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New owner, cherished traditions at Rossi’s

By JOe EMansKi

For 90 years, Rossi’s Bar and Grill has carved out a serious reputation for good food and good times — first in Trenton’s Chambersburg section, and since 2014, in Hamilton.

The Rossi’s menu features many popular items, but none is as famous as the Rossiburger — regularly featured in Best-inJersey lists published in print and online.

Hal Rose never really got to enjoy the Rossi’s experience in its old home at the corner of Morris and Franklin Streets. But the Princeton Junction resident was a frequent customers at Marsilio’s, another classic Chambersburg eatery.

There, he got to know Alan Meinster, the owner of Marsilio’s, which has since moved to Ewing. Meinster had been a partner at Rossi’s since the move to Hamilton, along with Mike Rossi, grandson of the restaurant’s founder.

Meinster knew from discussions with Rose over the

See ROSSI’S, Page 12

This is Sparta!

Spartan Bootcamp challenges kids

work hard on physical fitness

By JOe EMansKi

They say that kids today are soft. That too many of them want to be coddled and not enough want to put in the hard work necessary to become better at what they do.

That’s what they say. But Bill Hartz isn’t having it.

Welcome to the Big Leagues

By Rich Fisher

Jake Alu is becoming the Ross Colton of Major League Baseball.

Which is pretty cool for the former Princeton Day School baseball teammates.

If anyone understands about battling the odds to make it big, it’s Colton. The Robbins-

ville native went from the 118th player taken in the 2016 NHL draft to inking a $4 million deal with the Colorado Avalanche this summer.

Ross knows what it takes, and feels Jake has what it takes. Alu finally realized his MLB dream after being called up to the Washington Nationals on Aug. 1

Alu actually got the call three

previous times this season but lasted no longer than a week in any one stint before being sent back to Triple A Rochester. On Aug. 1, however, he returned to the nation’s capital and has stayed long enough to visit the Smithsonian and see the Lincoln Memorial.

Through Aug. 21 the HamilSee ALU, Page 8

The long-time rec soccer coach isn’t one to coddle anybody. But he says that he has seen with his own eyes that if you challenge kids — motivate them to focus on building their willpower and self belief — they will respond.

That’s the basis for Hartz’ Spartan Bootcamp, a physical fitness training program that he has developed over the past decade working with young athletes on the soccer field and, now, on just about any field.

Hartz spent the summer working with 175 local children, ranging in age from 6 to 18, to help them build up their physical fitness as well as their mental

See SPARTAN, Page 16

Jake Alu playing for the Washington Nationals against the New York Mets. The Princeton Day School grad, who grew up in Hamilton, was called up to the Major Leagues for the first time on Aug. 1.

to

Jake Alu makes debut in ‘The Show’ with Washington Nationals

RWJUH Hamilton September Healthy Living / Community Education Programs

HOW AND WHEN TO BE YOUR OWN HEALTH ADVOCATE

Mon., September 11, 11:00am to 12:00pm

Join Lisa Cruser, LPN, Nurse Advocate and owner of Empowering Patients Advocacy Group while she discusses how to navigate the healthcare system, how to ask for and get a second opinion, and how to advocate for yourself and others. FREE

DOES THE RINGING IN YOUR EARS DRIVE YOU CRAZY?

Tue., September, 12; 10:00 to 11:00am

25 million Americans suffer from Tinnitus and sound sensitivity. Join Dr. Lorraine Sgarlato, Au.D., A.B.A. as she discusses the phenomenon of Tinnitus and Sound Sensitivity Syndrome and various treatment options for relief.

NO MORE FOOD FIGHTS

Tue., September 12; 10:00 to 11:00am

We are talking about picky eating! Mealtime doesn’t have to be a battle. Let’s explore the most current and effective tactics for healthy & peaceful meals.

WHAT IS THIS PAIN IN THE BUTT?

Wed., September 13; 6:00 to 7:30pm

David Surrey, MD from Rothman Orthopedics will discuss sciatic pain. Find out symptoms and treatment for this common condition. Dinner will be provided.

JOURNEY THROUGH THE CHAKRAS

Thu., September 14; 6:00 to 8:00pm

Chakras are energy centers in our bodies, each corresponding to different traits, illness and times of development. Come explore how we can harness the power of these chakras for good health and vitality!

Michelle Gerdes, Princeton Doula Center, YT200. $15

ASK THE DIETITIAN

Mon., Sept. 18th 2023; 3:00 to 6:00pm Do you have a question about diet and nutrition? Join a community education dietitian for a one-on-one Q&A. Registration is required. Taryn Krietzman, RDN

FALL MEDICATION SERIES

Wednesdays, September 20 & 27, October 04; 2:00 to 3:00pm Learn about different classifications of medications in this 5 week series with our Pharmacists and Congestive Heart Failure Coordinator.

Week 1, September 20: Safe Medication administration: Penny Wasylyk, Pharm D. BCPS

Week 2, September 27: Anticoagulants: Safe administration and precautions: Patricia Hafitz, RPh. CACP

Week 3, October 4: Cardiac Meds: Safe administration and precautions: Ann Mancuso, MSN RN CHFN

Week 4, October 11: Diabetes Medications: Safe administration and precautions: Shesha Desai Pharm D. BC-ADM

Week 5, October 18: Pain Medications: Safe administration and precautions: Dave Appel, Pharm D

MINDFULNESS MEDITATION FOR BEGINNERS

Wed., September 20; 1:00 to 2:00pm

Learn how to rest your body and quiet your mind with the simple (although not always easy) practice of meditation. No experience necessary.

HEALTHRYTHMS® DRUMMING CIRCLE

Wed, September 20; 7:00 to 8:00pm

Join our drumming circle and help drum your cares away. This evidence-based program is shown to reduce blood pressure, calm stress and increase the fun in your life. Drums provided. Fee: $15. Mauri Tyler, CTRS, CMP DANCE IT OUT!

Wed., September 25; 1:00 to 2:00pm When in doubt, dance it out! Find your rhythm and ease the everyday stresses of life with movement. All ages welcome, no experience required.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX? **VIRTUAL**

Wed., September 26, October 3; 12:00 to 1:00pm

All things seasonal, all the time! Learn what wonderful fruits and vegetable are up to this time of year and how to make them shine! Taryn Krietzman, RDN MANAGING

STRESS AND DIABETES

Wed., September 27– 3:00 to 4:00pm

This support group is for people living with diabetes. Learn how to cope with stress and diabetes in a healthy way.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF MEDITATION?

Wed., September 27; 6:00 to 7:30pm

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

WISE WOMEN DISCUSSION GROUP

Thu., September 28; 1:30 to 2:30pm

Join a community of women as we discuss relevant topics and find purpose, meaning and community. “Patti McDougall, BSN, RN

COLOR ME HOOPY: HOOLA HOOP FOR FUN AND FITNESS

Thu., September 28; 6:00 to 7:00pm

This is a very popular class, and with good reason; it’s so much fun. Hoola Hooping is so much easier with an “adult sized” hoop and the right instruction. Learn skills and techniques, hoops provided. Angela Reitter, certified Hoop Love Coach and Hoola-Fit Instructor. Fee- $15

THE AARP DRIVING COURSE

Tue., October 2; 9:00am to 3:00pm Be a safer, better driver. Bring your NJ or PA driver’s license. Fee: $20 for AARP members presenting a valid AARP card; $25 for nonmembers. Cash or check only to AARP.

FALL MINI MEDICAL SCHOOL

Tuesdays, September 12, 19, 26, October 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31; 6-7 p.m.

*Must attend all 8 session to receive certificate of completion *

Week 1; September 12: Gregory Cox, MD, goes through the intricate anatomy of the human eye.

Week 2 September 19: Adam Thompson, DO, will discuss how to guide the body back to health after an injury, through non-surgical alternatives.

Week 3; September 26: Maureen Stevens, DPT, and Ashley Sarrol, MS, CCC-SLP, will be discussing how Physical Therapy and Speech Therapy works in unison with other medical modalities.

Week 4; October 3: Michael Duch, MD, will have you learning visually with various MRI images and how to interpret each.

Week 5; October 10: Marc Levine, MD, goes through the spine and how surgery can enhance your mobility and improve quality of life.

Week 6; October 17: John Dibiase, MD, speaks on Sports Medicine and common injuries that can affect anyone, not just athletes.

Week 7; October 24: Javier Villota, MD, will enlighten you on what travel medicine entails and exactly what is needed when visiting abroad.

Week 8; October 31: Review and diplomas.

Better Health Programs/Complimentary Membership at 65+ Years Old

YOGA CLASSES (BEGINNER’S WELCOME)

Tue., September 5 & 19; 10:00 to 11:00am

MEDITATION CLASSES,

Tue., September 19; 11:15 to 11:45am

LET’S TALK, A SENIOR SOCIAL GROUP

Wed., September 6, 13, 20, & 27; 10:00 to 11:00am

SOCRATES CAFÉ,

Wed., September 6; 2:00 to 3:00pm

GAME TIME

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

*Registration and free Membership required to attend the Better Health Programs

Thu., September 7; 2:00 to 3:30pm

THE TREE OF LIFE ART WORKSHOP

Tue., September 12, 1 to 2:30

Here we are ready to start the season of autumn. In this workshop, we will create the tree of life that speaks to you – its colors, branches, production of sprouts and/

or leaves. Bring pictures from magazines, your own photos, the colors you associate with your tree – paints, crayons and colored pencils. We will explore it all in this workshop and gain connection as we embrace this season together with Artist and Healing Art Instructor, Jane Zamost.

MAPS, APPS & YOU

Thu., September 14, 10:00 to 11:00 am Oh, the places you’ll go when the Greater Mercer Transportation Management Association teaches you how to navigate your transportation options. Learn to use technology to get around how and when you want!

TAI CHI CLASS (BEGINNER’S WELCOME)

Thu., September 14 and 28; 1:00 to 2:00pm

SARA ALI, MD, HOSTS A “JEOPARDY PARTY” LUNCH AND LEARN

Fri., September 22; Noon to 1:30pm Tables will compete as teams as we test your

knowledge on things important to our aging community. Don’t panic, this will be fun and interactive and there will even be prizes along with lunch. This program is sponsored by our valued partners, Brookdale Hamilton, Hamilton Grove, Platinum Homecare, and Serenity Hospice.

LEAN ON ME!

Tue., September 26, 11:00am to 12:00pm

As you are aging, are you wondering who to lean on to facilitate discussions about your wishes, providing comfort measures, assisting with legacy projects, writing that last letter to loved ones. An end-of-life doula is a trained and compassionate individual who provides emotional, practical, and spiritual support to individuals and their families helping create an end-of-life plan.

I’m excited for you to meet Sandra Roy, who has dedicated her life to serving the community. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, End-of Life Certification, Life Coach Certification, Clinical Pastoral

Education Certification from RWJBarnabas Health, and is working on her Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work. This is a program that you do not want to miss.

HELP, I CAN’T GET UP, LEARN HOW TO PREVENT THE FALLS

Thu., September 28; 10:00 to 11:30am

Please join our highly credentialed experts Dr. John DiBiase, Dr. Lorraine Sgarlato, Au.D., Maureen Stevens PT, DPT, GCS, Cert. MDT, Senior Physical Therapist, and Anthony Notaroberto, RWJ Fitness Personal Training Manager, when they share with you how to prevent a fall, common injuries, how to strengthen your body, and how to best treat your injuries so that you can successfully continue to enjoy your life. Refreshments will be served.

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

This is where you’ll savor life to the fullest. All in an area known for its wealth of cultural offerings, recreational opportunities, dining and shopping. Vintage at Hamilton is in the center of it all, close to I-195 and the New Jersey Turnpike and just minutes from the Hamilton Train with direct service to New York City and Philadelphia.

Hamilton Post

We are a newsroom of your neighbors. The Hamilton Post is for local people, by local people. As part of the community, the Gazette does more than just report the news—it connects businesses with their customers, organizations with their members and neighbors with one another. As such, our staff sets out to make our town a closer place by giving readers a reliable source to turn to when they want to know what’s going on in their neighborhood.

EDITOR

Joe Emanski (Ext. 120)

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Dan Aubrey, Rich Fisher

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNISTS

Peter Dabbene, Thomas Kelly, Robert Sherman Jr.

AD LAYOUT & PRODUCTION

Stacey Micallef (Ext. 131)

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Jennifer Steffen (Ext. 113)

Community News Service

9 Princess Road, Suite M

Lawrenceville, NJ 08648

Phone: (609) 396-1511

News: news@communitynews.org

Events: events@communitynews.org

Sports: sports@communitynews.org

Letters: jemanski@communitynews.org

Website: hamiltonpost.com

Facebook: facebook.com/hamiltonpostnj

Twitter: twitter.com/mercerspace

40,000 copies of the Hamilton Post are mailed or bulk-distributed to the residences and businesses of Hamilton 12 times a year.

TO ADVERTISE call (609) 396-1511, ext. 113 or e-mail advertise@communitynews.org

NHS alum wins gold at 2023 BMX X Games

Nottingham High School Class of 2008 alumni Colin Varanyak competed and won a gold medal in the BMX X Games in Ventura, California in July.

The X Games are an Olympics-style annual competition of “extreme sports.”

Varanyak attended Klockner Elementary School, Crockett Middle School, and graduated from Nottingham High School.

“There were fields across from Klockner when I was a kid. I could not wait for school to end in anticipation of grabbing my bike and riding the trails there. Riding has always been a passion of mine,” Colin said in a media release.

He began racing at the age of five. He recalls bringing in his bike helmet and racing medals for show and tell in elementary school.

“Racing became competitive for me at a very young age. My family would travel with me monthly as I competed across the country. It was a challenge balancing my school work and racing schedule, as I was still in grade school. The intensity began affecting me and I lost the love of

the sport from the stress. I stopped racing and focused on my school work, other sports, and spending time with friends,” he said.

It was during this time in eighth grade when Colin transitioned into riding freestyle. But he never imagined that it would one day turn into a job. In high school, he wrestled, ran track and field and strived to remain fit. “I planned to attend college and get a job,” he said.

Varanyak was inspired by Nottingham High School teacher Ken Klek.

“His course was one of my favorites as I worked with him on a video my senior year. That project work helped to prepare me to create the video and photo content I need now in my career. I thoroughly enjoyed that class and how much we learned from him,” he said.

After graduating from Nottingham High School, Colin attended Mercer County Community College for two years, then transferred to William Paterson University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in early childhood education with

a minor in history.

BMX has provided Colin the opportunity to travel and compete worldwide. His daily schedule is rigorous allowing for daily walks, riding, physical workouts, and communications via email, social media, and interviews.

Now residing in San Diego, he is able to train outdoors all year long. “My biggest challenge is to ensure I never lose the love of riding. It’s always been my safe place. However, it can get very stressful,” Varanyak said.

During Covid, he supplemented his income as a substitute teacher. He says there was a time when he was set to give up competing and commit to full-time work as an educator.

Then, around 18 months ago, he signed a deal with Adidas. “A game changer,” said Colin. “Signing with a major brand was a top goal of mine. This sponsorship provided travel, increased exposure, and allowed me to work on many projects.”

He says winning gold was a lifelong

See BMX, Page 7

Half Page H

Brandon McNeice For School Board

Learn More About The Campaign That’s Putting Results Above Rivalry for HTSD.

FREE UPCOMING HEALTH EDUCATION EVENTS

Register by calling 609.394.4153 or register online at capitalhealth.org/events and be sure to include your email address. Class size is limited for in-person events. Please register early. Zoom meeting details will be provided via email 2 – 3 days before the program date. Registration ends 24 hours before the program date.

CANCERS IN WOMEN + FOCUSING ON SELF-CARE

Thursday, September 28, 2023 | 6 p.m.

Location: Zoom Meeting

Learning about cancers of the female reproductive system may reduce your risk and help you identify ways to prevent them, so it’s important to be proactive about your health.

DR. JOYCE VARUGHESE, a board certified, fellowship trained gynecologic oncologist, will lead a discussion of the programs available at Capital Health for women undergoing treatment for gynecologic cancers and related health challenges. Nancy McCormack, an internationally certified and registered yoga therapist from the Capital Health Wellness Center, will close the program with a demonstration of gentle yoga stretches.

SAFETY AWARENESS IN AND AROUND YOUR HOME

Wednesday, October 11, 2023 | 10 a.m.

Location: Capital Health – Hamilton

1445 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road, Hamilton, NJ 08619

Join Stephanie Kulak, Injury Prevention Coordinator from the Bristol Myers Squibb Trauma Center at Capital Health Regional Medical Center, to learn about the potential dangers in your home that could possibly cause injury. This program for older adults increases awareness of home safety and fall prevention and highlights the newer technology available to help people in the event of a fall.

BMX continued from Page 5

dream. “In 2018, I won a silver medal, which I was very proud of. I knew winning gold was a bucket list goal of mine. I spent a lot of time preparing for this BMX X Games competition. In order to stay focused and enter the games at my best, I spent the weeks prior training exclusively,” Varanyak said.

He believed that talent would only take him so far. He knew he needed to be dedicated to this sport, stay focused, and always remain positive. Ten athletes were invited to compete worldwide in July. After receiving a gold medal, Colin was then invited to Ventura, California, for additional contests.

“Congratulations to Colin on his suc-

cess. We are proud to see one of our former students excel in their career and we will all be watching with Hamilton pride as he continues to compete,” said superintendent of schools Scott Rocco.

When asked what advice he would give students, Varanyak shared: “This is hard work. You need to remain focused and apply yourself daily. Be professional at all times. Stay organized, present your best self and your values.

“Also, pay attention to your social media and relationships. School, teachers, and lessons learned will help you prepare for success. Learn to be okay with failure. You will continue to fail until you don’t. You will learn and grow and progress if you put the work in.”

Colin Varanyak executing a jump at the BMX X Games in Ventura, California in July. Right: Varanyak holding the gold medal he earned at the games. (Photos courtesy of the Hamilton Township Public School District.)

brothers pizza

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ALU continued from Page 8

lege that he had to fight his way into the lineup. I remember some conversations we had about it during our freshman year. He didn’t like to watch from the dugout when he had a uniform on, so when he got his opportunity, he made the most of it and wound up having a successful career at BC. Jake was always coachable, and he took pieces of advice from every coach that helped him improve his game along the way.”

McManimon added that Alu was the best teammate you could have, and the worst opponent.

“Jake was the type of guy who you loved playing with, and hated playing against,” he said. “We played on different little league teams, but we ultimately became teammates at age 13 with the Burlington Blaze and continued in high school at PDS and with Dave Gallagher’s travel team. As his teammate, I always felt comfortable on the mound with Jake playing shortstop behind me because he could make all of the plays. No moment was ever too big for him.”

Alu is trying to keep that same mindset now. Don’t become overwhelmed by the situation, just play the game.

“I’m just trying to take it one day at a time,” he said. “It’s the same thing as the last four years in the levels of minor league ball. I have to earn my right and earn my spot and continue to do so every day. As long as I’m in that same routine and same mentality I hope it all works out.

“I try not to do anything differently (since being called up). I try to stay in the same routine. Baseball is a very routine based sport. I try to do the same exact thing. I don’t try to think too much. I just go out there and try to play the same game I’ve been playing for a while.”

Since his most recent recall, Alu hit safely in eight of his first 14 games. He had three two-hit efforts, three two-RBI games and slammed his first MLB home run against Oakland Aug. 11. His average went as high as .286 and as low as .220.

“I definitely haven’t felt great at the plate, it’s kind of been a grind so far,” Alu said. “A lot of baseball is kind of just surviving until you feel good. That’s how I went about my career. Just having good team at-bats when you’re not feeling good, until you do start feeling good. I’m looking to turn things around. I’ve been working on a few things. I think they’re coming along. Hopefully I’ll be putting up some numbers soon.

“You just have to tip your cap to some of these (pitchers). Those guys get paid too. As much as you get yourself out, those guys get you out too. It’s definitely a different ballgame up here. I’m just looking to learn and see if I can throw some numbers up there and help the Nats win.”

A highlight of his young career came on the Nationals three-game trip to Philadelphia. Alu grew up a Phillies fan, and he and McManimon played travel ball with Phils broadcaster Tom McCarthy’s son, Tommy. The three of them visited the announcer’s booth when they were young.

Thus, when Alu’s first at-bat at Citizens Bank Park resulted in a single off Zach Wheeler, the large Hamilton/Mercer County entourage in attendance went wild.

“It was fantastic,” Alu said. “Tom McCarthy ended up getting that ball for me from my first hit at Citizens Bank. He had Zach actually sign it for me. It was pretty cool, having a bunch of family there, being close to home.

“A bunch of my friends and buddies came out. It was really special. Cole McManimon and Ross Colton came.

The Hamilton Senior Center Annual Picnic

Mark

Date: Wednesday - September 20, 2023

Raindate: 9/21/23

Time: 10:00am - 2:00pm (No entry after 12:15pm)

Price: $12.00 - Cash Only, Members Only

Tickets are Non-Refundable/Non-Transferable

Alcoholic Beverages Prohibited

It was fun for me. It’s pretty tough (getting together with Colton). We were best friends growing up, our seasons are at the exact opposite times so when I come home he leaves and when he comes home I leave. So for him to come to the game was really cool. It brought the Hamilton crew back together.”

And for Alu, those are the important buddies he wants to share any success with. “It makes everything more special when the guys who have been with you from day one are there, rather than the ones picking up with you when you get up to pro ball,” he said. “Having guys who have seen you as a little kid with Nottingham Little League all the way coming up through the big leagues is pretty special.”

Since settling in with the Nats, Alu said slugging outfielder Lane Thomas has been a welcoming presence, and that outfielder Blake Rutherford got called up around the same time “so it’s good that we’re sticking together. All the guys wel-

comed me with open arms.”

And he is excited about Washington’s future as the Nationals have some talented young players.

“I think we’ve got some potential,” Alu said. “As of late we’ve been doing pretty good and as the years go on, next year and the year after that, we’re gonna surprise and have a pretty damn good team.”

As for the difference between the minors and the majors, Alu said “One, you’re playing in front of a big crowd. And two, you have the pitching. You can’t take a play off.You don’t get any at-bats off. Every single guy’s a stud.”

So far Alu has been hanging in there. He has continued to field well and has had enough mini-hot streaks to keep him in the lineup.

And yet, the underdog mantle that he has worn so long, just won’t go away.

“It honestly makes me laugh,” he said.

“I see articles written in the Washington Post and things about me and what people say, and they’re saying there’s always someone better coming up, there’s always another guy they’re waiting on. I’m just a placeholder and stuff like that.

“It used to get under my skin and give me a little bit of fire, now it’s all part of it. I’m used to it and it kind of just makes me chuckle.”

It is definitely a happy time for Alu. He enjoys the city of Washington and has rented a nice extended stay residence where he makes his “classic home cooked Italian meals.” He also cooks his own breakfast but other than that “I’ll just grab some Chipotle or something and figure it out from there.”

As for the reception Jake has gotten from Nationals fans, he thinks it has been pretty nice.

“I’d say so,” Alu said. “I know they definitely have their (favorite) guys who have been around for a while. Hopefully I can become one of them at some time.”

For now, he’s happy to have one faithful fan playing hockey in Colorado. And it’s a fan he can relate with.

Jake Alu with mom Judy and dad Phil at his first Major League call-up, in San Francisco.

years that the latter had interest in owning a restaurant one day.

“We were in discussions on and off for a number of years. I’d told Alan that I’d really like to do something different next phase of my career,” says Rose, who spent most of his professional career in financial services. “One day Alan told me that Mike was thinking of retiring. He said, ‘If we advised you, would you have any interest in buying this place?’ And it got to a point where we said, ‘Let’s sit down and talk.’”

In October of last year, the parties made the transaction final. “I had some restaurant experience from early in my career, and always had an interest in owning a restaurant–bar. When the opportunity to own a landmark like Rossi’s arose, and knowing I’d have the support of the previous owners, I knew it would be a good move,” Rose says.

Rose’s first order of business was to respect Rossi’s long history and long list of devoted customers. Rossi’s first opened

in Chambersburg in 1933, and though it has moved from the city, many of those long-time customers have followed it into the suburbs.

“One of the things I find incredible about Rossi’s is, numerous times a week I’ll have somebody coming in who’s somewhere between 60 and 80 and always tells me, ‘My grandfather used to take me Rossi’s since I was a kid and now I’ve been bringing my grandchildren to Rossi’s for X number of years,” Rose says. “It’s such an important part of peoples’ lives and history. It’s enjoyable to continue to satisfy these customers and continue to grow the business in that sense.”

Rose says that when he took over, his goal as far as the menu was concerned was to retain all of Rossi’s most popular dishes while introducing modern additions to the menu.

In addition to the legendary Rossiburger, these include Rossi’s tomato pies, chicken parmigiana, and of course, Rossi’s famous fried zucchini sticks.

“First, we have recipes from

the Rossi’s family that literally go back generations, that go back to the ancestors in Italy. We really try to stay true to those recipes. We’re not taking short cuts — we really haven’t changed anything from what Mike Rossi had been doing for

decades and decades,” Rose says. “And it’s important to me that the loyal customers continue ot get the same experience and the same satisfaction that they’ve gotten from Rossi’s all these years.”

At the same time, Rose says,

he also wants to continue to grow the business and attrack a new, younger crowd.

“We brought back a very popular prime rib sandwich to the menu, but we also have new items like fish tacos, calamari and new salads. We have a lot of specials and if there’s something that is really popular, we’ll move it onto the permanent menu.”

One example of a special that has earned a spot on the regular menu is Rossi’s fried chicken sandwich — regular or spicy.

“The feedback has been fantastic. A lot of people say something along the lines of ‘You are a contender in the chicken sandwich wars,” Rose laughs.

* * *

Rose knew when he bought the restaurant that one item on the menu could never be replaced: the 3/4-pound, flamebroiled Rossiburger, once called the best in the state by NJ Monthly magazine.

“We are often included in surveys of best burgers in New Jersey, and honestly, that was part

Hal and Amy Rose at Rossi’s in Hamilton, which they purchased last October from Mike Rossi and Alan Meinster.

See ROSSI’S, Page 14

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of the attraction to me when we were first talking about purchasing the place. Rossi’s itself a landmark in the area, and a destination based on its history — there are not a lot of restaurants that make it for 90 years and have touched so many people,” Rose says. “But the burger itself, we have people who will tell me they are coming from over an hour away because they miss our burger so much. When I first came in, the most common question that I would get from the long-time customers was, ‘What are you changing?’ And I’d say, ‘Look we’re not looking to mess with success.’”

Aiding in the continuity is the persistence of many staff members from the previous ownership. There are still members of the Rossi family who work at Rossi’s, and Rose says a number of kitchen staff have been at the restaurant ever since the move to Hamilton. And Meinster and Mike Rossi are still around in the informal role of advisers.

All that is not to suggest that Rose has resisted making any

changes at all.

“I want to continue Rossi’s tradition to offer great food and drinks, but we’re also focused on delivering a lot of fun and memorable experiences,” Rose says. “We are also adding a lot of new events.”

Events include Trivia Tuesdays and live music in Rossi’s outdoor space on Thursday nights. Performers have included popular local artists such as Ernie White, Meg Hansen and Lisa Bouchelle.

“We have added a few more nights of music each month and will continue to do so, including adding some artists who haven’t played here before,” Rose says.

Rose has also expanded the bar area with more high-top tables and more TVs, including an 86-incher in the dining room that is often tuned to big games.

During the pandemic, and like many restaurants, Rossi’s opened up a large outdoor seating area that it has maintained even since Covid’s threat has waned. “Obviously it’s been very hot this summer, but we expect it to get a lot of use in

September and October,” he says.

He adds that, long-term, he is working on plans for a more permanent outdoor seating structure — most likely something that would be attached to the front of the building.

Rose has also added a regular brunch to the menu, Saturday and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Brunch menu items

include French toast, waffles and pancakes, as well as steak and eggs, pork roll egg and cheese, and, naturally, a breakfast burger.

Rose says that he is enjoying this new phase of his career.

“To me, I enjoy the challenge of doing so many different aspects of business, from the marketing to the management to the entire customer experience,” he says.

Rose spent many years as a national sales manager for a large financial services firm. He was based in Los Angeles for much of that time, even though he lived in New Jersey.

“I traveled quite a bit — I was always on the road,” he says. “I think that’s part of what attracted me to this as well. I wanted to be someplace close to home, not taking five-hour flights constantly. That was very attractive to me to kind of make this phase of my career totally different from what I was doing.”

“I really enjoy meeting with people. It might sound corny, but making them happy and giving them a good experience seemed like something that I would really enjoy, and I am. It certainly has its challenges the summer was a bit slow but we’re well positioned for the fall and to continue to traditions of Rossi’s and begin some new ones.”

Rossi’s Bar and Grill. 2110 Whitehorse Mercerville Road, Hamilton. Phone: (609) 8902004. Web: rossisbarandgrill. com.

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Kelly Yaede MAYOR

A famous Rossiburger — this one with cheese — getting ready to leave the Rossi’s kitchen. (Facebook photo.)

toughness. Positive word of mouth from satisfied parents — and their kids — has helped the program take off.

Hartz is busy now preparing for the fall, hoping to build on the success of the summer program.

“We use the mentality from an athletic standpoint of never giving up belief in yourself, of making yourself better,” he says. “It really all starts from that, and has sort of built its way into this program, the culmination of a decade of Spartan evolution.”

Sixty percent of participants in the summer were boys. They were split almost evenly among elementary, middle and high school ages.

“It was good representation of young, middle and older kids, boys and girls, a diverse group,” Hartz says. “It was really fantastic to see kids from all these sports, different ages, different genders.”

Typical training is up to three days a week for one hour per session and consists of exercises designed to build strength, endurance, agility and overall physical fitness. Plenty of Hartz’ trainees are young athletes who participate in local sports — recreational as well as travel. But Hartz stresses that his training programs are well suited to kids who don’t play a sport at all.

“We lean toward building an athletic base and then working your skills in. That’s always been my approach to coaching: we made sure we had athletes first, who could then perform in their chosen sport,” Hartz says. “Not a bunch of kids

who were really skilled, but after five minutes had to come out of the game because they were exhausted.

“I see these kids and they can’t do a push up, can’t run a lap around the field, and I believe that’s backward. Kids

should develop their overall fitness and athleticism, and then build skills on top of that.”

Even as he pushes kids to work harder and do better, he stresses that the focus is more on the effort than the results.

“We’re about personal growth. It doesn’t matter if you came in last, if your time is better than it was yesterday,” he says. “If you ran a bad race because you didn’t give effort, it’s a problem. But it’s more about the individual effort and what you accomplish, it’s more about racing and competing against yourself than it is about competing against other people.”

Hartz offers a flexible schedule for participants, saying that Spartan Bootcamp is a “get out what you put in” proposition. He claims a less than 5% dropout rate in the summer, and that a survey sent out after the summer sessions garned a strong response and largely positive feedback. A signal, in Hartz’ mind, that Spartan Bootcamp is on the right track.

“It’s how I raised my kids, and it’s something I apply to other kids, and parents have responded to it,” he says. “I just think it’s something that’s not around as much any more. It is a tricky line to walk. You have to be careful, you have to be conscious and aware. But kids are so much tougher than they are given credit for. They will rise to the occasion when

Jameson Butler with mom Stacy weeding the butterfly gardens at Hilltop Park on July 29, 2023. The Butlers were taking part in a Spartans Boot Camp citywide cleanup.

given a chance.

“When a kid gives up, I find that most of the time it was the parents who said, ‘OK, let’s give it up. Let’s stay home.’”

Bill Hartz grew up in Hamilton. He went to Hamilton High West, where he played soccer and ran track. He characterizes the instruction he received as a young athlete as closer to what he practices at Spartan Bootcamp than perhaps what many kids are accustomed to today.

“My high school soccer coach was definitely a ‘rub some dirt on it’ kind of guy,” Hartz says. “When I came up, especially in travel soccer, the mentality was, ‘Get up and keep going. Save your tears for somebody else.’”

When the time came for Hartz to coach his son Joseph’s rec soccer team, in 2011, he wanted to give it his all. He was aware of the dichotomy in youth sports between travel and recreational leagues: travel sports athletes get well organized instruction, often from professional trainers; while rec athletes often get sporadic training from well-meaning, but busy and sometimes underprepared parents.

“Kids who are in rec sports sometimes become what they call ‘the leftovers,’” Hartz says. “I really leaned into it and gave the kids a lot of effort. Our team adopted the Spartan mentality and it sort

of took on a life of its own.”

He coached Joseph for a number of years, and then it was time to coach his younger son, Collin. He used the same approach the second time around. Hartz says that he developed the Spartan philosophy with an emphasis on discipline, hard work, physical fitness and character.

To hear him openly declare that his life’s passion is “yelling at children,” one might get the idea that he is some kind of cruel taskmaster.

Humor is one tool that Hartz uses to ease that tension. He frequently lets wry, self-deprecating jokes poke through the drill sergeant facade to hint that his demeanor is at least on some level for show.

“His manner, yeah he yells and everything,” says parent Nancy Byrne, whose 11-year-old son, Finn Richardson, was a participant in boot camp over the summer. “But it’s softened by his sense of humor and the fact that he personalizes everyone’s instruction and gives you nicknames — and doesn’t forget it, by the way.”

Byrne says that another talent of Hartz’ is his ability to make kids feel like they belong to something. Participants get Spartan shirts to wear, sometimes with nicknames on them bestowed by Hartz. Finn’s nickname: Huckleberry.

See SPARTAN, Page 18

“The first several weeks, the amount of pride that was instilled in [Finn], he wouldn’t take the Spartan shirt off. Everywhere he goes, he wants to go he wears the Spartan shirt,” she says.

Byrne said that most of the kids who take part are also members of a sports team. Not so with Finn. “Most kids already know this kind of pride and belonging. This is my kid’s first experience with it, and I could not be prouder of him for sticking with it.”

Finn knew what he was getting into, Byrne says, because some of his friends had done it. “They warned him about the ‘10 minutes of hell’ at the end,” she says. “But the thing is, they’re all doing it together. They’re in it, like a little family. It’s a lot different, I think, when you’re with peers and it’s something you’re going through together.”

Ah, yes. The 10 minutes of hell. As Byrne says, Hartz takes pains to tailor each participant’s program to their individual abilities and needs. But everyone is expected to endure the 10 minutes of hell at the end of each session.

“The best way to describe it is, it’s Simon Says, but it sucks,” Hartz says. “Suicide runs, burpees, jumping jacks — we don’t stop for 10 minutes straight. They don’t finish until everyone fiinishes. That’s where we get into the mental toughness piece, where it’s hot and thirsty and they’ve got to dig deep. I tell them it’s really eight minutes of hell and two minutes of heart. Thats where these kids see things that they really didnt think they could do. A lot of kids take a lot of pride in that.”

For many years, Hartz’ primary experience as an athletic trainer came from his time as his sons’ soccer coach. During the day, he worked as a general manager for a number of area retail stores.

After the pandemic, the Bordentown Soccer Association was having some trouble getting kids to register for seasonal sports on time. Hartz offered to run a summer physical training camp as a way to entice kids to sign up earlier.

At first, he had just 15 kids — the team that he coached. A year later, there were 56 participants, many of whom first heard about the training from their friends and neighbors.

It wasn’t until Hartz was laid off

from his full-time job, in January, that he seriously started thinking about turning Spartan Bootcamp into something bigger.

“This is one of those things that has sort of floated around in the back of my mind for years, but not something I deemed as realistic,” Hartz says. “You don’t walk away from a job where you’re making good money to try something like that. But once it’s beyond your control, you have to explore other options, and this really is my passion.”

Hartz says his ultimate goal would be to devise a full-fledged youth program that goes beyond physical training. “Like a more inclusive version of Boy Scouts,” he says. “My goal is to have boys and girls, and any group is welcome. We don’t get into religion or politics, some of the stuff that can weigh down Boy Scouts a little bit. We focus on a mindset of determination and respect. It’s almost a martial arts mindset.”

While Hartz is certified in youth fitness by the National Academy of Sports Medicine, as well as by the Red Cross, he has come by all of his training methods by developing them right there on the fields.

“I’ve coached soccer for a really long time, I’ve done some martial arts in my life. My children were doing martial arts training at a location in Hamilton, I was assistant instructor there, I’ve helped out as a kids’ wrestling coach,” Hartz says. “But I didn’t go to school for it, and I never claim to be a professional trainer. That’s really not my approach. We make physical gains through mental toughness. I know how to work kids, how to motivate them. I know how to keep them going when they quit on themselves, and we take them to a place they didn’t think they could get to.”

The process, Hartz says, has a “remarkable” effect on kids.

“These days, kids don’t tend to get put in uncomfortable places,” he says. “Our mentality is legitimately, ‘Nobody cares. Work harder.’ Obviously with safety in mind. But there’s a big difference between injured and hurt.”

Byrne admitted that it was tough at first to watch on as her son learned to endure the Spartan Bootcamp experience.

“I literally had to turn my back to the field, because I was like, ‘Oh my God, either I’m going to cry or he’s going to cry or he’s going to get frustrated and walk off,’” she says. “But something about the coach’s manner just made him stay.”

While the thrice-weekly hourlong sessions are Spartan Bootcamp’s core offering, they are by no means its only offerings. Hartz also offers one-to-one training as well as seasonal programs for members of a single sports team.

The fall program is set to begin the first week in September, but Hartz says he will welcome new members at any time. Details on signing up, as well as information on a variety of discounts and promotions on offer, are available at borden-

As he builds Spartan Bootcamp into a full-time affair, Hartz is focusing on more than just the physical training. He also wants to instill in his trainees a sense of community and of community service.

“One of the main things I’m trying to do is build community support by working with different organizations, different businesses, looking to build those relationships,” Hartz says.

“The idea is to offer kids and their families a more holistic organization, rather just they bring their kids to me and I’ll make them run a bit.”

With that in mind, he has partnered with a number of Bordentown businesses to further establish the Spartan brand. People can now get Spartan Shakes at the Ice Cream Boutique by 1892 Chocolates, Spartan bracelets from Bordentown Bracelets, and Spartan Specs at the Eye Care Center of Bordentown. Palermo’s Restaurant and Pizzeria honors one kid each month as the Palermo’s Spartan Athlete of the Month.

Hartz has also engaged his students in community service projects, like the July 29 Cleanup of Bordentown.

Hartz says more than 85 people took part in the four-hour cleanup project. Areas cleaned included; Veterans Memorial, John Bull Monument, Hilltop Park, 2nd Street Park, the boat ramp, the pollinator gardens, the butterfly gardens, the flower gardens by Old Town Pub, Crosswicks Street Island, the old town hall, Crosswicks Street sidewalks, and Farnsworth from Crosswicks to the river.

Hartz worked with Deputy Mayor Joe Meyers to coordinate and Jim Heupel as site manager to facilitate the cleanup. Spartan Bootcamp. Phone: (609) 4817540. Web: bordentownspartanbootcamp. com.

September

September

French Fries

Greek Salads

Mezedakla (Greek Appetizers) Loukoumades/Baklava

Septem

MARK R. GRECO, DMD

Hartz

The Power of Yess in the local art scene

By Dan Aubrey

Artworks Trenton has postponed one of its most visible community art projects, Art All Night.

The reasons deal with pragmatics. The usual venue for the festival, the Roebling Wire Works building in the old Roebling Factory complex, has been closed for several months because of the recent flooding. And needs to mount the event in the state-operated Trenton War Memorial became unattainable.

No matter. Artworks is still responding to a post-Covid era and working to promote a more vibrant city through the arts.

Over the past year, the organization has attracted thousands of visitors to its exhibitions and student projects, is overseeing the design of an “art walk” from the Trenton Transit Center to Mill Hill and downtown, and planning for both Art All Day 2023, set for September, and Art All Night 2024.

By doing so, Artworks also continues the efforts that began nearly 50 years through an artistic movement generated by artists who not only committed to changing the capital city but still participate in the city’s culture — and create art.

One such artist is Mary Yess, who played a crucial role in establishing Artworks Trenton and as well as creating the Ellarslie Open.

That annual juried art event at the Trenton City Museum in the Ellarslie Mansion in Cadwalader Park recently marked its 40th anniversary with an exhibition on view through Sept. 30.

According to several archived histories, the Artworks story begins with the building, an early 20th century garage that eventually turned into a warehouse for the Sears Company when it had been located at the current Department of Motor Vehicles building on Stockton Street.

When Sears closed its Trenton store in the late 1970s, City of Trenton Mayor Arthur Holland and city planner Tom Ogren launched the effort to acquire the building as an arts center and add to an effort that saw the transformation of the Ellarslie Mansion into a museum and securing an abandoned church built in 1873 for the Mill Hill

Playhouse.

Both of which would enhance the cultural life of the city.

Meanwhile, Mary Howard, dean of Mercer County Community College’s downtown Kerney Campus, and Trenton artist Latta Patterson began bringing Trenton artists together to create an organization that became the Trenton Artists Workshop Association (TAWA).

Yess became its first president and guided the organization forward as it created a two-month arts festival, Eyes on Trenton.

The event attracted thousands to downtown Trenton and demonstrated the vital role the arts played in urban planning.

While TAWA seemed to be the right organization to take the lead in coordinating the new arts center and current president, Dave Orban, was engaged in discussions, the reality was that TAWA was an all-volunteer organization and unable to provide the full-time management needed

See YESS, Page 22

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YESS continued from Page 20 to for successful operations.

However, Yess had assumed the role of executive director of the Princeton Arts Association, PAA, and stepped forward.

During a recent interview in the Hamilton home she shares with her artist husband, the already mentioned Orban, Yess talked about the development of the PAA, how she became involved and how it came to move to Trenton and become Artworks.

She says the PAA started in the mid1960s in a Dutch-styled former bank building on Nassau Street.

One of its founders was artist Huey Lee-Smith, a nationally known artist of African ancestry. He was also a member of the circle of artists involved with Rex Goreleigh’s Studio on the Canal (recently highlighted in the Arts Council of Princeton exhibition “James Wilson Edwards and a Circle of Black Artists”).

The PAA eventually settled on Ettl Farm, owned by artist Alex Ettl, in 1980 under then-director Mary Ward. Yess says that Ward began calling around for recommendations for a new director and called nationally know artist, Mercer County Community College instructor, and founding TAWA member Mel Leipzig.

“Mel recommended me,” says Yess,

adding that she took over just as the Ettl was selling the farm and the arts organization was able to secure a Princeton Borough-owned building, the gym formerly used by Miss Fine’s School.

Then, “The borough decided it wanted (the building and adjacent space) for a senior center. We were up the creek looking for a place to go.”

A then-Mill Hill Trenton resident in communication with other TAWA members, Yess was aware of the city’s hopes to establish its building as an arts center, and, along with PAA member Susan Hockaday, opened a discussion with her board and the city.

After convincing the board that the organization could continue through a long term, no cost agreement with the City of Trenton, Yess saw the PAA move its operations to Trenton in 1988.

Under Yess’s guidance through 1992, Artworks soon established its reputation as exhibition and learning center. Partners included the Trenton Public Schools. Yess links her interest in Trenton and art to her family.

Although born at Fort Dix, she and her family lived in the Broad Street Park area of Hamilton Township.

After graduating, Yess was in a relationship and moved with him to Chicago and found a job at the University of Chicago

Press. When circumstances changed in the mid-1970s, she returned to the Trenton area and started taking graduate classes and getting involved with regional arts organizations.

“All these groups were looking for a sucker,” she says about committing hours of volunteer work with TAWA and the Trenton City Museum, where TAWA regularly mounted exhibitions.

It was there that Yess proposed the Ellarslie Open, the juried exhibition that now attracts artists from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York.

Although she continued her involvement in the arts over the past several decades, Yess, who has a daughter, built on her past editing and graphic works, launched a consulting business with her husband, and took a longtime position with the nonprofit ECS — The Electrochemical Society.

Peace of Mind.

Now retired, she re-engaged with her past and is leading a committee to organize a fall “TAWA at 45” exhibition at Trenton City Museum.

Looking at the work she and other artists had accomplished in building the foundation for today, she says, “We had nothing and it was hard. It was hard to convince people to support it.

“You need a critical mass. That’s why I got involved with the museum, the arts council, loft spaces. People were adventurous in a different way than they are now.”

The Trenton City Museum presents “Ellarslie Open 40,” at Ellarslie Mansion, Cadwalader Park, Trenton, through September 30, Friday and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m., Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m. Free. Web: ellarslie.org. Mary Yess on the web: saatchiart.com/maryyess.

You can read a longer version of this story online at communitynews.org.

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Nottingham LL All-Stars celebrate state titles

By Rich Fisher

The good times just kept rolling on a certain block in Hamilton Square this summer.

The Talar and Reymann families live across the street from each other, and were both an integral part of the Nottingham Little League resurgence. Chris Talar managed the NLL 8-year-olds All Stars, who won the first overall state title for that age group in New Jersey Little League history; and Adam Reymann managed the 10-year-old squad that won states and advanced to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Tournament.

In looking at the overall checklist, Nottingham won District 12 tournaments in all four age groups — as the 11s and 12s also won — and the 9-year-olds were unbeaten in both tournaments they won. Since the 8-year-old districts only started last year, it is the first time in district history a league won at four different levels in the same summer.

It marked a big comeback for the

once-dominant league. Nottingham won its first 12-year-old District 12 title since 2015, which was also the last year it had two district champions. Talar’s sons Austin (8s) and Brennan (10s) became District 12’s first brothers to win state titles not only in the same year, but on the same day, as Nottingham had never won two state crowns in one season.

Although the 11s and 12s both lost in sectionals — and for the 12s it was only the second tournament loss in their fiveyear history — it could not detract from a celebratory summer in The Square.

Reymann credited this year’s 12s for setting the tone to the historic run. That team won three districts, two sectionals and two state titles, and lost in the Section 3 final 1-0 to Holbrook in a gutwrenching game.

“My son (Jack) was on that team, and I used to help coach them, and they’d been dominant since they were seven,” Reymann said. “If you asked anyone on that team, this year was a major disappointment.

“Because they were so good, they expected to win everything every year. I think by them winning and expecting to win, it makes everybody expect to win. Once everyone goes in with that mindset of ‘We’re definitely winning districts,’ then you win districts and you just keep it going. They kind of set the mind frame and the culture at Nottingham that districts weren’t enough, you gotta win more. If you can get the kids to believe, then it really makes it easier.”

Talar felt the adults also came together in a big way, right on up to president Adam Bendas.

“I think it obviously starts with the parents and coaches,” he said. “Little League is all volunteer, and that’s where it builds from. And then it turns into your talent of players. It was a great year. All the coaches were great people, they all worked their butts off. Obviously we knew every age group had a ton of talent.

“And Adam is phenomenal. He comes out to support us at all the games. He helps us with any resources we might

need. Any questions he’s always there to answer. He’s the best. You couldn’t ask for more as president.”

Bendas could certainly be proud of this year’s group effort, highlighted by the state titles.

The 8-year-old tournament was held entirely at HTRBA. It started with districts, went directly to the South Jersey state tournament and ended with the firstever North vs. South state championship game (last year there were just North and South champs).

Nottingham won all four district games and defeated a strong Sunnybrae squad, 6-1, in the finals to avoid an “if” game.

The Sayen Gang went on to win four straight SJ state games, opening with a 3-2, six-inning victory (for some reason they only played five innings in 8-year-old tournaments) over Cherry Hill Atlantic. The 8s then gained some revenge for the 12s by beating Holbrook, 7-3. After a win over Freehold, NLL beat Cherry Hill again, 4-2. The state final was almost anticlimactic as See ALL STARS, Page 26

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ALL STARS continued from Page 24

Nottingham beat Nutley, 13-2.

As for the host league, Talar said of his township neighbor, “HTRBA did a phenomenal job hosting everything.

The skipper was uncertain of how far his team could go, since it was basically just starting out.

“Seven-year-olds is a really watered down year,” he said. “You coach-pitch, they don’t keep score. We had a strong team, the majority of that team came back to play with the eight year old team. All these kids are playing travel ball when they’re not playing for Nottingham. It really shaped up, we had a very strong team.

“I didn’t really know what to expect once we got out of the districts. I knew Sunnybrae had a strong program. I didn’t know what to expect with the other teams but I knew we had a very strong nucleus of players.”

Reymann and his wife, also named Kelly, played a similar balancing act since they had sons playing on two different teams. And they had just as much fun as their neighbors.

The 10s were coming off a 9-year-old campaign in which they went undefeated and won both their tournaments.

“I had high expectations to win districts,” Reymann said. “Other than that you really don’t know what else is out there because you’ve never seen any of these other teams before these guys are 10.”

Nottingham blew through districts, winning all three games and beating host Lawrence in the finals. The Section 3 tournament was a bit tougher as Nottingham won its first two games, lost to Toms River in the first game of the finals but came back to win the “if” game 13-8 for the championship.

QUARTER PAGE

Those players were Dylan Beres, Luke Bordieri, Adrian Cicale, Joey Costello, Valor D’Ambrosio, Lucas Espinal, Ben Galant, Dominic Otter, Giancarlo Rodriguez, Dylan Schaefer, Mason Schiaretti and Austin Talar. Assistant coaches included Steve Beres, Santiago “Alfie” Espinal and Jeff Galant.

Schaefer’s brother Brayden was one of the 12-year-old team’s top pitchers, and he was one of three main hurlers for the 8s, along with Talar and Costello.

“Our strength was definitely defense and pitching,” Talar said. “I’d argue that Dylan Schaefer is the strongest 8-yearold pitcher in the state. He throws harder than most 10 year olds.”

For Talar, the toughest thing this summer was trying to watch both sons play. He had to miss Brennan’s state final but his wife Kelly, a Steinert Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, made sure a parent was present.

Because sectionals ran long, Nottingham had one day rest before the states began in Livingston while all the other teams had a chance to reset their pitching. The Square Boys opened with a win over Haddonfield but one day later had to use 10 players to pitch in a 19-15 loss to Moorestown.

“We had absolutely zero pitching left in that second game,” Reymann said. “After that we started to get our pitching back.”

Fighting out of the loser’s bracket, Nottingham beat Caldwell, 16-0, then took 5-3 and 10-5 wins over Moorestown to give NLL its fourth overall 10-year-old state title and second in the last three years.

Winning two straight do-or-die contests in championship games gave a good indication of the moxie the 10s had.

“They never gave up,” Reymann said. “We played seven games in eight days. These kids were like machines. We played every day, they wanted to play every day.

Nottingham Little League 8-year-old All Stars: (front row) Austin Talar, Gio Rodriguez, Adrian Cicale, Dom Otter, Lucas Espinal, Ben Galant, Luke Bordieri, Joey Costello, Dylan Schaefer, Valor D’ambrosio, Mason Schiaretti, Dylan Beres; (back row) coaches. Chris Talar, Steve Beres, Santiago “Alfie” Espinal and Jeff Galant.

Even on our day off we would practice. I never saw 10 year olds that wanted to play like these kids did. They just loved it. They were into it, they bought into it everything the coaches were saying and they wanted to win.”

The ride ended in Cranston, Rhode Island, when Nottingham went 2-2 in pool play, and missed reaching bracket play by one game. But it could not detract from an outstanding effort by the team, which featured Jason Balon, Owen McWhorter, Ryan O’Connor, Ryan O’Donnell, Matteo Pandolfini, Owen Quirk, Tim Reymann, Braeden Ruymen, Gennaro Salzano, Elijah Spurlock, Brennan Talar and Ryan Walker. The coaches were Jonathan Spurlock and Sean O’Connor.

“Our pitching was outstanding the whole time, pitching and defense were

our strong points,” Reymann said. “As we got moving on, our hitting really started to take off. We started to see better pitching, which helped us.”

And they accomplished something that will live on forever at the indoor batting cage, where all state champions get a board hung with their names on it.

“When we started off I brought them into the cage,” Reymann said. “I said ‘See these names up here, once you get your name up here it’s up here forever. You can come back and show your kids, your grandkids. That’s what I want for you guys.’ When we won states there were a bunch of kids going “Our names are going to be up there!’”

And so will the names of the 8s, as Nottingham Little League has made itself a force once again.

We are a dedicated team of board certified physicians who provide high quality healthcare to newborns, children, and adolescents through college age. Scheduled appointments and same day sick visits are available weekdays, evenings, and Saturday mornings.

Baker, DO, FAAP, FACOP • Sonya Boor, MD, FAAP Laura Brandspiegel, MD, FAAP • Stefanie Fiderer, DO, FAAP

Nottingham Little League 10-year-old All Stars: (front row) Ryan O’Donnell, Elijah Spurlock, Ryan Walker, Brennan Talar, Matteo Pandolfini, Owen McWhorter, Ryan O’Connor, Tim Reymann, Braeden Ruymen, Owen Quirk, Gennaro Salzano, Jason Balog; (back row) coach Jonathan Spurlock, manager Adam Reymann, coach Sean O’Connor.

mercer county connection

HALF PAGE V

Leaving ‘very hard’ for Northstars’ Adams

By Rich Fisher

There’s something missing as teachers and students return to the hallways of Nottingham High this month. Things seem just a bit quieter. More quiet, in fact, than they have been in 33 years.

Oh wait. That’s right!

For the first time since 1990, the gregarious personae of Jon “Big Dawg” Adams is no longer blanketing the school. The booming voice that was so familiar on the football field, track, basketball court and all throughout the corridors has gone quiet after Adams stepped down as Nottingham’s athletic director in June. He is now serving as an assistant Ewing football coach under former Northstars player Ross Maddalon.

After 29 years of coaching, the Cowboy fan enjoyed his four years as AD as much as watching an Eagles highlight film. And while he won’t miss the job, he will surely miss the school.

“It is very tough to leave the students, parents and families, staff and administration of Nottingham,” the Big Dawg said. “Those folks were my extended family. I love that I worked in the very neighborhood that I grew up in.

“I was teaching the children of people I grew up with, and then started teaching and coaching their kids. I grew up on Klockner Road. I played my little league football games at Nottingham (in the Hamilton Football League). It is a special community and I love the people. I am the original Klockner Road Kid.”

The only thing that made his departure bearable was exiting a job he disliked.

“Leaving was very hard as far as the school is concerned,” he said. “As far as AD is concerned, it was the right move because I was miserable! I was there more than when I was coaching three sports. On weekends the phone was always ringing or beeping with 25 text messages. It was just not for me.”

Coaching has always been in Adams’ blood. After playing wide receiver/tight end at Steinert and Glassboro State (now Rowan), Adams immediately became a volunteer assistant coaching defensive backs at Glassboro. He returned to Steinert and was head freshman football coach from 1987-89. He also coached wrestling and track.

From there, he was strictly a Blue & Gold man, and admitted that he doesn’t really feel like a Steinert grad after all those years up the street.

“No, I don’t, but those friendships and the connection I have with (former Steinert coaches) Steve Simek, Roger Bigos, David McWilliams, Del Hood, Ralph Delibero and Jim Fazzone can never be broken,” Adams said. “They took care of me. They were my mentors. They helped me all throughout my career. I am not where I am today without those men.”

“We had 645 seniors in my graduating class (there was no Nottingham then) and it was hard to feel like a part of the school when you only spent mornings there. I was on the practice/game field or in the weight room the other part of the day.”

In 1990 the Big Dawg moved up Klockner Road and took over for Glenn Sliker, who had run the varsity football program for all but one year since the school opened in 1982. No one could guess that the Northstars wouldn’t need a new man for the next three decades.

That’s what happens when a guy creates an atmosphere that folks enjoy.

“Jon meant everything to Northstar football and to the school,” long-time assistant Keith Zimmerman said. “Before I got to Nottingham to coach, the stories I’d hear from his former players about the love and passion he had for it is what brought me to coach there. I wanted to be around a program that was a family and Jon instilled that, from the coaches to the players.”

Head football coach Milo McGuire, a former assistant who took over in 2019, felt that “Jon taught me the multi-faceted approach that you needed to be equipped with in order to thrive in the Nottingham culture. When he brought me in, he taught me valuable lessons about life, coaching, and how to exist within both.”

He taught his players the same thing. When asked via Facebook to provide a few comments on Adams, former star receiver Robert Wiggs responded with a short novel. He couldn’t say enough good things.

“He was like a father figure to many of us; from what he taught us on and off the field, how to be a man, how to present yourself in public and if we didn’t do those

See ADAMS, Page 30

Adams

things there were consequences just like there would be in real life,” said the twotime Mercer County Player of the Year. “He prepared us for life after football. A lot of us didn’t have that kind of figure in our life and he helped fill that void.”

Melissa “Shop ‘N Bag” Persichetti has been a student and coach at Nottingham since 1997 and worked with Adams on the track & field team. She saw his impact as a student and colleague.

“His commitment to the Northstar community is admirable,” Persichetti said. “He devoted over 30 years to Nottingham student-athletes. He has encouraged, supported, and inspired many.”

Wes “The Media Mogul” Kirkpatrick, who has taken sports photos at Nottingham since before Adams arrived, became one of the coach’s best friends. The two visited faraway stadiums for big-time college football games and have an unbreakable bond. Kirkpatrick echoed Wiggs’ thoughts.

“What has impressed me most were his former players coming back to see him,” the Mogul said. “They have the ultimate respect for the role he played in their lives. These are players he had from all 30 years.”

Along with shaping their personal lives, Adams was also a pretty good coach. He finished with a 157-147-4 record, guiding Nottingham to 13 state playoff appearances, two state sectional finals and one state sectional title.

The Stars played their first-ever playoff game in 1993. In 2005 Nottingham went 10-2 and made its first state finals appearance before losing to Ocean. The Northstars went 32-11 from 2010-13 and upset defending champion Neptune in the 2012 Central Jersey Group III title game. Nottingham won a school record 11 games that year. The Stars went 22-8

over Adams’ final three seasons, and his son Stephen played on the state championship team.

In a span of just six years — 2008-13 — Adams’ produced the Mercer County Player of the Year four times with Kendrick Williams, Wiggs (twice) and Saquan Hampton. He was named Coach of the Year by one Trenton paper or the other five different seasons, and won the distinguished Clarence O’Shea Coach’s Award in 2012.

Wiggs felt the secret to Adams’ success went beyond Xs and Os. He made players want to play for him.

“As a young guy you wanted to prove to him you were one of those dudes he could lean on,” Wiggs said. “If he asked us to run through five walls we all would line up to attempt it. Coach was very tough, he demanded greatness everyday on the field and off the field as a young man, because he knew in life you would be challenged.”

Adams said that without a doubt the football championship was his greatest accomplishment, and noted it was made extra special by the fact he survived a cancer scare the same year. With the aid of wife Elaine — a constant fixture at Nottingham athletic events — Adams came out on top.

“I needed two kidneys,” he recalled. “The first quack told me he was just going to cut it out. We left that appointment in shock. Elaine saved my life by getting on the computer that night and finding Dr. Allan Wein and before I knew it he had me back on the sidelines in time for seven-on-sevens at Notre Dame. Dr. Wein saved my kidney and thus, my life.”

And while football will be Adams’ main legacy, his impact on Nottingham went well beyond the gridiron. He had two different stints totaling 18 years as

an assistant basketball coach, was boys head track & field coach for 10 years and assistant for another 11 and spent three years as head indoor track coach. Adams was also the volunteer strength program supervisor for 29 years.

Adams helped guide Northstar track & field teams to two outdoor Mercer County titles and one indoor, and two outdoor sectional championships. Persichetti was right there with him.

“His knowledge, passion and genuine care for his athletes is inspirational,” she said. “His core belief was always to improve the lives of his athletes and guide them to success. He has made a tremendous impact on the Nottingham community and furthermore on the lives of many Northstars.”

Adams went into his athletic director

job with his usual zeal. But when Covid struck during his first year-and-a-half, the thrill was gone due to all the cancellations and restrictions. “I lost the excitement I had going into the job,” he said. “I knew my time was short. The pension numbers just had to work. Elaine finally agreed this (past) winter and I made the decision to retire and get back to doing what I love — coaching.”

He may be gone, but his influence will remain for some time.

“No question, he put Nottingham athletics on the map,” Kirkpatrick said. “His success in football and track took us from the bottom of the pile in all sports to one of the most respected schools in the area.”

Wiggs added that “I remember we used to get laughed at when we ran at track meets. Now everybody knows when Nottingham is running to find a seat to watch the show. You see his fingerprints all over the athletic programs. He was very supportive of other sports and made sure we supported other sports as well. We are thriving at an all-time high at Nottingham and have been producing athletes from the highest level on down.”

Adams did not want to single out any specific athletes or co-workers for fear of missing someone, but did provide a blanket thank you to all his “fellow Northstars.”

“I would not trade the past 33 years of my life for anything,” he said. “Nottingham is an awesome place to work. It never felt like work because of the people I encountered everyday. I love you all!”

McGuire probably summed it up best.

“Over the years, Jon has been synonymous with Nottingham,” he said. “You couldn’t think about Nottingham without thinking of him and the indelible mark that he has left on the school and the community.”

Jon Adams as Nottingham High School football coach. (Photo by Wes Kirkpatrick.)

NOTICE TO PERSONS WANTING MAIL-IN BALLOTS

If you are a qualified and registered voter of Mercer County, New Jersey who wants to vote by mail in the General Election to be held on November 7, 2023, the following applies:

• You must complete the application form below and send it to the county clerk where you reside or write or apply in person to the county clerk where you reside to request a mail-in ballot.

• The name, address, and signature of any person who has assisted you to complete the mail-in ballot application must be provided on the application, and you must sign and date the application.

• No person may serve as an authorized messenger or bearer for more than three qualified voters in an election but a person may serve as such for up to

Dated:

five qualified voters in an election if those voters are immediate family members residing in the same household as the messenger or bearer.

• No person who is a candidate in the election for which the voter requests a mail-in ballot may provide any assistance in the completion of the ballot or serve as an authorized messenger or bearer.

• A person who applies for a mail-in ballot must submit his or her application so that it is received at least seven days before the election, but such person may request an application in person from the county clerk up to 3 p.m. of the day before the election.

• Voters who want to vote by mail in all future elections will, after their initial request and without

further action on their part, be provided with a mail-in ballot until the voter requests otherwise in writing.

• Application forms may be obtained by applying to the undersigned either in writing or by telephone. Or the application form provided below may be completed and forwarded to the undersigned.

• If you are currently signed up to receive mail-in ballots, but wish to now vote at the polls, either on Election Day or before, in accordance with NJ’s new “Early Voting” law, you must first opt out of vote by mail by notifying the county clerk in writing at the address below. You may find a form for removal from the permanent list on the Mercer County Clerk’s website at https://www.mercercounty.org/ government/county-clerk/elections.

Sollami Covello, Mercer County Clerk, 209 S. Broad St., Election Dept., P.O. Box 8068, Trenton,

Firefighters assist after police find suspicious devices

Bob Sherman, Jr. FIRELINE

A sampling of incidents for July:

July 1 at 8:14 a.m. Engines 2, 3, Squad 1, Rescue 1, Truck 2 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to Independence Plaza, S. Broad St. Commercial fire alarm.

July 2 at 11:35 a.m. Truck 1 dispatched as EMS for a motor vehicle collusion at Quakerbridge and Youngs Roads.

July 2 at 1:55 p.m. Engine 1 dispatched as EMS. Motor vehicle collision at Kuser and Yardville Hamilton Square Roads.

July 2 at 2:47 p.m. Engine 3 dispatched as EMS for a motor vehicle collusion at Kuser Rd and Hamilton Ave.

July 2 at 3:46 p.m. Truck 1 dispatched to first block of Sharon Rd, Robbinsville for hallway smoke detector activation.

July 2 at 8:09 p.m. Engine 1, Truck 2 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to 400 block of Newkirk Ave. to assist Hamilton Police.

July 3 at 10:08 a.m. Engine 2, Truck 2 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to Lamberton Road for a motor vehicle fire.

July 3 at 11:12 a.m. Engine 3 dispatched to first block of Scotch Rd., Ewing Twp. for an interior gas leak,

July 3 at 6:54 p.m. Truck 1 and Engine 4 dispat6ched to first block of Andover Rd., Robbinsville for a reported dwelling fire.

July 3 at 9:21 p.m. Engine 2, 3, Truck 2, Squad 1, Rescue 1 dispatched to 1800 block of S Broad St. for a fire alarm in an apartment.

July 4 at 9:40 a.m. Truck 1, Engine 3 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to Woolworth Center for Musical Studies,

a 3-story commercial building, Chapel Drive, Princeton. Police reported smoke condition in the main entrance. First alarm assignment was called for due to smoke throughout the basement.

July 4 at 2:30 p.m. Engine 3 dispatched to Klockner Rd. and Sloan Ave. for a 3 car motor vehicle collision.

July 4 at 10:35 p.m. Engine 4, Truck 2 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to 200 block of Main Street for a vehicle fire.

July 5 at 9:17 a.m. Engines 1,2, 4, Truck

1, Rescue 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to Express Care, Nottingham Way for a commercial fire alarm.

July 6 at 7:33 a.m. Engines 1,4, Truck

1, Rescue 1, Squad 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to first block of Lohli Drive for a commercial fire alarm.

July 7 at 4:28 a.m. Engine 2, Truck 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to 1200 Cedar Ln to assist Hamilton Police.

July 7 at 8:26 a.m. Engine 1 dispatched to Robbinsville High School. Fire alarm.

July 7 at 8:35 a.m. Engines 1, 3, 5. Truck 1, Squad 1, Rescue 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to first block of Perilli Dr. for a dwelling fire.

July 7 at 1:09 p.m. Squad 1, Engines 1, 2, 4, Trucks 1, 2, and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to first block of Dewberry Dr for a dwelling fire.

July 7 at 7:40 p.m. Truck 1 dispatched as EMS to Edinburg Rd. and McAdoo Ave. for a Pedestrian/Motor Vehicle Collison. Person lying in the roadway.

July 8 at 1:08 p.m. Engine 1 and Truck 1 dispatched to 1 Union St., Robbinsville for a commercial fire alarm.

July 8 at 6:24 p.m. Engine 3, Truck 1 Rescue 1, Squad 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to first block of Lincoln

Court for an interior gas leak,

July 9 at 12:45 a.m. Engine 1, Truck 1, Rescue 1, Squad 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to first block of Evergreen Lane for an interior gas leak.

July 10 at 9:34 a.m. Engines 1,2,4, Trucks 1, 2, Rescue 1, Squad 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to first block of Kristopher Dr. for a dwelling fire

July 10 at 4:50 p.m. Engines 1, 3. Truck 1, Rescue 1, Squad 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to Alvin E. Gershen Apartments for a general fire alarm.

July 11 at 6:53 p.m. Engine 1, Truck 1, Rescue 1, Squad 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to first block of Brown

Drive for an interior gas leak.

July 12 at 6:25 p.m. Engines 1, 2, 4, Trucks 1, 2, Rescue 1, Squad 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to first block of Phaeton Dr. for an appliance fire.

July 13th Hamilton Firefighters attended the Wake for Newark firefighter Augusto Acabou, killed in the line of duty.

July 13 at 6:52 a.m. Engine 2 as EMS dispatched to Lalor Dr. and Randall Ave. for a Pedestrian Motor Vehicle Collision.

July 13 at 6:52 a.m. Engine 3 dispatched to Basin Rd. for a brush fire.

July 13 at 2:41 p.m. Engines 1, 2, 3, 4, Trucks 1, 2, Rescue 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to East Franklin St. for a reported dwelling fire.

July 13 at 7 p.m. Engine 3, Truck 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to Hamilton and Klockner. Vehicle fire.

July 13 at 7:10 p.m. Engine 1 dispatched to Opal Dr., Robbinsville for a motor vehicle accident. Vehicle into a structure.

July 14 Hamilton Firefighters attended the funeral for Newark firefighter Wayne Brooks Jr. killed in the line of duty.

July 14 at 6:21 a.m. Engine 4, Squad 1, Rescue 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to US Hwy 130 and Church St. for a motor vehicle accident/rescue.

July 14 at 11:34 a.m. Engine 2, Rescue 1, Squad 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to Justice Samuel Alito Way and Kuser Rd. for a motor vehicle accident/ rescue assignment, overturned vehicle.

July 14 at 7:10 p.m. Engine 1, Truck 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to first block Chambord Court for an uncontrolled water leak.

July 14 at 8:18 p.m. Engines 2, 4, Truck 2, Rescue 1. Squad 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to AAA Properties

Honorary Chief Bob Sherman Jr. With Mercerville Fire’s 1928 REI fire engine.

for a smoke alarm activation.

July 15 at 12:39 a.m. Truck 1 as EMS dispatched to Quakerbridge Rd. and Sloan Ave. for a motor vehicle collision.

July 16 around 10:30 a.m. Hamilton Units were dispatched to Holt Circle for a dwelling fire. Firefighters stretched two hand lines into the dwelling. Fire confined to basement. Fire Police responded.

July 16 at 5:48 p.m. Rescue 1, Squad 1, Engine 3 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to Interstate 195S for a motor vehicle rescue assignment.

July 17 at 12:37 Engine 1 dispatched to 2900 block of Quakerbridge Rd. Wires on fire.

July 17 at 9:37 a.m. Engine 1 dispatched to Klockner Rd. and Hamilton Health Plaza for a transformer fire.

July 17 at 9:49 a.m. Hamilton Fire Police dispatched to assist Hamilton Police with traffic control at Klockner and Whitehorse Hamilton Square Roads.

July 17 at 12:45 p.m. Engines 1,2,4, Trucks 1,2, Rescue 1, Squad 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to 100 block of Cynthia Way for an interior smoke condition.

July 17 at 6:14 p.m. Truck 1, Squad 1 dispatched to 7-11, 4135 South Broad Street for a vehicle fire.

July 18 at 12:15 p.m. Engine 2 dispatched as EMS to West Park and Westcott Avenues for a pedestrian/motor vehicle collision, cyclist and car.

July 18 at 6:09 p.m. Engine 2, Squad 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to Bow Hill and Jeremiah Ave. for a motor vehicle accident. Vehicle into a house.

July 19 at 6:19 a.m. Engine 2, Rescue 1, Squad 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to Liberty St and South Olden Ave for a two car motor vehicle accident/ rescue assignment. One vehicle overturned, one person trapped in the vehicle.

July 19 at 8:42 a.m. Engine 3, Truck 1, Rescue 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to TRANE, East State St. for and exterior gas leak, Gas line struck. PSEG requested to the scene.

July 19 at 1:21 p.m. Engine 4, Truck 2, Rescue 1, and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to County Hwy 539 and Walnford Rd., Upper Freehold for a motor vehicle collision/rescue assignment.

July 20 at 3:29 a.m. Engines 2,3,4, Trucks 1, 2, Rescue 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to 300 block of Lafayette Ave. for a reported dwelling fire.

July 20 at 8:41 a.m. Engine 2, Truck 2 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to 200 block of Pitman Ave. to assist Hamilton Police.

July 20 at 12 p.m. Engines 2, 4, Truck 2, Rescue w, Squad 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to Residence Inn Marriott, US Hwy 130 for a commercial fire alarm, manual pull alarm.

July 21 at 1:23 p.m. Rescue 1 dispatched to Quakerbridge Mall. Vehicle into structure.

July 21 at 2:35 p.m. Engines 1,2,3, Trucks 1, 2, Rescue 1, Squad 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to Mercerville Shopping Center for a reported building fire. Primary electrical line to the structure was torn from the building. Hamilton Fire Police responded.

July 22 at 8:06 a.m. Rescue 1, Squad 1, Engines 1,2, 3 Truck s 1, 2, and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to 200 block of Fenwood Ave. Appliance fire, microwave.

July 22 at 5:05 p.m. Engine 4, Truck 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched on the first alarm to Mckesson Corp, John Henry Drive, Robbinsville for a building fire. Fire went to 2nd alarm assignment. Fire was confined to solar panels and HVAC unit on the roof.

July 24 at 8:20 a.m. Truck 1, Engine 2 and Battalion Chief dispatched to 1000 block of Silver Court for an uncontrolled water leak.

July 24 at 3:08 p.m. Engine 1 and Truck 1 dispatched to North Commerce Square, Robbinsville for a commercial fire alarm.

July 24 at 6:42 p.m. Engine 4 and Truck

2 dispatched to NJ Fire Museum, Upper Freehold, for a commercial fire alarm.

July 24 at 6:49 p.m. Engine 3 dispatched to 200 block of Sloan Ave for a mulch fire.

July 25 at 12:34 p.m. Truck 1 and Squad

1 dispatched to first block of Kite Ct., Lawrence for an interior smoke condition.

July 25 at 1:54 p.m. Engine 1, Truck 1, Rescue 1, Squad 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to Hamilton Medical Arts, Kuser Rd. for an interior gas leak.

July 26 at 1:02 p.m. Engine 2 dispatched to 2700 block of South Broad St. Standby assignment requested by Hamilton PD.

July 26 at 2:23 p.m. Hamilton Fire Police dispatched to South Broad St .and Fetter Ave. to assist Police with traffic control after police stopped a vehicle and located four metal pipes consistent with being pipe bombs. The investigation shut down multiple streets in the area.

July 26 at 9:45 p.m. Colonial Special Services 18 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to AMC Theater, Sloan Ave. for a standby assignment to provide lighting for NJSP bomb Squad.

July 27 at 1:12 p.m. Truck 1 dispatched to first block of Sparrow Drive for fire department assist to citizen. Smoke detector installation.

July 28 at 10:38 a.m. Engines, Truck 1, Rescue 1, Squad 1 and on duty Battalion Chief dispatched to 100 block of Waverly Place for an interior gas leak.

Bob Sherman, Jr. is an honorary chief and life member of Mercerville Volunteer Fire Company and a Hamilton resident.

•

RYANS COMMERCIAL MAINTENANCE

‘Star Trek,’ recycled place names and a fictional history highway tour of New York

Peter Dabbene

My wife, children, and I recently drove to upstate New York for a vacation and family reunion. While there, we enjoyed activities in and around Lake George, including a visit to the dated (but still worth a look) House of Frankenstein Wax Museum. From Lake George, we made the hour-long journey up to Ticonderoga, New York to check out Fort Ticonderoga, where we stood at the site of an important victory over the British in 1775. In the town of Ticonderoga, we happened upon a unique museum, where we stood on the bridge of a ship that scored an important victory against the Romulans in 2266.

James Cawley, a former Elvis impersonator and leading man of Star Trek fan-film productions, owns and operates the Star Trek Original Series Set Tour in Ticonderoga. The tour features detailed replicas of the sets from the original 1966-1969 television series, and allows patrons the opportunity to stand on the Enterprise transporter platform, hit the “red alert” button, and even sit in the chair of Captain Kirk himself. It was all great fun, and the museum’s timeline of “historical” events in the Star Trek universe was in keeping with the fictional history theme that developed (at least, in my mind) during the long drives to and from our Hamilton home.

The highways of upstate New York (mostly I-87 in this instance) hold many signs for areas that share their names with better known precursors. This is a phenomenon I’ve relished ever since a cousin gifted me a Dublin, Pennsylvania T-shirt years ago—I knew of other examples, like Paris, Texas and Athens, Georgia, as well, and though I haven’t yet acquired shirts advertising their existence, a collection of such clothing is something I intend to build over time.

The “knock-off” town names in New York are many: Rome is the first example that comes to mind, fitting with the previously mentioned “alternate” world capitals, but also offered are Syracuse, Ithaca, and Utica, recalling the original cities in Sicily, Greece, and modern-day Tunisia. Individuals from the ancient Greek and Roman world are

also represented, through the towns of Homer, Cicero, and Ovid.

The town of Vanderheyden got the classical naming party started back in 1789, changing its name to Troy because, according to the book Classical Place Names in New York State by William R. Farrell, “the residents wanted a more sophisticated name, a historic one that was short, easy to spell and pronounce.” As might be expected, this became something of a standard guideline in naming, and among ancient Troy’s enemies, the Greek cities of Sparta, Corinth, and (stretching the “easy” theme a bit) Mycenae all have namesakes in New York, while those with more challenging names like Boiotia Euboea, and Kephalonia go unrecognized.

Other New York place names (Catskill, Peekskill, Fishkill, etc.) indicate a Dutch origin—the word “kill” means “little stream” in that language. I was aware of this bit of etymology because Staten Island, where I grew up, boasts its own share of “kills”: the Kill Van Kull, the Arthur Kill, Freshkills Park (and its former incarnation, the infamous Fresh Kills Landfill), plus the neighborhood I lived in, Great Kills. All this killing meant nothing to me as a child; it was only as an adult, when I saw that a Staten Islander had written a crime novel called Fresh Kills, that I realized these names might seem a bit disturbing to non-natives.

There are also plenty of Native American-derived place names in upstate New York. These tend to be a bit tonguetwisting, even after the North American newcomers adapted them to make them easier to pronounce; prime examples are Schenectady (derived from the Mohawk word “skahnéhtati,” meaning “beyond the pines”) and Poughkeepsie (from the Wappinger tribe’s “Uppuqui-ipis-ing,” meaning ‘the reed-covered lodge by the little-water place.’) One road sign, for Kayaderosseras Creek, was such a mouthful that I didn’t even have time to figure out how to pronounce it before we passed it.

Bible names are also popular in New York geography, with appearances of Canaan, Eden (twice), Lebanon (twice), Jerusalem (twice), Sodom (twice), and Jericho (thrice). Sodom, a place with a less-than-stellar reputation in the bible, seems a curious pick for a town name,

but perhaps appropriately, both Sodoms lie east of the Edens.

I learned most of this information after our trip, inspired to conduct a bit of research. But during the trip, as a driver safely removed from the ability to quickly search the internet, I theorized my own explanations for these and other unusual place names—explanations that became more fanciful as time went on.

As we passed Halfmoon—a very cool name for a town—I imagined how it might have acquired its nomenclature: Ol’ Bert, drunk and loud (maybe after an all-night visit to Sodom), attempted to express disdain for his complaining neighbors by lowering his pants, but with his fumbling coordination only managed to expose one side of his posterior.

Ahead is a sign for New Baltimore— did they finally give up on the old one, or did they decide it merited a sequel? I’ve heard that Moreau State Park has some interesting sights, especially on that island in the middle of it, where some doctor created a menagerie of strange half-human, half-animal hybrids. There’s Mechanicville, where every kid is taught how to fix a car, and the residents wait like eager pit crews for tourists to sputter into town with an automobile problem to solve. Old West Road offers a more compact version of New Jersey’s own Wild West City, with horses instead of cars, gunfights at noon, a classic cantina, and cowboys galore. And don’t forget Ushers Road, where the finest former theater ushers retire after long and dedicated careers—there’s always someone to provide directions, the location of a bathroom, or info on where to buy popcorn.

Logic doesn’t play a large role in this exercise, nor do the rules of time. Thus, we can pass Woodstock at Exit 20 on I-87,

where nearly-nude hippies are cavorting in the mud and avoiding the brown acid circa 1969, while Exit 21 brings us to ancient Egypt and the city of Cairo. The Exit 21B Interchange provides a route to Athens, where Aristotle is teaching that women have fewer teeth than men. Stay on I-87 long enough (Exit 35) and it will bring you to Peru.

Without exiting at these places, there’s no first-hand visual proof to refute these claims. In a twisted riff on Schrodinger’s Cat, all of these scenarios might be true until an actual observation is made, breaking the spell and causing them to revert to the normal, early 21st century towns most people expect to encounter.

Whether you have a passenger look up the actual origins of town names as you pass them or just make them up yourself, there are worse ways to pass a few hours on a long trip, especially after you’ve exhausted whatever appeal searching for different states’ license plates may hold. Until we can instantly rematerialize ourselves onto that U.S.S. Enterprise transporter pad in Ticonderoga, fictional history might be the best option we’ve got.

Peter Dabbene’s website is peterdabbene.com, and his previous Hamilton Post columns can be read at communitynews.org. His essay, “The U.S. Needs to Tax Religions” can be viewed at morningmoot.com, and his fictional history story “The Mysterious Origin of ‘Marco Polo’” can be read at pikerpress.com. His book Complex Simplicity collects the first 101 editions of this column, along with essays and material published elsewhere. It is available at Amazon.com or Lulu.com for $25 (print) or $4.99 (ebook).

A er-School Program

• For students grades K-5

• Transportation provided from Yardville Elementary, Yardville Heights, and Sunnybrae Elementary Schools

• Homework Space and Tutoring Provided

• Arts & Crafts

• Recreation Period

• Great Gym Space

• Beautiful field/playgrounds

• Friendly & Qualified Staff

previously worked in retail and property me feel as if I could do anything. Painting

It is freeing and even if I work on my art all day in the studio, I don’t feel as though I am cooped up at work. I grew up in Bound Brook but have been in the Mercer County area for a long time. Which media do you work in?

I work with oil paint, acrylic, watercolor, oil pastel, house paint, and my own mixtures. I paint on strand board, tarps, canvas, paper, fabric, leather doors. I am very experimental. I like to paint large. I make my own wooden

stretchers and stretch my own canvases. Being a property manager, I am good with my hands and able to make what I

How do you decide what to paint?

I don’t decide I just work. Only time I make decisions are for commission. I work on average 40 paintings at a time. I have a large studio and just get started painting. What comes out is what comes out. I just need to get started that’s all.

Do you work in series?

Yes I currently have 12 different series and have painted over 5,000 pieces. I have painted series of figures, portraits, abstracts and landscapes. I really like it all. I recently exhibited in Art Expo NYC. I also showed work in the Ewing Municipal Building, Patterns Exhibition in Chelsea, Manhattan and at the Hopewell Valley Vineyard.

Who are some of your inspirations

Albert Wagner, the Arkansas born artist who was a prolific folk artist was a major influence. Florida artist Purvis Young, whose work was a blend of drawing, painting and utilizing found objects. Jean-Michel Basquiat the famous neo-impressionist always moved me. Classic artists such as Berthe Morisot, Amedeo Modigliani and the colorful Henri Matisse.

Do you always work on larger pieces?

I prefer larger 6ft plus yet, about 50% are over 6 ft. x 6 ft. I paint from 8 x 10 on up. With some of the large pieces I will paint them and then take them off of the stretchers and roll them up for storage. I will label them and keep them organized. Painting on larger canvas allows me to immerse myself into each piece. What fight/struggle do you have

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regarding your art?

I struggle with time not to make my art but to do other things. I get so into making the artwork that I forget to eat and sleep. I try to schedule my day and do a pretty good job with an hour for this and an hour for that, but sometimes I still get caught up in the painting.

Another struggle I have is inventory management. I paint so much and have so many pieces, more than 5,000, that it is a challenge to keep them organized and be able to access the pieces I am looking for.

What are you working on now?

I am currently working on 3 commissions, and paintings for my next exhibition this winter in NY and at my studio. Also, a Harlem Renaissance children’s book. I have a podcast coming up which will discuss all types of artwork and artists.

Web: kjlartsanctuary.com.

Ghost Hunting Information, Equipment and Stories!

Thomas Kelly is a Hamilton-based artist and member of the Hamilton Arts Council. His work can be found at thomaskellyart.com.

Painter Kenneth Lewis, Sr. at work in the studio.

What are the benefits of an annual physical for children?

Ask The Doctor

While back-to-school is a time to shop for school supplies and the latest fashions, it is also the perfect time to check in on your child’s health with a physical exam. Parents can ease the big change and alleviate stress with the below back-to-school readiness checklist from the pediatric and adolescent health experts at RWJBarnabas Health:

• Fill out any forms your school has sent home, such as emergency contact and health information forms.

• Be sure your child has up-to-date immunizations; new this school year, children 12 and over can be vaccinated for COVID-19

• Inform the school nurse and teachers about medical conditions your child may have, particularly food allergies, asthma,

diabetes and any other conditions that may need to be managed during the school day. Arrange with the school nurse to administer medications your child might need.

• Let teachers know about conditions that may affect your child’s ability to learn. Children with ADHD should be seated in the front and children with vision problems should sit near the board.

• Be sure your child has a safe backpack and knows not to overload it.

Likhitha Musunuru, MD, Family Medicine, an RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group provider, affiliated with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, shares answers to the following common questions related to back-to-school physicals: Are well-visits, physical exams and sports exams the same thing?

Both exams are classified as a preventative care visit – they allow your child to be examined using measurements of growth and development. These visits help keep your child healthy and focus on

improvements that can be made to enhance your child’s wellness.

What can my child expect during a back-to-school visit or well-exam?

During a back-to-school physical, your provider will discuss your child’s history to discuss any concerns, ask questions about lifestyle behaviors, check their vaccination status and update their medical history. Your provider will also check your child’s vital signs – blood pressure, heart rate, respiration rate and temperature – and perform heart, lung, abdominal and head and neck exams.

Why do schools require back-toschool physicals each year?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, schools often require physicals to ensure students’ vaccinations are up-to-date. These exams also provide an opportunity to monitor your child’s health on a year-to-year basis to ensure he or she is hitting milestone benchmarks.

What vaccines are required for school-age children?

New Jersey schools require specific immunizations based on the age of your child. For a full list of vaccinations required all grades in New Jersey, visit nj.gov/health/ cd/imm.shtml.

Does my child need any other kind of screening?

Cardiac and concussion screenings have the lifesaving potential to reduce heartrelated incidents and brain injuries among school-age children and teens. New Jersey requires all school athletes to be examined by their primary care or school physician at least once per year.

Dr. Musunuru sees patients at 17 Main Street in Robbinsville. For more information or to make an appointment, please call (609) 392-6366. Learn more at rwjbh.org/ medgroupprimarycare

Coming up this month at RWJU Hospital Hamilton

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

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11

How and When to be Your Own Health Advocate. 11 a.m. to noon. Join Lisa Cruser, LPN, Nurse Advocate and owner of Empowering Patients Advocacy Group while she discusses how to navigate the healthcare system, how to ask for and get a second opinion, and how to advocate for yourself and others. Free.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12

No More Food Fights. 10 to 11 a.m. We are talking about picky eating! Mealtime doesn’t have to be a battle. Let’s explore the most current and effective tactics for healthy & peaceful meals.

Does The Ringing In Your Ears Drive You Crazy? 10-11 a.m. 25 million Americans suffer from Tinnitus and sound sensitivity. Join Dr. Lorraine Sgarlato, Au.D., A.B.A. as she discusses the phenomenon of Tinnitus and Sound Sensitivity Syndrome and various treatment options for relief.

Fall Mini Medical School. Also Sept. 12, 19, 26, and Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31; 6-7 p.m. Join us for this 8-week informative session on different medical topics. Enhance your knowledge with the variety of specialties and areas of study. All you need to bring is a willingness to learn and have fun. *MUST ATTEND ALL 8 SESSIONS FOR A CERTIFICATE*

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20

Fall Medication Series. Also Sept. 27 and Oct. 4, 11, & 18; 2-3 p.m. Learn about different classifications of medications in this 5 week series with our pharmacists and congestive heart failure coordinator.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27

Managing Stress and Diabetes. 3 to 4 p.m. This support group is for people living with diabetes. Learn how to cope with stress and diabetes in a healthy way.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

Color Me Hoopy; Hoola Hoop for Fun and Fitness! 6 to 7 p.m. This is a very popular class, and with good reason; it’s so much fun. Hoola Hooping is so much easier with an “adult sized” hoop and the right instruction. Learn skills and techniques, hoops provided. Angela Reitter, certified Hoop Love Coach and Hoola-Fit Instructor. Fee-$15.

Better Health Programs

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

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12

The Tree of Life Art Workshop. 1 to 2:30 p.m. In this workshop, we will create the tree of life that speaks to you—its colors, branches, production of sprouts and/or leaves. Bring pictures from magazines, your own photos, the colors you associate with your tree— paints, crayons and colored pencils will do. We will explore it all in this workshop and gain connection as we embrace this season together.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22

Dr. Ali & Game Time Lunch and Learn. Noon to 1:30 p.m. Join us for lunch, a game, and prizes as Dr. Ali & Joyce Cantalice test your knowledge on things important to our aging community. Don’t panic, this will be a team effort created to be interactive and fun.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26

Lean on Me! 11 a.m. to Noon. An end-of-life doula is a trained and compassionate individual who provides emotional, practical, and spiritual support to individuals and their families helping create an end-of-life plan. Meet Sandra Roy, who has dedicated her life to serving the community. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, End-of Life Certification, Life Coach Certification, Clinical Pastoral Education Certification from RWJBarnabas Health, and is working on her Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work.

Dr. Likhitha Musunuru

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