what turned into a leaguewide effort to collect new toys for the Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots program in December. Sterling Title Agency and The Brookwood Cafe allowed collection boxes to be placed at their businesses. The boys also donated allowance money and received donations from family and friends to help fill 3 large boxes with toys. (Photo by Mark Krajnak.) their child for camp beginning Tuesday, Feb. 1. Camp registration may be completed online by visiting the district website, htsdnj.org. There are two options for payment: register online with a credit or debit
card or download and print the Camp Registration Form and submit a money order. Camp registration is accepted on a first come, first served basis. Before and after care will be offered through the Hamilton Area YMCA.
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The other day I waited my turn as I dutifully stood six feet away from the checkout counter. The sign at the cashier read: “Please wait until you are asked to checkout.” The masked cashier, standing behind plexiglass, looks up and says something to me that I could not understand.. “I’m sorry, would you like me to place my items on the counter?” I ask, hoping I guessed correctly. . Apparently I didn’t. As she stops me from placing any more items on the conveyor belt, she repeats her statement from behind the mask and takes out her disinfectant spray and paper towel to wipe down the counter. It only took two verbal cues, a written sign, and overt hand gestures for me to finally understand that she wanted me to wait until she wiped down the counter first. During this covid epidemic, a lot of us are experiencing what it’s like to be someone who is hearing impaired. This new world order of social distancing now requires us to wear masks that muffle our speech. With the addition of background noise and a six foot distance to muffled speech, we find it increasingly difficult to understand what a cashier or even a loved one is saying while we are out in public. I can tell you that as an audiologist, this is a nightmare for many of my patients who are deaf or hard of hearing. Over time, an inability to hear people’s words with repeat communication breakdown leads to social isolation and withdrawal from friends, family and events. We may not have realized how often we use lip reading and facial expressions to make sense of a conversational exchange, especially with background noise, until now. I certainly experienced this at the checkout counter, even with normal hearing. It is easy to imagine how this comes to play with hearing loss. Visual cues supplement what a hard of hearing person misses auditorily, even when hearing devices are utilized. Many refer to this as lip reading or speechreading. I call this “visual hearing,” and it is real. In fact, it is so real, many of my patients remark that they actually hear better when they wear their glasses. We all use our visual cues to understand the entirety of communication exchange to some extent. With facial expressions and lips covered, it is that much more difficult to understand others, and especially for those who are hard of hearing. One patient with severe hearing loss mentioned how challenging it was for her to hear masked people while out shopping- not entirely knowing if someone was speaking to her because she couldn’t see their lips move. “It’s nerve-wracking, walking around not knowing who is actually talking to you, or not being sure of how to respond because you don’t know they are actually talking to you in the first place,” she said. Although modern technology has provided us with the ability to conduct office meetings, learn distantly, as well as video chat with friends and family, it actually creates many hardships for those who are hard of hearing. Consider how challenging holding a conversation is when the phone or computer’s audio doesn’t work properly, disconnects, or poorly projects sound while on a video chat. One becomes reliant on a grainy video at best to make sense of what is being said. Unlike watching television, there is no real-time closed caption option for live video sessions. How easily can we continue a conversation with little to no audio on a video conference? Now we can imagine how those with hearing loss struggle on live video chats. Repeat breakdowns in communication, whether it be in person or online, lead to less social engagement over time. Over time, a hearing-impaired person loses the ability to engage in conversation confidently, or does not want to burden the speaker by having them repeat several times. We have all experienced a situation in which we did not understand someone because it was too noisy. We may even nod in agreement or nervously laugh when we do not understand what was said. People with hearing loss do this all the time. A smile here, a nod there, and not really knowing what their kids laughed at over Thanksgiving dinner but laughing anyway. At some point they may choose not to engage altogether because it’s an awful lot of work, and at times, embarrassing. Little by little they withdraw from friends, family, and events. We now know how real social isolation is through our stay at home order, and we’re seeing it lead to greater levels of anxiety and depression. It is evident that human connection feeds our sense of purpose and levels of hope. Now that we have experienced some of these struggles, I am hoping we can use this time to find compassion for those struggling with communication and connection. Unlike vision loss, hearing loss is invisible. It is difficult to imagine how hard a person with hearing loss struggles because we don’t see it. Helen Keller wrote, “Blindness cuts us off from things, but deafness cuts us off from people.” In the meantime, speak slowly and distinctly. Project your voice if necessary. Be kind. If they can’t see your smile, remember to smile with your eyes. We all deserve to be heard. Dr. Yasmin Battat earned her Master’s Degree Audiology at Hofstra University and her doctorate degree at Salus University. Dr. Battat is licensed through the State of New Jersey and maintains membership in the Academy of Dispensing Audiologists and the American Academy of Audiology. She has over 18 years of experience of treating hearing needs with individualized, whole person care. She is a believer in knowing her patients’ stories and joining them on their journey to hearing wellness. She is the founder and owner of Oracle Hearing Center in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. For more information, go to www.oraclehearingcenter.com or email her at info@oraclehearingcenter.com.
8Hamilton Post | Februar y 2022
Omicron wave washes over Mercer County Highly contagious variant of Covid-19 results in record number of cases in January By BiLL SaNserViNO
One of the biggest challenges yet in the Covid-19 pandemic occurred in January with the emergence of the Omicron variant of the virus. Omicron, which quickly displaced Delta as the dominant strain, was much more contagious than previous variants of Covid-19. While Omicron has been found in studies to cause less severe symptoms than previous strains—especially to got those who have been vaccinated—it infected significantly more people. The variant also evades immunity from vaccinations and past infections. “The numbers we’re seeing today blow anything we have seen since the start of the pandemic out of the water,” said Gov. Phil Murphy during his first briefing on the pandemic of
2022 on Jan. 3. Later in the month, the governor said that an “Omicron tsunami” was washing over the state, referring to the massive numbers of people testing positive for Covid. According to the U.S. Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, the first case of Omicron was discovered in the United States on Nov. 22 in California in a traveler who returned from South Africa, where the variant is believed to have originated. It quickly spread across the country, and the first confirmed case in New Jersey was on Nov. 28. A Georgia woman who had recently traveled from South Africa tested positive, according to state officials. By mid-December, cases were increasing quickly, a trend that continued through Christmas, New Year’s and the first few weeks of January. By the second week of January, cases in New Jersey seemingly peaked and started decreasing almost as fast as they went up. According to state statistics, there were 3,188 cases in New Jersey on Dec. 1, with a seven day average
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www.htsdnj.org Hamilton Township School District 90 Park Avenue, Hamilton, NJ 08690 www.htsdnj.org (609) 631-4100
number of cases of 2,505. Four weeks later, the number of cases on Dec. 29 had increase eight-fold to 26,473, with a 7-day average of 17,449. A little more than a week later, on Jan. 7, there was a pandemic-high number of 38,461 cases reported in one day, with a daily average of 31,173. That was a 12-fold increase from the daily case count on Dec. 1. As of Jan. 26, the number of daily cases had decreased to 7,127, which a seven-day average of 8,538. Mercer County statistics echo state trends. The number of positive cases reported on Dec. 1 in Mercer County was 109, and the seven-day average daily case count was 104. About four weeks later on Dec. 30, the number of people testing positive had increased by 10 times to 1,176, with a daily average of 566. The number of cases in the county peaked on Jan. 5 with 1,480 daily cases, and a daily average of 1,056. This was a 13-fold increase from Dec. 1 in the number of new cases reported. By Jan. 26, the number of new cases had decreased to 263, with a daily average of 368. The previous high number of cases in one day in Mercer County was about 250 at the end of November 2021. Health experts have noted that the actual number of Omicron infections is likely much higher than the official cases count, because people who are asymptomatic and those testing positive on home kits are not included in the official numbers. The number of hospitalized Covid19 patients in Mercer County also significantly increased since the beginning of December, and remains relatively high. The average number of hospitalizations between Dec. 3 and 9 was 68. That number had increased to an average of 278 patients during the week of Jan. 7 to 13. The number of patients for the week of Jan. 14 to 20 was 260. The number of deaths in Mercer County due to Covid also increased during December and January, but were much lower than the peak during May 2020, when the seven-day average number reached 12 deaths per day. At the height of the Omicron peak in mid-January the daily average number of deaths was 4.7. It should be noted that the number of deaths tends to lag a few weeks behind the trend in reported positive cases. *** Although it may be the case that Omicron is milder that than previous variants of Covid, the sheer volume of cases meant higher instances of hospitalizations. The sheer magnitude of infected also caused significant staff shortages in numerous areas. Omicron created a surge that flooded hospitals. Supply chain issues—already a problem due to the pandemic—got worse, and many retail stores and restaurants had to
shorten their hours or close altogether due to staff shortages. Schools struggled to stay open and many districts had to resort to some level of remote learning. This was not only due to the high number of cases among students, there was also a shortage of teachers, due to the amount of staff out sick with the virus. The Hamilton Township School District switched to remote instruction from Jan. 3 to Jan. 7. “The rate of positive cases has increased across our town, state and country,” wrote Superintendent Scott Rocco in a letter to the community on Jan. 3. “Schools are not immune from this issue; however, we are working to address this very fluid situation on a daily basis.” He added: “At this time, due to Covid, HTSD is experiencing significant staffing shortages that will carry on through the week due to required quarantine times. Our schools, principals, faculty and staff will need your understanding and flexibility to address absences.” Rocco said that to address staffing issues, the District has approved 58 new substitute teachers in the last four months and continues to actively recruit more. “This week we have sent correspondence to the 400-plus individuals on our substitute list and we are scheduling substitute teachers and other substitute personnel for next week to address absences,” he said. “However, we have struggled to secure substitutes for every vacancy.” The district returned to full in-person classes the following week on Monday, Jan. 10. School districts do not have the authority to move all students to virtual instruction unless the move is grounded in school district and/or community health data. The ability to offer remote learning as an instructional model was eliminated by the state last year. Meanwhile, the decrease in severity of symptoms and deaths has been attributed to the relatively high rate of vaccinations in New Jersey. State statistics show that 262,359 people have been fully vaccinated in Mercer County as of Jan. 27. A total of 115,509 people had received booster shots of one of the three available vaccines. According to the 2020 Census, the population of Mercer County as of April 1, 2020 was 387,340. Based on those numbers, approximately 67 percent of Mercer County residents are vaccinated, and about 30 percent have received booster shots. “We know what we must do to protect ourselves and loved ones from contracting the virus,” Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes has said in response to the Omicron crisis. “Wear masks in public places, practice physical distancing and frequently wash your hands, but the best prevention strategy is to get vaccinated and get your booster shot.”
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WILSON continued from Page 1 in public administration from Kean University in Union. She has been the director since 2018, and has seen the center’s budget increase by 70% since her start. “We are getting the word out and we are helping people. The more requests and services we provide the more budget is needed and the more we can provide. The help is truly needed.” With a staff of four, volunteers as needed, and a nine-person board of directors at the Wilson Center does a lot. The Food Pantry, which is open Thursdays by appointment, provided food for more than 800 individual visits last year. The pantry provides both nonperishable foods and fresh produce boxes. The nonperishable being canned goods, cereal, and pasta. The produce boxes provided in season and as possible, provide fresh vegetables so sorely lacking for some families in need. There were also more than 300 Thanksgiving and Christmas meal boxes provided. The volunteers who provide hands on assistance to the Center, Kidd says, include Women Who Move Mercer, a group of realtors from ReMax, The Eastern Stars from the Masonic Temple, and a group from the Bahai Faith Church. “We also get student volunteers from Hamilton High West. They are especially helpful with our bilingual needs, which are a lot,” Kidd says. On the current board of direc-
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tors are Dr. Joseph Woods, the pastor of Saint Phillips Baptist Church; Liz Campbell, who works in Human Resources as a talent development director; Dr. Michael Fox, with the New Jersey Chiropractic Company; Mercer County Commissioner Nina Melker; Louis Samuels, retired from the Trenton Board of Education; and Mittie White, a social worker from the Trenton Board of Education. The liaison to the Hamilton Township Council and administration is council president Nancy Phillips. “I think the Wilson Center does a wonderful job serving the residents of Hamilton,” Phillips says. “They have been essential especially during the pandemic in connecting our residents to rental assistance and food assistance. They are a great resource to our seniors for both nutrition and community activities. There are many ways Hamiltonians can help. Many local organizations already partner with the center but the more partnerships we can establish the better the community can be served. “Our funding since the beginning is from town, county and the state. We have steady budget support and we fill a large need. We are consistently writing grants and actively seeking corporate and foundation sponsorship. We are looking to have fundraising events in the future. The pandemic has severely limited our fundraising at same time the people we serve have the same or more needs. “We do have openings on our board
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2275 Hwy. #33, Suite 308, Hamilton, NJ 08690 | 609-587-9300 | Follow us on Facebook
10Hamilton Post | Februar y 2022
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FAMILY DENTISTRY • IMPLANTS • ORTHODONTICS
Hamilton High School West football players volunteer at the John O. Wilson Hamilton Neighborhood Center.
for individuals with nonprofit skills and who can contribute to our vision and mission. We have actively begun advertising on social media and we are getting a steady uptick in response. What separates us is that we offer case management, which is really life management. Navigating these social services is not easy, we can assist people in their search to get what they need.” Another critical need that the Wilson Center addresses is in Homelessness Prevention. Many families are one rent payment away from being homeless. Or they may be one utility payment short of having their heat or power turned off. The Wilson Center provides funding for emergency rent and utility assistance. In the space of one year a qualified applicant can be assisted on one rent payment and one utility monthly bill. This
program assisted about 100 individuals and families in 2021. Although very intermingled there are also youth services provided. Winter coat, hat and gloves giveaway, school backpack disbursal and YMCA Summer Camp at Sawmill tuition and transportation for some of the children are provided. “We have a bus take the kids to Sawmill Camp for four weeks in the summer. They love it. As Sawmill does not provide lunches, we distribute supermarket gift cards to the families to help offset the bag lunch at camp costs. What most people don’t think about such as paying for a kid’s lunch, sadly may be a deal breaker for others.” Though Covid has prevented gatherings, the Wilson Center has a large hall See WILSON, Page 12
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Februar y 2022 | Hamilton Post11
MERCER COUNTY AND UCEDC OFFER
0% WORKING CAPITAL LOANS TO HELP LOCAL BUSINESSES REBOUND FROM THE COVID-19 CRISIS In this phase of the COVID-19 Crisis, UCEDC and Mercer County are offering a low-interest, quick-response, working capital loan program. Small business owners can borrow up to $15,000 at 0% for up to five years with no collateral requirements to meet their COVID-19 crisis needs.
The Crisis Relief Loan Program is designed to provide broad access to much-needed working capital. The program features a quick turnaround (after completing the application requirements), no collateral requirements, no pre-payment penalties, and no processing or application fees. Eligibility Requirements Include: Businesses operating at least two years and with a credit score of 660 and up are eligible to apply for up to $15,000 Businesses operating prior to 3/21/20 but less than two years, or with a credit score between 630-659 are eligible to apply for up to $10,000 No loan or credit card charge–offs within 3 years
The John O. Wilson Hamilton Neighborhood Center is on Wilfred Avenue in Hamilton.
WILSON continued from Page 11 that seats 75. This, in normal times, is the lunch and multipurpose room. The center also provides meeting space for Narcotics Anonymous, Golden Agers of Hamilton, Phi Delta Kappa and Excellence through Education. While the immediate neighborhood may be changing from long time African American population to Latino, the needs seem to remain the same. “Our clients are mostly female, with needs for children, rent and utility assistance. To many people not in need, it is hard to understand, in this job market, they say “Why don’t people just get a job?” Kidd says. “There are a multitude of reasons; language barrier, needs for childcare, and a lack of reliable transportation. “We are trying to get the word out that we are here to help and it is working. Being tucked into the neighborhood is good and bad. We are immersed with people who need our help, but not always visible to the people outside the neighborhood who may need us. ”The Hamilton government has
been so supportive form the beginning. There has always been a Councilperson on our board. The Mayor visits often. Along with the Hamilton Senior Center and the Bromley Center, we are the social services in town. They get it. There are needs in this town and we are doing are best to service them.” When asked how the public can help Kidd responds, “Follow us on social media, see what we are doing. We obviously take monetary and food donations, but we need volunteers and wish to enlarge our services. We want to provide more hunger assistance, rent relief, utility assistance, youth and senior services. The Hamilton administration and government get it. These social services are needed. We need to take care of the forgotten people. This is our purpose, our mission.” John O. Wilson Hamilton Neighborhood Center. 169 Wilfred Ave, Hamilton, NJ 08610. Phone: (609) 393-6480. Fax: (609) 393-1230. Email: info@jowilsoncenter.org. Web: facebook.com/JohnOWilsonCenter. Instagram: instagram.com/ johnowilsoncenter.
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12Hamilton Post | Februar y 2022
FOLLOWING ALL STATE COVID-19 GUIDELINES
HEALTH
FEBRUARY 2022
@capitalhealthnj
HEADLINES
B I - M O N T H LY N E W S F R O M C A P I TA L H E A LT H
CAPITAL HEALTH LICENSED TO PERFORM ELECTIVE CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION LAW PASSED IN 2021 ENABLES EXPANSION OF CARDIAC SERVICES Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell in Pennington, New Jersey recently received formal approval from the New Jersey Department of Health to perform elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)—also known as elective angioplasty—a lifesaving procedure to prevent heart attacks and provide patients relief from symptoms of obstructed arteries without the need for invasive heart surgery. Capital Health now has two licensed cardiac catheterization labs at its Hopewell campus and expanded offerings in its Heart and Vascular Institute. This expansion is the result of a New Jersey law signed by Gov. Phil Murphy in early 2021 that allows all qualifying hospitals to perform non-emergency angioplasty. As part of the new law, hospitals like Capital Health are required to partner with a cardiac surgery center and develop shared protocols – including transportation of patients, data sharing through electronic medical record (EMR) access, regular consultation between providers, standardized data collections, and the creation of quality committees. Capital Health has partnered with Deborah Heart and Lung Center in Browns Mills, Burlington County, building on a relationship that began in 2019 when Capital Health assumed operation of the satellite emergency department on Deborah’s campus. “Thanks to the 2021 law that expanded access to elective angioplasty and related interventions, our ability to provide these lifesaving measures makes Capital Health a more comprehensive option for cardiac care than ever before,” said Al Maghazehe, President and CEO of Capital Health. “Our partnership with Deborah is built on our shared commitment to the health of our
patients, which will invigorate services that are part of our Heart & Vascular Institute, such as our nationally accredited Chest Pain Center, state-of-the-art operating room for interventional vascular surgery, and a comprehensive cardiology program with some of the area’s best general and interventional cardiologists.” “With Capital Health now performing elective angioplasty, patients receive lifesaving care closer to home,” said Dr. Joshua Eisenberg, director of Capital Health’s Heart & Vascular Institute and Chief Medical Officer of Capital Health Medical Group. “In the past, our patients would have to travel to another health care institution to have the procedure done, but by offering elective angioplasty in house, they receive a streamlined continuum that is more likely to lead to shorter hospital stays and better outcomes.” “With more than 60 years of performing comprehensive cardiac surgery, Deborah is ready to provide Capital’s physicians with back-up coverage when the need arises,” said Joseph Chirichella, President and CEO of Deborah Heart and Lung Center. “Our cardiovascular team is ready to provide Mercer County residents with comprehensive care, and our already established working relationship with Capital will ensure seamless delivery of emergency cardiac care when needed.” Partnership around patient access is not new for Capital Health and Deborah. In addition to the satellite emergency department on Deborah’s Browns Mills campus, Capital Health Medical Group, a network of more than 500 primary and specialty care providers, opened primary care and OB/GYN offices at Deborah in 2020, and Capital Health’s neurosciences team also provides tele stroke services for inpatients at Deborah. In turn, Deborah Specialty Physicians, a physician practice comprised of members of Deborah’s Medical Staff, provide complex and advanced heart failure patients with on-site inpatient evaluation and management at Capital Health with offices conveniently located in Lawrenceville and northern Burlington County.
Health Headlines by Capital Health | Hamilton Post13
Capital Health and St. Francis Medical Center Sign Definitive Agreement for
Capital Health to Acquire St. Francis
Capital Health and St. Francis Medical Center, a member of Trinity Health, have entered into a definitive agreement to move forward with Capital Health’s acquisition of St. Francis Medical Center. The addition of St. Francis Medical Center to the Capital Health network of health care services will result in an integrated, comprehensive, and sustainable non-profit health care system for communities in the greater Trenton area. The definitive agreement was reached after a non-binding letter of intent was signed in the spring and a subsequent due diligence period. The due diligence process evaluated how to best enhance capabilities and fulfill the organizations’ shared mission to serve the City of Trenton, surrounding communities, and their residents. The agreement will now move through required state and federal regulatory approvals, a review process that can take more than a year. “Capital Health and St. Francis Medical Center have had a shared mission to support our community for more than a century,” said Al Maghazehe, President and CEO of Capital Health. “Over the last several years, as Capital Health has continued to grow and expand its geography, one thing I have been very clear on is our enduring commitment to Trenton. This undertaking demonstrates that and will be complemented by other significant investments Capital Health will make to develop programs focusing on the broader needs of our neighbors, bringing a holistic approach to their well-being. We are truly excited for this next chapter in health care for our region.”
WOMEN’S HEART HEALTH Thursday, February 24, 2022 | 6 p.m. Location: Zoom Meeting If you’re like most women, you’re probably busy taking care of everyone else. You and your heart health need equal time and attention. DR. SATVIK SHAH, fellowship trained cardiologist (and Lawrence Township native) from Capital Health Heart Care Specialists, will review gender differences in heart conditions and symptoms of heart disease. Become your own heart hero! This event will be taking place virtually using Zoom. Register online at capitalhealth.org/events and be sure to include your email address. Zoom meeting details will be provided via email 2 – 3 days before the program date. Registration ends 24 hours before the program date.
14Hamilton Post | Health Headlines by Capital Health
“In completing the due diligence process, we have concluded months of planning and discussion and can now start a plan to bring our organizations together with a goal of greater care options for the community,” said Daniel P. Moen, President and Chief Executive Officer, St. Francis Medical Center. “Serving our community is at the heart of each of our organizations, and it is through this shared mission and aligned approach to care that residents will receive improved access to high-quality care.” As a result of the definitive agreement, Capital Health plans to offer an enhanced complement of integrated services with community and tertiary levels of care to more efficiently meet the needs of area residents. Preserving and strengthening health care services in Trenton will be a priority. Capital Health’s acquisition of St. Francis will combine St. Francis’ specialized cardiac services with Capital Health’s specialized service lines including neuroscience, trauma, cancer, maternity, and orthopedics, as well as preserving other critical programs in the areas of emergency and behavioral health services. It will also align all of these complementary services with Capital Health Medical Group, which includes more than 20 primary care practices and dozens of specialty practices throughout the region. In addition to St. Francis Medical Center, the acquisition will include related operations, including LIFE St. Francis, St. Francis Medical Associates, its Schools of Nursing and Radiologic Technology, and internal medical residency program. “The City of Trenton and the surrounding communities are a critical part of our shared mission to care for the underserved and I am extremely excited by what this agreement means for residents in the immediate community and the larger region,” said Samuel J. Plumeri Jr., Chairman, Capital Healthcare Inc., Board of Trustees. “The comprehensive model of care achieved will have a significant, positive impact on the health of our community.” “This definitive agreement demonstrates our steadfast commitment to provide area residents, including the underserved, with high-quality, comprehensive care,” said Joseph Youngblood, II, J.D., Ph.D., chairman, Board of Trustees, St. Francis Medical Center. “The Trustees of St. Francis Medical Center spent countless hours identifying the best solution to continue the mission of the Sisters of St. Francis to provide health care in the City of Trenton. Our strengths, coupled with those of Capital Health, a regional health care leader, will improve services for residents by offering a fully integrated network of services in the City of Trenton. The result will be improved access and delivery of care for area residents.” Both hospitals are known for providing advanced care and for ensuring local access to high-quality, affordable health care services. Throughout the regulatory process, Capital Health and St. Francis remain committed to sustaining and advancing the comprehensive, high-quality services they provide to residents of the greater Trenton area.
Robbinsville Resident Feels Better Than Ever After Capital Health Cardiac Rehab On a sunny June afternoon, 59-year-old Stan Winnick of Robbinsville, New Jersey was having a perfect day, enjoying a cycling trip with one of his two adult sons as part of a visit to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Part way through their planned route, Stan began noticing that he wasn’t feeling well and decided to cut the ride short and head back to their car. This turned out to be a lifesaving decision. He was having a serious heart attack and collapsed on the side of the road in a very desperate situation. “No one wants to have a heart attack, but I was very lucky to have it where and when I did,” said Stan. “A couple of people were quick to help take care of me.” One passerby was a fellow cyclist who was trained and experienced in CPR. Eventually, a nearby resident (and retired emergency medical technician) helped with CPR until Stan was transported by ambulance to a small hospital in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, where he spent 12 days in the intensive care unit. Stan’s fitness routine included cycling/mountain biking, running, boot camp workouts, boxing, and two gym memberships, so it was hard for him to understand what was happening. It was determined that Stan had 100% blockage in his left anterior descending (LAD) artery, most likely from plaque that had broken loose. “When I got home, I couldn’t do any of the things I enjoyed,” Stan recalled. “I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to do them again.” Stan’s wife, Susan, connected him to Capital Health Medical Center - Hopewell, which is home to Capital Health’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Program. Stan entered the program in late August, and he was pleasantly surprised by the people, services, and amenities that are available for cardiac rehab patients like him. “The space is beautiful and cheery,” said Stan. “It felt like a resort—everyone was kind and welcoming and answered any questions I had!” Capital Health’s Cardiac Rehabilitation team assured Stan that not only could he expect to resume his normal routine, he’d be doing it even better than before with their guidance. “I was very weak at the beginning,” said Stan. “But everyone there put in the time and effort that was needed to give me confidence and push myself to get stronger.”
Capital Health’s team of physicians, nurses, exercise physiologists and registered dietitians coordinate with referring physicians to help each person achieve their heart healthy goals. Stan’s team included Exercise Physiologist Jack Stolte, registered nurses Kathy Rowe and Kathy Ziegler, Dietitian Loni Pereszlenyi, Department Secretary Amber Chambers, and Cardiopulmonary Rehab Supervisor Laurie Beck, all of whom worked to ensure Stan achieved his goal of getting back to his old self. After they complete their personalized cardiac rehab programs, patients are given verbal and printed recommendations for continuing exercises on their own. The Program also offers individual and group classes on topics such as heart health, risk factor reduction, nutrition, stress management, exercise, and medication guidelines. Now, Stan isn’t just back to his old self—he’s a new man. And although Stan is thrilled by his results with Capital Health’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Program, he admits to missing his time there. “From a cardio standpoint, I’m in better shape than I’ve ever been,” he said. “I went from a dark place where I was kind of depressed to having a very optimistic view of the future.” To learn more about Cardiac Rehabilitation at Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell, visit capitalhealth.org/cardiacrehab. To schedule an appointment, call 609.537.6420.
Health Headlines by Capital Health | Hamilton Post15
Two Experienced Family Medicine Physicians Join CAPITAL HEALTH PRIMARY CARE – HAMILTON Dr. Joseph Bordieri and Dr. Jared Newman, two board certified family medicine physicians, recently joined Capital Health Primary Care – Hamilton, located at 1445 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road, Suite 103, Hamilton, New Jersey 08619. Drs. Bordieri and Newman have experience in providing care for people ages 5 and older, as well as addressing specific health issues for older adults. “The past two years have shown us that maintaining your health is more important than ever,” said Dr. Jerrold Gertzman, medical director of Capital Health Medical Group’s primary care network. “Dr. Bordieri’s and Dr. Newman’s combined experience adds significant depth to our team, and their approaches to care will benefit families in Hamilton who are looking for guidance in managing their everyday health care needs.” DR. JOSEPH BORDIERI received his medical degree from UMDNJ – School of Osteopathic Medicine in Stratford, New Jersey and completed his family practice residency at Union Hospital in Union, New Jersey, where he served as chief resident and earned Resident of the Year honors in his second and third year. Dr. Bordieri is an avid endurance athlete and promotes exercise to maintain overall health. He is a four-time Ironman Lake Placid finisher and has competed in more than 46 triathlons. Dr. Bordieri was named Top Doctor New Jersey by NJ Top Docs from 2020 through 2022 and is a member of the American Osteopathic Association, the American College of Osteopathic Family Practice, and the New Jersey Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons.
DR. JARED NEWMAN received his medical degree from Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, Missouri and completed his residency at Union Hospital in Union, New Jersey. He is a ten-time recipient of Vitals Compassionate Doctor Recognition and Patients’ Choice Award and a member of the American Osteopathic Association. Before joining Capital Health, Dr. Bordieri and Dr. Newman led Central Jersey Family Medical Group in Jamesburg, Middlesex County, New Jersey for more than 15 years. They now offer their services as part of the team at Capital Health Primary Care – Hamilton to help children, adolescents, and adults prevent illness, handle everyday medical needs, and manage chronic health issues. As part of Capital Health Medical Group, a network of more than 500 physicians and clinicians who offer primary and specialty care, Capital Health Primary Care – Hamilton offers easy access to experienced specialists and the most advanced care in the region at nearby Capital Health hospitals. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Bordieri or Dr. Newman at Capital Health Primary Care – Hamilton, call 609.587.6661 or visit capitalhealth.org/hamilton for more information.
COVID-19 AND CHILDREN: AN UPDATE ON VACCINES AND THE DISEASE Tuesday, February 15, 2022 | 6 p.m. Location: Zoom Meeting While fewer children have been sick with COVID-19 compared to adults, there is a rising number of children contracting COVID-19 in the U.S. Join DR. PUTHENMADAM RADHAKRISHNAN, a board certified pediatrician in the Pediatric Services Department at Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell, to get the facts on how best to protect your children. Dr. Radhakrishnan will share information about vaccine advances, approvals, safety and information on incidence of COVID-19 in children, including increasing hospitalizations. This event will be taking place virtually using Zoom. Register online at capitalhealth.org/events and be sure to include your email address. Zoom meeting details will be provided via email 2 – 3 days before the program date. Registration ends 24 hours before the program date.
16Hamilton Post | Health Headlines by Capital Health
Students training at Ballet Central New Jersey on Tennis Court in Hamilton.
BALLET continued from Page 1 competition and companies. Originally, the owners decided on Hamilton for their facility because of the enthusiasm about young people activities in town. Ten years later, with an expanded facility, the center is full steam ahead. While pursuing this article, more than a dozen dancers, coach and parents are in Miami, Florida for the 2022 Miami International Ballet Competition, where dancers come from all over the U.S. and the world to compete in a myriad of categories. One of the students in Miami for the competition is Livia Childers, from Hamilton. Childers has been a student at Ballet CNJ since 2014. She has won Top Prize at the Miami International Ballet Competition in 2020 as a soloist and in the pas de deux division. She has also received a silver medal and a bronze medal in contemporary pas de deux at the Young American Gran Prix Finals in 2020 and 2021. The categories in ballet competitions are individual performer, where the dance must perform three solo dances, two classical and one contemporary. Solo dance pieces are generally under 2.5 minutes and the classical dances are well known as they may have been performed literally for centuries. The category for pairs, Pas de deux is a term meaning “step of two” in French and of course is performed by two dancers. These performances are about 3.5 minutes in duration. The ensemble category may have from 3 and up to 16 dancers with up to 4 minute performances. The selection of dance may be either classical or contemporary. Artistic director Dutko says that all competitors get to be highlighted in these competitions as the number on the stage is relatively low. “We stress to show the passion for the dance and the joy of the performers,” he says. “Like many artistic pursuits, there is much practice, rehearsal, training, the blue collar work that goes in to making a beautiful dance.” Dutko says. He uses the word passion again and
again. “We are not happy that these students do well here, we want them to be out in the world! We know that early success can create a lifetime of enjoyment in ballet.” Dutko received his training on scholarship at the Nutmeg Conservatory, School of American Ballet, and the Universal Ballet Academy (formerly the Kirov Academy) and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre. In Miami City Ballet, he performed under the direction of Edward Villella with the American Repertory Ballet. He was also on the faculty at Rutgers Mason Gross School of the Arts teaching BFA students. School director Thiago Silva is originally from Rio de Janeiro. After his early dance training in Boca Raton and West Palm Beach, Florida, he has performed all over the U.S. He has also taught at Rutgers University. “Passion for ballet is what we wish to teach here, ” Dutko says. Indeed the passion shows in sends dancers to Florida to compete, but there is an even higher competition that Ballet CNJ is sending a dancer to compete in. The Prix de Lausanne has been held since 1973 in Montreux Switzerland, and is the most prestigious classical ballet competition in the world. The contest is for 15-18 year olds and it is to identify, promote and help the best young dance talents around the world. The candidates submitted videos of themselves and this year 71 young dancers from all over the world were invited to compete. This year, the competition runs from Jan. 31 through Feb. 6. One of the selected few is Micah Levine, who may be the first dancer from New Jersey ever selected. The Ballet CNJ team is super excited, as is Micah. “I am excited, my whole family is going and we will be in Europe for 16 days,” Levine says. Levine has been a student at Ballet CNJ for 3 years and just turned 16. He is now tall, strong and graceful. WatchSee BALLET, Page 18
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BALLET continued from Page 17 ing him rehearse is like watching an athlete prepare for the finals. He does not seem to be intimidated by the field of competitors from Russia, France, China, Korea and Australia. Levine seems very comfortable and the whole school seems to be relishing this competition and wishing him well. Levine is also visiting the famed John Crank School of Ballet in Stuttgart, Germany. Where other kids his age are visiting potential colleges, his visit may end up in an audition and scholarship offer. The finalists of the Prix de Lausanne competition are often offered spots with leading ballets of the world and possible principal dancer posiIntroducing VINTAGE AT HAMILTON, a spectacular community of 122 tions. This competition is basically an luxury townhomes and duplexes in Hamilton Twp., Mercer County... audition on a world stage. Introducing VINTAGE AT HAMILTON, a exclusively for active adults 55+. 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Vintage!All in proud of him.” This is where you’ll savortolife Ballet Central New Jersey really • 3 bedrooms, 2½ baths ducing an VINTAGE AT HAMILTON, a spectacular community of 122 area known for its wealth of cultural off erings, looks to offer something for everyone Full basement (with option finish!) VINTAGE ATHAMILTON, HAMILTON, aa to spectacular community of County... 122 with an interest in ballet. They have AT HAMILTON, a• spectacular community of 122 luxury duplexes ducing VINTAGE ATduplexes spectacular community of 122 yIntroducing townhomes and in Hamilton Twp., Mercer • 1-2 car in garage recreational opportunities, dining andTwp., shopping. Young Dancer classes for those from luxury townhomes and duplexes Mercer County... ysively townhomes and duplexes inwithHamilton Hamilton Twp., Mercer County... ton Twp., Mercer County…exclusively for active adults 55+. for active adults 55+. 18 months and up to adults. 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All in an areathe known for its wealth to the Hamilton Trainlife Station, with direct service on Philadelphia. minutes from the Hamilton Train service toNortheast New York City andaffordable and has enough prisingly delphia. of cultural offerings, recreational opportunities, dining and shopping. Vintage classes at to accommodate pure beginw York City and Philadelphia. delphia. Hamilton is in themiss center ofKuser it all,chance closeHamilton, to I-195 and the Turnpike and Don’t to own a New fineJersey Vintage! ners up to adult students. 2275your Road, NJ 08690 just minutes from theoffice Hamilton Train with direct service to New York City andThe school currently has 125 stuSales open 11am–5pm. • 3 Friday-Tuesday bedrooms, 2½from baths dents at the various levels and aims to Philadelphia. keep classes small, passionate and to • 3 bedrooms, 2½ baths • Full basement (with option to finish!)
instill the high ideals needed to succeed. The school puts on three performances a year at Villa Victoria School in Ewing. “It is one of the few locations in the area where the stage is large enough to have a ballet performance,” Dutko says. Drawing a large portion of students from Hamilton and the surrounding towns, the parents see the difference in their young dancers. Tara Dorsey of North Hanover, NJ brings her daughter Annabelle to Ballet CNJ twice a week. “Annabelle is 4, and we have been coming here twice a week for two years. We drive 45 minutes because she loves it so. She loves the ballet. That is all she wants to do. We saw a video, looked at all the schools in the area and decided on here. Annabelle is very mature about dancing and takes it very seriously. We are so happy for the dancers currently in Miami and wishing Micah much success in Switzerland. The whole school is excited.” With three large studios, the largest accommodating 100, a large staff and many guest instructors who dance alongside the students, the school is does well offering daytime, afternoon, and summer intensive classes. The Ballet Central New Jersey lobby and waiting area for parents is well equipped and upscale. There is Wi-Fi, charging stations and refreshments available. The ballet is obviously not only for the aristocracy. As Director Dutko states, “If the passion for ballet is there, we have enough levels for all. We have something for everyone and we wish it to go forward, out into the world!” Ballet Central New Jersey. 4 Tennis Court, Hamilton NJ 08619. Web: balletcnj.org. Phone: (609) 249-4066.
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SIX09 ARTS > FOOD > CULTURE
thesix09.com | FEBRUARY 2022
Let’s Get Cozy
Valentine’s Day activities to warm hearts and souls. Page 2. The best cheesesteaks? They might be in New Jersey. Introducing Donkey’s, page 7.
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from the cover Seasons of love By RebeKaH SCHrOeDer
Learn the love languages of New Jersey with this guide to food, events, retail opportunities, and romantic giveaways throughout the state. From decadent chocolate-covered strawberries to a perfect wintery scenery, there are options for anyone looking to celebrate Valentine’s Day, whether doing so with partners, friends, or family.
Food
Serving up French fine dining at the Grounds For Sculpture, Rat’s Restaurant’s romantic experience for this Valentine’s Day is an à la carte menu with featured wine and dinner specials. Guests at Rat’s Restaurant can dine on options for the holiday such as duck confit en croûte, oysters rockefeller refaire, squid ink crab pasta, a 16-ounce veal porterhouse, and for dessert, a sacher torte. Because Valentine’s Day is on a Monday this year when Rat’s is usually closed, the restaurant will be open solely for dinner on Feb. 14. Sasha Peatman is not only an assistant general manager at Rat’s Restaurant, but a master sommelier. Subject to the day, she will be curating featured wine pairings to accompany the specials. “I wanted to open some really nice bottles that you normally wouldn’t be able to have by the glass, just for this
special weekend,” she said. “We have eight outside tables that are covered by a glass awning and have heat lamps installed in the ceiling, so we actually still are offering outdoor dining to guests that are not comfortable with sitting inside,” Peatman said. “It is obviously still a little bit chilly out there, but you’re very well-protected, and all of those outside tables are around our pond and have a view of the Monet’s Bridge, so the ambience out there is still very lovely.” Rat’s Restaurant, 16 Fairgrounds Road, Hamilton. Saturday through Monday, February 12 through 14, 4 to 9 p.m. www.ratsrestaurant.com. COVID-19 Protocols: Employees wear masks, customers are not required to wear face masks if fully vaccinated, and outdoor seating is available. *** Hopewell Valley Vineyards is hosting a private, ticket-only event with midday meal favorites like imported and local cheeses, wine, brick oven breakfast pizzas, roasted potatoes, meats, and other enticing fare. “Our brunch menu is very extensive,” said Violetta Neri, who owns the vineyard alongside husband Sergio Neri, the winemaker and chef. “It’s really amazingly customized to us. Our chef and winemaker being ItalSee VALENTINES, Page 4
SIX09
EDITOR Jamie Griswold ARTS EDITOR Dan Aubrey FOOD & DINING COLUMNIST Joe Emanski AD LAYOUT & PRODUCTION Stacey Micallef SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Jennifer Steffen (Ext. 113)
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February 2022 | SIX093 MARCH/APRIL 2020
VALENTINES, continued from Page 2
ian, he makes ricotta pancakes and a berry sauce for [them] from scratch.” The brunch also comes with mimosas and bellinis using a prosecco-style wine. Violetta Neri says that in the past, this menu for private events has been very well-received. Personally, she recommends their thin-crust nutella pizza that “comes [out] piping hot out of the oven” with the chocolate-hazelnut spread and powdered white sugar. Violetta Neri is also hoping to have their chocolate port wine ready by the day of the event. In a similarly sweet fashion, Hopewell Valley Vineyards will be selling chocolate-covered wine
bottles as gifts in white, red and rosé flavors. Hopewell Valley Vineyards, 46 Yard Road, Pennington. Sunday, Feburary 13, 11 a.m. $32.00 each plus gratuity ($38.40) and tax. Reserve by February 9 at 609-737-4465 or www.hopewellvalleyvineyards.com. COVID-19 Protocols: Hopewell Valley Vineyards follows state mandates that are subject to change. Anyone is permitted to wear masks according to their comfort level. *** With elevated American cuisine and a seasonal flair, The Meeting House will have an à la carte menu, as well as featured specials, available for Valentine’s Day. The Meeting
House would typically be closed on Mondays, but due to the holiday, the restaurant will be open exclusively for dinner. Owner Amar Gautam said that guests can now make their reservations online. The Meeting House, 277 Witherspoon Street, Princeton. Monday, February 14, 4:30 to 9 p.m. www.meetinghouseprinceton.com. COVID-19 Protocols: The Meeting House follows local Princeton mandates that are subject to change. *** K’s Events and Decorations specializes in packages that combine food and flair for customers at home. Customizable for a private date night between two, multiple couples com-
From left: The Pavilion at Rat’s set for a past Valentine’s Day; heart-shaped pizza from Brother’s; and a fruit and chocolate bouquet from Carella’s.
ing together, or a celebration with friends, Antonia James, the owner, brings along a picnic setting and a three-course dinner provided by Under the Moon Cafe Catering. “It’s not limited to one couple,” James said. “You get a discount if you add more couples to the ticket…[or you could] grab a couple of girlfriends and do it as a Galentine’s night.” Supplying pillows, benches, candles, centerpieces, and “the whole nine yards,” James ensures that pairs
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or groups can have enjoyable, elevated meals even from the comfort of their own homes. If there is not enough space available for the picnic setup, James and her team can adapt to place the spread on a dining room table. The options for the dinner consist of salmon, short ribs, or a vegetarian choice, as well as dessert. Now inside of a new location at Dragonfly Farms, K’s Events and Decorations also has balloon and floral arrangements available for additional purchase. K’s Events and Decorations, 966 Kuser Road, Hamilton (inside Dragonfly Farms). Open Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. $300 for two people; $100 for each additional person. www. kseventdecorations.com. COVID-19 Protocols: Mask, gloves, and sanitizer required for staff. Customers are not required to wear masks. *** For the romantic who is truly cheesy at heart, Brother’s Pizza will be selling heart-shaped pizzas all the way through Valentine’s Day for an estimated price of $18.95, plus toppings. Pre-ordering is recommended and can be done either online or over the phone. Brother’s Pizza, 871 Route 33, Hamilton. Valentine’s Day hours: 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Regular hours: Open 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. 609-586-2707 or www.brothers
pizza33.com. COVID-19 Protocols: Employees are encouraged to wear masks according to their comfort level or if not vaccinated, customers not required to wear masks.
Events
Last Christmas might be a figment of the past, but sleigh rides and the like are still in season at the Mercer County Park Commission’s Howell Living Histor y Farm, giving couples and families multiple ways to cruise around “the farm’s wintery landscape.” Couples can choose a two-seater sleigh or a horse-drawn carriage, while families can ride a
bobsled or a hay wagon. “Imagine it’s February of 1890, and you look out the window to see your Valentine pull up the driveway in a sleigh pulled by two horses,” administrator Kevin Watson said of either the “one-of-a-kind date” or the “family fun” options. Watson, who recommends arriving early, said that the rides run from 10:30 to to 3 and are first come, first served. Children are encouraged to make Valentine’s Day cards as part of a crafting program from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. “for a small materials fee.” Soup will be available at the farmhouse, warmed by the stovetop on a chilly February day.
Howell Farm’s Kevin Watson enjoys a sleigh ride with his fiancee, left, and Emery Frick and Tom Donnelly of Piscataway show their handmade Victorian valentines at Morven.
Howell Living History Farm, 70 Woodens Lane, Lambertville. OldFashioned Valentine’s Day, Saturday, Febraury 12, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. www. howellfarm.org. COVID-19 Protocols: Masks required to be carried by customers and worn when unable to social distance from others. *** See VALENTINES, Page 6
February 2022 | SIX095
VALENTINES, continued from Page 5
Using pressed flowers from Morven Museum & Garden’s gardens, attendees can make Victorian-style Valentines with Morven’s curator of education and public programs, Debi Lampert-Rudman. Before the workshop, there will be a visit to the museum included. Materials and instructions will be provided. No previous experience is required, and spaces are limited. Ticket price also includes “take home” refreshments and admission. “Morven is the home of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, Richard Stockton, and his wife, Annis Boudinot Stockton, one of the first female published poets in America,” Lampert-Rudman said. Years later, it became New Jersey’s first Governor’s Mansion. During the Victorian Era, LampertRudman continues, a lush greenhouse was a sign of affluence. The flowers are not blooming at this time of year, but the Victorian Valentine’s program is “an homage” to the gardens of that era. “It’s been a very successful [event] for several years and our last in-person pressed flower workshop was just this past November,” Lampert-Rudman said. Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton Street, Princeton. Victorian Pressed Flower Valentine Workshop, Saturday, February 5, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. $45 per general admission ticket ($35 for members). www.morven.org. COVID-19 Protocols: Masks required, vaccinations preferable. Attendees will be seated in the same groups or ‘pods’ as those they registered with or individually, all socially distanced at least six feet from other tables in a large room. *** Harkening back to an era of The Great Gatsby and jazz music, Bordentown Walking Tours and the Downtown Bordentown Association are co-sponsoring a historic journey across town with an insightful look at Bordentown’s speakeasies. “Building on the success of our Revolutionary Pub Crawl over Independence Day weekend last summer, we are again looking forward
6SIX09 | February 2022
to a fun, informative and entertaining pub crawl featuring four great establishments in beautiful, historic, and walkable downtown Bordentown City,” said Mark Neurohr-Pierpaoli, the founder of Bordentown Walking Tours. The tour also includes “a bite to eat” at every stop over the course of four hours. While the tour guides telling stories of Prohibition and the Roaring 20s in Bordentown will be in costume, guests are also “encouraged” to wear their best gangster or flapper attire. Patrons must be 21 or older with proof of ID. Roaring 20s Pub Crawl, Old Town Pub, 135 Farnsworth Avenue, Bordentown. Saturday, February 12, noon to 4 p.m. $75 per ticket (includes four drink tickets and food). Guests (21+ only) can reserve their tickets online. www.oldtown.pub. COVID-19 Protocols: The event will follow all current guidelines. Indoor requirements vary by establishment. Neurohr-Pierpaoli said that when together outdoors as a group, masks and social distancing are encouraged, but not required.
Retail
Boasting “the widest selection of chocolates in Mercer County,” Carella’s Chocolates and Gifts, a womanrun, family-owned chocolatier offers trays of assorted chocolates in flavors that customers can pick and choose from to fill out their boxes. Carella’s also has chocolate-covered strawberries, fruit bouquets with Valentine’s Day designs, and chocolate-covered wine bottles. Owner Connie Dalton said that customers can bring in any wine, spirits, or soda for the process. Carella’s then puts a food safe bag around the plastic or glass to ensure that the chocolate never touches the bottle. “We dip it in our kettle, and it’s real high quality chocolate,” she continued. “We usually do dark chocolate, because that’s the best paired with wine.” The dipped bottles sell for $28, the same price as the chocolate-covered strawberries. The bouquets range in price depending on the order, which can include both their signature chocolates, chocolate-covered fruits and
an assortment of fresh fruits. Carella’s Chocolates & Gifts, 2503 Nottingham Way, Hamilton. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, Saturday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ThursdayFriday; and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. www.carellaschocolates.com. COVID-19 Protocols: Masks appreciated, staff vaccinated and boosted. *** For those with an insatiable sweet tooth, David Bradley Chocolatier is selling heart cocoa bombs, as well as heart smash boxes, for Valentine’s Day. The boxes come in two dimensions, a large size and a ‘cupcake’ size for younger choc-a-holics. Along with the purchase, customers are given a wooden mallet to break the surface. “Inside, there’s a couple pretzels, nonpareils, and little beads that come tumbling out when you smash it with that hammer,” Chris Hicks, David Bradley Chocolatier’s owner, said. “Of course, no matter what I do, you can’t get away from the chocolate-covered fruit,” she continued. “Strawberries are still the number one seller.” David Bradley Chocolatier, 92 North Main Street, Windsor. Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. www.dbchocolate.com. COVID-19 Protocols: Employees wear masks, customers are not required to wear face masks. Sanitizer available and plastic shields up in the store. Samples are currently being handed out by employees instead of having customers reach in themselves. To ensure safety, David Bradley also has a paging system in place if the store becomes too crowded so that customers can wait in their cars until buzzed to come inside.
Romantic Getaways
For a breath of fresh air, guests at Hotel LBI can “escape” to a suite — one that has both discounted rates for staying longer and a full kitchen. “Hotel LBI is open year-round and is a perfect place to escape for that much-needed staycation,” said Liz Santoro, area director of sales for Hotel LBI. “[It’s] a short drive and centrally located between NYC, Philly and AC. It is the perfect place
Accommodations at Hotel LBI in Ship Bottom, left, and the Colonial Inn in Historic Smithville.
to unwind.” To kick off their relaxation, Santoro added that guests can choose from relaxing at the indoor pool and hot tub, sipping a cocktail by the fire, and experiencing fine dining, all in close proximity to Long Beach Island. Winter Escape is applicable to new reservations only and cannot be combined with any other offers. Hotel LBI, 350 West 8th Street, Ship Bottom. 20 percent off winter rates when you stay two nights or more (Offer Code: WINTER) through March 31. www.hotellbi.com. COVID-19 Protocols: Masks recommended, areas of high contact and public spaces sanitized frequently. *** Historic Smithville is known as a shopping village priding itself on oldfashioned charms, and The Colonial Inn is no different. As part of two current promotions, guests can stay two nights and get another for half price from Sunday to Thursday. If guests want to stay longer, the Four Seasons Weekday Getaway lets them pay for three nights and receive the third at 50 percent off the weekday price. Likewise, they can pay for four nights and receive the fourth night completely free from Sunday to Thursday. Weekday deals must be requested upon making a reservation, with advance reservations encouraged. “All the 60+ shops are open, all the restaurants are open in the village, so it’s still a great time to come,” said Taylor Walsh, The Colonial Inn’s marketing manager. Walsh said that The Colonial Inn’s Valentine’s Day packages can include indulgences such as roses and champagne, strawberries and wine, and cheese from Magnifico’s Say Cheese. The Colonial Inn Bed & Breakfast in Historic Smithville, 615 East Moss Mill Road, Smithville. www.colonialinnsmithville.com. COVID-19 Protocols: Masks not required when checking in, no-contact check-in available, rooms cleaned frequently.
what’s cooking?
Fueled by
MERCER EATS
A new cheesesteak joint gives something to chew on By Dan Aubrey
The ongoing regional argument about who makes the best cheese steak — in and out of Philadelphia — got a new twist in 2015. That’s when a world-famous food critic weighed in and delivered a decisive one-two shot into the guts of self-proclaimed Delaware Valley cheesesteak connoisseurs by giving a greasy thumbs up to a steak joint not only off the road less traveled but outside of Philadelphia. With that anointed cheesesteak maker just opening a new shop close enough to the U.S. 1 region, now is the time for area food adventurers to make a trip, get a quick bite out, and join the debate. The food critic was the late New Jersey-native and host of the popular cable television show “No Reservations,” Anthony Bourdain. The show featured former New York City celebrity chef globe-gobbling with no reservations about eating local delicacies — including concoctions stirred up with maggots, testicles, and animal eyes. The program attracted a large audience up to the host’s suicide in 2018. But in 2015 he and the show’s producers decided to put the focus on the southern New Jersey and Philadelphia area. Since Philadelphia and cheesesteaks are akin to the connection between London and fish and chips, it was clear that the show’s menu needed to include a highly visible test taste and that Bourdain would have to face the ensuing fire from legions of cheesesteak fans. But first, let’s put the delicacy in perspective. “A cheesesteak is a long, crusty roll filled with thinly sliced sauteed rib-eye beef and melted cheese,” posts Visit Philadelphia, the official city visitors’ port for regional info. Its writer — agreeing with numerous others (including this one) — readily says the cheese of choice is Cheez Whiz — a glowing, mild-tasting processed cheese sauce developed by Kraft foods in the 1950s. But American and provolone are acceptable substitutions. South Philadelphia hot dog vendor Pat Oliveri is credited with the creation in 1930. A Thomas Edison of caloric intake, Oliveri cooked up the idea of putting grilled beef on a hotdog roll and giving it to taxi driver client. The driver in turn had a mouthful to say about the concoction and drivers, and their clients soon headed to Oliveri’s corner — where he spiced up the menu by adding cheese. Oliveri and his co-partner brother eventually opened the shop on the
Donkey’s cheesesteak has been touted as a regional favorite, but it lacks the traditional presentation on a long, crusty roll.
corner of 9th Street and Passyunk Donkey’s Place on Haddon Street in Avenue, the site of the now well- Camden. Donkey is the late Leon Lucas. He known Philadelphia stop, Pat’s King of was a lightweight boxer who repreSteaks. In true Philadelphia fashion, a com- sented the U.S. in the 1928 Olympics. petitor opened Geno’s Steaks across His nickname is connected to a punch the street and ignited the long-stand- that was likened to a donkey’s kick. Lucas purchased the place in 1943, ing argument regarding the better gave it its lively name, and added cheesesteak. Although cheesesteaks have cheesesteaks with his own special become as plentiful as hot dogs or hot sauce to the menu. Eventually the reputation of Donpretzels in Philadelphia and around the region, the who-serves-the-best- key cheesesteaks gained steam, and in 1998 then-Philand-why arguadelphia mayor ment has only Ed Rendell got a intensified. Although taste of the CamNow cheesden competition esteak aficionacheesesteaks have and asked Donkey dos often argue become as plentiful to come to Philatheir preferdelphia. He didn’t ence for a paras hot dogs or bite. ticular vendor Donkey’s is a with the same hot pretzels in family operation. fervor used for After Leon, the bar sports teams Philadelphia and was run by Donand political parties — even to around the region, the key’s son, Robert Lee Lucas, and the point where who-serves-the-best- now by his son, Joe a server at a Lucas. noted Philadeland-why argument Robert had phia restaurant moved to Medford, advised ignoring has only intensified. where the family the cheesesteak opened a Donkey’s on the menu outpost several and heading to a small place several blocks away. She years ago. Now back to 2015’s game-changing also noted — rightfully — that Pat’s visit. and Geno’s were for tourists. A quick review of newspaper Bourdain’s entry into the cheese steak dispute was like tossing two reports show that Bourdain was out splashes of fresh grease on the an about in the area and even sighted in the Pinelands. already sizzling controversy. But, as we know, the show stopper The first was that he didn’t venture into Philadelphia — a place he was his stop at Donkey’s. And since dubbed the cheesesteak capital of the cheesesteaks are the only sandwich on the menu, it was clear why Bouruniverse. The second was that his sweet dain was there. As the Camden-area Courierhot spot was on a road less traveled:
Post newspaper reports, Bourdain “stopped by Donkey’s Place in Camden in late January for not one, but two of its special cheesesteaks, featuring candy caramelized onions and a poppy-seeded Kaiser roll.” But in the “Parts Unknown: New Jersey” broadcast segment, available for viewing on YouTube, one can watch the historic account unfold. Bourdain sits at the bar. Lucas places the sandwich before him. And Bourdain intones the following narrative: “It’s round. It’s got steak, spices, browned onions, and real American cheese — such as it is. And it is sublime.” Bourdain then tastes, gazes at the chef, and says, “Man, this should be a national landmark right away. This sandwich is unbelievably good.” One can only imagine the chefs at Pat’s, Geno’s, Jim’s (my go to place), and Tony Luke’s eating their hearts out — with wiz — as a Camden joint gets international attention for Philadelphia’s phenomenon. With Donkey’s Place opening its third location in Mt. Holly — about a 35-minute ride from Hoagie Haven in Princeton — I decided to do some taste testing for myself. As noted, I’m a fan of Jim’s Steaks on South Street in Philadelphia and use that as a standard. Here’s some quick taste-making background. According to former Philly Voice and current New York City-based food writer Allie Miller, Jim’s takes a spot with Pat’s and Geno’s as one of “big three” Philly cheesesteak places. But more importantly, as Miller reports, “Jim’s recipe is slightly different from the others. Their menu states that they use top round black Angus beef for their meat. Also, Jim’s tends to be more partial to Cheez Whiz over other dairy options.” It’s also served on soft submarine roll that absorbs the juices and flavor but maintains its body for easy lifting. And while it doesn’t have the street scene that Pat’s and Geno’s have, Jim’s has gotten Philadelphia Magazine’s nod for best cheesesteak in the city and the recipient of four Best in Philly awards. So with a tuned palate, I took a trip to Camden to get a taste of Donkey’s real deal before heading to its new digs in Mt. Holly. Donkey’s Haddon Avenue place is in the northern section of the city and is easy to access from the area where Routes 30, 130, and 38 meet. A few minutes’ ride up Kaighn Avenue and a left hand turn onto Haddon gets you there. There is parking on the street and See DONKEY’S, Page 8
February 2022 | SIX097
Top Ranked for Quality and Safety.
DONKEY’S, continued from Page 7
rwjbh.org/hamilton
in a lot for Donkey’s patrons. And while urban decay is nibbling at the area, people coming and going seem lively and upbeat. A quick few steps later I’m in the tavern and sucking up the scent and sound of onions sizzling, the lively banter of workers and patrons sitting at the modest sized bar, and the anticipation of the waiting customers gazing at the cooks over the grills behind the bar. My sense that the march of time had somehow missed Donkey’s was supported by the observations of a Philadelphia Inquirer writer who called it “a bit of Camden in amber” and “maybe a shrine” where the only major change “is that while it looks like a bar (circa 1943) and feels like a bar, it is really more a cheesesteakery these days, the Lucas family’s magnificent version of the sandwich having triumphed over the booze (especially since the place now closes at 6 p.m., though an adjoining take-out window cranks out the steaks until midnight).” The writer also then went onto the building’s pedigree: a Prohibitionera speakeasy serving Jewish clientele and later the watering hole for shipyard workers, RCA assemblers, Campbell Soup-makers, and hospital workers. Since my plan is to test taste the Camden and Mt. Holly sandwiches to see if there is any difference, I
8SIX09 | February 2022
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Donkey’s original location in Camden has an old-timey vibe.
order, pay ($11 per steak), joined the wait line, and pass time by looking at the rack of Donkey’s Place T-shirts. There’s “A Meet Me Under the Mistletoe” printed over a donkey holding a sprig over its backside or “Fuck Long Rolls” (the bar’s declaration of independence from the expected long submarine roll). I also watch as Lucas prepares his magic with the standard recipe, described by the Inquirer reporter as “a block of thin-sliced ribeye folded on the grill, poked at with the corner of a spatula to loosen the texture — but never chopped. The hot, chopped red pepper relish is from K&Z, the Camden pickle maker. The rolls are, yes, round, their tops set on the sizzling steaks to breathe their steam and give them character. They are the same oversize poppy-seed kaisers, baked to Donkey’s specs by Del Buono’s Bakery in Haddon Heights, just as they have been since opening day. Finally, there are the sweet onions. They were delivered in a little red wagon years ago by a vendor who lived two blocks away. Now it is his son who delivers them. They are ordinary onions. But they become special on the grill, mounded up and around the steaks for close to an hour, sucking up the beefy juice, seasoned with secret seasoning (garlic? paprika?), furrowed and
The Donkey’s takeout window now open in Mt. Holly serves an equally good sandwich to its sister shop in Camden with a very different vibe.
Trenton. The place stays close to the basics and provides a comforting youget-what-you-expect sandwich.
YEARS
of chewy meat, American or Provolone cheese, sweet fried onions, and a roll from Italian Peoples Bakery in
YEARS
plowed until they are as tender and took it to another level. I immediately turned my attention caramelized as the onions in French to the Mt. Holly version and again onion soup.” After hearing my garbled name checked its appearance, scent, heft, and order called, I step forward and and taste and happily found that it was have one of the staff members give up to the standard of the original — me a friendly slap on my shoulder, a but with even sweeter onions. Since one sandwich was too much cheery good afternoon in my ear, and a bag with a noticeably weighty sand- to eat at one sitting, I had the opportunity to revisit the cheesesteaks over wich put into my hand. In a few minutes I am on my 20-mile the next day and was more impressed trek to Mt. Holly — with the scent of with each bite. However, as good as it was (and is), steak and onions filling the car. Since I had once lived in Mt. Holly, I was not convinced it was the best I didn’t think I would have trouble cheesesteak in the region — or even finding the 37 Washington Street a cheesesteak to begin with. That’s because the Donkey’s verDonkey’s shop, especially since it is one of the town’s major roads. But I sion goes against the basic form perfected on the streets of Philawas wrong. After driving around the block delphia — a recipe that calls for the and trying to make sense of the simple arrangement of steak, onions, GPS directions, I finally figure out and cheese on a basic long roll. It’s a that Donkey’s was in the parking lot simple formula that challenges cheesbehind the façade of Washington esteak chefs to excel and find their own special mojo to make the taste Street buildings. That is just one of the striking dif- buds sing. It’s even a point Bourdain alluded ferences between the Camden and Mt. Holly Donkey’s. Another is that to when he told a reporter he was while the old city place is marinated used to a cheesesteak served on a by decades of onion fumes and bar long roll. Donkey’s round talk, the new one is a roll version, on frill-free take-out only the other hand, is window-counter of With a tuned palate, I more like a roast the sort one finds on beef sandwich the boardwalk. The took a trip to Camden with a Philadelolder place is run by phia accent and an older gang that to get a taste of attitude. It’s a has eaten too much Donkey’s real deal thing in a league of of its own fare and its own. needs to see some before heading to its But why take sunlight, the other my word for it? by a team of slim and new digs in Mt. Holly. A short trip will perky young people. bring you into the And the Camden place has a community vibe, while the long rolling argument that continues new one is surrounded by empty cars. to feed our area’s fascination with The contrasts made me wonder if cheesesteaks. Donkey’s Place, 37 Washington the sandwich would be different too — and perhaps generate an argument Street, Mt. Holly. Open seven days a about which Donkey’s cheesesteak week. donkeysplacedownto.wixsite. com/mountholly. was the best and most authentic. However, those needing a quick After several minutes of waiting in the great outdoors, my order cheesesteak break can find several was ready and I was heading home great places in the region. Here’s just to taste test — and resisting the fra- a few: Meatheadz on Brunswick Pike in grance and the temptation to stop the Lawrenceville. In the former Stewcar and dig into the bag. When I got home, I headed directly art’s Root Beer stop, it made big to the kitchen, put the steaks on the food news in July, 2019, when it was table, got out a notebook, and dove in. rated No. 1 by an aficionado with 295 The first thing I noticed when I regional cheesesteaks under his belt. Pete’s Steak House. With its roots lifted the sandwich from the Camden bag was that the wax paper was moist in Chambersburg’s fabled Italian reswith juice. Then I unfolded the wrap- taurant culture, the tasty tradition per and, like Bourdain, was struck by endures on Whitehorse Avenue in the look of the sandwich — a substan- Hamilton. Gaetano’s on Route 33 in Hamiltial mound of steaming meat, onions, and cheese under an equally substan- ton is part of a chain that has a winning mixture of a hefty layer of thinly tial poppy-seed dome. After taking a deep whiff of the sliced meat, an equally hefty sesame sweet scent of onion and spices, I seed roll especially made for them by carefully lifted the sandwich, studied DeLuca’s Bakery in Riverside, sweet it, and found that while the roll was fried onions, and, although it comes moistened by onion and meat it was with American cheese, the opportuhard enough to keep the sandwich nity to request Cheez Whiz. While the “Where size matters” slogan may set together but invitingly soft. Then there was the bite and the the eyes rolling, it is more than hype: immediately realization of what all the The small sandwich is 12 inches long. And, finally, Hoagie Haven on fuss was about. Donkey’s met the best of what I had previously experienced, Nassau Street in Princeton keeps it but its spices, bread, and secret sauce simple with a respectable layering
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hiring experienced LPNs to work part time on all shifts. Some weekend hours. Competitive hourly rate based on experience. Must have a valid NJ LPN license and minimum 1 year experience in assisted living or LTC. 609-371-7007. SERVICES LEGAL SERVICES -Wills, Power of Attorney, Real Estate, Federal and NJ Taxes, Education Law. House calls available. Bruce Cooke, Esq. 609-799-4674. F,D,Mason Contractor, Over 30 years of experience. Brick, Block, Stone, Concrete. No job too large or small. Fully Insured and Licensed. Free Estimates 908-385-5701 Lic#13VH05475900. Are you single? Try us first! We are an enjoyable alternative to online dating. Sweet Beginnings Matchmaker, 215-539-2894, www.sweetbeginnings.info. WANTED TO BUY Wanted: Baseball, football, basketball, hockey. Cards, autographs, photos, memorabilia. Highest cash prices paid! Licensed corporation, will travel. 4thelovofcards, 908-5960976. allstar115@verizon. net. WANTED- QUALITY CAMERAS AND PHOTO EQUIPMENT, FOUNTAIN PENS AND OLDER WATCHES, FAIR PRICES PAID CALL JAY609-689-9651. Looking to buy old Mysteries, Science Fiction, Children’s Illustrated, Signed books, kids series books (old Hardy boys-Nancy Drew-Judy Bolton- Dana girls, The Happy Hollisters, ect WITH DUSTJACKETS in good shape), old postcards, non-sports cards, good conditioned pre 1975 paperbacks (also Avon,Popular Library, Dell, Ace, BEACON, Monarch, Midwood pbs) old COSMOPOLITAN 1920’s-1940’s. Call 609-619-3480 or email BACKED BY A YEAR-ROUND
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*For more information on the methodology of Best Lawyer’s “Lawyer of the Year” award visit https://www.bestlawyers.com/methodology No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. Februar y 2022 | Hamilton Post19
Old Hiohela site comes back to life as Lakeside Cafe and Liquors By Sue Ferrara
What happens when three friends invest in a golf course, sell the golf course, but end up holding the golf course liquor license? They try to find the liquor license a new home. That challenge faced Mike Attara, John Goeke and Rich Rutzler, when, as the former owners of the Hopewell Valley Golf Club, they sold the establishment to Mercer County in 2020. While the three looked for the right location in and around Hopewell, Attara said, “we saw the QuickChek had closed and we started thinking.” They liked the location and the layout of the defunct business. With two entrances, one on Rte. 31 and one from Rte. 518, people could run in-andout to grab a nosh. They wanted to maintain that accessibility for patrons. “People were passionate about the QuickChek because it was a place to stop, gather and get coffee,” Attara said. But Goeke’s memories of what used to sit on the site, Hiohela Sportland, became a driving force too. “We had a number of conversations about tying the location back to what it used to be,” Attara said. The more they discussed the idea with people in the area, Attara said, “we could see their excitement.” This past December, the three
opened Lakeside Cafe & Liquors. They want customers to think of Lakeside as a location of convenience. It’s part grab-and-go food, part stay, eat and chat, part bar for a drink,and part liquor store, all located within 5000 square feet of space. You like coffee, it’s there; black, flavored Cappuccino, or Nitro/Cold Brew. There’s tea. There’s hot chocolate. The cafe has bottled juices. There’s pork roll on a bagel for those who love to engage in that pork roll versus Taylor ham debate; there’s salmon for those craving omega-3s. You can have a plain bagel with cream cheese, a scone, or muffin. The breads and baked goods come from Baked in Brooklyn, which has a location in New Jersey. Breakfast is served all day. But other offerings include salads; sandwiches and dressed toast. Toast dressings range from butter and cinnamon to whipped ricotta with marcona almonds and truffle honey, to smoked salmon. If you have children along, they can enjoy a bagel with butter, or an AB&J dressed toast–almond butter and strawberry jam. Soon to be installed, a pizza oven. Attara said, going forward there will also be deli offerings for dinner–vodka riggies, or dumplings, or other interesting options. People will be able to swoop in and get a prepared main
course to take home for dinner. The bar and liquor store combination is walled off from the main cafe. Patrons enter the alcohol area through one of two sliding barn doors enabling the area to be closed off for events, or to keep the cafe feeling family-friendly. There are IPA offerings on tap; a variety of wines line two walls. There is an array of liquor; there are six-packs in a cooler section. But what truly makes Lakeside Cafe & Liquors extra special for many is the homage it pays to a Hopewell institution of the past. Rutzler, who owns Future Signs in Hamilton, and Attara grew up in Monroe Township, and didn’t know the history of the location, although Attara said he would drive by Sportland as a young professional golfer. But Goeke, who grew up in Ewing, “had memories,” Attara said. Goeke knew the site used to house a wellknown and well-loved Hopewell establishment for bowling, swimming, dining and dancing. A little over 80 years ago, the Hopewell Herald newspaper prepared area residents for the opening of “one of New Jersey’s most modern sportslands . . . to be known as Hiohela Sportland.” The new attraction was called “modern in every respect” and would include “eight of the most modern streamlined bowling alleys.” And
while bowling was the main attraction, “space has been arranged for an indoor quoit court as well as shuffleboard, dart boards and Ping-Pong tables.” For the outdoor sports lovers, Hiohela promised swimming during the summer months and skating in the winter. “A 28-foot lunch counter and soda fountain has been installed,” the story read. Patrons could also dine at tables “along the lakeside,” a Tap Room was in an adjacent building containing “a circular bar 80 feet long.” Owners William Weart and Otto Schleicher were set to open the new establishment on September 1, 1941, according to the story. The Grand Opening celebration, complete with dinner, hats and noisemakers, happened on October 24, 1941, two months before the attack on Pearl Harbor. According to a Trenton Times story which ran on Christmas Day, 1999, Hiohela is “an Indian name meaning pure water.” Located just beyond the spit of land where Rte. 31 and Pennington Hopewell Road split, Hiohela Sportland remained an active entertainment site until 1999, when the owner of the property, Bruce Meier of the Ewing Leasing Company, rented the facility to QuickChek. And while Sportland offered many activities, bowling was the most popu-
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lar attraction–just ask the 400 people on the Facebook Page called Hiohela Bowling Alley, Bar, and Swim Club. Colleen Attara, Mike’s wife, connected with group members who have shared stories with her about their days at Hiohela. “What surprised me is what a family [Sportland] was like back then,” Colleen Attara said in a phone interview. “I don’t know if I understood fully the nostalgia connected with the place” until then. “The group has been wonderful at spreading the word and getting us connected.” There are old Hiohela advertisements hanging on the walls of Lakeside Cafe and Liquors, as well as old photos. One of the pictures gracing a cafe wall came from the Martinette family. Charles Martinette, was a coowner, then owner, of Hiohela from 1952-1977. The photo shows Mr. Martinette standing at the edge of the pond with his young daughters. The 1999 Trenton Times story recounted the building of the pond. “Before opening Hiohela Sportland, the original owner, William Weart “got a permit and built a dam at Hiohela Creek, creating the lake for swimming and ice skating. [He] covered half the lake bottom with concrete for swimming, and left the other half with a mud bottom for fishing.” The concrete lining remains in place. In December of 2021, the Hopewell Township Committee adopted a $650,000 bond ordinance to pay for the dredging of the pond.
Lakeside Cafe and Liquors partners Mike Attara, John Goeke and Rich Rutzler outside the new business making a bar out of old bowling lanes. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has already approved the project permit allowing for the removal of “accumulated sediment.” The lanes play a starring role again today at the old Hiohela site. “We wanted to honor what this place was,” Colleen Attara said. While making the counter for the bar where people sit, Mike Attara and his partners, Goeke and Rutzler, tracked down old bowling lanes in Pennsylvania, and refinished them for that use.
Hiohela Sportland was so loved that since opening Lakeside, people have come to see what remains. The site is like a Trevi Fountain of Hopewell; except, instead of leaving three coins, visitors share stories and memorabilia. David Wynn and Stacey Olswfski bought, at auction, the old Martinette property on the other side of the pond. Hanging in their garage were old signs from the Hiohela property. People have brought bowling jackets to show the owners. Some have given the owners treasures like an original
bowling pin and a boot-shaped glass mug. “These are people’s childhood memories,” Colleen Attara said. “This was a place where things were simple and comfortable.” The three partners ended up buying the entire building which also houses a Sew and Vac store and a physical therapy office. One Saturday morning, a couple sitting at the bar asked John Goeke if Lakeside would be bringing back bowling! “I wish!” Goeke said. Outdoor seating will be dressed up in late spring. Mike Attara said it was too early to say if Lakeside would do something next to the pond; but he is excited that the township is dredging it. “It’s going to be good for everyone. It will beautify the area and create a better environment for wildlife.” When asked what has surprised him the most about opening Lakeside Cafe and Liquors, Attara said, “I think the piece of tying [the business] back to Hiohela. We had the concept, and QuickChek left everything that we needed for a cafe. Then, when we talked to people about the [Hiohela idea] and they became excited, we knew we needed to do it.” Lakeside Cafe and Liquors. 129 North Route 31, Pennington, NJ 08534. Phone: (609) 621-9998. Web: lakesidecl.com. Hours: Monday and Tuesday 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Wednesday through Friday 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Bar opens at 10 a.m.
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TRENTONFM.COM Februar y 2022 | Hamilton Post21
SPORTS
Mo Washington on point for Hornets’ basketball By Rich Fisher
It was Jan. 14 and the Hamilton West boys basketball team had just sleep-walked through a rough first quarter at Trenton High. The Hornets trailed 18-7 and Maurice “Mo” Washington had missed all three of his shots in the quarter, while his passes to teammates turned into unfinished opportunities. In the second quarter, the senior point guard took matters into his own hands, hitting 3-pointers, penetrating for buckets and scoring 10 of his 17 points to help tie the game by halftime and spark West to a one-point victory. “My coach sat me down in the first quarter with about two minutes left,” Williams said. “He told me ‘Keep shooting.’ That’s what I did, and I just got myself back in the game.” “That’s why we call him ‘Takeover,’” Hornets coach Brandon Johnson said. “As you watch him play, he can go on stretches at any point of the game where he takes the game over defensively, offensively, either scoring himself or just getting other guys easy buckets. We need him to be a senior guard and lead us. He can take us as far as we want to go.”
Williams embraces the nickname, saying when he gets in “takeover” mode, “I always feel like I’m on a roll.” The diminutive package of dynamite can explode at any time, and midway through the season he was putting up a nice stat line in helping Hamilton to an 8-3 start. Williams led the Hornets in scoring (15.2 points per game), assists (34) and steals (18). He was also chipping in with 3.3 rebounds per game. “Defensively, when he’s focused a lot, he’s a great defender,” Johnson said. “Sometimes he gets a little lazy but when we need him, he always continues to make big plays for us.” Williams does not let his 5-10 stature get in the way of trying to defend or score. “It’s just height,” he said. “I’m a dog at the end of the day, I know how to get around them (offensively). Defensively, I try to get in front of them and just wait for my help to come.” Mo’s talent on the court has never been in question, but Williams has had some other issues that have held him back in the past. Most notably, his attitude. It cost him several games due to discipline last year, and the talented receiver missed this year’s Thanksgiv-
Maurice Washington averaged 15.2 points per game in the early season for Hamilton High. (Photo by Rich Fisher.) ing football game for the same reason. “He would lose his temper where he may not be respectful to officials, little things like that; which would make him lose his level to be an effective player on the floor,” Johnson said.
“This summer we were at a crossroads, he was back to his bad habits. “He just wanted to win so bad, he felt like his teammates didn’t want to match his energy. We had a sitdown, we talked, and he’s been pretty much on his good behavior this year. Not perfect, but pretty much good behavior.” It’s a credit to Williams that he realizes he’s not perfect in that area yet, and he is willing to discuss it openly. “Look, it’s a work in progress, it has been since the summer time with me,” he said. “I’ve got no problem talking about it. I’ve got to do what’s best for my team and I know if we want to go to that next level I gotta keep my anger and everything else in check.” Mo chalks his issues up to immaturity, saying “You just gotta grow up and get it done.” When he feels his temper start to rise, he resorts to having talks with Johnson, taking deep breaths, and regaining his focus. “You have to soak everything in and just chill out,” Williams said. It has not been easy missing games due to losing his chill, but Mo accepted it. “I understand now,” Williams said.
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“Everything is in the moment. At first you don’t understand but once you take a step back, you realize everything.” And although the player considers himself a work in progress, his coach feels that he has made strides. “Last year in this environment, he doesn’t finish that game,” the coach said following the intense, emotional win at Trenton. “But now he’s able to control it and play harder. When he gets upset, he just plays harder. I gotta stay on him, we have a great relationship. I could say some things, I could push his buttons and he knows that I want what’s best for him.” Williams confirmed his close relationship with Johnson, saying “I love him, he’s like my big brother.” And big brother knows when to try and settle his guard down. “When he sees me start to get a little rowdy he sits me down and let’s me know, he tells me ‘You gotta chill out, you’re gonna get a tech,’” Williams said. “So I keep that in mind. I wouldn’t say I’ve got it under control as of yet. But I know I have to do what’s best for my teammates. If I gotta shut up and just say ‘Yes coach,’ then that’s what I’ll do.” Williams has been playing hoops all his life, starting out in Trenton before moving to the Hamilton YMCA League. From there he played AAU basketball and credits coach Ashley Russo for making a big difference. “At first I just knew streetball but she started teaching me the game,” Williams said. “From there I just went on to high school and to where I am now.” Mo made the Hornet varsity as a freshman, averaging 4.4 points in 17 games. His average jumped to 10.8 per game as a sophomore, and rose to 12.2 last year (while averaging 3.8 assists), although he missed three of the team’s final four games due to discipline. “When we raised our expectations for the program, sometimes that pressure gets to a kid,” Johnson said.
“Some people can handle it, some people can’t. You watch professionals, they gotta take breaks, you can imagine what our kids are going through. “They’re buying in, they’re listening, but at times we’re gonna bump heads. They’ve gotta sit down, and they’re gonna learn and they’re gonna come back and be ready to go. He’s learned that this year for the most part.” As luck would have it, Williams missed the Hornets opener this year due to Covid protocols, and he watched on videostream as West was upset by Nottingham. In fact, the Hornets started a season in which they have high hopes by losing two of their first three. Johnson missed a stretch of games due to Covid. “Things weren’t really in place but now that we got BJ back we have everything in order,” Williams said. The mercurial guard showed his capabilities in his first game this year, collecting 18 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and six steals in a win over Princeton. He has scored in double figures in every game but one, with a two-point outing against West Windsor-Plainsboro North dragging his average down. But he doesn’t worry about that, as his chief concern is setting up other players before finding his own points. “I let the game come to me,” said Williams, who hopes to play for a junior college team next year. “Once I start playmaking for my teammates, I see how things open up for me. I can get my shot, but I feel like my main strength is my slashing and playmaking.” He was at the top of his game with all of that through the first part of the season, and was enjoying how everything was playing out. “I love basketball,” he said. “It’s the best time of my life right now. I play basketball and I feel like I’m in a zone. This is where I’m comfortable.” And he’s working hard to make sure he remains in that comfort zone this year.
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Februar y 2022 | Hamilton Post23
Methelier the new big man in the middle for ND hoops By Rich Fisher
The first thing you notice about Stesher Methelier is that he’s a physical specimen. A drop-dead, well-sculpted, high school physical specimen. At 6-foot-7, 250-pounds he draws the eye of most fans the minute the Notre Dame High boys’ basketball team takes the court for warm-ups. And once the junior center from Mercerville gains the hoops acumen to go along with his imposing size, there is no telling what can happen. “In a lot of ways he’s still like coaching a freshman,” Irish coach Rich Roche said. “But he’s got the ability and if he learns how to use it, he shouldn’t have to pay for college.” Earning a free ride to college is Methelier’s aim, if only to be a good son. “Of course, that’s the goal, I’m hoping to get a scholarship to make my parents’ life easier,” he said. “And I also hope to help our team now.” Academically, Methelier is fine as he sports a 3.5 grade point average, although he says “it could be way better, I have to work on that too.” As for his basketball skills, they have looked pretty formidable to Colonial Valley Conference foes despite the fact this is his first full year of playing high school basketball. He is also playing in a program that has been
Notre Dame junior center Stesher Methelier averaged 12.8 points and 8.8 rebounds through 11 games this season. (Photo by Rich Fisher.) guard-heavy for the past few years so it needs to adjust to such a post luxury. “It’s the good news-bad news thing,” Roche said. “The good news is you have a 6-foot-7, 250-pound guy. The bad news is we haven’t had one in a while and how the heck do you use a 6-foot-7, 250-pound guy after you’re
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playing five guards? It’s a pleasant problem, but it’s an adjustment for our guards because they’re not accustomed to having anyone inside that they need to worry about throwing the ball to.” There is also the fact that Methelier is fairly raw. But he still had enough unpolished talent to be the Irish’s leading scorer and rebounder as of Jan. 19. Through ND’s 7-4 start, the Our Lady of Sorrows product averaged 12.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game to go along with 15 blocked shots. It is basically Methelier’s first real season playing against high level competition. As a kid, he was tall and everyone wanted him to go out for football or basketball. Since his father, Steve, played hoops in Haiti, he decided on that sport and played pick-up games at OLS while also playing for Hamilton PAL. “I was kind of into the sport, even if we just played at recess,” he said. “I was still new to the game.” Stesher joined Our Lady of Sorrows CYO team in seventh grade and learned some of the game’s nuances from coach Dave Larkin. He also played some AAU ball. “Maybe in eighth grade, I was really starting to get going with the game, seeing how everything worked,” he said. “But even though I learned it, I still had to improve on it.” His game went into somewhat of a hibernation for two years, however. Methelier made the ND varsity as a freshman, but soon left the team in order to focus on academics. Last year, he opted not to come out due to Covid concerns. Thus, he is the proverbial work-inprogress this year. “It’s like a whole teaching process with him,” Roche said. “Just teaching him where he belongs in the motion offense; and the simple things — catch the ball, chin it, don’t bring it
down (to the waist); run the floor on the break as hard as you can every time; be the rim runner. Some days he’s locked in and he’s great, and other days it almost seems like he’s a freshman trying to learn things again. “So he’s a little bit behind, but he’s a good guy and very coachable. He shows nothing but desire to get better. I have (former West Windsor-Plainsboro North coach) Tim Stevens working with him. The kid’s gifted, but I don’t think he realizes how much yet.” Methelier did not play as a freshman, but still felt being exposed to varsity players helped. He also knew he needed to add more muscle to survive. “When I was a freshman, I was a little weaker playing with the bigger guys and it felt harder,” Methelier said. “But over the years I got stronger and it feels way easier. Especially being in the weight room with coach Frank (Quartucci). He’s helped us work on endurance and strength.” This year has been nothing but fun for the friendly giant. “It’s been a great experience,” he said. “I kind of got a little taste of what’s going on freshman year. This year kind of cemented me more into the Irish basketball playing style. It’s a great experience. I have no complaints, everything has been on point.” Roche noted that Methelier is also an immovable presence in the paint and slowly but surely he is learning the game. “He’s getting it,” Roche said. “His mistakes aren’t because he’s not paying attention. His mistakes are just because of a lack of repetition.” And his talent can sometimes offset those mistakes. “He’s got a nice touch,” Roche said. “He’s athletic. Much more than you would expect a 6-7 guy would be. He had a nice dunk against Lawrence and the whole bench exploded; it took everyone by surprise. He hasn’t gotten to the point where there’s been any kind of consistency doing that. I think he’s still really scratching the surface of his ability and what he can be.” One thing is certain: Stesher’s teammates are happy to have him on board. “He’s a great addition to the team,” guard Ean Chambers said. “We run a lot of offense through him and he helps us get some points. It helps we know they might double him and get some open shots for us.” Methelier has been learning from several different sources, including his dad. “He was a pretty good player in Haiti,” Stesher said. “He’s been with me from the start. He hired a personal trainer for me, he has experience and he passed it down to me.” In looking at the big picture, Roche feels his big man is playing beyond expectations this year. “It’s an adjustment, but he’s basically been a surprise in the beginning of the season,” the coach said. “He did make a lot of progress during the summer, so we’re ahead of where I thought we’d be with him.”
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Februar y 2022 | Hamilton Post25
Wrestler Van Der Horn starts season 7-1 for Northstars By Rich Fisher
The way Jacob Van Der Horn looks at it, the wrestling mat is like a chess board. Except a circle replaces the checkered surface, and there are two moving pieces rather than a group of stationary ones. And through Jan. 20, Van Der Horn was usually the one calling checkmate this season. Entering a Jan. 22 quad meet, the Nottingham High junior was 7-1 with four pins. He opened the season by winning the Blue Devil Classic at Ewing High. It was a case of making all the right moves. “It’s like a thinking sport, it’s kind of like chess in a way,” Van Der Horn said. “You gotta think what you have to do, what your counter is to it, then think ahead.” As he spoke, he sounded like a fine chess player. “I can play it,” he said. “But I’m not really good.” It’s been a different case on the mat, where he has gone from a quiet ninthgrader to one of the Northstars top guns. “He’s dug deep, he’s all in,” said Nottingham coach Jason “The Rock” Marasco, who has been having trouble keeping wrestlers the past two years due to Covid concerns. “He came on real strong at the end of the
year last year. He started believing in he stuck with it, as some guys get dishimself. He started winning matches couraged when things aren’t going that even he thought he wasn’t gonna their way. But he figured struggling in win. He walked off the mat surprised a sport was better than no sport at all. “I wasn’t doing anything in the winthat he beat that kid.” ter,” he said. “I was like ‘I What kid? might as well; there’s no “Anybody that he reason not to.’ It started wrestled toward the end to click in middle school, of the season,” Marasco I just started to get it.” continued. “He was Van Der Horn had grinding out the vicenough confidence in tory. It’s not like he was the sport that he came destroying them, but he out for Nottingham as was working and grinda freshman and went ing and showing guts 16-4 on the JV team. He and taking shots for the was called up to varsity win, not just hoping for toward the end of the overtime. season and, after losing “He was our most by technical fall in his improved wrestler last first match, Jacob won year, and he has carried Van Der Horn three straight, including it over this year.” a District 21 match over Van Der Horn is a lifetime wrestler, starting with the Ham- Ewing’s Arian Hossain at 126 pounds. In the second round, the ninthilton PAL program in third grade. His curiosity in the sport was piqued by seeded wrestler was pinned by Freehold Borough’s top-seeded Nico Meswatching WWE. “I was interested in pro wrestling,” sina, who went on to be a state place he said, “so I tried amateur wrestling winner. “I kind of got beat up,” Van Der Horn and I’ve been doing it ever since. But I had a really slow start in wrestling. said. “But it was a good experience.” Marasco noted that his wrestler I didn’t start picking up the pace until blended into the background as a sixth or seventh grade.” Jacob said the problem was basi- freshman. “He didn’t say a word,” the Rock cally the fact that he was young “and I didn’t really know what was going on.” recalled. “He was quiet. When he It’s a credit to Van Der Horn that came in two years ago we had some
pretty good kids so he was taking his licks. I didn’t think there was a chance for him to break into the lineup as a freshman but he worked hard.” During an abbreviated sophomore year in which there were no districts, Jacob lost four of his first five before winning four of his last five. Marasco marveled at the turn-around, saying it was as if Van Der Horn just flipped a switch. “He kind of had an awakening when he started beating better kids,” the coach said. “His mom and dad are super supportive, they don’t miss a match, which is great. And they see it too. His dad was like ‘Wow, he’s better!’ I said ‘I told ya, he is good.’” Van Der Horn said there was a simple reason for his slow start. “Very early last year I injured my shoulder so I was pretty hesitant in wrestling,” he said. “But then the pain started going away and after I won my match against West I thought I was good. The shoulder wasn’t bothering me as much. “I definitely gained more confidence in my next matches. When you keep winning it also helps you keep fighting the rest of the match; knowing I could still win. I know I’ve won before, I’ve come back before in the last period; and that just kept me going.” Van Der Horn, who Marasco feels is effective wrestling on his feet, came back even stronger this year. With
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the head coach missing much of the first half of the season due to Covid protocols, assistant Charlie “The Pebble” Iacano was doing most of the work with the team and had positive words concerning the Northstars 144-pounder. “He’s just aggressive,” Iacano said. “He’s a kid who doesn’t say too much, he kind of shows it on the mat. But you can count on him every single day to go out there for six minutes; whether it’s against one of the better wrestlers or not, he’ll put up a good fight. Or when we need bonus points or a pin he’ll go out there and get it for us.” Iacano feels a big reason for Van Der Horn’s emergence is just the fact he is getting high-level mat time. “He came in with a little experience from the local PAL program,” Iacano said. “It was just a matter of getting that varsity experience. When you jump from PAL and come into a varsity lineup almost instantly, you need to get that experience. Now he’s a junor, he’ll be a senior, these are his years to start stacking up the wins.” Aside from being a not-to-good chess player, Van Der Horn is a good trombone player. He was a percussionist in elementary school but when he got to Crockett Middle School he was asked to choose an instrument.
“I’ve been with it ever since,” he said. “I definitely like playing at the football games, they’re really fun, and I especially like the people.” He did not try out for the orchestra pit for this year’s school show, however, as he hopes to be making a mark in the Mercer County and District 21 tournaments. “My current goal is just to make it to regions now,” he said. “I want to place top-three in districts, and go for the win there. Regionals are what I’m looking for now.” In assessing his career, Van Der Horn feels his biggest improvement has been a more aggressive approach. “In PAL I was really defensive,” he said. “Now I’m trying to get more offense. I was mostly going on defense being on bottom or neutral, defending shots. Or being on top, I would stay on top following a guy. But the last few years I’ve been more offensive, taking more shots, trying more tilts, going for more pins.” Whatever he’s doing, Marasco hopes he keeps it up. “He’s hard working,” the coach said. “I can’t say anything bad about the kid.” Except that he’s admittedly not a very good chess player. Unless he’s on the mat, of course.
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February is National Children’s Dental Health Month! Let Hamilton Dental Associates help brighten your family’s smiles! HamiltonDental.com Dental Specialists Providing Pediatric/Family Dentistry Cosmetic Dentistry Orthodontic Services Dr. Irving Djeng • Dr. Lauren Levine • Dr. Michael DeLuca • Dr. Matthew Etter • Dr. Kevin Collins • Dr. Deolinda Reverendo
Februar y 2022 | Hamilton Post27
thanks or to support our Emergency Response Fund, visit rwjbh.org/heroes
How to improve your heart health Ask The Doctor And please, for them, stay home and safe.
be over 100 and healthy. Recipe tasting should be getting 150 minutes of modHeart disease becomes more comand discussion of the challenges of createrate intensity or 75 minutes of high mon as you age so it is vital to see your ing new habits. Shirley Roberts, MA, LPC, intensity activity per week. regular primary care physician for regNCC & Alyssa Luning, RD, CSOWM. You should also make sure to watch ular checkups. how much alcohol you drink. Drinking When you reach your 60s, you Thursday, February 10 tooour much caninseverely raise your blood should visit your doctor regularly to Create Your Own Personal Mission StateSee ads ment. 7 to 8:30 p.m. Why are You Here? pressure. monitor your blood cholesterol, lipid SIX09 section What is your vision of the world? What’s finally, pgsAnd 5 and 7 try to stay at a healthy panels, blood pressure and your Body your Why? Your “Why” is your Personal weight and maintain a Mass Index to ensure a Mission Statement. Join Transformahealthy, nutritious diet. healthy heart. Heart disease remains the No. 1 tional Life Coach Kathi Szabo, of Eclectic Are there any If your doctor prekiller of men and women in the United Wellbeing for this special workshop that Heroes Work Here_4.313x11.25_HAM.indd 1 1:21 PM warning signs to4/17/20 look scribes medicines to conStates.RWJ-104 Shankar Santhanam, MD—a will help you gain clarity on your “Why” so trol your blood sugar, Robert Wood Johnson Physician out for? you can create a personal mission stateOftentimes, people cholesterol, or blood presEnterprise provider affiliated with Robment that you can share with the world! sure, make sure to follow ert Wood Johnson University Hospital tend to ignore signs that Tuesday, February 15 his or her instructions. Hamilton, an RWJBarnabas Health your heart is in trouble. Dr. Santhanam has Clinical Culinary Nutrition: From the facility—offers some insight what you Not all heart problems Head to the Heart! 5 to 6:30 p.m. Get up come with the tradipracticed family medican do to improve your heart health. to date on current nutrition issues, hear cine in the Lawrence area When should I start worrying tional or stereotypical from other health/culinary professionfor more than 10 years. about my heart health? It’s impor- warning signs. als, and sample tasty new recipes with Some warning signs He is skilled in providing tant to start taking care of your heart our registered dietitians! Alyssa Luning, care to patients of all ages health at a young age to reduce the that you should not RD, CSOWM. Space is limited- register at and accepts most major risk of developing it later in life. Heart ignore are: chest pain least 48 hours prior to event. $5 per ininsurances. disease is something young people or discomfort, including Dr. Santhanam person participant Learn how to boost blood flow throughout your body and For more information generally don’t think about, but don’t pressure, squeezing, or decrease risk for cardiac disease, includor to schedule an appointwait to think about your heart health pain in the upper chest, ing hypertension and high cholesterol. back, or lower abdomen—commonly ment with Dr. Santhanam or a physiuntil there is a problem. On the menu: Soups! What are some ways to improve mistaken for indigestion or heartburn; cian with RWJ Medical group, call shortness of breath with activity or dif- (609) 392-6366. my heart health? Wednesday, February 16 First and foremost, not smoking. ficulty completing regular activities; The Link Between Hearing Loss and DeSmoking dramatically increases your and swelling in the feet, ankles, legs or Coming up this month at mentia – Can Hearing Aids Save Your risk of developing heart disease. Even abdomen. If you experience any of the RWJU Hospital Hamilton Brain? 10 to 11 a.m. According to several secondhand smoke puts you at greater symptoms described above, notify your major studies, older adults with hearing loss are more likely to develop Alzheimdoctor immediately. risk. To register for a program or for scheder’s disease and dementia, compared to At what age should I start going ule changes call 609-584-5900. For more Next, try to increase your physithose with normal hearing. Prevention is cal activity level. Also, according to to the doctor for regular heart information, go to rwjbh.org/hamilton. key. Audiologist, Dr. Lorraine Sgarlato, the American Heart Association, you monitoring?
Wednesday, February 2
The Baby Boomer Heart: A Generation at Risk. 6 to 7 p.m. Are you one of the 79 million Americans born between 1946-1964? Experts say that the “Baby Boomer” generation may be the most vulnerable to heart disease ever. Boomers are the first American generation to grow up with affluence and plenty. The price for this abundance may be heart disease. Join Ronald Ryder, DO, board certified in cardiovascular disease and RWJ Hamilton Rehab Specialist, Maureen Stevens, PT, DPT, GCS, Cert. MDT, as they discuss the good news - we can change our own personal world and, in so doing, reduce our risk for heart disease. Light refreshments included.
Au.D., discusses your options.
Friday, February 18
Food: Fact vs. Fiction A Virtual Program. 10 to 11 a.m. Sign in for a session with Registered Dietitian Jennifer Choi, RDN as she discusses and debunks common nutrition related claims and concerns.
Better Health Programs
There’s no better time to be 65+ years old, and there’s no better place to experience it than at the Better Health Program at RWJUH. This complimentary program will engage your mind, encourage you to move and help you reflect. To register for a program below or to learn about complimentary membership Tuesday, February 8 call 609-584-5900 or visit rwjbh.org/ Kids in the Kitchen: You Have a Pizza My HamiltonBetterHealth. Heart. 5 to 6:30 p.m. National Pizza Day is Feb. 9. Learn how to make heart shaped pies loaded with veggies and love. Cook up some fun, and sample healthy foods in new ways! For children ages five and older with parent/caregiver. Alyssa Luning, RD, CSOWM. Register early; limited class size. $5 per child/ $5 per parent/ caregiver for in-person attendance.
Wednesday, February 9
Cold, Allergies, Flu or COVID? How Can I Tell the Difference? 6 to 7 p.m. Join Seth Rosenbaum, MD, MMM, SVP, CMO Infectious Disease, as he helps us to sort through symptoms that can be confusing and sometimes frightening.
Thursday, February 10
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Expires: 2-28-22
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28Hamilton Post | Februar y 2022
Expires: 2-28-22
Expires: 4-30-21
“Love Your Heart” Discussion Group. 6:30 to 8 p.m. For those who were diagnosed with a cardiac condition or recent cardiac procedure, please join us to explore the “Blue Zones,” where people live to
Thursday, February 3
Tai Chi. Also Feb. 17. 10 to 11 a.m. Tony Jackson focused on improving balance and strengthening legs. Gentle stretching improve flexibility. Learn how to get up if a fall does happen. Must be a Better Health member to attend.
Tuesday, February 8
Gentle Yoga Classes. 10 to 11 a.m. Gentle Flow Yoga for those new to yoga or who want to gentle practice, focuses on warming the body, alignment, strength, balance and flexibility. No experience or flexibility required. Must be a Better Health member to attend.
Monday, February 14
Canvas Painting for Valentine’s Day; 1 to 3 p.m. Kate Moore of Brookdale Senior Living Hamilton leads us in canvas painting. There will be light snacks served and a good time for all!
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Town | $1,000,0000 Craftsmanship from a time when doing a quality job w on OVER 5/8 OF AN ACRE OF LAND, is a park like sett Text text text text Text text text text stainless steel appliances, upgraded electrical, Jacuzzi
| $1,000,0000 $100,000 | $1,000,0000 Text text text textTown Text text text text Text text text textText Texttext texttext texttext textText text text text Text text text textText Texttext texttext texttext textText text text text Text text text text Text text text text xt text text Text text text text text text Hamilton | $315,000 Camden | $400,000 Pennsauken | $100,000 Large Corner Lot in Busy Commercial Area. Many uses are possible in this commercial zone. Pennsauken, Text text text text Text text text text text Text text text text Text text text text text Text text text NJ text Text text text text text xt text text Text text text text text Text text text text Text text text text text Text text text text Text text text text This wonderful move-in-condition 3 bed/1 bath home is 5000 sq ft building- Apartment Building, Banquet Facility/ Large Corner Lot in Busy Commercial Area. Many uses are Camden texttext text text text Text text text text Text text text texttext text text text Cold text text text text text text text text located in Hamilton. Lodge, Bed text and Breakfast, Store/ text text possible intext this commercial zone. xt text text Text text text text TextStorage, text Convenience text text Text text $100,000 Gas, Day Care Facility, Hair Salon and Spa, Medical, Other, xt text text text text text text text text text text text text text text Professional, Religious Facility, Restaurant/Bar, School, $400,000 Hamilton Storage, Warehouse.
Large Corner Lot in Busy Commercial Area. Many u JUST LISTED JUST LISTED JUST SOLD PendingBuilding, Banquet Facility/Lodge, Bed and Breakfast, Cold Storage, 5000 sq ft buildingApartment PendingJUST LISTED $315,000 JUST LISTED JUST SOLD CONDO LISTING PENDING PENDING Convenience Store/Gas, Day Care Facility, Hair Salon and Spa, Medical, Other, Professional, Religio Condo Listing
Restaurant/Bar, School, Warehouse This wonderful move-in-condition 3 Facility, bed/1 bath home is located inStorage, Hamilton.
Condo Listing
Listing-Commercial
| $1,000,0000
Town | $1,000,0000 Town | $1,000,0000 Text Windsor text text text Text text text text East | $139,900
Town | $1,000,0000 | $1,000,0000 Text text text textTown Text text text text Hamilton | $369,900
Town | $1,000,0000 Text text text| $205,000 text Text text text text Hamilton
This wonderful 2 bed,text 1 bath corner unittext on the 1st Text fltext oor. text text Craft smanship from atext time Text when quality job was the text text Great FIRST text FLOORtext condo located highly demanded Text text text Text text text text Text text text Textdoing textatext texttext text text Text text Text textintext text xt text text Text text text text Text text text text text Text text As you step in, you will see a large family/dining room only job. This Dutch Society Hill II, located in Hamilton Township. You’ll enjoy Hamilton, NJstyle house located on OVER 5/8 OF AN East Windsor, NJ Hamilton, NJ Text text text textText Texttext text text texttoText text Text text Text textwelcoming texttext text text Text text textfloor text Text textaccess text totext text that off ers plenty of entertainment spacetext that leads the text text ACRE OFtext LAND, is a text park like setting, youText with text text thetext ease of lower living and quick the parking xt text text Text text text text text text text text Text text text kitchen, where there is a generously sized breakfast bar. The modern upgrades like stainless steel appliances, upgraded area. Inside, the condo has been updated with a newer texttext text text texttext text textlocated textoff text text text text text text textfreshly text painted $369,900 xt text text Text text$139,900 text Text text text text Text text text text Text text text text text hallway leadstext to the 2text large bedrooms. electrical, Jacuzzi the two-level deck.text Text text text kitchen with granite counters and tiling, $205,000 neutral tones throughout and new flooring. Sip your xt text text text text text text text text text text text text textinmorning text coffee on the patio just outside the sliding doors
This wonderful 2 bed, 1 bath corner unit on the 1st floor. As you step in, you will see a large from the living room. Great FIRST FLOOR condo located in highly demanded Craftsmanship from to a time when doing quality family/dining room that offers plenty of entertainment space that leads the kitchen, wherea there is job was the only job. This Dutch style house loca You'll enjoy ease of lower floor modern living and quick acl ontoOVER OFbedrooms. AN ACRE OF LAND, is a park like setting,the welcoming you with upgrades a generously sized breakfast bar. The hallway leads the 2 5/8 large been updated withoff a newer kitchen deck with granite count stainless steel appliances, upgraded electrical, Jacuzzi located the two-level East Windsor, NJ throughout and new flooring. Sip your morning coffee the living room.
JUST SOLD
JUST SOLD
$139,900
Camden $400,000
Pending-
This wonderful 2 bed, 1 bath corner unit on the 1st family/dining room that offers plenty of entertainm a generously sized breakfast bar. The hallway lead
5000 sq ft building- Apartment Building, Banquet Facility/Lodge, Bed and Breakfast, Cold Storage, Convenience Store/Gas, Day Care Facility, Hair Salon and Spa, Medical, Other, Professional, Religious
TownFacility, | $1,000,0000 Restaurant/Bar, School, Storage, Warehouse
| $1,000,0000 Text text text text Text text text text Text text text text Text text text text text xt text text Text text text text weidel.com/weidel-careers Text text text text Text text text text text xt text text Text text text text text weidel.com/weidel-careers texttext texttext text text xt text text Text text text xt text text
Hamilton Office | 1948 Route 33, Hamilton Square NJ | O: 609.586.1400 ton Office | 1948 Route 33, Hamilton Square NJ | O: 609.586.1400
Hamilton, NJ $205,000
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Februar y 2022 | Hamilton Post29
Firefighters extinguish brush fire on Route 33 BOB SHERMAN, JR. FIRELINE
Hamilton Township Fire Division responded to 647 incidents in December. Included in the calls were six building fires, eleven cooking fires, five trash fires, three passenger vehicle fires, and five brush fires, three overpressure incidents with no fire, one rescue assignment, 20 assists to EMS crews, 13 COVID 19 responses, 264 EMS calls, 37 motor vehicle accidents with injuries, 1 motor vehicle/ pedestrian accident, 8 motor vehicle accidents with no injuries, 2 removal of victims from stalled elevator, 21 gas leaks, 1 flammable liquid spill, 5 carbon monoxide incidents, 1 power line down, 7 hazardous conditions with no fire, 1 smoke alarm installed, 1 animal rescue, 4 assists to police, 6 mutual aid cover assignments, 18 service calls, 115 good intent calls, 85 false alarm or false calls and three other incidents. HTFD 2021 Statistics. Included in the calls were 374 fires, 25 overpressure incidents with no fire, 3200 Rescue and Emergency Medical Service incidents, 396 Hazardous Conditions with no fire, 350 Service Calls, 1214 Good Intent calls, 878 False Alarms and False calls. 16 Severe Weather and Natural Disaster assignments and
Hamilton Fire Division Station 13, “C” Platoon: Captain/EMT Michael Kiernan, Firefighters/EMT’s David Jurada and Michael Peoples with Reserve Truck 10. (Photo by Bob Sherman Jr.)
15 other type incidents. As of the end of December, Hamilton Fire Division has responded to 6468 incidents. Dec. 1 at 8:24 p.m. Engine 15 with Capt. Lamar Hicks, Truck 13, Squad 16, Engine 14, Squad 12, Battalion Chief Keith Greene and Deputy Chief Aaron Heller responded to Grand Ave. for an apartment fire.
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30Hamilton Post | Februar y 2022
Dec. 2 at 1:05 p.m. Engine 19 with Capt. Christian Balog, Engine 15. Truck 13, Squad 12 and Deputy Chief Steven Kraemer dispatched for a dwelling fire on Gropp Ave. Dec. 3 at 4:24 p.m. Truck 17 with Capt. Jason Bergstrom, Engine 18, Squad 16, Truck 13, Deputy Chief John Retalis dispatched to Versailles Ct. for a strong odor of gas coming from the dryer. Dec. 5 at 2:20 a.m. Squad 12 with Capt. Joseph Flynn responded to 600 block of Route 33 for a Pedestrian/ Motor Vehicle accident. Re-dispatched at 3:42 to assist Hamilton Police. Dec. 5 at 10:26 a.m. Truck 13 with Capt. Bernard Crammer, Engine 18, Squad 16, Squad 12, Battalion Chief Keith Greene and Deputy Chief Aaron Heller dispatched for a dwelling fire at East Franklin and Scully Ave. Dec. 7 at 11:56 p.m. Truck 13 with
Capt. Eric DeVita Engine 15, Squads 12 and 16 and Deputy Chief John Retalis responded to Lake Ave. where 9-1-1 caller reported an odor of something burning in the house and an odor of chemical in the home. Dec. 9 Engine 19, Squad 16, Squad 12, Engine 15, Truck 17 and Deputy Chief Aaron Heller were dispatched to Market Place Blvd. for a fire in a commercial building. E 19 arrived under the direction of Capt. Kevin McElroy to report smoke showing from Side A. E-19s crew stretched a line to the front door. Heller arrived and established Marketplace Command. T-17 laddered the building with the aerial device and SQ 16 backed up E-19 with a water supply. E-19 officer reported an extinguished fire in the ceiling of the store’s bathroom. Personnel used their thermal imaging cameras to check for extension which was negative. T-17 provided positive pressure ventilation to clear the smoke and dry chemical. Fire marshal Scott McCormick was notified. The store manager was advised to call their maintenance department. No injuries reported. Dec. 10 at 7:05 p.m. Engine 18 with Capt. Jason Bergstrom dispatched for a MVA at Kuser Rd and Justice Samuel Alito Jr. Way. Dec. 11 at 10 a.m. Colonial Volunteers Danny Birkenstock and Brian Moss responded with Reserve Engine 18 to the Hamilton Elks, Kuser Road for the special needs children’s Christmas parade, attended by 54 children. Dec. 14 at 4:38 a.m. Engine 19 with Capt. Kevin McElroy responded to Klockner Rd and Back Creek Rd for a Pedestrian/MVA. Dec. 16 at 3:54 p.m. Squad 12 dispatched to the State Highway 33 for a brush fire. Squad 12 arrived under the direction of Capt. Eric DeVita to find an area of brush and a wooden post fence burning. Crew extinguished the fire. Area was thoroughly overhauled,
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raked and wet down to ensure all fire was out. A freshly discarded cigarette butt was observed under the wooden fence prior to extinguishment. Vacant property, no occupant present. Dec. 18 at 4:59 p.m. Squad 16 with Capt. Donald Snedeker, Squad 12, Engine 15, Truck 17 and Battalion Chief Timothy Sharpley responded to Zachary Ln for an interior smoke condition in an apartment. Dec. 23 at 12:50 a.m. Squad 12 with Capt. Eric DeVita, Truck 17, Engines 18 & 19, and Battalion Chief Timothy Sharpley responded to RWJ Barnabas Health where Security reported an odor of smoke on the second floor in the area of the ICU. Dec. 24 at 8:19 p.m. Squad 12 with Capt. Joseph Flynn, Truck 17, Engines 14, 18, 19 and Battalion Chief Joseph Troyano responded to the 200 block of Paxson Ave for an interior smoke condition. BC10 arrived and established command. Truck 17 under the direction of Capt. Raymond Pierce reported smoke and fire in the basement as well as fire in the floor in the area of the fireplace. The “All Hands” was requested. Squad 16 was added to the assignment. Police were requested for traffic control. Engine 14 laid supply line to Squad 12. Engine 19 stood by as Rapid Intervention Team. Squad 12’s crew stretched line. Engine 14’s crew stretched second line. Drop down fire in the basement was contained. Fire Marshal and Building Inspector requested. Squad 16 assisted Truck 17 checking for extension. Fire was placed under control. Fire investigator John Retalis arrived on location and was advised of fire department findings and actions taken. Upon completion of investigation, area of fireplace hearth and floor was overhauled and checked with thermal imaging camera. Construction official arrived on location and was advised of fire department findings and actions. Owner was advised of fire department findings and actions. Owner was advised to make repairs to floor and fireplace and then have fireplace and chimney inspected prior to use. No injuries reported. Dec. 24 at 11:51 p.m. Special Services 18 (Colonial) with Volunteer Danny Birkenstock dispatched to 600 block of South Clinton Ave for a standby at a fire incident. Ten air bottles were filled. Dec. 25 at 3:46 a.m. Engine 15 with Capt. Andrew Kmiecik dispatched to Rusling Street, Trenton, for a dwelling fire with two fire fatalities. Special Services 18 with (Colonial) volunteer Danny Birkenstock responded and filled 35 air bottles. Dec. 25 at 3:53 p.m. Engine 19 with Capt. Joseph Palazzone, Squad 12, Engine 15 and, Truck 13 responded to Rockroyal Road for a brush fire with exposure. Dec. 25 at 9:18 p.m. Engine 15 with Capt. Lamar Hicks, Squad 16, Engine 18, Squad 12, Battalion Chief Keith Greene and Deputy Chief Aaron Heller responded to a kitchen fire in the 200 block of Wilfred Avenue. T 13 arrived under the direction of Capt. Joseph
Pushman and reported a 2-story, wood-frame single family dwelling with no signs of smoke or fire showing from sides A & B. T-13 investigated and found an active kitchen fire on the Charlie side of the dwelling. E-15 arrived on location and assumed fire attack. T-13 initiated a primary search. Greene established Command upon arrival and provided a progress report. The primary search was negative, occupants had self-evacuated prior to the arrival of the FD. SQ-16 secured a water supply, stretched a back-up line to the Charlie side and also supplied E-15. DC-Heller arrived on scene and assisted Command. SQ-12 served as Rapid Intervention Team while E-18 stood-by as a tactical reserve. Command requested PSE&G electric, Fire Investigator Anthony Chiorello and a township building inspector to the scene. The structure appeared to be rented out as Single Room Occupancies. Power to the electric oven was secured at the panel. The fire involved the oven/stove and caused smoke and heat damage to the kitchen, as well as, smoke damage throughout the structure. T-13 ventilated the dwelling. PSE&G confirmed that the stove was secured and that there was no damage to the service panel. The building inspector toured and authorized occupancy by the tenants. E-15s crew installed a smoke detector in the vicinity of the bedrooms. Scene was turned back over to the occupants. No injuries or damaged equipment reported. Dec. 26 at 5:09 p.m. Squad 16, Squad 12, Engine 15, Truck 13 and Battalion Chief Timothy Sharpley dispatched to Sharps Lane for a House fire. SQ 16 arrived under the direction of Capt. Joseph Muzzillo to report a 1.5 story single family dwelling with nothing showing from street, SQ 16 took interior investigation and found a smoke condition on the first floor and stretched a dry line. BC 10 upgraded the assignment dispatching E18 and T17. Crews found an extinguished fire in the area of the window. Companies checked for extension; fire contained to window area. Fire Inspector Anthony Chiorello investigated. No injuries reported. Hamilton Fire Division Fire Prevention Bureau. Fire Marshal Scott McCormick reported the Fire Prevention Bureau conducted 72 fire investigations during 2021 while the Fire Inspectors completed 3017 inspections with 7824 violations found and completed 3525 re-inspections. Smoke alarms save lives, test your smoke alarms monthly and change the batteries every year. Mercer County Fire Marshal’s Office. Dec. 13 at 5:40 p.m. Ewing Township, 114 Somerset St., fire in a small wood-frame chicken coop. Heat lamp came in contact with combustibles. Investigated by FM Kevin Brink. Mercer County had seven fire fatalities in 2021. Mercer County Fire Safety for Older Adults Program presentation at Meadow Lakes in East Windsor.
Bob Sherman, Jr. is a life member of Mercerville Volunteer Fire Company and a Hamilton resident.
February Events FREE Income Tax Help
February 7th - April 13th by Appointment only The Free Tax Program (VITA – Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) offers families and individuals making less than $65,000 free tax return preparation. Mondays and Wednesdays **APPOINTMENT REQUIRED**
Notary Oath Night
Thursday, February 3rd & Thursday, February 10th,
3:00 - 7:00 PM The Mercer County Clerk’s office will administer the oath to newly commissioned and renewing Notaries. Please call the Mercer County Clerk’s office to schedule (609) 989-6465 or email sortiz@mercercounty.org
Foreclosure Counseling
Monday, February 7th, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Having trouble with your mortgage, you can meet with a HUD certified counselor to find out your options. Contact Affordable Housing Alliance to schedule an appointment 732-389-2958 to meet with a counselor.
Interfaith Caregivers
Wednesday, February 9th, 10:30 - 11:30 AM Learn about free support services for homebound elderly and disabled, including transportation, shopping, friendly visiting, respite care and other non-medical help. Find out how to become a volunteer!
FREE 15-Minutes with an Attorney Thursday, February 10th, 5:30 - 7:00 PM
The Public Education Committee of the Mercer County Bar Association and the Mercer County Executive present!
LAWYERS C.A.R.E*
FREE 15-minute consultation with an Attorney (virtually) All Lawyers C.A.R.E meetings will take place virtually. Advanced registration is required. For more information please call (609) 585-6200 or visit website: www.mercerbar.com
Please call 609-890-9800 to reserve space
Mercer County Connection Passport Processing Notary Service Recycling Buckets
Passport Photos Meeting Room Voter Registration
957 Highway 33 at Paxson Avenue, Hamilton
Brian M. Hughes, County Executive
Februar y 2022 | Hamilton Post31
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10 questions with artist Connie Cruser THOMAS KELLY FIGHT IN THE MUSEUM
Connie Cruser is a self-taught artist who resides in Hamilton NJ. Being self-taught may be the hardest way to learn but the results are usually very different than most others. While she uses many different media, I am drawn to her works with rolled paper that create a colorful relief with a natural texture. This technique is called paper quilling, and there are hand tools to help curl and twirl the paper strips. These works are bright, fun and obviously take some time to create. How did you get started in art? About 7 years ago, I wanted to have a portrait of my beloved dog that had passed away. I never studied art but Artist Connie Cruser with her paper I decided to try and do a drawing of quilling artwork, “Stan the Toucan.” him. I started out with my favorite photo of him and after many hours of Who are your influences and practice and patience, I completed my first colored pencil portrait and since favorite artists? My favorite artist is Yulia Brodsthen, I created many more. kaya. She is a highly regarded paper You use a lot of different media. artist and illustrator. Over the last decade, she has brought world attenWhy? I enjoy doing pencil dog portraits, tion to quilling-based paper art. paper quilled mosaics, recycled art What fight/struggle do you have and digital art. I think I use a lot of different media because I’m self-taught regarding your art? Since my mixed media mosaics and my interests and skills keep evolving. With each piece I make, I discover have gotten larger and I’ve been cresomething new about myself and my ating more, my struggle has been with not having a good work space. abilities. Recently, I have been cleaning out an Which is your favorite media or area in a spare room to be dedicated for my art making. technique? Lately, I’ve been focusing on mixed How often do you work on your media art. Creating paper quilled mosaics has become my favorite pas- art making? How often I work on art sometimes sion. Most of my recent pieces are a little larger and I use an acrylic paint depends on how many upcoming for a complimentary background. It’s exhibits there are or if I’m working on very time consuming to individually a piece for a client. The whole process cut, curl and shape each paper strip to create a mixed media paper mosaic but I love that it brings a delicate 3D may take me a few hours a day for a few weeks to complete one piece. look to a composition.
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the Wall.” This exhibit is held online as well as in the Whole World Arts located in the Princeton Market Fair. Also two of my Digital Imagery pieces were recently selected by Hopewell Valley Arts Council, as Day 12 of their “12 Days of Art”. The exhibit can be seen on their Facebook page and as a slideshow on their website. What is most fun about being an artist? I have found being an artist is fun in many ways. It is fun being creative and having my work accepted into exhibits. The response that I’ve gotten has been very rewarding. But what I enjoy the most is attending the art receptions and having an opportunity to meet people and talk with other artists.
What is your Dream Project, where cost, time, material etc are not a hindrance? My first art piece was a colored pencil drawing of my dog. For my Dream Project, I would like to combine my love for animals and art and create a type of “Memory” piece. It would be a collection of manipulated photos of my past pets and paper quilled artwork.
What is on the horizon? I’m looking forward to participating in a number of upcoming art exhibits. West Windsor Arts Council will hold their “Gala & Art Auction” and their Member Show in the very near future. Also the Arts & Cultural Council of Bucks County will hold their “30 Days of Inspiration.” I have my own webpage filled with my artwork in their Member Gallery section. Connie Cruser on Facebook: facebook.com/conniecruser. Web: bucksart. org/connie_cruser.
Where can we see your work? Are any exhibitions coming up? Currently my work is included in West Windsor Arts Council “Off
Thomas Kelly is a Hamilton-based artists and member of the Hamilton Arts Council. His work can be found at thomaskellyart.com.
“Rat Terrier” by Connie Cruser.
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Going north for the winter, or: Oh, Canada! PETER DABBENE COMPLEX SIMPLICITY
For most people in New Jersey, the decision of where to go on a winter vacation is pretty simple—head south, toward warmer weather. I say that’s for the birds. Thus, conflating elements of two Robert Frost poems, my family and I set out to take the snowy road less traveled. The plan, formed in November of last year, seemed simple enough: drive up to Quebec after Christmas, stay a few days, and be home before the New Year. But in December, the Omicron variant arrived in North America, complicating matters. To cross into Canada, we would all need proof of negative Covid PCR tests, taken no more than 72 hours before arrival at the border; rapid antigen tests were not acceptable. It typically takes 1 or 2 days to get the results of a PCR test, but because of high demand around the holidays, most labs warned that 3 to 5 days was more realistic. I had carefully scheduled tests for roughly 72 hours before our planned arrival at the border, but now it was out of my hands. We took store-bought antigen tests on Christmas Eve and tested negative, and none of us had symptoms, so I was confident we weren’t Covid carriers; that made it even more frustrating to consider canceling the trip. In a kind of Covid Christmas miracle, we got our negative PCR results on Christmas Eve, which allowed me to abandon my contingency plans of sneaking across the border via forged documents, midnight canoe excursion, or Jedi mind trick. In Quebec, most people speak French, though many have at least some knowledge of English as well. Along with cross-country skiing, fat-
ROMOLO
tire snow biking, and dogsledding, the trip offered the opportunity to experience a different culture and language without the hassle and expense of a plane ride. No one in our family spoke the dominant language, so our attempts to adapt usually began with “Boujour,” and after a high-speed buzz of French from the recipient of that greeting, quickly ended with “Parlez-vous anglais ?” Most of the time, store clerks, wait staff, and hospitality employees could accomodate us, with a few rather charming difficulties here or there—unfamiliarity with the word “spill” yielded the warning, “When you carry the soup, it overflow from the edges, otherwise ‘Ow!’” But attempting to speak to an average Quebecois was a disorienting experience involving hand gestures, loud, slow talking, and quick typing into Google translate. There’s a big difference between choosing not to talk to people, the way an American tourist might ignore panhandlers on a New York City subway, and not having the ability to talk to people. I admit, there were several moments when I wished the British had simply finished the job of converting Canada to the English language, regardless of this province’s quaint French-European appeal. But being among non-English speakers, at least in the short term, brought an exciting vulnerability, the adrenaline rush of feeling like you’re really on your own. It’s a feeling you also get driving around Quebec, because a few years ago, proposals for bilingual road signs were shelved in favor of a bewildering and often unintentionally amusing array of pictograms. Intended to be universally understood, they are, much like IKEA instructions, universally confusing and frustrating. Devoid of context, interpreting these signs is like communicating
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Beware of cheese.
with a bad Pictionary player. There are signs that seem to warn against driving into a cloud, or irritating the local wind god. A human hand holding what appears to be a fully-grown evergreen tree is not, as it first appears, a warning a that a giant is present, but rather an indication of a tree planting area. A person seemingly standing atop a bicycle on a yellow diamond shaped sign means a crossing for pedestrians and bikers is ahead, not, as I originally suspected, “Watch for passing circus performers.” The symbol for a spa or massage parlor looked, to me, like someone being mugged. Other signs seem to warn drivers against impending cheese (approaching cheese factory), roaming soccer players (playground nearby), and vacationing penguins (Montreal Biodome). Interpreting the signs is a skill that improves with practice—for example, experience taught us that green signs are of a more general informational nature, while blue signs indicate tourist attractions. But unless you’re already on the lookout for a Naturism Center (a.k.a nudist colony), suddenly sighting a bare-bottomed family on a road sign seems likely to cause more traffic problems than it solves. Along with the pictograms, the language still offered additional hurdles. Some green signs featured a picture of a camera and a bit of French—I thought these might indicate scenic areas where one might wish to take a photo. One read “FEU ROUGE,” which literally means “red fire.” Take a picture of the red fire? Another sign read “VITESSE FEU ROUGE,” and since “vitesse” means “speed,” this seemed to be alerting drivers to speedy red fire—an alarming prospect, to be sure, but apparently one still worthy of a photo stop. A secondary meaning of “feu rouge,” however, is “red light,” and finally it clicked (no pun intended)—there was a traffic camera at that corner, keeping its digital eye open for punishable driving infractions. In the evenings, we played Milles Bornes, the classic French card game, with its goal of accumulating auto mileage and avoiding obstacles
like flat tires and stop lights. Between rounds, I envisioned a new, Quebeccentric version that would incorporate the province’s unique signage for added difficulty and entertainment. Quebec felt like America as viewed from The Twilight Zone—somewhat familiar, but always slightly askew. There, Réno-Dépôt exists alongside Home Depot, but both are dominated by BMR, a hardware store chain owned by a Canadian agricultural cooperative. Instead of CVS and Starbucks, the pharmacies and coffee shops are named after people called Jean Coutu and Tim Horton. People buy gas at stations called “Irving,” which are often paired with CoucheTard, a convenience store chain known for its mascot, a red winking owl named “Jandrice.” Couche-Tard, fittingly, translates into English as “night owl,” but the Urban Dictionary also cites its adoption as an affectionate insult, “often used between friends.” Perhaps the strangest business sighting of all was a restaurant chain called Boston Pizza—founded by four Greek immigrants in Alberta, Canada, and named after a city not particularly known for its pizza. There are lots of Boston Pizza restaurants in Quebec, but none in Boston, Massachusetts; the company’s U.S. restaurants tend to be located in states like Arkansas, Montana, and North Dakota, where apparently people don’t know any better. Quebec’s cuisine is an interesting mélange of traditional French foods like crepes, adopted foreign favorites—nachos are everywhere—and Canadian innovations like poutine, french fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. New Jerseyans might recognize the latter as Disco Fries, a similar dish that substitutes melted cheese for fresh, raw-milk cheese curds. Cheese curds are illegal in the U.S. unless aged for 60 days, and bad Canadian curds might have been the cause of a stomach issue that sidelined my daughter for a day. Maybe that “impending cheese” road sign was a warning, after all. Despite all the strangeness, it was a great trip. Quebec City is a beautiful glimpse of Old Europe in North America, and the Basilica of Saint-Anne-DeBeaupré is stunning, but it’s easy to not take Quebec too seriously when you see a sign at a ski resort touting its “SALLE DE FARTAGE.” If pressed to describe Quebec in one word, it would have to be... incroyable. Peter Dabbene’s website is www. peterdabbene.com, and his previous Hamilton Post columns can be read at www.communitynews.org. His latest work, “Call Waiting,” can be seen at www.idleink.org. His book Complex Simplicity collects the first 101 editions of this column, along with essays and material published elsewhere. It is now available at Amazon.com or Lulu.com for $25 (print) or $4.99 (ebook).
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