11-21 RA

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Advance Robbinsville

NOVEMBER 2021 FREE

Inside this issue:

SIX09 Fall Family Fun!

COMMUNITYNEWS.ORG

New school helps students integrate

Out and proud LGBTQ+ online docuseries to feature four Robbinsville residents

By ReBeKah SchroeDer

Moving to a new country can be challenging for students who don’t who don’t speak their new home’s native language. The Mercer County Technical School District hopes to help these kids chart a path to success with the Newcomer Academy, a county-wide program that is the first of its kind in New Jersey. Launched in September, the facility at the Arthur R. Sypek Center in Pennington offers workforce-ready training and career technical education for high school students new to the United States. They cater directly to English language learners and students with limited or interrupted formal education, aiming to help them adopt English as a second language. Dr. James Fazzone is the interim superintendent for the Newcomer Academy. He was principal of MCTS for two years before taking on his current position. He said that there had been a discussion about a newcomer’s academy even before then, the idea spearheaded by Executive County Superintendent Yasmin E. Hernández and superintendents across the county— the school’s full name is the Hernández Newcomer SLIFE Academy. “[Students from other countries] want to have the educational offerings that everyone See ACADEMY, Page 8

By ReBeKah SchroeDer

Robbinsville resident Vaughan Burton's rock opera, “Croquet” will be performed by the band Dream of Maya on Nov. 3 at the West Windsor Arts Center. Pictured are band members Jeff Espenshade (left), Burton, Cecelia Tepping, Ben Kaplan and Sebastian Espenshade. Not pictured is Paul Hunnemann. (Photo by Norman Goldschmidt.)

Their courage and compassion Township resident’s inspire us all.

Rocking ‘Wonderland’ rock composition for quite a head.” Dream of Maya is a mixture while, so it’s been in his ear for rock opera ‘Croquet’ ages. of New Jersey musicians, plus one friend flying up from North Now it’satime for Croquet message writtentoin chalk appeared to premier on Nov. 3Onebemorning, Carolina just for the concert. performed. in front of an RWJBarnabas Health facility. The words In addition to Burton on elecBurton and his band— couldn’t have been simpler, or more stirring, tricsoul guitar and lead vocals, the Dream of Maya—will present By SUsaN VaN DoNGeN or more accurate. of Croquet at the band includes Jeff Epenshade the premiere Original sounds spin around West Windsor Arts Center on on electric bass, 12-string guiin Vaughan Burton’s mind, and Alexander Road in Princeton tar and additional vocals, Jeff’s evening, son Sebastian Epenshade on the guitarist/composer/ses- Junction, Saturday “Heroes sion musician says sometimes Nov. 6. All proceeds workfrom here.”the electric bass (both are from the only way to flush out the concert will benefit West Wind- Delran), Ben Kaplan of Mount Holly on drums, West Windsor swirling music is to actually sor Arts. resident Cecelia Tepping on “This is the fi rst time I will play it. Three words of gratitude and encouragement that Such is the case with Bur- ever perform the whole (piece) lead vocals and flute, and Paul capture the courage and compassion of health live, it’s never been done Hunnemann on keyboards ton’s Croquet, a rock opera workers here and across To share guitar.your Hunnemann is the straight through to the America. finish,” and based on Alice’s Adventures in thanks orBurton, to support our Emergency one flyingFund, to New Jersey from says a resident of Rob- Response Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll. “Hopefully, this will North Carolina, where he and He’d been crafting the music visit binsville. rwjbh.org/heroes and lyrics for this progressive stop it from swimming in my See BURTON, Page 11

Natalie Venezia wants to break stereotypes. Inundated with television portrayals of the “gay best friend” and one-dimensional representation, the writer, producer and director envisions more for her burgeoning documentary series, Out in the Open, which she is currently in the process of filming. “We’re seeing these stereotypes that are not real,” she said. “For the LGBTQ+ youth that are out there struggling, and the suicide rate is so high, they don’t have a lot of resources or people to look up to.” “We want to make sure that we do our best to give them real life people who are successful, who have had struggles, but overcame them, and that they have people to look up to in their community.” While it covers residents from all across New Jersey, four participants from Robbinsville are highlighted— chef and restaurant owner Steven Kuo, couple Brian Hayes and Florentino “Tino” del Rosario, and college student Steele Leonard, a graduate of Robbinsville High School. Venezia owns Marlee & Me Productions along with business partner Marlee Snyder. Together they run the film See OUT, Page 4

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