Inside this issue:
SIX09 Senior Living! COMMUNITYNEWS.ORG
DECEMBER 2021 FREE
Turning citizens into leaders
Groeger, Van Hise, Pluta win BOE seats Unopposed Bobbitt and Kownacki win re-election to town council
MCCC program would help build residents’ engagement in their community
By BiLL SanserVinO
Incumbents Jo Ann Groeger and Kevin Van Hise and first-time candidate Robert Pluta won election to the Lawrence Township School Board in the Nov. 2 school election. Three other candidates sought election to the board— Lauren Berger, Falk Engel and Drew Greenspan. Unofficial results as of Nov. 11 were as follows: Groeger, 4,490 (21.26%); Van Hise, 3,628 (17.18%); Pluta, 3,298 (15.62%); Santos 2,754 (13.04%); Engel, 2,585 (12.24%); Berger, 2,180 (10.32%); and Greenspan, 2,184 (10/34%). Pluta will be filling the seat being vacated by board member Joyce Scott, who opted to not seek re-election. All three terms are for three-years. Santos appeared on the ballot, but was no longer running. She withdrew her name after being chosen in August to fill the seat vacated by Jonathan Dauber, who resigned. Her seat will be up for election next in November. In the race for two, fouryear council seats, incumbent See ARoUnD ToWn, Page 2
By Rebekah SchrOeder
Artist Susan Rizzo, a Lawrence Township resident, in her gallery and studio space, Zuzu Gallery.
Art gallery looks to connect artists with the community by GeOrge POinT
When Susan Rizzo began looking for a space that could serve as a combination art studio and gallery, little did she suspect that she would find what she was looking for just down the street. Rizzo’s roots in the Princeton area run deep. “My parents moved to Princeton right after World War II, so I was born and raised in Princeton,” Rizzo says. “I lived in
San Francisco with my first husband for 15 years and had two daughters, and when that marriage ended, I came back and settled in Lawrence. I’ve lived on Gordon Avenue for 31 years.” Her passion for art runs deep as well. “When I was a child I was always drawing,” Rizzo says, “and I excelled in art in high school.” While living in San Francisco, she attended the Academy of Art, where she pursued her love of
painting. Founded in San Francisco in 1929, it is one of the largest private, accredited art and design schools in the nation. Art beckoned, but, as the saying goes, life can get in the way when you’re making other plans. For a time, Rizzo ran her own business in San Francisco before making the move back east and securing a position at Princeton University. See ZUZU, Page 3
Jack’s GREENHOUSE & FARM
Christmas Trees, Wreaths, Poinsettias, Greens, Tree Stands & More See our ad & coupons on page 3
The United States is divided by numerous issues. People are increasingly at odds with each other, and the process of making important change is difficult, if not impossible. It is in this political climate that Mercer County Community College recently unveiled a multi-pronged program to combat the situation by educating citizens and empowering them to become leaders within their communities. The college has teamed up with The Citizens Campaign, a Metuchen-based nonprofit organization that works to ensure that discourse can be helpful, not harmful, and urges that people do not have to be elected officials or stop their advocacy at the ballot box. The organization’s message is that anyone can fight to make a difference. One piece of the program is the establishment of a Citizen Leadership Center in partnership with The Citizens Campaign. The purpose of the center, which will be located See LEADERS, Page 4
Academy Dental CHILDREN
& ADULTS
Complete Dentistry for the Whole Family
AcademyDentalNJ.com
Currently Open for Emergency Dental Care See our ad on page 5
1179 NEWARK, NJ