2-22 RA by Community News Service

Advance Robbinsville

FEBRUARY 2022 FREE

COMMUNITYNEWS.ORG

Omicron wave washes over Mercer

Calcagno honored Senior center renamed to recognize service of retiring councilman EDiTeD BY BiLL SANserViNO

The Robbinsville Township Senior Center, which opened in 1991, was renamed the Vincent J. Calcagno Senior Center last month in honor of the retiring NJLM Hall of Fame Councilman. Calcagno, who has served the former Washington Township and later the Township of Robbinsville with distinction since 1994, presided over his final council meeting on Dec. 16. He officially retired from public service on Dec. 31, when his term ended. On hand for the dedication were fellow members of council, Mayor Dave Fried, Business Administrator Joy Tozzi, Rep. Chris Smith, Calcagno’s wife, Ellie, and more than two dozen township staff members, “I’m speechless,” said Calcagno, a longtime resident of Robbinsville and the longesttenured member of Council. “This is way beyond anything I ever expected or could even fathom. It’s such an honor I can’t even begin to tell you.” Calcagno also was presented with a key to the city, a proclamation from Mayor Fried and a resolution read into the record by Council President Mike Cipriano at the Dec. 16 council meeting. See AROUND TOWN, Page 3

Highly contagious variant results in record number of cases in January BY BiLL SANserViNO

Members of the F3 Princeton fitness group, including Robbinsville resident Harjot Pannu (seated, fourth from right), assemble for a photo.

Group focuses on men’s physical and mental health BY ANGeL OrTiZ

In 2011, a movement began in Charlotte, North Carolina where men could meet up and gather for free scheduled outdoor workouts. In the process, fellowships and friendships were formed as the men were able to not only improve their physical health, but their mental health as well by sharing their struggles with each other. This men’s fitness program became known as F3,

which stands for the three Fs of the program’s name: Fitness, Fellowship and Faith. F3 began spreading from North Carolina, with many chapters being created throughout the United States. The local chapter—F3 Princeton—is looking to attract more men from Mercer County and beyond to join up with them on the group’s overall mission to “plant, grow and serve small workout groups for men for the invigoration of male community

leadership.” The roots for the local chapter were planted when Curtis Hoberman of West Windsor learned about F3 several years ago and thought it sounded like a fantastic program. There was one problem though—there were no F3 groups in New Jersey. Hoberman had decided to check out the nearest F3 workout (which turned out to be in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania) after seeing an artiSee F3, Page 10

One of the biggest challenges yet in the COVID-19 pandemic occurred in January with the emergence of the Omicron variant of the virus. Omicron, which quickly displaced Delta as the dominant strain, was much more contagious than previous variants of COVID-19. While Omicron has been found in studies to cause less severe symptoms than previous strains—especially to those who have been vaccinated—it infected significantly more people. The variant also evades immunity from vaccinations and past infections. “The numbers we’re seeing today blow anything we have seen since the start of the pandemic out of the water,” said Gov. Phil Murphy during his first briefing on the pandemic of 2022 on Jan. 3. Later in the month, the governor said that an “Omicron tsunami” was washing over the state, referring to the massive numbers of people testing positive for COVID-19. See OMICRON, Page 9

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2  Robbinsville Advance | Februar y 2022

around town

AROUND TOWN cont. from Page 1 “I never imagined when I moved to Robbinsville in 1988 that I would be involved in local government in any way,” Calcagno said. “Then Ed Nelson stepped down from the Township committee in the old form of government. They asked me to run, and from there I was hooked on public service and community involvement. That involvement has benefitted me in every single facet of my life. I still very much enjoy it, but there are so many smart, talented young residents in town and they should have a voice for the next generations.” Calcagno first was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Nelson in 1994 as part of the former township committee form of government, before serving two terms as mayor in 1999 and 2004. He also was deputy mayor in 1998 and 2000. The Jan. 7, 2021 reorganization meeting marked Calcagno’s seventh stint as vice president. He continues to serve as council liaison to the Senior Citizen Advisory Council and has been a staunch advocate for Robbinsville’s senior community. “When I first came on board, our Senior Center was empty and there were virtually no programs,” Calcagno said. “That really struck me and left a profound mark. Now, our

palities Elected Officials Hall of Fame.

Officials sworn in at Robbinsville reorganization

Deborah Blakely took the oath of office for the four-year seat on council that she captured in the November election during Robbinsville Township Council reorganization meeting on Jan. 6. Fried was elected to another fouryear term as mayor in November with a record 4,267 votes and was sworn in on Jan. 27. Blakely received the most votes of any council candidate with 3,157 votes and was elected council vice president by her peers. She also chaired the reorganization meeting. Mike Cipriano was sworn-in by Municipal Clerk Michele Seigfried via telephone on Jan. 5, but participated remotely. Cipriano was reelected council president. The 2022 Robbinsville Township council is comprised of Cipriano, Former Robbinsville Councilman Vincent Calcagno and wife, Ellie. Blakely, Ron Witt, Chris Ciaccio and Michael Todd, who secured the twoyear unexpired term vacated by Dan Senior Center is thriving with incred- myself.” On June 25, 2020, Calcagno was Schuberth last year. Todd took his ible programs and it’s been a total team effort. That took the incredible one of 33 members elected to the oath in December. work of many, many people, not just New Jersey State League of MuniciSee AROUND TOWN, Page 4

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AROUND TOWN cont. from Page 3 Police Chief Michael Polaski took his ceremonial oath after officially being sworn-in on Dec. 29, just prior to the retirement of former chief Chris Nitti, who retired after 28 years with the department. In addition, Business Administrator Joy Tozzi, Township Attorney Bruce Darvas, Director of Community Development Paul Renaud and Director of Public Works Chris Rupp all were reappointed to their current positions, serving at the pleasure of the mayor. Fried became the first Robbinsville mayor directly elected by the voters and was sworn-in on July 1, 2005 by then-U.S. Attorney Chris Christie. Fried was re-elected in 2009 by a margin of nearly 2-to-1 over former Councilwoman Sonja Walter, then elected to his third term with a convincing victory over former Councilman David Boyne in November 2013. He defeated Walter again in 2017 with 71 percent of the vote before running unopposed in 2021. His current term expires on December 31, 2025. Mayor Dave Fried administers a cermonial oath of oﬀice to new Police Chief Chief Polaski, 46, grew up in Lacey Mike Polaski, accompanied by his wife, Stephanie, and sons, Evan and Matthew. Township, where he began his law enforcement career as a Special Officer in 1994. in me to lead this great department. Scholarship deadline set “I am humbled and honored by Like every other man and woman on this opportunity,” Chief Polaski said. the force, I come to work every day for March 11 “I appreciate Mayor Fried, Adminis- to serve and protect the residents of Robbinsville Township is particitrator (Joy) Tozzi and the rest of the Robbinsville, and I look forward to pating in a scholarship program being selection panel for having the faith doing so in my role as chief.” offered by the state League of Munic-

ipalities. The Louis Bay 2nd Future Municipal Leaders Scholarship Competition is for high school juniors and seniors planning to continue their education after high school. “The purpose of the scholarship, now in its 29th year, is to advance the virtues of elected and volunteer positions in municipal government while raising awareness of municipal government in general,” said a township news release. The scholarship competition has been named in honor of Louis Bay 2nd, mayor emeritus of Hawthorne and an active participant as a League board member and past president for 60 years. Robbinsville Township has teamed up with the League to offer three $1,000 scholarships through the Louis Bay 2nd Future Municipal Leaders Scholarship Competition. This statewide scholarship competition this year centers on the theme: “What My Municipal Government Does Best,” and seeks to advance the virtues of elected and volunteer members of the municipal government. “Many of the elected officials and appointed board members serve the municipality for little or no compensation,” said the township release. “It is an altruistic desire to serve their community which compels them to public service. These officials, along with a cadre of other dedicated professionals, are the guardSee AROUND TOWN, Page 6

Advance Robbinsville

we are a newsroom of your neighbors. The Advance is for local people, by local people. As part of the community, the Robbinsville Advance 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 Bill Sanservino (Ext. 104) CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Rich Fisher, Angel Ortiz, Rebekah Schroeder SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Jennifer Steﬀen (Ext. 113)

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4  Robbinsville Advance | Februar y 2022

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AROUND TOWN cont. from Page 4 ians of our hometown comfort and security. They give their time and talents year-round to help the community and preserve our way of life. “We hope this scholarship competition will help encourage and energize future municipal leaders.” The deadline for submission is March 11. See the Robbinsville Township website at robbinsville-twp.org/ news_detail_T2_R318.php for the application, which was expected to be available on Feb 1. The competition is open to all high school juniors and seniors who are residents of New Jersey and plan to continue their education after high school. Introducing VINTAGE AT HAMILTON, a spectacular community of 122 The town lists the following luxury townhomes and duplexes in Hamilton Twp., Mercer County... information associated with the Introducing VINTAGE AT HAMILTON, a exclusively for active adults 55+. scholarship: 1. Complete the application and spectacular community of 122 luxury townhomes This is where you’ll savor life to the fullest. All in an area known for its wealth essay; of cultural offerings, recreational opportunities, dining and shopping. Vintage at and duplexes Twp., 2. Return those materials to: The Hamilton is in the centerin of itHamilton all, close to I-195 and theMercer New JerseyCounty... Turnpike and Office of Mayor Dave Fried, 2298 just minutes from the Hamilton Train with direct service to New York City and exclusively for active adults 55+. Route 33, Robbinsville, NJ 08691. Philadelphia. Write “Louis Bay 2nd Competition” on the front of the envelope. Don’t miss your chance owntoa the fine fullest. Vintage!All in This is where you’ll savortolife (Regional or private high school students should return the essay and • 3 bedrooms, 2½ baths ducing an VINTAGE AT HAMILTON, a spectacular community of 122 to their hometown mayor, area known for its wealth of cultural oﬀ erings, application • Full basement (with option to finish!) Introducing VINTAGE AT HAMILTON, a spectacular community of 122 T HAMILTON, a spectacular community of 122 luxury duplexes ducing VINTAGE AT HAMILTON, a spectacular community of the 122mayor of the municipality not y townhomes andopportunities, duplexes in Hamilton Twp., Mercer County... • 1-2 car in garage recreational dining and shopping. where their home is located, unless luxury townhomes and duplexes Hamilton Twp., Mercer County... ysively townhomes and duplexes inwithHamilton Mercer County... ton Twp., County…exclusively for active Twp., adults 55+. forMercer active adults 55+. that is your hometown. • Clubhouse pool exclusively for active adults 55+. Hamilton sively Vintage for activeatadults 55+. is in the center of it all, 3. The mayor or his designated svor where you’ll savor life totothe fullest. All inananarea area known forwealth itscommittee wealth will select one semifinalist to the fullest. All in an area known for its wealth This life isclose where you’ll savor life the fullest. All in known for its to savor I-195life andHAMILTON, New Jersey and for ntroducing VINTAGE AT aAll spectacular community of its 122 from your stural you’ll tothe the fullest. inTurnpike anand area known offerings, recreational opportunities, dining and shopping. Vintage at municipality. ofwhere cultural offerings, recreational opportunities, dining shopping. Vintage atwealth ecreational opportunities, dining and shopping. At Vintage Pre-Construction Pricing 4. All entrants will receive a certifiuxury townhomes and duplexes in Hamilton Twp., Mercer County... just minutes the Hamilton Train with direct tural opportunities, dining andJersey shopping. Vintage at Hamilton is in therecreational center of it all, close to I-195 I-195 and the New Turnpike and lton isofferings, in the offrom it all, close to and the New Jersey Turnpike and cate of participation from the mayor’s exclusively forcenter active 0.7 adults 55+. from the $400s rally located—just miles to I-195, 7 miles to the New Jersey just minutes from the Hamilton Train with direct service to New York City and office. lton is service infrom the center of it all, close to I-195 and the New Jersey Turnpike minutes thetoHamilton Train with direct service to New York City and New York City and Philadelphia. 5. The winner from each municipalThis is where you’ll savor to the fullest. All in an areathe known for its wealth to the Hamilton Trainlife Station, with direct service on Philadelphia. minutes from the Hamilton Train service toNortheast New York City and ity will be designated as a state semidelphia. of cultural offerings, recreational opportunities, dining and shopping. Vintage finalist. at Semifinalists will have their w York City and Philadelphia. delphia. Hamilton is in themiss center ofKuser it all,chance closeHamilton, to I-195 and the Turnpike and Don’t to own a New fineJersey Vintage! essays and applications reviewed 2275your Road, NJ 08690 by the Scholarship Committee of ust minutes from theoffice Hamilton Train with direct service to New York City and Sales open 11am–5pm. • 3 Friday-Tuesday bedrooms, 2½from baths the New Jersey State League of Philadelphia. Municipalities. • 3 bedrooms, 2½ baths • Full basement (with option to finish!) 6. All state semifinalists will receive t floor owner’s suite with walk-in2½ closet • 3 bedrooms, baths • 1-2(with car to garage Don’t•miss your chance own atofine Vintage! a certificate attesting to their status Full basement option finish!) as state semifinalists. • 3 bedrooms, 2½Clubhouse baths • Full option Pricesbasement subject to•change without(with notice. Seewith Sales Consultant forto detailsfinish!) pool • 3 •bedrooms, 2½ baths 1-2 car garage 7. The Scholarship Committee will ©2020 Sharbell Development Corp. Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. • Optional •finished basement select 15 finalists and 3 winners. • 1-2 car garage Full basement (with with optionpool to finish!) • Clubhouse 8. The 15 finalists will each be 2045_VintageHamilton_14.indd 1 4/13/21 10:12 AM • 1-2 car garage awarded finalist certificates. The • Clubhouse with pool • 1-2 car garage three winners will each be awarded • Clubhouse with pool with pool • Clubhouse $1,000 by their mayor at a hometown ceremony. 9. Winners’ essays will be featured in the New Jersey Municipalities magazine. 10. Presentation of scholarship awards will be announced May 6.

g VINTAGE AT HAMILTON, a spectacular community of 122 wnhomes and duplexes in Hamilton Twp., Mercer County... y for active adults 55+.

Kiran Agrahara was named president of the Robbinsville Township Democratic Club. Agrahara ran an unsuccessful campaign for township council in 2021.

nologist at the largest semiconductor company in the world, and has held leadership positions at several tech start-ups in the past in the areas of strategy and technology sales. Vice president: Amanda Gruber. Gruber has worked in the financial sector for the past 16 years, where she is active with her office’s LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group. She has lived in Robbinsville for 10 years with her husband and twin boys. Treasurer: Susan Scibilia. Scibilia has lived in Robbinsville for over two decades. She works in higher education and spends time volunteering for a variety of organizations in the local community. Secretar y: Melissa Kvidahl Reilly. Kvidahl Reilly moved to Robbinsville in 2017. She is a freelance writer and editor with nearly 15 years of experience writing for various trade and consumer publications, as well as higher education and corporate clients. The executive board can be reached at robbinsvilledemclub@ gmail.com. The Robbinsville Democratic Club was founded in 2019 to give Democrats in Robbinsville a place to discuss issues central to the Democratic 2275 Kuser Road, Hamilton, NJ 08690 platform and get involved to make Democratic Club elects positive change locally and beyond. Sales office open Friday-Tuesday from 11am–5pm. Membership is open to students new executive board and adults in Robbinsville and surVoting members of the Robbins- rounding communities. Learn more 2275 Kuser Road, 75 Kuser Road, Hamilton, NJHamilton, 08690 NJ 08690 ville Democratic Club in December at www.robbinsvilledemocraticclub. 2275 Kuser Road, Hamilton, NJ 08690 2275Fri Kuser Road, Hamilton,from NJ 08690 Sales office open Friday-Tuesday 11am–5pm. elected four new members of the org. les office open - Tues 11am-5pm Sales office open Friday-Tuesday from 11am–5pm. executive board to serve two-year Sales office open Friday-Tuesday from Prices subject to change without notice. See Sales Consultant for11am–5pm. details terms until December 2023, effective Robbinsville educator ©2020 Sharbell Development Corp. Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. immediately. awards announced The president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary are joined by the The winners of the 2021-2022 EduntageHamilton_14.indd 1 4/13/21 10:12 AM Robbinsville Democratic Commit- cator and Educational Service ProPrices subject changewithout without notice. Consultant for details tee Chair in making up the executive fessional of the Year awards for the Prices subject to to change notice.See SeeSales Sales Consultant for details ©2020 Sharbell Development Corp. Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. ©2020 Sharbell Development Corp. Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. board. Robbinsville Township Scool District subject to changePrices without notice.toSee Saleswithout Consultant forSee details subject change notice. Sales Consultant for details President: Kiran Agrahara. Agra- were recently announced by KimDevelopment EqualDevelopment Opportunity Corp. Company. HousingCompany. Opportunity. ©2020Corp. Sharbell EqualEqual Opportunity Equal Housing Opportunity. hara has been a resident of Robbins- berly Tew, assistant superintendent ageHamilton_13.indd 1 2/11/21 ville 9:42 for AM 13 years. He is a senior tech- of curriculum and instruction.

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

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“Thank you for your nominations for Educator and Educational Service Professional of the Year,” Tew said in a letter to the community. “We received more nominations this year than ever before,” she said. “We are grateful for your support and recognition of our staff. In the coming months, the district will be celebrating and sharing more information about these phenomenal educators and educational service professionals. The winners are as follows. Sharon School: Pete Klapsogeorge, Boomer’s Laboratory Teacher and Educator of the Year, and Melissa Siskind, Instructional Assistant and Educational Service Professional of the Year. Pond Road Middle School: Dan Hughes, Math Teacher and Educator of the Year, and Kate Burgess, Instructional Assistant and Educational Service Professional of the Year. Robbinsville High School: Jennifer Allessio, Chemistry Teacher and Educator of the Year, and Joanne Walker, Guidance Counselor and Educational Service Professional of the Year.

JCP&L clears trees around power lines Vegetation management along power distribution lines in Robbinsville Township has been completed by Jersey Central Power & Light tree contractors to help enhance electric service reliability ahead of the 2022 winter storm season. The bulk of the work included removing approximately 93 trees— the majority of which are Ash trees damaged by the Emerald Ash Borer (beetle)—along four JCP&L circuits throughout the Township. These areas include potentially high incident parcels where storm impacts could cause damage to electrical infrastructure resulting in possible outages, road closures and other public safety concerns. Residential areas within the project scope included, but was not limited to, Hankins Road, Tindall Road, Woodside Road, Perrineville Road and Main Street. Work was completed on Dec. 29. Other trees of some concern not marked for removal were trimmed or pruned. Although it is not possible to predict all tree-related problems, JCP&L’s vegetation management program is designed to maintain proper clearances around electrical equipment and to help protect against outages caused by ice and heavy, wet snow on tree branches. “We have been in consistent contact with JCP&L over the past year, and this effort is a priority that we expect will enhance electric service to their customers and our residents,” Mayor Dave Fried said. “We are very pleased with the increased communication with the current JCP&L team assigned to address our needs, and each is committed to doing what-

ever is necessary to mitigate power disruptions not only this winter, but years into the future.” The township plans to replace the removed trees with plantings in less vulnerable areas using JCP&L’s “Right Tree, Right Place” guidelines. Named a “Tree City USA” community for the 10th time in 2021, Robbinsville has planted close to 13,000 trees since 2013.

Comedy at Kelsey Theatre through Feb. 13 Maurer Productions OnStage is presenting the backstage comedy Scenery, weekends Feb. 4 to 13, at the Kelsey Theatre on the West Windsor campus of Mercer County Community College. Ed Dixon’s crisply-paced theatrical romp about two famous New York veteran actors explores the definitions of art, marriage and partnership. Marion Crain and Richard Crain ,who have been married for 20 years (and are facing the dramatic decline of their careers), prepare for opening night at the Belasco Theater. Scenery offers a glimpse behind the curtain as the pair spar and banter before, during and after the show— revealing a behind-the-scenes backstage drama all of its own. The Chicago Tribune called the premiere of Scenery “a deliciously caustic new two-character comedy.” WGVU public media wrote: “After this, you’ll always wonder what goes on backstage and what the real lives of those actors are like when the curtain falls.” The cast features Laurie Hardy of Hamilton as Marion Crain and Thom Carroll of Raritan as Richard Crain. The show is directed by Judi Parrish and produced by John and Diana Maurer. Other members of the production team are Stage Manager Jennifer Boutros, Costume Designer Ruth Schanbacher, Master Carpenter Jeff Cantor, Sound Engineer Evan Paine, and Prop Master Jill Katz. Performance Dates: Friday, Feb. 4 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 5 at 8 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 6 at 2 p.m.; Friday, Feb. 11 at 8 p.m. (Live and Online Streaming Performance); Saturday, Feb. 12 8 p.m.; and Sunday, Feb. 13 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for children, students and senior citizens. Tickets may be purchased online at KelseyTheatre.org or by calling the Kelsey Box Office at 609-570-3333. Kelsey Theatre is wheelchair accessible and free parking is available next to the building. Assisted listening devices are available upon request. For a complete listing of events, visit the Kelsey website atKelseyTheatre.org. For everyone’s protection masks must be worn in the theater and proof of vaccination or of a negative Covid test no older than 48 hours is required at the door. For a complete listing of events, visit the Kelsey website atKelseyTheatre.org or call the box office at 609-570-3333.

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GoFundMe fundraiser set up for house ﬁre victims Editor’s note: A GoFundMe page has been set up for the DiMeglio family, whose single-family home on Tindall Road was seriously damaged in a house fire on Jan. 16. As of Jan. 26, the drive had raised $54,557 raised of $85,000 goal, with a total of 560 donations. To donate, go to gofundme.com/f/dimeglio-family-fire. Below is the appeal on the GoFundMe fundraising page. *** I am writing on behalf of my parents Susan and Luigi DiMeglio. My parents have always been very selfless and have never extended a hand to ask for anything. As the saying goes, “their door is always open.” They give and give and never ask. This is why I am creating this account for them because even in a time of need, I don’t think they would ask for anything. Today, our family home since 1994 accidentally caught fire. The damage is extensive and it’s questionable whether or not the house can be saved. Thankfully, and more importantly, no one was hurt. We tried to salvage what we could but so much has been ruined. It’s a funny thing. If you live in Robbinsville, you probably know

A single-family home on Tindall Road owned by the DiMeglio family suﬀered significant damage from a fire on Jan. 16, 2022. our home. It’s unique and stands out among the rest. It feels like even if you don’t know me or my family, well, you probably know our house. Who knows if it can be restored to its former self. Let me tell you about the two amaz-

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My Mother, aside from being a grace from God for raising me and my brothers (Frank & Anthony), was a speech pathologist with Mercer County Special Services for nearly 30 years before she retired. The work that she did for many can not adequately be described. A brief example: When I was 14, a woman tapped my Mom on the shoulder to say hello. When I asked the woman how she knew my Mom, she very sincerely said “Your Mom taught my son to speak.” I’ll never forget that moment because until then, I didn’t know how much of a superhero my Mom actually is. Look, this isn’t easy for me to write. I always think of my parents as being very successful and full of blessings. But the last two years have not been easy and now without their home, the next year is likely to be very challenging. I want to do whatever I can to help. They’ve been members of the Robbinsville community since 1994 and, more specifically, Mercer County for decades. For the first time, they need your help. Please consider donating whatever you can. I know it’s cliche but even the smallest amount will help. The next few days and weeks will be extremely challenging for them and if I can take one stress away then well, I’ve done my job. If you can’t donate then a positive thought, text or even a prayer would mean the world to us. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts and we truly hope for a better tomorrow for all!

ing and wonderful people that need your help. My Father, an Italian immigrant since the 1960s has worked every day since he arrived in the US when he was 9 years old. He’s owned many food businesses throughout the years and has fed more mouths than I could ever count. He’s been there feeding you and your family through good times, bad times, or for just a simple meal. But he’s always been there. Sadly, to make matters worse, he’s been out of work since the start of COVID, picking up odds and ends where he can but without work, it’s left him and my Mom in a difficult Vinny DiMeglio Robbinsville situation.

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OMICRON continued from Page 1 According to the U.S. Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, the first case of Omicron was discovered in the United States on Nov. 22 in California in a traveler who returned from South Africa, where the variant is believed to have originated. It quickly spread across the country, and the first confirmed case in New Jersey was on Nov. 28. A Georgia woman who had recently traveled from South Africa tested positive, according to state officials. By mid-December, cases were increasing quickly, a trend that continued through Christmas, New Year’s and the first few weeks of January. By the second week of January, cases in New Jersey seemingly peaked and started decreasing almost as fast as they went up. Mercer County statistics echo state trends. The number of positive cases reported on Dec. 1 in Mercer County was 109, and the sevenday average daily case count was 104. About four weeks later on Dec. 30, the number of people testing positive had increased by 10 times to 1,176, with a daily average of 566. The number of cases in the county peaked on Jan. 5 with 1,480 daily cases, and a daily average of 1,056. This was a 13-fold increase from Dec. 1 in the number of new cases reported. By Jan. 26, the number of new cases had decreased to 263, with a daily average of 368. The previous high number of cases in one day in Mercer County was about 250 at the end of November 2021. Health experts have noted that the actual number of Omicron infections is likely much higher than the official cases count, because people who are asymptomatic and those testing positive on home kits are not included in the official numbers. The number of hospitalized COVID19 patients in Mercer County also significantly increased since the beginning of December, and remains relatively high. The average number of hospitalizations between Dec. 3 and 9 was 68. That number had increased to an average of 278 patients during the week of Jan. 7 to 13. The number of patients for the week of Jan. 14 to 20 was 260. The number of deaths in Mercer County due to COVID also increased during December and January, but were much lower than the peak during May 2020, when the seven-day average number reached 12 deaths per day. At the height of the Omicron peak in mid-January the daily average number of deaths was 4.7. It should be noted that the number of deaths tends to lag a few weeks behind the trend in reported positive cases.

*** Although Omicron is milder that than previous variants, the sheer volume of cases meant higher instances of hospitalizations. The sheer magnitude of infected also caused significant staff shortages in numerous areas. Omicron created a surge that flooded hospitals. Supply chain issues—already a problem due to the pandemic—got worse, and many retail stores and restaurants had to shorten their hours or close altogether due to staff shortages. Schools struggled to stay open and many districts had to resort to some level of remote learning. This was not only due to the high number of cases among students, there was also a shortage of teachers, due to the amount of staff out sick with the virus. School districts do not have the authority to move all students to virtual instruction unless the move is grounded in school district and/or community health data. The ability to offer remote learning as an instructional model was eliminated by the state last year. Meanwhile, the decrease in severity of symptoms and deaths has been attributed to the relatively high rate of vaccinations in New Jersey. State statistics show that 262,359 people have been fully vaccinated in Mercer County as of Jan. 27. A total of 115,509 people had received booster shots of one of the three available vaccines. According to the 2020 Census, the population of Mercer County as of April 1, 2020 was 387,340. Based on those numbers, approximately 67 percent of Mercer County residents are vaccinated, and about 30 percent have received booster shots. “We know what we must do to protect ourselves and loved ones from contracting the virus,” Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes has said in response to the Omicron crisis. “Wear masks in public places, practice physical distancing and frequently wash your hands, but the best prevention strategy is to get vaccinated and get your booster shot.” According to state statistics, there were 3,188 cases in New Jersey on Dec. 1, with a seven day average number of cases of 2,505. Four weeks later, the number of cases on Dec. 29 had increase eight-fold to 26,473, with a 7-day average of 17,449. A little more than a week later, on Jan. 7, there was a pandemic-high number of 38,461 cases reported in one day, with a daily average of 31,173. That was a 12-fold increase from the daily case count on Dec. 1. As of Jan. 26, the number of daily cases had decreased to 7,127, which a seven-day average of 8,538.

Health experts have noted that the actual number of Omicron infections is likely much higher than the official cases count.

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F3 continued from Page 1 cle about the group titled, “Mending Men’s Ministry” in Christianity Today in May 2018. “I was also influenced by the two Billy Baker articles from the Boston Globe on male loneliness in middle age,” Hoberman says. “I realized it’s not just me, and I asked myself the question: ‘What can I do about this for myself, and for the men in my community?’” Hoberman made the 45-mile journey from West Windsor to workout at Valley Forge in Phoenixville along with his friends Uday Jainand and Vijay Aluwalia. After joining those workouts that day, Hoberman was impressed. “It was a great experience, reminding me of Princeton YMCA noontime workouts in the early 1980s,” says Hoberman on the group’s website, f3princeton.com. “The Valley Forge men were very welcoming and encouraging to me, and it had been a very long time since I had done something like this. I enjoy and need camaraderie and encouragement that comes in working out with other men together.” Hoberman says that he gained a lot of knowledge from the workouts in Phoenixville, and he eventually launched the first New Jersey F3 regional group in this area in April 2019. F3 Princeton currently has members from a number of communities in

the area. They include: Patrick Chow of Pennington, Jason Griffith of Cranbury, Harjot Pannu of Robbinsville, Spencer Reynolds of Princeton, and Elliott Gordon of West Windsor. The workouts in F3 are simple and they follow five basic principles that all regional F3 groups follow across the country: They are free of charge; open to all men; peer led; and held outdoors (rain or shine, heat or cold). Most importantly, all workouts end with a “circle of trust,” which makes F3 stand out from many other workout programs. “The circle of trust is performed at the end of every workout and there is an opportunity for members to share what is going on in their life-struggles, successes and challenges,” says Marc Rubenstein, a member of F3 Princeton’s Shared Leadership team from West Windsor. “This allows the group to provide support to the member, who may be going through a difficult time,” he says. During the pandemic and social distancing, F3 provided an excellent venue, especially for men, to improve

their physical and mental health during a difficult time. If anything, the pandemic has only attracted more and more men in the area to F3, as it provides an alternative to gyms, which were closed for safety reasons during much of the pandemic. “We started the pandemic doing Zoom workouts with men from all over the country, but after the first couple of months, we were able to resume outdoor workouts,” Rubenstein says. “Outdoors, there is plenty of space for distancing and the ventilation is not an issue,” he says. “During a time when many were struggling with physical and mental health and lacking social connection, we were able to promote physical and mental health and provide that social peace, in a safe way.” Rubenstein says that the pandemic may have actually helped things pick up for F3 Princeton, rather than slow down. The number of workouts per week increased from four days to seven since COVID-19 began. “At the beginning of F3 Princeton, the most we had for workouts were 10,

All workouts end with a ‘circle of trust,’ which makes F3 stand out from many other workout programs.

but now we have up 30 men per workout,” says Uday Jain of Princeton. Jain is currently the Nan’tan (leader) for F3 Princeton. The role was passed down to him from Hoberman just a few months ago in October of 2021. Jain is one of the founding members of F3 Princeton, and Hoberman had discussed the change of leadership previously with him. Hoberman is still active with F3 Princeton, and he is now in charge of working with other F3 groups in the north region of the country. Even with the change of a Nan’tan, F3 Princeton, like many other F3 regional groups across the country, keeps a horizontal line when it comes to the chain of leadership. Everything between the leaders and those who show up to workout are all on equal footing. It’s what makes every man who shows up feel more welcome— and that includes anyone at any fitness level. “While working out at the gym, you may acknowledge someone then go on and workout alone,” says Jain. “With F3 Princeton, however, you are all working out together and everyone acknowledges everyone before a workout. It creates brotherhood and friendship.” With different workouts seven days a week for F3 Princeton, anyone can show up early in the morning during any day of the week and choose any workout they desire.

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way.” Jain says he has goals for the future of the program—he wants to add more men, while creating different workouts and getting into more towns. Jain says he wants to expand the program even further in New Jersey. The word of mouth is spreading— more and more men are traveling from North Jersey to Mercer County for the workouts—similar to the way Hoberman learned about F3 and travelled to Phoenixville for workouts back in 2018). He plans on expanding into new towns, and a new F3 Program is opening soon in Essex County. F3 Princeton helps provide a fun challenging workout for men who want to improve themselves and give back to the community. In addition to friendship and fellowship, there’s the third “F”—faith. But it’s not the kind of “faith” that people traditionally think about when hearing the word. “By faith, we do not prescribe to any particular religion, this simply means belief in something bigger than oneself,” says Rubenstein. “We express our faith by helping others and engage in many activities to support community. We are proud that F3 Princeton brings together men of different religions, cultures and beliefs to build community.” For more information on F3 Princeton, visit f3princeton.com. For information on the national program, go to f3nation.com.

The workout locations are spread out throughout Mercer County. Boot camp workouts are held Mondays and Wednesdays (6 a.m.-6:45 a.m.) and Saturdays (7 a.m.-8 a.m.) at West Windsor Community Park. There’s also a boot camp work out at Rosedale Park in Pennington from 5:30-6:15 a.m. on Mondays. Other workouts include running (with weighted backpacks being optional) on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. All of these workouts are open to men of all ages, and all ability levels are encouraged and welcomed. There is no competition involved, just “you vs. you” as Rubenstein puts it. It’s all about improving yourself and getting better each day. Ruebstein says the boot camp workouts are usually body weight exercises/routines created and led by a different individual each time. “Tuesday we offer a running group in Cranbury. Thursday we meet at Princeton Stadium to climb stairs. Friday and Sunday we do a hike or ruck (weighted backpack), at West Windsor Park and Mercer County Park. All sessions are held rain or shine.” Rubenstein says. “The importance of having a free fitness program like F3 is to get guys to come out,” Jain says. “Before a man can go out and help his own community they have to improve on themselves first. They need to be both mentally and physically strong before they can lead their community the right

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SIX09 ARTS > FOOD > CULTURE

thesix09.com | FEBRUARY 2022

Let’s Get Cozy

Valentine’s Day activities to warm hearts and souls. Page 2. The best cheesesteaks? They might be in New Jersey. Introducing Donkey’s, page 7.

Whoever your heart beats for, our hearts beat for you. Comprehensive cardiac care, treatment and recovery. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton has a passion for heart health. It’s evident in our doctors, who are leading specialists in the diagnosis and treatment of all cardiac conditions. Our passion also fuels Healthy Lives Hamilton, an on-site heart failure intervention program. Easy access to surgical care, research and clinical trials through the RWJBarnabas Health network of heart centers is all part of our dedication to every heart in our community. Learn more at rwjbh.org/heart

from the cover Seasons of love By RebeKaH SCHrOeDer

Learn the love languages of New Jersey with this guide to food, events, retail opportunities, and romantic giveaways throughout the state. From decadent chocolate-covered strawberries to a perfect wintery scenery, there are options for anyone looking to celebrate Valentine’s Day, whether doing so with partners, friends, or family.

Food

Serving up French fine dining at the Grounds For Sculpture, Rat’s Restaurant’s romantic experience for this Valentine’s Day is an à la carte menu with featured wine and dinner specials. Guests at Rat’s Restaurant can dine on options for the holiday such as duck confit en croûte, oysters rockefeller refaire, squid ink crab pasta, a 16-ounce veal porterhouse, and for dessert, a sacher torte. Because Valentine’s Day is on a Monday this year when Rat’s is usually closed, the restaurant will be open solely for dinner on Feb. 14. Sasha Peatman is not only an assistant general manager at Rat’s Restaurant, but a master sommelier. Subject to the day, she will be curating featured wine pairings to accompany the specials. “I wanted to open some really nice bottles that you normally wouldn’t be able to have by the glass, just for this

special weekend,” she said. “We have eight outside tables that are covered by a glass awning and have heat lamps installed in the ceiling, so we actually still are offering outdoor dining to guests that are not comfortable with sitting inside,” Peatman said. “It is obviously still a little bit chilly out there, but you’re very well-protected, and all of those outside tables are around our pond and have a view of the Monet’s Bridge, so the ambience out there is still very lovely.” Rat’s Restaurant, 16 Fairgrounds Road, Hamilton. Saturday through Monday, February 12 through 14, 4 to 9 p.m. www.ratsrestaurant.com. COVID-19 Protocols: Employees wear masks, customers are not required to wear face masks if fully vaccinated, and outdoor seating is available. *** Hopewell Valley Vineyards is hosting a private, ticket-only event with midday meal favorites like imported and local cheeses, wine, brick oven breakfast pizzas, roasted potatoes, meats, and other enticing fare. “Our brunch menu is very extensive,” said Violetta Neri, who owns the vineyard alongside husband Sergio Neri, the winemaker and chef. “It’s really amazingly customized to us. Our chef and winemaker being ItalSee VALENTINES, Page 4

SIX09

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VALENTINES, continued from Page 2

ian, he makes ricotta pancakes and a berry sauce for [them] from scratch.” The brunch also comes with mimosas and bellinis using a prosecco-style wine. Violetta Neri says that in the past, this menu for private events has been very well-received. Personally, she recommends their thin-crust nutella pizza that “comes [out] piping hot out of the oven” with the chocolate-hazelnut spread and powdered white sugar. Violetta Neri is also hoping to have their chocolate port wine ready by the day of the event. In a similarly sweet fashion, Hopewell Valley Vineyards will be selling chocolate-covered wine

bottles as gifts in white, red and rosé flavors. Hopewell Valley Vineyards, 46 Yard Road, Pennington. Sunday, Feburary 13, 11 a.m. $32.00 each plus gratuity ($38.40) and tax. Reserve by February 9 at 609-737-4465 or www.hopewellvalleyvineyards.com. COVID-19 Protocols: Hopewell Valley Vineyards follows state mandates that are subject to change. Anyone is permitted to wear masks according to their comfort level. *** With elevated American cuisine and a seasonal flair, The Meeting House will have an à la carte menu, as well as featured specials, available for Valentine’s Day. The Meeting

House would typically be closed on Mondays, but due to the holiday, the restaurant will be open exclusively for dinner. Owner Amar Gautam said that guests can now make their reservations online. The Meeting House, 277 Witherspoon Street, Princeton. Monday, February 14, 4:30 to 9 p.m. www.meetinghouseprinceton.com. COVID-19 Protocols: The Meeting House follows local Princeton mandates that are subject to change. *** K’s Events and Decorations specializes in packages that combine food and flair for customers at home. Customizable for a private date night between two, multiple couples com-

From left: The Pavilion at Rat’s set for a past Valentine’s Day; heart-shaped pizza from Brother’s; and a fruit and chocolate bouquet from Carella’s.

ing together, or a celebration with friends, Antonia James, the owner, brings along a picnic setting and a three-course dinner provided by Under the Moon Cafe Catering. “It’s not limited to one couple,” James said. “You get a discount if you add more couples to the ticket…[or you could] grab a couple of girlfriends and do it as a Galentine’s night.” Supplying pillows, benches, candles, centerpieces, and “the whole nine yards,” James ensures that pairs

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or groups can have enjoyable, elevated meals even from the comfort of their own homes. If there is not enough space available for the picnic setup, James and her team can adapt to place the spread on a dining room table. The options for the dinner consist of salmon, short ribs, or a vegetarian choice, as well as dessert. Now inside of a new location at Dragonfly Farms, K’s Events and Decorations also has balloon and floral arrangements available for additional purchase. K’s Events and Decorations, 966 Kuser Road, Hamilton (inside Dragonfly Farms). Open Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. $300 for two people; $100 for each additional person. www. kseventdecorations.com. COVID-19 Protocols: Mask, gloves, and sanitizer required for staff. Customers are not required to wear masks. *** For the romantic who is truly cheesy at heart, Brother’s Pizza will be selling heart-shaped pizzas all the way through Valentine’s Day for an estimated price of $18.95, plus toppings. Pre-ordering is recommended and can be done either online or over the phone. Brother’s Pizza, 871 Route 33, Hamilton. Valentine’s Day hours: 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Regular hours: Open 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. 609-586-2707 or www.brothers

pizza33.com. COVID-19 Protocols: Employees are encouraged to wear masks according to their comfort level or if not vaccinated, customers not required to wear masks.

Events

Last Christmas might be a figment of the past, but sleigh rides and the like are still in season at the Mercer County Park Commission’s Howell Living Histor y Farm, giving couples and families multiple ways to cruise around “the farm’s wintery landscape.” Couples can choose a two-seater sleigh or a horse-drawn carriage, while families can ride a

bobsled or a hay wagon. “Imagine it’s February of 1890, and you look out the window to see your Valentine pull up the driveway in a sleigh pulled by two horses,” administrator Kevin Watson said of either the “one-of-a-kind date” or the “family fun” options. Watson, who recommends arriving early, said that the rides run from 10:30 to to 3 and are first come, first served. Children are encouraged to make Valentine’s Day cards as part of a crafting program from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. “for a small materials fee.” Soup will be available at the farmhouse, warmed by the stovetop on a chilly February day.

Howell Farm’s Kevin Watson enjoys a sleigh ride with his fiancee, left, and Emery Frick and Tom Donnelly of Piscataway show their handmade Victorian valentines at Morven.

Howell Living History Farm, 70 Woodens Lane, Lambertville. OldFashioned Valentine’s Day, Saturday, Febraury 12, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. www. howellfarm.org. COVID-19 Protocols: Masks required to be carried by customers and worn when unable to social distance from others. *** See VALENTINES, Page 6

February 2022 | SIX095

VALENTINES, continued from Page 5

Using pressed flowers from Morven Museum & Garden’s gardens, attendees can make Victorian-style Valentines with Morven’s curator of education and public programs, Debi Lampert-Rudman. Before the workshop, there will be a visit to the museum included. Materials and instructions will be provided. No previous experience is required, and spaces are limited. Ticket price also includes “take home” refreshments and admission. “Morven is the home of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, Richard Stockton, and his wife, Annis Boudinot Stockton, one of the first female published poets in America,” Lampert-Rudman said. Years later, it became New Jersey’s first Governor’s Mansion. During the Victorian Era, LampertRudman continues, a lush greenhouse was a sign of affluence. The flowers are not blooming at this time of year, but the Victorian Valentine’s program is “an homage” to the gardens of that era. “It’s been a very successful [event] for several years and our last in-person pressed flower workshop was just this past November,” Lampert-Rudman said. Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton Street, Princeton. Victorian Pressed Flower Valentine Workshop, Saturday, February 5, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. $45 per general admission ticket ($35 for members). www.morven.org. COVID-19 Protocols: Masks required, vaccinations preferable. Attendees will be seated in the same groups or ‘pods’ as those they registered with or individually, all socially distanced at least six feet from other tables in a large room. *** Harkening back to an era of The Great Gatsby and jazz music, Bordentown Walking Tours and the Downtown Bordentown Association are co-sponsoring a historic journey across town with an insightful look at Bordentown’s speakeasies. “Building on the success of our Revolutionary Pub Crawl over Independence Day weekend last summer, we are again looking forward

6SIX09 | February 2022

to a fun, informative and entertaining pub crawl featuring four great establishments in beautiful, historic, and walkable downtown Bordentown City,” said Mark Neurohr-Pierpaoli, the founder of Bordentown Walking Tours. The tour also includes “a bite to eat” at every stop over the course of four hours. While the tour guides telling stories of Prohibition and the Roaring 20s in Bordentown will be in costume, guests are also “encouraged” to wear their best gangster or flapper attire. Patrons must be 21 or older with proof of ID. Roaring 20s Pub Crawl, Old Town Pub, 135 Farnsworth Avenue, Bordentown. Saturday, February 12, noon to 4 p.m. $75 per ticket (includes four drink tickets and food). Guests (21+ only) can reserve their tickets online. www.oldtown.pub. COVID-19 Protocols: The event will follow all current guidelines. Indoor requirements vary by establishment. Neurohr-Pierpaoli said that when together outdoors as a group, masks and social distancing are encouraged, but not required.

Retail

Boasting “the widest selection of chocolates in Mercer County,” Carella’s Chocolates and Gifts, a womanrun, family-owned chocolatier offers trays of assorted chocolates in flavors that customers can pick and choose from to fill out their boxes. Carella’s also has chocolate-covered strawberries, fruit bouquets with Valentine’s Day designs, and chocolate-covered wine bottles. Owner Connie Dalton said that customers can bring in any wine, spirits, or soda for the process. Carella’s then puts a food safe bag around the plastic or glass to ensure that the chocolate never touches the bottle. “We dip it in our kettle, and it’s real high quality chocolate,” she continued. “We usually do dark chocolate, because that’s the best paired with wine.” The dipped bottles sell for $28, the same price as the chocolate-covered strawberries. The bouquets range in price depending on the order, which can include both their signature chocolates, chocolate-covered fruits and

an assortment of fresh fruits. Carella’s Chocolates & Gifts, 2503 Nottingham Way, Hamilton. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, Saturday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ThursdayFriday; and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. www.carellaschocolates.com. COVID-19 Protocols: Masks appreciated, staff vaccinated and boosted. *** For those with an insatiable sweet tooth, David Bradley Chocolatier is selling heart cocoa bombs, as well as heart smash boxes, for Valentine’s Day. The boxes come in two dimensions, a large size and a ‘cupcake’ size for younger choc-a-holics. Along with the purchase, customers are given a wooden mallet to break the surface. “Inside, there’s a couple pretzels, nonpareils, and little beads that come tumbling out when you smash it with that hammer,” Chris Hicks, David Bradley Chocolatier’s owner, said. “Of course, no matter what I do, you can’t get away from the chocolate-covered fruit,” she continued. “Strawberries are still the number one seller.” David Bradley Chocolatier, 92 North Main Street, Windsor. Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. www.dbchocolate.com. COVID-19 Protocols: Employees wear masks, customers are not required to wear face masks. Sanitizer available and plastic shields up in the store. Samples are currently being handed out by employees instead of having customers reach in themselves. To ensure safety, David Bradley also has a paging system in place if the store becomes too crowded so that customers can wait in their cars until buzzed to come inside.

Romantic Getaways

For a breath of fresh air, guests at Hotel LBI can “escape” to a suite — one that has both discounted rates for staying longer and a full kitchen. “Hotel LBI is open year-round and is a perfect place to escape for that much-needed staycation,” said Liz Santoro, area director of sales for Hotel LBI. “[It’s] a short drive and centrally located between NYC, Philly and AC. It is the perfect place

Accommodations at Hotel LBI in Ship Bottom, left, and the Colonial Inn in Historic Smithville.

to unwind.” To kick off their relaxation, Santoro added that guests can choose from relaxing at the indoor pool and hot tub, sipping a cocktail by the fire, and experiencing fine dining, all in close proximity to Long Beach Island. Winter Escape is applicable to new reservations only and cannot be combined with any other offers. Hotel LBI, 350 West 8th Street, Ship Bottom. 20 percent off winter rates when you stay two nights or more (Offer Code: WINTER) through March 31. www.hotellbi.com. COVID-19 Protocols: Masks recommended, areas of high contact and public spaces sanitized frequently. *** Historic Smithville is known as a shopping village priding itself on oldfashioned charms, and The Colonial Inn is no different. As part of two current promotions, guests can stay two nights and get another for half price from Sunday to Thursday. If guests want to stay longer, the Four Seasons Weekday Getaway lets them pay for three nights and receive the third at 50 percent off the weekday price. Likewise, they can pay for four nights and receive the fourth night completely free from Sunday to Thursday. Weekday deals must be requested upon making a reservation, with advance reservations encouraged. “All the 60+ shops are open, all the restaurants are open in the village, so it’s still a great time to come,” said Taylor Walsh, The Colonial Inn’s marketing manager. Walsh said that The Colonial Inn’s Valentine’s Day packages can include indulgences such as roses and champagne, strawberries and wine, and cheese from Magnifico’s Say Cheese. The Colonial Inn Bed & Breakfast in Historic Smithville, 615 East Moss Mill Road, Smithville. www.colonialinnsmithville.com. COVID-19 Protocols: Masks not required when checking in, no-contact check-in available, rooms cleaned frequently.

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A new cheesesteak joint gives something to chew on By Dan Aubrey

The ongoing regional argument about who makes the best cheese steak — in and out of Philadelphia — got a new twist in 2015. That’s when a world-famous food critic weighed in and delivered a decisive one-two shot into the guts of self-proclaimed Delaware Valley cheesesteak connoisseurs by giving a greasy thumbs up to a steak joint not only off the road less traveled but outside of Philadelphia. With that anointed cheesesteak maker just opening a new shop close enough to the U.S. 1 region, now is the time for area food adventurers to make a trip, get a quick bite out, and join the debate. The food critic was the late New Jersey-native and host of the popular cable television show “No Reservations,” Anthony Bourdain. The show featured former New York City celebrity chef globe-gobbling with no reservations about eating local delicacies — including concoctions stirred up with maggots, testicles, and animal eyes. The program attracted a large audience up to the host’s suicide in 2018. But in 2015 he and the show’s producers decided to put the focus on the southern New Jersey and Philadelphia area. Since Philadelphia and cheesesteaks are akin to the connection between London and fish and chips, it was clear that the show’s menu needed to include a highly visible test taste and that Bourdain would have to face the ensuing fire from legions of cheesesteak fans. But first, let’s put the delicacy in perspective. “A cheesesteak is a long, crusty roll filled with thinly sliced sauteed rib-eye beef and melted cheese,” posts Visit Philadelphia, the official city visitors’ port for regional info. Its writer — agreeing with numerous others (including this one) — readily says the cheese of choice is Cheez Whiz — a glowing, mild-tasting processed cheese sauce developed by Kraft foods in the 1950s. But American and provolone are acceptable substitutions. South Philadelphia hot dog vendor Pat Oliveri is credited with the creation in 1930. A Thomas Edison of caloric intake, Oliveri cooked up the idea of putting grilled beef on a hotdog roll and giving it to taxi driver client. The driver in turn had a mouthful to say about the concoction and drivers, and their clients soon headed to Oliveri’s corner — where he spiced up the menu by adding cheese. Oliveri and his co-partner brother eventually opened the shop on the

Donkey’s cheesesteak has been touted as a regional favorite, but it lacks the traditional presentation on a long, crusty roll.

corner of 9th Street and Passyunk Donkey’s Place on Haddon Street in Avenue, the site of the now well- Camden. Donkey is the late Leon Lucas. He known Philadelphia stop, Pat’s King of was a lightweight boxer who repreSteaks. In true Philadelphia fashion, a com- sented the U.S. in the 1928 Olympics. petitor opened Geno’s Steaks across His nickname is connected to a punch the street and ignited the long-stand- that was likened to a donkey’s kick. Lucas purchased the place in 1943, ing argument regarding the better gave it its lively name, and added cheesesteak. Although cheesesteaks have cheesesteaks with his own special become as plentiful as hot dogs or hot sauce to the menu. Eventually the reputation of Donpretzels in Philadelphia and around the region, the who-serves-the-best- key cheesesteaks gained steam, and in 1998 then-Philand-why arguadelphia mayor ment has only Ed Rendell got a intensified. Although taste of the CamNow cheesden competition esteak aficionacheesesteaks have and asked Donkey dos often argue become as plentiful to come to Philatheir preferdelphia. He didn’t ence for a paras hot dogs or bite. ticular vendor Donkey’s is a with the same hot pretzels in family operation. fervor used for After Leon, the bar sports teams Philadelphia and was run by Donand political parties — even to around the region, the key’s son, Robert Lee Lucas, and the point where who-serves-the-best- now by his son, Joe a server at a Lucas. noted Philadeland-why argument Robert had phia restaurant moved to Medford, advised ignoring has only intensified. where the family the cheesesteak opened a Donkey’s on the menu outpost several and heading to a small place several blocks away. She years ago. Now back to 2015’s game-changing also noted — rightfully — that Pat’s visit. and Geno’s were for tourists. A quick review of newspaper Bourdain’s entry into the cheese steak dispute was like tossing two reports show that Bourdain was out splashes of fresh grease on the an about in the area and even sighted in the Pinelands. already sizzling controversy. But, as we know, the show stopper The first was that he didn’t venture into Philadelphia — a place he was his stop at Donkey’s. And since dubbed the cheesesteak capital of the cheesesteaks are the only sandwich on the menu, it was clear why Bouruniverse. The second was that his sweet dain was there. As the Camden-area Courierhot spot was on a road less traveled:

Post newspaper reports, Bourdain “stopped by Donkey’s Place in Camden in late January for not one, but two of its special cheesesteaks, featuring candy caramelized onions and a poppy-seeded Kaiser roll.” But in the “Parts Unknown: New Jersey” broadcast segment, available for viewing on YouTube, one can watch the historic account unfold. Bourdain sits at the bar. Lucas places the sandwich before him. And Bourdain intones the following narrative: “It’s round. It’s got steak, spices, browned onions, and real American cheese — such as it is. And it is sublime.” Bourdain then tastes, gazes at the chef, and says, “Man, this should be a national landmark right away. This sandwich is unbelievably good.” One can only imagine the chefs at Pat’s, Geno’s, Jim’s (my go to place), and Tony Luke’s eating their hearts out — with wiz — as a Camden joint gets international attention for Philadelphia’s phenomenon. With Donkey’s Place opening its third location in Mt. Holly — about a 35-minute ride from Hoagie Haven in Princeton — I decided to do some taste testing for myself. As noted, I’m a fan of Jim’s Steaks on South Street in Philadelphia and use that as a standard. Here’s some quick taste-making background. According to former Philly Voice and current New York City-based food writer Allie Miller, Jim’s takes a spot with Pat’s and Geno’s as one of “big three” Philly cheesesteak places. But more importantly, as Miller reports, “Jim’s recipe is slightly different from the others. Their menu states that they use top round black Angus beef for their meat. Also, Jim’s tends to be more partial to Cheez Whiz over other dairy options.” It’s also served on soft submarine roll that absorbs the juices and flavor but maintains its body for easy lifting. And while it doesn’t have the street scene that Pat’s and Geno’s have, Jim’s has gotten Philadelphia Magazine’s nod for best cheesesteak in the city and the recipient of four Best in Philly awards. So with a tuned palate, I took a trip to Camden to get a taste of Donkey’s real deal before heading to its new digs in Mt. Holly. Donkey’s Haddon Avenue place is in the northern section of the city and is easy to access from the area where Routes 30, 130, and 38 meet. A few minutes’ ride up Kaighn Avenue and a left hand turn onto Haddon gets you there. There is parking on the street and See DONKEY’S, Page 8

February 2022 | SIX097

Top Ranked for Quality and Safety.

DONKEY’S, continued from Page 7

rwjbh.org/hamilton

in a lot for Donkey’s patrons. And while urban decay is nibbling at the area, people coming and going seem lively and upbeat. A quick few steps later I’m in the tavern and sucking up the scent and sound of onions sizzling, the lively banter of workers and patrons sitting at the modest sized bar, and the anticipation of the waiting customers gazing at the cooks over the grills behind the bar. My sense that the march of time had somehow missed Donkey’s was supported by the observations of a Philadelphia Inquirer writer who called it “a bit of Camden in amber” and “maybe a shrine” where the only major change “is that while it looks like a bar (circa 1943) and feels like a bar, it is really more a cheesesteakery these days, the Lucas family’s magnificent version of the sandwich having triumphed over the booze (especially since the place now closes at 6 p.m., though an adjoining take-out window cranks out the steaks until midnight).” The writer also then went onto the building’s pedigree: a Prohibitionera speakeasy serving Jewish clientele and later the watering hole for shipyard workers, RCA assemblers, Campbell Soup-makers, and hospital workers. Since my plan is to test taste the Camden and Mt. Holly sandwiches to see if there is any difference, I

8SIX09 | February 2022

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Donkey’s original location in Camden has an old-timey vibe.

order, pay ($11 per steak), joined the wait line, and pass time by looking at the rack of Donkey’s Place T-shirts. There’s “A Meet Me Under the Mistletoe” printed over a donkey holding a sprig over its backside or “Fuck Long Rolls” (the bar’s declaration of independence from the expected long submarine roll). I also watch as Lucas prepares his magic with the standard recipe, described by the Inquirer reporter as “a block of thin-sliced ribeye folded on the grill, poked at with the corner of a spatula to loosen the texture — but never chopped. The hot, chopped red pepper relish is from K&Z, the Camden pickle maker. The rolls are, yes, round, their tops set on the sizzling steaks to breathe their steam and give them character. They are the same oversize poppy-seed kaisers, baked to Donkey’s specs by Del Buono’s Bakery in Haddon Heights, just as they have been since opening day. Finally, there are the sweet onions. They were delivered in a little red wagon years ago by a vendor who lived two blocks away. Now it is his son who delivers them. They are ordinary onions. But they become special on the grill, mounded up and around the steaks for close to an hour, sucking up the beefy juice, seasoned with secret seasoning (garlic? paprika?), furrowed and

The Donkey’s takeout window now open in Mt. Holly serves an equally good sandwich to its sister shop in Camden with a very different vibe.

Trenton. The place stays close to the basics and provides a comforting youget-what-you-expect sandwich.

YEARS

of chewy meat, American or Provolone cheese, sweet fried onions, and a roll from Italian Peoples Bakery in

YEARS

plowed until they are as tender and took it to another level. I immediately turned my attention caramelized as the onions in French to the Mt. Holly version and again onion soup.” After hearing my garbled name checked its appearance, scent, heft, and order called, I step forward and and taste and happily found that it was have one of the staff members give up to the standard of the original — me a friendly slap on my shoulder, a but with even sweeter onions. Since one sandwich was too much cheery good afternoon in my ear, and a bag with a noticeably weighty sand- to eat at one sitting, I had the opportunity to revisit the cheesesteaks over wich put into my hand. In a few minutes I am on my 20-mile the next day and was more impressed trek to Mt. Holly — with the scent of with each bite. However, as good as it was (and is), steak and onions filling the car. Since I had once lived in Mt. Holly, I was not convinced it was the best I didn’t think I would have trouble cheesesteak in the region — or even finding the 37 Washington Street a cheesesteak to begin with. That’s because the Donkey’s verDonkey’s shop, especially since it is one of the town’s major roads. But I sion goes against the basic form perfected on the streets of Philawas wrong. After driving around the block delphia — a recipe that calls for the and trying to make sense of the simple arrangement of steak, onions, GPS directions, I finally figure out and cheese on a basic long roll. It’s a that Donkey’s was in the parking lot simple formula that challenges cheesbehind the façade of Washington esteak chefs to excel and find their own special mojo to make the taste Street buildings. That is just one of the striking dif- buds sing. It’s even a point Bourdain alluded ferences between the Camden and Mt. Holly Donkey’s. Another is that to when he told a reporter he was while the old city place is marinated used to a cheesesteak served on a by decades of onion fumes and bar long roll. Donkey’s round talk, the new one is a roll version, on frill-free take-out only the other hand, is window-counter of With a tuned palate, I more like a roast the sort one finds on beef sandwich the boardwalk. The took a trip to Camden with a Philadelolder place is run by phia accent and an older gang that to get a taste of attitude. It’s a has eaten too much Donkey’s real deal thing in a league of of its own fare and its own. needs to see some before heading to its But why take sunlight, the other my word for it? by a team of slim and new digs in Mt. Holly. A short trip will perky young people. bring you into the And the Camden place has a community vibe, while the long rolling argument that continues new one is surrounded by empty cars. to feed our area’s fascination with The contrasts made me wonder if cheesesteaks. Donkey’s Place, 37 Washington the sandwich would be different too — and perhaps generate an argument Street, Mt. Holly. Open seven days a about which Donkey’s cheesesteak week. donkeysplacedownto.wixsite. com/mountholly. was the best and most authentic. However, those needing a quick After several minutes of waiting in the great outdoors, my order cheesesteak break can find several was ready and I was heading home great places in the region. Here’s just to taste test — and resisting the fra- a few: Meatheadz on Brunswick Pike in grance and the temptation to stop the Lawrenceville. In the former Stewcar and dig into the bag. When I got home, I headed directly art’s Root Beer stop, it made big to the kitchen, put the steaks on the food news in July, 2019, when it was table, got out a notebook, and dove in. rated No. 1 by an aficionado with 295 The first thing I noticed when I regional cheesesteaks under his belt. Pete’s Steak House. With its roots lifted the sandwich from the Camden bag was that the wax paper was moist in Chambersburg’s fabled Italian reswith juice. Then I unfolded the wrap- taurant culture, the tasty tradition per and, like Bourdain, was struck by endures on Whitehorse Avenue in the look of the sandwich — a substan- Hamilton. Gaetano’s on Route 33 in Hamiltial mound of steaming meat, onions, and cheese under an equally substan- ton is part of a chain that has a winning mixture of a hefty layer of thinly tial poppy-seed dome. After taking a deep whiff of the sliced meat, an equally hefty sesame sweet scent of onion and spices, I seed roll especially made for them by carefully lifted the sandwich, studied DeLuca’s Bakery in Riverside, sweet it, and found that while the roll was fried onions, and, although it comes moistened by onion and meat it was with American cheese, the opportuhard enough to keep the sandwich nity to request Cheez Whiz. While the “Where size matters” slogan may set together but invitingly soft. Then there was the bite and the the eyes rolling, it is more than hype: immediately realization of what all the The small sandwich is 12 inches long. And, finally, Hoagie Haven on fuss was about. Donkey’s met the best of what I had previously experienced, Nassau Street in Princeton keeps it but its spices, bread, and secret sauce simple with a respectable layering

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12SIX09 | February 2022

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HEALTH

FEBRUARY 2022

@capitalhealthnj

HEADLINES

B I - M O N T H LY N E W S F R O M C A P I TA L H E A LT H

CAPITAL HEALTH LICENSED TO PERFORM ELECTIVE CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION LAW PASSED IN 2021 ENABLES EXPANSION OF CARDIAC SERVICES Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell in Pennington, New Jersey recently received formal approval from the New Jersey Department of Health to perform elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)—also known as elective angioplasty—a lifesaving procedure to prevent heart attacks and provide patients relief from symptoms of obstructed arteries without the need for invasive heart surgery. Capital Health now has two licensed cardiac catheterization labs at its Hopewell campus and expanded offerings in its Heart and Vascular Institute. This expansion is the result of a New Jersey law signed by Gov. Phil Murphy in early 2021 that allows all qualifying hospitals to perform non-emergency angioplasty. As part of the new law, hospitals like Capital Health are required to partner with a cardiac surgery center and develop shared protocols – including transportation of patients, data sharing through electronic medical record (EMR) access, regular consultation between providers, standardized data collections, and the creation of quality committees. Capital Health has partnered with Deborah Heart and Lung Center in Browns Mills, Burlington County, building on a relationship that began in 2019 when Capital Health assumed operation of the satellite emergency department on Deborah’s campus. “Thanks to the 2021 law that expanded access to elective angioplasty and related interventions, our ability to provide these lifesaving measures makes Capital Health a more comprehensive option for cardiac care than ever before,” said Al Maghazehe, President and CEO of Capital Health. “Our partnership with Deborah is built on our shared commitment to the health of our

patients, which will invigorate services that are part of our Heart & Vascular Institute, such as our nationally accredited Chest Pain Center, state-of-the-art operating room for interventional vascular surgery, and a comprehensive cardiology program with some of the area’s best general and interventional cardiologists.” “With Capital Health now performing elective angioplasty, patients receive lifesaving care closer to home,” said Dr. Joshua Eisenberg, director of Capital Health’s Heart & Vascular Institute and Chief Medical Officer of Capital Health Medical Group. “In the past, our patients would have to travel to another health care institution to have the procedure done, but by offering elective angioplasty in house, they receive a streamlined continuum that is more likely to lead to shorter hospital stays and better outcomes.” “With more than 60 years of performing comprehensive cardiac surgery, Deborah is ready to provide Capital’s physicians with back-up coverage when the need arises,” said Joseph Chirichella, President and CEO of Deborah Heart and Lung Center. “Our cardiovascular team is ready to provide Mercer County residents with comprehensive care, and our already established working relationship with Capital will ensure seamless delivery of emergency cardiac care when needed.” Partnership around patient access is not new for Capital Health and Deborah. In addition to the satellite emergency department on Deborah’s Browns Mills campus, Capital Health Medical Group, a network of more than 500 primary and specialty care providers, opened primary care and OB/GYN offices at Deborah in 2020, and Capital Health’s neurosciences team also provides tele stroke services for inpatients at Deborah. In turn, Deborah Specialty Physicians, a physician practice comprised of members of Deborah’s Medical Staff, provide complex and advanced heart failure patients with on-site inpatient evaluation and management at Capital Health with offices conveniently located in Lawrenceville and northern Burlington County. Health Headlines by Capital Health | Robbinsville Advance13

Capital Health and St. Francis Medical Center Sign Definitive Agreement for

Capital Health to Acquire St. Francis

Capital Health and St. Francis Medical Center, a member of Trinity Health, have entered into a definitive agreement to move forward with Capital Health’s acquisition of St. Francis Medical Center. The addition of St. Francis Medical Center to the Capital Health network of health care services will result in an integrated, comprehensive, and sustainable non-profit health care system for communities in the greater Trenton area. The definitive agreement was reached after a non-binding letter of intent was signed in the spring and a subsequent due diligence period. The due diligence process evaluated how to best enhance capabilities and fulfill the organizations’ shared mission to serve the City of Trenton, surrounding communities, and their residents. The agreement will now move through required state and federal regulatory approvals, a review process that can take more than a year. “Capital Health and St. Francis Medical Center have had a shared mission to support our community for more than a century,” said Al Maghazehe, President and CEO of Capital Health. “Over the last several years, as Capital Health has continued to grow and expand its geography, one thing I have been very clear on is our enduring commitment to Trenton. This undertaking demonstrates that and will be complemented by other significant investments Capital Health will make to develop programs focusing on the broader needs of our neighbors, bringing a holistic approach to their well-being. We are truly excited for this next chapter in health care for our region.”

WOMEN’S HEART HEALTH Thursday, February 24, 2022 | 6 p.m. Location: Zoom Meeting If you’re like most women, you’re probably busy taking care of everyone else. You and your heart health need equal time and attention. DR. SATVIK SHAH, fellowship trained cardiologist (and Lawrence Township native) from Capital Health Heart Care Specialists, will review gender differences in heart conditions and symptoms of heart disease. Become your own heart hero! This event will be taking place virtually using Zoom. Register online at capitalhealth.org/events and be sure to include your email address. Zoom meeting details will be provided via email 2 – 3 days before the program date. Registration ends 24 hours before the program date.

14  Robbinsville Advance | Health Headlines by Capital Health

“In completing the due diligence process, we have concluded months of planning and discussion and can now start a plan to bring our organizations together with a goal of greater care options for the community,” said Daniel P. Moen, President and Chief Executive Officer, St. Francis Medical Center. “Serving our community is at the heart of each of our organizations, and it is through this shared mission and aligned approach to care that residents will receive improved access to high-quality care.” As a result of the definitive agreement, Capital Health plans to offer an enhanced complement of integrated services with community and tertiary levels of care to more efficiently meet the needs of area residents. Preserving and strengthening health care services in Trenton will be a priority. Capital Health’s acquisition of St. Francis will combine St. Francis’ specialized cardiac services with Capital Health’s specialized service lines including neuroscience, trauma, cancer, maternity, and orthopedics, as well as preserving other critical programs in the areas of emergency and behavioral health services. It will also align all of these complementary services with Capital Health Medical Group, which includes more than 20 primary care practices and dozens of specialty practices throughout the region. In addition to St. Francis Medical Center, the acquisition will include related operations, including LIFE St. Francis, St. Francis Medical Associates, its Schools of Nursing and Radiologic Technology, and internal medical residency program. “The City of Trenton and the surrounding communities are a critical part of our shared mission to care for the underserved and I am extremely excited by what this agreement means for residents in the immediate community and the larger region,” said Samuel J. Plumeri Jr., Chairman, Capital Healthcare Inc., Board of Trustees. “The comprehensive model of care achieved will have a significant, positive impact on the health of our community.” “This definitive agreement demonstrates our steadfast commitment to provide area residents, including the underserved, with high-quality, comprehensive care,” said Joseph Youngblood, II, J.D., Ph.D., chairman, Board of Trustees, St. Francis Medical Center. “The Trustees of St. Francis Medical Center spent countless hours identifying the best solution to continue the mission of the Sisters of St. Francis to provide health care in the City of Trenton. Our strengths, coupled with those of Capital Health, a regional health care leader, will improve services for residents by offering a fully integrated network of services in the City of Trenton. The result will be improved access and delivery of care for area residents.” Both hospitals are known for providing advanced care and for ensuring local access to high-quality, affordable health care services. Throughout the regulatory process, Capital Health and St. Francis remain committed to sustaining and advancing the comprehensive, high-quality services they provide to residents of the greater Trenton area.

Robbinsville Resident Feels Better Than Ever After Capital Health Cardiac Rehab On a sunny June afternoon, 59-year-old Stan Winnick of Robbinsville, New Jersey was having a perfect day, enjoying a cycling trip with one of his two adult sons as part of a visit to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Part way through their planned route, Stan began noticing that he wasn’t feeling well and decided to cut the ride short and head back to their car. This turned out to be a lifesaving decision. He was having a serious heart attack and collapsed on the side of the road in a very desperate situation. “No one wants to have a heart attack, but I was very lucky to have it where and when I did,” said Stan. “A couple of people were quick to help take care of me.” One passerby was a fellow cyclist who was trained and experienced in CPR. Eventually, a nearby resident (and retired emergency medical technician) helped with CPR until Stan was transported by ambulance to a small hospital in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, where he spent 12 days in the intensive care unit. Stan’s fitness routine included cycling/mountain biking, running, boot camp workouts, boxing, and two gym memberships, so it was hard for him to understand what was happening. It was determined that Stan had 100% blockage in his left anterior descending (LAD) artery, most likely from plaque that had broken loose. “When I got home, I couldn’t do any of the things I enjoyed,” Stan recalled. “I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to do them again.” Stan’s wife, Susan, connected him to Capital Health Medical Center - Hopewell, which is home to Capital Health’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Program. Stan entered the program in late August, and he was pleasantly surprised by the people, services, and amenities that are available for cardiac rehab patients like him. “The space is beautiful and cheery,” said Stan. “It felt like a resort—everyone was kind and welcoming and answered any questions I had!” Capital Health’s Cardiac Rehabilitation team assured Stan that not only could he expect to resume his normal routine, he’d be doing it even better than before with their guidance. “I was very weak at the beginning,” said Stan. “But everyone there put in the time and effort that was needed to give me confidence and push myself to get stronger.”

Capital Health’s team of physicians, nurses, exercise physiologists and registered dietitians coordinate with referring physicians to help each person achieve their heart healthy goals. Stan’s team included Exercise Physiologist Jack Stolte, registered nurses Kathy Rowe and Kathy Ziegler, Dietitian Loni Pereszlenyi, Department Secretary Amber Chambers, and Cardiopulmonary Rehab Supervisor Laurie Beck, all of whom worked to ensure Stan achieved his goal of getting back to his old self. After they complete their personalized cardiac rehab programs, patients are given verbal and printed recommendations for continuing exercises on their own. The Program also offers individual and group classes on topics such as heart health, risk factor reduction, nutrition, stress management, exercise, and medication guidelines. Now, Stan isn’t just back to his old self—he’s a new man. And although Stan is thrilled by his results with Capital Health’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Program, he admits to missing his time there. “From a cardio standpoint, I’m in better shape than I’ve ever been,” he said. “I went from a dark place where I was kind of depressed to having a very optimistic view of the future.” To learn more about Cardiac Rehabilitation at Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell, visit capitalhealth.org/cardiacrehab. To schedule an appointment, call 609.537.6420.

Health Headlines by Capital Health | Robbinsville Advance15

Two Experienced Family Medicine Physicians Join CAPITAL HEALTH PRIMARY CARE – HAMILTON Dr. Joseph Bordieri and Dr. Jared Newman, two board certified family medicine physicians, recently joined Capital Health Primary Care – Hamilton, located at 1445 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road, Suite 103, Hamilton, New Jersey 08619. Drs. Bordieri and Newman have experience in providing care for people ages 5 and older, as well as addressing specific health issues for older adults. “The past two years have shown us that maintaining your health is more important than ever,” said Dr. Jerrold Gertzman, medical director of Capital Health Medical Group’s primary care network. “Dr. Bordieri’s and Dr. Newman’s combined experience adds significant depth to our team, and their approaches to care will benefit families in Hamilton who are looking for guidance in managing their everyday health care needs.” DR. JOSEPH BORDIERI received his medical degree from UMDNJ – School of Osteopathic Medicine in Stratford, New Jersey and completed his family practice residency at Union Hospital in Union, New Jersey, where he served as chief resident and earned Resident of the Year honors in his second and third year. Dr. Bordieri is an avid endurance athlete and promotes exercise to maintain overall health. He is a four-time Ironman Lake Placid finisher and has competed in more than 46 triathlons. Dr. Bordieri was named Top Doctor New Jersey by NJ Top Docs from 2020 through 2022 and is a member of the American Osteopathic Association, the American College of Osteopathic Family Practice, and the New Jersey Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons.

DR. JARED NEWMAN received his medical degree from Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, Missouri and completed his residency at Union Hospital in Union, New Jersey. He is a ten-time recipient of Vitals Compassionate Doctor Recognition and Patients’ Choice Award and a member of the American Osteopathic Association. Before joining Capital Health, Dr. Bordieri and Dr. Newman led Central Jersey Family Medical Group in Jamesburg, Middlesex County, New Jersey for more than 15 years. They now offer their services as part of the team at Capital Health Primary Care – Hamilton to help children, adolescents, and adults prevent illness, handle everyday medical needs, and manage chronic health issues. As part of Capital Health Medical Group, a network of more than 500 physicians and clinicians who offer primary and specialty care, Capital Health Primary Care – Hamilton offers easy access to experienced specialists and the most advanced care in the region at nearby Capital Health hospitals. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Bordieri or Dr. Newman at Capital Health Primary Care – Hamilton, call 609.587.6661 or visit capitalhealth.org/hamilton for more information.

COVID-19 AND CHILDREN: AN UPDATE ON VACCINES AND THE DISEASE Tuesday, February 15, 2022 | 6 p.m. Location: Zoom Meeting While fewer children have been sick with COVID-19 compared to adults, there is a rising number of children contracting COVID-19 in the U.S. Join DR. PUTHENMADAM RADHAKRISHNAN, a board certified pediatrician in the Pediatric Services Department at Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell, to get the facts on how best to protect your children. Dr. Radhakrishnan will share information about vaccine advances, approvals, safety and information on incidence of COVID-19 in children, including increasing hospitalizations. This event will be taking place virtually using Zoom. Register online at capitalhealth.org/events and be sure to include your email address. Zoom meeting details will be provided via email 2 – 3 days before the program date. Registration ends 24 hours before the program date.

16  Robbinsville Advance | Health Headlines by Capital Health

‘Urbanist’ advocated town center design in the 1980s In order to fight suburban sprawl and to fend off competition from big box retail stores located on major regional highways, many towns— including Robbinsville—have embraced the concept of town centers. These mixed use, retail/office/ residential developments have created many positive outcomes, even as they have also faced their own challenges. One of the earliest examples of a town center redevelopment is Palmer Square in Princeton, built in the late 1930s while William H. Whyte, the mid-century American urbanist, was a Princeton undergraduate. When it was completed, in a Colonial revival architecture style that still makes many people think it is much older than it really is, Palmer Square had retails shops at ground level, more than 100 apartments above them, a movie theater, an office building, and an open green flanked by a post office and the Nassau Inn, a 119room hotel. But by the late 1970s Palmer Square was facing stiff competition from several regional shopping malls. In the early 1980s a new owner proposed an expansion of the square, including the demolition of the movie theater and the addition of new office space and condominium housing. Townspeople were angered by the plan and opposed it during public meetings held during the approval process. To make sure the new plan worked “as efficiently as possible, vis-à-vis retail shopping and people gathering,” Palmer Square turned to Whyte, by then known nationally as an urbanist with a track record of helping create successful public spaces, including the transformation of New York’s Bryant Park. In his critically acclaimed new biography, American Urbanist: How William H. Whyte’s Unconventional Wisdom Reshaped Public Life, author Richard K. Rein, the retired editorial director of the Robbinsville Advance, shows how Whyte applied his urban principles to suburban settings, and how those principles still apply in today’s pandemic era. *** Whyte offered some constructive criticism [to the Palmer Square owner and management team]. “I hope you will continue to develop alternative plans for the specific open spaces of the condominium development.. I felt some of the spaces in the previous plan were neither fish nor fowl— ambiguous spaces that would not be really public space, but not very private either.” But Whyte also praised the plan partly for what it did not do. “The mistake many communities make is to strive for one monumental, imposing central space. They usually don’t get used very much, for they are out of scale with the individual. A series

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of smaller spaces usually works out CAREONE AT HAMILTON IS NOT YOUR much better.” In addition, the storeTRADITIONAL ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITY fronts were highly visible and “not arcaded way back out of sight.” The expanded Palmer Square did not attempt to emulate the growing number of shopping malls and bigbox retail centers being built just a few miles away on Route 1. Progressive Architecture magazine in 1983 praised the plan for concealing the edges of the parking garage facing the street, for maintaining the mixed-use approach of the original square, and • Advance standing for “[addressing] the classic problem of American towns—reinforcing the • Department of Health Infection Control Survey deﬁciency free center with added commercial and parking facilities as a defense against • Holistic Approach to Care peripheral shopping sprawl—with• Highly Skilled nurses in house and around the clock out turning the town center itself into an introverted, single use shopping • No agency staff center.” • Pinnacle Customer Service Status 5 out of 5 Whyte believed the Palmer Square approach would work in Princeton • Partner with Hospice to provide End of Life Care and in similar communities with traditional downtowns fighting for sur• CareOne Physical, Occupational, and Speech therapy in house vival in the face of the suburban shop• Activities Life Enrichment Program ping mall. Small cities “are the ones most immediately hurt by suburban • Assisted Living, Bridge, and Memory Care programs shopping malls and most tempted to fight their tormentors by copying them,” Whyte wrote. “Like its suburCareOne Assisted Living at Hamilton is a community ban model, the city mall will be caroriented and will require vast amounts com-prised of traditional Assisted Living, Har-mony of parking.” To gain that parking for the downtown, the suburb would often Bridge, and Harmony Village, our secured memory demolish more of the downtown—a Assisted Memory care neighborhoods.Clinical We are located in the HEART of vicious circle. Living Care Capabilities Whyte argued that “a first step to Hamilton Square, New Jersey. liberation” would be reducing the Harmony Villas & Commons, This program provides a CareOne at Hamilton knee-jerk zoning requirements for a our two specially designed perfect blend of service clinical services in certain number of parking spaces to Our unique healthcareprovides model allows us to provide secure neighborhoods offer and attention for those a home-like environment. accompany every newwho development. different levels of care and need assistance but wish We offer 24-hour licensed clinical services in a home-like setting. That battle continues in the twentyprogramming based on to remain as independent nursing coverage, a key first century, waged against a generathe individual needs of our as possible. Residents component in the level tion of planners and consultants that residents with Alzheimer’s, receiveenvisioned aid with daily of care we provide our Whyte inliving the 1980s. “Now PRIMARY CARE CLINICIAN SERVICES and other memory tasks while residing in wrote then, dementia residents. coming of age,” Whyte “is impairments. Special DIAGNOSTIC TESTING beautifully appointedof planners and a awhole generation emphasis is placed on communityfor withwhom spacious architects the formative CONSULTATIONS creating a safe, comforting suites and fine experience of aamenities. center was the atrium and engaging environment. SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGY SERVICES of a suburban shopping mall.” *** REHAB GYM ON SITE Suburbs, which had appeared to be CareOne at Hamilton the highest of excellence in assisted living services a perpetual engine ofoffers growth in the standards PHARMACY SERVICES designed to exceed the expectations of our residents and family members. second half of the twentieth century, Some the clinical we in provide faced of challenges of services their own the are:NURSIING SERVICES 2000s, most visibly the rapid decline INTERVENTIONS of their once dominant shopping OTHER SPECIALIZED SERVICES malls. In response some mall owners Social and for salSpecialized Diagnostic Rehab Gym Pharmacy arePrimary turning to urban models Care Clinician Psychology Testing On-site Services vation. Robert J. Gibbs, a Michigan- Medical TRANSPORTATION SERVICES TO MEDICAL Services Servicesredesigns Services based landscape architect, APPOINTMENTS AND ARRANGEMENTS OF SERVICES and repurposes failed shopping malls around the country. Drawing on what 1660 Square Rd. and he Whitehorse-Hamilton calls Whyte’s “mythologies Hamilton Township, NJ helps 08690 mall owners research,” Gibbs 609.586.4600 convert their properties into mixedwww.care-one.com use centers with residential, office, and civic spaces. As e-commerce 1296497 1660 Whitehorse-Hamilton Square Rd. grows, one can envision malls turned into Amazon warehouses. Hamilton Township, NJ 08690 Kids who grew up in the suburbs have not always been eager to live www.care-one.com See TOWN CENTER, Page 18

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TOWN CENTER cont. from Page 17 there as adults. In studying the influx of bright young people into hip urban centers, economist Richard Florida gave these new city dwellers a name and used it in the title of his 2002 book, The Rise of the Creative Class and How It’s Transforming Work, Leisure, Community, and Everyday Life. “Places have replaced companies as the key organizing units in our economy,” Florida wrote. The coolest places boasted dynamic, walkable, livable mixed-use neighborhoods, usually created with little or no help from city hall. There are now many such places across the country, and new ones keep getting added to the mix. But they all serve as comfortable cocoons for on-the-move and affluent millennials, much as the suburbs did for the corporate families studied by Whyte in the 1950s. The coolest places might also be the greenest places. In the 1980s Whyte mused that if his hometown of West Chester, Pennsylvania, had expanded its street grid by just two blocks on each side the town could have accommodated about three decades’ worth of sprawl in the adjoining countryside.16 Today towns across America are revisiting their twentieth-century zoning ordinances, which by default favored single-family houses on spacious lots, and considering denser housing and mixed uses in walkable neighborhoods. Minimum parking requirements are being replaced

with regulations limiting the maximum number. To address the missing middle of housing and make housing more energy efficient, urbanists advocate auxiliary dwelling units. Whyte’s Cluster Development, published in 1964, made the same point: clustered housing leaves room for a network of open spaces “that will weave the outdoors into the very heart of the metropolitan areas.” ...When the coronavirus pandemic, which would last through 2020 and well into 2021 (as this book was being published), ripped through the major urban centers, some observers immediately raised the old bogeyman: density. Could so many people, so close together, be a fatal combination in the face of this disease? But the coronavirus ultimately hit rural areas just as hard as it hit cities. Overall density appeared to be not so much the problem. Rather it was densely packed places, such as nursing homes, crowded bars and restaurants, raucous political rallies, and celebratory receptions. Even assuming that vaccines will bring COVID-19 under control, the pandemic experience—and the fear that another one could be on the horizon—will have lingering effects on society as a whole. Whether the residual harm will be greater in cities than in suburbs or rural areas may take years to ascertain. What seems clear, however, is that all the changes that made communities safer and more livable during the pandemic have been

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the same things that Whyte and other urbanists have advocated for decades: better public spaces, more room on the streets for pedestrians and bicyclists, more outdoor dining and openair markets. For years cities have considered plans for converting a downtown block or two into a car-free public open space with room for dining and entertainment. The pandemic suddenly turned plans into action in many places. In 2021 people around the world wished for a return to normal. Some worried that the new normal would leave urban centers with acres of vacant office space, devastated mass transit systems, and bankrupted public works departments. But there is another scenario, a “snap back” to the old ways of doing business. In this scenario young “creative class” workers flock to the city to take advantage of temporarily cheaper rental housing. Work-from-home employees resume some or all of their commuting to escape the grind of domestic partners, children, and household chores and rediscover the “third places” such as coffee shops, bars, and bookstores. Cities thrive, as economist Paul Krugman has written, in part because of “information-sharing and brainstorming . . . over coffee breaks and afterhours beers; Zoom calls aren’t an adequate substitute.” Urbanists might hope for a return to something close to normal, but not the same old normal. Some of the lingering effects of the pandemic could

become enduring positive changes for urban centers— more peoplecentered streets, more public spaces that are accessible year-round, and a greater appreciation for the public realm. *** After a reporting career that included stops at Time Magazine and People, Richard K. Rein launched U.S. 1, the business and entertainment journal that helped the Princeton-Route 1 corridor become more than an “edge city.” He founded the West Windsor-Plainsboro News in 2000 as a sister publication to U.S. 1 and became editorial director for Community News Service, which publishes the Robbinsville Advance, in 2012, He retired in 2019. Now editing a hyperlocal digital news site, TAPinto Princeton, Rein also serves on the board of Princeton Future, a nonprofit that encourages sustainable urbanism in his hometown. Rein’s first book, “American Urbanist,” was praised by the New York Times as “a marvelous new biography” that serves as an “elegant counterweight” to other books in the urbanism field. The American Conservative called Rein’s biography “an excellent examination of [Whyte’s] work and advocacy.” American Urbanist: How William H. Whyte’s Unconventional Wisdom Reshaped Urban Life by Richard K. Rein. Copyright © 2022 by Richard K. Rein. Reproduced by permission of Island Press, Washington, D.C. To purchase the book, go to islandpress.org/ books/american-urbanist.

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RHS basketball has built a culture of winning Rich Fisher

In the six seasons prior to Conor Hayes taking over the Robbinsville High boys basketball program, the Ravens’ record was 39-109. As of Jan. 24 of this year, in his sixth season since becoming head coach, Robbinsville was 63-49. And since 201920, counting an 11-2 start this season, Robbinsville had gone 41-12 . A true winning culture. “We are confident in ourselves to compete with any team in the state,” said senior forward Pratham Nadig, a three-year varsity performer. “We prepare ourselves to win and we give our 100 percent effort every time we walk out on the court.” This did not happen by accident or a sudden influx of superstars. Hayes realized when he came in, that things had to change. He understood that in his first year – which was laden with seniors who had some talent and were used to a certain way of doing things—he could not not impose his will too strenuously. But to their credit, the seniors bought in to what the newcomer said, setting an example for the underclassmen. The result was an 11-13 record and school record for victories. “I texted those guys the night we beat Steinert two years ago (to win the CVC Valley Division title) and said ‘Hey when you see that banner hanging in the gym, that belongs to you guys also. Even though you weren’t on the team, it wouldn’t be possible without you guys,’” Hayes said. “The Lucas Olshevkis, the Tyler Milchmans, the Brendan O’Connors. That whole group really set the tone for the next five years that have followed. “We were able to make a mini-quick turnaround that first year. The next two years were kind of getting back to the start of the process.” That process constituted five steps. First, Robbinsville had to learn how to practice the right way.

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Senior guard Anthony “Chub” Dottino (left) and junior guard Pat Kapp shoot free throws during recent games. (Photos by Rich Fisher.) “We wanted to learn how to practice with a certain amount of intensity, focus and discipline,” Hayes said. The next two steps were to understand how to compete in practice, and how to compete in games. Hayes and his assistants, Bob Boyce (Hayes’ coach when he played at West Windsor-Plainsboro North), Eric Becker and Mike Jackson went to work on that by putting 15 minutes on the clock and having three four-man teams go at it in practice. “It’s just a war zone where there are no fouls called,” Hayes said. “If you complain, it’s a T and you get thrown

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out, and it’s points for the other team. It’s kind of just getting them in that mindset of focusing on things you can control. Focus on playing through contact, on finishing, on being strong on the ball, playing pressure defense, helping. The things that are in our control.” It took time for his players to adjust, but the coach was happy to report that only one technical had been called this season. “We’ve been fortunate we’ve had really good leadership amongst our players the last few years,” Hayes said. “They know they’re responsible to bring the juice to practice and if the energy’s not up, they get on each other from the start, They don’t let it get 10 minutes into practice before they say something.” Nadig is one of those seniors who has embraced the attitude. “I think the biggest factor to our improvement is coach Hayes pushing us and us pushing ourselves,” he said. “We give our 100 percent effort at practice all the time. That has really transformed the culture of the Robbinsville basketball program.” Once competing in practices and games became the norm, Robbinsville had to learn how to win games, and finally, learn to win on a consistent basis. “Fortunately, we’re now in that position where we’re trying to win the big

games,” Hayes said. “We can compete with Top 20 teams in the state, in the counties, in the sectionals, things like that.” The first two “process years” resulted in a 7-17 record in 201718 and 4-17 in 2018-19. A key piece of the rebuild arrived in 2017 with Ryan Smith, who would likely be the school’s all-time scorer were it not for last year’s COVID-shortened season. The Ravens’ record dipped in Smith’s sophomore year but another important player arrived in Brian Herbert, who is a CVC Player of the Year candidate this season. With those two, plus seniors Keith Motusesky, Jack Billings, Brian Tierney and Darren Henderson, Robbinsville exploded for a school-record 20 wins in 2019-20 and just missed beating Bordentown in a Central Jersey Group 2 quarterfinal game while playing short-handed. “I knew our team had the dedication and discipline to turn things around but it came down to coaching,” said Nadig, who was a sophomore on varsity that year. “Coach Hayes had a plan and all we had to do was execute it.” Hayes felt much of the success came from growing pains the previous year. “We lost seven games by six or seven points,” Hayes said. “That became a matter of learning how to close out games, learning how to win those tight games. Once that happens, you can really start to focus on those next steps. “Not that you’re taking those first steps for granted, but those become the expectations. Instead of learning how to practice and coming to practice every day, which is the expectation, winning consistently becomes the expectation. Those seniors went through some tough times as juniors, it paid off their senior year.” Last season produced a 10-3 record and a telling game at Nottingham in the CVC Pod A championship game. With the varsity in covid protocol, the JV gave the heavily favored Northstars a pretty good battle, indicating the talent running through the program. After that, Hayes lauded JV coach Jeff Torralba, who has been a lifelong friend. At WW-P North, Torralba was the point guard and Hayes the shooting guard; Torralba was the quarterback and Hayes was the wide receiver. Torralba joined the staff in 2019. “I really feel like we have two varsity coaches on our staff,” Hayes said. “I never had another assistant watch as much film, if not more film than me, like he does. And being able to bounce ideas left and right, and get new ideas from Jeff has been a huge blessing.” He has the same accolades for freshman coach Jeff Fisher, also the boys varsity soccer coach. All three

levels were undefeated in CVC play at the end of January. “Fish has to be one of the longest tenured freshman coaches in the county,” Hayes said. “It’s great having a varsity coach coaching your sub-levels because they know what it takes to run a practice, they know the expectations, and where the level of intensity at practice has to be. We know when those freshmen come into our gym as sophomores, they are going to be ready for what we do.” That attitude actually starts at Pond Road, where Hayes teaches and Blake Kilgore coaches the middle school team. “He kind of shares the same kind of beliefs and philosophies that I do about attacking teams on defense, attacking teams offensively,” Hayes said. “They’ve been in these situations and although it’s not necessarily the same system it’s the same mentality. So they have the same attitude from their sixth grade year up to their senior year now.” Another key for Robbinsville of late, is there has been no huge drop-off from one year to the next. The Ravens have integrated quality players onto the roster as underclassmen so there is always talent coming back. Last year, freshman Luke Billings started at point guard, this year he is the offguard with sophomore Tyler Handy running the point. “Hopefully, we have some younger guys coming up as well,” Hayes said. “We have 11 sophomores in our pro-

gram we like a lot, so whether they’re getting varsity time or not this year, they’re in that gym every day knowing what it takes to be successful at the varsity level. “Each year we kind of chipped away to where freshmen through seniors there’s a certain level of expectation when you come into the gym. It’s really trickled down from the seniors two years ago to the seniors last year to the seniors this year. That effect fortunately, so far, has been everlasting for the past two years and hopefully that continues.” Another factor has been giving the team strong summer competition. Robbinsville plays in the Jersey City League, where it goes up against some north Jersey heavyweights and powerful non-public schools. That has carried over into the regular season, as the Ravens only losses in their first 13 games were to state-ranked Trenton Catholic Academy and Holmdel. “I believe we have some great potential and can really make it somewhere in the tournaments,” Nadig daid. “The non-conference games will help prepare us for those tougher games at the end of the season.” With the culture in place, Robbinsville hopes to challenge the school record for wins and make a deep run in both the counties and states. Aside from Herbert and Billings, who have gotten the lion’s share of the headlines, there are key role players starting with Handy. “He had a phenomenal summer tak-

ing on tough competition every day,” Hayes said. “I really think he’s the best point guard in the conference. He handles pressure, he’s a phenomenal defender and he just creates and makes everything easy for other players.” There is also Nadig, who the coach feels is one of the best passing big men in the state at 6-foot-5. “He’s unselfish around the rim but he can finish for us also,” Hayes said. Senior guard Anthony “Chub” Dottino is a tenacious defender who usually locks down on the other team’s top offensive player. Sophomore forward Evan Bunnell is an aggressive offensive player off the bench who provides a physical presence underneath, and junior guard Pat Kapp is a do-it-all player “who always finds himself in the right spot.” With the right players creating the right kind of atmosphere, winning has become the rule rather than the

exception. “You see what coach (Chris) Raba does at Nottingham,” Hayes said. “Once you have a culture intact it’s a matter of sticking to those principles, and just carrying through with everything. If that happens and you have guys that can play – you always need the players – you’re able to compete consistently. Things just seem to fall your way sometimes when you go on the court with the mentality of expecting to win instead of hoping to win.” Robbinsville has that mentality, but there is still more to accomplish. “We want to get to that next step of winning championships, whether it’s county championships, sectional championships or state championships,” Hayes said. “We know we’re still building. We’re not necessarily happy yet, but we know we’re where we should be right now.” And Hayes has done an impressive job of getting them there.

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How to improve your heart health Ask The Doctor And please, for them, stay home and safe.

of the challenges of creating new habits. should be getting 150 minutes of modHeart disease becomes more comShirley Roberts, MA, LPC, NCC & Alyssa Lunerate intensity or 75 minutes of high mon as you age so it is vital to see your ing, RD, CSOWM. intensity activity per week. regular primary care physician for regYou should also make sure to watch ular checkups. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10 how much alcohol you drink. Drinking When you reach your 60s, you Create Your Own Personal Mission Statetooour much caninseverely raise your blood should visit your doctor regularly to ment. 7 to 8:30 p.m. Why are You Here? See ads What is your vision of the world? What’s pressure. monitor your blood cholesterol, lipid SIX09 section your Why? Your “Why” is your Personal Misfinally, pgsAnd 5 and 7 try to stay at a healthy panels, blood pressure and your Body sion Statement. Join Transformational Life weight and maintain a Mass Index to ensure a Coach Kathi Szabo, of Eclectic Wellbeing healthy, nutritious diet. healthy heart. Heart disease remains the No. 1 for this special workshop that will help you Are there any If your doctor prekiller of men and women in the United gain clarity on your “Why” so you can create Heroes Work Here_4.313x11.25_HAM.indd 1 1:21 PM warning signs to4/17/20 look scribes medicines to conStates.RWJ-104 Shankar Santhanam, MD—a a personal mission statement that you can trol your blood sugar, Robert Wood Johnson Physician out for? share with the world! Oftentimes, people cholesterol, or blood presEnterprise provider affiliated with Robsure, make sure to follow TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15 ert Wood Johnson University Hospital tend to ignore signs that Clinical Culinary Nutrition: From the Head his or her instructions. Hamilton, an RWJBarnabas Health your heart is in trouble. to the Heart! 5 to 6:30 p.m. Get up to date Dr. Santhanam has facility—offers some insight what you Not all heart problems on current nutrition issues, hear from other come with the tradipracticed family medican do to improve your heart health. health/culinary professionals, and sample cine in the Lawrence area When should I start worrying tional or stereotypical tasty new recipes with our registered dietifor more than 10 years. about my heart health? It’s impor- warning signs. tians! Alyssa Luning, RD, CSOWM. Space is Some warning signs He is skilled in providing tant to start taking care of your heart limited- register at least 48 hours prior to care to patients of all ages health at a young age to reduce the that you should not event. $5 per in-person participant Learn and accepts most major risk of developing it later in life. Heart ignore are: chest pain how to boost blood flow throughout your insurances. disease is something young people or discomfort, including Dr. Santhanam body and decrease risk for cardiac disease, including hypertension and high cholesFor more information generally don’t think about, but don’t pressure, squeezing, or terol. On the menu: Soups! or to schedule an appointwait to think about your heart health pain in the upper chest, back, or lower abdomen—commonly ment with Dr. Santhanam or a physiuntil there is a problem. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16 What are some ways to improve mistaken for indigestion or heartburn; cian with RWJ Medical group, call The Link Between Hearing Loss and Demenshortness of breath with activity or dif- (609) 392-6366. my heart health? tia – Can Hearing Aids Save Your Brain? First and foremost, not smoking. ficulty completing regular activities; 10 to 11 a.m. According to several major Smoking dramatically increases your and swelling in the feet, ankles, legs or Coming up this month at studies, older adults with hearing loss are risk of developing heart disease. Even abdomen. If you experience any of the RWJU Hospital Hamilton more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease secondhand smoke puts you at greater symptoms described above, notify your and dementia, compared to those with normal hearing. Prevention is key. Audiologist, doctor immediately. risk. To register for a program or for schedDr. Lorraine Sgarlato, Au.D., discusses your At what age should I start going ule changes call 609-584-5900. For more Next, try to increase your physioptions. cal activity level. Also, according to to the doctor for regular heart information, go to rwjbh.org/hamilton. the American Heart Association, you monitoring? FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18

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Kids in the Kitchen: You Have a Pizza My Heart. 5 to 6:30 p.m. National Pizza Day is Feb. 9. Learn how to make heart shaped pies loaded with veggies and love. Cook up some fun, and sample healthy foods in new ways! For children ages five and older with parent/caregiver. Alyssa Luning, RD, CSOWM. Register early; limited class size. $5 per child/ $5 per parent/caregiver for inperson attendance.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10

“Love Your Heart” Discussion Group. 6:30 to 8 p.m. For those who were diagnosed with a cardiac condition or recent cardiac procedure, please join us to explore the “Blue Zones,” where people live to be over 100 and healthy. Recipe tasting and discussion

Food: Fact vs. Fiction A Virtual Program. 10 to 11 a.m. Sign in for a session with Registered Dietitian Jennifer Choi, RDN as she discusses and debunks common nutrition related claims and concerns.

Better Health Programs

There’s no better time to be 65+ years old, and there’s no better place to experience it than at the Better Health Program at RWJUH. This complimentary program will engage your mind, encourage you to move and help you reﬂect. To register for a program below or to learn about complimentary membership call 609-584-5900 or visit rwjbh.org/ HamiltonBetterHealth.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3

Tai Chi. Also Feb. 17. 10 to 11 a.m. Tony Jackson focused on improving balance and strengthening legs. Gentle stretching improve flexibility. Learn how to get up if a fall does happen. Must be a Better Health member to attend.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8

Gentle Yoga Classes. 10 to 11 a.m. Gentle Flow Yoga for those new to yoga or who want to gentle practice, focuses on warming the body, alignment, strength, balance and flexibility. No experience or flexibility required. Must be a Better Health member to attend.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14

Canvas Painting for Valentine’s Day; 1 to 3 p.m. Kate Moore of Brookdale Senior Living Hamilton leads us in canvas painting. There will be light snacks served and a good time for all!

Recognizing the Hamilton Rotary for its service DAVE FRIED MAYOR’S COLUMN

When we talk about “stepping up” in the face of adversity, several local civic organizations come to mind. Attempting to name them all in this space would be nearly impossible, but all of us in Robbinsville Township are very appreciative of their contributions during these very trying times. For all the stress, angst and hardship caused by a pandemic now two years in the making, the Robbinsville Hamilton Rotary has proven time and again to be a well-oiled machine that keeps producing results for those in need. The Rotary asks for nothing in return except to spread its mission of ‘Service Over Self.” The organization has been playing a major role here for 30 years since receiving its International Charter in 1992 as the Rotary Club of Hamilton/Washington Townships Sunrise. Countless acts of good deeds later, including the formation of a reading program at Sharon Elementary School from 1994-99 and its crowning achievement at the time – securing $150,000 for the construction of “Megan’s Place” in memory of slain 7-year-old Hamilton resident Megan Kanka—has ultimately paved the way for the Robbinsville Hamilton Rotary Foundation, Inc. With liaison Jodi Stephens helping to direct contributions on the Township side, Robbinsville is proud to work hand-in-hand with the Rotary and we encourage our staff to volunteer in support of programs that positively impact the quality of life within the community. Township buildings also are being used for collection drives, encouraging employees and residents to become actively involved in providing sup-

port when needed. Additionally, our employees have stepped in to assemble meals for those facing food insecurity and delivered food to the homebound. The RHRC Used Bike Drive is recent example of the collaborative efforts between the Rotary and the town. Bicycles are dropped off at our Department of Public Works, repaired and then sold at modest prices by “The Bike Exchange of Ewing,” which donates proceeds to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Mercer County to sponsor after-school programs. Recently, over 50 bikes were collected and refurbished for donation. Members of the Robbinsville Township Police Department were on site to demonstrate proper bike safety and attendees were treated to a meet and greet with RTPD K-9 Officers Quori and Corbin. The Flags for Heroes display in front of RWJ University Hospital at Hamilton last fall was a wonder to behold, while upcoming events include a scholarship program available through April 15 to graduating seniors in Hamilton and Robbinsville, “Lala and Mimi’s Pajama Project” (through February 18) and “End Hunger 3.6” on March 12. Under the leadership of then-Rotary Club President Bill Coleman, the organization was able to reorganize in order to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines. Succeeding presidents Tom Damm and Joe Bellina have not only kept The Rotary on course, but thriving. Their efforts have been significant, and we are all very grateful. The become a Rotarian or to donate, visit rhrotary.org. *** Just another reminder to keep those vehicle doors locked and remove your key fobs to prevent theft. This is a statewide problem with criminals targeting a wide array of communities, including ours. Let’s not make it easy for them.

Genius®

3D Mammograms Now at Windsor Radiology

Genius® 3D Mammograms provide artificial intelligence as another layer of assurance that nothing is missed. They also provide shorter exam times and greater comfort, reducing our “squeeze” time by 75%. To schedule, call 609-426-9200 or go to WindsorRadiology.com

300A Princeton Hightstown Road, East Windsor, NJ

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month! Let Hamilton Dental Associates help brighten your family’s smiles! HamiltonDental.com Dental Specialists Providing Pediatric/Family Dentistry Cosmetic Dentistry Orthodontic Services Dr. Irving Djeng • Dr. Lauren Levine • Dr. Michael DeLuca • Dr. Matthew Etter • Dr. Kevin Collins • Dr. Deolinda Reverendo

Februar y 2022 | Robbinsville Advance23

smires & associates would like to welcome our new agent

“give it your all” 2330 Route 33, Suite 101, 375 Farnsworth Ave., Robbinsville, NJ 08691 Bordentown NJ 08505 Office: 609-259-1414 Office: 609-298-9888 smiresandassociates.com

Joyce Jones Sales Associate Cell: 609-680-7003 Email: JJones616@verizon.net HaMilton

HaMilton $349,900

Joseph Perilli, SA Cell: 609-947-2435

William “Bill” Perilli, SA Cell: 609-635-7370

Fabulous 3 bed Ranch in Hamilton Sq. Large living room w/ gas fireplace, upgraded kitchen w/granite, island & newer appliances. Florida Room, yard with in-ground pool, backing up to woods.

HaMilton square

Maria Polcari, SA

$299,000

Cell: 609-577-5595

2/3 bedrooms, Eat-in Kitchen, Living Room, Partially Finished basement, Large fenced yard, Carport. Larger than it looks cape! Come fall in love with your new home!

CHesterfield

Edward Smires, BROKER

$349,900

Donna Fera, SA

Cell: 609-658-3593

Custom built 2 story, 4 bed, 2.5 baths. Features large foyer w/open staircase, gourmet kitchen, crown molding, full basement, new roof, newer furnace & air. 2 car garage, driveway for 6+ cars, on park like setting. Excellent Location! Call for details!

HigHtstoWn

under ContraCt

Terry Parliaros, SA

Property is approximately 4 acres. This property is located in the receiving area of TDR’s with the potential of allowing 16 single family units offering public sewer and water. Please contact the listing agent for further details.

Cell: 609-610-2252

Impeccably maintained 3 bed, 2.5 bath Salt Box Colonial featuring hardwood floors, finished basement, 3 fireplaces. Detached 2 car garage & a picturesque hardscaped backyard.

Mount Holly

Cell: 609-638-2904

$619,900

Linda LeMay-Kelly, SA

$163,000

Cell: 609-651-3583

Great opportunity for investor to own a multi unit home in Mount Holly, also to be sold with 53 Madison Ave. Large 3 bedroom, 2 full bath, finished attic. Perfect rental opportunity.

Personalized service & attention to detail. It’s what we do all everyto day. Personalized service & day, attention detail.

CallIt’s Finance Mortgage. what weof doAmerica all day, every day. Call Finance of 689-8436 America Mortgage. (609)

(609) 689-8436

3685 Quakerbridge Road | Hamilton, NJ 08619

east Windsor under ContraCt

Kate Bonchev, SA

Cell: 609-271-0120

5 bed, 3 full bath Colonial featuring two story foyer with open staircase, wood burning fireplace, 1st floor laundry room. Close to all major highways, NJ Transit, Septa lines & shopping malls.

yardville

Maria Polcari, SA

$349,900

Cell: 609-577-5595

3 beds, 2.5 baths, vaulted ceiling, primary suite with private bath, 2 car garage, located in Yardville section of Hamilton. Almost 1800 square feet. Make this home yours today!

HaMilton

Joan Martinez, SA

$284,900

Cell: 609-731-1541

Stunning Ravenscroft townhouse offers 2 beds, 1.5 baths. Liv Rm w/wood burning corner fireplace, lots of recessed lighting. Updated kitchen boasts granite countertops & stainless steel appls. Attached garage.

Frank Mancino

Regional Vice President | Mortgage Advisor

Frank Mancino NMLS-133472

Regional President | Mortgage Advisor o: (609)Vice 689-8436 NMLS-133472 fmancino@financeofamerica.com o: (609) 689-8436 FOAmortgage.com/fmancino

fmancino@financeofamerica.com FOAmortgage.com/fmancino FOAmortgage.com/fmancino

Quakerbridge Road NJ 08619 ©20203685 Finance of America Mortgage LLC|isHamilton, licensed nationwide | | NMLS ID #1071 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org) | 300 Welsh Road, Building 5, Horsham, PA 19044FOAmortgage.com/fmancino | (800) 355-5626 | AZ Mortgage Banker License #0910184 | Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act | Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee #15499 | Kansas Licensed Mortgage Company ©2020 Finance of America Mortgage LLC is licensed nationwide | | NMLS ID #1071 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org) | 300 Welsh Road, Building 5, Horsham, PA 19044 | (800) 355-5626 AZ Mortgage Banker | Licensed by the N.J. Department of Banking and Insurance | Licensed Mortgage Banker -- NYS Banking Department | Rhode Island Licensed Lender | Massachusetts Lender/Broker License| MC1071. License #0910184 | Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act | Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee #15499 | Kansas Licensed Mortgage Company For licensing information go to: www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org. | Licensed by the N.J. Department of Banking and Insurance | Licensed Mortgage Banker -- NYS Banking Department | Rhode Island Licensed Lender | Massachusetts Lender/Broker License MC1071. For licensing information go to: www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org.

24  Robbinsville Advance | Februar y 2022